Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - Mixed Emotions

Cadence had just finished confirming the progress of the A/C repairs and felt relief knowing that the issue would be resolved by the end of the day. It had already reached 83 degrees in the office and it wasn't even noon yet. She was actually eager for the shareholders meeting since it meant she would be spending the next hour or so in one of the blissfully cool lower floors. Simultaneously, she dreaded coming back to what was quickly becoming an inappropriately furnished sauna. She waited until the last minute to slip her cardigan back on, grab her boss's suit jacket and knock on his door. "Come in" he said. She observed that James had popped open the full length mirror hidden in the far wall of his office and was fastening the cuffs on his fresh shirt. She hung the jacket on a hook by the mirror and discerningly surveyed James's appearance. They were used to this type of interaction and so it was completely natural for her to adjust his tie and smooth his collar. Satisfied, she stepped back to give him a final look before handing James his jacket. He met Cadence's eyes and there was something unfamiliar in his expression. It was only there for a moment and she had no idea what it meant, but it made her insides clench. She willed herself to relax and silently followed her impeccably dressed boss to the elevator.

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James thought he would be fine once he saw Cadence had donned her cardigan and fixed her hair back to its usual bun. But when she started to adjust his tie, he caught a whiff of vanilla and lavender from her. As she smoothed his collar, her fingers had grazed the sensitive and infrequently touched skin on the back of his neck. By the time she met his eyes, he had a dangerous impulse to grab and kiss her. He might have actually done it, too, however, the startled look in her eyes reigned him in and reminded him of where he was. James chastised himself throughout most of the elevator ride while Cadence stood by his side, unaware of his lecherous ruminations. He still blamed the heat and committed himself to only have professional thoughts about her moving forward.

The conference room's temperature was cool and calming. For the first time that day, James actual felt in control. The shareholders meeting commenced with little fanfare. The last quarter had been quite profitable and he was able to assure everyone present that business would continue to progress in that fashion. Cadence had been diligently taking notes, dispersing reports on different topics, and even answering many of the shareholders questions. Her performance was more than adequate. It always was and he was grateful for how much pressure she took off of him. Everyone rose at the end of the meeting, likely eager to get to lunch, with the exception of Charles Oliver, James's grandfather. This wasn't necessarily odd, since the two men were family and on good terms. Yet, there was a deeply contemplative look in Charles's eyes that informed James this wouldn't be a lighthearted chat about the how the Cowboys were looking that year. The last shareholder soon filtered out leaving only the two Oliver men and Cadence. "Cadence, go ahead back to the office. I'm not sure how long I'll be. And let the team know they're free to take a long lunch if it won't interfere with anything urgent." Cadence nodded and left the room.

"Come sit, Jimmy" said Charles, only using James's nickname when they were alone. James settled into the chair next to his grandfather with a worried expression on his face. "What's going on Pop-pop?" Charles sighed deeply before saying "I can't put it off any longer. I need the surgery." James had a feeling this conversation was coming but it didn't make him any more prepared for it. "I thought the treatment was working? What happened?" Charles Oliver had been diagnosed with a brain tumor last year and had been undergoing advanced proton therapy to shrink it down. "It did work. The tumor has reduced considerably in size, but progress has recently become stagnant. The doctors are heavily concerned about sudden rapid regrowth and are recommending surgery while it's small and before it spreads to a more sensitive area in the brain." Charles was never one to rose color anything, especially not to the people important to him. So, he continued while James stayed silent. "I'm apparently a good candidate for surgery, but it is still considered high risk. They've recommended that I get all of my affairs in order before the surgery takes place." James swallowed with difficulty. His throat had become dry. "When is the surgery?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from quavering. "August 15th, one month from today" Charles answered. One month!, James thought. This was his Pop-pop. This was the man he spent summers with as a child. He'd supported him through dark times and taught him everything he needed to know about the business world. This man was his mentor and it was entirely possible that he'd be gone in a month's time. "What do you need? What can I do?" James asked, feeling utterly helpless. Charles paused for a long moment before meeting his grandson's eyes and saying "You can get married."

James was stunned and confused. Had he heard that correctly? Surely not. "What? Married? What are you talking about?". His grandfather's countenance was serious but sympathetic. "Jimmy, I love you and I've been very patient with you after what happened with Sarah." Hearing that name still made James wince. Sarah had been everything to him almost a decade ago. His stomach turned as he remembered the evening that turned his life inside out. He'd come home early from a business trip, and walked into their bedroom to witness Sarah's slender feet in the air and someone other than himself thrusting between her legs. James blinked hard, willing the image to disappear and focused back in on his grandfather. "Jimmy, are you listening to me? I'm not saying that I'll cut you out of my will completely if you don't get married. I'm not that heartless, but I am that desperate to see you happy before I'm gone. Hell, when was the last time you even went on a date? I don't want to go to my grave worried about you spending the rest of your life a miserable hermit. So, have a look at the new will. It basically stipulates that you need to marry before the event of my death in order to receive 75% of what's owed to you. The other 25% percent is yours regardless. If you choose not to marry, then that 75% will go to your sister." James was speechless from the flood of information and conflicting emotions. He looked down, only then noticing the copy of the will his grandfather had handed to him at some point. He stood firmly, gripping the thick stack of papers tightly. He knew he needed to get out of that room before he said something he'd regret to the person he respected most in the world. So, he simply left without a word.