Unstuck (26 page)

“The contract with the construction company is not going well,” He finally said. He was looking into building some offices for the publishing branch of May, Inc in NY. According to him having the publishers, editors and the whole branch in May, Inc’s building was not “artistic,” enough and wouldn’t encourage writers to come through. I didn’t see that but he was the boss.

“Can I do something to help?” I asked again.

“No, not really. You’ll know if you do,” he said. Oh! I’d know, he’ll make sure I know.

The flight went by pretty fast and I got to work a bit on the e-course project. Truth was it wasn’t about e-course anymore; somewhere along the line I began working on something bigger and better for May, inc and I was sure that if I planned it enough I could show Patrick something worth listening.

Patrick was in business mode long before we reached the offices; he seemed death set on achieving what he wanted and I was happy that he was going to be busy because I could run around the offices firing people, gathering papers and picking up signed contracts without worrying if he had something for me to do.

By noon I got a text from Patrick asking me to stop by his office when I was done doing whatever I was doing so, around 2 pm, I found myself in the same office where I met Patrick.

“I’m done,” I said going in and finding him standing up looking down at the street through the window.

“Good,” he said but didn’t move from the window.

“Are you ok?” I asked coming closer.

“I hate when things don’t go my way,” he turned and looked at me.

“I know,” I nodded.

“Anyway, seems we are spending the night here because we are signing the contract tomorrow morning,” he finally said and jumped and hugged him.

“I thought you said things weren’t going your way,” I said still with my arms around him.

“I did say that,” I heard a smile and stood back to examine his face.

“I don’t get it,” I was confused.

“You don’t have to,” I just scrunched up my nose “So,” he continued “you’ll have to call my NY apartment staff to let them know we are staying there tonight so they have everything prepared for whatever we need, you know what we need.” I nodded.

“Clothes, Patrick, we’ll need clothes,” I said scribbling everything on my yellow pad.

“Yeah, I think I have clothes in here… I don’t know but you’ll need a change of clothes I guess…,” he said going to sit on his chair.

“Ok, I’ll go shopping then,” I said putting my notepad away.

“I’m going with you. I’m done here and we need to eat so…,” he got up, took his jacket and walked towards the door. “Ladies first,” he said opening the door for me.

Off we went. First we had lunch somewhere where he liked the smashed potatoes and then we went shopping. I’d already gone shopping with him and knew that it could get boring but we were just shopping for on change of clothes so I assumed that I would smoothly. He was looking at the scarves when my phone rang and I saw it was Brian.

“Hello.”

“Hey you,” he said. I could tell by his tone that he wasn’t calling as Brian HR but Brian the boyfriend.

“Hey,” I said while shaking my head furiously at Patrick that was holding a purple scarf that was horrible.

“What time will you be back?” Oh, right, we had agreed earlier on going for dinner and sorbets through texts. The whole sorbet thing….I wasn’t up to sharing sorbets with Brian anymore. Not after the night before.

“Oh,” I said trying to find a way of letting him down easily. We hadn’t had time to spend time together; at least not quality time.

“What is it?” he asked. I already could hear the disappointment in his voice.

“We are spending the night here. Patrick is finally signing the contract tomorrow morning,” I said walking away so I had more privacy to have this talk.

“Why are you not coming back?” What? What kind of question was that? It was simple: because Patrick wasn’t coming back.

“He’ll probably walk to tomorrow’s meeting wearing the same clothes as today and with a stain of burned coffee,” I said and heard Brian laughing.

“True,” he said between his laughs. “Tomorrow then?” he asked and I nodded before replying “tomorrow,” I finally said.

“Ok, then, beautiful I’ll talk to you later ok?”

“Ok,” I said.

“Take care, bye.”

“Bye,” I hung up but couldn’t help but let go of the question. Why was I not coming back? If I was being honest it was because I didn’t want to. Simple as that.

“Lucinda,” Patrick’s voice brought me back “I’m done,” I nodded and my thoughts were completely forgotten.

After shopping for my clothes, which was completely awkward for me because Patrick was like a stray puppy walking behind me while I looked for underwear, we went back to his apartment. It was amazing. That wasn’t an apartment; it was the size of a decent sized house. Two levels, completely different from his home at New Hope. It was all in shades of black, grey and white and I couldn’t help but think about steel when I was in it.

Patrick said he’d be working in his office that I could come if I needed a place to work but to feel free to relax for the night. Relax… I had no idea what that word meant.

I changed into the only comfortable clothes I had with me: my pjs. I had carefully bought some pjs that wouldn’t be revealing and were comfortable; the kind of pjs I wear everyday and during midnight munchies. I wasn’t that kind of girl; you know the kind that accidentally has to change into her pjs but since the only night wear she has is lingerie designed for your wedding night that’s what you wear to work on your boss’ office. I hated that. I put my hair up in my nest and went to the office.

“Hey,” I said walking into the office carrying the scrapbook and my computer.

“So relax is not an option,” he said smiling he had his tie undone and sleeves rolled up to his elbow “Of course not,” I smiled and sat on a leather couch with everything I needed to work.

“Will you already let me see that?” said Patrick looking at the binder I had in my hands “It’s not quite ready, Patrick,” I said whining.

“I don’t care, Lucinda, maybe we can get it ready together,” he said getting up from his chair and walking towards the couch.

“Ugh,” I said shaking my head, “might as well already show you,” I said opening the binder on the first page. Patrick sat on the floor facing the couch and I began pitching my idea.

I began talking about the project showing graphics and numbers. My idea was that May inc. could take the idea of e-course and take it to the next level. May, Inc. could get all the knowledge within the company, within the employees and create the May Inc. online business school (with some cool name, of course) and use that to prepare every promising intern. It would also be aimed at employees who wanted to pursue a second career. Eventually, it could be for every student that wanted an MBA but also needed a dayjob to survive. This could also work as an amazing way of recruiting prospects for May, Inc. and it could also work as an incentive for the best employees. May, Inc. wouldn’t need a physical campus or facilities since it would be online and the main investment would be for the platform that a project of this nature would require. With the money and knowledge in May. Inc an only MBA online school could be created and that would be amazing.

I showed him numbers, graphs and even, as embarrassing as it was, some magazine clips that I had been pasting on the binder. He never said a word he just nodded and showed no emotion. So, when I was done, and let him know so, he stood there, quiet, going through the pages of the binder. I was sure that he was looking for the exact words to let me down.

“You hate it. It’s ok, you can say it,” I said biting my nails. He shook his head but still said nothing. He was in deep thought. “Ok,” I said looking everywhere but him “Could you just say what you are thinking already.”

“I love it,” but… I was waiting for the but. “You are a genius, Lucinda,” he finally looked up from the binder to me and smiled. He liked it! I had to smile.

“I’m putting on hold the publishing branch project,” he finally said and got up and began pacing from one side to the other on the office. What does the publishing building had to with all of this. “We are using the building for this. It’s going to be huge and amazing; I am buying the academic content from Stinson. E-course needs the money and we could use a base to start from. Yes, this will work.” He finally looked at me. I had been nodding all along because I hadn’t thought of buying the content from Stinson but it was a great idea. “Of course, Lucinda,” said Patrick kneeling in front of me while I was still sitting on the couch “You’ll lead the project. It will be your project. You’ll need an office and...” he began pacing again

“No,” I said before he could go further.

“What?” he stopped and looked at me.

“No, Patrick. I don’t want the project,” I said getting up from the coach and going towards him “I don’t want to change the life I already have. I am not doing this because I am eager to go back to Miss Stuart. I am doing this because you had interest in this project, you have personal interest on this project and I wanted you to have it. I want to be your assistant. Besides, you promised my mother that I was never going to be Miss Stuart again; I want you to keep that promise,” I said really fast with my hands on his shoulders trying to get him to understand me because I knew that once he had the idea on that head of his no one would stop him until I was in charge of the project.

“I always keep my promises,” he said smiling.

“Good,” I nodded “I will gladly be next to you as the project grows but please don’t ever give me a promotion,” He chuckled and nodded.

“Fine, no promotion. Let’s work on this so tomorrow I can go into the offices and stress everybody out with this new project.”

And so we did, we worked until morning. We had a feast of junk food that we’d found in the kitchen and so much coffee. I lost count on cup number 6. What we put together was the most beautiful thing we had ever seen in our lives. Once we were done, and sure that it didn’t look like something we had worked overnight, we stared at the binder for some solid 15 minutes. I had to contain the tears over the magnificence of the project we had created. I’m not kidding. It might have been the sleep deprivation but we were so proud of what we had just achieved. Finally around 7 in the morning we both went to get ready to start, or continue, the day at the offices. I tried really hard to work with the few make up items I carried on my bag but the bags under my eyes were visible from miles away. I sighed and let it go. It really didn’t matter how bad I looked because I was content with what we had achieved over night.

Once I was in the kitchen I went looking for some power drinks but there were none, of course, so I made some coffee while I waited for Patrick to come down.

“So I look like crap,” I heard his voice and turned around to see him standing in the kitchen door. I had to stifle a laugh because he did look like crap. I mean he is gorgeous but he is not God. A sleepless night did affect him.

“Want me to put some concealer under your eyes,” I said and laughed.

“Nah! I’ll charm them with my wit,” he said and I nodded. I turned around and poured the coffee on a couple of thermoses I’d found.

“Nice,” he said trying to reach for the thermo but I snatched it away. I laughed because he looked like a baby whose pacifier had been taken away.

“We need to eat something decent before downing anymore coffee, Patrick. We won’t be able to work on this project because we’ll have an ulcer.”

“Fine then we’ll stop to buy something to eat on our way to the office,” he said and I nodded.

“Let’s go then,” I said grabbing the binder from the kitchen table with one hand and the thermos with the other. Patrick put his coat on and helped me with one of the thermoses. I gasped at the surprise of him helping with anything.

“You might spill it on the binder,” he winked at me as we both got in the elevator.

On our way to the offices we stopped at a bakery that sold the Danishes that he likes and then we had our dose of coffee. We did look like hell but felt invigorated by the excitement of the project. When we got there I sat in the waiting area of his office hoping to get something to do with my time while he does his thing.

“Lucinda!” first call of the day.

“Yes, Patrick?” I asked as I walked to his office.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he took off his coat and put his laptop on the desk “Actually, nothing. I was hoping to have something to do so I don’t sit there all morning,” I said.

“No, I mean what are you doing sitting out there? We still have things to do AND you are coming with me to the meeting,” he said taking a sit.

“Patrick,” I whined “what for? I rather run around having contracts signed than being in there,” I kept on whining.

“Stop whining, Lucinda. You are going because I say so,” Well the boss said so.

“Let me go get my things,” I walked out of his office, dragging my feet like a scolded child.

We had 30 minutes to go through the basic points we had to touch with the heads of the departments.

“Why don’t you have a board, Patrick?” I asked leaning back on the chair.