“I’d never call you a coward, Jack. I’m just saying that the truth is you have a lot keeping you here in the way of responsibilities and if you choose to dodge those, then you have to accept the fact that it makes you look like you’re playing hooky.”
“I’m not even going to Hong Kong! I want to stay where you are. If that’s here, then I’m staying here. Do you not get the point of this?”
“Yeah, I do get the point of this. But I don’t want to be...a place you go to hide.”
“That’s harsh, Britt. Knowing me like you do, I thought you of all people would want to give me...harbor.”
“I do. More than anything I want to be your comfort and just take on anything you need me to do, but I don’t want to prevent you from dealing with the stuff you need to deal with. In six months, like I said, you can tackle the business side of everything. You can even wait on us for six months and I support that. I don’t support taking off to Hong Kong. Just stay here and don’t...take off. Okay?”
“Okay. I won’t. What I want to do is just have this all disappear. Since we can’t do that, I want to be with just you for a while.”
“Well, not to add more expectations to overwhelm you, but I happen to know that your birthday is tomorrow. What do you say we just go away for the weekend someplace? We’ll take off and stay a couple of nights.”
“I love it. Only, how do you know it’s my birthday?”
“You forget I have super powers.”
“Really, how?”
“I processed your insurance paperwork, Jack. I entered you in payroll.”
“Do you remember everyone’s birthday in the office that way?”
“Nope, only the ones I’m sleeping with,” she teased.
“That’s fair. So where should we go?”
“It’s your birthday. It should be your choice.”
“But what if I’m so fried from the funeral that I don’t even want to think about it? Just surprise me.”
“Okay, how about Vermont? I’ve always wanted to go to Vermont!”
“That’s where you’ve always wanted to go? Wow, dream big, Britt,” he said with a laugh.
“Well, I also always wanted to go to Spain but I figured that was out of the question.”
“Why is it out of the question?”
“Uh, I’m already taking today off. I only have so many vacation days. Plus airfare costs money and reservations have to be made—”
“You’re talking to a man who just inherited a private jet, Britt.”
“For real?”
“For real. Wanna go to Spain?”
“Isn’t that—too much for you right now?”
“No, it’s the first moment that anything I’ve inherited seems to have some value. Like the plane is only worth something because I can take you somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Otherwise it’s nothing but a couple million dollars’ worth of albatross around my neck.”
“Did you dad fly in this plane to visit Charlie?”
“Yeah. It’s one hell of a long flight. Like twenty hours.”
Britt let out a long whistle.
“My dad went and visited Charlie as much as he could. He loved us. I know my dad was a workaholic. Maybe he couldn’t let stuff go and walk away. But I can. And so can you. Let’s go to Spain. Right now.”