Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chapter 39 Loose Ends, Idioms & Clichés
BPOV
We had a great weekend, even if Esme did freak me out somewhat. Everywhere I went, and admittedly it was wherever Edward went, her beaming satisfied smile bathed me in its warm glow. Rose was no help, she thought it was hilarious and amused herself making comments to Ma Cullen about summer weddings and the optimum spread of grandchildren between offspring.
In the end as much as I love Esme I was relieved when we took the Cullens back to the airport, until I remembered that Demetri and I would be boarding our own flight for New York. Not an appealing idea, it had to be done though, I had meetings to attend and a resignation letter to deliver.
But first . . . .
…..
"I knew it." Char hums, nodding her head sagely as she plucks the olive out of her martini.
"You knew what?" I enquire, squinting at her through the gloom. This restaurant rocks a martini but disdains natural light for some reason, probably because nobody wants to be reminded they're getting drunk at lunchtime.
"That you'd quit Cask and move to Kentucky to raise little horses. And little Edwards."
"Hardly." I splutter, showering her with the last of my drink. "I'm moving to Kentucky to raise little books with Harry Clearwater."
"I bet he's excited."
"Not as excited as I am."
"AT will be excited too." She laughs, draining her glass and motioning for another round of martinis. "Bless him, though I assume you will be taking up the position on the Cask Board that your shareholding entitles you to?"
"Hell yes, poacher turned game keeper, the shoe on the other foot, what goes around comes around and all that. I'm going to make his life a living hell if he gets my job."
We share a good cackle at the thought while the waiter replaces our empty glasses with lovely brimming full ones, we are going to be so wasted . . . .
…..
On Tuesday morning I wake up early, alone in my rented apartment with an unpleasant churning sensation in the pit of my stomach. This that may or may not, given the amount we drank yesterday afternoon, be related to the fact that today I am officially going to give up my life as I know it.
Holy shit!
My cell vibrates into life and I snatch it up, confirming the Caller ID on its way to my ear.
"Morning!"
"Morning." He chuckles, his voice thick with sleep.
"How's your leg?"
"Cumbersome and not entirely suited to the wearing of scrubs, but I was relieved to be back at work yesterday even if it was only in the surgery with the itty bitty animals. How is your resignation letter?"
"Carefully crafted and full of clichés."
"You don't have to do this." He reminds me gently.
"I know." I admit. "I feel sick just thinking about it. I think."
"Why don't you wait a while?"
"Cold feet Cullen?"
"Only because your luscious self isn't here to warm them this morning. And don't change the subject. Wait if that's what you want. I'll be here, or there, every spare second you have for as long as you'll have me."
A warm glow suffuses me and the waterworks start up again. What the absolute fuck is wrong with me?
"Bella? You still there?"
"Yeah, sorry. I'm still here. And that's the problem. Here is not where I'm meant to be, it never was."
"So quit and come back to Kentucky."
"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."
"Good. I think I miss you."
"You think?"
"Well you know, there are some advantages to you not being here."
"Like what?"
"Moira's feeding me."
"Asshole!" I gasp in outrage as he laughs his stupid head off.
…..
Bolstered by my conversation with Edward I hit the home gym since I'm getting a bit flabby, and then the shower, so I'm ready and waiting when Demetri picks me up.
"Morning." He says handing me a coffee as I slide into the` back seat of Cask's long black car.
"Morning. Nice to be home?"
"There is considerably less snow." He observes as he hops in the front. "Here."
A white envelope lands in my lap.
"What's this?"
"My resignation."
"What? Why?"
"The Old Man asked me to look after you not that jerk AT. You quit I quit."
"Um . . . ."
"Don't tax your brain Ms Swan, we can talk about it during our lunchtime stroll."
Okay then . . . .
…..
Lauren, bless her scarily efficient self, already has the coffee ready and Felix waiting when I blast into the office.
"Glad you're back." She says with a beaming smile before becoming all business and handing me a sheet of A4. "Felix and I have done your schedule since you are only here for two days. We've made the last two appointments today dinner and drinks because that's the only way we are going to fit it all in without you passing out from hunger."
I take the paper from her with a murmur of thanks and a small sigh. At least I don't have AT until ten, that's two hours for Felix to tell me what's really been going on in my absence.
"Tomorrow is on the back." Lauren informs me as she hands me a cup of coffee.
"Thanks." I scan down it quickly. "I can't do anything tomorrow afternoon, I need to visit Mom and Dad before I fly back to Kentucky. However there are a couple of people on here I need to see . . . ."
For the next ten minutes the three of us bully my schedule into submission and then Lauren leaves to 'make it so' as Captain Picard would say.
"So." I begin, eyeing Felix over the rim of my cup. "There is something I need to tell you . . . ."
…..
Like everyone else I've told so far he didn't seem particularly surprised.
Neither did Lauren when I told her after he left.
Apparently I'm a lot more predictable than I thought . . . .
…..
"You are what?"
"Resigning." I summarise while he cogitates.
He is a very smooth and shiny man AT, like his maid gives him the once over with the floor polisher before he leaves the house. But he doesn't fool me, I've been watching him down the length of the Board Room table for years, I know his little 'tells'. Right now he's trying to work out how much trouble he'll be in with the rest of the Board if he lets me walk away too easily.
"I am giving six months' notice as per my contract." I supply, deliberately de-railing his train of thought.
"Six months is hardly generous when you are leaving a Company you have led for a number of years." He growls.
Successfully led AT, successfully led.
"I think it is plenty of time for a smooth handover. You know very well that I have continued The Old Man's preference of making sure the Company can run without me."
"And what about the French Project?"
"Felix and Klaus can both handle the French Project."
He scowls at me and I smile benignly back. I don't want to spend the next six months fighting with him but to misquote John Wayne, 'if he's looking for trouble I can accommodate him'. Besides I want the Board to agree to sell me First Beach and I don't want him taking personal joy in talking them out of it. Time to take the bull by the horns . . . . God I'm all clichés today.
"AT I realise that you and I have not always seen eye to eye over the years and that you probably aren't particularly sad that I'm leaving, but I have done everything I can realistically do for Cask and I'm ready to move on with my life. Preferably with the minimum of fuss. I will bend over backwards to work with you and the Board on my exit and all I ask in return is that we deal fairly and honestly with each other over this."
"What about your shareholding?"
"I will be keeping it."
"And will you be seeking a seat on the Board?"
"Of course."
He's silent, calculating my chance of getting one. And coming to the conclusion that unless he risks fighting really dirty, and potentially losing everything, it's pretty high. That's right AT, you screw with me over this and I will screw with you forever. You can never be sure you're holding all the cards but Reginald Royston Cooper dealt me a really strong hand.
"What do you want?" He asks finally.
"A pain free exit and First Beach."
"First Beach? The Old Man's dinky little publishing company?" He asks, trying and failing to work out why I'd want it.
I nod.
"How much?"
"I'm prepared to pay market rate."
"Which is?"
"About a million I would think."
Silence.
"Fuck Bella. If you work with me on a seamless transition you can have it for nothing."
"Excellent. Shall we tell the rest of the Board the news?"
Of course I'll work with him on a seamless transition, it's in my own interests, doesn't necessarily mean he'll find me compliant though . . . .
…..
Demetri collects me for lunch and together we stroll the chilly streets, hot dogs and coffee in hand.
"You sure you want to quit?" I ask him eventually.
"Yes. I ended up doing what I'm doing now because it's often the path of least resistance when you leave the military with no other skills." He confides. "And I am one of the lucky ones, some of us are only suited to work like this and end up failing spectacularly at 'normal' jobs."
"So what do you want to do?"
"When I was a kid I wanted to be a superhero." He laughs.
"I think that's fairly normal." Renee was heavily into old shows. "I went through a period when I thought I was going to be the next Wonder Woman."
"I was pretty sure I was going to turn out to be from Krypton." Demetri confides. "And I was pissed that I wasn't growing up on a farm the way I was supposed to."
Oh my god!
"William offered me a job." He continues. "With retirement looming he wants to spend more time expanding his rare breeds. I've a mind to help him."
"I . . . . um . . . . no offence. Can't really see you as a farmer?"
Because, you know, you're a huge guy, wearing an intimidating leather jacket, which I know conceals a gun, parting the New York pedestrians approaching us like the Red Sea without even thinking about it.
"You will Bella. You will."
…..
"How was dinner?"
"Interminable." I complain as I ease off my heels and flop back on the bed.
"Poor Bella, being forced to eat in one of New York's finest restaurants."
"Want me to send you a picture of my raised middle finger?" I ask him.
"Not unless you want me to send you one of what's raised at my end!"
"Ew."
"Ew? I offer to share my erection with you electronically and that's all you can say?"
"Double ew."
"I take it that's a no to phone sex then?"
"I take it that means you're feeling more like yourself?"
"If you're not going to help me I will be feeling myself when we're done talking."
"How did this conversation take such a low turn?"
"You flipped me off when I'd much rather you were here and doing something else."
I can't help it, I'm wired that way where he's concerned and my mind goes straight there . . . .
"Oh yes. And what would that be?"
"You really want me to tell you?" He asks, his voice dropping.
"I'd like to hear you try . . . ."
"Oh Bella." He growls softly. "Get comfortable I have a story to tell you . . . ."
…..
It's another New York morning, last one before I can get back to Kentucky, and Edward, at least for a while. And to be honest I might as well not be here because my mind is in a million other places . . . .
Which is why the fucking intercom makes me jump ten feet when it bursts into life.
"Bella." Lauren calls my name. "Detective Sokolov is on line one."
Shit!
"Okay, thanks, I'll take it."
"Hello?"
"Ms Swan, sorry to bother you, I have some news . . . ."
…..
Demetri can't stop laughing and I suppose it is pretty funny.
James Trevisano hadn't known I'd sold my apartment when he broke into it. So he certainly hadn't known who I'd sold it to.
When the current Heavy Weight Champion of the World came home from the gym and found a naked stalkery radicchio rubbing himself on his suede bedroom wall he was quite understandably upset. Apparently when Trevisano gets out of the hospital it's going to be a long time before he gets out of prison.
And I know I shouldn't laugh, but . . . .
A/N I'm sorry this is flowing like concrete but there is a lot going on at the moment. And I apologise for my epic failure at responding to your reviews last chapter, if you're still reading and care to share, I promise I do appreciate it and I will do better!