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“I suppose I am.” Norman puts a comforting arm around me, rubbing my shoulder. “Jess, I’m old,” he says, the wrinkles of his face somehow becoming more prominent under the new light fixtures. Or maybe I’m finally realizing that he truly isn’t the youngest anymore. “I have been doing this for decades. I’m ready to retire, have been for a long time. I never thought this day would come. To be honest, if it wasn’t for you and all your hard work, I wouldn’t have even considered it.”
My heart goes out to him. But that doesn’t stop me from also feeling upset. “Then why didn’t you sell all your shares to me?” I ask. “I would have happily bought you out.”
“Jess, you don’t have the money, and taking on debts is out of the question. And before you say anything, you’ve already poured so much of your heart and soul into these hotels. If you took on all this by yourself, you’d be burned out by the time you’re forty. I couldn’t do that to you.”
As the reality of the situation starts to sink in, I can barely keep my growing distress from seeping into my voice. “That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, and it’s my choice, Norman! I don’t like the idea of some rando suddenly coming in and trying to change things.”
“I was concerned about that as well. The ‘rando coming in’ will serve as a co-owner and adviser, rather than assuming a managerial role. He will give you guidance—nothing more, nothing less. Trust that I wouldn’t have gone through with the sale if I wasn’t completely sure it would be in the hotels’ best interest.”
“Norman—”
He cuts me off by putting his hands on my shoulders and staring directly into my eyes. “I know you can handle this place on your own,” he says. “Me selling to someone else has nothing to do with questioning your abilities. I mean this in the best way possible. Now that we’re in the green, I sold to someone else for your own good. All right?”
For my own good? Who is he to decide what’s good for me?
“Did you already sign the papers?” I ask.
“Yes. About half an hour ago. I was presented with a ‘take it or leave it’ deal.”
Dammit. Observing a profit in both the current and upcoming quarters, Norman saw the chance to negotiate the optimal offer for his exit. It’s a fundamental principle of economics that the value of a thriving and profitable business increases significantly when considering a sale. It’s likely why he had gotten an interesting offer in the first place. “Who did you sell it to?”
Norman hesitates.
“Is that a secret too?” I push.
“You’ll meet the new owner soon enough,” he finally says. “Tomorrow, in fact. Now, before you say anything else, he’s a CEO, an accomplished figure in the hotel industry, a billionaire mogul, with a track record of turning struggling properties into extraordinary successes. In fact, his success in the field is unparalleled—nobody does it better than him. He’ll be good for this place, and for you?—”
“Who is it?” I interrupt him.
“Mr. Blackwood of Blackwood Holdings Inc.”
Blackwood? I gulp. I’ve certainly heard of Blackwood—everyone in the hotel business knows that Blackwood Holdings Inc. is a colossal conglomerate holding “Blackwood Hotels & Resorts” under its umbrella. However, I’ve never had the privilege of meeting the company’s mighty chief executive. They label him as cold, calculating, and ruthless.
But one should never take rumors at face value. These same allegations had once swirled around Norman, and we all know how that turned out—he’s a secret softie who showers his wife with handwritten love notes. Perhaps the new mystery CEO has a hidden fondness for kittens and cries during romantic comedies.
“The meeting with Mr. Blackwood is scheduled for tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.,” he says.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I sigh heavily, grappling with the desperate reality of it all.
To be fair, a small part of me does understand why he brought someone else on board. If I’m completely honest, it makes perfect sense. Taking on all the responsibility of managing the hotels would be a monumental task (not to mention the added challenge of incurring debt), and although I don’t doubt that I would have crushed it, it definitely would have taken over my entire life. Norman has a wife and kids—kids he freely admits he wasn’t around for as much as he would have liked. I would like to have a family someday. And running the chain on my own wouldn’t leave room for anything else.
Anyway. What’s done is done.
“I understand,” I tell him, trying a weak smile. “And I really am happy that you’re finally retiring. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too, kid.” He gives me a brief hug before he pulls away and straightens his tweed jacket. “Come on, let’s do our morning walk-around, and I’ll brief you on what you’ll need to handle for a while until you re-delegate the tasks. But first…” He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a big envelope, his eyes glinting with mischief, “…here’s a little something for you.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“A ticket to the charity auction next month.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “But they were sold out! And the prices are through the roof!”
He chuckles. “Well, someone cancelled, and I may have sweet-talked my way in. Perks of persistence, you know?”
I pull the thick burgundy ticket out of the envelope in disbelief, and choke up. My fingers run over the intricate smooth finish. Its opulence is overwhelming. The words “Grand Hospitality Affair” are elegantly embossed with gold metallic accents. Norman must have invested a substantial six-figure amount for the high-profile auction.
“Enjoy, I know you’ve always wanted to go.”
