He sighed and Mom said, “Monroe Media Agency isn’t doing well.”
“What do you mean not doing well?” This was worse than me getting fired.
This time Dad spoke up. “We are losing a lot of money. In fact, it’s been happening for a while.”
This was the last thing I’d expected my father to say. “Does anyone else know about this?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “A few people do. We kept it secret because we thought we might turn it around quickly, but business hasn’t picked up.”
I nodded, wrapping my head around what he was saying. “Is there anything I can do to help? Recruit more clients?”
My father reached across my mother and patted my knee, before pulling Mom’s hand into his. “You’ve been doing an amazing job. You and the social media team have been doing a phenomenal job and are the one component keeping Monroe Media Agency alive.”
“But that’s not enough.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s not enough, unfortunately. A series of poor investments have hurt us financially, but I’m taking full responsibility because everything stops with me. I’m doing my best to save the company, but we wanted to tell you personally. We didn’t want you to hear about it through the rumor mill or potentially from someone else. We will give everyone plenty of notice if they need to find new jobs. We know how much this company means to you.”
I didn’t know I had cried until a tear landed on my hand resting in my lap. Mom grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and handed it to me. I dabbed at my eyes and sniffled.
“Thanks for telling me.”
My mom leaned over and pulled me into her arms, enveloping me in her warmth. How I wished I could stay in her arms and have my problems drift away, much like they did when I was a child.
“Your mother knows what’s going on with the company, because I never want to lie to her, and she knows I’m trying to fix everything. And I have a couple of things in the works that might pan out, but nothing is concrete.”
“Is there any way I can help?”
“Not right now, kiddo, but I’ll let you know if things change.”
The desire to tell my parents about the encounter with the man who gave me terrible vibes was shoved to the edges of my mind. His words ran through my mind once more and a sense of unease overtook me, but I assumed my father’s news was playing a role as well. After all, we had bigger problems to deal with.
I tried to block the thoughts racing through my mind, because I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to stop crying. My father, the man I had always known to be indestructible, was barely hanging on by a thread. We all rose slowly. Dad took a step around my mother and pulled me into his embrace, and it was something I didn’t know I’d needed. I appreciated him coming to me with this issue. Not just as one of his employees, but as his daughter. He knew how much the company meant to me and how one of my own goals was to take it over one day once he retired. Now that dream was hanging in the balance. In an attempt to not go down a rabbit hole of emotions, I took that moment to feel the comfort my father’s loving arms brought me.
2
Anais
“You look tense.”
“And that’s why I’m here. Well, outside of seeing you.” I loosened my coat as I walked farther into Devotional Spa. Ellie had been working at the spa for the last couple of years.
“I’m glad you clarified that comment.” Ellie’s smirk was ever present, much to my chagrin.
“Are you giving me a massage or what?”
“You won’t let me have any fun, huh?” she asked as she stood up. She headed toward the door, and I followed behind her. “You know the drill. I’ll see you in my usual room.”
“Thanks.” I paused. “Also, thanks for letting me come in at the last minute.”
“Not a problem. You know I’m here whenever you need me. You sounded pretty upset, and I had no more appointments, so it was fine.”
I stopped to look at her. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and mischief was shining in her brown eyes. She was a couple inches shorter than me, even more so because of me wearing heels to work today. “You have no more appointments because you’re supposed to be closed.”
“Semantics,” she said with a shrug. “How about you get ready, and I’ll meet you in the other room? Then maybe we can go out for a drink?”
“That sounds heavenly. You are literally an angel.”
“Or a devil in disguise,” she told me with a snort. “See you in a second.” With that, she left me in the changing room. They designed the brightly lit room in neutral colors and had a couple rows of lockers for people to put their stuff in. There were some neatly folded towels set up on a small counter near a row of sinks for patrons to grab if they needed it. I walked to the row of lockers that I usually went to and placed my valuables inside. It didn’t take me long to change out of the clothes I was in, put a robe on, and lock my things up. I then headed to the room that Ellie used for most of the sessions we had together.
The lights in the room were more mellow than the ones in the locker room, creating a warmer and more relaxed atmosphere. Light music was playing in the background and I took off my robe and lay down on the massage table. Once I was settled, Ellie knocked on the door and entered the room. She said nothing as she began the massage. My body relaxed almost immediately, and the stressors of the day flowed from my mind. I knew if Ellie would let me, I would stay on this table forever because it would prevent me from having to face any of the issues that I needed to deal with. Work had been taking a toll on me recently because of longer working hours balancing the clients we had and doing my part to recruit new ones. That, plus a lack of sleep and always being on the go was leading to some of the heightened anxiety I was feeling.
“Relax,” she said.
That’s when I realized I had tensed up once more. I did my best to think of tranquil and peaceful ideas versus the thoughts that had been raging in my mind for the last couple of weeks. The Swedish massage that I normally received, and that Ellie was giving to me now, helped to relieve the tension and stress that I was feeling. The kneading and circular motions that she was performing worked wonders on my back and I felt some of the troubles from work melt away.
It was time I left work at work and focused on relaxing. I might have nodded off because by the time I came to, Ellie was softly tapping me on the shoulder. I squinted briefly and realized she was standing with her feet crossed, leaning on one of the counters. I closed my eyes once more, not really wanting to move from my position.
“You can head down to the sauna if you want to,” she said.
I groaned as I moved my muscles a bit. “That felt amazing, but I think I’m ready for that glass of wine.”
“Okay, well, I have a few things to finish up here, but they shouldn’t take long. I’ll meet you out front.”
“Sounds good.” I opened one eye to watch her leave the room. I sighed, and it took a couple of seconds for me to convince myself that I need to move in order to get what I desired most right then: wine. I extracted my limp body from the table, grabbed my robe, and headed into the locker room to change back into my work clothes.
Reclothed in my brown dress and black heels, I threw my long brown strands into a quick ponytail. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, because for the first time in a long time, my pale skin glowed while my green eyes had taken on new life after the massage. I snatched my purse off the bench in the locker room, put on my coat, and walked back into the hallway toward the front desk.
Ellie exited out of another room. “Ready?”
“Yup,” I said as I fixed the strap of my bag. “I think that massage made me look twenty-nine again.”
Ellie chuckled. “It doesn’t hurt that you’re only thirty. I just need to say goodbye to Jill at the front desk, and we can be on our way. Are you cool with just heading back to the apartment?”
“Do we even have wine in the apartment?” The idea sounded h
eavenly. I could take off these shoes for a short while and ride in a car versus the subway.
“Now what type of question is that?” Ellie smirked at me and turned her attention back to the front desk. “Do you need anything from me, Jill?”
Jill smiled. “Nope. Everything is wonderful here. I’ll lock things up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” Ellie walked over to a side door and held it open for me. “I drove today, so the car’s parked in the garage.”
“I’m so glad you went into massage therapy.”
“Is that because it’s beneficial for you?” The sly look on Ellie’s face told me she was kidding.
“No, because you’re so good at it. Well, I guess it’s on a selfish level, because I do directly benefit from it.”
“I will let Mom and Dad know. Another point in the win column for me,” Ellie said. She was alluding to the fact her parents disapproved of her chosen career path, but she wasn’t willing to change her profession to fit their desires.
I nodded as we started down the brightly lit hall. The clacking of my heels echoed off the walls and floor, and soon we reached a huge white door at the end of the corridor. Ellie pushed the door open and held it for me as I walked through. It opened into a smaller hallway with two elevators.
Ellie pressed the down button and turned her head to look at me. “When was the last time we hung out?”
I tried to think. “Has it been about a month? Although we’ve lived together for years, it has been a while since we saw each other because of work or other obligations.”
“Whoa,” she said. “I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
“Is this why you wanted to invite me to the gala?”
She shook her head. “It was very last minute and I’m only going because my parents can’t go.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Don’t sound so enthusiastic about it.”
I chuckled at her sarcasm. I wasn’t thrilled about going to an event because when it came to the things that Ellie’s parents attended, the people were stuck up, but I wanted to help Ellie out if I could. Throwing on a pretty dress and some makeup was fine, but sometimes schmoozing with other people got tiring.
“I have the invitation at home, so I’ll show you when we get there. I know this isn’t exactly your scene, but I know you have several fancy dresses or like I said we could go shopping. It would be an opportunity for us to hang out.”
“I’m shocked you didn’t want to bring one of the guys you're dating.”
She shrugged. “I probably could. I want to invite you. Because it’s way easier than having to ditch somebody at the end of the night.”
That got my attention. Ellie never had a problem securing a date, but never did anything serious. I, on the other hand, hadn’t dated in at least six months, and preferred it that way. “Don’t you usually have an understanding with the people you date?”
“Yes and no. It’s complicated.”
“Sounds like it.” But I didn’t prod any further because the elevator had arrived. We stepped inside and waited as it took us to the garage.
Once the door opened, I stepped out and looked around. “I didn’t know there was another way to get down here.”
“I know many things about this place and this town.”
Although she finished her comment with a wink, I knew she wasn’t kidding. I had seen her knowledge in action, and it impressed and terrified me. The random things she retained were both useful and scary.
It wasn’t long before we were driving down the New York City streets on the way to our apartment. I watched as the glow from the streetlights bounced off the cars crowding the street. Although it was evening, traffic was still pretty heavy in the “City That Never Sleeps.” The low, airy, and soothing music that played at the spa served as the soundtrack for the light conversation we were having to pass the time. The ride home was swift, all things considered, and I sighed and closed my eyes when my back hit the soft cushion of our couch.
“Here you go.”
I opened one eye and found a glass of wine staring back at me. “Thanks. Is this Merlot?”
“Yes, it is, and don’t worry about it. Also, here’s the invitation.”
I took the thick ivory-colored card out of her hand and read it over. “Pretty invitation and an open bar.”
“Happy to be going now? Plus, what else were you going to do on a Friday evening?”
“Bury myself under a blanket on our couch with a pint of ice cream and watch Netflix?”
“Why are you coming out with me then?”
I laughed as she held out her glass to clink with mine and we sat back to enjoy the delicious wine.
3
Damien
“Is this a family intervention?”
I spared my younger brother Gage a glare as he strolled into the room, fifteen minutes late.
“Glad you could make it,” his fraternal twin, Broderick, tossed out from next to me.
We were sitting around an enormous table in one of the many conference rooms in a building that had been dubbed “Cross Tower” due to a lot of our operations utilizing space at this location. Broderick and I had arrived on time to this mysterious meeting, while Gage stayed true to his colors and walked in after we were supposed to arrive.
“Happy to see you too, Ric.”
I shook my head at his snark and mentally prepared myself for Broderick to snap back because Gage had shortened his name. This was something that always riled Broderick up when they were kids, and it came as no surprise when they sometimes reverted back to it. My eyes drifted toward the door to see if our father had arrived. What was surprising was our father was late and that was unlike him. Maybe he was operating under the assumption Gage was going to be late, as usual, and was wrapping up a few more things before joining us here.
We all shared brown hair, although the twins’ hair was a couple of shades lighter than mine and my father’s. Dad’s hair was becoming more salt and peppery by the year. He and Gage shared the same hazel eyes while Broderick and I inherited our mother’s blue eyes. I smoothed down my black tie, which was usually what I wore to work, and turned to look at the door when I heard it open.
“How about you two cut the bullshit before you revert to five-year-olds?” This was a waste of time.
“Good afternoon, boys. Thanks for coming over on such short notice.” Dad walked into the conference room, not hearing any part of the conversation that had just happened.
While I watched him close the door, any other thoughts I had vanished. The one that remained had been nagging at me since he summoned us here just a few hours ago: Why had Dad called us here with no warning?
“Gage, have a seat,” Dad said as he took a seat across from the three of us on the other side of the table. Gage and Dad arrived at their respective chairs at the same time and took a seat with no fanfare.
“Dad, what’s up? What’s with the urgency to get us here?” I was glad Broderick addressed the elephant in the room first.
Dad said nothing as he straightened his posture.
“The Meyers merger is moving forward.”
Relief flooded the room. We had all been pulling our weight to make sure the deal occurred, and finally our efforts had paid off. Of course, all of this would need to be approved by the board of directors but getting Meyers and Company to this point had taken a couple years of hard work. The board had been ready to approve the deal a year ago. Dad had been the CEO of Cross Industries since our grandfather retired and now Broderick, Gage, and I served as senior vice presidents outside of the ventures we took on outside of the parent company.
“And that’s another one added to the empire.”
Gage wasn’t wrong. Our family had done really well over the years after my great-grandfather had started his first company in the 1800s. It eventually became one of the biggest banks in the United States. That helped start what people called the “Cross Empire” in New York City and around the
world.
Dad went into more detail about the next steps in the merger over the course of twenty minutes. We spent a couple of minutes talking about other business before Dad pushed his chair back, signaling that we could wrap things up.
Once we were done, Broderick stood up. “Thanks for calling us in for this, Dad.”
“I wanted to keep you up to date. After all, this will shift the focus of the end-of-the-year board meeting a bit, but we should have a call with the rest of the team about it. Before you leave, I wanted to remind you three about the holiday bash your mother is putting together in a couple of weeks.”
I smirked when I heard Gage groan. I was sure all of us were thinking it, but two of us had enough sense not to make those feelings known. Mom organized an annual holiday bash for New Year’s that I didn’t think any of us were particularly fond of, but we attended because she wanted us to.
“Okay, you three can leave now.”
We got up and headed toward the exit. My brothers left the room first, and just as I was about to trail after, Dad called me back. “Damien?”
I turned around to face my father.
“A moment? And could you shut the door?”
I raised an eyebrow before complying. I placed both hands in my pockets as I walked back over to the conference room table. Dad slid a folder across the table to me, and it landed just out of my reach.
“What’s this?” I asked before I leaned across the table and dragged the file toward me with the tips of my fingers. I flipped the cover open and skimmed part of the first page. In it was information about James Monroe, CEO of Monroe Media Agency. I looked at my father for a second and picked up the folder. He and my father shared similar salt-and-pepper hair, but James’s hair was shorter. The photo must have been recent because he looked similar to when I last saw him. The next photo in the file was of a good-looking woman around James’s age. It took me a second to confirm she was Ilaria Monroe, James’s wife. I flipped through more of the pages until I came across a photo of a stunning brunette with bright green eyes, much like James’s. Her skin was paler than his and my mind flirted with what her body would look like underneath me. Who was this? I could see the family resemblance, so she had to be their daughter. When I found her name, I looked up at Dad again. I knew he had caught me staring at the photo for too long based on the look on his face.
Savage Empire: An Enemies to Lovers Dark Billionaire Romance (Broken Cross Book 1) Page 2