Page 24 of Discretion

“It is. But it’s still not as bad as being in labor.”

Whatever expression I made must have shown my fear. “Maybe you should focus on flying,” Halle said with a laugh.

The fact that Sloan might go into labor early had me on high alert. LA traffic was awful. And while I knew Jackson would do everything in his power to get her to the hospital safely, I reassured myself that if it came down to it, I could always fly her to the hospital in the helicopter.

Halle and I were quiet for a moment, enjoying the view of the city from high above. I’d taken a longer route than wasnecessary, just so I could spend more time alone with her. Maybe it was selfish, but after how things had gone down earlier, I wanted to smooth things over. Besides, she would still get back in time to pick up Kai.

“So…how do you like your new role?” she asked.

That was a loaded question. I wasn’t even sure how I felt about it yet, so I settled for something diplomatic. “It’s different, challenging at times.”

“Oh, come on,” Halle prodded. “I know you better than that. Tell me the truth. I promise not to tell anyone.”

I sighed. “Today, getting out of the office, getting to focus on guest experience and design details, that’s what I enjoy.”

“And you don’t get to do that as much now that you’re CEO.”

I shook my head.

I loved coming up with new, creative ways to elevate our guests’ experiences, like pillow menus and custom scents. I always tried to celebrate our employees too. They were just as important as the amenities we provided. Our employees made the hotel feel like a retreat, a sanctuary, a home away from home.

We consistently had some of the highest employee satisfaction ratings in the industry. Inanyindustry. And it wasn’t solely because we paid a higher-than-average wage. We treated our employees like family because that’s what they were. It was something I’d always overseen, and something I’d prided myself on. But now that I was running the company, I no longer had the luxury of focusing on the finer details.

“I’m not sure anyone’s told you this,” she said, “but being the CEO meansyou’rethe boss. You get to do what you want.”

I chuckled, guiding us back down to the helipad on theroof of the Huxley Grand. Back to where we’d started. “So you’d think.”

“You miss your old role,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. It was an observation, not a question.

I met her gaze as the propeller came to a halt. Our eyes locked and held. “There are a lot of things I miss.”

Her eyes searched mine, different emotions flitting through. And then she bit her lip and looked away. I wanted to kiss her so damn bad.

I didn’t know how Graham had done it all these years. Served as CEO. Put aside his wants and his needs to do what was best for the company.

It was fucking exhausting.

Staying away from Halle was fucking exhausting, and we weren’t even a few days in. She’d wanted to keep things professional, and I agreed it was for the best. It was far from what I wanted, even if I knew it was necessary—for her, for me, for the company.

I shut off the aircraft and went around to open Halle’s door for her, resigned.

“Will you take a picture for me?” she asked, surprising me. Then she tacked on, “For Kai.”

“Of course.”

I held up her phone, snapping a few shots before discreetly AirDropping my favorite one to myself. Halle looked so confident and carefree. She was on top of the world, and I hadn’t seen her this happy, maybe ever. At least not since last summer.

I wanted to believe it had something to do with me, but I had a feeling it had more to do with the art. Halle had always been passionate about art.

As we rode down in the private elevator, I dreaded the end to what had been a fun afternoon—at least if I ignored the part with Dimitri. It was the most carefree I’d felt sincetaking over as CEO, and I knew most of that was thanks to Halle.

I was still trying to find my footing since Graham had stepped down from the position after fourteen years. I’d always lived in his shadow. And now that I’d been thrust into the spotlight, I was floundering. When I wasn’t questioning my decisions, I was comparing myself to him.

How could I not? He’d expanded the company while increasing profits, all without sacrificing the luxury and sustainability our hotel brand was known for. And now…now, it was my responsibility.

If I fucked it all up, I’d only have myself to blame.

But right now, I was more focused on Halle. I wanted to see her smile like she had today. And I had an idea of a way to get more time with her without technically crossing any lines.