by Parker, Ali
“You already told them I was here.”
“Yes. I could tell them you are on the phone. A conference call.”
The woman was acting like they were the FBI and I was under investigation. “I think it will be okay. Did they say what they wanted to talk to me about?”
“No.”
I couldn’t get mad at the woman. My business didn’t generally involve a lot of people showing up out of the blue. Most of my business was done via email or telephone. She was inexperienced. “Give me a minute and then bring them in please.”
“Should I get them coffee?” she asked, still in a state of panic.
“No. Just bring them in. That’s it. Nothing more.”
She nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”
“Thank you.”
Once the woman was out of my office, I took a moment to have my own little freak out. My first thought was they wanted one of my pieces. My second thought was they were there to claim a piece they thought I purchased illegally. I kept documentation on every little thing and would happily prove my right to ownership—assuming I could find the document. That was something Alec often handled.
I pulled my shit together and prepared to look casual for my meeting. A minute later, there was a soft knock on the door. My secretary walked in and presented the two men. I got to my feet, taking in their expensive tailored suits, and immediately felt underdressed in my casual jeans and polo.
“Hello,” I said as I walked around the desk.
“Good morning,” a man with a round belly said as he stepped forward. “My name is Gino, and this is Mikel, but you can call him Mike.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m sure you already know who I am.”
Gino let out a belly laugh. “We do. We do.”
“Have a seat please.” I gestured to the two chairs across from my desk.
I sat behind my desk and sized up the men. They were somebodies. They weren’t the average guys that scouted for pieces. These guys were a lot higher up the food chain. I almost felt intimidated in their presence.
“Thank you for meeting us on such short notice,” Gino said, clearly taking the lead and identifying himself as the man in control.
“It isn’t every day I get a visit from representatives from the Louvre.”
“I suppose not,” Gino said with a warm smile.
“What brings you gentlemen here?” I asked, wanting to get right to the point.
“We’ve toured your museums and reviewed your collections. It’s impressive.”
“Thank you,” I said. It felt good to be recognized by someone who worked for a prestigious museum like the Louvre. I didn’t think it got much better than that.
“We are very interested in buying your museum—museums,” he clarified.
“Excuse me?” I asked with shock. I could not have heard him correctly.
“We have noticed the great care in which you have taken to choose pieces for your collection. We want only about half of your artifacts, but it wouldn’t be fair to you to take the best half. We believe in doing a fair business and would like to buy it all. As you can imagine, the price would be more than fair.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m not sure I am looking to sell.”
“We could discuss some numbers and I’m sure we could come up with a deal that would persuade you to sell.”
I let out a long breath. I felt like I was in a dream. My eyes moved to the card. It looked legit, but maybe this was all one big hoax. Alec would not do something so mean. Mae? Patrick? I looked at the card again. It could be a move by Mae. I didn’t understand why though.
“In what capacity do you work for the Louvre?” I asked. It was a gentle way to verify their story.
Mike looked at Gino. I got the impression Mike was a very serious person. He didn’t seem to smile a lot. Or speak. Maybe he didn’t speak English. “We are buyers, curators of sorts. We track artifacts around the world. We have been following your collections very closely. We are impressed and would like to acquire what you have.”
“I appreciate the offer, but this is not something I expected or even considered.”
“We understand that.”
“I would like some time to think it over,” I told them. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t simply telling them no.
“Of course,” Gino replied. “We would like to invite you to visit us.”
“Visit you, where?” I asked.
“In Paris,” Gino answered with a laugh. “Come to see us at the Louvre. We would love to give you a private tour and show you not only what the public sees, but some future exhibits we are working on. It would be on us.”
I smiled. I was not looking for a free ride on a commercial flight. I wasn’t sure if the men knew who I was or my value. “That is a generous offer.”
“Will you accept? You will get to see the place where your precious items will be displayed.”
I offered another smile. “I will need to get back to you on that as well, but I would love to. I’ll need to check my schedule, but I will let you know.”
“You have my card. Give me a call.”
“Would you mind if I brought a guest along?” I asked on a whim.
Gino smiled while Mike gave a nod that reminded me of something I would expect to see from an Italian mob boss. “Please do. We want you to feel comfortable with the idea of passing along your life’s work. You must know our reputation. We will provide the best security for you precious artifacts. You will see and you will trust.”
“I have no doubt in my mind you have the best security in the world,” I agreed.
“But you have reservations?” Mike asked in a heavy accent.
I looked at him, surprised he could speak at all. “I do. This is my company. A company I have built from nothing. I do have some reservations about giving up something that I value far more than money.”
Mike was the one who looked confused. He was the other side of the wealthy coin. He was the side I never wanted to be. I didn’t want to be arrogant and so fucking stuck up I couldn’t be bothered to speak to someone he didn’t deign worthy of his voice. “Money is valuable. What is more valuable than that?”
I felt my scowl coming on. I tried to hold it back. I was about to say something I shouldn’t. Thankfully, Gino intervened. “Art and ancient treasures are valuable commodities indeed,” he said with a friendly smile.
“Will you be heading back to France today?” I asked, doing my very best to sound friendly.
He smiled. “We are going to be looking around a bit before we fly back.”
I wondered if they were thinking about checking out Mae’s museum. I didn’t offer the information, and truthfully, I hoped they left her alone. I wasn’t sure she would be happy to be pressured into selling her museum. It would be hard to say no to the Louvre. She would probably end up blaming me if they did make her an offer. I couldn’t have that. I refused to let there be any more drama between us.
“There is plenty to see in our city.”
“We’ll go. We don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’m sure you have plenty to do.”
“Thank you for coming by. It is an honor to be recognized by your institution. I will consider your offer.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Gino said.
Once they were gone, I closed my office door and leaned against it. “Holy shit,” I breathed.
I could have never guessed I would be getting a visit from the Louvre. I rubbed a hand over my face. The very idea still boggled my mind. I still felt like the poor kid from the bad side of town with no prospects. I had dragged myself out of the gutter and now what was quite possibly the biggest, most revered museum in the world was courting me. It should be a dream come true, but it didn’t feel like that. Hell, I didn’t know what I felt. There was about a million different emotions running through me.
There was only one person I wanted to tell. I wanted to share my excitement and fears with her. She would know what I needed
to hear. She would calm me down and help me see rationally. On one hand, I was flattered, and on the other, I was a little offended. They wanted my precious collection. A collection of goods I had spent years putting together. It was as if I did all the hard work and they were going to reap the rewards. I got in the dirt, quite literally, and I made the deals. I had suffered through some pretty rotten fevers and other ailments that had been picked up during my travels to some pretty sketchy places.
And now, someone wanted to buy it. Just like that. One check and all that hard work would be gone. All the blood, sweat, and even a few tears would be reduced to a check. A fat check, but a check nonetheless. There was only one person who would understand what I was feeling.
Chapter 59
Mae
I stood in front of my beautiful statue and smiled. Saturday had been amazing. I was only a little bummed Tyson wasn’t there, but I knew why he didn’t come. He was giving me the full spotlight. He didn’t want to distract from my moment. It wasn’t like he couldn’t see it any time he wanted. It was fabulous. I was anxious to see the articles in the various publications. I had called in numerous favors in order to get the press front and center.
I sighed with supreme satisfaction and walked to my office. I could hear my phone ringing in my purse and quickly dug it out. I saw Tyson’s face. It was a picture I had taken last night while we were at the park. It was a candid shot. He had been staring out at nothing with the sun setting and casting him in a soft light.
“Hey,” I answered.
“Can you get away?” he blurted out.
I looked around my office. “I don’t think anyone is holding me.”
“For lunch. Right now.”
I could hear the excitement in his tone. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, but I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, okay,” I said, trying to calm him down. “I’ll meet you in thirty minutes.”
We quickly arranged for a place to meet and ended the call. I wondered if he was upset about last night. I couldn’t bring myself to say I loved him to his face. I should have. I was going to. Maybe. I went into the bathroom and did a quick check to make sure I looked okay.
I put on a slick of Chapstick and grabbed my purse before rushing out of the museum. I was a little worried about the guy. I hoped things were okay. I got to the restaurant about a minute before him. He came in behind me and put his hand on the small of my back before kissing my cheek.
“Is my table ready?” he asked the hostess.
“Right this way,” she said with a bright smile and led us to a table.
The moment we were seated and drinks were on the way, I looked at him. Really looked at him. “What’s going on? You have me a little freaked out.”
“I had a couple of surprise visitors today,” he announced.
“Oh?”
“They stopped by unannounced.”
I nodded, waiting for him to get to the point. “I hate when that happens.”
He nervously laughed. “They were from the Louvre.”
“Like the museum in Paris?”
“Do you know of another one?”
“Stop,” I chided. “Were they touring the museum?”
“No. They came to my office.”
“Interesting.”
“I don’t know if it is,” he said. “They want to buy my museums.”
I blinked several times, unsure if I heard him correctly. “The Louvre wants to buy your museums?”
He nodded. It was evident he was in a daze. I supposed I would be as well if I were in his shoes. “Wow.”
“Exactly what I thought.”
“Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s flattering. I feel like I’m doing something right to garner that kind of attention.”
“But?” I prompted.
“But I have worked tirelessly to build each museum up. I have handpicked every item. I have had a hand in every display. In many ways, I feel like the museums are my children. I gave birth to them. I have raised them.”
“And now someone wants to swoop in and buy them out from under you,” I stated.
“Yes. Not just someone. The Louvre. I keep saying the name, but it is all so surreal.”
“Did you give them an answer?”
He shook his head. “No! That is not a decision I can make on the spot.”
“Are you considering it?” I questioned.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I am, but then a part of me is like that would be a huge honor. Then, there is part of me that doesn’t think I can say no.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s the—”
I held up a hand. “I know. I got it.”
The little vicious side of me couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. The man looked stressed. More stressed than I had ever seen him. His hair was mussed, and he had a bit of a wild look in his eye.
“I’m a little freaked out by this,” he said.
“I find it a little ironic.”
He turned the daze expression on me. “Ironic? How is this ironic?”
“Because you are the small fish in the pond this time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you are the guy that is being swallowed up by a much larger entity. You have worked your ass off to build up your museums and now someone wants to buy them from you. Your life’s blood is in each and every one of them. It’s a hard pill to swallow, is it not?”
“You’re comparing this to what I did with your family’s business,” he muttered.
“I am.”
“It wasn’t meant to be an insult to you or your business or anything like that,” he argued.
“Are you insulted by their offer?”
“I don’t know what it is yet,” he replied.
“Are you insulted that they have asked?”
He looked thoughtful. “A little.”
I smiled, nodding. “I get it. Trust me. I get it. I know what it feels like.”
“I guess you would.”
“I’m assuming the offer they will make you is going to be very lucrative.”
He let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair again. “I’m sure it will be. I’m just really not sure that’s what I want.”
I laughed. “I guess we don’t have to worry about that other little matter anymore.”
“What matter?”
“The contract I dropped off with you.”
He groaned. “Mae, I—”
I stopped him again. “Tyson, you have been offered something a million, possibly a billion times more than anything I could ever hope to give you. We both know the value of your collections. You are going to be paid very well.”
“It isn’t about the money,” he insisted.
Once again, I knew exactly where he was coming from. “I don’t suppose it is. Each piece holds a memory.”
“Yes!” he quickly answered with excitement before his smile faded. “Shit. You are talking about your own stuff again, aren’t you?”
“No. Yes. You have a lot more to be sad about than I was. We tend to get sentimentally attached to things. I grew attached with some of the things in our inventory. I did feel a little better knowing they went to a good home. Your things are going to a fancy museum where millions of people will see them. That should bring you some comfort.”
He shrugged.
“And make you a very, very wealthy man,” I said with a laugh.
“I don’t want to be Patrick.”
I burst into laughter. “You don’t want to buy a boat and golf all day, every day?”
“No.
He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “It does, or rather, it would, but who am I without my museums?”
“I guess you have to do a little soul searching and find out.”
“I’m too young to retire. I don’t want to start over. Tell me what to do.”
I reached out and took his hand. “I can�
�t tell you what to do. This is something you have to decide for yourself.”
“What a fucking mess. I make it to the top and things are going well and now I could lose it all.”
“You aren’t losing it,” I assured him. “You don’t have to sell.”
“But how can I turn them down?”
“Watch me,” I said and leaned forward. “No,” I dragged out the word. “Thank you, but no.”
“They’ve invited me to visit the museum,” he said.
“That was nice.”
“They offered to give me a private tour with the chance to look at some of the exhibits they are working on.”
I raised my eyebrows. “That’s awesome. Are you going to go?”
“I was hoping you would go with me. They offered all expenses paid, but I much prefer my jet. I’ll pay my own pilot.”
“Go with you? To France?”
He nodded. “I could arrange for a weekend trip. Could Hayden stay with Carrie?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I’m sure she could. It’s kind of a last-minute trip. I’m not really the jet-setting type.”
“I would love to have you along,” he said.
“I’ll ask and get back to you.”
“Say yes,” he insisted. “I need you there.”
“Why do you need me?”
“Because I am out of my element. I don’t know what to do. When they presented me with their offer, all I could think about was you.”
“Me?” I asked with surprise.
“You. I know we aren’t officially merged, but I just feel like this is a decision I need help with. You are a huge part of my life.”
His words were very flattering. It made me feel like I was actually a part of his life. “I’ll go,” I said, hoping the rest of the details would fall into place.
“Thank you,” he said with relief.
“Let’s eat,” I told him. “I don’t want you getting famished.”
“You are the one who gets grumpy,” he said with a laugh.
“And you are the one that nearly ate the seat of my car.”
We both laughed, lightening the seriousness of the mood. “They told me they wanted to buy me out because they didn’t want to cherry pick my good stuff and leave me with nothing.”