Page 65 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

“Oops. I forgot that was today. Your father just told me you were gone for most of the week. You know how vague he can be with the details. I didn’t get a report back on the apartment and if it’s going to work.”

Thinking about lying with Natalie on the floor after the picnic, I try to muddle my way through everything that happened with Natalie and if that’s an apartment where I’d want to live. I know Natalie approves, so that works for me as well. “It’s great. Location and inside.”

“Great. It’s a competitive market, and I don’t want it to slip through our hands if you approve. I’ll contact the real estate agent about putting in an offer. I know you’re busy, so I’ll let you go, but don’t forget to take deep breaths. It helps fight adrenal fatigue and will keep you in tip-top shape. Deep breaths, Nicholas.”

For show, I take a deep breath and exhale loud enough for her to hear. “See, Mom. I’m breathing. Gotta run.”

“Okay. Good luck and love you.”

“Thanks. Love you, Mom.”

When I return to the office, I meet Mrs. St. James and sit back as they go over the finer points of the contracts in detail.

Andrew studies one of the amendments and then says, “Yes, that’s not something we need to discuss right now. I’ll get the transition team’s eyes on the incubator program.”

Mrs. St. James says, “STJ remains for the duration as agreed.”

“Yes, and then will be transferred back into her name.” Standing up, Andrew reaches over the desk to shake his hand again. “We won’t keep you. We know you must have a lot to do before you get to enjoy your retirement.”

Walking us to the door, John, as he asked us to call him, says, “I hear you’re moving to New York, Nick?”

“I’m the lucky guy.” We move into the hall as a group toward the exit.

He adds, “Hopefully a move this big comes with a promotion.”

Andrew pipes in, “It comes with the perk of a girlfriend, too.”

I’m quick to interject. “That came out wrong. We didn’t hire one. I was already dating her when we signed the contracts.”

Everyone laughs, including me. John says, “A woman is always good motivation. I take it it’s serious?”

His wife scolds, “John.”

He shrugs and still looks at me to respond. I say, “It is.”

I catch Andrew’s attention with my answer, but he doesn’t say anything. John adds, “Maybe you’ll come for dinner once your move is done and you can bring your girlfriend. It’s always good to know a few people in a large city like this one when you first move. You’ve met Jackson, but I’m sure our daughter would be happy to show you around. I know I’d want the same for our kids if they moved interstate.”

“Thank you, John, that sounds great.”

I’m patted on the back.

“If she’s a catch, don’t waste any time getting her to the altar. We may have started later in life, but marrying Martine was the best thing I ever did. Having kids is ranked right there with it.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

After we leave the building, I’m tempted to punch Andrew. “Really? Did you really call my girlfriend a perk of the promotion?”

“Like you said, it came out wrong. But it was good for a laugh.” We walk to the street where we see a line of cabs waiting. “He was a nice guy. Smokin’ hot daughter.”

I check the time, hoping we’re done for the day. I wouldn’t mind surprising Natalie again. “No doubt we’ll meet her down the track. What are you doing the rest of the day?”

“We have a conference call with Beacon in Seattle in an hour. We can go back to the hotel and Dad will conference us in.”

“Damn, I forgot about that.” There go my plans of cutting out early.

At the hotel, we convene in his suite and lose the rest of the day and then some to a discussion about the buyout of a company in the Pacific Northwest and trimming fat from Manhattan Financial. When we hang up, Andrew says, “It looks like you have your choice of cities—Seattle or Manhattan?”

“What do you mean?”

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