I get his concern. I’m some guy from New York, staying up the mountain at the fancy private members resort, who’s slumming it for a day picking fruit. I probably seem like a spoiled creep. And I’m definitely spoiled.
“I will do everything I can not to hurt Iris. I think a great deal of her.”
Bray takes a bite of his sandwich and nods. After he swallows, he says, “So when are you going back to New York?” he asks.
“I’m not sure. The initial plan was to stay a few days.” I’ve skipped a few meetings already. My father has asked his assistant where I am, but other than that, I’ve not been missed. I’ve had over thirty years learning how to be my father. I’m done with the training. There’s no need to rush back to New York. “I might stick around for a little while longer.”
I’ve not talked about my plans with Iris. Me staying might be the last thing she wants.
But it’s what I want. I’m clear about that.
I was serious when I said to her that if we give what we have some time to simmer, we’ll be able to figure out how we make things work or decide that we don’t want to.
Except, I don’t think I’ll ever decide that I don’t want to spend time with Iris. Something changed that evening in New York, walking the sidewalks in Central Park. Something in me shifted. Now I’m not sure if I work properly without Iris.
“You looking for a permanent job here at Wilde’s?” He looks concerned. I’m not sure if it’s because he doesn’t have a job to give me or because he’s worried that I can’t support myself without Iris’s family’s help. He must know that if I’m staying at the Club, I’m doing okay? Maybe he thinks Byron’s giving handouts.
I shake my head. “I thought it would be fun to come and see the farm she talks about. She told me if I wanted to work, I’d have to come to you. She wasn’t going to put a good word in for me.”
Bray chuckles. “She can be a hard-ass.”
“She’s been through a lot.”
Bray’s face darkens and he nods. “Yeah. So, you like the farm?” he asks.
I finish my soup and place the empty bowl back on the tray. “Yeah. It’s great. It’s hard to describe, but the atmosphere, the feel of the place—it’s calm. Peaceful. Not sure if that’s Wilde’s Farm or just Star Falls in general.”
“Well, the same could be said for both.”
“I was wondering if you sell any of your fruit direct?” I ask.
“Oh, we just started doing that.” He shrugs. “Really because the Club asked us to supply them. We’ve started doing it with a few other local businesses as well.”
“Are the margins better?”
He narrows his eyes at me, suspicious. I get it. Who the hell am I to him? “I’m not after your money. I’m not a competitor. I’m just… I think I like getting under the skin of businesses and figuring out what works and what doesn’t work. I like uncovering the holes and opportunities.”
“You sound like some kind of business consultant or something.”
I shrug. “Yeah. I went to business school with Byron, and we did a lot of that kind of thing and I really enjoyed it.”
“What do you do for work now?” he asks.
Inwardly, I wince a little. I never want anyone to think that I’m bragging or showing off, but I also want to be honest with Bray. “I work in my family business,” I say. “I manage our finances.”
He pauses, waiting for me to say more, but I’m not sure what else I can say without coming across like a dick.
“What kind of business is it?”
He’s pushing for more and I can’t blame him. I’d want to know more if I was him. “We have investments in various smaller businesses.”
He looks at me like he’s examining me. “So your job is to keep track of your family’s money.” He’s no dummy.
“Pretty much.”
“So you must have a lot of it.”
I nod.
