Gideon loved the design aesthetics of the Arrival offices. The modern feel, bright lights, and, most of all, the glass walls. The latter of which allowed him to see Victoria approaching his office.
He continued working, examining photographs, and leaning on his waist-high stand-up desk. When he heard the door open, he wordlessly pointed to a stool by the wall.
He heard Victoria sit down and then release a sigh.
He continued grouping the photographs for a few moments before he stood up straight, removed his glasses, and looked at her.
“The last time you came to see me, and sat on that chair, you were debating whether or not to ask James for a divorce after that whole mess…” He waved his hand around dismissively in lieu of finishing the sentence.
“Hm. And you gave me wonderful advice,” she agreed.
“Always at your service.” He folded his arms and leaned against the edge of the desk. “So, how is Holly? And more to the point, where is Holly?”
Victoria turned to regard the series of framed certificates and awards on the shelf by the window. “Staying with me, for the time being at least.”
“Very generous,” he said.
“I’m considering firing Claudia,” she said.
“Great idea,” he agreed.
Her head snapped up. “You agree?”
“Absolutely, get rid of her. She’s a great second assistant, but you need to get her out of the way so you can rehire Holly, right?” Gideon turned back to his desk and picked up another stack of photographs.
“Of all the ridiculous notions, really, Gideon,” Victoria sighed.
“Of course, that would be quite ridiculous,” he agreed. He placed his glasses back on and selected a photograph, holding it up to get a better angle of light. “Because, if you think about it, Holly might not want, or even be able to do, the job. After all, if you think about it, a series of unfortunate events led her to work at Arrival in the first place. Would she have chosen to work here? No. Is she interested in fashion? No. Was she good at her job? Absolutely, yes. Would she be capable of doing her job now? Questionable.”
He lowered the photo and picked up another.
“If you think about it, this is a fresh start for her. A chance that a lot of people would kill for. Brain injury aside, she has a chance to examine what she really wants from life and to start over. Isn’t that priceless? Especially if you were doing something you didn’t love.” He lowered the photo and peered at Victoria. “Don’t you agree?”
She sighed. “Yes,” she whispered.
Gideon smiled sadly. “I know you want to turn back time and put everything back the way it was. But you can’t. Holly won’t work here again, you need to leave her to her own devices to find a new path. Whatever that may be.”
“I can offer her a job, safe employment, a salary.”
“Handcuffing her to her old life,” Gideon pointed out.
“I…” She trailed off.
“You?”
“I… just want to help,” she admitted.
“Sometimes, help comes in the form of space and time.” He regarded her silently for a moment, wondering if now was the time to ask. “Can I ask you a question?”
Victoria shrugged her shoulder slightly. He took it as agreement.
“Let’s say, god forbid, Louise gets hit by a taxi. Total amnesia. Would Louise be convalescing at Chez Hastings?”
“No, of course not.” Victoria rolled her eyes. “Louise has family. And presumably this is a New York taxi, so she wouldn’t have to be stranded in Paris for a year!”
“So, is Holly staying with you because of the guilty you feel?” he pressed.
Victoria took in a slow, deep breath while she considered the question.
“I suppose so, yes,” she confessed. “I do feel that there was more I could have done. No, should have done. Once Holly walked away… I should have done something.”
“You couldn’t have known…”
“She was in a foreign country because of me. I was ultimately responsible for her well-being. I dropped the ball.” Victoria stepped down from the stool and paced the room. “What kind of person doesn’t even check that her assistant got home safely? Even if she did abandon me in my hour of need?”
Gideon watched Victoria pace. Before Holly had gone missing, he’d had a suspicion about something. Now he was surer than ever.
“I have another question,” he said.
She stopped pacing and looked at him.
“Is it just guilt?”
Victoria blinked. “What do you mean?”
“This protectiveness you clearly feel for her… is it just because of guilt or do you maybe have deeper feelings for Holly in particular? Deeper than you might for someone else in that situation?”
Victoria looked at her watch and rolled her eyes at the passage of time. “Will you come to the house tomorrow evening for dinner?” She casually glossed over his question. “I’d like to slowly reintroduce Holly to her Arrival colleagues to see if any memories return.”
“I’d love to,” Gideon replied. Clearly the topic was closed for discussion. Which meant only one thing, he’d touched a nerve.
“Good, I’ll contact you later regarding times.” The editor turned on her heel and marched from the office.