high. And then when you left…”
He shakes his head.
“Go on,” I want him to continue.
“When you left… it meant nothing. Everything that I built – all that wealth, all that power – it meant nothing. I couldn’t understand why. It used to mean everything to me – and suddenly it all felt empty. Nobody has ever made me feel like that. Nobody. I didn’t even know it was possible. Everything about the business started to make me angry. All the power, all the money, I started to hate it. It meant nothing.”
“It always meant nothing to me.”
“And that’s what I loved. I loved that it meant nothing to you. I loved that I meant something to you… or at least I think I did.”
“You did,” I whisper.
“And you meant everything to me. I couldn’t see it at the time - or maybe I could see it but I couldn’t understand it. But everything that meant something previously, suddenly meant nothing. I hated it when you weren’t there. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me.”
“So what happened?”
“Nancy sat me down and gave me a lecture about life. And she was harsh too. Really blunt. She told me that she would support me to do anything in my life, but not this. She couldn’t let me throw the chance with away.”
“She’s a good woman,” I whisper.
“But it wasn’t her decision to chase you. It was mine. I want this. Harper, you are the most amazing, wonderful, lively, funny, witty, engaging, beautiful, and strong woman I have ever met. I didn’t even know women like you existed until we met. I have never met anyone like you, and you take my breath away. I really, really want to spend more time with you.”
“Well, that’s kind of hard because I work in a diner in a small town and you live in New York City running a billion-dollar empire.”
“I don’t run it anymore.”
“What?” I am surprised.
“I still own the business, but I promoted one of my employees to CEO. They are now running the day to day operations of the business and whilst I still take a keen interest in the outcomes, they are the driving force for the firm now.”
“One of those pinhead executives? You didn’t seem to have a lot of faith in them.”
“No, not one of the executives.”
“An outsider? That’s a big risk.”
“Not an outsider.”
“Who then?”
“The only person that knew the business better than I knew it. When I thought about it, the person was always destined to run the business. And since she took the reins six weeks ago, the business is actually doing better than it was before. The woman is a genius.”
“A woman I know?” one of my eyebrows pop up.
“Nancy,” Brad smiles.
“Nancy? Your personal assistant?” my mouth drops open.
“Absolutely. There is nobody better. She is firm, direct, makes great business decisions but also brings a personal touch to the organization that I could never achieve. She’ll have some hard times ahead, but right now, she is doing an amazing job. She is going from strength to strength.”
“You really made your personal assistant the next CEO of your company?” I smile.
Nancy deserves every success that she receives. She is a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman. An inspiration.
“I did. But I didn’t do it because I thought it would be nice. I did it because she was the best person for the job – and she has already proved that.”
“Wow,” I can’t wipe the smile off my face. Nancy definitely deserved that. “What will you do with your time now then?”
“I bought a coffee shop.”
Chapter 19
I assess Brad’s face to determine if he is joking or not. And it appears that he is not joking. This guy is being serious.
“And what would you want with a coffee shop?”
“I want to run it.”
“You? Run a coffee shop?” I laugh. “You wouldn’t know the first thing about coffee shop management. Just because you have run an investment firm, doesn’t mean that you can run
He shakes his head.
“Go on,” I want him to continue.
“When you left… it meant nothing. Everything that I built – all that wealth, all that power – it meant nothing. I couldn’t understand why. It used to mean everything to me – and suddenly it all felt empty. Nobody has ever made me feel like that. Nobody. I didn’t even know it was possible. Everything about the business started to make me angry. All the power, all the money, I started to hate it. It meant nothing.”
“It always meant nothing to me.”
“And that’s what I loved. I loved that it meant nothing to you. I loved that I meant something to you… or at least I think I did.”
“You did,” I whisper.
“And you meant everything to me. I couldn’t see it at the time - or maybe I could see it but I couldn’t understand it. But everything that meant something previously, suddenly meant nothing. I hated it when you weren’t there. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me.”
“So what happened?”
“Nancy sat me down and gave me a lecture about life. And she was harsh too. Really blunt. She told me that she would support me to do anything in my life, but not this. She couldn’t let me throw the chance with away.”
“She’s a good woman,” I whisper.
“But it wasn’t her decision to chase you. It was mine. I want this. Harper, you are the most amazing, wonderful, lively, funny, witty, engaging, beautiful, and strong woman I have ever met. I didn’t even know women like you existed until we met. I have never met anyone like you, and you take my breath away. I really, really want to spend more time with you.”
“Well, that’s kind of hard because I work in a diner in a small town and you live in New York City running a billion-dollar empire.”
“I don’t run it anymore.”
“What?” I am surprised.
“I still own the business, but I promoted one of my employees to CEO. They are now running the day to day operations of the business and whilst I still take a keen interest in the outcomes, they are the driving force for the firm now.”
“One of those pinhead executives? You didn’t seem to have a lot of faith in them.”
“No, not one of the executives.”
“An outsider? That’s a big risk.”
“Not an outsider.”
“Who then?”
“The only person that knew the business better than I knew it. When I thought about it, the person was always destined to run the business. And since she took the reins six weeks ago, the business is actually doing better than it was before. The woman is a genius.”
“A woman I know?” one of my eyebrows pop up.
“Nancy,” Brad smiles.
“Nancy? Your personal assistant?” my mouth drops open.
“Absolutely. There is nobody better. She is firm, direct, makes great business decisions but also brings a personal touch to the organization that I could never achieve. She’ll have some hard times ahead, but right now, she is doing an amazing job. She is going from strength to strength.”
“You really made your personal assistant the next CEO of your company?” I smile.
Nancy deserves every success that she receives. She is a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman. An inspiration.
“I did. But I didn’t do it because I thought it would be nice. I did it because she was the best person for the job – and she has already proved that.”
“Wow,” I can’t wipe the smile off my face. Nancy definitely deserved that. “What will you do with your time now then?”
“I bought a coffee shop.”
Chapter 19
I assess Brad’s face to determine if he is joking or not. And it appears that he is not joking. This guy is being serious.
“And what would you want with a coffee shop?”
“I want to run it.”
“You? Run a coffee shop?” I laugh. “You wouldn’t know the first thing about coffee shop management. Just because you have run an investment firm, doesn’t mean that you can run
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