6 - Yes, Ms. Hamilton, I can't wait to meet you

LIAM

Two days after my meeting with Judith, my dad orders me into his office.

When he returned from his business trip to Boston yesterday afternoon, we had a short talk about how it went, and I told him everything went fine. Some minor details were all he wanted to hear because we had other things to discuss, so he didn't ask too many questions.

I thought myself safe, but the way he requires my presence now doesn't bode well. Judith must have sent over the new contract.

Being in no rush whatsoever, I stroll out of my office and take the elevator up to the eighteenth floor. In my head, I recap my conversation with Judith to prepare myself for any possible mistake I could have made. I come up with a few ideas because I know where my father's views differ from mine.

Exiting the elevator with a deep breath, I approach my dad's office. His PA looks up from her desk and smiles.

"Hello, Mr. Davies. Your father is expecting you," she states the obvious.

"Thanks, um, yeah," I mutter with narrowed eyes. I don't think I've seen her before. That makes her my dad's third new PA in four months. It's the reason I don't bother learning their names anymore.

With a single knock on the office door, I make myself known and walk inside. It's just before noon, so the midday sun floods the huge room in light, giving it a calm and relaxed atmosphere—especially with the great view of Manhattan.

Calm and relaxed is the last thing I feel, though, when my gaze falls on my dad, who sits behind his desk. He doesn't look up from his paperwork, just gestures to the chairs in front of him.

"Liam," he finally says after a few moments of heavy silence.

I repeatedly rub my neck, trying to rid myself of the mounting frustration. The look my father gives me makes me shift in my seat. "Dad."

"Judith sent me the new contract."

Good, at least, he gets right to the point. "Did she?"

He nods. "Tell me," he says in a controlled tone. "What came over you to agree to this?" He points to the paper in front of him.

After letting out a small sigh, I recite the speech I came up with on my way. "I did my best to negotiate, and I am happy with the outcome. You know Judith, she's not one to budge easily. But I made her comply with some of our demands, and there was no way around accepting some of hers."

He shakes his head, tapping the pen on the desk, aggravating me further with the annoying sound. "No, Liam, this isn't good enough."

I grind my teeth. Squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, I draw in a calming breath. "So you're saying if you had talked to her, she would have agreed to all of your terms?" I snort. "This is bullshit."

My dad narrows his eyes at me. "Liam, watch your language."

Ugh, I don't give a shit about my language right now. I glare at him. "Why don't you trust me? Why can't you see that even though this contract isn't what you expected, it doesn't mean it's bad?"

"Liam, I do trust you. But you're right; I can't see it."

I jump out of the chair with a groan. "Fuck this," I mutter to myself. Before I turn around to leave, I tell my father, "I don't get why you still do this. Don't you remember how you almost lost Henry a couple of years ago? Only because you couldn't let him lead his life like he wanted? And now you don't see any of my efforts."

I shove my hand through my hair and let out an exasperated sigh before I continue, "I sacrifice so much for this company, on a daily basis. I work my ass off, doing the best I can. I'm sorry if you can't see that your ways might be a little old-fashioned. The world changes, Dad, and with it, our clientele. So either you keep up with the times and have some more faith in me or I'll quit."

I'm not at all done with my rant, but my father's unimpressed expression makes me furious. So saying much more won't be wise. "The contract is not yet signed. Feel free to call Judith and negotiate further. While you do, I will pack my things and move out of your place."

My dad leans on his desk and raises his eyebrows at me. "Maybe you should cool down before we continue this conversation," is all he says.

I draw in a long, slow breath through my nose. "Fine," I tell him through clenched teeth. "I'll call you once that happens." Without another word, I storm out of the office.

I stand in front of the elevator, repeatedly pressing the call button, but the stupid lift won't hurry up. Tapping my foot, I watch the number on the display above the door. When it finally opens, I step in with a groan and press the button for the seventh floor.

What feels like centuries later, the elevator doors open again, and I stride towards Susan, my brother's PA. She opens her mouth to say something, but I give her a wave and a smile before I barge into Henry's office without knocking.

I let out a sigh of relief when I find my brother sitting behind his desk and Lauren in front of it. Well, the relief stems from the fact that they're both fully dressed. I thank my lucky stars that they don't use their lunch break for a quickie on his desk today.

They direct their gazes at me when I slam the door shut with a loud thud. "Liam! What the fuck?" Henry places his half-eaten sandwich on his desk and furrows his brows.

I huff. "Can I move into your guest bedroom?"

"Why?" The frown on his forehead deepens, and his confused look matches Lauren's.

"Dad pisses me off." I blow out my cheeks and drop down on the unoccupied chair in front of the desk.

"Tell me something new," Henry remarks. "He pisses me off on a regular basis too."

Yes, I know. We both have our issues with our father, but he's become much more lenient toward Henry and what he considers a silly hobby—Henry's music. He doesn't get as mad anymore when my brother chooses a gig over a fancy dinner party, but sometimes he can't refrain from giving him one of his pep talks.

Me, on the other hand, I wouldn't dare tell him I won't attend a work-related event because I'd rather enjoy poker night with my friends. Now that I am next in line for the position as CEO, he's taken off the kid gloves, being all the harder on me. Most times, I can deal with it because I know I still have to learn many things, but other times, I know my dad's old-fashioned ways won't get him far. Listening to what I have to say isn't one of his stronger traits.

Henry lets out a heavy sigh, studying me with a frown. "Do you really have to move out?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "Yes. I need some distance."

My brother runs his hand over his face, taking another deep breath. He leans forward on his desk, his eyes fixed on me. "You are so much alike; that's why you clash all the time."

I snort. "We are not!"

"Yes, you are. You both are obstinate and relentless. But you're also driven and hard-working. I know it's a constant struggle with Dad. You could achieve so many great things if you worked together instead of against each other." He stares at me intently. "Give him some time to cool down."

I laugh humorlessly. "Funny, that's what he told me. I'm still gonna move out. So can I stay with you or do I need to book a hotel room?"

"Of course you can stay with us," Lauren responds before Henry has the chance.

My brother shoots her a glare. "Really? Do you remember what happened the last time he stayed with us? How he constantly whined that we were too loud?" While Lauren shakes her head with a chuckle, he narrows his eyes and points his index finger at me. "We're not gonna refrain from having sex just because you are there. And no overnight guests," he adds, leaning back in his chair.

I gape at him. "Excuse me? So you're allowed to have sex and I'm not?"

Henry waves his hand. "Sure you can have sex. Just not in my penthouse."

I roll my eyes with a huff. "You're insufferable."

Man, he can be annoying. I mean, it's not like I plan to hook up with anyone while I'm in New York, but I won't tell him that. And I'll gladly endure their nightly activities as long as they keep it to the bedroom. Last time, I walked in on them doing it in the study. There must be something about sex on a desk that I don't know yet.

"So I can stay at your place?"

"Yes."

"Great. So I'll pack up my laptop, then get my things from mom and dad's place. I'll see you tonight." With a wave, I say goodbye, determined not to let this ruin my day.

In my office, I gather my things and make a quick phone call to Los Angeles to talk to my PA. She forwards my messages, and I make a mental list of things that I need to do today—but not here. This is an excellent day for home office.

---

"Henry? Have you seen the card the caterer gave me?"

"No, Sweets, I haven't," comes my brother's voice out of the study to answer Lauren's question.

"Ugh!" she grunts, looking through a stash of papers on the dining table.

I watch her as I lean against the kitchen counter, finishing a yogurt. A few hours ago, I officially moved out of my parents' place and set up camp in Henry's guest room. My mom was anything but ecstatic when I told her the news, and she tried to reason with me. But in the end, none of her arguments convinced me. They were mostly "Your father probably didn't mean it like that" and "You know what he's like".

Yes, I do know what he's like, so I know he meant what he said.

With a sigh, I trash the empty yogurt container and place the spoon in the dishwasher when my gaze falls on a folder on the counter. Sitting on top of it is a business card. "Is this it?" I ask while I read what the card says. It's from a wedding planner.

Amelia Hamilton

A deep frown appears on my forehead as I try to remember where I've heard that name before. Why does it ring a bell?

Lauren turns up next to me and studies the card. "No," she says with a chuckle. "That's Jo, our wedding planner. I'm looking for that guy's number who can put me in contact with some waiters for the wedding."

My mouth falls open. "Jo? Your wedding planner?" I need a few moments to understand Lauren's words. A rush of adrenaline surges through me. No, this can't be. With furrowed brows, I tilt my head to the side, not able to tear my eyes away from the card in my hands.

"Yes. Jo, wedding planner," Lauren repeats as if I were some idiot.

I must look like one, so I don't blame her.

"I know the card says Amelia," she explains, "but that's the name she uses for business."

I gasp when it comes crashing back to me—the phone call from last week. The woman said her name was Amelia Hamilton, and it was about place cards or some wedding-related shit.

Yes, I know there might be other women named Jo, who are wedding planners in New York City. My mind goes a mile a minute while I think back to the voicemail. It must have been Jo—the woman I met in Florida, my brother's wedding planner. Jo. It was her voice. She's my brother's fucking wedding planner!

My heart pounds in my chest, and I have the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my pants. Damn, how is that possible?

"Liam, are you okay?" Lauren places her hand on my arm, making me flinch.

"Uh, yes," I mumble, shaking my head to snap out of my foggy state. Seriously, what are the chances? I direct my gaze at the woman standing next to me, saying all these confusing things. "Jo?" I ask again. Yes, I know—idiot.

Lauren rolls her eyes. "Yes, Liam. She is our wedding planner. I hired her about three weeks ago because I couldn't handle it anymore." She frowns. "Damn, Liam, what is that look on your face? Don't judge me—or her. She is a doll. You'll see tomorrow; I invited her over for dinner."

"Oh, I'm not judging either of you," I tell Lauren. "You do whatever you want." I run my hand over my face with a deep sigh. "It's just been a stressful day, so I'm a little out of it. I look forward to meeting her," I add with a smile.

Lauren smiles back at me. "Great. Now let me find the right card so I can make a phone call." She dashes off down the hall and into the study, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

There's no doubt in my mind that the universe is playing some trick on us. First, I show up at Jo's door on the last night of my vacation, and we spend a memorable evening together. And when she decides it wasn't that great after all, my brother and his fiancée hire her to be their wedding planner. And tomorrow, we'll be introduced officially. This will be interesting.

Yes, Ms. Hamilton, I can't wait to meet you.