Page 108 of Unexpected Kisses

Her brows furrow, and to say I’m confused as to what’s going on would be a gross understatement. “Sure. Do I need my tablet?”

“No. Just take a seat, please.”

Sarah takes the seat next to mine, and I want to reach out and take her hand to calm her obvious nerves, but I know she wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. I’m already going to be in trouble for what I did in front of Lucy. This would be far worse in her eyes.

The silence in the room builds and I’ve never seen my grandfather look more uncomfortable. He stands and walks over to his floor-to-ceiling windows, tucking his hands in his pockets with his back to us for several moments, then he heaves a loud sigh. We all look at each other. I wish he’d start talking and put us all out of our misery.

“Grandfather?”

“Give me a moment, Adam, would you?”

I lean back in my chair. And wait.

He finally spins on his heel to face us. “Adam. You’ve made it very clear you don’t want to take overFutureTech. For the life of me, I can’t understand why, but recent events and discussions with your grandmother have opened my eyes a little.”

I nod and blow out a breath. Finally. I glance at Mom and Hayley, noticing them sitting forward slightly in their seats. I know they want to get their hands onFutureTech. They’ve discussed the possibility of bringing Hayley and Lisa’s software company under theFutureTechumbrella, allowing them a greater reach.

Grandfather walks toward us, gripping the back of his leather chair. “Elaine.”

“Yes, Father.” It’s easy to hear the note of excitement in her voice. I hope he’s made the only choice he can make. Therightchoice.

“After careful consideration, I would like to offer you the CEO position ofFutureTech. Along with that position you will become a fifty percent shareholder in the company.”

Mom rises from her chair and I’m certain she wants to jump up and down on the spot, but years of social conditioning have her controlling her reaction. She steps around to Grandfather and wraps him in a stiff hug. “This means the world to me. Thank you for putting your trust in me. I won’t let you down, Father.”

He pats her back as if he’s patting an acquaintance. “I hope not.” And there we have it, folks. The lack of faith and acknowledgment of Mom’s talents. He forgets—or fails to recognize—she was a CEO of a Fortune 500 company until eighteen months ago when she decided to retire with the hope she would eventually take overFutureTech.

I glance at Sarah. Her mouth is dropped open slightly and her eyes are wide as she watches their interaction. She had a taste of how cold my family is when she met them while I was recovering in the hospital. They stopped by regularly to visit, but there were no warm embraces or the general love and affection Sarah is used to from her family.

Mom returns to her seat, wearing a slight smile. I know she’s holding back her joy at this new development. Grandfather turns his attention to my sister. “Hayley.”

“Yes, Grandfather.” She sits a little straighter.

“I know it’s roughly six weeks until your little one will be born, but I would like to offer you the position of Vice President. You and Lisa can work out a system that will work best for you in terms of looking after your children and balancing work. With the role, you will receive a twenty-five percent share in the company.”

She jumps out of her seat, squealing in delight. Obviously, she doesn’t care for the years of conditioning. And I can understand her excitement. This means big things for her and Lisa’s software company. Running around the desk, she flings herself at our grandfather, and finally, he cracks a smile as he returns her affection. “Thank you, Grandfather. I won’t let you down. We’re going to takeFutureTechto the next level. You wait and see.”

“We have more to discuss.”

Hayley moves back to her chair, but not before embracing Mom in an excited hug. When they separate, both of their eyes are twinkling in happiness and their nervous disposition from earlier has completely vanished.

“Congratulations, Mom. Congrats, Hayley. I’m happy for you both.” I look at my grandfather. “Thank you.”

He tips his chin. “You’re not completely off the hook, Adam. I may not have given you a role as such, but I want you involved as a silent partner. You will take the position of the second Vice President and hold the final twenty-five percent of the company’s shares. Your skills and talents could be very useful here.” He scans the three of us. “No arguments.”

Damn it. That doesn’t seem fair since I won’t be as involved in the day-to-day operational side of things. I’ll have to speak with Mom and Hayley about it once Grandfather steps down. I don’t want to upset his good mood and bring it up now because this is the outcome I’ve always wanted for Mom and Hayley.

“Now, Sarah. It is entirely up to you, my dear, but I’m hoping you’ll stay on to help Elaine and Hayley during the transition period and beyond. You know as much about the running of this place as I do and you will be an invaluable asset to them.”

Sarah blinks a few times. She told me she offered to resign from her position because of our relationship. “I would love to stay, Mr. Wainwright. It would be an honor to assist Mrs. Jackson and Ms. Jackson as they transition into their new roles.”

“Please, call me Elaine while we’re in the office.” Mom smiles at Sarah. “You can call me Mom the rest of the time.” She winks. My mother winks at my girlfriend. Well, soon-to-be fiancée if I have anything to do with it. I feel like aliens have taken over my family.

“Same goes for me. Hayley will do just fine.”

“Okay.” Sarah’s still trying to maintain her professionalism, but I can see the excitement vibrating beneath the surface. She turns back to my grandfather. “What about Mr. Booth?” Ah, the asshole who supported Grandfather with his outdated views. “Will he be staying on?” Sarah’s stiff as she waits for an answer.

“Uh, no. I’ll be informing Tony, when the time is right, that he will need to seek other employment. It’s recently been brought to my attention how old-fashioned we both are”—he pointedly looks at me—“and I think it would be a good opportunity for a clean sweep. I believe these changes are exactly whatFutureTechneeds to carry it forward.” He sits and places his hands on his desk. “I would like this transition to begin as soon as possible.”

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