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Of Corporate Scandals
Chapter 34. The End
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6 months later
Annabeth almost fell over balancing her coffee in one hand and her massive portfolio in the other. This is why she promised herself that she would stop wearing heels when she was commuting.
She'd almost twisted her ankle, walking around Columbia University's cobblestone and brick sidewalks in her high heels on graduation day three months ago. However, she'd managed and walked across the stage to get her diploma and shake hands with the dean of her masters program.
Even with her shiny new degree from an Ivy, it was a scorching Manhattan summer of endless applying and interviewing for every firm on the island. Annabeth was grateful for the hint of an autumn breeze she felt as she rushed down the steps of the subway station.
She barely made it onto the train to her office, her portfolio getting stuck in the doorway. Her new apartment uptown was a decent ride away from her office, but at least she could read on the subway.
Thalia and Luke had offered her to move back in with them. Annabeth heavily considered it to split rent, but ultimately decided living with a newly married couple and officially third-wheeling was not acceptable.
New degree, new apartment, and new job. At the end of the summer, she'd finally accepted an offer from a fairly new architecture firm downtown. It was the kind of company where everyone could wear jeans, there was a keg-erator (a keg refrigerator that dispensed beer from one tap and cold brew from the other), and there was a company retreat once a year. She hadn't had to pull out her closet full of pencil skirts and blazers since starting. She still wore heels though.
"We keep huge industrial size bottles of dish soap on the deck, just in case we come across any marine animals who got into oil spills," Percy recounted, flipping through pictured on his camera roll.
"That's crazy, man," Beckendorf said, "I can't believe you sailed that far in a month."
"It would've been shorter, but we weren't in a rush. I loved Auckland so much."
"I can tell," Beckendorf said, "You look much happier."
It was true. Percy was suntanned and more muscular from his months sailing his boat around the world and volunteering with different organizations. It was the first time he'd been back in New York since, well, since her.
Percy had to, of course, drop by the old office and say hello to the new acting CEO of Open Seas. They'd been catching up in Beckendorf's office (which had been Percy's formerly). They'd skirted around the topic long enough.
"How's the transition been?"
"Not too bad. Your father's of course, still a little touchy about the subject."
Percy waved his hand, "He'll get over it."
His father hadn't been too happy when Percy announced his sabbatical, which after a few months, became a formal stepping down. The media had a field day ("JACKSON CALLS IT QUITS"). But like everything, it blew over.
"So tell me more about this last charter."
"Annabeth, could you come in here?"
She stood from her stool at her drafting table, brushing the charcoal off her hands. She walked over to her boss's desk (it was an open-concept office, so no closed doors for the execs). "What's up?"
"We have a consultation this afternoon for a new office space downtown. Bianca's head of this project, but I was thinking you'd come along with us as her design support. I'll just be there to oversee."
Annabeth beamed, "Really? I mean, yes, I'd love to." She'd only been there a few weeks, and the junior architects usually got handed drafting or little projects like fire restorations or small renovations. It was her first time being asked to help on a large-scale design job.
"Great," her boss said, "Go connect with Bianca and see what you need to prepare for the pitch."
"Absolutely, thank you, Hestia." Annabeth beamed.
"So what's on the docket for today?" Percy said, fiddling with the trinkets on Beckendorf's desk.
"You're just going to hang around your old office? Don't you have anything better to do?"
Percy shrugged, "Not really." He was only in New York for a few days to meet with the boards of a couple charities, and they'd already happened. Although he'd stepped down as CEO, Percy happily took up heading Open Seas corporate social responsibility initiatives.
"Well, I guess you can hang out. We're opening another office in Tribeca. Since, uh, the architecture department didn't work out, we hired this cool new firm to work with. Major start-up vibes. I'm meeting with some designers in a few minutes to discuss the design plans if you want to sit in."
Percy shrugged again, "Sure."
"They're waiting for us in the conference room."
"Hi."
"Hi."
Annabeth bit her lip, standing across the conference room table from him. Hestia, her boss, and Beckendorf were still chatting.
The pitch had gone well, but all Annabeth could feel was the tension between her and Percy, running between them like an electric current.
Earlier, she'd gotten in the town car with Bianca and Hestia to go to their pitch, and hadn't realized where they were headed until they pulled up in front of the Open Seas building.
"I thought you said this new office was in SoHo," Annabeth gulped, as she stepped out of the car. Bianca and Hestia weren't noticing all the familiar nods and waves Annabeth was receiving from the reception staff.
"Yes," Hestia said, not looking up from her phone, "This company is opening a second branch down there, but this is their corporate headquarters."
But, both Hestia and Bianca had shot her curious looks when they walked into their meeting and the client had greeted her by incredulous name.
"Annabeth?"
"Hello, Charles."
She gestured to her team, "I'd like to introduce you to Hestia, managing partner of Hearth & Home, and Bianca, the head designer for your project."
Hestia shook Beckendorf's hand, "I wasn't aware you were familiar with our newest architect, Mr. Beckendorf."
"I used to, um, work here," Annabeth flushed, "as an assistant."
"And she was great," Beckendorf added, hurriedly, "I'm excited to hear all about your plans for our new office. Please, let's begin."
Bianca was mid-way through explaining her concept of the new Open Seas tower when the conference door opened and man slipped in and sat next to Beckendorf.
Annabeth was in charge of flipping through Bianca's slide deck, and almost missed her queue when the men finally met her eyes.
He stared at her the entire pitch. Annabeth couldn't read his expression.
Twenty minutes later, after Bianca gave the best pitch of her life, and Annabeth helped her pack away her materials, did Percy approach her.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"How've you been?" Annabeth finally said after a moment, she searched his eyes for something, anything to convey how he was feeling.
Percy laughed, shaking his head, "How do you think I am?"
"Percy—"
"Annabeth," Hestia called, her pleasantries with Beckendorf wrapped up.
"Coming," Annabeth slung her bag across her shoulders, "I–"
"Let's grab a drink tonight."
"Okay."
They tumbled into Annabeth's bed. She'd finally tossed her old college mattress and upgraded in her new apartment.
Percy's hands roved her body, and she groaned as he clambered on top of her. They'd only been one-and-a-half drinks in at the dive bar before Annabeth invited him back to her place.
He kissed her deeply, "Oh gods, I've missed you."
Annabeth raked her hands through his hair, "I missed you. I didn't believe it when I saw you walk in. I didn't know you were back in the city." She yanked his sweater off his shoulders.
"This was my first time back since…" Percy trailed off, kissing up the column of her neck. Since they had a massive blowout fight, broke up, got back together, and Annabeth left him.
They'd exchanged pleasantries at the bar for happy hour once Annabeth got off work — filling each other in what they'd been up to the past six months, but sitting a professional distance away across the table.
Through their anecdotes of traveling, graduating, and moving, they'd inched closer, their fingers barely brushing as they took sips of their drinks.
When they went to hug each other goodbye, Annabeth asked him back to her apartment.
Annabeth pulled back from Percy's searing kiss, biting her lip, "Percy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He captured her lips again, "Don't, Annabeth. Don't apologize."
"I have to. I'm sorry I didn't call," Annabeth sat up.
"I'm sorry I didn't call either."
"Why didn't you?"
"I didn't know if you wanted me to," Percy said, brushing a strand of Annabeth's hair off her face.
"I needed time," Annabeth said, from beneath his arms caging her in on her bed, "to get my bearings again."
"And I'm glad you did. Look at you, with your new job and this apartment. You didn't need me," he said with a small, sad smile.
Annabeth cupped his face in her hands, "But I didn't stop loving you."
So he kissed her, he kissed her for every day he didn't call. He whispered how much he loved her as he took her apart and put her back together again.
As they laid in her bed, tangled in her sheets, the glow from the streetlamps spilling into her apartment, Annabeth murmured, "Just hold me, Percy."
He squeezed her, "I'm supposed to leave on my next charter in the morning."
She twisted to face him, "Please stay."
"Annabeth, I don't know if I should—"
"I'm not asking you to marry me," Annabeth said, kissing him lightly, "I'm asking you to stay."
"Okay."
And he stayed. The next day and the next day and the next.
The End
A/N: Fin. Whoa. I published this story over ten years ago. When I started writing, I was in my childhood bedroom only imagining what New York City could be like. And now, I write to you from my apartment here. Thank you for reading and supporting all this time!