“It’s amazing.” And it is. I mean, talk about impressive, that three young men have achieved so much in such a short amount of time is incredible. I stand and look up at their achievement inawe.
“Come on, let’s go in,” Hudson says, tugging myhand.
We walk through the large double doors into an open-plan reception area. Behind the high white desk is a casually dressed man in his mid-twenties with short, brown hair and a welcomingsmile.
“Afternoon, Hudson. Bryce and Max are in the meeting room on the topfloor.”
“Thanks, Stuart. Almost done for thenight?”
“Yes, just waiting on the security to do their check then we’ll shut up shop. I’ll ring up once we’redone.”
“Thank you. If I don’t speak with you, have a goodweekend.”
I stand awkwardly whilst they make their exchange. Stuart smiles at me, waiting to be introduced. His eyes flick to our joined hands. Interest sparks in his eyes, but he covers itwell.
“Nice to meet you…” Stuart starts, looking atme.
“Louisa,” Isay.
“Nice to meet you,Louisa.”
“God, where are my manners?” Hudson says. “This is Louisa, and she will be starting as our new personal assistant on Monday. I thought I’d show her around, get her acquainted with theplace.”
“Excellent. Well, I look forward to seeing you Monday. Will there be anything else you need before I leave,Hudson?”
“Actually, there is. You couldn’t do me a favour and order us in some Thai. Our usual dishes. I know Sarah will have left already, otherwise I would have asked her to do it. There are some things I need to discuss with my brothers and we might be here for awhile.”
“Yes, Sarah left a few minutes ago. I’ll order it in and bring it up before Igo.”
“Thanks, Stuart.” Hudson places his hand on my lower back and steers me towards the lift on the other side of the reception area. He presses the button and the door slides open, revealing a mirrored interior. We step inside, and the lift doors slide shut behindus.
“He was nice,” I say, looking at myself in the mirror. Next to Hudson, who is casually elegant, I look like an art student gone wrong. “I wonder what he mustthink?”
Hudson steps up behind me, wrapping his arm around my stomach. “Stuart’s a good guy, he’ll only have noticed the fact I was holding your hand, not the clothes you’re wearing. We’ve known him a long time. In fact, aside from a handful of people, most of our employees are friends from before. We’re a family here. I think that’s why itworks.”
“Friends from before?” I frown, even though Hudson is trying his best to distract me with gentle kisses on myneck.
“From the home we grew up in, or friends from when we were young,” he says flippantly, as if that’s nothing out of theordinary.
“Wait,” I say, twisting in his arms. “Let me get this straight. Most of your employees are kids you grew up with in the carehome?”
“Yes,” he confirms, just as the door pings open. “We kept in contact. Those who wanted to, we asked them to join us here. Some did, somedidn’t.”
“That’sincredible.”
“We had the ability to help people out, why wouldn’t we take it,” he says, guiding me out of thelift.
“Because people are generally selfish, because in my experience people only look out for numberone.”
“We are not most people,” Hudson says, as we step out into an open-plan office filled with a couple of dozen desks. There is a wraparound window giving amazing views of Battersea power station on the banks of the River Thames opposite. It’sincredible.
“I’m beginning to understand that.” In France, before the weekend in Petite Cabane, I thought I knew what kind of men the brothers were. Even after, when I ran, I still had my doubts. Today, as I hear what they’ve done and the opportunities they have given other people who had a shit start in life, well, I am floored by their kindness, theirgenerosity.
“We look after the people we care about, Louisa.Always,” hesays.