by Nina Singh
It occurred to her that Justin had most likely never experienced anything like that.
“I can’t imagine having someone else do it.”
“And I can’t imagine even knowing where to put anything.”
She could show him, was her first thought. An unbidden image flashed in her mind of the two of them standing in front of a brick fireplace with a roaring fire as they hung stockings above the mantel. She blinked it away. How utterly ridiculous of her.
She really had to get a grip. This man was the boss’s son. Which essentially made him her boss. There was a chance he was going to usurp her duties while he was here. And there was an even greater chance that he was going to shut down the store that had meant the world to her growing up. She had zero business dreaming up idyllic, romantic fantasies of the two of them.
And anyway, he was absolutely not her type. Not that she even knew what her type was anymore. Not after the fiasco with Warren and his utter betrayal. In fact, she decided then and there that she no longer had a type. She’d sworn off men entirely. At least until she was fully established in her career.
Justin was invoking sensations she’d held dormant for too long, and this was not the way she wanted to reawaken them. With a man who was so outrageously out of her league in every single way.
Blessedly, the song ended and she moved to step away from his embrace.
But a commotion of noise and boisterous cheers distracted them both before she could excuse herself.
Jackson Hammond had just arrived.
* * *
Justin knew the exact moment his father walked in. He didn’t have to see Jackson to know he was here. Even if other guests hadn’t been calling out Jackson’s name in greeting, Justin would have sensed his presence. The air changed whenever someone like his father entered a room.
The magic of dancing with Carli seemed to dissipate as the real world returned along with his father’s arrival. He sighed slowly and let her go. Served him right. He’d forgotten for a brief moment that he wasn’t one of those men who could dance carefree with a beautiful woman in her quaint, charming apartment full of holiday cheer.
Damn it. He should have left when he’d had the chance. What had he been thinking? Allowing himself to be distracted by Carli and her notions of perfect Christmases with happy memories. Now he had to make nice with the father he’d barely seen in several years who for some sudden, inexplicable reason had needed his expert financial advice.
He wasn’t even curious as to why. He honestly didn’t care. He just wanted to do what was asked of him and return to his life. There was nothing in Boston that endeared it to him. Though he couldn’t help but glance at Carli as that thought flitted through his head. If only he’d met her in a different time, under different circumstances.
And if only he’d been a completely different man.
“Looks like dear old Dad is here,” he remarked.
Jackson made a beeline right to where they stood as soon as he spotted them. Smiling, he placed a firm grip on Justin’s shoulder. “I didn’t expect to see you here, son.”
Justin winced inwardly at the last word. “Miranda can be quite persuasive.”
“She always did have a soft spot for you.” He turned to Carli and gave her a nod. “I see you’ve met the host of this lovely get-together. She’s also better known as my right hand.”
“Justin and I have gotten to know each other a bit over the past few hours,” Carli offered.
If his father had any kind of untoward feelings for his young, beautiful project manager, he was doing an excellent job at hiding it. Maybe Jackson had indeed changed and was no longer the notorious philanderer his mother had frequently accused him of being. More likely, Carli was the type of professional who would not abide that type of attention from a man she worked for.
Justin hadn’t known her for long, but he realized now what a huge error in judgment it had been to even entertain the notion that Carli would be the type of employee who would date her elderly boss.
“Yes, she’s been very helpful. The report she prepared and delivered held a wealth of useful information. Enough that I was able to make some quick initial judgments.”
Jackson studied him. Was that appreciation he detected in the old man’s eyes? Probably more for his protégé and the file she’d prepared, Justin figured.
“Well, I don’t like to get into business discussions at these events,” Jackson said. “Let’s go over everything tomorrow, the three of us, and you can tell me what you’ve concluded.”
Justin was ready to agree when Carli surprised him by holding her hand up. “Wait. I’d like to say something about all this.”
Both men turned to look at her. She appeared downright apprehensive. “Carli, do you have an issue with meeting tomorrow?” Jackson asked. “Is your schedule full?”
She shook her head, a tight firm line to her lips. “No, my schedule isn’t the issue, Mr. Hammond.”
“Then what is it?”
She turned to Justin. “I know what your first recommendation is going to be, Justin. And I’d urge you to reconsider.”
“Reconsider?”
She swallowed. “Yes, I know you’re going to argue that Hammond’s should close the Cape store. And I realize you’re the expert. But I think that would be a big mistake.”
“I don’t understand.”
She inhaled on a deep breath. “If that’s indeed your recommendation, I’m afraid I’ll be fighting your decision.”
Jackson at that point stepped slightly between them. “All right. Clearly we have some things to discuss. But I think we should save it for the office. This is not the time or place.”
Carli looked ready to argue but then abruptly closed her mouth and looked away. “You’re right, Mr. Hammond.”
Justin nodded his agreement as an awkward silence descended. Finally, Justin excused himself and went to grab his coat hanging from the rack by the front door. He’d give his regrets to Miranda later about having left without saying goodbye. Right now, he had other things on his mind.
Looked like he and Carli Tynan were about to butt heads on yet another matter.
CHAPTER FIVE
SHE WAS EARLY; it had been impossible to sleep. Carli adjusted the collar of her business jacket and took a sip of her coffee. Jackson and Justin would be here in a few minutes. She was more than prepared to try to make her case, but the enormity of the task was not lost on her. The facts were definitely not on her side. How in the world was she supposed to convince a hard-nosed, by-the-numbers businessman that he should keep open a store that was seeing declining profits?
He’d appeared somewhat shocked last night at the party. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out. But there was no way she could have kept quiet knowing where it was all leading.
Jackson’s idea was that they sit together first thing this morning and hammer it all out.
Pulling out a chair at the long mahogany conference table, Carli took a deep breath and sat down. The whole floor was eerily quiet. No one else had come in yet. Traffic outside on Boylston Street had yet to pick up. The sun just now starting to burn through the crisp winter air.
The dinging of the elevator signaled the arrival of someone else. She glanced at her watch. Still another twenty minutes. So she was surprised when Justin appeared in the doorway. Dressed in a white shirt and navy silk tie, he looked every bit the successful tycoon.
Such a different image than the one he had projected last night at her party. Then he’d been casual, lighthearted. He’d danced with her, confided in her. He’d been friendly and open. Until the whole matter of the store.
He gave her a tight nod before entering the room. “Carli. Good morning.”
“Justin.”
“I see we’re both early.”
There was
no hint of the genteel man who had swayed with her to hip-hop Christmas carols last night. The thought tugged at her heart. How she wished they could just sit down and discuss all this as just two friends who happened to work for the same company.
But Justin gave no indication that he was feeling at all friendly. The man was solidly in back-to-business mode. So be it. There was really only one objective here.
He glanced at his watch. They were both thinking the same thing: the sooner Jackson got here, the sooner they could get this all over with.
“There’s coffee in the break room,” she offered. For lack of anything else to say. The awkward silence was starting to rankle her.
“I’ve already had three cups this morning,” he said dismissively.
“Oh.”
“Thanks though,” he said, his tone softer this time.
It was Carli’s turn to check the time. She glanced at the classic wall clock behind Justin. Only five minutes had passed. What were the chances Jackson would be early for once in his life? Slim to none, she figured.
Clearing her throat, she made one more attempt at light conversation. “So, did you have fun last night? At the party?”
He looked up from his cell phone, his eyebrows lifted. “Yes, I was having a great time.” At his words, she realized how much fun she’d been having too. The way Justin had held her, how warm his arms had felt around her waist as they danced.
“Even with all the annoying Christmas music playing?”
He smiled at her. “Yes, even so.”
Her mind automatically recalled the way it had felt to slow dance in his arms. The hammering of her pulse at the way he’d held her, pulled her closer to him on the dance floor. She’d felt his heartbeat against her chest, and it had served to accelerate her own.
It had been months since she’d even been out on a date, let alone been touched by a man. And to have that man be Justin Hammond of all people. She’d been thinking about it all night, when she wasn’t fretting about this meeting.
Like a silly girl with a crush.
“I’m glad you came last night,” she admitted, surprising herself. “I probably should not have brought up the matter of the store. It was really not the time nor place.”
He merely shrugged.
“You’re probably not used to being second-guessed. And I understand why that would make you frustrated,” she began, and then cringed as the words left her mouth. The phrase was straight out of a management training handbook or seminar on dealing with difficult colleagues. She could tell by his expression that the same thought had occurred to him.
Carli hated this. This wasn’t her. She was usually the articulate, straightforward professional who knew exactly what to say to get her point across. With Justin she just seemed to keep stumbling.
“That’s not quite the word I would use.”
She was trying to come up with an answer to that when he suddenly stood. “Perhaps I will go get a cup of coffee,” he said, and moved to the door. “Would you mind texting me when Jackson comes in?”
He left the room before she could say yes.
* * *
Justin paced the hallway outside the break room and felt his phone vibrate with Carli’s text. He’d had no intention of getting any coffee; the last thing he needed was more caffeine. He’d just had to get out of that conference room.
Carli Tynan affected him like no other woman he’d ever known. What had all that been about last night? He’d been about to give his father an overview of his observations on the retail operations when she’d cut him off like he was an errant child. Then she’d made some cryptic remark about how he was wrong on one major point, and she wanted a chance to explain.
Jackson had stepped in then and suggested they all meet this morning to get to the bottom of it all. Not that it would prove useful. Justin could guess what was happening. Carli must feel unsettled that he was here now. She’d been the one running the show alongside his brother and father. No doubt she felt threatened because of his presence.
He didn’t even really blame her.
Well, now that his father was here, they could finally get to the bottom of it, once and for all.
He found Jackson at the head of the conference table when he arrived back in the meeting room. He nodded in greeting. Carli remained where she had been seated.
“Now, what’s this all about, you two?” Jackson wasted no time.
Justin paused. Damned if he knew. He waited for Carli’s answer.
She cleared her throat. “As you know, I prepared some figures and analysis for Justin like you requested.”
“Thank you for getting that done so quickly,” Jackson told her.
“You’re welcome. It was just a matter of pulling together all the info.”
“It was all very useful information,” Justin added.
“So what’s the problem, Carli?” his father asked.
She appeared visibly nervous. “I know Justin has come to some conclusions based on the information.”
“That’s correct,” Justin jumped in. “Several issues can be addressed to increase profit margins. Some major, some minor.”
“It’s one of the more major ones that I have an issue with,” Carli said. “Something Justin mentioned yesterday that he is considering.”
Both men waited for her to continue.
“Justin is thinking of closing one of our stores. The one on the Cape. I have to stress that I think that would be a big mistake.”
That’s what this was all about? The closing of a store that was bleeding cash? If he recalled correctly, that particular location hadn’t been in the red for about five years.
“I see,” Jackson said, rubbing his chin.
Justin looked from one of them to the other. “I’m afraid I don’t. The store is nothing but a drain. Frankly, I’m surprised no one’s suggested shutting its doors before this.”
“I’m very familiar with that store, Justin. I grew up in Westerson. Even worked there as a teen. It’s how I ultimately came to work for Hammond’s Toys corporate office. I’m personally aware of all it’s potential.”
Ah, so this was all about the human factor, even if Carli didn’t want to admit it. Perhaps not even to herself. But as a businessman, every part of his being told him that something had to be done. The store just wasn’t viable as a business unit.
“The fact of the matter is, that location cannot continue to run as a viable retail store. It’s just not performing. That’s my professional opinion.”
Carli set down her pen. “But perhaps if we could just give it a chance to turn things around. I know the head manager. He’s very hardworking. And flexible. He’s been ill the past few years. But now that he’s back on his feet, I think he’ll be able to make the store profitable again now that he can devote all his time.”
“I don’t see how,” Justin countered.
“There are several ways. For one, logistically the bulk of the town’s children are getting older, so we’ll need to invest more in things like video games and high end technology toys like drone flyers. Like I said, the store manager just hasn’t been able to spend as much time on following the trends. But he’s fine now.”
“And if he gets sick again?” Justin knew it sounded like a cold and heartless question. The way she sucked in her breath and shot a surprised look at him said she thought so too. Something shifted in his chest at the thought that he’d disappointed her. He squelched it down.
He felt for Carli. He really did. But he’d been asked his professional opinion. He would have to be honest giving it. “I was asked to come here and offer my analysis based on experience. And to make suggestions. I’m only stating the facts. The brick-and-mortar stores are not where the sales are. Their expenses continue to grow as their sales slide more and more every year
. This particular store is probably just the start.”
Jackson raised a hand; he’d been surprisingly silent up until now. “I believe there’s really only one way to approach this,” he began.
Carli and Justin both looked at him expectedly. When he spoke again, it was with clear authority. “I’m going to have both of you go to the Cape for a few days. Look at the store, make some observations. See if there are indeed any opportunities to turn things around.”
Carli’s jaw dropped. Justin was taken a bit aback himself. What was there to see at the physical location that the file hadn’t already told him?
“But Mr. Hammond—” Carli began before Jackson stood and stopped her with a curt nod.
“That’s my final say.” He pushed his chair in. “I’d like you both to spend at least a week. This is the ideal time to go. Right before Christmas. Go to the Cape. Make the decision together. We’ll regroup once you get back.”
* * *
A whole week? This was a disaster in the making. How was she supposed to spend a whole week with Justin? In her hometown, no less?
Carli shut her office door and leaned back against it. She had to somehow get her mind around this new development. All she’d wanted to do was make a case this morning to give the Cape store some more time to turn things around. Not in her wildest imaginings would she have guessed this would be the result.
This was so not the way she’d imagined returning home after everything that had happened last year. The truth was, she wasn’t even sure if she was ready to go back. It was all too fresh. Sure, her family had come to visit her in Boston, even Janie. But she hadn’t been able to make her way back to town. Not yet.
Now she was going to have to do it with Justin Hammond in tow.
A knock on her door startled her. She opened it to find Justin on the other side.