I’m pretty sure telling my parents and brother that I’m bisexual and dating a man should be a lot more terrifying than it feels so far. Granted, I’m still in the car making my way toward the office and not actually face-to-face with them, but nothing could ever be as scary as Zeke, so pale, lying in that hospital bed as they wheeled him out of the room, unsure if he was going to survive.
I take the familiar ride up to the fourteenth floor, which houses my parents’ office. They’ve shared an office my entire life, and it’s as familiar to me as my mother’s arms.
I’m greeted by a few familiar faces as I make my way toward the corner suite.
Eloise came by and grabbed Zeke half an hour before I left to come over here, and I’d had to beg him to buy things today. I told him I was really hoping for a fashion show later, so he’d better not come back empty-handed. Anything that calls to him, I want him to buy because I’m dying to know what style he’d choose if he wasn’t forced to pick his wardrobe based on a price tag.
I fight the urge to pull out my phone and send him a text now just to check in.
Geez, we haven’t even been apart for an hour.
Finally arriving at the large oak double doors of my parents’ office, I raise my hand to knock, but the left door flies open, and my mom tumbles into my arms.
“Talon!Welcome home, honey!” There’s nothing quite like a mother’s embrace. Immediately, I think of my boyfriend and the fact that he’s never felt one.
“Hi, Mom.” I don’t fight my smile as I squeeze her tightly.
She ruffles my hair, teasing me.
“You really went full-on ski bum for that assignment, didn’t you? How’s it going? I mean outside of the numbers, which look great by the way.” She grabs my hand and leads me toward the couch in the office. “Tell us everything. Can I get you some coffee?”
“Christ, Lorraine, take a breath.” My dad laughs as he walks around the edge of his desk, holding out his arms. “Tal, good to see you, son,” he says, much calmer than my mother.
“You too, Dad,” I reply, clapping him on the back.
“Saved the best for last, didn’t you?” a voice says from the corner.
Because of my mom’s excitement, I hadn’t noticed Lukas was already in here.
He stands, and we embrace like we’ve been apart for years, not a few months. Nonetheless, when you’re used to seeing someone every day, time can feel longer than it actually is.
“Luke! Man, have I missed you!” I say, grabbing his head and smacking an obnoxious kiss on his cheek, making him laugh.
“With that kind of welcome, is now a good time to tell you I borrowed that decanter in your office and accidentally broke it?” he asks sheepishly.
I shove his shoulder playfully.
“I just hope you emptied the decanter first. That was a nineteen-hundred-dollar Scotch.”
Before we can carry on any further, our dad calls our attention.
“I love the reunion, gentlemen, but our quarterly review starts in twenty minutes, so whatever this meeting is about, Talon, perhaps we should get on with it?”
“Why does Eloise get to miss the quarterly meeting?” Luke asks. “And where is she, anyway? It’s not like you to leave her out of the loop, Tal.”
My cheeks redden, and my skin heats slightly.
The time has arrived.
“She already knows my news. And she assured me she was allowed to miss the meeting.” I quickly look at my parents, hoping I’m not keeping Eloise from something she’s supposed to be doing.
My mom answers, immediately making me feel better.
“She’s exempt this morning. Her properties have consistently performed at the highest level for the last six months. She just rolled out a new marketing campaign for her smallest property after completing a multi-million-dollar remodel, and it’s doing well. She’s put in long hours and deserves a bit of playtime.”
We all have our niches. No one in this room would deny that Eloise is the most business-minded of all of us. Lukas is interested in the less glamorous side of corporate law and taxes. I think he missed a major opportunity by not going to law school. And of course, my favorite aspect is the people. How do we get our employees into the positions best suited for them, and how do we run a company they’re proud to work for?
“Okay,” Lukas says, calling me back to the moment. “What’s such big news that you couldn’t text it to us in the group chat?”
