“How could I possibly do that?”
Shrugging, he says, “Turn the company over to me. I’ve been waiting for my turn.”
I scoff at the thought. “You don’t know anything about running a corporation.”
“I do so. I also have my master’s in business.”
“That doesn’t make you ready to lead a company with over eight thousand employees in one-hundred-sixty countries.”
“Ask me anything. I’ll prove I know what to do.”
“Okay.” I give it some thought. “Last year, when the government announced the corporate tax hike, what would you have done to combat the extra losses?”
“First of all, that tax hike was two years ago. Second, it was relatively small, so there wasn’t any need for a knee-jerk reaction. I would have gone to our service providers—internet and telecom, etcetera, and renegotiated our rates.”
Huh. That’s not a bad idea. “How did you know that? About it being two years ago?”
“I do read all my emails, you know.”
“You’ve never once admitted to it.”
“That’s because you seemed so happy handling everything yourself. I didn’t want to get in your way. To be honest, I’m getting a little bored of jet-setting around. I’d like a challenge.”
“But taking over the company? There’s no way you’re ready for that.”
“Not yet, but if I had someone to guide me—perhaps an older brother—I could learn it quickly. Don’t forget, I got much better grades than you at university.”
“That’s because I wasn’t trying as hard as I could have.”
“Me neither. Most of the time I skipped classes to play poker.”
I bark out a laugh. “We may be more alike than I thought, because that’s exactly what I did.”
He grins. “That’show you got so good at it.” His smile fades, and he gives me a serious look. “Listen, Theo, if your life is making you miserable, let me help you find one you can love. It would be a tragedy if you stayed on, hating every minute of it.”
“I don’t know,” I tell him, realizing that my little dream had everything to do with Nora, and without her, I don’t want it. “It’s probably a terrible idea. Majority of startups fail.”
“Yours won’t.”
“We’ll never know because I’m not going to do it. It was just a fleeting thought. I’ll forget all about it soon and settle back into my routine.”
“That’s the worst thing you can do,” Markos tells me. “Life isn’t about routines. It’s about living, challenging yourself, getting out there and finding out who you can be.”
“You should do ads for Nike.”
“Laugh if you want, but deep down you know I’m right.” He stands. “I have to shower. I have a date in a few. Think about what I said, Theo. The offer will remain open indefinitely, but don’t wait too long to accept. Your life is waiting.”
He goes back into the house, giving me a lot to think about.
33
Putting It All on the Line
Nora
What if it’s not?That question haunted me for days, keeping me up at night and making my gut churn all day. What if it’s not too late with Theo, but each second that ticks by, that time grows closer?
So, I’m doing something I never in a million years thought I would. I’m going to get my man. Three days ago, I emailed Theo’s assistant, Jaquell, and asked for a meeting with Theo as soon as possible. She booked me in for this morning at seven a.m., telling me that was the only opening in his schedule for the next couple of weeks. Last night, I flew to Nassau and stayed in the cheapest motel I could find. I laid in bed, staring at the water stain on the ceiling all night, my heart pounding at the reality of what I’m doing. I’m about to lay it all on the line—my entire future, my heart, everything. And I have no idea what the outcome will be. It could be the start of a beautiful life we’ll build together, or it could be the deepest rejection I’ll ever feel. Either way, there’s no turning back.
