As she savored each delectable bite, she considered how to open Graham’s eyes to the fact that the Stirling was so much more than an old building—more than a hitch in his plans.
When she could eat no more, she pushed aside her plate. It was then that she glanced over at Graham. She noticed he didn’t seem interested in his food as he moved it around his plate. He appeared lost in his thoughts.
“Thank you for the meal,” she said. “It was very good.”
“This was a mistake.” Graham balled up his napkin and tossed it on the table.
“What do you mean? The meal?”
“All of it. I thought we could conclude our business over a friendly dinner but obviously that was a miscalculation.” Graham stood. “I think we should conclude our business in my office.”
She welcomed the excuse to get away from this cozy candlelit dinner. Because even though the room was quite large, Graham’s larger than life presence made it feel so much smaller.
Alina nodded in agreement. She folded her napkin and then set it on the table. She noticed that he didn’t wait for her as he took long strides toward the exit.
They went down one floor and it was a totally different atmosphere. Instead of being black and white, the foyer was done up in earth tones and royal blue carpet to muffle footsteps. A large reception area sat directly in front of the elevator. On the wall were gold letters that spelled out GH Toliver Investments.
He moved to the right and held open a glass door for her to pass by. And then he led her to the office at the end of the hallway. When he swung open one of the two oversize wooden doors, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t to find his desk stacked with files. When she looked to the side, there was a long table. It, too, was piled with files.
“I’m sorry for the disheveled appearance,” he said. “Since I’ve taken over, there has been a lot to review and my father was old-fashioned, preferring paper files.”
He walked ahead of her, picked up a hefty stack of manila folders and clipped papers and placed them on the table. He returned to his desk. “There. That’s better.”
She sat down in front of his desk, while he took a seat in a large black leather chair. She didn’t like the way she felt at a disadvantage now because her chair seemed shorter than his and a large desk sat between them. She remained perched on the edge of the chair, trying to decide if she should stand.
She wanted this man to take her seriously. After all, this was a very important matter, not just to her but to everyone who lived at the Stirling. Those people were the ones that brought her chicken soup when she didn’t feel well and celebrated her birthdays with her. They’d unofficially adopted her after her father passed on and she would do anything for them.
“Mr. Toliver—”
“I thought we were past standing on ceremony.”
“There’s a lot at stake here and I want you to take me seriously.”
“And I won’t do that if you call me Graham?”
She narrowed her gaze on him. Why was he making this so difficult? If he was trying to distract her, it wasn’t going to work. She had an idea in mind, one that had come to her at dinner after learning a bit about her enemy. A sexy one but an enemy all the same.
She swallowed hard as she prepared to start again. “This matter is very serious for the both of us. You have a building that you want to build. And I have homes I want to save.”
Graham rested his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “And how do you propose we resolve this matter?”
“It’s obvious that both of us can’t have our way.”
“Agreed. You know I’m offering a generous bonus if all of the tenants agree to move out at the beginning of the year. And for that to happen, I need you to agree to it.”
Her heart clenched. To agree to his plan would mean this would be the last Christmas in the place that had always been her home. “Why me?”
“Because my investigator says that people follow your lead. And from what I witnessed this morning, I would agree. I also know you led the protest here at the office—”
“The protest you avoided.”
“I was caught up in important meetings all day, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t informed of the disruption.”
Disruption? Well, she supposed he could have called it something worse. But it also didn’t escape her that she was situated in a very strategic position. She slid back on the chair until the cushion touched her lower back. All the while, she worked up the courage to lay down a challenge—a challenge Graham wouldn’t be able to turn down.
“What is it?” His voice interrupted her thoughts.
She focused on him. The idea hovered at the forefront of her mind. Even if he was motivated to win a challenge, there was a distinct possibility he’d turn her down. But if she didn’t take this chance—if she didn’t challenge him—she didn’t have a backup plan.
“Just say it,” he said. His gaze searched hers as though trying to figure out what she was thinking.
He was wasting his time trying to guess her thoughts because she scarcely believed what she had come up with. “I’ll make you a deal.”
His eyes momentarily widened. “You want to renegotiate my very generous offer to have the Stirling tenants move out early?”
“Yes.” She hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt.
There was a noticeable pause. “I’m listening.”
Inside she secretly cheered. She’d hooked his interest. “You’ll pay for everyone’s moving expenses.”
“And why would I do that?”
“To get my help. I don’t come cheaply.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I’m figuring that out.” He paused as though considering the pros and cons of the suggestion. “You drive a tough bargain. But you have a deal.”
“Not so fast. You haven’t even heard my final condition.”
A muscle in his jaw flexed. He steepled his fingers together as his laser-sharp focus zeroed in on her. “You’re pushing your luck.”
She knew it, but she couldn’t stop now. She leveled her shoulders and met his stare. “Do you want to hear my final condition or not?”
He visibly swallowed as the muscles of his neck moved. “And what would that be? A penthouse for you?”
“Um, no. But now that you mention it...” Suddenly a smile pulled at her face. She couldn’t help it. If she didn’t hurry with this, she was going to break out into an embarrassing fit of nervous giggles and any chance of making her idea a reality would be lost. And so she rushed to get out her unheard-of demand. “Forget the penthouse. I want you to work for me until Christmas.”
A deep frown came over his face. “If you aren’t going to take this seriously—”
“I’m very serious. I need to pick up extra shifts at the café and I don’t have time to do everything.”
“And you want me to do what?”
“I want you to be the building manager.”
His eyes widened. “You mean with a toolbox, wrench and such?”
She struggled not to laugh at the look of horror on his face. “Exactly. If a tenant has a problem, you fix it, or if it’s too big, you call in experts.”
“It surely can’t be that much work that you can’t handle it in the evenings.”
“That’s the thing. With this being the busiest time of the year at the café, I’m working a lot of hours. I don’t have the extra time like I normally do.”
He shook his head as he sat back in his chair. “I don’t think you understand. I’m the CEO of a large company. I don’t have time to play janitor.”
“It’s building manager.”
“Whatever.” He waved off her correction. “The point is I don’t have time.”
If she didn’t do something quick, she was totally going to lose him. “So
what you’re saying is that you can’t do the job.”
“That’s not what I said.” Frown lines creased his brow.
“I bet you don’t even know how to work a wrench.”
He sat up straighter. “I hate to disappoint you, but I do.”
It was her turn to be surprised. She struggled to keep it from showing on her face. “Good. Then you don’t have a reason not to agree.” And then she reinforced the challenge by saying, “That is, unless you think it’d be too much for you.”
He frowned as he crossed his arms. If he was going to outright refuse, he would have done it by now, right? So was he actually considering her totally off the wall idea? And if he did accept, would the people in her building agree with her actions? She hoped so.
Seconds passed in utter silence.
It was though a wall had gone up in his eyes, blocking her attempts to get a glimpse of his inner thoughts. So much for the eyes being the windows to one’s soul.
He leaned forward. “I need a day or two to consider this.”
Wow! Maybe it wasn’t such an outrageous idea, after all.
She hesitated, not wanting him to know just how excited she was to have him take her proposition seriously. “Okay, then. I’ll wait to hear from you. I should be going.”
He walked her to the elevator. All the while, she wasn’t sure what to make of him. Was he really going to consider her offer? Or was he just stringing her along?
When the elevator door slid open, she turned to him. “Thank you for dinner. And the view. I loved the view.”
He surprised her with a smile. It lit up his eyes and made him look younger and sexier, if that was possible. His gaze lowered to her lips. “It is a spectacular view.”
And suddenly she had the distinct impression they weren’t talking about the same thing. Was he considering kissing her? Her heart pitter-pattered faster as she grew warm. They definitely weren’t talking about the same thing at all.
If she didn’t step on that elevator right this moment, she had the feeling things would spin completely out of control. And she’d done so well negotiating with him. She refused to falter now for what? A moment of desire? A quick flirtation?
“G-good night,” she stammered as she forced her feet to move.
“I’ll be seeing you soon.” His deep voice sent a wave of anticipation humming through her body.
The elevator door swished shut. She pressed the button for the ground floor. What had happened? One moment they were negotiating a business arrangement and the next moment it was like he was considering kissing her good night. Or had she imagined the whole thing?
CHAPTER FIVE
HIS DAY STARTED before the sun.
The truth was Graham had tossed and turned most of the night. His thoughts had been filled with memories of his dinner with the intriguing Miss Martin. The evening had not gone at all as he’d expected.
After giving up on sleep, he grabbed a hot shower. He leaned against the tile wall as steamy jets beat against his sore muscles. Trying to undo the tangled mess his father had left him at the office was taking its toll on him. And the last thing he needed was this very bizarre agreement with Alina.
When the water started to cool off, he got out of the shower, dressed and headed up to his office. The one thing about taking over his father’s city apartment was that it was in the same building as his office.
He was determined to answer some of his emails before the workday officially began and new emails started to flood his in-box. It was tough for him to concentrate on the business at hand as Alina’s alluring beauty kept stealing away his thoughts. What was it about her that captivated him so much? She wasn’t the first beautiful woman to cross his path. Still, there was something wholly unique about her that drew his attention.
Maybe it was Alina’s spunk. She was certainly feisty—
“Good morning.” Mary Barnes, his dependable assistant, entered his office wearing a friendly smile. “It looks like you’ve gotten a jump start on the day.”
“Morning.” He gazed at the older woman over the top of his monitor. “I have a lot to do today and wanted to get an early start.”
Mary shook her head as she laid a stack of paperwork in his in-box. “You work too hard.”
“I have to right now. You, of all people, know that.”
“Your father certainly left you in a bind, but do you have to do so much on your own?”
“I can’t lose the faith of the board.”
She nodded. “I understand. If there’s something else I can do to help, just let me know.”
The decision he owed Alina weighed on his mind. He liked a challenge in business and his personal life. It kept life interesting. It’d been a long time since he met a woman who didn’t agree with everything he said.
“What would you say if I told you I was going to work away from the office for a few weeks?”
The woman’s eyes momentarily widened. She glanced down at the signed contracts she’d withdrawn from his outgoing basket. “You’re going on vacation?”
“Hardly.” He paused, realizing if he were going to do this, he would need her help. “I have some delicate negotiations to take care of.”
“But you have a meeting with legal next week that you can’t miss. And the acquisitions team has been calling every day for an opening in your schedule.”
She was right. He couldn’t just stop working from now until Christmas. It was impossible. Still, to save the company money in the long-term and to earn the board’s respect, he needed to get the residents of the Stirling to move. The sooner, the better. The other buildings in the vicinity had already been vacated. The Stirling was the last holdout.
His father had always talked of one day building a permanent home for Toliver Investments on that site. His father hadn’t lived long enough to bring his dream to life but Graham would do it. Toliver Tower would be built upon the land where his father was born and raised. Graham had visited his grandmother in a building adjacent to the Stirling when he was young. He’d played with the neighbor kids just like his father had done.
“Is there any reason I can’t hold the meetings with legal and acquisitions via video?”
Mary opened her mouth to say something, but without uttering a word, she closed it.
“In this day and age of technology,” he continued, “I don’t see why I can’t work remotely. After all, you’ll be here to scan whatever mail or documents I need to see.”
“Are you sure you’re willing to take a step back?”
“No.” His voice was firm. “I still intend to be on top of everything. And I will be in the office, just not every day all day long.”
Mary arched a brow as she cast him a doubtful look. “If you can do it, I think some time away from this place would do you good. You work too hard.”
“But you’ll help me see that nothing falls through the cracks?”
She again nodded. “I’ll do my best. Shall I start canceling your in-person meetings and make arrangements to move them to video calls?”
“Not yet. But I’ll let you know.”
He didn’t like the thought of stepping back from being in the office because Mary was right, running the business remotely just wasn’t the same. And he was a man who liked to be in control of everything.
However, now that he had a plan to make this outlandish idea work, he had to make a decision. But what should it be? Stay in the office and accept the costly delay in the building plans? Or take Alina up on her offer?
* * *
One very slow day passed.
Alina spent the time organizing a meeting of the tenants, including her stepmother. It was the first time in Alina’s life that her stepmother sided with her about anything. But when her stepmother learned the size of the bonus for moving out early, she was all for it. The catch was they all had to agre
e to move early in order to receive the bonus.
There were heated discussions, but in the end Mr. Merryweather, who was like a grandfather to her, and Mr. Jackson, a talented musician, were the firm holdouts. However, when Alina pleaded with them and told them she had a plan, they said they trusted her. In the end, the plan was a go on her end. However, she hadn’t heard back from Graham.
Day two dragged on.
As Thursday evening settled in, blanketing the world in darkness, there still was no word from Graham. Thank goodness for the glow of twinkle lights. They buoyed Alina’s spirits. Miracles didn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes they took time. However, it didn’t make the wait any easier.
Alina had worked the breakfast shift that day as well as coordinated an afternoon Christmas party. Now she was home, pacing the floor. She’d checked her phone off and on all day. It looked like he wasn’t even going to have the decency to phone her and turn down her proposal. She groaned in frustration.
Knock-knock.
How was she going to tell the people she cared about that their last chance to save the building was gone? Defeat weighed heavy on her. Now she was out of options. And she had no idea how to tell any of them, not after she’d pleaded with them to give her plan a chance.
Knock-knock.
“Coming.” Alina drew in a steadying breath before heading for the door. She glanced through the peephole but couldn’t see the person’s face, just part of a shoulder.
“Who’s there?”
“Graham.”
Graham? At this hour? What did it mean?
She unlocked the door and swung it open. “What are you doing here?”
His eyes momentarily widened. “Not exactly the greeting I was expecting.”
“Sorry. I just didn’t expect to see you. Here. Now. This evening.” Oh, she was rambling and making a fool of herself.
“Can I come in?”
Heat swirled in her chest. If she’d have known he was coming to visit, she would have cleaned up. As it was, her dinner dishes were stacked in the sink and her party planning papers for the café were scattered over the couch and coffee table. But what choice did she have?
Fairytale Christmas with the Millionaire Page 4