Chapter 135
After dealing with a rather unruly guest at the front desk, Olivia was already feeling a headache as she finally reached her office after leaving her wife and in laws at Company. Rafe and Ava came in just behind her but were smart enough to go straight to their own offices when they saw her in a heated discussion with an older gentleman at the front desk.
Their mom may have been trying to hold it all together as they awaited Frank's sentencing and Natalia's family came into their lives, but they both knew that Olivia was one wrong move, one too many complaints, or one more obstacle in their life away from losing her shit completely and they didn't want it to be taken out on either of them. So, they left her to let out a little aggression on a man who thought he was being over charged and could take on Olivia freaking Spencer and win. They both felt a little bad for the man, knowing only one person would ever have a chance at getting their way with Olivia.
Olivia let out an exasperated breath as she reached for her phone, knowing she needed to call Josh and get the ball rolling on their St. Louis property. It wasn't that she didn't want to move forward with opening her third hotel, she was just so tired. She was still recovering from the injuries she had sustained a little over seven weeks ago. She was feeling better, almost like her old self again. She was back to full days at work and walking without her cane. She hardly ever stuttered anymore, but since Natalia's family had showed up, she was feeling extremely fatigued more often than not.
She was trying so hard to be there for her wife, for her children. She didn't have time to think about what she was feeling as their family expanded to now include Isabel and Clara. She didn't have the strength to deal with her own emotions while trying to hold her family together. She hated that Emma had a nightmare the previous evening.
They had been fading over the past seven weeks, to the point that Doris wasn't always in Emma's bed. Even though Emma always made her way to the guest room and to Doris's safe arms before morning, it was a start. Emma was beginning to feel safe enough to sleep on her own again, and that had been amazing. But Olivia feared that with how scared she was when Louis Rivera had screamed at her and grabbed Natalia they would be taking a few steps backward with their youngest child, and she hated it.
Then there was Ava, who, surprisingly, seemed to be doing okay. Olivia knew she needed to speak with her eldest, that Ava's fears were different then Emma's. While Emma worried that someone would physically hurt her or Natalia or take them away, Ava worried for her mother's health in general. She worried that Olivia's secondhand heart would give out and her mother would be dead, just like the rest of her parents. Ava had spoken with Felicia once on her own but claimed she didn't need to go again. But Olivia knew Ava still had worries and doubts that Olivia was really okay, and she needed to have a heart to heart with her very soon. Especially since their family sessions with Felicia had not only switched to every other week but had also gone from talking about their fears to learning how to move forward.
Rafe, well he was another matter altogether. Not only was he still worried about Olivia, but he also had his own issues with his mother's family appearing in their lives. Rafe may have changed drastically over the past several months, but he was still him. Fiercely protective over the ones he loved and not easy to forgive. Something Olivia wondered if he got from Gus's father, because while Gus, like Natalia, forgave without a second thought, Alan held grudges and didn't truly forgive anyone until just before he died. Like Ava, Olivia knew she needed to have a chat with her son as well, one more about the Rivera's then his fears about losing her.
Olivia rubbed at her temples and closed her eyes, trying desperately to ease the ache forming behind her eyes. She needed to call Josh before meeting with Ashley and Isabel. Then somehow she would have to find the strength to talk with her eldest two children and comfort her wife, who would most definitely need it after an afternoon alone with her long-estranged mother. With a few deep breaths, she dialed Josh's number, shaking everything else from her mind and focusing solely on her expanding hotel chain.
Josh answered on only the second ring, sounding like his usual carefree self. "Hey there pretty lady."
"Hello my favorite ex-husband."
"You sure about that? I think Phillip is giving me a run for my money." He asked in jest.
"While I'll admit that Phillip and I are certainly on a whole new level of, dare I say, friendship, then we have ever been, you will always be my favorite."
"I'm touched." Josh replied over dramatically. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your beautiful voice this morning?"
"Have you spoken with Mr. Milson lately?"
"I have." He admitted in that charming voice of his. "And I told him I would be there tomorrow afternoon for a walk through before you and Natalia head that way. Although I don't think it's entirely necessary. His crew has done an amazing job and when I was there not two weeks ago I was pretty sure they would finish ahead of schedule. I think it's safe for you and Natalia to plan on going over there this weekend. I have no doubt that I will find no problems tomorrow."
"You think we'll be ready to open by the end of the month?"
"I think if you can get staffed you can open next week."
"Well that certainly won't be happening. We've had a lot of applicants, however, neither Natalia or myself has had a whole lot of time to look them over or do any interviews. I think Natalia said she found a few good applicants for the GM position, which is my first priority, but we haven't spoken to anyone yet."
"Well, I'd start doing that. You are about to have your third hotel ready for business, from a construction standpoint anyways. "
"Thank you Josh, for all that you've done. You have no idea how grateful I am."
"Oh, I know Olivia, believe me I know. So, I'll be taking my jet out in the morning and I'll let you know if I see any problems, but I meant what I said, I think you and Natalia should plan on making the trip this weekend."
"I'll speak with Natalia about it. We might need to wait until early next week. I'm not sure if you heard, but her father paid us a little visit and now her mother is here indefinitely."
"I heard something about that. Isn't her sister here as well?"
"Yes, that's kind of what started all of this. Isabel saw the trial and called Natalia, everything else snowballed from there."
"You don't sound very happy about her family coming to town."
"It's not that I'm unhappy, it's just…it's a lot on Natalia, and on Rafe. What happened to her when she was pregnant with him, it's unforgivable, and yet, she has, forgiven them I mean. Well, her sister and her mother anyways. It's a lot emotionally and the way her father acted towards us scared Emma half to death and got Ava up in her head about my health again. It's just so much Josh, too much."
"And what about you Olivia?"
"What do you mean 'what about me?"
"I mean, you told me how the Rivera's popping up has effected the rest of your family, but how are you doing Olivia?"
"I'm fine Josh, I'm just worried about them."
"I know you better than that Olivia. This can't be easy for you, and with you still recovering, it has to be a bit…draining."
Olivia huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hate you sometimes."
"No, you hate that I actually know you."
"Same thing."
"Alright, I know you're not going to talk to me about this, but you should talk to Natalia."
"I can't do that Josh; she's dealing with too much already."
"Yes, and so are you. Just because she is the one they hurt so long ago, doesn't mean that you aren't just as effected by their presences as she is. Just maybe in a different way."
"Well, it'll have to wait. I don't have time right now. I have children to tend to and a hotel to staff and open. My emotional problems are just going to have to wait."
"Don't put it off to long Olivia. We both know if you wait too long to speak with Natalia, you will explode and so will she."
"I know."
"Okay, so I'll call you tomorrow after I've walked through the hotel."
"Thank you Josh."
"Of course. Talk to ya later."
"Bye."
Once she hung up, she took a moment to clear her head before buzzing Ava on the intercom and asking for her and Rafe to join her in her office. The two were there in less than five minutes and Olivia tasked them with sifting through the applicants for St. Louis that Natalia hadn't gotten to yet. Asking them to make a pile of the ones most promising. She was hoping to go to St. Louis this weekend and check on the renovations so they could start interviewing, but she knew it would be up to Natalia. She didn't want her to have to leave her family too soon after being away from them for so many years. Especially since they didn't know how long Isabel would be staying. But she hoped Natalia would understand that if they went this weekend they could do phone interviews the following week and then meet in person with the ones they thought would best suit their hotel.
She gave Ava and Rafe the files for St. Louis and then told them she had a meeting in just a few minutes and asked that they not disturb her unless completely necessary. She needed to get moving on planning the grand opening and wanted Ashley and Isabel to have a very clear picture of what she and Natalia wanted. As wonderful as the one in Chicago was, Olivia had not been at her best then and she wanted to make up for it in St. Louis.
Not fifteen minutes after Rafe and Ava left, Isabel knocked on her office door with Ashley coming in just behind her. "Thank you both for agreeing to meet with me. Please, have a seat."
Both women sat down in the chairs across from her, but it was Ashley who spoke first. "Can I ask why you wanted to meet with me Olivia."
"Of course, I'm sorry Ashley, I should have told you what this was about at the diner. I would like to hire you, and Isabel, to plan the grand opening party in St. Louis. Greg will be helping you as well, however, we have several functions here that need his attention. I can promise it will be worth your while. Both of you."
"Really?" Ashley asked. Shocked that Olivia wanted her to plan such a major event for SRHR. "You want me to plan your grand opening?"
"Yes. I believe this is something that you will excel at and, if you do well, it could open doors for you in the future. Is this something you would be interested in?"
"Yes, yes, of course. I know I talked to you about a job before, I just, I never thought such a big event would be the first thing you asked me to do."
"It is a very important event, one I need to be not only successful, but to go off without a hitch. So, you think you can do this Ashley?"
Ashley thought about it for a second and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes." She finally said with conviction. "I can do this. Just tell me what you want and I can do it."
"Good. Isabel, do you think you're up for this? This is much different than an office party. This will set the precedence for mine and Natalia's future with our newest hotel. I need to know that you can do this."
Isabel looked her straight in the eye with all the confidence in the world. "Yes. I want to do this for you Olivia. Natalia is my sister and I have let her down too many times in our lives, I won't let her down again, or you. Just tell me what you need done."
"Okay. I'm trusting you two. Don't make me regret it."
"You won't." Both women said almost in unison.
"Good. Now, Ashley, you were at the opening in Chicago, so, you know a little of what I'm expecting. I need you to realize how big of a job this is and that we have little time. Natalia is hoping to open on either the twenty sixth or the second of April, it will be up to you two to make sure we are ready by then."
"Not a problem Olivia. When I set my mind to it, I can get things done in a timely manner." Ashley stated.
"I know you can. Just like your mother, you know how to make people work for you. That's what I'm counting on. You two will need to not only plan the party, as in decorations, invitations, promoting, and music, but also secure caterers or food, beverages, and an open bar. I'm hoping that you will be able to do what we did in Chicago and get us long term venders. We used local company's in Chicago, just as we do here, and I would like to do the same in St. Louis. With any luck, you will be able to secure the same drink and alcohol venders we use for the party for the hotel in general. As for a food vender for the hotel, you need to ask the caterer who they use for a vender and get that information from them.
I'm counting on you for this. We've got venders for housekeeping and office supplies, but we haven't even looked into the food and beverage department. We will need venders before we can open. You will need to get quotes for both the party and for the hotel overall. Pass those to myself or Natalia and we will make the final decision on who we choose and negotiate prices. You will need to get a list of what all beverages they provide from the alcohol and beverage venders, and from the food vender. Make sure they have all the proper licensing. Do not bring us anything from anyone who is not properly licensed."
"Okay, sounds good so far." Ashley said, looking up from the notes she was scribbling on a notepad she pulled from her purse. "Are you wanting a theme for the party or just something elegant like Chicago?"
"Elegant, but I want it to be different then Chicago. I do not do the same thing twice. I will be make a proper speech this time, which I will worry about, however, you will be responsible for the timeline for the evening. When guest will eat, when Natalia and I will be announced, and when I will give my speech."
"Got it." Ashley said again.
"I think I might be able to get in contact with a few different food and beverage venders. We've had several conferences in St. Louis to discuss health reform and I've helped plan them. I just need to contact my boss for the information." Isabel offered.
"Alright, that's good. You two have a place to start then. I've already told Greg you two would need to borrow some of his time at some point this week. He's planned more functions then I can remember and I'm sure he can get you two started as well as some more contact info in the St. Louis area." Olivia said. "Now, if you don't have any further questions for me, I have a few things I need to take care of before meeting with Mrs. Rivera and Natalia for lunch. You two should probably swap contact information, you'll be working together a lot while you plan this, and make sure you speak with Greg before you leave so you can set up a time to meet with him."
"Okay. Thank you Olivia, for giving me this opportunity." Ashley said as she stood and extended a hand.
Olivia took her hand as she too stood. "Just don't let me down."
"I won't." Ashley stepped into the hall, already pulling out her phone to research while Isabel spoke with Olivia.
"Thank you for allowing me to help with this. It means a lot that you trust me enough to allow me to be a part of your families business." Isabel said.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, I never said I trusted you, but do good with this, and maybe I'll start to. I don't mess around with my business. I hired Ashley because I know she can do this. She's a little…flamboyant at times, but she is also her mother's daughter, and one thing I know about Doris Wolfe, is she gets things done. I have faith that Ashley will be the same. You, well, you I just have a feeling about. Like Natalia and Rafe, I believe you can do this job, so I'm giving you the chance to prove me right. I know you have a career back home that you'll need to get back to soon, so I must ask, how are you going to juggle this with your job, and how in the hell are you planning to give this your full attention from Chicago?"
Isabel looked down, afraid of how Olivia would react to what she was going to tell her, but knowing she had no choice but to spit it out. She had hoped to tell her and Natalia together, but circumstances have changed. "Well actually, when I went with mama to her room last night, we kind of discussed my staying in town."
Olivia was confused by the statement. She knew Isabel had taken some time off work, but something told her that perhaps Isabel had done more than just ask for a week of leave. "Excuse me?"
"Well, since mama can't go back to Chicago, I know she's going to need help. She's never worked a day in her life and she's never been on her own. She lived with her parents until she married papa and then was with him. I figured I can find a job here and get us an apartment or something. I don't really know, we just talked about it last night. Neither of us want you and Natalia to feel like you have to house and support her. We both know that this is going to take some time for Natalia to adjust to and we figure this way, we can get out of your hotel and give Natalia the space she needs to come to terms with all of this."
"Have you spoken to Natalia about this?"
"No, we were planning to at lunch today."
"You didn't just take off work did you?"
"Originally I did, in fact, I haven't actually quit yet. I asked for two weeks of personal time and my boss granted it, no questions asked. I want to drive up and speak with him in person. I also need to speak with my roommate. I have some savings so I can pay my portion of next month's rent, but she is going to need to find another roommate. I'm hoping she'll let me keep my belongs there until mama and I can find a place if I continue to help her out until she finds someone else."
"And what happens if she finds someone quickly?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll to put everything in a storage unit or something."
Olivia held up her hand, feeling her headache growing. "Alright, alright. First of all, you need to tell Natalia what you're planning. I'll speak with her and if she's okay with it, you can store your belongings in the storage unit here. Secondly, how much do you have in savings?"
"I have enough to pay rent at my apartment in Chicago next month and probably enough after that to pay first month and deposit on a place here."
"So not a whole lot."
Isabel shook her head. "No, a couple thousand dollars. But, with planning the opening in St. Louis, I'll be able to get by until I find something here, plus I'll still have my last check at my current job."
"Don't you enjoy your work?"
"I do, but it's not exactly my dream job."
"And what would your dream job be?"
"I'm not sure. When I was little I wanted to be a dancer, but, once I got older, I really wanted to do something that was fun but still paid the bills. Ya know? I think your life is more enjoyable when you love what you do and it doesn't feel much like work. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like my work, and I'm damn good at it too. I just, I don't know, it's not what I want to do forever. My father pushed me to major in health care when I was in school and then got me a job through a friend of his. I worked my way up and eventually landed the job I have now. But I've never been very passionate about it."
"I can understand that. I loved being a chef, it was my first passion, but, business is where my heart truly lies, I just didn't know it. Not until I bought this place. It needed a lot of work when Cassie and I first got it, but now, well now it's a growing thriving business. I love what I do. I truly missed it while I was recovering."
"You seem to be very good at what you do."
"I like to think I am, yes. Anyways, Let's have lunch with your mom and Natalia, you can tell her your plan, and we'll go from there."
"Okay. I'll just get with Ashley and exchange numbers and speak with Greg. Did you and Natalia discuss where we're having lunch?"
"Yes, I told her we would meet her and your mom over at Towers at twelve thirty. So, we've got about thirty minutes."
"Okay. I'll assume this Tower's isn't far. That should give me time to stop by my room after I talk to Ashley and Greg. Do you know where he's at right now?"
"He should be around the banquet hall. If he's not just ask the front desk to page him. They can also tell you how to get to Tower's it's not hard. Small town." She said with a shrug.
"Alright. Thanks Olivia. I really appreciate you giving me this chance."
"Just prove me right about you okay."
"I will." With that Isabel walked out of the office and met up with Ashley in the hall. The two heading for the elevator to seek out Greg.
Olivia rubbed at her temples for a few moments, trying in vain to contain the headache that was quickly spreading. As much as she wanted to down a bottle of aspirin and go lay in her suite, she didn't have time. There was just too much to do. Letting out a breath, she hit the intercom and paged Ava to her office once more.
In just a few minutes, Ava appeared at her door. "What's up mom?"
"Hey baby, could you shut the door please."
"Of course." Ava shut the door and sat in one of the chairs across from her mother. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to speak with you for a few minutes." She stood and walked over to the couch on the wall, patting the spot next to her. "Come sit with me."
Ava had a quizzical look on her face as she joined her mom on the couch. "What's wrong?"
Olivia reached for her hand and smiled. "Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to see how you're doing. I know that you were a little shaken after what happened with Louis Rivera. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine mom, really."
"Are you sure? I know you holed up in your office on your day off."
"Yeah mom, I swear. I'm fine."
"Ava, please don't lie to me. I can tell something is bothering you."
Ava looked down at her shoes and sniffled. "I just…it scares me when I think about something happening to you. I can't stand the thought of losing you."
Olivia brought her now crying daughter into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, my darling girl. Nothing is going to happen to me. Louis Rivera is nothing more than an ass who thinks he can push woman around and that his wife and children are property that he can control. You don't need to worry about him honey."
Ava sniffed and burrowed further into her mother's neck. "It's not that. I know the stress isn't good for you, that it could stress your heart and cause you to have another episode. I remember mom. Every time I close my eyes I see you lying in that hospital bed, so close to death, and then after your transplant, you had no fight in you. You just wanted to die and there was nothing I could do about it. I can't lose you mom." Tears streaked down her cheeks and soaked into Olivia's blouse.
Olivia tightened her hold on her eldest and rocked her gently. "Oh, my baby girl. I'm so sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry I wasn't stronger back then. It was selfish of me to want to die. To leave you and Emma. But I swear Ava, no matter what happens, I will never stop fighting. You and your brother and your sister and Natalia, you have all given me so much to live for and I don't want to miss a moment of it."
Ava nodded against her shoulder. "I know. But what if something happens with your heart again? You can't fight that."
Olivia pulled back a little and tilted Ava's chin up so she could look into her eyes. "Look at me Ava. I may not be able to stop something from happening with my heart again, I wish I could, but I can't. But what I can do, is promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep something from happening. And, if something happens, I will fight with everything that I have to get better, to stay here with you and our family. I love you so much Ava. I know it's scary to think about my health, but honey, all we can do is live each day. Rick says my heart is strong, there are no problems. I can't promise that nothing will ever happen again, but we can't live in fear that it will. I'm here baby, right here, with you, with Natalia and you siblings. We have so much good happening in our lives right now, and that's what we need to focus on. Okay?"
"Okay mom." Ava said with a nod. "I'll try. I just can't stand to think about not having you here. I don't know what I would do without you."
"Then don't think about it. I know that's easier said than done, but it's what we need to do. It's what I do. I worry to, but, when those thoughts creep into my mind, I just look around. I look at you, at your brother and sister, at your ma, and I let those happy thoughts, the ones that fill me with pride at the family we've built, I let those thoughts take over. Then all the negative ones slip away. It's not easy, but I'm here baby, Natalia is here, and your siblings are here. You need to talk to us when you have those thoughts, we'll help you get through them."
"Okay mom, I'll try."
"No, my darling daughter, you will."
"Mom…"
"No Ava, you promise me right now that you will come to one of us when those negative thoughts start to take over. You promise me Ava because you being okay is just as important as me being okay."
"Okay mom. I promise."
"Good girl. I love you Ava."
"I love you too mom."
"Alright then. Let's go get your brother and join our ever-expanding family at Towers for lunch." She kissed her daughters temple and then the side of her head, holding her close for just a few more minutes. With one final kiss to her forehead, a kiss to let her eldest know that she was here and she was okay, the two exited the office and picked up Rafe before heading out to join their family.