by Parker, Ali
“I don’t know. He’s kind of hard to read. I know he likes me, and I know we do have fun together, but he doesn’t really seem interested in something serious. I don’t know if I want casual. I know I say this is casual, and I’m okay with that, but I don’t think I really am.”
“No, you are not. I can tell you that.”
“What do I do?”
“You talk to him. You tell him you need to know where he stands. And as hard as it may be, if you want to be friends with him, you have to stop the sex.”
I pouted. “But last night,” I said with a breathy sigh. “You have got to see this new room.”
“It sounds gorgeous and romantic and like the perfect spot for a little action.”
“It was.”
“Trust yourself, Mae. You know you best. You are the only one that knows how you feel, and you will see a side of him that no one else can see. With Donovan, everyone thought he was a jerk, remember? Even you didn’t like him. I saw something different. When it was just me and him, he was a different man. He was a soft, kind, loving man. I liked the idea that that side of him was for me only. It made me feel special. Tyson sounds like he is different with you. Only you can see that soft side.”
I smiled. She didn’t talk about her late husband often. I knew she loved him still and the pain of his loss was still very real. “He is different. He is different than he was before as well.”
She smiled. “I think you need to go with your gut. I know this sounds terrible, but the worst that can happen is you two don’t work out. You’ll move on with your life, and one day, you will find the right man for you.”
“You’re so damn smart,” I teased.
“I know.”
I spent the rest of the morning worrying about what it was Tyson wanted to talk to me about. The insecure side of me told myself to brace for being dumped again. The only saving grace was the fact we were not an official couple, and therefore, being dumped wasn’t a big deal. He couldn’t dump what he never had.
When the time came for him to pick me up, I had worked myself into a very worried state. I didn’t think I would be able to eat a bite. Food wasn’t really the main objective here. He was inviting me to lunch to talk. The conversation was the real point. Food was an afterthought.
I climbed into the back of the car, not knowing what to expect. He leaned over and kissed me hello. I was so stunned, I put my fingertips to my mouth when he pulled away and stared at him.
He smiled. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I said, settling into the seat.
The restaurant he chose was nearby. Fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a table and sipping on diet sodas. I was still a little nervous, but I wouldn’t let him know I was freaking out inside.
“Thank you for meeting me. I’m just going to say what’s on my mind, and we’ll go from there, okay?”
I slowly nodded, wiping my hands on my napkin and waited. “Hit me.”
He grinned. “I propose a merger.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“I have been thinking about what that teacher said and I think he had a great idea. We should merge our two companies.”
I looked at him, very skeptical. “Be careful of a man bearing gifts,” I murmured.
It was his turn to look confused. “I’m not bearing gifts.”
I shook my head, pulling my full attention into the conversation. I had a feeling I was about to navigate some very tricky waters. I needed to be very present. “You want us to merge companies. Are you proposing a buyout? Again?”
“No. I’m proposing a merger. A joint venture together.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “This doesn’t seem like an even playing field. Why would your big-ass company want to merge with mine? I have one museum. You have—well, I don’t even know how many you have. I’m not a business major but I know enough to know this isn’t right.”
“Mae, I want us to work together. I’m not offering a buyout.”
I thought about it, still not quite believing it. “Okay, just for shits and giggles, tell me how this would work.” My guard was up. I was pissed at myself for allowing him to drop that guard. He had worked me, and I was too stupid to see it coming. I had been blinded by my feelings for him.
“With my capital, you would be able to do all those things you were talking about. You would have an instant cash reserve to dip into.”
I wasn’t buying it. There was a catch. There was always a catch. “So, you are proposing we merge our businesses. Fifty-fifty even split. I’m part owner of your business and you are part owner of mine?”
He winced and I knew I had my answer. “I would propose a thirty-three percent interest on your part.”
“I would only have a thirty-three percent interest in the merged company. You would essentially own my museum and I only owned a third.”
He bounced his head around. The classic move for someone who was trying to deflect and evade. “Yes and no.”
“It can’t be both. It’s one or the other.”
“Mae, as you know, my company is significantly larger than yours. I would be offering up about eighty percent of the combined business. I think thirty-three percent is more than fair.
I scoffed. “Of course, you would. I’m not my brother. You can’t offer me money and expect me to crawl away. I don’t need your money.”
He held up a hand. “I’m not suggesting you need my money. I’m offering you the chance to use my money to achieve your goals.”
“Goals that will benefit you. My museum is going to be your rival very soon. You would essentially be buying me out, giving me a pittance while you reap the rewards of my hard work and my vision.”
“That is not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?” I questioned, growing angrier by the second. “How about we do a fifty-fifty split?”
He shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Then I have no interest in merging with you,” I snapped. “It’s not a merger if you own me.”
He let out a long breath. “I can offer you forty-nine percent with some minor stipulations.”
I looked at him, studying his face. I tried to see the man I had been with last night under the stars. He wasn’t there. I was looking into the face of a man who was thinking of himself and his business. I was looking at a man who felt like he had the upper hand. “No.”
“Mae, be reasonable. It’s my company. My company is so much bigger than yours. I have a lot more at stake than you do.”
“Actually, think about it from my side. I only have the one museum. I give it to you, and I have nothing. You have money coming out of your ears. If things went sideways, you are safe. You’ll just start something new. You would own the bulk of both businesses, which means you would have control over everything.”
“I said I would go up to forty-nine percent.”
“While you maintained control with fifty-one percent.”
He slowly nodded. “Yes. I would have to have majority ownership. I have to protect my interests.”
“Protect them from what exactly? Me? Do you think I will mismanage your funds? Do you think I will run your business to the ground?”
“No, I am not saying that.”
“You don’t trust me.”
He sighed again. “I do trust you.”
“So, this is about power. You want all the power and control. Back then, you wanted to make all the decisions. You wanted to be the man behind the wheel. I couldn’t do that then and I refuse to do that now. I don’t need you to control me or my business.”
He looked shocked. “I’m not trying to control you. It would only be on paper. I know you well enough to know what kind of businesswoman you are. You will be an asset.”
I smiled. “Yes, I would.”
“Will you please think about this? I’m not trying to do anything shady. I want you to have access to the funds needed to transform your museum into the one you are envisioning in your mind. I want you to collaborate
with me on new displays. I want us to navigate this thing together.”
His words were good. I would be able to fulfill my dreams at the museum. Honestly, me buying the space next door and paying for the extensive renovations was not in the cards for years. The museum did not have that kind of revenue. “If you are truly serious about this merger, you are going to have to sacrifice.”
“I am sacrificing,” he argued. “Forty-nine percent of my business is huge. I don’t think you understand just how much that is.”
“It isn’t the money. It’s the control.”
“I would not ever attempt to control you. That would be a game in futility. I like you just the way you are. I need you to challenge me. I need you to knock my head into the wall now and again.”
“Then you will have to put your money where your mouth is,” I told him.
“We can make this work,” he argued.
I grabbed my purse from the spot on the floor next to my chair. “I’m not hungry. I’m going to go, but I will talk with my lawyer. If he feels like this is something I should do, I will have him draw up papers and send them over.”
“Don’t leave,” he said.
“I am going to leave. You have given me a lot to think about. I would prefer to think about it alone.”
“Mae!” he protested.
“I’ll be in touch. Rather, my lawyer will be in touch.”
I walked out of the restaurant with my chin held high. Inside, my heart was stinging a little. I was falling hard for the man and he was falling for my museum. It was a slight blow to the ego, but it wouldn’t get me down. I was going to talk to my lawyer. Like Tyson said, he was the one sacrificing the most in financial terms. Clearly, money and power motivated him.
This was one sure way to find out what he was most interested in—me or my museum. Me or his money.
Chapter 46
Tyson
I was feeling down. I was feeling like an idiot. In my attempt to form some kind of attachment to Mae, I pushed her away. I had not heard a word from her in over a week. Not since she walked out on me in the restaurant. I knew I wasn’t cut out for that kind of shit, but I went and opened my big mouth anyway.
I should have talked with Alec a bit more. He could have drawn up a plan for me to present. He could have written a speech for me. Obviously, I wasn’t saying the right things. His words about mixing business with pleasure were coming back to haunt me. In my attempt to cement our relationship by creating a union, I had pissed her off.
I felt I was being completely reasonable. Clearly, she did not. I tried to see it from her side, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t understand why she thought she was getting the short end of the stick. It was a good deal. It was a fair deal. More than fair.
There was a knock on my closed office door. I wasn’t expecting anyone. In fact, no one ever came to my office. Instead of just shouting out for the person to come in, I got up to answer it. I took a surprised step back when I found Mae standing there. “Hi,” I said, thrilled to see her.
“Hello, Tyson. This is Cory Farmer. My attorney.”
I looked at the man who appeared to be in his late fifties. I did a quick assessment of his attire and determined him to be an average lawyer. He wasn’t a corporate bigwig wearing a thousand-dollar suit, but he wasn’t a greasy ambulance chaser.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said with a nod.
“Can we come in?” Mae asked.
“Sure,” I answered, opening my door. I glanced around my office that was a little messy. I pulled a chair from where it was stuffed into the corner and put it beside the other one across from my desk. “Please, have a seat.”
I was nervous. I couldn’t begin to guess why she brought a lawyer to my office. It couldn’t be anything good. I looked at her, sizing her up. She was dressed in a chic business suit with pants that hung low on her waist. A dark blue blouse was tucked in and her hair was pulled back into a severe bun. She looked intense. I was convinced that whatever was coming was not going to be good.
“I have been thinking about your proposal, and as promised, I’ve consulted my attorney,” she started.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“We have drawn up an agreement that we feel is fair. If you agree and sign on the line, well, we can celebrate our partnership.”
The attorney opened his briefcase and handed me a document. I opened it up and scanned through the thing. My jaw clenched the more I read. My heart was pounding in my chest. I looked up, directly into her eyes. “What the fuck is this?” I snarled.
“It’s my counteroffer,” she answered smoothly. “You wanted a merger and I am willing to agree to that under those terms.”
“This gives you a fifty-one percent stake in the company,” I spat and slammed down the paperwork.
She nodded. “Yes, it does.”
I turned to the attorney. “Can you give us a minute? I would like to have a private word with Mae.”
“I’m here as her attorney. Whatever you say to her, I promise it will be confidential.”
“No. Out. Please. This is something on a personal level.”
“It’s fine, Cory,” Mae said, reaching out to put her hand on his forearm. I nearly flew out of my chair and ripped her hand away from him. I didn’t like the familiarity between them. “Can you give us a minute please?”
“I’ll be right outside,” Cory said. He got to his feet and shot me a look, which I returned. He was acting like I was going to do something to the woman I cared about.
“What?” Mae snapped once Cory was out of the office.
“What the fuck is this?” I jabbed my finger into the document. “Why are you doing this?”
“You are the one that wanted a merger. I’m giving you what you wanted.”
“Bullshit. That’s not what this is. You are taking control of my company.”
She shrugged. “How is it any different than you taking control of my company?”
I opened my mouth and then snapped it shut again. “Because my company is bigger!”
She gave me a look that reminded me of the way a mother would look at her child acting out. “You want me to relinquish control of something I am very fond of. Let’s see if you are willing to do the same.”
I shook my head. “I have a lot more to lose.”
“Because you don’t trust me?”
“No. It’s—I—this is my company.”
“Yes, and the museum is mine. Just because yours is bigger doesn’t make it any more important than mine. We both have a lot at stake. How can you ask me to give up something I care a great deal about, but you are not willing to do the same?”
I leaned back in my chair. “Are you afraid I will somehow screw you over?”
She shrugged. “Are you?”
“Mae, I care about you. I would not do that. I truly wanted to help you. I wanted us to be a team. We’re good together.”
“We’re good together as long as you are holding all the power,” she shot back.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “You are hellbent on this power thing.”
“You are the one that is hellbent. I have given you too much power in the past. Not once, but twice now. Twice you have fucked me over. I’m not going to give you the chance to do it a third time.”
That was the equivalent of being slapped in the face. “I never fucked you over.”
“Yes, you did. You have a habit of making me think you want me and then you walk away. I won’t let you do it again. If you want to walk away this time, it’s going to cost you.”
I stared into her eyes and could see the hurt. “I concede I probably fucked up back then, but when is the second time?”
“Last week,” she whispered.
“I didn’t do anything last week,” I argued. Her eyes were full of pain. It was ripping my heart out to see her look at me that way. “Last week? I don’t understand.”
“You asked me to lunch after a beautiful day and then night together to tel
l me you wanted to put me under your thumb. What else could I think except you only wanted me for my museum? You only want me for what I can bring to the table.”
I didn’t know what to say. Her words cut deep. I could admit I wasn’t the most sensitive person and I didn’t do great at reading people, but holy shit. How could I have missed something so big? “Mae,” I started, trying to think of what to say to make it better.
She held up a hand. “You don’t need to say anything. I get it.”
“No, you don’t get it. I care about you. I have always cared about you. This merger wasn’t anything nefarious. I was thinking about you. I was thinking this would be a great way for us to work together and create something great.”
She rolled her eyes. “Together with you leading the way. Tyson, I know you are older and a lot smarter than I am, but I’m not an idiot.”
“I don’t think you are,” I told her. “I think you are brilliant. I’m not great with words but you are important to me. You, the person, not the fucking museum.”
She looked down at her hands. “I wish I could believe that. God, you have no idea how much I wished I could believe that. That’s the shitty thing. I did believe it until you dropped your little bombshell last week. You actually thought we could have sex a few times and then I would roll over and hand you another company on a silver platter.”
“Don’t say that,” I hissed. “Don’t you dare fucking say that. I didn’t do that. I never meant to make you feel like I was using you.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “But you did and now here we are.”
I leaned forward. “I care about you. I care about you a lot. I don’t want to do anything that hurts you. You have to believe me. I wanted the best for you. I love hearing you talk about your plans and your dreams. I guess I was selfish because I wanted to be a part of all of it. I wanted to be by your side as you made your dreams come true. I wanted to be the guy on your side, supporting you and encouraging you.”
“I doubt it.”
“Bullshit!” I argued. My emotions were running high. She had ambushed me. I was caught completely off guard and I didn’t like it one bit. “I know what I feel.”