We arrived at the hotel and Eddie dropped me at the door. I went in to get us signed in while he parked the car. I waited for him in the lobby.
“Here’s your key card.” I said as he met me near the elevators.
“Thank you. What floor are we on?” He turned the key card over in his hand.
“Fourteen. Should have a nice view.”
“Hmmm.”
“Why didn’t you bring Wanda or one of the kids? They might have enjoyed it.”
“It’s a business trip.”
“Eddie you need to relax a little. What does it say when the CEO is more relaxed than her employees?”
“That her employees are doing a good job, so she doesn’t have to worry.”
“Yeah except now I worry that you are working too hard.”
“You don’t fool me any Kay, I see those lines around your eyes, and you’ve had something on your mind for days now.”
“Well you really know how to compliment a lady.” I teased.
“Hmmpf.”
The elevator opened and we found our rooms.
“Wanna have dinner later?” I asked.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Unless you have plans. Which is fine.”
“I don’t have any plans.” He reassured me.
“Okay, let’s go down to the dining room about eight?”
“See you then.” Eddie entered the room next to mine.
I had an hour and a half to kill.
I went in to explore the room. I never splurged on the big suites as it just didn’t make any sense. I didn’t have meetings in my room, it was just me. All I needed was a mini fridge and a TV for the most part. This room had a jetted tub though and I looked at it longingly. That would have to wait until after dinner. If I got in there now, I’d never want to get out.
I called downstairs and made a dinner reservation. Then ordered a bottle of wine to be delivered to my room later. If I was going to take advantage of that soaking tub, I was going to do it with a bottle of wine.
An hour and a half later I had a sense of Deja vu as Eddie and I were in the elevator again.
“Reservation for Dandridge.” I announced as we approached the hostess stand.
“Yes ma’am.”
We were seated near the window and there was a piano player on the opposite side of the room, the music was soft and allowed us to be able to hear each other without shouting.
After we ordered our dinner Eddie leaned in a little. “So, you want to tell me what’s on your mind?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Kay I’ve known you since you were a little thing trailing along behind your father. I know when something is on your mind.”
He had a point. I had known Eddie all my life. It was like an uncle to me.
I sipped the water and shrugged.
“That bad, huh?” He leaned back.
“It’s nothing or it should be nothing.”
“It’s not, so it’s something.”
I knew I wasn’t going to get out of this and more importantly Eddie would sulk the rest of the trip if I didn’t tell him.
“I guess I’m just more nervous than I thought about this meeting at Bethesda on Monday. It’s really important to me.” I didn’t want to go into the details of it and discuss survivors’ guilt with him. But I believed that was part of what was driving me to get this implant option accepted and that Bethesda didn’t believe it would work, I’d have little chance of getting any other hospital in this country to try it.
The waiter returned with our meal and I concentrated on my food.
“What did you do when your father told you that you were too small to climb that big magnolia in the yard? You shimmied your way up the trunk to that first branch and climbed all the way to the top.”
“Yeah, and then I got scared and he had to climb up and bring me down.”
“Okay, what about when your mother didn’t want you to leave Gates Point? You not only became a photojournalist, but you did it in the most dangerous places on earth.” He stabbed the tabletop with his index finger. “And the fact that you have a Ph.D. and run a huge company all on your own, what does that say about you?”
“Eddie, you know I don’t run it on my own, all the employees are part of the company but, if this doesn’t work all those employees who have been working so hard to make this happen will be disappointed. I’ll feel like I let them down.” I didn’t say what I was really feeling which was that I would have let my team down. Even though it was too late for Oliver, Chris, Micah and Devon, I was doing this for them.
After the plates were taken away Eddie reached across the table and took my hand.
“Look, I’ve never known you to shy away from a challenge. You stick your neck out for other people every single day. You take care of the company, the people the company serves, and you take wonderful care of all of your employees. Promise me you will take care of yourself too.”
I covered his hand with mine. “I promise.”
“Okay, good.” Eddie leaned back in his chair. “Then I will be able to sleep tonight.” He smiled.
I smiled back but I had my doubts about my ability to sleep.
I was looking forward to a nice bubble bath and a bottle of wine.
Chapter Twelve
Ethan
“You wanna get a beer or something after work?” Logan asked.
I thought about it. I really didn’t want to go home because I know I would end up just sitting in front of the Kay’s house all night again.
“Yeah, let’s all go out and celebrate Jared and Stephanie!” I looked over to them.
“Yeah, that sounds great!” Jared was the first to join in. “How about it?”
