There was something performative in his words, and I wondered if anytime he talked about work, he would revert to his CEO Colin Slade persona, even if we weren’t at work.
“That’s good. Not that I would expect anything less from Maggie. She’s brilliant and has really turned things around.”
“You’ve been there longer than she has?” he asked.
“I’ve been there almost five years now. Maggie moved from New York City about three years ago. Her predecessor was basically fired from one moment to the next. Kind of like Mr. Kirkman. We got no explanation.”
“You mean you and Grant?” He took a sip of his wine.
“Well, all of us, because Maggie said she wasn’t aware of why he’d been let go either. But yes, Grant and I have been assistant directors since before Maggie.”
“Keep doing what you’ve been doing. And that’s all I’m going to say about work tonight. I’d rather talk about you.”
“Me? I know almost nothing aboutyou!” I said, the warmth creeping up to my face.
“I’m an open book,” he said.
“You’ve said you went to boarding school. Did you get into trouble there and need Mom and Dad to come bail you out by bribing the principal?”
His lip curled slightly. “Only once. My good friend Peter, and another kid, Lars, got caught stuffing toilet paper into all the toilets in the main hall bathroom. We figured we’d get out of having our finals if the septic tank backed up and the resulting disaster would have to get us all sent home. Now I can’t even imagine what kind of damage that might have caused, but back then we thought it was the best idea in the world.”
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen? Around there. Anyway, we got caught before any damage was done, and the headmaster was furious, of course. He called our parents, and the three of us were sentenced to asuspension. Peter, Lars, and I had to take our finals and were sent home right away, having to miss the end of the year dance and bonfire with the girls boarding school from a couple of miles away.” He sounded distant, as if he was recalling something from another lifetime.
“Peter said his dad gave a big donation to make sure that Peter’s record wouldn’t be affected. I’m assuming that Lars’s parents did the same thing, as he had no problems the following year. My parents, however, refused to give any donation, and I had to stay at the school the whole week after finals because my parents didn’t want me home early.” There was a slight bitterness to his words, and I assumed it had been tough for him to feel abandoned by his parents.
“I had to hear all my friends come back from the dance and the bonfire while one teacher kept guard over me to make sure I stayed in my room. The following year I was forbidden leadership roles in any activity organized by the school because of my ‘record.’ I learned then that I alone was responsible for my future.”
I tilted my head. “Tough love?”
“Well, here I am, vice president of a Fortune 500 company, with all the privilege and power that I have, but I barely visit my parents. Peter is close with his parents, though I’m sure they’re still bailing him out whenever he makes a dubious investment. What do you think?”
Shaking my head, I said, “I’m not sure what’s better, honestly. I can’t imagine not speaking to my mom.”
“You get used to it,” he said, the earlier levity gone. After a beat, he seemed to rally, as if remembering he was on a date, and said, “To answer your question, yes, I got into trouble. But that was the only time. After that, I was much more careful not to get caught.” He winked at me.
“And now?”
“Now I’m here with you. Wondering if you’re going to get me in trouble.”
I sat up straighter. “I’m very well-behaved.”
“That’s what I like about you. Don’t take what I’m about to say in a bad way, because I mean it in the best way possible,” he warned me. “You’re the ‘girl next door.’”
I didn’t take offense at it. If anything, it felt like an invitation.
“So how do the girl next door and the rich executive get along?” I asked, curious to hear his answer.
“They bring out qualities in the other that may be hidden or repressed. They infuse excitement and knowledge into each other. They open each other up to explore and create new ways of living.”
“You’re so optimistic,” I said, wondering how that coexisted with the cutthroat persona of a workaholic vice president who hardly speaks to his parents.
“I like to think I’m more of a visionary. I find the spark and help it ignite. You can’t make a fire out of nothing, and I don’t pretend you can make that happen.”
The way his eyes searched me, as if he were looking for that spark inme.Inus, possibly?
I trusted him when he said he was a visionary. I believedinhim, too. The confidence he exuded was somehow givingmeconfidence.
