The Meet Cute Method, page 21
33
Today marks my sixth day of waking up in Hawaii, and while each night’s sleep has been better than the last, today has them all beat by a mile. For the first time, I am in actual paradise, lying here in bed with Max, my head on his chest. I could honestly lie here forever but that’s not an option, especially not today, because we’ve got one hell of a day ahead of us.
‘Are you ready for your pitch?’ I ask him as I play with the hairs on his chest.
‘I am, thanks to you,’ he replies. He leans forward to kiss me on the forehead.
‘And then the vow renewal?’ I continue.
‘More Ray family forced fun and intimacy,’ he says with a laugh. ‘It will be fine. It might even be fun, now I’ve got my fiancée with me. Hmm, is it weird calling you that, now that we’re kind of a something?’
‘I’m used to it now,’ I say with a smile.
‘You’ve just reminded me of something,’ he says. ‘Back in a sec.’
Max jumps out of bed, grabbing his boxer shorts before disappearing down the stairs. Eventually he returns with a small green box wrapped in a white bow.
‘I was going to give you this last night,’ he starts. ‘But then… er…’
‘…you gave me something else,’ I joke.
‘Well, yeah,’ he laughs. ‘So, I thought I’d give you it now and, let me start by saying, it’s not as weird as it seems.’
I open the box. Inside, there’s a white-gold ring with a small diamond held firmly in the centre.
‘Let me get the disclaimers out, quickly,’ he says as I take it from its box. ‘It’s not an expensive ring, at all, and it’s not any kind of ring, I bought it as a small thank you, for everything you’ve been doing for me. It’s not for that finger. And, to be honest, it’s making me feel bad that you’re my fake fiancée and you’re not even getting a ring out of it.’
He’s obviously kidding about that last part but it’s cute.
‘Max, honestly, I love it,’ I say. I slip it on that finger but only for, you know, continuity. I can move it over to the other hand once we’re headed home. ‘It’s stunning.’
I practically lunge at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, pulling him back down to the bed with me.
He’s into it for a minute, before he quickly stands up.
‘Okay, as much as I want to, we’ve got a pre-vow-renewal business meeting to attend,’ he says. He offers me a hand, to pull me up. ‘Do you know what you’re wearing?’
‘I definitely bought two dresses last night,’ I confess. ‘Don’t worry, the one I’m wearing today isn’t as sexy, it’s very family-friendly.’
‘Oh, damn,’ he jokes. ‘Well, the idea is to get ready now, then pop over and pitch to Dad over breakfast, then it’s off to the beach for the vows and the rest of the day will pretty much just be one big party. Sound good?’
‘Sounds great,’ I reply. ‘Come on, let’s do this.’
Max and I both get ready, finally able to share the bedroom and the bathroom, as though we were a normal couple. I don’t know what we are, to be honest, but right now I don’t mind. I’m happy. What else matters?
All dressed up and with somewhere to go, we head downstairs to gather the things we need.
‘I can’t find my… oh, there it is,’ Max says, picking up a pile of papers from the floor. ‘We must have knocked these over last night. We left the door open, too.’
‘Well, we were busy,’ I remind him.
‘We were indeed,’ he says. ‘It’s a good job this thing doesn’t record.’
With everything we need for the pitch, we head over to Ronnie and Eva’s suite where – of course – a breakfast for 5,000 people is waiting. I’m starting to think I’m going to miss it when I’m back home, with little more choice than deliberating between two boxes of cereal, and if they might taste okay with water because someone has finished off the milk.
Lee and Paige are already here. It’s such a shame Max’s relationship with his brother is so broken. I don’t suppose they ever get the chance to work on it, living so far apart. I don’t think he holds much against his brother, it’s more just that it’s an awkward situation, but there’s no love lost between him and Paige, and he certainly isn’t his uncle’s biggest fan. What was it Max said to me last night, while we were chatting over dinner? Something about how families just have toxic parts sometimes, and that it’s just about loving the ones you love, dealing with the ones you don’t, and keeping yourself sane in the process. I think that’s a really healthy way to handle it. None of us owe people love, just because we share a family tree, do we?
As we walk into the room, it’s Paige who spots us first. She looks us up and down, grinning like the cat that got the cream. Well, she hasn’t got it yet. She needs to wind her neck in. There’s no way Lee’s idea can top Max’s. Not unless he’s invented a camera that can read minds.
‘Right, let’s get this done,’ Ronnie announces. ‘The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can drink.’
Today might be the first day – okay, after this first bout of work-related chat is out of the way – that Ronnie takes almost a whole day off Optecho business. Imagine that.
‘I’ll go first,’ Lee insists.
Obviously the men are all in their suits, ready for the vow renewal, but it does lend a certain level of serious business to what is supposed to be an informal pitching breakfast – whatever the hell that is.
Lee connects his laptop to the TV. He doesn’t have anything physical to show, just a presentation, although it sounds like his job is more about the business than it is the tech behind the products.
Ronnie and Eva take a seat on the sofa. Max sits down next to them. I hang back, out of the way, but close enough to see and hear. Paige saunters over to stand next to me.
‘Working from home is more common than ever,’ Lee starts. He places a slide on the screen, showing some stats about how many people are now working from home instead of from an office. ‘But, as we all know, the problem with working from home is ensuring a high level of productivity. So, I bring you…’
The slide changes to a sketch of, well, basically the exact thing Max came up with. Max turns around and stares at me in absolute disbelief.
‘That’s my sketch,’ he mouths at me silently before turning back.
‘But how do you know your employees are actually working?’ Lee says. ‘With my device you can watch your employee, their desk in front of them, and their screen all at the same time, to ensure that your workers are doing their jobs.’
As Lee begins to talk about the manufacturing process, the potential global reach, shipping, things like that, I try to get my head around what the hell is going on. Okay, has he actually invented a camera that can read people’s minds?
‘Honestly, it was like Amsterdam walking around the pool last night,’ Paige whispers to me quietly.
‘What do you mean?’ I ask her.
‘Seriously, Frankie, you need to be more careful,’ she replies. ‘Your little porno caught my eye while I was out getting some fresh air. And you left your door open. Anyone could have just wandered in and stolen your phone, your jewellery, papers from the coffee table…’
I glance at her. Is she saying what I think she’s saying? She is, I can see it in her eyes. Wow, Paige has gone full Lady Macbeth. I could almost be impressed, if I weren’t so devastated for Max, he’s worked so hard on this.
‘Max has told me all about you, you know,’ I reply, packing as much disgust as I can into a loud whisper.
Paige just bats her hand dismissively.
‘What did he say, that I could have been his aunt?’ she practically laughs.
‘Almost,’ I reply. ‘You got one letter wrong.’
Okay, so taking petty swipes at Paige isn’t going to change anything, but it certainly makes me feel a bit better.
‘That was great, son,’ Ronnie tells Lee once he’s done. ‘Max, you’re up.’
Max takes to his feet and heads over to plug his laptop in.
‘Good luck, bro,’ Lee says, patting him on the back.
I can tell, just by looking at Max’s body language, that he thinks he’s beaten. Well, how can he top his own idea? If Lee has stolen the show with it, then Max’s idea can only seem like a copy.
‘My idea is… well… for the same device,’ Max says. ‘But the intention behind it isn’t for corporate spying. My goal is to make an accessible, affordable must-have tool for vloggers and content creators all over the world, getting Optecho into even more homes, establishing a new product in a rapidly expanding industry that people can get excited about.’
Max’s belief in his idea recharges his batteries. He stands taller, says his words with more confidence. Suddenly he’s in work mode. He doesn’t care if his brother stole his idea and pitched it first. All Lee was able to copy from Max’s sketches was the tech – not the heart behind the concept.
I beam with pride as I watch Max absolutely killing it with his pitch. Not just because he’s amazing and I’m proud of him, but because I’m proud of my work too. I’ve honestly really enjoyed it – more than I have failing at meet cutes, that’s for sure.
‘Fantastic, son,’ Ronnie tells him when he’s finished. ‘Right, let’s get to the beach, the ceremony will be starting soon.’
‘Wait a minute, Dad,’ Lee says. ‘Aren’t you going to tell us who is taking over when you retire?’
‘Well, why would I do that?’ Ronnie replies. ‘It will be a long time before I retire.’
‘I thought you were retiring soon and this was all about picking your replacement?’ Lee persists.
‘Where would you get an idea like that?’ Ronnie asks him.
Both Lee and Max look over at their mum. She’s applying lipstick in front of a compact mirror. She doesn’t let her face slip for a second.
‘At least tell us who won,’ Lee pushes him.
‘Okay, fine,’ Ronnie says. ‘Max.’
‘What?’ the two brothers both say in disbelief.
‘But we pitched the same thing,’ Lee says.
‘You pitched the same device in two completely different ways,’ Ronnie points out. ‘Max had the best idea. Not only that but, come on, Kingsley, you think I don’t recognise my own son’s sketching? Max clearly came up with this idea.’
Lee doesn’t know what to say. He looks over at Paige. She looks upset that her idea didn’t pan out. Now I couldn’t care less that she’s seen me basically topless because she looks far more mortified than I ever could.
‘Max, the company needs you,’ Ronnie tells him. ‘Somewhere near the top, running the show.’
‘Erm, I’m COO,’ Lee reminds him. ‘What, you’re sacking me for him?’
‘I need you both,’ Ronnie insists. ‘Max has his finger on the pulse, he knows what people want and how to make it happen. Lee, you’re a whizz with the business side of things and, to be honest, you’re a ruthless motherfucker, selling out your own brother. Like I said, I need you both, in some kind of collaborative position. Anyway, something to think about, let’s get to this ceremony so we can get it out of the way and then we can all get drunk.’
Ronnie pats Max on the back as he passes him. Everyone heads for the door.
I slink up to Max and kiss him on the cheek.
‘You smashed it,’ I whisper to him. ‘And you got a job offer!’
‘Yeah,’ he replies, still a little stunned. ‘I wasn’t expecting that. It’s one hell of an offer but, I don’t know, leaving my life in London to move back here, starting all over again. Well, sort of. Something to think about, hmm?’
‘Exactly,’ I say enthusiastically, although now I suddenly feel like I’ve no sooner got my hands on him, I’m now encouraging him to leave me.
I make my way down to the beach with the rest of the family. It’s strange, I almost feel like I’m one of them now, just, you know, a comparably poor version who isn’t really a part of the family at all. Still on a high from last night (and this morning), I’m not going to worry about it now. I’m going to party, Ray style, and make the most of my time with Max.
I’ve already seen how the copy I wrote for him went down. Let’s see how Ronnie’s vows do with Eva…
34
The hotel marquee looks so different without all the balloons, clowns and kids. Today is positively sophisticated, with lilac and silver décor, a wedding-style table layout, there’s a dance floor and a DJ set-up, as well as an enormous bar that has been constructed in the centre of the marquee, one that is capable of catering for the Rays, their nearest and dearest, and a whole bunch of other people.
After a delicious lunch, hilarious speeches and even a bizarre tossing of Eva’s bouquet, as the day is turning into evening, the vibe is shifting more into that of a party. I’ve stuck to Max like glue all day until just now, when Ronnie asked if he could talk to him, so I’m using the opportunity to nip to the loos and the bar.
‘Can I get a mai tai, please?’ I ask the barman. It’s Ori again. He’s mixed me so many amazing cocktails this holiday, he probably knows what I’m having before I do.
‘Sure,’ he replies.
‘…so this bloody chihuahua runs up to him, tries to bite him, and he drops his iPhone, shatters the screen. I said to him, that’s the most expensive shag of your life, pal. You’re lucky you’ve still got your knob.’
I catch the tail end (no pun intended) on an anecdote told by a familiar voice. It’s Albi. He’s the last person I want to bump into, especially alone, without Max flanking me. It was cool, seeing his yacht, snorkelling, but I don’t know, now that I have more context from Max, I’m starting to wonder, did Albi have an agenda? Were his flirty remarks harmless or charged with intent? I had to cut the trip short, before lunch, because Max called me to see about working on the pitch together, so I said I had to go. Albi seemed annoyed. This is the first time I’ve seen him since.
I quickly turn away, facing in the opposite direction while I wait for my drink. Unfortunately, just because I can’t see him doesn’t mean he can’t see me.
‘Oi, Frankie,’ he says as he approaches me. ‘Where have you been hiding, huh?’
‘Ahh, you found me,’ I joke awkwardly.
‘I thought we said we’d pick up where we left off?’ he replies.
Obviously when we had a conversation along those lines, it was about lunch. You know, food, eating, one of my favourite things to do. Mostly it was just one of those things you say when you feel bad about bailing on something, like, so sorry, we’ll do this again sometime.
‘Sorry, I’ve just been so busy,’ I explain. ‘Max took me out for the day, and then we were busy with his work, today is the first time I’ve had a spare minute in days. If I haven’t been helping Max, I’ve been helping Ronnie. You know how it is.’
He probably doesn’t.
Albi ushers me around the side of the bar, into the corner where staff walk in and out, steering me before I have a chance to make a beeline for anywhere else.
‘I heard the two of you are sleeping in separate beds,’ he says.
‘Me and Ronnie?’ I reply, playing dumb.
‘You and Max,’ he says. ‘Obviously.’
‘Who told you that?’ I ask with a scoff. Obviously there’s some truth in it, so I’m curious to know how he knows.
‘Those suites are like 30 per cent glass,’ he reminds me.
‘Well, whoever you’re getting your information from, they’re wrong,’ I tell him. ‘Why don’t you go and ask Paige if that’s true? She was walking past our suite last night. Let’s just say we gave her one hell of a show.’
In an attempt to lay on super thick just how sexually active Max and I are (to dispel any separate-beds rumours), I potentially come across a little too strongly, causing Albi to misread the signals. Before I know it, his arms are slithering around my waist, yanking my body into his. As he tries to kiss my neck, I pull back, dropping my drink in the process. Nothing attracts a crowd like a glass smashing at a party. A few people shout ‘wahey’, which quickly identifies all the Brits in the room. Here in a flash there’s Max and Ronnie, quickly followed by Eva, Lee and Paige.
‘Get off her,’ Max tells him, pushing his way between us, giving me some much-needed space.
‘Albi, what are you doing?’ Eva asks him under her breath. ‘As charmed as we all are by your antics, can you please cut this shit out for one day?’
‘I’m the one who is in trouble?’ he says, sounding like a ticked-off teenager. ‘She’s just as bad as me. She encouraged me. She’s been flirting with me all week. She wanted me too.’
‘Come on, that’s not true,’ I insist.
‘I’ve seen her flirting with every man who has sat at the bar,’ Ori offers up from behind his post. Well, of course he’s coming to Albi’s rescue, because Albi has been giving him thousands all week. Annoyingly, though, he’s not wrong, but it’s not what it sounds like, is it?
‘I’ve seen her doing it too,’ a woman chimes in.
‘Sorry, who are you?’ I ask angrily. I’m starting to feel a little ganged up on.
‘I’m the events coordinator,’ she tells me. ‘I was at the children’s party yesterday. You were flirting with the birthday boy’s dad.’
‘And, when you were on the yacht with me, you were flirting with one of the staff, you flashed him a boob,’ Albi says, quite casually, given what he’s saying I did. ‘You were flirting me too. You wanted it.’
‘Okay, I’m starting to get the feeling every girl who steps foot on that yacht “wanted it”,’ I point out angrily.
‘You were on his yacht?’ Max asks me.
Of everything that has been said so far, this is the thing that upsets him the most. I don’t know why I didn’t tell him about it. I really wish I had now, because it was nothing to me. Just something to do. I suppose I worried he wouldn’t have liked me hanging out with his uncle, and it’s not like anything was going on with me and Max at that point, so I didn’t think it would matter.
