Page 5 of Coming Home

Tony and Katie are friends I met a few years ago through Uncle Ray while in Boston on a holiday midway through college and have kept in close contact with ever since. The past year we haven’t been as close, but they know everything that has happened, and we have had sporadic contact. They were also part of my desire to come to Boston, where not only do I have a ready-made family but instant friends as well.

Tony is a good-looking Boston native who is working in his family business in finance. It is a small company, so they don’t work with Uncle Ray, but his mother is friends with Aunt Emily. Katie works in commercial real estate and was with Tony when we first met. I actually thought they were a couple before I knew Tony had a partner called Tom. The three of them are inseparable, and I am so excited to be in Boston with them now.

“How was the flight?” Katie asks as I hop out of the gigantic bed and flop my feet onto the floor, my toes curling in the soft carpet.

“It was fine, long. Oh my god, it is so good to see you.” I squeeze her so tight, afraid that she will disappear.

“We didn’t want to wait a moment longer to see you, Scar. After everything that has happened, we are just so thankful that you are here with us now.” Tony’s words bring tears to my eyes.

It is true that if I hadn’t had a last-minute conference call at work that made me slightly late for family dinner that night, I would have been home the moment three masked men stormed inside and shot my family at point-blank range. The vision of the masked men running out of my house and into a black van that was waiting out the front for them is etched in my mind. Having seen and heard all of it while walking down the street to my house, it is a moment I will never forget.

I hug Tony and let the feelings wash over me. After our hugs and tears, Katie and Tony make their way downstairs to get some coffee and breakfast going while I take a quick shower to wake up.

We spend the morning together, talking about everything and anything—none of us stopping for breath. That’s how you know you have good friends; you just pick up where you left off—no matter the time frame. The conversation moves from breakfast and juice to mid-morning coffee with these cute little cakes that are in the kitchen that we nibble on, while looking at the stunning gardens through the patio glass doors. Conversation soon moves to work, and we start talking about a Business Summit we are all attending together later in the week. Stephen arranged it for me, knowing that Katie and Tony were going, so he thought it would be a great way to kickstart my week before beginning my new role in the Heatherstone offices.

We have all downloaded the event app and look through the schedule to see who the keynote speaker is. Apparently, it is someone that Katie is excited to see.

“It’s Marco Marshall. He is so dreamy, Scarlett, just wait until you see him,” she sighs from the other side of the table.

“Is he any relation to Shaun Marshall?” I ask, remembering Uncle Ray’s hatred for the man from our conversation the night before.

“His brother,” Tony chimes in. “If you think Marco is dreamy, just wait until you see Shaun. He looks like he stepped off the cover of a magazine.”

“Shaun isn’t pitched to be at this summit, but I hope we have good seats for Marco’s presentation. No doubt the room will be full,” Katie continues to swoon. She then changes the subject and asks me about all those stunning beach boys on Bondi—forgetting that I have been removed from the Bondi scene for the past year. But I enlighten her with the sexy policemen I have met, and we all get carried away talking about how sexy a man in uniform is.

The banter is light and just what I need. It makes me feel so normal, and although I will always have a hole in my heart, I feel like I am starting to move forward, even though it is just baby steps. Tony starts talking about his family business, and I watch him as he talks. A trait I have picked up from being around security and police officers for the past 12 months is the ability to read people. I now have an excellent grasp of body language, tone of voice, and I am able to get a good handle on people just through listening and watching.

“Soooo, I get my trust fund soon, and I am thinking about buying a ring… for Tom.”

Katie and I gasp in excited surprise. “You’re going to propose?” I ask him

“I have been with him for three years. and our love only grows. Marriage is our next step, and I want to get the perfect ring and have the perfect proposal.” Tony grins, and Katie and I smile at the good news, then we group hug again.

Tony hasn’t stopped talking about Tom since this morning; it is clear that he loves him. A love I hope to find one day. I wonder if I will ever find a man who talks about me the way Tony talks about Tom. Before my mind races down the romance path, I shake my head and take a sip of my coffee. Jet lag is starting to kick in, and I still have the whole afternoon ahead of me.

Katie is laughing, newly single herself and ready to mingle. She is already dropping hints about us going out and dancing the night away and meeting cute boys. I love to dance, but hitting a club is a little out of my comfort zone at the moment. I am opening up to the idea, since I am young and free, and Katie is a great party animal partner. We have had a few nights in the past where we have stumbled in the door in the early hours, having spent way too much time on a dance floor and at the bar. Pleasant memories fill my brain and I smile.

We continue to sit around the table talking, the smell of caffeine a constant in the air, and the afternoon flies by quickly. We are interrupted by Aunt Emily, who walks into the kitchen laughing at us since it is now 5pm and we haven’t moved since 9am this morning. She is heading out to meet with friends for dinner, and Uncle Ray and Stephen are working late, so she encourages my friends to stay, but they take one look at me, and my jet lagged state and say their goodbyes. We have planned to meet for coffee in the morning, where we will spend the day together again.

Deciding that I need dinner and an early night tonight, I move slowly around the kitchen and heat up some leftovers I find in the refrigerator, before dragging my weary body up the stairs to bed. My eyes close just as my head hits the pillow.

7

Shaun

"Marco, I’m looking forward to hearing your keynote, but I need to leave straight after. I have finance breathing down my neck, I have the team in LA waiting for me to get through the new merger paperwork, and I seriously haven't been laid for days and my balls are going blue," I say in exasperation as we walk together with his team to the lecture theatre. My week so far has been hectic, and I can’t get a certain blonde out of my mind. I have never been so preoccupied by a woman; it’s driving me crazy.

Marco laughs. "Don't worry, brother, it is only 45 minutes, and a lot of people are keen to see you. Plus, I think if the CEO of the company is here, it will show that we are really focused and a force to be reckoned with.”

"I don't really give a shit about meeting people. Marco. I'm only here because it means something to you." I smile at my little brother. Since dad passed away, it has been hard on the family. I take my grief out in anger, whiskey, and women; Marco is more empathetic and uses his grief to help people, and in turn, feel like he is making a difference.

Marco sighs, shaking his head and smiling. "We’re here.”

We walk into the large lecture theatre, and I scan the room before I shake hands with a few people in the front row. This is Marco's keynote, and I am not presenting or planning to say anything. I am simply showing my face and am here for moral support for my brother. I take a quick look around the room to view the cohort of people who are taking their seats for the presentation. A mixed group of people, no doubt all hoping to be the next business success. Just before I sit down, my eyes land on her. Scarlett from the plane. I can’t see all of her face, but I know it is her. The same blonde hair, tanned skin, and legs for days. I still can’t see her eyes, and for some reason, I desperately want to see them. I suck in my breath as the lights dance off her hair like she is cinder-fucking-ella. She is sitting next to a guy, and they seem close. I don’t classify myself as the jealous type, but my hands go into fists at the sight of them together, his arm around her shoulders.

Sitting down, I come to the conclusion that maybe this little outing won't be a waste of my time, after all. As I listen to Marco’s presentation, my eyes flick across to Scarlett often. She is radiant. I take in her appearance and the look of the guy sitting next to her. My stomach clenches at the thought he might be her husband or boyfriend. They look close, but there is something telling me I am not out of the running yet. I like a bit of competition, it is healthy for the ego, and she would be a perfect prize.

Marco, as expected, is brilliant at his presentation, and as he talks, I can clearly see his passion. He is energetic and positivity shines through his face whenever he talks about the business. Our business is one of the most well-known merger and acquisition companies in America. Our offices extend across both the east and west coasts, and we are starting to make our move into international regions to expand our reach and make bigger deals. We are growing rapidly, and at times it is hard to keep up.

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