by K. L. Brady
"Excuse me?" she said. "First of all, you've got me all twisted up."
There she blows.
"I don't—" he began before Chandra cut him off.
Chandra Barrington, of the Washington D.C. Barrington's, daughter of “doctor and wife of,” was well positioned in the upper echelon among DC’s socialites. At a Barrington family dinner party at their Potomac estate, he'd eavesdropped on the conversation between Chandra and her mother, at the precise moment her mother called him "the catch of the century" and “Mr.-Oh-So-Right.” She cautioned Chandra not to release Cody from her clutches.
Well, she said the words 'get away,' but he heard the clutch part.
Regardless, the goal was to keep their relationship in tact at all costs. Thus, Chandra became a chief tactician who never met an argument she couldn't avoid, especially if it didn't suit her agenda. This wasn’t one of those times.
“One thing is clear in this situation: you’ve got one heck of an imagination. Did you believe this place existed?”
He shrugged. "What place?"
"The place where I don't get justifiably ticked off about your little business secrets. Apparently you’ve conjured up some fantasy location where obedient girls suck up their anger and don't speak."
Maybe she meant the place where the event-of-the-season wedding becomes more important than the marriage. In every moment they shared since the dinner, he questioned Chandra's motives. Even worse, he'd begun to feel smothered, as if she’d pushed the pedal to the floor and accelerated their lives straight into a whirlwind to manipulate him. They'd scheduled the wedding inside of a month. He proposed, frankly, because loving Chandra was easier, simpler, and required much less energy from him than doing the same for Tessa, precisely what he thought he wanted. Cody accepted his fate because he'd rejected all other relationships, especially long-term ones, since Tessa.
With the wedding weeks away, their life integration was underway. She had started the move to his place a full month ahead of schedule—a trinket here, an appliance there—taking Cody’s suffocation to critical levels. She'd scheduled every detail, made every decision, planned every aspect of their future —all at a much faster pace than he expected. He hardly had time to fuse two cogent thoughts together, a state of mind that seemed core to their survival and her ability to maintain the status quo.
So, she must have really felt threatened to snap like this.
"Chandra, you lost me."
"Well, pull up Google maps so I can explain where we are."
He gulped hard and swallowed. At once, she'd reminded him of someone—a woman who was neither easy nor easily fooled.
"We took a U-turn at you-must-be-kidding-me and finally have arrived at you-must've-bumped-your-head." She charged toward his office door and glanced back over her shoulder.
"Stop, please. I've heard you, Chandra. I've listened to you," he said, calling after her. "And one thing is obvious to me right now."
"What?!" By now, she'd done an about-face and stared at him. The emphasis she put on the "T" confirmed his suspicions.
"You're hangry. We should eat," he said, revealing a sliver of a smile. "Look, Baby, have I ever given you the slightest cause to mistrust me? I've never been missing-in-action, never unreachable. You've got access to my cell phone, though you've chosen not to check it. Every free moment I have, I spend with you."
She breathed an audible sigh of relief. As the hard edges of her expression softened, he moved in.
"I love you. We're getting married in a month," he continued. "You hold not only the key to my home but also my heart."
"You're so cheesy."
"And you love it. Now, let's go eat your crunchy grits." He chuckled when he took steps toward his office door to meet her, and she jabbed him in the arm. "But, I'll reserve the first bite for you...just in case."
"Ha. Ha!" She started past the threshold. "You're right, baby. I've got nothing to worry about. After all, you've got me. What more could you want?"
He followed her out the door, but not before glancing back over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Tessa, anticipating the drama that lay ahead. The girl in the butterfly dress was a woman of many moods—a full range—but he dreaded the calm. He’d experienced the lethality of it when they were kids.
Back in the day, after he declared himself the CEO and Tessa the receptionist, he offered her the opportunity to take dictation, including their McDonald’s order.
“You sit in there,” he said, pointing to the receptionist’s area. “When I’m ready, I’ll call you in, so you can answer my phone. Your first assignment is to place our Happy Meal orders with Ms. Mabel. My treat. I’ve been saving my milk money.”
“Why can’t we both be CEOs and sit in the big chair, again?” she had asked.
“Because I make the rules. It’s my job, my seat.” He positioned his body to block her path. Then he took a deep breath to inflate the scrawniness in his chest. “The only one who’s gonna sit there is me.”
“Okay,” she said, flattening her voice into an eerie calm. “If you say so.”
He’d impressed himself. She’d folded more quickly than a Hart Card.
He now, as a grown man, understood the realities of a calmly spoken “okay” from an angry woman’s mouth.
As he envisioned the days to come, it was Tessa’s “okay, if you say so” that scared him most.
Keep It Real Cards
When fortune favors the bold, wonderful things happen to courageous people who deserve the best.
* * *
Let's Keep It Real—You’re neither courageous nor deserving.
But, luckily, fortune favors people like you, too.
Congratulations!
Chapter Three
Cody
* * *
Cody took refuge behind the safety of his expansive executive desk, bracing himself as he waited for Tessa's broom to swoop in. Through Mabel, he called her in to talk. Whatever their differences and her grudges, she deserved the respect and consideration of hearing the news from him.
He anticipated an awkward civility dance; he was more practiced in that art than Tessa. He'd offer a reasonable explanation if she'd give him a chance. She’d come to understand he never intended his dealing with Uncle Brian to be perceived as an act of war.
Even if Tessa rolled in like thunder and lightning and unleashed her fury, she'd calm when she understood what happened...and why. He'd be prepared to accept her gratitude, but he may be waiting a long time for it.
No sooner than the thought crossed his mind, thunder clapped. The storm had arrived.
Quick hard steps clacked against the marble floor, and then he heard the voice of Ms. Dee, his long-time Hart Enterprise executive assistant, and ally. She'd been with the company since Uncle Brian and Pops ran it with attached hips.
"Oh, my goodness, Tessa. You're...all grown up and stunning!" Ms. Dee sang. She loved Tessa as an auntie would her favorite niece.
"It's been too long," Tessa replied. "I've been ridiculously busy, but that's no excuse. We must do dinner...soon!"
Chill bumps raised in Cody's arms at the sound of the sweet lilt in her voice.
"Only if you serve that fondue again. Thank you for that recipe," Ms. Dee said excitedly. "Anyway, we can catch up later. Right now, Mr. Hart's expecting you. Please, go right inside."
Within seconds, the door whipped opened. Before he could catch his breath, she materialized in front of him, and they stood there—eye to eye, face to face. She strolled inside like a Chuck Taylored boss. She’d blossomed and straightened the kinky curls she wore during their union into bone-straight grown woman locks; they bobbed over her shoulder with each stride. She seemed to move in slow motion as in the tense moments of a John Wu flick.
He'd anticipated the worst but reality proved to be less frightening. Her presence blanketed him like a refreshing breeze. Everything about her mesmerized him still. He allowed his eyes to roam the contours of her cheekbones, her button nose...until
he reached the steely gaze.
"Tessa." He masked his attempt to inhale her signature lavender and jasmine scent. She caused a seismic shift in his mind without speaking a word.
A timely recollection brought him back to a cold reality—he’d put a ring on it, and Chandra was the one he chose the second time around. Still, he couldn't deny his feelings for the one standing front and center, even if he refused to act on them.
"Cody," she barked. "You beckoned?"
"It's been a long time," he said. "How many years now?"
“Oh, I dunno. Five?” she replied.
His eyes lowered to take in her sleek, black tailored suit molded to every hill and valley on her glorious body. After his thorough once-over, she returned the favor. Then a heavy silence hung between them before she nipped it.
"Color me surprised. You called me in for a face-to-face instead of sending me a card." An empty, angry chill had replaced the adoration and devotion that once filled expressions reserved for him. "By the way, I understand congratulations are in order. A month away from the big day, right? I think I spotted that somewhere."
"The Post." What could he do except nod? "You're too kind. Thank you."
"How perfect." He sensed sarcasm and so much of it. She paused as if she'd expected him to say something else. Then the sound of her voice cut into the heavy silence. "May fortune favor you both."
“Fortune favors the bold, right?” He smirked, having read that copy years ago when she wrote it the first time. "Tessa." His voice broke the tension. "Please, have a seat."
He gestured his palm toward the guest chair and watched her stroll over, her gait smooth and sure as if she traveled on a people mover. His head wanted to turn away, but his neck refused.
Until now, he’d forgotten Tornado Tessa’s vampire powers. She'd only been in his office for two minutes, and she'd already begun to suck the joy out of him.
"We should get to it, the reason you beckoned me." Her entire demeanor screamed "unbothered," a state that wouldn't last long.
Cody worked up the nerve to tell her, but it choked in his throat. A long awkward pause settled between them.
"Okay, I'll go first," she said. "So! I see you finally wrested control of Hart Enterprises from the Cruella twins. Good to see you remained committed to...something."
The shot fired brought him to a fork in the road. He could follow her lead and veer off the high one or keep the discussion civil. He opted to do the latter...sort of.
"Yes, that's the way companies work. When you get ready to take them to the next level, they come along for the ride. You understand that better than anyone." He steepled his fingers together. "I've followed Keep It Real since day one. What you've achieved is nothing short of amazing."
"Amazing? Wow. Coming from you, that's...well, that's almost like a compliment.” She cocked her head to the side and gazed at him in disbelief, allowing space for another uncomfortable silence. "Can we get on with this? Some business at my office needs my attention."
Cody cleared his throat. "When you say, 'my office,' we should define the word 'my.'" He'd finally collected the nerve to break the news, so, of course, her cell phone rang, and she glanced down.
"It's my father. Excuse me for one minute. I need to take this.” She held up her index finger. "He never calls me during the day. It must be important."
Tessa didn't know the reason for the call, but he did. Cody shuddered, imagining what Uncle Brian was saying. A quick clock-check reminded Cody that his warm-up small talk with Tessa had taken longer than expected. Cody’s plan ran late while Uncle Brian had called right on time. He was supposed to be consoling her after she received the news. Instead, inadvertently, he was breaking it to her. Cody had stalled for too long.
"Dad, I'm in a meeting." She shifted in her seat and turned her back to Cody. "What can I—"
In an instant faster than a flicker, Tessa quieted and then went silent. First, she nodded and froze like a mannequin, sat perfectly still. She didn't grunt or move. Nothing. Then the bomb dropped. "You. Did. What!" She yelped. Through her intense shock, the words "To whom?" rolled off of her tongue.
In an exorcist-like whirl, her head wheeled toward Cody, and her eye, the left one alone, narrowed into a slit and locked on him. "Dad, I'll see you in an hour. Goodbye." The deadly glare could've broken his bones. She fell back against her chair, her expression now one of complete and utter disbelief.
"What the hell, Cody?" Her voice boomed, and he felt his body fracture. He did the only thing a man could do in this situation—offered her a bottle of Fiji water.
"You thirsty?" he asked.
She reluctantly accepted it, seemingly more out of shock than need. Then she untwisted the cap. She sniffed it as if he'd poison her instead of killing her with his bare hands or piercing her heart with a wooden stake.
"Congratulations?" Cody shrugged and revealed a sheepish grin.
"You bought Keep It Real. My company. You bought—you acquired my company!" Her arms flailed; water splashed everywhere. "What in the entire, Cody? You could've purchased a gazillion other things if you had a little spare cash sitting around. Shares in Apple. A yacht in the Mediterranean. Waterfront property on some distant island. Heck, you could've named your own island. Why in heaven's name would you buy my thing, my only thing, Keep It Real?"
"I can't disclose the terms of the deal—per the non-disclosure agreement, which was your father's idea, by the way. But you should know this gesture is a kindness. Really. And I don’t want you to—"
"Excuse me? A kindness? You wouldn't know compassion if it chewed off half your face." She jutted her hands in the air as her voice erupted. "I can’t believe this—my own father, the man who gave me life, sold me out for thirty pieces of silver."
"I wouldn't exactly call the price I paid thirty pieces."
"Oh, yeah. What would you call it? Twenty? Ten? I'm sure you snapped it up for a tidy little bargain."
Tessa had apparently planned to break off another piece of her mind and hurl it at Cody, but it stuck in her throat, causing her to swallow down the wrong pipe and choke. She took a sip of water to calm the coughing.
"A little more than twenty, I'd say,” Cody started. “Ten-point-two million is a lot of waterfront property. Or Apple shares, as you recommended.”
Tessa sprayed Cody's face with the water that filled her mouth and cheeks. Cody winced and rode the wave. He retrieved a handkerchief from his pant pocket and dabbed his face. He was old-school that way. Learned it from Pops.
"Wait. What?" She dangled on the edge of her seat.
"You heard, right. I'm disclosing the price, despite the NDA, so you'll understand I didn't pay a 'little' money for Keep It Real. No way will I dismantle it. You have my word."
"Ha! Your word. How rich! That and a quarter wouldn't buy me a free cup of coffee."
"Listen, please. I'm not laying off or firing any of your staff, and your leadership will remain unchanged. But after reviewing your accounting books— "
"My...my—you reviewed my books?"
"Of course, as part of the acquisition." He nodded and jerked his head back. "Your sales are sluggish. You must be aware of the financial hit you’re taking."
"Wow. Your powers of deduction? Still astounding. I'm in awe."
There it was. The sarcasm. He'd hit the dead-end on the high road. The snark forced him low. There was no turning back. "Keep It Real found its initial success because it filled a niche demand in an underserved market," he began, "but your bang has fizzled, and now you're struggling for survival. Sales projections don't appear promising. The current numbers suggest the novelty's worn off."
"Novelty." She sounded breathless as if he'd sucked the oxygen from her lungs.
"Yes, you've got more competition—"
"Copycats. Hart knows that better than anyone."
He ignored the dig. "And expanding your market share is critical. Hart Cards outsell yours two-to-one."
"You're kidding me, right? Apple
s and oranges. With all of its business interests combined, Hart is more than fifty times the size of Keep It Real. Yet you're only outselling us two-to-one and, in certain markets, we outperform you."
"Someone's been doing her homework on Hart's sales."
"What can I say? I like reading things that make me laugh...hard...out loud."
"Regardless, I can take you where you need to go, and, frankly, I know you're capable of more than...this."
She fell back into her seat, and hope left her eyes. He remembered that look.
"This? Exactly what do you mean by...this?"
He'd wounded her; it was her fault. She veered onto the low road, and he followed. Now, he’d deliver the final blow. "Do you know what they call Keep It Real in industry circles?"
"An award-winning company?"
"I mean, behind your back."
She shrugged.
"Bitter Witch Greetings.” He went straight for the jugular. "No one else will tell you, but I will because I've never been anything but honest with you. Your ideas are stale and mean, and no one likes your products anymore.”
She turned away.
"Keep It Real needs a change in direction. You, more than anyone, must realize I'm telling you the truth," Cody continued. "And I've developed a strategy, a roadmap, to help you find a higher level of success than, frankly, you could reach on your own."
"Roadmap."
"I won't completely alter your vision, but, together, we'll.... let's say we'll pivot a little."
Her jaw tensed, and he could almost see steam rising out of her ears. Tornado Tessa launched into a deadly spin and would touch down any second. Cody braced himself, knowing she’d acknowledge the truth...eventually.
"Pivot? You've got some audacity. Who do you think you are?"
"I'm the CEO of Hart Enterprises and now the head of Keep It Real Cards. You should get used to that. Sometimes it helps to say it out loud. CEO."
"Please. I wish I would." She sucked her tongue. "And don't let your little performance here detract from what I'm trying to say. Yes, our profits may be a little on the flat side, but to suggest we're struggling for survival is a tad dramatic, even for you, Mr. Square-Peg Round-hole. Furthermore, we've already developed a plan to increase our market share."