air.”
Clare fanned herself and nodded. Millie wanted to roll her eyes. It was annoying how quickly Clare always acquiesced to everything that Josh said. She was barely out of diapers when she realized that both her parents favored her older brother over her. Of course, Josh was smart, funny, and handsome. She adored him too, but still it rubbed at her how much she felt like an afterthought in the family.
Josh had his hand under her elbow and kept her tight against him even as he nodded and smiled to several of the people at the tables that they passed.
“You can let me go now,” Millie hissed under her breath. “You are hurting me.”
“No way,” Josh said under his breath. “Not until I talk some sense into you.”
They were past the maître de and then out into the small hallway that led to the door out to the street. Josh pulled her toward the back and into a small coat room that was currently not being used. When they were kids, they used to hide in the same room to avoid Clare, who paraded them around as if they were trophies instead of people.
“What the hell, Josh?” Millie yanked her arm away from him and rubbed her elbow. “I know you’re not happy that I’ve decided not to work for dad, but I didn’t expect this reaction from you.”
Josh rubbed his face and stood with his hand on his hips. “Millie, I don’t know what has gotten into you this past year, but enough’s enough.”
“What are you talking about?”
“First, you ran off and disappeared last summer working at some backwoods bed and breakfast instead of interning at the company like you told Dad you’d do. He let that one slide. Then you take a bunch of stupid artsy fartsy classes instead of the advanced business courses that I told you take. Now you’re here, and you’re going to quit the job you haven’t even started yet? Dad is going to blow.”
Millie crossed her arms taking Josh’s tirade in. She raised her chin. “No one ever asked me if it was a job that I wanted. I love how everyone in this family just assumes they know what I want instead of actually asking me. If you did, this wouldn’t come as such a big surprise.”
“You’ve never said that you didn’t want to do this,” Josh said. “In fact, you’ve been saying since you were a kid how much you wanted to work for the firm and how excited you were that we’d run it together someday after dad retires.”
Millie softened. “That was when I was a kid, Josh. I’ve grown up. I want to do something else.”
Josh shook his head. “This isn’t like you. You’ve changed.”
“Maybe,” Millie said. “But I think it’s for the better. I have clarity into what I want and who I am. That takes time and life experience to figure out. I’m not saying that I’m there yet, but I know what my gut is telling me. Dad would never give me that chance to figure that out on my own. I am going to do this my way on my own terms.”
“You’re a St. John. You have certain obligations to the family,” Josh said.
“That’s a line of bullshit we’ve been fed since we were old enough to talk,” Millie snorted. “It’s not like we’re royalty. We’re just regular people.”
“Dad built that company from the ground up for us,” Josh said. “It’s what he’s always wanted for us. We’re his legacy.”
“He’s got you,” Millie said. “You can carry on his legacy. You love that company as much as he does. You don’t need me.”
Josh groaned. “The timing of this little announcement couldn’t be worse, Millie.”
“I’m sorry my life isn’t conforming to your timetable,” Millie snapped.
Josh leaned back against the wall. “Look, can we pretend that you didn’t say this yet? With everything else that Dad has going on right now, this would put him over the edge.”
Millie opened her mouth to respond, but Josh held up his hand. “I’m not going to try running your life. But seriously, the timing of this little announcement is horrible.
Clare fanned herself and nodded. Millie wanted to roll her eyes. It was annoying how quickly Clare always acquiesced to everything that Josh said. She was barely out of diapers when she realized that both her parents favored her older brother over her. Of course, Josh was smart, funny, and handsome. She adored him too, but still it rubbed at her how much she felt like an afterthought in the family.
Josh had his hand under her elbow and kept her tight against him even as he nodded and smiled to several of the people at the tables that they passed.
“You can let me go now,” Millie hissed under her breath. “You are hurting me.”
“No way,” Josh said under his breath. “Not until I talk some sense into you.”
They were past the maître de and then out into the small hallway that led to the door out to the street. Josh pulled her toward the back and into a small coat room that was currently not being used. When they were kids, they used to hide in the same room to avoid Clare, who paraded them around as if they were trophies instead of people.
“What the hell, Josh?” Millie yanked her arm away from him and rubbed her elbow. “I know you’re not happy that I’ve decided not to work for dad, but I didn’t expect this reaction from you.”
Josh rubbed his face and stood with his hand on his hips. “Millie, I don’t know what has gotten into you this past year, but enough’s enough.”
“What are you talking about?”
“First, you ran off and disappeared last summer working at some backwoods bed and breakfast instead of interning at the company like you told Dad you’d do. He let that one slide. Then you take a bunch of stupid artsy fartsy classes instead of the advanced business courses that I told you take. Now you’re here, and you’re going to quit the job you haven’t even started yet? Dad is going to blow.”
Millie crossed her arms taking Josh’s tirade in. She raised her chin. “No one ever asked me if it was a job that I wanted. I love how everyone in this family just assumes they know what I want instead of actually asking me. If you did, this wouldn’t come as such a big surprise.”
“You’ve never said that you didn’t want to do this,” Josh said. “In fact, you’ve been saying since you were a kid how much you wanted to work for the firm and how excited you were that we’d run it together someday after dad retires.”
Millie softened. “That was when I was a kid, Josh. I’ve grown up. I want to do something else.”
Josh shook his head. “This isn’t like you. You’ve changed.”
“Maybe,” Millie said. “But I think it’s for the better. I have clarity into what I want and who I am. That takes time and life experience to figure out. I’m not saying that I’m there yet, but I know what my gut is telling me. Dad would never give me that chance to figure that out on my own. I am going to do this my way on my own terms.”
“You’re a St. John. You have certain obligations to the family,” Josh said.
“That’s a line of bullshit we’ve been fed since we were old enough to talk,” Millie snorted. “It’s not like we’re royalty. We’re just regular people.”
“Dad built that company from the ground up for us,” Josh said. “It’s what he’s always wanted for us. We’re his legacy.”
“He’s got you,” Millie said. “You can carry on his legacy. You love that company as much as he does. You don’t need me.”
Josh groaned. “The timing of this little announcement couldn’t be worse, Millie.”
“I’m sorry my life isn’t conforming to your timetable,” Millie snapped.
Josh leaned back against the wall. “Look, can we pretend that you didn’t say this yet? With everything else that Dad has going on right now, this would put him over the edge.”
Millie opened her mouth to respond, but Josh held up his hand. “I’m not going to try running your life. But seriously, the timing of this little announcement is horrible.
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