by Ali Parker
I burst into laughter. “You’re going to have two. Don’t be selfish. I only need one for a short time. I’ll give him back.”
He was shaking his head. “You don’t know the first thing about kids. No way.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, obviously I’d hire a nanny. I only need it to show the lawyer I have a kid and to get my birthright.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind.”
I let out an exaggerated sigh. “I had to ask.”
“Yes, you did. Asked and answered. Is that seriously what you’ve been sitting here thinking about? You’re weird, man, really weird.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t going to tell him exactly what I was thinking about. I already knew he would think I was a total dick for even thinking about using Hannah’s company to persuade her to have my baby. I guess I could sweeten the pot. Pay her some money and offer a very healthy child support payment. Then I thought about Justin and how happy he was in the days and weeks following the birth of one of his children. He would whip out his phone and show me photos of the kid doing nothing more than sleeping. He was giddy.
Somewhere deep down, I wanted to know that feeling. I wasn’t exactly the nurturing type, but neither was Justin before his first kid was born. It had changed him. At first, I had been irritated by the change, but then I saw how happy he was. It made me happy for him. It didn’t necessarily make me want to have my own, but I could respect his choices.
“I was thinking about work and a new company I’m looking at buying. Nothing more,” I lied.
He slowly nodded his head. “It must be a really good deal to make you that happy.”
I smiled. “It is. I think it will end up working out great.”
“For you or the current owner of the company?” he pressed.
I shrugged. “I would hope both.”
“But you’re not sure?”
“Sometimes, the owners or CEOs of the companies I buy are not thrilled to have me stomping all over their territories. Things get messy when there are too many cooks in the kitchen. When I get the feeling that could be an issue, I tend to lean toward replacing the management.”
He nodded in understanding. “I see. This company, will you be keeping the management?”
“I don’t know. I have a lot to think about,” I said honestly.
He took another drink from his glass. I could tell he knew there was more to the story, but he didn’t press the issue. I wasn’t quite ready to voice my idea. I wasn’t sure if it was something I was really willing to do. I was as passionate about being the head of my company as she was about remaining the head of hers. I was willing to do just about anything to secure that position and had a feeling she would as well.
It was a big ask. I was meeting with her tomorrow. I would present my current proposal and see what kind of reaction I got out of here. Then, I would know where I stood and how far I could push her. There was always the chance she would tell me to go to hell and find another way out of her predicament. I doubted it, but there was a slim possibility.
“I should probably get going. Jenna wants to tell the kids about the babies this weekend. She wants to do one of those big reveal things for the families,” he muttered, clearly not excited about the idea.
“Congratulations again. That is big news,” I told him as we finished our drinks and got ready to head out.
He was going home to a full house and I was going home to my empty luxury apartment. I knew what to expect when I walked through the door. It would be quiet and clean with no toys littering the floor or the smell of a woman wafting through the room.
That was fine. It was exactly how I liked things to be. I liked clean. I liked walking around in my underwear, drinking a beer, and not worrying about my glass coffee table being a danger to a toddling child. I liked my life just the way it was—neat and tidy with no drama.
Chapter 6
Hannah
When I walked through one set of the three glass doors that led into the lobby of the Bancroft Building, I was seriously impressed. It exuded wealth and prestige from every surface. Everything gleamed from the marble floors to the marble pillars, which stood century on either side of the massive room. The Bancroft name gleamed in solid black marble on the floor, just in case a person didn’t know where they had landed.
I walked toward the tall desk in the center of the lobby where six people were lined up, ready to direct a visitor to the correct floor. I did my best to appear just as powerful as all the other people milling about the lobby, carrying briefcases and cups of coffee as they chatted with one another.
“Good morning, I’m Hannah Adams to see Grayson Bancroft.”
The man typed in my name, nodded, and instructed me to head up to the fifteenth floor. I did as he instructed, stepping inside an elevator with gold trim and shiny mirrors all around. I rolled my eyes at the expression of wealth everywhere I looked. I wondered if this was to cover up shortcomings in other areas.
When I stepped off the elevator, I encountered another receptionist’s desk who pointed me down a long hall where I was finally face-to-face with Grayson’s secretary. The man must pay a fortune in operating costs alone, I thought to myself.
I gave my name—again—and was instructed to have a seat in the waiting area. I looked at the comfortable couches facing each other with a coffee table covered with neatly arranged magazines on the table.
I was early—on purpose. I wanted to scope things out. Amber and my attorney would be along any minute. There was no way I was going into a meeting alone with that shark. He smelled blood in the water, and I knew he was coming in for the kill. I had to decide exactly how bad I wanted it to hurt when he did.
“Hey!” I heard Amber’s friendly voice.
I stood to greet her and Kevin, my attorney. “Hi.”
“My God, this place is insane. I felt like I had to get past the little dragons to see the dungeon master,” she quipped.
I nodded in full agreement. Grayson emerged from the double doors of what must have been his huge office, I gathered. He looked at each of us. I could see him sizing us up like a fighter stepping into the ring with an opponent.
I leaned over to whisper in Amber’s ear. “Pretentious much?”
She giggled and gently elbowed me. His eyes met mine and once again I was afraid of going into cardiac arrest at the sight of him. Good Lord he was handsome. And dangerous. I couldn’t forget dangerous. He turned to say something to his secretary in a low voice, ignoring us, clearly deciding we were not worthy adversaries.
“Hot. Smoking hot,” she whispered back.
I looked at her. “True, but you can’t think like that. This man will likely be your boss,” I reminded her.
She looked at me and grinned. “And yours.”
I shook my head, trying to knock out the fantasy of him and me on my desk. I couldn’t. I would never dare. Although, if he were anyone else, I would most definitely dare with him. The man was tall, dark, and dangerous, which made me very hot between the legs.
His eyes turned back to mine. “We’ll meet in here,” he announced.
I led Amber and Kevin into the room, taking in the huge space that rivaled the oval office, except it was dark and masculine. It didn’t have the airy colors that made a person feel welcome. It reminded me of walking into a mahogany dungeon. It was too dark for my tastes, but I supposed it was very manly. There was an older man sitting in a comfortable-looking chair facing a table, wire-rimmed glasses on his nose as he studied a portfolio. He didn’t bother looking up as we entered the room. A pretentious man obviously had a pretentious attorney. I pegged the guy the second I laid eyes on him.
“Have a seat.” Grayson gestured to the sitting area with a large coffee table in the middle set atop a true Oriental rug with oranges and browns to match the room. There was a stack of manila folders on the table. I stared at them as if they were poisonous snakes ready to bite. I knew what they were. Whatever documents were in those folders held the fate of my
company, as well as my own.
We took our seats, Amber and I each taking a couch with Kevin opposite us, leaving the leather chair at the head of the table open for Grayson, as he would likely expect. I was half tempted to get up and take the seat just to piss him off.
“This is Edmund, my attorney.”
The man mumbled something, giving us each a cursory glance before returning to his reading.
“This is Kevin, my attorney, and I believe you met Amber the other day in the store.”
He nodded. “Briefly. Can I get anyone a drink?” Grayson offered, moving to stand next to a full bar against the wall.
I purposely looked at the tiny diamond watch on my hand. “No thank you,” I said, not needing to point out it was ten o’clock in the morning.
He grinned and poured himself some ginger ale before taking his seat. “I’ve put together a proposal that is more than fair. My attorney has reviewed it, and I expect you’ll want to have your legal department review it as well.”
Kevin picked up one of the folders on the table, as did I. Amber looked at me before grabbing another one from the stack. I should have brought more people with me I realized. He had anticipated my legal department coming. That would be Kevin and a handful of paralegals. Grayson’s attorney sat silently as if he weren’t even there, which was intimidating. I had a feeling that was the purpose.
I dismissed him from my mind and focused on the proposal in front of me. As I read, I felt my heart slide down into my stomach. There was a roaring in my ears and my mouth went dry. I could feel my hands shaking as I held the folder in my hand, doing my best to appear as if everything were completely normal.
I would lose my position if I accepted his offer. I would no longer be CEO of my company. I would be jobless and completely lost. I looked over at Amber who had a look of sadness on her face before I looked at Kevin. He was still reading. Good. I wanted him to cover all the fine print.
“Well?” Grayson asked looking at me.
“Well, what?” I snapped.
“Will you be signing?”
“You want me removed as the head of the company?” I asked, wanting to hear him say the words.
He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “I do.”
“Why?”
“I believe it’s in the best interest of the company to have a change in management.”
I glared back at him before turning to review the paperwork once again. I was so angry I was having a hard time controlling my gut reaction to get up and walk out of the room in a huff. I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t only lose my job, but all the people who worked for me would also be out on the street.
Kevin finally looked at me. I knew he thought it was a fair deal. It was, on paper, but to me, it was like cutting out my heart and soul.
“I’d like a few days to think about it,” I said.
He dipped his head. “I think we can arrange that. How about I come by your office on Monday?”
He was acting like he was talking about stopping by with coffee. “That’s fine.”
I stood, shook his hand like a professional, and walked out of the room with my head held high. I wouldn’t let him know how badly he had gutted me. Kevin rode with Amber and me down to the lobby. He ran into someone he knew and excused himself, promising to call me later in the afternoon with his opinions and suggestions for revisions. I nodded, unable to speak.
The moment we walked outside, I stepped away from the huge entrance, leaned over, and began to cry. Amber’s hand was rubbing my back, offering me comfort.
I stood up and wiped my eyes, being careful not to smudge my makeup. “I’m going to be fired.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe we can figure out some other way.”
I shook my head. “You and I both know he is the only one who has shown any interest in the company. He already made it very clear if he walks away, no one else is going to bother. It will be gone for good. His way is the only way the doors stay open.”
We began to walk down the sidewalk. I slid my big, dark sunglasses on, hiding my face to the busy city streets of New York. “I don’t understand why? He asked me why I wanted to stay on. I thought he understood how dedicated I was. Then he pulls that crap?”
“It was a mean thing to do.”
“I need to try again. Maybe I can convince him to give me a chance, like a trial period. I mean, it will save him money in the long run. I already know the business. I have contacts in the industry he can’t possibly have. I have built a solid reputation for myself,” I said, defending my need to stay on as CEO.
She took a deep breath. “Maybe you can convince him to keep you in a management role, but not as the CEO.”
My mouth dropped open. “No! I can’t work for someone else in my own company!”
“I’m sorry, I was just suggesting it as a way to keep you in the company.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Can we get a cab? These heels were not meant for walking twelve city blocks.” I groaned.
She laughed. “I was only following your lead.”
“Thank you. I was caught off-guard. I really thought he would let me stay. I wish I could kick him in the shins for leading me on like that,” I muttered.
When a cab pulled up, we climbed in and were on our way back to my office. If the deal went through, things were going to happen fast. I could be spending my last days as CEO of my company. It hurt to think of my future without my company in it. It was going to kill me to sit on the sidelines and watch it flourish without me and I was confident it would. All the building blocks were there, it was only a matter of putting the blocks together to make it happen.
The cab stopped, and I quickly paid the driver before looking up at the store window. I had handpicked the models, helped create the perfect shades, and even had a say in the naming of the colors. My touch was on every part of the business. He could push me out, but I would know all the formulas and colors were mine. I had created that.
As we walked through the store, I looked around. I couldn’t lose it. I couldn’t! I would put my pride aside and go back to the man and beg for my company. It would be humiliating, and I would hate every nanosecond of it, but if it let me keep working for the arrogant, hot jerk, I would do it.
Chapter 7
Grayson
The look on Hannah’s face had stuck with me all weekend. I had felt a small twinge of guilt. I would probably never forget the way her mouth had dropped open and her shoulders slouched as she read my outline for the company. I had debated doing it, but it had to be done. At least, in my mind it was the best scenario for both of us. I got what I wanted and so would she.
I knew I had her right where I wanted her when she asked for a few days to think on it. It meant she was trying to come up with a way to persuade me to let her stay on. She had been expecting to stay on as CEO and when I had dropped my little bombshell, it took her by surprise. If she had been expecting it, she would have been prepared with a counteroffer.
I had almost considered letting her when I had the proposal drafted. I was so close to giving it to her when I realized I had an ace to play. The woman was not one to let anything go without an earnest fight. I knew she was ambitious and passionate about her company, which I was counting on. She was going to negotiate and plead. I had something she wanted, and she had something I needed. It would work in my favor—I hoped.
It was tough to calculate exactly what her play would be. She wasn’t like the other business owners and CEOs I had dealt with in the past. There was a fire in her eyes that made her a little hot to handle, not too hot, just hot enough. This meeting with Hannah had been on my mind since she’d walked out. I felt as if we were in a chess game. I was trying to anticipate her next move, ready to make a counter. It was exciting. Hell, it was the most fun I had had in a long time.
I strolled through the flagship store, noting nothing had changed since my last visit. I had an eye for detail and had wanted to see if she would make a move to sabotage the deal. She hadn
’t. The store was clean and the woman who greeted me was dressed in a uniform befitting an upscale-makeup boutique. I liked it. I saw a lot of potential and was eager to put my own personal touch on the place to take it from great to outstanding.
I made my way to the office floor, announcing my arrival to her secretary. I was sent right in. Hannah stood up from behind her desk, then walked over to me. A pretty pink shirt, highlighting her femininity, and black slacks paired with black heels.
Fuck me she was gorgeous! Her hair was loose and falling around her shoulders, giving her a very natural look, despite the business attire. I let my eyes roam over her body and definitely liked what I saw.
“Good morning,” I said with a cool smile as she shook my hand.
“Good morning.” She gestured to one of the chairs facing her desk.
I sat down, waiting for her to take her seat. “Have you reviewed my offer?” I asked, getting right to the point.
She cleared her throat. “I have.”
The way she said it made me question my earlier confidence. “And?”
She folded her hands on top of each other. I noticed the perfect manicure. She took a deep breath and looked me dead in the eyes. “I’d like to ask to stay on as the CEO of the company. I want to keep control of the daily operations and maintain my position with the ability to make day-to-day decisions. I would propose that your buyout would put you in an investor-type position with the ability to make some of the bigger business decisions.”
I didn’t smile outwardly, but inwardly I was. I had expected her to ask me as much. “Why? Tell me why I should do that.”
“Because I built this company from the ground up. This company exists because I thought of the concept and I made it happen. It was my blood, sweat, and tears that built it to where it is today. I am confident in my ability to turn things around. I am open to your input and suggestions. However, I know this business. You don’t.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but she held up her hand, ordering me to stop.