by Rush, Olivia
“Go on,” she said. “I’ll be fine without you.”
“Be right back,” I said.
I stepped to Damien’s side as we headed back into the apartment.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s Hunter,” he said. “He let it slip that you’re planning some kind of charity program?”
I scowled. Going behind my back and misrepresenting my social enterprise plans with the investors was pure Hunter, through and through.
“It’s not quite a charity,” I said as we made our way through the living room. “Not that at all, actually.”
“Well, you’re going to want to tell Martin and the rest of them that. Hunter is telling them that you’re getting ready to throw their—and my—money away on some bleeding-heart program.”
Martin Gold was the owner of the apartment, and he was just as wealthy as Damien.
I gritted my teeth, feeling at that moment like I wouldn’t mind socking Hunter right in the damn mouth. The two of us stopped in front of a large set of double doors, and Damien gave them a knock before opening.
The doors revealed a large, old-fashioned study. Inside were Hunter, Martin, and a few other investors from the party. All of them wore the same grave expression on their face.
“What’s this about a damn charity, Bryce?” asked Martin, a squat, heavyset man with a large nose and eyes that always seemed to be in a perpetual scowl.
I shot Hunter a brief glare. But Hunter’s expression was one of pure confidence, as if he couldn’t be touched and he knew it. I guessed that more than a few gin and tonics were behind this attitude.
“What did he tell you?” I asked, stepping into the middle of the room, commanding the attention of everyone there.
“I told them that you’re ready to spend their hard-earned money on free housing in the worst parts of town,” said Hunter. “In other words, the truth.”
“Wrong,” I said. “Wrong as hell. There’s nothing ‘free’ about it. It’s a social enterprise. We’re going to build low-income housing in tandem with local businesses that’ll revitalize neighborhoods—and turn a profit.”
That seemed to alleviate the tension somewhat. Throwing out the word “profit“” in a room full of investors was always good for that.
The eyes of the room were on me, and I didn’t waste the opportunity. I went into the same pitch I’d made at the meeting, giving the investors the bullet points on the housing plan.
“The next step for Carver Holdings, as you all know, is diversification. It’s the same as what I told you all before—I’m going to turn the company, with your help, from a simple investment firm into a true conglomerate. We’ll have a social enterprise branch, sure, but we’ll also have a robust tech department, IT services that are second-to-none, and, in time, our own manufacturing and shipping capabilities.”
Then I lowered my voice for the most important part.
“And all of you will be in on the ground floor. We’ll drop the ‘holdings’ and just be ‘Carver.’ And the name ‘Carver’ will be up there with Amazon or Tesla or Apple. One of the new great American companies.”
Hunter had screwed up. If he wanted to make me look bad, letting me get into CEO-mode wasn’t the way to do it.
“But this housing and commercial building idea,” said Martin. “They don’t seem to be high-return investments.”
“No,” I said. “It’s not quite a nonprofit, either. The housing will be affordable but not pure charity. With safe, clean, but not expensive housing on the top floors and shops and restaurants on the ground floor, they’ll turn profit, but more importantly, they’ll be our foothold into property development. It’ll show that I’m capable of setting off in a new direction and making it work, taking a chance on some hard-up places and turning them around for the better.”
I clasped my hands together.
“And we’ll be able to make a difference,” I said. “How many of you are simply interested in making money? Just amassing fortunes, piles and piles of cash simply for the sake of having more cash? What I’m offering you all with these developments is the chance to make a difference in the city—a true legacy of doing good.”
Then I went in for the kill.
“And, of course, every one of these new developments will bear the name of one of the investors who made it possible. Your names on display so that the city knows just who took a chance on meeting a need the rest of the city was content to ignore.”
That did it. One thing I’d learned long ago was that the fastest way to an investor’s heart was through his ego. And no one could turn down the allure of a building with his or her name on it.
The investors broke out into pleased murmurs among each other.
Hunter looked none too pleased.
“You all hear what he’s actually saying, right?” he asked. “He wants to spend your money on some tenements for the city’s poorest! Sure, you’ll have buildings with your names on them, but what about when they’re run-down crack dens in a few years?”
I didn’t let him go on.
“Hunter’s always been the cynical type,” I said. “He’s a great asset to the team, but his vision isn’t why I value him so much.”
A few chuckles sounded out at my very diplomatic dressing-down.
“Fine!” he said. “It’s your money.” With that, Hunter stormed out of the study.
“It sounds risky,” said Martin. “I’m not going to lie, kid.”
There were maybe five people in the world who I’d let call me “kid,” and three of them were in this room. I smirked.
“But you’ve already turned Carver Holdings into one of the top firms in the city,” he went on. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious as to what you’d be able to do with more resources at your disposal.”
Damien placed his hand on my shoulder.
“And let’s not forget that with his new wife at his side, Bryce will have all the support he needs for his newest ambitions.”
The words sent a tinge of guilt running through my body. Damien’s money was the key to all of this, and his lending it to me was based on a lie. I swallowed and kept on my brave face.
“She’s a lovely girl,” said Martin. “Honestly, knowing you’re putting all that playboy bullshit behind you was a major consideration in making my investment. Good to see you’re finally growing up.”
I cleared my throat and spoke.
“Feels good to have put it all behind me,” I said. “If I’d only known how good it feels to have the love of one good woman, I’d have done it all much sooner.”
Martin chortled.
“Don’t let blondie out there hear you say that,” he said. “That girl’s probably wondering why the hell you had her for two years and didn’t pull the trigger.”
“She seems to be doing fine,” I said. “She and Hunter are a good pair.”
“OK,” said Damien. “I think that’s enough business for one evening. Shall we?”
I agreed. Together, we all headed back to the party.
Chapter 26
Chelsea
“Miss me?”
I turned around on the balcony and was greeted by the sight of Bryce. He wore a confident smile on his face as he strolled out toward me, wrapping his arm around my waist when he was close.
“You look like you’re in a good mood,” I said, his touch making me hot.
“I’m in a relieved mood,” he said. “Hunter tried to put me on the spot about the low-income housing project. Had all the major investors in there waiting for me.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “What a prick.”
“I figured he’d pull something like this,” I said. “But I didn’t think he’d try something so soon, and at an event like this.”
A focused expression formed on Bryce’s face.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Just thinking about how I want to handle this. And I have an idea.”
“Handle what?” I asked.
>
“The low-income housing project. Really, the whole social division.”
“And what’s the idea?”
A hint of a smile formed on his lips as his eyes met mine.
“How do you feel about a reassignment?”
My own eyes went wide. “What?” I asked. “Surely you’re not asking what I think you’re asking.”
“I’m pretty sure I am. How would you feel about taking the reins on the social enterprise initiative?”
“No way,” I said, stepping back. “This new position you have me with is difficult enough. Handling something like this…I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“That’s the best part,” I said. “It’d be something you’d be building from the ground up. There’s already a tech department at Carver, but the social division is totally nonexistent.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” I asked.
“Think about it— you’re an entrepreneur at heart, and this would be the entrepreneur jobs to end all jobs. You’d make this division all by yourself with your own two hands. You’d hire the crew, you’d draw up the plans, you’d meet with investors. And when it was all over and done with, you’d be the head of the company’s entire social enterprise organization.”
My heart beat faster just thinking about it.
“And all of this responsibility is supposed to make me feel better?”
“Remember how you said your biggest mistake when starting Illimitable was to leave everything that you didn’t know how to do to Walsh and Becca?”
“Right,” I said.
“Well, here’s your chance to make up for all of that. If I put you in charge of this department, then you’d have the chance to learn all of those skills yourself. It’d be a hard learning curve, but you’d come out on the other side a true businesswoman.”
It was all so much.
“What about the tech department?” I asked. “That’s where my real skill set is.”
“You’d still be working with the tech department to put together the web presence the division is going to need. And every business leader has skills that he or she brings to the table—yours is your years of tech experience. That’ll give you a hell of an edge.”
“And I can’t help but think that you’re suggesting this because there’s something in it for you.”
“There is. Hunter’s latest move here showed that he’s not going to be sitting on his ass while I remake the company. If I get too personally involved in the housing initiative, it’ll draw too much attention to the project. But if I put you in charge, you’ll be able to put it all together on a low profile. By the time it’s up and running and we’re ready for the investment money, it’ll already be in motion.” He went on. “And on top of that, you being out of the tech department will keep Walsh and Becca off your back. And I’ll give you the OK to bring some of your own team over to work with you directly if you want.”
It sounded good, surprisingly. I said nothing, letting his words settle in my mind.
“It’d be just like starting your own company,” he said. “But this one would be bigger than any you’d ever dreamed of. And you’d be putting it together from the ground up, with your own two hands.”
I didn’t know what to say. I had never dreamed of building low-income housing, but I’d definitely dreamed of running my own company. I’d almost done it, too, but I hadn’t been confident enough in exactly the skills Bryce was offering me a chance to develop. It was a dream opportunity, and at that moment I felt like I’d be a total idiot to turn it down.
“No need to come to a decision now,” he said. “I just laid a lot at your feet.”
“You sure did,” I said, still reeling from the offer.
“What do you say about heading back in?” he asked.
“I think I still need a few minutes to process everything. You know, think about the fact that you’ve just offered me the biggest opportunity of my life.”
He chuckled, his mouth spreading into that gorgeous fucking smile of his. “Sure,” he said. “Just remember—I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that I didn’t think you were capable of. And the list of things I don’t think you’re capable of is shrinking by the day.” He leaned in and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. “Take your time,” he said. “And come find me when you’re ready.”
With that, he stepped back into the apartment.
I took in a deep breath before throwing back the rest of my drink. As soon as I brought the booze down in a hard swallow, I knew I’d need another before too long, if only to help me deal with everything that was going on.
The balcony was long, to put it mildly. It wrapped all the way around the building, and I decided to do a loop before heading in, figuring that’d give me enough time to sort out my thoughts.
About halfway through the walk, however, I spotted a familiar face standing alone, a drink in his hand as he looked out onto the city—it was Hunter.
As soon as I turned the corner and saw him, my instinct was to do a one-eighty heel-turn and march right back to where I had been. I hadn’t forgotten the way he’d leered at me that first time we met, and hearing what Bryce had said he’d just pulled didn’t make me any more eager to speak to him.
But he looked up and took notice of me, and I realized right away that there was no getting out of a conversation. Things might’ve been tense between him and Bryce, but that didn’t mean I needed to give him the cold shoulder.
“Hey,” he said, speaking in that car-salesman tone, the one that made you feel like you couldn’t trust a word out of his mouth, even something as simple as a greeting.
“Evening,” I said.
I walked up to his side, making sure to keep a good few feet between us.
“You out here by your lonesome?” he asked.
“Yep,” I said. “Just have a lot on my mind.”
“Same here,” he said.
“Where’s Felicity?” I asked. “I’ve been here for a good hour and I still haven’t gotten a chance to say hi.”
“She’s in there doing the whole social butterfly thing. Once she gets into the zone there’s no turning her off. Not until she’s good and ready.”
Then his eyes flicked onto me again, this time in that leering way I recognized.
“That’s a hell of a dress,” he said. “Looks like it was made just for you.”
I turned my head just enough to notice the scent of whiskey floating through the air. And now that I was closer to Hunter I could see that there was the slightest trace of unsteadiness to how he stood.
He was drunk—no doubt about that. I wondered if his reaction to getting shut down by Bryce had been to down a few shots of whiskey and stew in self-pity.
“That fucking fiancé of yours made me look like a real ass,” he said.
Question asked, question answered. I began mentally preparing my escape from the conversation.
“Sounds to me like you were the one who started it,” I said.
Hunter snorted. “He was the one who started it by making that stupid fucking decision to waste money on charity handouts. No goddamn way could I stand by and not say anything while he pulled something like that. We could be making millions on luxury condos in Noe Valley and he wants to play goody-goody with shitty apartments for shitty people. Un-fucking-believable.”
He then raised his hand in front of him, as if signaling to himself to put the brakes on his rant.
“Sorry,” he said. “Don’t mean to talk about business.”
Then he leaned onto the balcony railing, his drunkenness causing him to do it in a very ungraceful manner.
“I gotta question,” he said. “How the hell did Bryce ever get a girl like you, anyway?”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Just saying,” he said. “You and he got engaged so fucking fast. How the hell did he pull that off with his whole ‘stoic CEO’ act?”
I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to slap him or just turn and walk away.
Stupidly, I humored him.
“He was sweet,” I said, almost tricking myself into believing the lie. “He didn’t ogle me when we first met, for one.” I couldn’t resist.
“Well, when you’ve got a body like yours and you’re wearing a dress like that, you can’t really blame a guy for looking,” he said.
Oh, great.
“You’re drunk,” I said, my tone sharp.
He snorted. “You think I need to get drunk to notice how fucking hot you are?” he asked. “Hell, you’d have to be blind to not notice.”
He took a step closer to me, leaving only a few inches of distance between us.
“Listen,” he said, “I know how much of a fucking bore Bryce is. Total stick-up-his-ass prick. But you look like a girl who knows how to have some fun. And you’re not married yet.”
“I’m sure Felicity wouldn’t be too happy to see what you’re doing,” I said.
“She and I have an understanding,” he said. “We’re both the type who has a hard time settling down. So I think you and I ought to just go for it, you know?”
I felt the touch of his hand on my hip. Instinctively, I gasped and jumped back a step. Hunter’s hand slipped off and dropped lifelessly to his side. I would’ve been well within my rights to slap that smug-looking asshole right in the face. Instead, though I can’t say why, I had pity on him.
“Listen,” I said, making my tone as stern as I could. “I know you just got your ego wrecked, and I know you’re drunk. So I’m going to give you the chance to put this stupid, stupid mistake of yours behind you. Got it?”
He snorted again, acting like a petulant little kid. “Fine,” he said. “Whatever.”
Then I jabbed a finger into his face. “And if you ever try anything like that again, I’ll let Bryce know. And something tells me you wouldn’t like what would happen if I did. Understand me?”
“Fine,” he said. “Whatever.”
I knew that I was letting him off easy—too easy. But more than anything I wanted to get the hell out of there.
“Good night,” I shot over my shoulder as I turned on my heels and hurried back inside.
Right then, I needed that damn drink.