Page 40 of BillionHeir
“He is bluffing,” I explain, surprised that Ethan was so easily fooled by the old man’s ruse. “He hasn’t gotten another offer or we would know about it. He loves nothing more than to stroke his own ego. I have seen it firsthand throughout the years. He isbanking on the fact that I am out of the office and trying to milk more money out of you. Trust me, Ethan. This is going to work.”
“Okay,” Ethan says, any signs of hesitation or doubt gone from his voice. “How was your physical therapy appointment this morning?”
Not only is Ethan running my company while I am away, he is also managing my schedule, which includes making the appointments for my doctor and the physical therapist who come out to the house.
“It went well. The doctor says I am progressing ahead of schedule. If I can keep this up, I should be out of the sling soon.” I stretch my neck as I think about my body. The sling that I have had to wear since the accident has really started to get on my nerves. I don’t like being so restricted.
“That is great news, Mr. Banks.”
“Ethan, if you don’t start calling me Max, I am going to demote you. You are running my company for God’s sake.”
“Old habits,” he explains before moving on. “Now that you are starting to feel better, have you thought about when you will be returning to the company?”
I sit back in my chair as I think about the question. At this point, I am mentally well enough to resume working and soon I will be physically capable as well. But Chloe’s question about where I want to be in five years keeps ringing in my ears. I amreminded of all the things I want in my life but don’t have yet. And none of those things are work related.
“I have thought about it, but I haven’t come to any conclusions yet. You are doing such a good job that I might never come back.” I say as a joke with a good-natured laugh, but Ethan has no idea just how serious I am. I could stand to take a step back and put more time into the things that really matter in my life.
“I can’t believe you would even joke about not coming back. Banks International is your life,” Ethan says.
But the man he is talking about feels like a totally different person than the one I am now after going through my near-death experience.
There is nothing quite like waking up in a hospital, confused and in pain, to show you just how mortal you really are. You can have all the money in the world, but death still comes for us all. If you have no one to share your life with, all that wealth feels rather meaningless.
Speaking of enhancing my life, Chloe breezes into the room and sets down a tray of soup and sandwiches for lunch. She smiles politely, then turns to leave the room.
“I have to go, but I will get back to you about that soon,” I say to Ethan, cutting our business meeting short. I hang up the phone and call out to the tempting siren who is scurrying out of the room. “Want to eat with me?”
“Really?” she asks, sounding shocked at the idea.
“Why not?” If she thinks I am going to let her pull away from me again, she has got another thing coming. I have finally convinced her to start opening up to me, and I am not about to back off now.
“I suppose you are right, aren’t you?”
I have always loved the way the British make even the most mundane statements into a question.
“I am always right,” I say, flashing a slick smile at her. “It is better you learn that now.”
Chloe rolls her eyes. “Right. Would you like to come downstairs, or should I bring my lunch up here to you?”
I nod toward the balcony that I rarely use. “What if we eat out there? It is a nice day, after all.”
Chloe looks out the glass door to the balcony and beyond to the late summer afternoon. “That sounds lovely. I will be back in just a moment. Do you need anything else?”
I look over to the tray she has brought and find that there is everything I could need and then some, so I shake my head. By the time she is back with a tray of her own, I am out on the balcony waiting for her.
“It really is a lovely day,” Chloe says after we have each taken a few bites of the delicious food she made for us.
“The weather has been unusually nice for this time of year.”
“Why Portland? Why not something closer to the city?”
“My parents fell in love up here at a summer camp when they were kids. When Banks International made its first million, Dad bought this land and had the house built exactly to Mom’s specifications.” I look out at the landscaped backyard that overlooks the sea. “I did some remodeling after they passed, but most of what you see here is original.”
“That is so romantic, isn’t it? I love that story. Your parents sound sweet.”
“As a kid, I didn’t appreciate how good they were together. When all of my friends' parents were getting divorced, mine were embarrassing me with PDA.” I chuckle to myself. “I wouldn’t even let them hold hands in front of me for a while.”
“What a brat you must have been,” Chloe says with a smile.
