The Hotel – 50

The first thing I did when I was up and dressed the next morning was call Marsh, hoping he hadn't left for work already. He was still at home so I suggested we meet for breakfast.

We arrived at the restaurant at almost the same time. After a short wait we were seated, had placed our orders, and were drinking coffee.

"I'm guessing you talked to Caitlin and Ramsey," he said, looking over his cup at me.

"Yep. What I need to know is, are you willing to take over if I do decide to leave?"

He nodded. "I don't want to, but only because I know I won't be able to do half as good a job as you have.  That said, I'll do my damnedest to keep the troupe going. It's what all of us want, with or without you."

"As long as you don't feel as if they're pushing you to take over. If you do, then my decision is made. I'll stay."

"Trust me, I don't." He chuckled. "You should know me well enough by now to know that no one can make me do anything I don't want to. I can be more stubborn than you."

"I'm not stubborn, damn it."

"Uh-huh. If you weren't, the troupe would never have gotten off the ground."

"Dedication, Marsh, not stubbornness."

Laughing, he replied, "You can call it what you want but you can be really stubborn when you put your mind to it, and I intend to live up to your example."

Satisfied he was willing to do this, we spent the rest of the meal going over the basic details of what would be involved for me to turn the reins over to him. He understood that it all hinged Edwin's reaction to what I was planning.

"He's not going to fight it," Marsh stated adamantly. "I've seen the two of you together. The way he looks at you when he doesn't think you know he is? He's as hooked on you as you are on him. The only thing in the way of where the two of you would settle down together was who was willing to move." He grinned. "Now we've solved that problem for you, so go up there, tell him you're staying this time, and make it so."

"Yes, Captain," I replied, rolling my eyes.

After we finished breakfast Marsh took off for work. I had another hour before I had to be at the gallery, so I went home, called Edwin, wanting to know if he could come down after I got off. I even promised to make him dinner. His reply was a very enthusiastic, "I'll see you when you get home."