Page 9

Chapter nine

T he hospital released Mya on Saturday afternoon. Paris borrowed Jack’s car and saw to her retrieval. The look on Mya’s face was pure shock when the nurse wheeled her out, and she saw not Jack but Paris in the driver’s seat.

“Hi,” said Paris. “How are you feeling?”

“Awful,” she moaned. My whole body hurts. My left arm looks like it has a baseball in it, it’s so bruised. I can’t even turn my wrist. I have to keep it in a sling for a week or two. My nose was also broken, but I won’t be needing surgery. It hurt like a mother when they set it. I also have two bruised ribs. I’m gonna be sore for a while, but on the plus side, I’m alive.”

Paris’s lip quivered, though she managed not to cry. “Thank God you’re okay.”

“I’m surprised to see you,” admitted Mya. “I thought for sure Jack was picking me up.” She could see the fear in her friend’s eyes. She wondered what was going through her head?

“Jack had an assignment to deal with, and besides, I wanted to do it,” she replied with an awkward smile.

The majority of the ride was quiet. Paris had a determined look on her face as she drove through downtown and back to the ADG complex. Mya let her concentrate since she knew Paris had barely driven in the past few years. She wondered what her motivation was in coming to her aid? Perhaps she wanted something? She sat quietly and pondered.

As their drive ended, Mya turned to Paris. “Why’d you decide to pick me up?” She watched Paris as she maneuvered Jack’s green Volkswagen into its designated parking space.

Unbuckling her belt, Paris turned her body to face Mya. “I owe you an apology,” she said, her voice trembling. “When I heard you’d been in an accident, it took me back to the night of Alli’s death. I couldn’t breathe. I know I’ve been terrible to you, and not just recently, but for an entire year. You never deserved that. It’s my fault that I never made-up with Alli before she went out that night. It was never your fault. I want us to be friends again if you accept my apology. I need you, Mya. I know we don’t share blood, but you’re my other sister.”

“Paris, you need to know. I spoke to Alli earlier that day after she left the festival. She was upset, but she knew the two of you would work it out. She would have forgiven you. You have to let it go. You girls had many arguments over the years, but you always made amends. That day would have been no different than any other. You would have made-up, and things would have been fine.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” she replied sadly.

“Yes, I do. She told me that she knew you meant well. She said she would forgive you.”

Paris once again could feel tears welling in her eyes.

“If it helps, I forgive you for Alli.” Leaning forward, she wrapped Paris in a hug, and Paris hugged her back. “I’ve always been here. Even when things were tough, and you pushed me away. I knew you’d pull through the pain at some point.”

“I wish it had been sooner,” she replied. Pulling away, she looked at Mya and said, “Thank you for never giving up on me.”

“No, thank you,” replied Mya. “All I care about is that I have my friend back. Now,” she said, “can we please order some food? I’m famished. And we need to have a girl’s night. It’s long overdue.”

“The food or the girl’s night?” asked Paris. This time her smile was more natural.

“Both,” laughed Mya.

“Do you mind if I stay at your place? I’d feel better knowing you’re not alone.”

“Girl, I’m going to be fine, but you can definitely stay at my place. Let’s grab some of your things, order food, and veg out on my couch.”

“Okay, let’s,” she replied, as a warm feeling flooded her chest.

The evening turned out to be exactly what both women needed. The conversation went on straight through the movie they’d chosen to watch. They discussed everything from Paris’s vices to Mya’s as well as their lack of satisfying love-affairs and their current hopes and dreams.

Paris hadn’t realized how much of a void had been left by her rejection of Mya and Mya hadn’t realized how much she had held inside due to Paris’s emotional unavailability. Their relationship seemed to pick up right where it had left off.

“I think we should meet with Chase and Vic in the morning and put together a genuine game plan for how you’ll handle the work and family situation going forward. If you two don’t get on the same page, you might do even more damage. I, for one, don’t want to see you ousted from the family or the business, especially when you’re finally making some progress,” said Mya.

“I agree,” replied Paris. “I’ve been so angry.”

“You stopped living your life when Alli died. I wanted to help you, but I had no idea how. I was terrified when you overdosed. You have to promise me you won’t ever do that again. She lived her life fully, and she would want you to do the same.”

Paris looked at Mya and nodded in agreement. “What do you feel needs to happen for me to get my life back on track?”

“The board trusted Chase and I to look after you and guide you through this exercise. They want to see you make serious amends. I honestly think if you do not work with Vic, you’ll sink this ship, and there’ll be no going back. You have to make all your decisions together in order to succeed. And, when you’re ready, you need to show them you’ve gained back your desire to run charity events.”

“Okay. How do you propose we do so?”

“Well, like I said previously, we need to meet up with Chase and Vic and create a game plan. The charity aspect will come with time. Also, I have my suspicions that there’s more to this job situation than either of you has been led to believe. I could be wrong, but I think the partners are looking at who their successors will be when they retire. If they can’t trust you two, they won’t put you in charge of their life’s work.”

“Wow,” replied Paris. “That thought hadn’t even occurred to me.”

“They’re not getting any younger,” said Mya with a smile. “You’ve honestly never thought of the future and saw yourself running ADG one day?”

“No. I don’t spend much time thinking about the future.”

“Huh,” she said. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. I guess you’ve always lived your life one day at a time. Do you, or did you, have dreams about where you wanted to ultimately end up in your career?”

“I dream about traveling like our clients do, but I guess I never bothered to dream much about the future of my career. The company has always been in the background, and I think I’ve always seen myself as part of it.”

“So, basically, you’ve been doing what you believe is expected of you,” stated Mya.

Paris dropped her eyes to the floor. Mya was right. She’d simply gone along with the plan that was put in place. She hadn’t dreamt of anything in her future. She was young and na?ve. She focused on her charities and getting things done one day at a time. When Alli died, she imploded.

“Look at me,” said Mya, her tone compassionate. Paris brought her eyes up to meet Mya’s. “You still have time to make a plan. You’re only twenty-eight. We can figure this out.”

“I’m an idiot!” spouted Paris. “What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. I think it’s possible that your parents were so wrapped up in the business that they forgot to stop and consider whether or not you want to be a permanent part of it. You were born into this, and sometimes there’s a certain expectation from family that we will continue their legacy. The question is, do you want to continue with their legacy?”

“I don’t even know,” she replied quietly.

“Luckily, you don’t have to make an immediate decision.”

“When do I need to make a decision by?” she asked, panic rising in her voice. “How can I move forward and have no idea what I want for my life?”

“Calm down and breathe,” commanded Mya. “Let’s first focus on setting things right. Perhaps as we work on the current situation, you’ll iron out the unknown.”

Paris shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “I feel like a coma patient who finally woke up.”

“It’s really not that bad,” said Mya. “What matters is that you’re awake now.”

“You say that, but right now, everything feels a little like life or death.”

Mya held up her hands, “Okay, okay,” she fired back. “I’m gonna open a bottle of wine, and we’re going to forget about the company’s future for the rest of the night. You hear me? Let’s focus on our friendship and have some fun for a change.”

Paris let out a deep sigh. “Okay.” She hoped she’d be able to move beyond her fear of the unknown. Did she want to run ADG? When the partners retired, would there be five new partners to replace them? Who would those partners be? She couldn’t see Breanna joining the company full-time. Breanna was a dancer, and her heart lay outside the company. Jack was in love with writing, but was he interested in running the company? She already knew Vic was after the position of CEO. If Vic took her father’s position, where would she go? Did she also want to be the CEO? Mya was right. She needed to stop, and forget about the company for the rest of the evening. She could worry about it tomorrow. Right now, she should be celebrating the return of her friendship with Mya.

“Here,” said Mya, as she handed Paris a glass of her favorite Pinot Grigio. “To rekindled friendship.”

“Amen to that.” For the first time in two years, Paris felt as if she could breathe more easily. That night she slept soundly, knowing that she and Mya were again on the same team.

It was seven in the morning when Paris woke to the sound of her phone buzzing on the coffee table next to her. She’d slept on one end of the large red L-shaped couch in Mya’s apartment. Opening her eyes, she yawned and reached for her phone. Mya was still fast asleep at the other end of the couch.

“Hello?” she asked quietly.

“Hey, Paris, it’s Vic. You didn’t come home last night,” he noted. “Are you okay? Why are you speaking in a hushed tone?”

“I’m at Mya’s. She’s still asleep and I don’t want to wake her.”

“Really?” he asked with amusement. “Forgive my surprise. I thought you two were over.”

“Things change,” she replied sharply. “Get to the point. Why are you calling me at this hour?”

“Come on. It’s seven in the morning. Many people are up by now or even earlier. It isn’t like I’m calling in the middle of the night.”

“It’s Sunday, Vic. What do you want?” she asked again. Rolling over, she resituated herself and pulled the covers back up over her arms. Mya liked to keep her apartment cool, which always left room for cozying up inside a big fluffy down comforter. Paris thought it was the perfect condition for sleeping, which made her early wake-up call from Vic even more unwanted.

“We need to talk about some things,” he replied.

“Couldn’t this call have waited?”

“Fine,” he gave in. “We can talk later.”

“How about we, including Mya and Chase, meet at our place for lunch?” she suggested.

“Okay. I’ll see you at noon,” he replied.

Paris hung up the phone and tossed it onto the floor. Since Mya was still asleep, she figured there was no harm in being lazy for a couple more hours.

Paris and Mya arrived at Paris’s apartment early, but Vic and Chase were nowhere to be seen. “Come on in,” said Paris as she held the door open for her friend.

“This apartment really isn’t bad,” said Mya.

“It’s okay. I wish we had a second bathroom, but considering the lack of belongings I currently have, this suits my needs. Do you want something to drink?”

“Sure,” she replied. “I’d love a soda if you have one.”

“Diet?” asked Paris as she rifled through the fridge.

“Actually, I drink regular now,” replied Mya. “I rarely drink it, so I figured it was healthier.”

“Ah, so you listened to my ranting, huh?” She had been trying to get Mya to switch to regular for years. The calories might be missing from the diet, but obviously, they had to replace them with something, and Paris swore that something was giving people cancer.

“Yes, I did,” replied Mya. “I also saw an article in Modern Fit Woman , which discussed the negative aspects of diet soda. You were right. It’s really not better.”

Paris handed Mya her beverage. “You still like Cream Soda, right?” Cream soda had been both of their favorites since they were young. Paris only drank regular Cream Soda, while Mya had only drunk diet. She was happy that she no longer needed to keep both in stock.

Mya nodded. “Where do you suppose those men are?”

“Who knows,” replied Paris. She flopped down on the sofa next to Mya and was about to turn on the television when Chase and Vic arrived.

“Hey, ladies. I hope you’re hungry,” said Vic, as he handed Mya and Paris each a lettuce-wrapped burger and sweet potato fries.

“You read my mind,” replied Paris. “I’ve been craving a greasy burger and fries.”

Vic plopped himself down on the loveseat while Chase took his place on the overstuffed chair. The group ate in silence, and as soon as the last crumb had been consumed, Chase grabbed all of the meal’s refuse and whisked it away to the kitchen garbage. Returning promptly, he said, “Okay, now that everyone has a full tummy, it’s time to get down to business. First up on the agenda is Vic and Paris’s longstanding distaste for one another.”

“Great,” groaned Vic. “Is this a necessary discussion?”

Mya stood and joined Chase in front of the coffee table. “We feel that you two need to swallow your pride and behave as though you actually care about, and even like, one another,” she said.

Chase nodded. “I don’t care if you have to put on an act every single time you leave this apartment. You’re now best friends, and you care about everything the other person says or does.”

“Why?” asked Vic. “What does this prove?”

Mya arched an eyebrow at his question. “It shows partnership. It provides closure to anyone watching, that you can get along and possibly run a business together.”

“Besides,” added Chase, “your parents are best friends. Everyone sees you as an extension of that friendship. They want to believe the off-spring of the partners are also best friends. You can hate each other in private if that’s what you really want, but in the public eye, you should appear as if you’re close and you have each other’s backs.”

“I know I can do that,” replied Paris, “but Vic doesn’t exactly exude friendliness.”

“What do you believe will happen if we don’t agree to do this?” asked Vic.

“We already know your parents have decided you must succeed together or not at all. Not working together means they cannot leave you in charge of their company. Do you want to lose the company?” asked Chase.

“Absolutely not,” replied Vic. “You know I want this company more than anything else.”

Chase looked to Paris. “What about you?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t know what I want.”

“Let me ask you this,” said Chase, “do you want to fail at proving yourself capable of working as a team with Vic?”

“No, of course not,” she said. “I want our parents to trust and believe in us.

Vic looked at Paris. “Do you want to give this a shot?”

“More than anything,” she replied. “I’m ready to start living again.”

Vic nodded, “Okay, bestie. Let’s show ‘em what we’re made of.”

“Great!” said Mya. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“Now that we’ve agreed upon committing to each other in this situation, let’s discuss your income. Paris, you can’t make any more ‘wild hair’ purchases. You don’t have the money for it,” said Chase. “Vic, you’re going to be in charge of the money for the time being.”

“Living on such a fixed budget is more stressful than I could have anticipated,” said Paris.

Vic nodded in agreement. “That’s because you’ve had everything handed to you.”

“You aren’t any different,” said Paris.

“I’m not saying I am,” replied Vic.

“Hold up,” said Chase, “you both need to make changes. No more expensive specialty beers, Vic, and no random shopping sprees, Paris. You’ll start cooking meals rather than eating out every night. Cooking at home can save a lot of money. Not to mention, Vic, you have mad culinary skills. There are tons of small ways in which you can change your routine and spend more thriftily. You don’t need to buy every food staple as a name brand. The store brands are often from bigger name brands you love, anyway. You can continue to share an apartment, which clearly helps.”

“I think those are valid points,” said Mya. “What do you think? Is that something you can try?”

Paris let out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“What the heck, sure,” said Vic. He knew he didn’t want their situation to decline further, so he was willing to do any number of things in an attempt to improve, even if it meant he had to watch Paris’s back.

The next morning, Chase and Mya retrieved Paris and Vic from their apartment and escorted them to the boardroom. For once, the news was positive. Paris and Vic were promoted back to the mailroom. Paris was thankful. She didn’t know if she could handle any more accidents due to her lack of prowess in the field of Building Maintenance.

The week flew by, and Vic and Paris were seen several times by the board, eating lunch together, walking together, or even sharing a joke with one another. Jessamine and Nicola were excited to see that a change appeared to be taking place. The kids were getting along and staying out of trouble. The future had potential.