Page 121 of February

“Is something–”

“Nothing is wrong with it. Well, I’m old.” He laughed. “But I just got a clean bill of health from the doctor. Trouble is, your mom wants me healthy when I begin my retirement and not too old and sick to travel with her, so it’s time. You’re ready. I hate to spring this all on you at once, but your mother let me hear it last night, and then the Good Day thing came up, so it’s best if you just come back as soon as the ink is dry on the Southern contracts so that we can get moving here. I don’t want to be yelled at by your mother again for working way past when I told her I’d stop.”

Monica didn’t have time to process all that because the conference room door opened, and Bridgette walked out with a wide smile, which could only mean one thing.

“Dad, I have to call you back.” She hung up without waiting for him to answer.

“You and me.” Bridgette pointed at her. “Bathroom.”

“Bathroom?”

Monica stood, and Bridgette took her by the hand. They exited the suite and walked to the bathroom door, which Bridgette pushed open and pulled Monica inside. Then, she kissed her hard; so hard that Monica couldn’t even really kiss her back.

“They’re letting me take over. They went for it,” Bridgette said, hugging Monica now.

Monica swallowed and hugged her back.

“That’s great, babe,” she said half-heartedly.

Bridgette pulled back and looked at her with confusion.

“You don’t sound as excited as I hoped you’d be.”

Monica gave her a weak smile and said, “Babe, I have to tell you something.”

“Again?” Bridgette asked because that was the same tone Monica had given her and the same words, even, after the last call with her father. “What’s wrong?”

“That was my dad on the phone.”

“Okay…”

“He wants me to give your parents an offer now.”

“Well, tell him that they don’t want to sell,” Bridgette said, taking a step back.

“I did. He still wants me to give them a number. I guess there are some things at Arnette, and we need this deal now for one of our companies.”

“What the fuck, Monica?”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to do it.” She took Bridgette’s hands in her own. “I’m not going to make the offer. I can’t. This is too important to you.”

“Okay. You don’t do it, but what happens next, then?”

“He’s going to be mad at me, but I can handle that. I can’t stop him from having someone else give them the number, though, Bridge.”

“You’ll get in trouble,” Bridgette said, seemingly realizing it at the same time.

“I’ve been in worse trouble than this.”

“But you’d do that for me?”

“Of course, I would,” Monica said softly. “I just can’t prevent–”

“Him from sending someone else.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well, I might be able to handle that. They just agreed with me, so maybe I can convince them still, even if thereisan offer.”

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