He could almost hear Adonis smile. “I like hearing your voice, too.”
“I heard you got silver in your free skate. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Were you able to watch the performance?”
“Yeah. I saw it all, but just missed the announcements at the end. I didn’t see them give you the medal.”
“That was the best part.”
“No, I think your performance was the best part. You did a great job. I’ve never seen anyone skate like that.”
“I’m headed back to Massachusetts soon. Can’t miss many more classes. What about you?”
“I’m not sure, honestly.” Bash looked out his bedroom window at the other houses and the tops of trees. “It will depend on how things go here. You know, the funeral and everything. There will be some things to figure out with the company, too. Dad…dad wanted it to pass to me.”
“That’s right. I’ll get started working on extradition.”
Bash chuckled. “I miss you,” he whispered.
“I miss you, too. You better come back to Bellford.”
“I’m going to try. I promise, I’m going to try.”
——
The funeral for Gerard Koning was held three days later. It was massively attended. Even the Dutch Royal Family was there, though Gustav and Lotte weren’t currently on speaking terms.
Bash spoke at the funeral. He rewrote his speech four times before it, sending each draft to Adonis, who was by now back in Massachusetts. Bash wished he were back at Bellford with Adonis, with his friends.
When he spoke, his voice was quiet, and he had to pause several times so that he didn’t cry.
After the burial, there was a dinner at the Konings’ house, and many people came to wish them well and to talk about how good a man Gerard had been, though most of their comments were about how good abusinessman he had been.
“None of them really knew him,” Lotte commented to Bash when they were hiding out from everyone in the kitchen. “They just talk about what he did for the company.”
“Thatwashim, no?” Bash countered. “He was the company. What else did he care about?”
Lotte didn’t seem to like that comment, but she said nothing. “Are you going to miss him?” she said at last.
“Of course. I loved him. But that doesn’t mean that I liked him.”
——
Bash wanted to go home immediately—home being Bellford, not Amsterdam—but after the funeral, there were still things to handle.
Most importantly, according to the Koning Kapitaalgroep board, Bash had to attend a board meeting.
“Je hoeft alleen maar te zitten en te luisteren,” Sophie promised him as they took a car from their house to the company’s headquarters. You just have to sit and listen. “Je hoeft niets te zeggen, als je dat niet wilt.” You don’t need to say anything if you don’t want to.
“Mooi, dat wil ik niet.” Good, I don’t want to.
“Sebastiaan,” she said, gently taking his hand. “Dit bedrijf was belangrijk voor je vader. Het is belangrijk voor ons gezin.” This company was important to your father. It’s important to our family.
“Ik weet,” he said. I know. “Het is ook belangrijk voor mij, maar ik wil er niet de leiding over hebben.” It’s important to me, too, but I don’t want to be in charge of it.
“Lieverd, jij hoeft niet de leiding te hebben over binnen. Nog niet. Je moet je studie afmaken, en dan beslissen we wat daarna komt.” Darling, you don’t have to be in charge of in. Not yet. You have to finish college, and then we will decide what’s next after that.
“Ik weet wat het volgende is. Ik verhuis naar Seattle om voor de NHL te spelen.” I know what’s next. I’m moving to Seattle to play for the NHL.
