Chapter 2: Golden Opportunities
1490 Words
[Gideon]
[3 months earlier]
“Grandfather, you cannot be serious!” I exclaim as my cousin Rex laughs. “You’re disowning me?”
We were on the family yacht, cruising the San Francisco Bay, making one more circuit around Alcatraz when my grandfather made his little announcement. I almost feel there is a coded message there as we pass the old prison, warning me of what he thinks of my recent behavior.
“You need to learn a hard lesson in humility, Gideon,” he scolds, pounding his cane against the ground with a solid thunk. “About family and loyalty and honor.”
I bristle at his words, biting my tongue as I do my best to not say a word against him. I have nothing but respect for my grandfather, but sometimes he doesn’t see the full picture.
“What is it that you want to say?” Grandfather stands. “Speak now, or lose your chance. As soon as we land back in the harbor, I’ll be cutting off your credit, allowance, and access to the company shares.”
“This is ridiculous,” I complain, my fists clenched as I do my best to remain calm. “All of this because I’m selling a failing store? Our company is struggling to compete against foreign markets and online sales and you say I have no family values when everything I’m doing is to save the family?”
My grandfather’s face falls. “I know you can be clueless--I can only blame myself for that failing. But you really don’t get it, do you?” He sighs, his body drooping under the weight of his disappointment. “You were born in Union City. That store, the ‘waste of money’ you just decided to close was our very first family store. My great-grandfather came to the West to seek his fortune and founded that store with his first real earnings. Every Golden has worked in that store, including your father.”
“I haven’t,” I correct him with a sideways smirk. It’s a point of pride to me that I have never stepped a single toe back in that podunk town in the middle of nowhere Oregon in the last twenty years.
“And maybe that’s part of the problem,” My grandfather shakes his head as he takes a deep breath, coughing as he exhales.
His cough grows into a wheeze, and all of our gathered family freezes, watching him seize as his nurse, Melanie, rushes forward with his inhaler and a cup of water. Grandfather Godfrey’s cough has gotten worse over the last few months.
We all pretend to not notice, but he isn’t fooling anyone. Grandpa is dying. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but soon. Our days with him are numbered, our years even more so. I wish Grandpa would listen to his doctors more and take better care of his health. He shouldn’t be out here on the water, especially with the fog so thick and cold along the bay.
“I’m sorry, Grandfather,” stepping forward I kneel next to him as he takes his seat.
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine” Grandpa frowns as he reaches over and pats my cheek. “I should have done a better job of instilling you with our true family values.”
Bristling, I take a step back. “Grandfather…?”
“Because it’s my failure, I won’t disown you outright,” he decides in this moment. I am giving you one final chance to show me that you are worthy of taking over the company. Tomorrow you will be moving home to Union City.”
“Absolutely not,” I stand suddenly. “I refuse!”
“Is that so?” Grandpa coughs, his gray eyes glaring, freezing me in place. When Grandpa gets like this, there is no arguing with him. “Because the choice is to move back to Union City or leave the family entirely. No inheritance, no allowance, nothing but whatever your father stored away for you, which isn’t much, son, only a few hundred thousand.”
I blanch. “But Grandfather, what about all the time I’ve invested in the company?”
Grandpa Godfrey ignores my question as he details the parameters of the agreement. “You have 6 months, Gideon, to change your heart and mind. Saving the store at this point won’t be good enough,” his smile grows wider as he takes pleasure in my measurable discomfort, “You need to CONVINCE me that you’ve learned your lesson and become a better person.”
During that time I will move back to Union City with nothing more than what I am wearing and the money in my pocket. I will obtain a job at our family store, but not use our family name to do it. “You’ll need to get hired on your own merits. This is important. I want you to learn what it means to live a simple life, Gideon and you can’t do that as G.G Golden the 4th.”
“Well, how am I supposed to do that with my resume!” I grumble. “I’ve only ever worked for our company. I don’t have any references other than people within our firm.”
He brushes my concerns aside. “Only after 6 months will you be permitted to return,” he continues to explain. “For the family’s New Year’s Party Gala. You will meet with me before the event so that I can determine if you have earned your spot back in the family.”
That was 4 months ago.
I’m starving and cold. I’m not sure when the last time I had a hot shower was, and every joint and muscle in my body aches. I miss sleeping on a proper bed, going to the gym in the mornings, and having my chef prepare me breakfast before heading in to work. I came to this godforsaken city with $2,000 in my wallet, but I’ve never had to live frugally a day in my life. I thought my grandfather had been joking about the credit cards until I used them to attempt to book my first hotel room.
When all of them were declined, I used the cash I had on hand to save face. It paid for about a week of fine living.
After that, I tried to find work, but at first, there were some promising prospects, but without proof, or anyone to vouch for me, my Ivy League diplomas were useless paper. Besides, who wants to hire someone with those kinds of credentials for a minor management job? I tried to find something more prestigious, but this tiny town didn’t have anything fancier than an executive manager of the hotel I am closing down and that job isn’t available because I set the hotel up to not rehire any position if someone were to leave.
Seasonal workers are the only exception. This holiday season is the last season for G.G. Golden Department Store’s Flagship Store, and we want it to be profitable.
I tried to get a job as a temporary clerk, but my lack of basic work skills made it impossible for me to get hired. I couldn’t even get hired as a janitor.
“You know what,” she had said as she looked me up and down. “I can’t hire you, it wouldn’t be ethical, BUT I do know of one more position where all you need to do is sit and listen. How do you feel about children?”
“They’re fine,” I replied honestly. “Cute I guess. A little too honest.”
She laughed and then told me about this opportunity.
And that is how I ended up here, at Golden’s, waiting for my chance to be a glorified Mall Santa.
Or at least I was until she ran up to me.
"You're perfect," she gasped, out of breath, her pale skin pink from cold and exertion. "I have a proposition for you.”
She was so stunning with the slender strands of her hair falling askew of her well-crafted French twist. It glowed around her in a brilliant corona of warm red, like deep wine, her bright green-hazel eyes sparkling.
“Will you…”
I didn’t even hear the rest of her question before I said, “Yes, of course. Whatever you need.”
“Great!” she jumped for joy. “Oh, and you don’t need to stand here. The job is yours, if you want it. I’ll tell my assistant. Just please, meet me at City Hall tomorrow at 8 am sharp.”
“Okay…” I call after her, still stunned.
It was only after she had disappeared into the building that I realized what she had asked me.
“Will you marry me,” she had said.
And I said yes.
- Writer
