Page 404 of Seasons of Love
We’d discussed this particular moment before. Jake was afraid everyone would see him as his uncle’s nephew and not someone with credentials. I was ready for my show of support for his ideas, but it seemed we didn’t need to.
“Tell us more about your project. I’m particularly interested in how we can tighten the Silver brand to offer a consistent customer experience,” Morgan continued.
Jake looked at me, and I gave him a reassuring smile.
Throughout dinner, I sat back and watched Jake take in all the questions from my colleagues, seeming to consider them carefully before answering or making notes to take away.
By the end of the dinner, Jake had won everyone over, and I was wondering if I needed to keep him closer or risk losing him to a sister resort.
“I just need to use the restroom before we head back,” he said, leaning in and whispering in my ear.
“Okay, I’ll wait here.”
“Mal,” Trey said, sitting in Jake’s vacant chair. “The boy is good.”
“That he is. And don’t think I won’t be keeping my eye on you, Trey. You’re not poaching him,” I said.
He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Something tells me nothing would take him away from you.”
What?
“What do you mean?”
“He looks at you like you’re the source of all knowledge. That kind of loyalty can’t be bought.” He patted my shoulder and left.
I stood up and grabbed my jacket and tie from the chair while I waited for Jake. Trey’s parting words ran through my head. Should I take them at face value? Did Trey read anything in our behavior that was a sign that something more was going on?
Not that anything was going on, because it wasn’t.
And fuck, they all knew I was happily married. The last thing I wanted was rumors to get out among the upper management team of the company.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Jake said.
As soon as we were out of the room and out of earshot, Jake squeezed my arm and all but squealed. “Oh my god, did that just happen?”
“You mean, you knocking them off their seats? Yes, I believe it did.”
“They really want this, right? Cross-training, staff exchange, growth programs.”
“You have planted the seed, Jake, and I don’t think it’ll be long until it takes root.”
I was so absorbed by Jake’s ramblings about the dinner as we navigated all the hallways that I didn’t even notice we were right in front of my room door.
We stopped, and I saw the same realization in Jake’s eyes.
He stared at me, going quiet as if suddenly all the words had left him, which made me laugh because I hadn’t been able to get a word in edgeways as he was talking about the dinner so passionately. It was as if I hadn’t been there, and he didn’t want me to miss out on what had happened.
“Do you want to come in for a coffee?” I asked, swiping the key card and turning the handle.
He opened his mouth and closed it again before looking to both sides of the hallway.
“Um…I…we shouldn’t,” he said.
“Jake, I really do mean coffee.”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
I put my jacket and tie on the bed and went to the coffee machine. There was a box with coffee pods, so I took two out and turned the machine on to warm up.
