Chapter 4 Nathan's Company

• Five Years Later
• The black BMW pulled up to the curb of The Gibson. The chauffeur waited, glancing through the rear mirror at his passenger, who was lost in thought, staring out the window. A valet, waiting under the awning, sprang forward, holding an umbrella and pulled open the back door, but she still didn't stir.
• "We're here, Ms. Gibson." He informed her in a quiet voice. Alice started slightly, turning from the window and blinked at him in confusion for a few seconds before her brown eyes cleared and she flushed.
• “Oh, thanks George.”
• She busied herself with gathering the huge stack of shopping bags in both arms and got out, shutting the door with her foot then hurrying through the drizzling rain into the hotel lobby. She smiled at the busboy, who hurried forward to take the bags from her.
• "Hello James," she said, glad to finally be rid of the bags. "Is my mother here yet?"
• "Yes Ms. Gibson, she's waiting in the open cafe. Shall I take these up to the penthouse?"
• “Yes, please. Thanks.”
• Alice turned and headed off towards the cafe at the southern part of the hotel. The Gibson was an ultramodern edifice of glass and marble rising fifty stories high and was her family's pride and joy. She followed a succession of exquisite walkways and escalators until she came to the open dome right in the heart of the structure that was the open cafe. The hostess smiled, and nodded towards where Alice's mother sat, next to the marble mini waterfall.
• "Hi Mom, sorry I'm late," she bent and placed a fond kiss on her mother's made up cheeks then flopped into the vacant seat opposite. "Sarah insisted on visiting every single shop we passed and time got away from me."
• Ivanna Gibson leveled a fond smile at her daughter.
• "Hello darling. I just got here myself anyway so no need to apologize. How is Sarah?"
• Alice was momentarily distracted by a waiter who appeared at her elbow. She ordered an iced tea then turned back to her mother.
• "Sarah is fine, bridal nerves and all." She grimaced as she recalled the torment of following her cousin from shop to shop, watching her try on a dozen outfits, all the while Sarah had kept up an excited chatter, while Alice had listened absently, wishing she could leave and return to the blessed seclusion of her hotel room. Fortunately, the outing had been cut short by a call from Sarah's fiance, Jack, asking her out to lunch.
• "The wedding is next month, isn't it?" Ivanna asked, taking a sip of orange juice while studying her daughter, noting the tired circles under her eyes and the tense shoulders.
• "You look tired darling. Have you been overworking yourself again?"
• "Mum, you say that every time you see me," Alice said, amused. "And like I keep telling you, I’m fine. Besides I have been on my feet all morning, so I should look tired anyway."
• "There are circles around your eyes and you look like you're about to snap in two, you're that tense." Her mother pursed her lips in disapproval. "I am going to have a word with your father when I get home tonight, see about cutting down the responsibilities at the hotel."
• Alice sighed, drumming her fingertips on the table. Sometimes her mother treated her like she was still sixteen rather than a full grown woman of twenty seven.
• "I don't need a cut in my responsibilities mum. As it is all I do is oversee the kitchen staff, not much work is it? Look, I promise to take a week off after Sarah's wedding, does that make you happy?"
• "I suppose it will have to do," Ivanna heaved a long sufferingg sigh. "How is that man of yours anyway, Jason was it?"
• She watched the flush of anger that suffused Alice's cheeks at the mention of his name.
• "Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?" Alice fought down the swell of emotions that filled her insides as she recalled the scene with Jason last night in his apartment.
• Pain and anger struggled for control, the memory of the hurtful words he'd flung at her still felt like a knife in her gut each time she remembered it. Granted, he had had every right to be furious- that was the second time she'd cried off dinner with his parents in the past year, but in her defense, she'd been swamped with work as the hotel had been playing host to a group of top business men from Japan, and Alice had needed to make sure the meals served had been nothing less than perfect. Her two year relationship had paid the price for her dedication, but she did not regret her decision for one minute. Her family always came first and if Jason did not understand, oh well. Still, it hurt to know a two year relationship had ended that way.
• “We decided things weren't working out." She finally replied, taking a deep sip of her iced tea, glad to have something to distract her from the condemnation she was sure to find if she looked at her mother.
• "Oh Alice, really darling?" Ivanna sighed in despair. "You need to settle down soon dear. Look at Sarah, you two are the same age and yet she's already getting married. Time waits for -"
• "Please don't start, Mum," Alice cut in. "I am not Sarah and getting married isn't always what it's cracked up to be. We all can't have perfect marriages like you and dad. Speaking of dad, how is he?"
• Wisely, Ivanna let the matter drop. Her daughter could be headstrong when she chose to be and it would not do to push her buttons. Ivanna would bring up the matter later, when Alice was in a better frame of mind.
• "Your father is doing well." she replied with a smile. "He had to leave for Chicago on business. Something to do with the shareholders. It seemed urgent anyway." Alice leaned forward, her curiosity awakened. "Is there a problem with the stock market? I haven't heard anything on the news about it." Ivanna shrugged. "I don't know, all he said was that someone was persuading shareholders to sell and buying them up when they did, nothing else."
• Her phone rang, and she dug in her bag for it, taking out the copy of The Cosmopolitan she'd stuffed in there earlier and laid it face up on the table.