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“That’s wonderful. I’m very happy for you.”
We chatted about a few things, including his granddaughter’s fifth birthday this past weekend.
“Five already. Is she going to school this year?”
“Yes. She’s very excited. Are you planning on having children?”
“I don’t think I would make a very good mother.”
“Nonsense. I think just the opposite.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Antonio dropped me off at the Tea Garden in downtown Los Angeles, tipping his hat as I got out of the car. Inside, Hassan was feasting on shrimp cocktail and drinking a martini. He stood when I approached the table.
“I’m starving. Myra has me on this ridiculous diet. It’s not working.”
“It won’t if you keep cheating,” I laughed.
“Shh, don’t tell her that.”
The waiter came, and I ordered a Caesar salad with grilled chicken and a glass of white wine.
“So tell me what this is all about? Why the urgency?” I said.
“Remember we spoke about…” his voice trailed off as he looked at my ring. “Are congratulations in order?”
I smiled. “I’m engaged. Austin asked me this past weekend.”
He fingered the stones, sliding over the diamonds. “But this looks more like a wedding band.”
“Austin wanted something different. When I marry, this will be my ring.”
He drained his martini before he continued. “Then this news might not be what you want to hear.”
“What do you mean?”
“We spoke about the studio in New York a few weeks ago, remember?”
“Yes, I do.”
I could feel a rock forming in the pit of my stomach, and my mouth suddenly felt dry as a desert. I took a long sip of water as Hassan continued.
“We finished with our due diligence. The company is squeaky clean, and the financials are good despite the shit show in management.”
My voice croaked. “What are you telling me?”
“We’re moving forward with the sale. I need you on board with this.”
I slumped against the back of my chair and looked down at my lap. “What does this mean for me?”
He chewed the shrimp in his mouth. “We need you out there. If the sale goes through as we planned, it will take three months, so we’re looking at early December. We would need you in the office in New York at the start of the year.”
“This is not good news. Austin and I plan on getting married at the end of December and heading to the Maldives for our honeymoon in early January.”
“Would it help if I tell you this would bump your salary twenty-five percent and open you to a bigger bonus?”
I sighed, pressing my back to the cushioned booth. “Money isn’t everything Hassan.”
