Authors: Missy Fleming
Olivia sank into her chair and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes, I met him and he essentially told me, ‘it’s about time, your grandmother deserves better’. I hadn’t said one word to him. Thomas introduced us. That was it. He judged me over the course of two seconds and found me lacking.”
Catherine frowned. “Well, I admit his comment was inappropriate. Simon can be a bit of a quick trigger. I’m sure once you get in there and start contributing, he’ll realize the error of his judgment.”
“There you go again, assuming I will do as I’m told.”
“Oh posh. What else are you going to do? You’re home now, and it won’t happen overnight, but there’s a lot you can learn from him and Thomas. I’m sure you still have some of the Olivia I remember in there and you’ll rise to the challenge. Better yet, return to college first, finish your degree. Perhaps you can use some of your parents’ inheritance to pay for it.”
“What?” Olivia blinked rapidly, unsure she heard correctly.
“Anderson and Melinda’s will. They left you everything.” Catherine pushed the morphine button, signaling the end of her so-called good day. “After learning the extent of your drug use, I had myself named conservator of the funds and properties. Didn’t want you blowing it as you did your trust.”
A memory surfaced. “You sent a lawyer.”
“A summons, a show of force on my part, one that did not work considering how you never showed for the court date, but they did reward me the conservatorship.”
“I sent him away, without even reading the papers. Too painful.” Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“All in the past. It’s quite a significant sum, as well as the house in the Hamptons and the condo in Aspen. The only thing I did was order the properties to be packed up and maintained. They’ve been vacant for years, except the penthouse. I let the company use it for out of town clients.”
She started to tell Catherine she didn’t want any of it, but in a weird way it was as if her parents were continuing to take care of her. Still, she voiced her concerns. “Not sure I deserve it. I haven’t exactly honored them.”
“Nonsense. I look at you and see a woman who is strong and responsible, especially after what you’ve told me today. I’ll contact my lawyers and set it in motion.”
“Thank you.”
The statement surprised Olivia and filled her with warmth. She tucked away the information about being rich again to digest later and redirected the conversation to her initial reason for the visit.
“To be completely honest, I do see working as a challenge.” She scooted forward, recovering her excitement. “This morning I was considering what, if anything, I could do to prove myself to the naysayers and recalled something Dad planned that might be perfect. Remember how he talked about rehabbing old, historic buildings? He envisioned turning them into apartments and restaurants and shops. Besides being great for the city, it would be fantastic publicity and allow VDB to branch into to a smaller market.”
“I knew you had it in you.” Catherine’s face filled with pride. “Your father believed in the project and, after he died, it was forgotten. I brought all his papers here and stored them in the second floor study. Why don’t you run up and have a look.” She sighed wearily. “This visit has made me quite tired. Time to rest.”
Olivia bent forward to kiss her on the cheek then stood. Already Catherine’s eyelids were drifting shut and she tiptoed out of the room feeling as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders, as if she and Catherine had turned a corner. Giving VDB a chance meant putting her dream of a bakery on hold, for now. While her soul ached at the thought, she recognized the logic in waiting. Working would give her a chance to learn, to see what it took to run her own business—on a much smaller basis, of course—and give her the skills and confidence she needed. A minor delay, that was all.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor and shuffling down the hall to the study, passing photos and portraits of her ancestors, Olivia stopped cold at the threshold, her emotions free-falling into despair. Her father’s desk, bookshelves and pictures were set up exactly as they had been in his office at work. She couldn’t believe Catherine had kept it this way, a silent memorial to him.
She sat at the desk and ran her hand over the dust-free wood, almost warm to the touch. There were so many memories tumbling through her mind—him sitting behind this piece of furniture, running his empire, her standing in the doorway of his office being lectured about a file she’d misplaced, doodling next to him as a little girl. Listening hard, she swore she heard his deep voice and booming laughter.
Olivia shut the doors on the past and dug through the filing cabinets. In the last drawer, she found what she was looking for, her father’s notes on his pet project. She placed the files on the desk and settled in to read.
A
couple hours later, Olivia strode into VDB armed with her father’s files under one arm and a spring in her step. Most of the buildings he had earmarked were no longer available or had already been razed in favor of a more modern structure, but Olivia found one in Midtown that would serve as a perfect starting point. She’d detoured past it on the way to the office.
It was an old, three-story brick corner building, originally the headquarters of a small newspaper no longer in circulation. According to her research—what did she ever do without a smartphone?—the first two floors had been used for printing and the topmost boasted offices and apartments. Since then, it had housed numerous businesses and tenants, but none of the owners put any maintenance into it and the beautiful building had fallen into disrepair. Renovating was going to be the biggest challenge, along with relocating the lingering renters. She needed to track down the current owners because, as luck would have it, it was for sale.
Signing in, she spotted Simon entering through the doors on the west side of the building and pursed her lips. Might as well get the confrontation with Mr. I-Know-Everything out of the way. Olivia squared her shoulders and followed him to the elevator. As she stepped in, Simon leaned against the wall, hands buried in the pockets of his trousers, and watched her. His blue eyes twinkled with humor, but she knew better. A self-righteous ass existed under the impeccable charcoal suit, one she unfortunately had to play nice with, or sort of nice.
“You must still be on California time. Here, the workday usually starts before one in the afternoon.”
“Thanks for the info.” She fought the urge to kick him in the shin or ask if he’d been out stealing lollipops from babies. “Actually, I spent the morning with my grandmother and going through my father’s home office.” His gaze left her face and landed on the files she held in her arms.
“Yeah, Catherine called a bit ago to tell me you had an idea, a project your father concocted before he died.”
Catching the respectful way Simon said her grandmother’s name brought to mind a remark Anna made the first day. Curiosity won over annoyance. “Are you one of the colleagues who visits her?”
His lip twitched. “Why? Do you find it surprising?”
“Since you seem to hold so much stock in preconceived notions, do you blame me? Am I to assume you’re always as charming as you were yesterday?”
“Count on it.” He eyed the files again, sounding more amused than rude. “And do you really think you can waltz in here and do whatever tickles your fancy?”
“You forget I interned with the company for three years. I realize it was a while ago, but I do remember how this company works. All I’m asking for is a chance before you write me off as the black sheep.” Patience vanished and she held up a hand in frustration. “No, forget I said that. I don’t need to ask you for anything.”
As if on cue, the elevator doors opened and, refusing to wait for his snide comeback, she strode out, past reception and into Thomas’s office, her arms quivering with tension. Her grandmother said she would need Simon on her side. That should be interesting.
Thomas was at his desk speaking with Doug Monroe, another board member and head of VDB’s manufacturing division.
“Look who it is. I heard a rumor you returned to us.” Doug took a moment to give Olivia a kiss on the cheek. Although a commanding figure in his dark suit, she didn’t recall his receding hair being silver or the perfectly unlined forehead beneath, hinting at cosmetic enhancement. “It really is nice to see you in this building. Feels right, somehow.”
“Thanks, Doug. Not sure if I’m here on a permanent basis yet or not, but I decided to give it a shot.” She was touched find someone else who appeared pleased by her presence and, as he beamed at her, she gave him a coy smile. “In fact, I have a task I’d like to work on, to ease back in.”
Their intrigued expressions encouraged her, so she detailed the idea while pacing off her nervous energy. It might not have came across as confident, but her insides were bound up in knots and movement helped ease them.
“I can get in touch with my buddies in the city offices and gather info on the building,” Doug said, flashing his freakishly white teeth. “If we make the owners an all-cash offer, we could avoid a lengthy closing.”
“I’m more than happy to help too, Olivia,” Thomas added softly. “I just hope you aren’t taking on more than you need to right now, especially with Catherine’s illness. There’ll be plenty of chances for work later. Concentrate on your family.”
His hesitancy deflated her a bit and embarrassment crept into her cheeks. Didn’t he think she could do it? She assumed he’d be all over this, it would be his department that benefited from the publicity and success.
Casting the doubt aside, she said, “I appreciate your concern, but it’s important for me to contribute.”
“Your grandmother needs you,” he pushed.
“Oh, come on, Tom,” Doug interjected. “The girl belongs here. We’re her family just as much as Catherine. It’ll do her good.”
Olivia flashed Doug a grateful smile. “Thank you. Besides, she is the one who suggested I reacquaint myself. I’m not asking to take over an entire division. It’s a small undertaking. I can handle it.” She rushed on before Thomas could object again. “This is a win-win. The first step would be to purchase the building permits, then find a contractor to work with and an architect to map the layout. Is there an empty office I can use?”
“There is, down the hall from me.” Pressing his lips into a thin line, Thomas stood. “I’ll show you.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then. It’ll be wonderful to see you around here again, Olivia,” Doug said as he departed.
Thomas led her down familiar halls, and past a surprising amount of unfamiliar faces, saying, “This used to be Simon’s before he moved into Catherine’s.” He paused at the door of the unused room. “I hope you don’t mistake my caution, Olivia. I’m concerned you’re pushing yourself too far. Simon will be waiting for you to slip up, to show a weakness he can expose. He’s a shrewd man who realizes you were groomed from an early age to one day take over for Anderson. That won’t sit well with him, and he won’t appreciate you showing up as if nine years haven’t passed.”
Her brows knitted together in confusion. Earlier, in the elevator, she’d gotten the sense Simon was more of a smartass than anything vindictive. “But you said he wasn’t that bad. Lazy and annoying.”
“And there is the spin.” He glanced around uneasily. “Don’t trust him. He’s not right for this company and sooner or later he’ll screw up. I guarantee it.” Thomas straightened, doing a one-eighty. “Let me grab some office supplies for you. I’ll be a couple minutes.”
Olivia sat woodenly behind the generic oak desk. Now that she was here, her rash decision terrified her and she wondered what she’d inserted herself into the middle of. Sure, what Simon had said during their initial meeting was uncalled for, but she didn’t sense anything malicious from him, despite Thomas’s warning. Of course, it didn’t mean she planned to go out of her way to seek his approval. He’d come sniffing around once she got the ball rolling, of that much she was sure, and she vowed to be ready. Catherine trusted him, that said a lot, his charming personality aside.
Rising to her feet, she drifted down the hall to an expansive corner office, pulled by an invisible force. She knew the route by heart, how many rooms and supply closets were along the way, where the bulletin board used to be, dotted with significant announcements. New carpet lined the path, no longer buckling and threatening to trip her.
Stopping outside the doors, she lifted a hand and placed it on the wood, wondering what lay beyond. It was cold to the touch, or it might have been her imagination, she wasn’t sure which. Her father always kept the doors open, arguing it was easier to communicate with Margaret, his long-time assistant, across the hall, but Olivia believed it was so he could be more accessible to his employees. That was the kind of leader he was, the kind she aspired to be once upon a time.
A part of her wanted to find her mother’s old office, but that was different, more intimidating. Anderson Van den Berg had been a loving father, larger than life, but nothing compared to the relationship she’d held with her mom, Melinda. They were confidantes, partners in crime, best friends who always found a way to keep their weekly lunches. She wasn’t ready to confront that emptiness, not in the same day.
During her lowest times, she heard both their voices in her head. Her dad’s when she berated herself for where her life ended up and her mom’s when she needed soothing, when the hurts were too terrible to bear. Being in the place they worked, brought the ghosts to life, and left her emptier than she wanted to admit.
Her mind wandered to a memory of her first day as an intern. She’d stood in the middle of this office, on uncharacteristically shaky knees, and let her dad’s hard stare intimidate her.
“Don’t expect to be treated any different while you’re here,” he’d said. “You’ll have a hard enough time from the other interns because of who you are, but your last name does not equal a free ride, so work your ass off. Respect is everything in this business.” He rose from the desk, long and lean and draped in an expensive suit, and approached her. “Start from the bottom, learn everything you can about VDB from the ground up. That’s what my father ordered me to do and it made me stronger.”
Then, he had yanked her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m proud of you, sweet pea,” he had whispered in her ear.
Climbing out of the memory, Olivia patted her hair, swearing she felt it move from his breath.
“Believe it or not, his office is still empty, sort of an unspoken understanding among all of us who knew him. I can rarely bring myself to go in there.”
Thomas’s voice scattered the wispy tendrils of the past and she jumped, snatching her hand from the wood. She turned to face him, surprised. “Even after so long? It doesn’t seem right.”
His chocolate colored eyes focused on the doors. “Many of us who have worked here for years continue to honor your father and mother. We won’t let them use this space. It’s hallowed ground.”
Personally, she found it strange. Life moved on. Her father would have understood someone using his office. To keep it locked up, as Catherine did with the study, struck her as sad and pointless. Maybe she wasn’t the only one with unhealed scars.
Thomas surfaced from his reverie. “Come on, I have folders and pens to get you started and I called tech about setting up your password for the computer.” He touched her shoulder. “Despite my concerns, it’s good to have you home.”
She followed, the vastness of her father’s vacant office pushing from behind. It couldn’t stay that way. Not if she was expected to remain sane while working here.