Page 74 of The Heart You Kept

“My situation?” I frown.

“Yes. If I’m going to help you grow your business, I need to know everything.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as my eyes hold his. If you must know everything I think I’m in the middle of a midlife crisis.

“Three years ago my uncle died. Actually, it was the weekend I was with you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too. He….” I pause as I try to collect my thoughts. “He married a French woman and they settled here. Unfortunately, a few years after they were married she died, and he never remarried. Antiques and Nice were his life.”

He listens intently and sips his drink; he sloshes it around in his mouth as if savoring the taste before swallowing it.

“Anyway, when he died he left an entire warehouse of antiques to me in his will and when I came here to try and sort them out, I ended up staying and opening an antique store.”

“I see.” He smiles as he watches me. “From what I see you have an eye for detail and are doing well. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” I feel proud of myself, from the corner of my eye I see something move in the window, I look out to see that we are pulling out of the marina. “Where are we going?” I ask.

“Just out to sea for a little bit.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” His eyes hold mine. “It’s nice not to be disturbed.”

“Right.”

This is a bad, bad idea….

“What are your plans moving forward?” he asks, totally undeterred by us going out to sea.

“I would like to build my antique store and perhaps open a second location.”

“Whereabouts?”

“Paris.”

“Okay.” He smiles as he listens. “And what about personally?”

“What?”

“Your personal plans moving forward?”

“I hardly think we need to discuss my personal life.”

“If I’m going to mentor you, it’s a full-package deal.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t mentor you if your personal goals don’t align with your business goals. I need a full picture of everything to become clear on where we are going.”

“Oh.”

“It makes no difference to me, but I do need to know where you see yourself in five, ten and fifteen years from now.”

“Right.” I twist my fingers on my lap, unsure if I want to be here anymore.

Mentoring me for business is one thing, opening up about where I want my future to be is going too far.