Downgrading Miss CEO

Chapter 4

I stormed back into my apartment while I was busy trying to get a hold of Alison. When she finally answered her phone, her breath sounded ragged and I couldn't help myself when I rolled my eyes. I swore she and Brandon could get it on like they were bunnies.

"You're back home early. What happened?" Alison asked through the phone when she was finally being able to breathe somewhat normally again.

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened. It all started nice enough, you were right. He would indeed be a catch to whoever caught him, but throughout dinner, when he found out what I did for a living, he instantly became a stuttering and intimidated mess. This is why I don't just date, Ali. I can't shake off who I am or what I do, and I'm sick and tired of constantly intimidating everyone." Finally, I was done with my rant and took a deep breath providing me with some welcome oxygen again. "I just don't know what to do about this entire situation."

I kicked off my heels and dropped my bag on the couch before I walked into my kitchen to grab a bottle of wine from my fridge and poured myself a glass. I leaned against the counter and took a zip while Alison kept trying to reason with me.

"You've only had one bad date. Don't give up now. This is New York for crying out loud, there should be plenty of guys around here that you could date and that should be marriage material. Besides that, you wouldn't want your mom to meddle in this all, would you?" I couldn't help but groan at her comment. And it seemed to be that Alison immediately knew what my groan meant. "Please, don't tell me she meddled already?"

I brought my glass of wine to my lips and too another zip. "Yes she did, she somehow managed to set me up with the son of one of her friends from her book club or something. She invited him to our monthly family dinner on Saturday, can you think of anything more awkward?" Moving myself and my glass of wine over to my couch, I put the phone on speaker before I sat down and took my tablet from my coffee table to answer a few emails.

On the other side of the line, Alison let out a little giggle. "I feel bad for you, but you got to admit your mom has got a great taste when it comes to men. I mean, have you looked at your father? He's a catch. Financial stability and easy on the eye, what else could you wish for?"

"I don't know. Maybe someone who's involved in his spouses and his children's lives? Not seeing them as pieces in a play? Being around in general? My father is nothing more than a cold-hearted workaholic. Anyways, thank you for setting up this date for me and Marc but maybe next time – let's just hope there doesn't have to be a next time. You and Brandon enjoy whatever you were doing before I interrupted, I've got some work to finish up. Can you cancel and reschedule all my appointments and meetings for tomorrow? I won't be in."

"Sure, no problem. Tell Chris I say hi, okay?"

With that our phone conversation ended and we both hung up the phone. It was my original plan to visit Chris tomorrow night, but ever since the awkward date I just had and my phone call with Alison, I figured to just take the day off and would visit him in the morning.

I finished getting through my emails for tonight and finished my glass of wine and decided to pour myself another glass and treat myself to a nice, long and hot bath. It was times like these I could truly relax after a long week of work. With everything I did, I tried to make sure I wouldn't end up like my dad. To do that I tried to keep my office hours to a bare minimum and to make sure that even I was busy, I would still try to have some time left for my friends, family and myself.

-

The following morning I woke up feeling fully rested. I turned to look at my alarm and saw it was nine o'clock already so I got out of my bed and took a quick shower. As I wasn't going to the office today, I decided to just wear a pair of jeans combined with a white top and a soft pink jacket. Happy I could ditch the high heels just for a day, I grabbed my pair of low grey Converse and slipped them on my feet. After putting my long, wavy brown hair up in a ponytail and quickly applying some mascara I was ready to go.

I left my apartment building and skipped inside the Starbucks around the corner to get myself some breakfast and coffee to go before I made my way to the hospital. Because for one day this week I did not feel the urge to rush, so I opted to just walk the few blocks to the hospital, enjoying the New York spring weather.

After my twenty-minute stroll, I entered the hospital and smiled at the nurse sitting behind the reception. "Good morning," I said and then just walked by, not needing to ask where I could find Chris. I rode the elevator up to the third floor and turned right as soon as the doors opened. After turning a few corners I finally arrived at the room I was looking for. I knocked two times, just to announce my arrival. Once I opened the door, tear immediately welled up. There he was, lying motionless in a hospital bed, hooked to a heart monitor.

I sat down on the chair that stood next to the bed and I immediately took his hand in mine. Four years, that's how long it has been. He had been lying here for four years, all alone in this room. When the accident happened we would all visit whenever we could, not daring to leave him alone, but days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and eventually, months turned into years. Years of being stuck in a hospital bed all because of one drunk driver hit him off his motorcycle. The doctors had done all they could but now it was up to him to wake up. Along the years he was taken off life support because he was breathing by himself, there was brain activity so basically, he was alive, just not awake.

Every time I visited I sat here, holding his hand and telling him about changes in my life, in Ava's life, in mom's life. Other times I would just sit here in silence or I would ramble on about memories of when we used to be kids. Today was not different.

"So the craziest thing happened lately. Dad is forcing me to marry to make sure the business keeps going. Something about being a single woman and how that influences our partners' view on business. I have four months to find someone and get engaged. Alison tried to set me up with one of her boyfriend's college friends. Let me just tell you that wasn't as successful as she thought it would be."

A red-haired nurse with freckles came in with a smile on her face as she started to a routine check-up on the machine and my brother. "It's good to see you again, Miss Harrington. He always seems to do a little bit better after you've visited."

"Rachel, you know we talked about this. Please, just call me Lucy." I gave her a small smile. "I know you're not allowed to tell, but has he had any other visitors later?" To be honest, I didn't really care if he had any visitors besides me lately. All I wanted to know was if my dad had been here at all.

Rachel, the nurse, shook her head as if she was apologizing. "I'm sorry, but besides you and your mom no one has visited him." I thanked her anyway and wished her a pleasant day before she stepped out and continued her duties with other patients, giving me and my brother some privacy.

I sat in the chair, holding my brother's hand and just talking to him for another two hours before visiting hours were over. I stood up and kisses his forehead. "I'll be back next week, please fight for us, Chris. I really miss you." I pressed another kiss to his forehead before I walked out of his room and collided with a hard chest.

********

Hey all,

I know it has taken me some time to get this out to you, and I appreciate your patience.

I'll try and get to the next one as soon as possible.

xo Anna