by Rush, Olivia
There was something strange to his tone, something cold and distant.
“Sure,” I said. “And what does that mean, exactly?”
He leaned back in his seat and folded his hands on his lap.
“It means that you’ll be working here on the executive floor. I figure that this will give you an opportunity to learn how things are done here, as well as to keep the two of us working close. For appearances’ sake.”
“Right,” I said.
I wasn’t surprised that he clearly didn’t want to discuss what had happened Saturday night. That didn’t make it all any less uncomfortable.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Is this a promotion? Does HR know? This all feels very…business-like.”
He crinkled his brow, as if I’d said something totally bizarre.
“But that’s what this is,” he said. “Business. And you’re a business partner, the two of us working to achieve mutual goals. And let’s not pretend that what’s going on here is anything but that.”
The words were direct and cold and clinical. But I couldn’t show any emotion. To do so would mean that I was under the impression that there was something more to the sex and everything else that we’d shared.
“Now,” he said, “we’re meeting some clients for lunch in a half-hour. You ready to put on your game face and do this?”
I nodded.
“Sure,” I said, doing my best to banish all traces of weakness from my voice.
Because if there was anything I couldn’t be from here on out, it was weak.
Chapter 18
Bryce
As soon as Chelsea left my office, a tight, uneasy feeling took hold of my gut. I didn’t like having to be so distant to her, but I knew it was the only way to make sure we didn’t let what was going on get the better of us.
The truth was, I was beginning to feel something for her, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. And I didn’t know how to handle it. The first time we’d slept together, I’d been in control of myself. Sure, Chelsea’s beauty had caused me to get a little more carried away than I might’ve otherwise been, but I was genuine in my desire to break the sexual tension between us.
And I thought that would be it. But it wasn’t.
I knew there was going to be trouble the first time I saw her in that blue dress. She looked like something out of a dream, a picture of beauty that I wasn’t equipped to handle. Our night out was magical, and having her on my arm felt right.
I must have been getting carried away with the whole “love at first sight” story that I’d come up with to explain our sudden engagement. It was almost as though I’d made it real just by stating it.
But this wasn’t love. It simply couldn’t be. Love was something that you could prepare for, that you could see coming. And it sure as hell didn’t happen so quickly.
I needed some fresh air. I left my office, heading down the hallway, congratulations from various employees shooting out from here and there. A few of the secretaries gave their well wishes, and I could sense that a few of them were wondering what they could’ve done to be in Chelsea’s position.
Little did they know.
The executive balcony was empty, and I was pleased to see that I would be able to get some peace and quiet. It didn’t last long, however. The door opened behind me and I turned to see it was Hunter, a big smile on his face.
“Afternoon, boss,” he said, stepping to my side and slapping his hand on my shoulder in that way I hated. “You recover all right from the weekend?”
“More or less,” I said, gingerly taking his hand off my shoulder.
“Bitchin’,” he replied. “Yeah, shit was wild with Felicity. Girl knows how to party, but I bet you already knew that.”
He nudged me in the side, and I did all I could not to shake my head at how crass he was being.
“But, shit,” he said. “I still can’t believe you’re engaged. Bryce Carver, the great Bay Area pussy-slayer is off the street. End of an era.”
“Have I ever told you what a way with words you have?” I asked Hunter, turning my gaze back out onto the city.
“You may have mentioned it a few times,” he said with a smirk. “Anyway, there’s a nice little bonus to you marrying this girl.”
“What are you talking about?“ I asked.
“She’s one of the owners of that tech firm we just acquired, right? I’ve been talking with the two other owners, the ones who worked with me on the buyout, and they’re ready to start selling that firm by the piece.”
Now Hunter had my full attention.
“You’re going to have to fill me in on this,” I said. “We’ve had a few buyouts over the last few months, and you handled this one. What are you talking about ‘selling’?”
A big smile spread across Hunter’s face. He was clearly pleased as hell about what he had to tell me.
“So, this firm had some great products courtesy of your new girl. But man, were they bloated and running about as inefficiently as humanly possible. So, when I started the process of scooping them up, I started the talks with the other two owners to bring the entire firm into the fold, then once we had the patents for the tech transferred over, dump all of the extra weight and make their products the centerpiece of our new tech division. Brilliant, huh?”
“Wait a minute,” I said, holding up my hand. “When you say ‘dump all of the extra weight,’ you mean—”
“Just what I said—cut loose about eighty percent of the staff. We can keep the founders, Chelsea, and a couple of others, but once we have the products, we don’t need the rest of the crew. Then it’s pure profit.”
I must’ve had an expression on my face that betrayed how surprised I was to hear this.
“What?” asked Hunter. “You’re surprised to hear this? I hope you’re not going to freak out about it—I’ve already cleared all this with the other two founders. It’s a done deal. You’ll get Chelsea on board, too, I’m sure.”
“When I said that I wanted to turn my company into a conglomerate, I didn’t mean I wanted to strip-mine startups and toss people out on the street.”
“You’re kidding, right?” asked Hunter. “What did you think I was going to do when you put me in charge of these acquisitions?”
“Not this,” I said. “And this is going to send a hell of a message once we get the social enterprise divisions going. Like we’re paying penance.”
“You’re still on that nonprofit kick, huh?” asked Hunter.
“It’s not a ‘kick,’” I said. “And it’s not a nonprofit. But it’s my top priority after the expansion. And it’s going to be discussed at great length at the meeting in an hour.”
“Shit,” said Hunter, glancing down at his gaudy, expensive gold watch. “Gotta finish getting ready for that thing. See you then, boss!”
Hunter stepped back into the lounge, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I was furious, both at Hunter and myself. I’d put Hunter in charge of the various acquisitions in order to free up my attention on the expansion, and now I was paying the price. I should’ve known that he’d go about the process in the most ruthlessly efficient manner possible.
And now I had the matter of telling Chelsea to contend with. If she knew that the company she’d spent the last few years of her life building was going to be pulled out from under her, person by person, there was no telling how she’d react.
I finished my coffee and returned to my office. Once there, I decided to keep this a secret for now. I had enough on my plate, and so did Chelsea. For now, I needed to focus on the meeting ahead.
After a quick call to my receptionist, I had Chelsea on the line.
“You busy?” I asked.
“A little bit, but nothing I can’t put on hold. Why?”
“Because I have your first assignment as tech department liaison. We’ve got a meeting in an hour where we’ll be discussing what we’ve got planned for the next mo
nth at Carver Holdings. And I want you to be there.”
Chapter 19
Bryce
Twenty minutes later, Chelsea was back in my office. I hated it, but all I could think about as soon as she stepped in and I got another glimpse of her legs was how much I wanted her again. The woman had a hold on me that I couldn’t shake.
“You want me to be in an executive meeting?” she asked, shutting the door behind her. “I know this is part of your new business promotion, but I’m serious when I say I don’t know the first thing about executive business.”
“That’s the whole point,” I said. “You want to move up in this company, you’re going to have to learn how things work at the top level. And being present in these meetings will be the first step in that process.”
She nodded, appearing to get it. But Chelsea still looked nervous as hell about the whole thing.
“Listen,” I said, stepping around the desk and placing my hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to tell you this as many times as it takes before you get it—I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that I didn’t think you could handle.”
She took in a deep breath.
“Just seems so intimidating, is all. Makes me wish I was back at the beginning of starting my company, when writing apps was the only thing I needed to worry about.”
“You do what I know you’re capable of, and you’ll be moving up to the top of the pyramid. This is your chance to show you’ve got what it takes. And for now, all you have to do is listen and learn.”
“Listen and learn,” she repeated. “I think I can handle that.”
“I know you can,” I said. “So, let’s do this.”
I opened the door, and the two of us were off. After a quick trip through the hallway, we arrived at the conference room doors.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Ready.”
The two of us stepped into the vast room, the space dominated by a long, twenty-four-person table, the back window clear glass that looked out onto the city. The front wall held a massive TV screen along with a podium. The executives had already arrived, a dozen and a half men and women in professional attire all seated along the table, their eyes locking on me as soon as I entered.
“Just take a seat down at the end,” I said quietly to Chelsea.
She hurried down to one of the free seats at the end of the table and slid into it.
“How about a congratulations for the recently engaged?” called out Martin Waller, one of the senior execs.
Polite applause broke out in the room, and I watched as Chelsea’s face took on a slight blush. I smiled and raised my hand, the applause soon fading.
“Thank you all,” I said. “It’s been a hell of a week for Chelsea and me, and I’m sure we’ve got much more celebrating to come. But for now, I’d like to get right into the matters at hand.” I turned my attention to Chelsea. “For those who don’t know, Chelsea Lane is one of the founders of Illimitable Technologies, one of the companies we’ve recently brought into the fold.”
Hunter flashed me a thumbs-up accompanied by a toothy, boyish grin.
“There’s a reason she’s here, and it’s not just so I can show her off, as tempting as that might be.”
Light chuckles sounded out from the group.
“Chelsea and I met in an elevator, as you’ve probably heard, but we’ve been working closely throughout the process of going through potential candidates to serve as an executive liaison between the new tech department and those of us on the top floor. So do your best to make her feel welcome, and I’ll be most appreciative.”
I hit a few keys on the laptop in front of me, turning on the TV behind me and bringing up a satellite image of San Francisco.
“Now, as you all know, right now is a period of major change for Carver Holdings. The investments we’ve been making over the last few years have been paying off, and we’re on the precipice of shifting from a mere investor to an actual producer. The tech department will be the first of many new production wings of this new conglomerate. And behind me is another, the one that I’m potentially the most proud of.”
I typed in a few more keys, zooming in on the southeastern portion of the peninsula.
“The Bayview,” I said, gesturing toward the screen. “For too long has it been one of the more troubled areas of the city. Crime and poverty have reduced one of the most beautiful parts of the city to one of the most violent. Many consider this neighborhood to be a write-off, just one more neighborhood doomed to be left behind. But I don’t see it that way.”
A few more keystrokes and the image zoomed in even further, locking in on a street-level view of a block full of run-down tenement buildings.
“It’s no secret that San Francisco building code is some of the most restrictive in the country. Hell, maybe even in the world. Due to tight municipal regulations, most investors see low-income housing as an unprofitable investment. After all, why spend millions of dollars to house the worst-off when you could spend that same amount and build luxury condos for the wealthy?”
“Damn good question,” said Hunter.
I raised my hand to silence him. “It takes quite a bit of money and influence to build low-income housing in this city. But the good news is that after this final round of investments goes through, Carver Holdings will be able to make it happen.”
A keystroke here and a click there and the run-down buildings on the screen were replaced by clean, modern apartment buildings, perfect for families of modest means.
“Housing on the top for low-income families, and businesses on the street level. Just what these neighborhoods need to get back on their feet. There’s going to be a housing revolution in this city, and the Carver Units in Bayview are going to be the first step.”
Alice, one of the executives, spoke up.
“This all sounds impressive,” she said, “but you’re speaking about the next round of investments as though they’re a done deal. Don’t we have a major holdout with Damien Winter?”
I shared a knowing look with Chelsea before turning my attention back to Alice.
“We’ve still got a few investors on the fence, Mr. Winter being one of them. But I had a brief meeting with him recently, and he appears to be coming around. If Damien decides to move forward, it’ll give the rest of the investors the confidence to come on board.”
Approving murmuring sounded from the executives. But Alice was right—Damien hadn’t signed on yet. However, I could tell that seeing I was engaged had made quite the impression on him. If I could hold this fake marriage together, then I was confident he’d go through with the investment.
But without him, the low-income housing would go no further than the mock-ups on the TV behind me.
“And what’s the reason we’re even bothering with low-income housing?” asked Hunter. “I say we do what everyone else is doing and just build the fancy stuff. More money, more prestige— what’s not to like?”
I could tell Hunter wasn’t done with his objections, so I stepped in. “Because a city comprised of nothing but million-dollar condos is a city that doesn’t function. A city needs people from all walks of life, not just millionaire tech workers. It’ll make our company look damn good, and what’s more, it’s the right thing to do.”
I sensed that doing the right thing didn’t matter one bit to Hunter. He was in it for the money. But lucky for me, my name was on the front of the building, not his.
Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get even a word out, I held up my hand. He got the hint.
“The purpose of this meeting is to outline my plans for the near future. If anyone has any objections, I’d be happy to hear them in private and after the meeting.”
Hunter nodded slowly, a one-on-one obviously on his mind.
“And during this time,” I went on, “we’re going to continue our acquisitions of promising local companies. My fiancée Chelsea is an employee of one of these acquisitions, and though she might be a biased sou
rce, I’m sure she’d tell you that being a part of the Carver family has worked out well for her and her fellow employees.”
Chelsea nodded politely. Thankfully, her expression didn’t betray her frustration at her company being subsumed into mine.
I spent the rest of the meeting going over a few promising companies I thought were worth looking into in future purchasing decisions. After a few more quick questions, the meeting was over.
The execs filed out of the room, leaving only me and Chelsea and Hunter. Once he noticed he was alone with both of us, he spoke up.
“I wanted to ask some questions, but if you two want to do some wedding planning or whatever, don’t let me stop you.“
“If you could give us a minute alone, darling,” I said to Chelsea. “Why don’t you go grab some lunch? Head down to the Primrose down the block and give them my name. They’ll make sure to open up a table for you.”
“You mean our name,” said Chelsea with a smile as she bounded up from her chair.
I had to smile at how well she was playing the part.
“Before too long,” I said as she stole a quick kiss on the way out. “I’ll meet you down there when I’m done here.”
She flashed me another smile over her shoulder as the door shut behind her, and I couldn’t help but devour her with my eyes as she left. Hunter tapped at his phone before slipping it back into his pocket.
A silence hung in the air after she had left, only broken by the steady ticking of the antique clock on the wall.
“You’re serious about this?” asked Hunter, pointing to the mock-up of the low-income housing.
“You think I mentioned it as a joke?”
Hunter sat back in his chair, folding his hands across his slim stomach. “How long have I been a part of Carver?” he asked.
“Nearly as long as I’ve run it. Back when we were nothing more than a shared office in the Mission.”