Me:
Not at the club. But if the offer still stands, I’ll be your Henry.
Her only response is the smiling devil emoji, and I wonder exactly what I’ve gotten myself into.
Chapter four
Flying across the country to live in a hotel room while trying to find out who left me five million dollars was not what I imagined my new adventure would be. After a deep dive into Mom’s old journals, I learned that my sperm donor was from the same city as the Sinclair family. While there aren’t any confirmed names, it’s not outrageous to assume I’m related to them in some way.
The busy city immediately overwhelms me as I leave the hotel, and I can’t help but miss my peaceful West Coast beach. It’s only May, but I’ve never experienced any place as humid as this. It’s barely over eighty degrees outside, but I feel as if I’m stepping into an oven. I’ve never felt this much humidity in my life. And my poor hair. I’ve always loved the way my waves responded to the salty coastal air, but here it’s just a frizzy mess.
If it weren’t for the way my thick thighs chafe from sweat after a minute outside, I would walk the few blocks to the building housing the Sinclairs main office. Instead, I wait for my rideshare and try not to think about how hot it is. Not that I’ve had a totally negative experience since arriving. One thing I’ve enjoyed about this city is how kind everyone is. Most days, Iwould love to talk to my driver, but today, I just want to sit and rehearse how I’m going to approach Henry Sinclair to tell him that we might be related.
From everything I’ve read about the Sinclairs, they seem to be nice. They’re titans in the business world with a stellar legacy, but people only have good things to say about the entire family. It’s still intimidating. The task of telling someone you might be their secret half sibling is daunting, regardless. But to approach the head of a Fortune 500 company and tell him that you think you’re their father’s illegitimate love child is on another level.
I don’t even know if Henry would accept a meeting with me, but there’s no harm in trying. It’s not like I have anything to lose anyway. And even the slightest hope that I could have a family again outweighs it all.
Walking into the building, I’m met with pure chaos. A group of people crowds the reception desk, all talking to the receptionist while she attempts to address their concerns individually.
“Excuse me, everyone. I apologize for the inconvenience you’re all experiencing today. Mr. Sinclair will be out of the country for the foreseeable future, and all meetings for the next two months were supposed to be canceled. It seems a batch of cancellation notification emails didn’t make it to you. In the meantime, we will do everything we can to help in any way we can.”
Two months.I certainly don’t want to live in a hotel for that long. I would need to find a temp job too. I can’t go for two months without working at all. I’m far too scared to touch the mysterious fortune sitting in that bank account. It’s only going to get hotter here, too. I’m struggling to function in this weather, and it’s onlyMay!
It usually takes a lot to ruin my day, but it’s officially been ruined. Defeated, I walk outside and sink onto a bench besidethe building. Disappointment must be written across my face as I sit, fighting back tears.
“Do you mind if I sit here, ma’am?”
I look up to see a well-dressed, middle-aged man smiling at me.At least the people are kind here.“Be my guest,” I say, returning his smile as he takes a seat. “Were you trying to meet with Mr. Sinclair as well?”
“I was. I’ve actually been trying to get a meeting with him for a few months now, but he’s been hard to get in touch with since he got married.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” I say.
“Married a woman half his age.”
“Oh!”
“Yep…Did you have a meeting canceled?” he asks.
“No. I didn’t know I needed one, but seeing how important he is, I feel silly thinking I could just walk up and start chatting.” I chuckle.
“I’m Lawrence, by the way.” He laughs along with me.
I think for a second that I probably shouldn’t give out my name so freely, but he’s such a nice-looking man. And if he’s doing business with my theoretical brother, how bad could he be? I hold my arm out for a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, Lawrence. I’m Lucy.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” he says, shaking my hand. “So why is a beautiful lady like yourself looking for a meeting with Mr. Sinclair?”
“Well, it’s not just him, it’s really any of the Sinclairs. I’ve been looking for my father, and the only real clue I have leads me to them. I was hoping he could help me determine if I was related to them in any way and, if not, at the very least lead me in a better direction.”
We sit in silence for a moment while Lawrence seems lost in thought. “I may be able to help you get in touch with the family.Blanche has a position open right now, and I can get you an audition. I only ask that if you do get the position, you help me. Since Mr. Sinclair won’t be available for atleasta couple of months.”
“Oh, that would be perfect! Thank you!”
He laughs as I borderline attack him with a hug. “Alright. Let me see what strings I can pull and see how soon I can get an interview set up for you.”
After Lawrence and I exchanged information, I made my way back to my home sweet hotel in a much better mood than I had been prior to meeting him. It didn’t take him long at all to get back in touch with me, letting me know that I had an interview the following morning at Blanche Sinclair’s house.
Now, I’m standing in front of a mansion in the countryside, watching my rideshare drive away. The moment they’re out of sight, I realize I’m stranded here at a stranger’s house.
