Welcome To Quantum Holidays

CHAPTER 6: THE HONEYMOONER

Message received on the 3rd of September at 15:29.

"Good afternoon Mr. Sinclair! My name is Connie and I'm calling you today to offer you an exclusive upgrade package with Silver Screen. You are currently subscribed to our Classic streaming package, but I am phoning you today to offer you a premium VIP account. With the VIP package, you will have access to a whole new level of entertainment. Catch Brandon Kane's latest box office smash, Lex Hammer: Terrorist Killer, and find exclusive extended footage of your favorite episodes of Who Wants To Be A Time Traveler? All this is available for a limited time at a special price of $70 per month. Call me back when you get this message, Mr. Sinclair. You do not want to miss out on this amazing offer."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 4th of September at 13:09.

"Hello, Mr. Sinclair. It's Debbie. Will you be coming into work today? You missed a couple of meetings this morning, but I've managed to reschedule them. Please get in touch. I hope everything is okay."

Message deleted.

Messaged received on the 5th of September at 14:12.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sinclair. It's Rebecca Connelly from Quantum Holidays here. Hope you are well. I'm happy to say that, as expected, there were no problems with either your's or your fiance's background checks, so you are all set to go. I have emailed your tickets and travel information to you this afternoon. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call. Thank you, goodbye."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 6th of September at 16:46.

"Hello, Mr. Sinclair. It's Debbie again. I'm starting to get worried, sir. You haven't been to work for three days and people are starting to notice. Mr. Silverstone was in here this morning looking for you. I've been pushing back and rescheduling what I can, but I could do with a little instruction. Is everything okay?"

Message deleted.

Message received on the 8th September at 18:14.

"Good morning, Mr. Sinclair. It's Jonathan from the wedding planners. I spoke with Miss Kennedy and she told us about the wedding. Very sorry to hear about that, sir. I've been rushing about trying to cancel all the arrangements. I've managed to sort most of the issues out, but there are still a few problems. Miss Kennedy told me to speak to you, so here I am.

The good news is that I've managed to get your deposit back from the caterers. When I explained the situation, they were very understanding. The wedding band, however, is more problematic. I spoke to Mr. Supernova's manager and he explained to me that they turned down headlining a festival in Japan to perform at your wedding. That slot has since been taken so they are refusing to return any of the deposit.

There are also a few other matters that need to be discussed so when you have a chance please give me a call, Mr. Sinclair. Goodbye for now!"

Message deleted.

Message received on the 11th of September at 20:35.

"Hi, it's me. I need to pick up a few of my things from your apartment. I've asked Mike to go around for me. I don't think it's a good idea for us to see each other right now. He's coming on Thursday evening. I wasn't sure if you would be in so I've given him my key to let himself into the apartment incase you're not. I'll get him to drop off the key when he leaves. Okay, bye."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 12th of September at 17:06.

"Hi Jack, it's Roger Silverstone. What's happening, man? Debbie tells me you haven't been at work all week. Please give me a call when you get this. I've had Debbie give me your schedule and I've taken the important meetings, but you are head of the division, Jack. You need to be here. You can't just go AWOL on us like this. Okay, speak to you soon, man."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 13th of September at 09:27.

"Hello Mr. Sinclair, it's Rosemary Oxbridge from the Feed The World Foundation here. I was just calling to remind you of the benefit auction at Bloomberg Hall this weekend. It is an awful shame that your father will not be able to make it this year, but we look forward to seeing you and to the continued generous support of the Sinclair family. See you Saturday, Mr. Sinclair."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 13th of September at 14:48.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sinclair. It's Rebecca Connelly from Quantum Holidays here. Hope you are well. There has been a slight change to the time of your flight from JFK International Airport on the 21st of September. Departure time is now 9:35 pm, instead of 11:15 am. I have emailed you the updated travel information, but please contact me to confirm this new time is suitable for you and your fiancé. Thank you, goodbye."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 14th of September at 23:39.

"That was a d**k move last night, Jack. Mike told me you took a swing at him. You know you're lucky he's too much of a nice guy to hit you back because he would have kicked the crap out of you. Oh, and I saw what you wrote on my boxes. Real classy, jerk. I'm glad I got to see your true colors now rather than after the wedding. Stay out of my life, Jack."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 15th of September at 11:21.

"What on earth did you do last night, Mr. Sinclair? In all my years as Chairwoman of the Feed The World Foundation, I have never seen such inebriated foul behavior! You are a fortunate young man that I think so much of your father, otherwise I would press charges. I will have to insist, however, that you pay for the damage you caused to the auctioned items, in particular to the portrait of President Nixon, which I fear we will never be able to completely remove the foul stench from. While you are at it, I would strongly recommend you apologize to Senator Cavendish and his daughters at the soonest possible opportunity. Needless to say, Mr. Sinclair, you are no longer welcome at the Feed The World Foundation."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 15th of September at 18:10.

"Hey Jackie Boy, it's Vivienne from the club. Just wanted to say I had a wild time last night. That ex of yours is crazy to give you up. If you want to do it again anytime just give me a call."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 16th of September at 10:52.

"Jack, it's Roger again. I just found out about what happened with Rose. Sorry to hear about that man, seriously. You must be heartbroken. Really, I can't image what you are going through. The problem is that it's been nearly two weeks now. We can't afford to carry on without the head of the division any longer. Get in touch with me, please. Otherwise, you give me no choice but to go over your head and speak to your father."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 16th of September at 12:18.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sinclair. It's Rebecca Connelly from Quantum Holidays here. Hope you are well. I'm still waiting to hear back from you about the change in flight time. Perhaps you missed my earlier message. Anyway, the flight time has been changed from 11:15 am to 9:35 pm. Please contact me when you receive this. Thank you, goodbye."

Message deleted.

Message received on the 17th of September at 20:15.

"Jack, it's your father. I've just spoken to Roger. What the hell has been going on? He tells me you broke up with Rose. and that you haven't been to work in weeks. You need to sort your act out, Jack. I will be in New York the day after tomorrow and I expect you to have some answers for me. And pick up your phone once in a while, for God's sake!"

Message deleted.

Message received on the 18th of September at 17:33.

"Hello Jack, it's Father MacIntyre. I called to offer my sympathy. I've been informed that Rose and yourself will no longer be getting married at our church. I understand you don't attend our services very often and perhaps you aren't very religious, but the Sinclair family has been a part of our parish for four generations and your father has been a great friend to St. Mary's. I want you to know that my door is always open if you need someone to talk to. Remember, God has a plan for all of us and he does not close a door without opening a window. Anyway, think about what I have said. Goodbye Jack and God bless."

Message deleted.

The person you are calling is unable to answer the phone right now. Please leave your message after the beep. To re-record your message at any time, press the hash key.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sinclair. It's Rebecca Connelly from Quantum Holidays here. Hope you are well. You had not replied to my previous messages and I tried to contact you at your office, but I was told you have not been to work recently. I hope everything is okay. It is important that you get in touch with us regarding-"

"Hey," said Jack groggily as he picked up the call.

"Oh, hello Mr. Sinclair. I'm glad we could talk-"

"Listen, Miss Connelly. There's been a change of plan. The wedding is off. The honeymoon is canceled."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Mr. Sinclair. If there is anything-"

"I would just like a refund, thank you."

"Are you sure you wish to cancel your trip?"

"Why would I want to go on a honeymoon by myself? Please, just give me a refund."

"I'm sorry about what happened, Mr. Sinclair, I genuinely am, but I am not in a position to offer you a refund. It is strict Quantum Holidays policy, I'm afraid."

"Are you kidding me? I haven't even started my holiday yet."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sinclair, but when you signed the contract that meant you would pay for your holiday whether you went or not."

"So you are telling me that I'm giving you $10 million for nothing?"

"Please don't choose to look at it that way, Mr. Sinclair. There is nothing stopping you from still going on the trip. Don't make any decisions just yet. If you decide you want to go, all you have to do is turn up at the airport."

"You will be hearing from my lawyers about this."

"I'm sorry you see it that way, Mr. Sinclair. I sincerely hope you reconsider. Who knows? Perhaps a holiday is exactly what you need right now."

Jack hung up the phone and collapsed back onto the sofa. He stared at the Quantum Holidays brochure on the coffee table. On the front cover was William Shakespeare. The Bard of Avon had a smile on his face like he was smirking at him. Jack continued to stare at the brochure with distrust until he eventually drifted off to sleep.

---

He awoke to his father pounding on the front door.

"Let me in, God damn it, Jack!"

The anger in his father's voice gave Jack a jolt and he rolled off the couch and stumbled towards the door.

"I'm coming! Just a minute!"

Still half asleep, he struggled with the locks until he eventually opened the door. His father stormed right past him into the apartment. Jack closed the door and turned to face his father. He was a tall, stocky man. A thick wool winter coat hung on his large frame. His hair had gone the silvery grey that Jack's was currently threatening to do.

"I've been knocking for the last fifteen minutes. What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Sorry, I was asleep."

His father sighed disapprovingly and began to survey the room. His brow furrowed as he looked over the bottles left out, the boxes of half-eaten takeout scattered about the table, and the makeshift bed on the leather sofa.

"Look at the state of this place. It's disgusting."

His father strolled around the room like an inspector at a crime scene. He made an exaggerated sniffing sound.

"It stinks of booze and God knows what else."

After completing a lap of the apartment, he returned to Jack, who was still stood by the front door. He came up close to his son.

"You reek of it too."

Jack quickly stepped to the side, escaping his father's glare. He began to busy himself with tidying up the lounge.

"Yeah, it's been a rough few weeks. I keep meaning to get the cleaner in here."

His father came and stood in the middle of the room, as Jack cleaned up around him. He grew irritated with his scurrying about.

"Will you stop that and talk to me?"

Jack put down the empty bottles he had just picked up and sat down on the sofa. His father remained stood. He crossed his arms and looked at his son seriously.

"So come on then, out with it. What happened with you and Rose?"

"It's complicated."

"I suggest you simplify it for me."

All the anger that Jack had felt for Rose had suddenly been replaced with a deep sense of shame. He struggled to get the words out.

"I found out that she had been cheating on me."

His father looked away and did not say anything while Jack continued to stare straight forward. Eventually, his father turned to look at Jack again and spoke.

"What did you do to make her do that?"

Jack began to stutter, but his father cut him off.

"Forget it. I don't want to know."

There was silence again. His father stared him down and Jack completely avoided making eye contact. Once more, it was the father to break the silence.

"So your girlfriend dumps you and you can't go on without her, is that it?"

"She was my fiancé," mumbled Jack.

"What?"

"She wasn't my girlfriend. She was my fiancé. She was the one."

"She wasn't the one. There is no one. There are just women."

As he spoke to Jack, his father had begun to pace and grew increasingly animated with each stride.

"You realize you're turning into a laughing stock out there? Everyone knows what happened. For God's sake, Jack. You're the Vice President of a multibillion-dollar company, in charge of thousands of employees, and you've let a woman turn you into a lovesick little school girl."

His father stopped pacing about the room. He stood staring down at Jack, waiting for a response. But Jack just sat there, avoiding eye contact. His father squatted to confront his son face to face.

"You're a Sinclair, God damn it. Don't you understand what that means?"

Jack leaned back on the sofa. He continued to avoid looking at his father, but he did respond.

"Of course I do, Father. You know I do."

His father let out an exasperated sigh and gestured with his hand, which suggested he didn't know that. He sat down in the chair next to the sofa. The two of them sat in silence. An envelope on the coffee table caught his father's eye and he reached forward to read it.

"What's this?"

Jack had forgotten the tickets. He had been so worried about his father becoming angry at him about the wedding that he had completely forgotten how terrified he had been about him finding out about the honeymoon.

"Rose and I were going to go there for our honeymoon."

"You were going to go on one of that man's holidays?"

"Rose really wanted to go."

"That man is my rival and my own son chooses his company over his own family's. You could have flown to the moon for free, but instead you decided to spend millions to go watch caveman throw mud at one another. What kind of message do you think that sends out about our company?"

Jack began to defend himself, but his father waved his hands and cut him off.

"How come you haven't sent the tickets back yet?"

"I tried to, but I signed a contract. I can't get a refund."

"So what are you going to do with them?"

"They said I should still go on the holiday. They said the break might do me some good."

They fell into silence again as his father read through the details. Eventually he stopped and looked up from the letter to Jack.

"Then go on the holiday is what you will do."

"Sorry?"

"You're going to go on that holiday."

"I don't think that's the best idea right now."

His father got up from the chair and stood up in front of Jack. He pushed the tickets into his son's hand.

"I'm not asking you, son. I'm telling you. You are going on this holiday and you are going to get your head straight and while you are at it, you can find out all you can about that Mandeville and his little time travel machine. We might as well put those tickets to some use."

Jack remonstrated with his father, but it was pointless. The more Jack protested the trip, the more it convinced his father that it was the only course of action. Before he left the apartment, he warned his son plainly.

"You better be on board that flight tomorrow night or consider yourself excommunicated from this business and this family."