At four thirty in the morning, I couldn’t lie in bed anymore, so I decided to go for a run. I usually ran three miles, but today I ran until my legs burned, and then I ran all the way back, relishing the agony each pounding step caused in my body.
The lobby coffee shop had already opened, so I grabbed a bottle of water and went and sat in a quiet corner where Sophia and I had sat before. A big painting of Grace Copeland hung nearby, and for the first time I took a good look at it.
“That was done from a snapshot taken on her fiftieth birthday,” a familiar voice said.
I looked over to find Louis, the hotel manager, admiring the painting with me. He pointed to the chair next to me. “Mind if I take a seat?”
“Not at all. Help yourself.”
We continued to look at the painting in silence, until eventually I asked, “You were with her from the very beginning, right?”
Louis nodded. “Almost. I worked the front desk when this place was a rundown jalopy. The years after she bought out Mr. Sterling and your grandfather were touch-and-go. There were weeks she couldn’t make payroll, but we were all so dedicated to Grace that we figured out how to survive.”
I looked back at the painting again. Grace Copeland had been a beautiful woman. “How come she never married after the broken engagement with old man Sterling? It couldn’t have been for a lack of opportunity.”
Louis shook his head. “There were definitely plenty of suitors interested in Grace. And she dated a bit. But I think her broken heart never really mended. She learned to live with it in pieces, and occasionally she gave out a sliver or two, but she felt strongly that you only committed to a person when they had your full heart.”
I looked back at Louis. “You’re married, right?”
He smiled. “Forty-three years. Some mornings I can’t wait to get out of the house to get a little break from my Agnes. She tends to talk a lot, and mostly about other people’s business. But every night, I can’t wait to get home to her.”
“So do you think it’s true?”
His brows furrowed. “What’s that?”
“Do you believe if someone takes your heart, you won’t be able to love the same way after that?”
Louis thought for a moment. “I think some people get inside our hearts and stay, even long after they physically leave.”
***
My phone rang at ten after nine. The number wasn’t familiar, but I had a feeling I knew who it was.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Lockwood?”
“Yes.”
“This is Otto Potter.”
I leaned back into my chair. “I figured I might be hearing from you.”
“Well, I just wanted to make sure that what I received on your bid form was correct.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. “It is. What’s written there is my bid on behalf of the Lockwood family.”
“And you’re aware that this isn’t a round-robin-type bidding process. It’s a one shot, best bid offer.”
I swallowed. “I am.”
“Alright, then. We’ll be back in touch soon.”
After I hung up, I closed my eyes, expecting panic to set in. Surprisingly, it didn’t. Instead, I felt eerily calm. Maybe for the first time in a long time—or maybe for the first time ever.
Chapter 28
* * *
Sophia
“Well, congratulations again, Sophia.” Elizabeth Barton extended her hand as we stood from the conference room table.
“Thank you.” I managed to force out an acceptable smile.
Seven days had passed since I’d received the call that I’d won the bid for my family, yet it still felt like I’d lost the war. My father had flown in to take me out to dinner to celebrate without Spencer, and my grandfather had offered me a position overseeing our family’s entire west coast hotel operation, the largest region we had. Everything was falling into place, yet I’d never felt so empty inside. The reason for that was obvious.
“Will you be staying on to manage The Countess?” Elizabeth asked.
“I’m not sure yet. There’s a position open on the west coast, but I haven’t made up my mind where I’ll land.”
She nodded. “Well, I’ll keep in touch until you tell me otherwise.”
“Thank you.”
Elizabeth extended a hand to Otto Potter. “It was nice meeting you, Otto. I wish you the best of luck with Easy Feet.”
“Considering the check you just handed me, I think Easy Feet will be walking on Easy Street for a while.”
She smiled. “Are you heading back uptown? Want to share a cab?”
Otto shook his head. “Actually, I’m going to hang around here for a bit.”
The two shook, and then it was just Otto and me left. He smiled warmly. “I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment, if you have time.”
I extended a hand back to our seats. “Sure. I have plenty of time.”
After we settled in, Otto took a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. He slid it across the table to my side. “The terms of the bidding were confidential. But I figured now that the papers are all signed, and you’re the majority shareholder of The Countess, there’s no harm in sharing the bid I received from the Lockwoods.”
I picked up the paper and skimmed it. It was the same offer form I’d signed to submit my family’s bid, only this one had $1.00 filled in the spot where the bid amount was to go. My eyes scanned down to the bottom to check the signature. Sure enough, none other than Weston Lockwood had signed it.
I shook my head and looked up at Otto. “I don’t understand.”
He shrugged. “Neither did I. So I called Weston to make sure there wasn’t a mistake. He confirmed that this was indeed his family’s bid.”
“But…that means he wanted to lose?”
Otto took the paper back and folded it up. Sticking it in his pocket, he said, “I think it’s more like he wanted to make sure someone else won.”
***
My heart raced as I stood in front of the door. The last few weeks had been hell. Every step I’d taken had felt like walking over a long bridge. Today was supposed to be the day I finally crossed to the other side. But instead, I stood right back at the place I’d started.
This morning, my plan had been to sign the legal paperwork for The Countess to make things official and then try to relax and figure out what was next for me. I’d told my grandfather I’d get back to him about the west coast job by tomorrow, so I had some big decisions to make. I’d assumed I’d be in a better mental place after today’s formalities. But I was more confused than ever now, and I needed to hear things straight from the horse’s mouth.
So I raised my hand and took a deep breath as I knocked on Weston’s hotel room door. It had been eight days since I saw him in that conference room. His office had been dark and shut, and he was nowhere to be found in the hotel. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he left. But I did know better, because I’d monitored the hotel’s reservation system to see if he’d checked out. As of last night, he hadn’t.