by Kate Pearce
“Is it so difficult to believe I might wish to spend some time in your company?”
“Yeah, actually, it is,” Rio replied evenly.
“Isabelle?” Graham looked directly at his ex-wife. “Please?”
Knowing both his mother’s tender heart, and her extreme love of drama, Rio wasn’t surprised when she capitulated.
“Oh, I’ll come then.” She sighed. “But Rio doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to.”
Like he’d let his mother walk into that lion’s den without him.
He hesitated. “We do have a prior engagement with Yvonne, Mom.”
“Yvonne?” Graham asked.
“Yvonne Payet. She’s a friend of Rio’s—a good friend,” Isabelle said.
“Then please, bring her along, too.” Graham sat back. “My admin will give you the address.”
Rio went across to take the folders from his father’s hand. “Thank you.”
Graham didn’t quite let go of them. “I’d prefer the papers to be signed before you leave town.”
“That depends on what they say, and whether my mother needs to speak to her lawyers,” Rio said.
“I have no desire to cheat your mother out of anything.”
“That’ll be a first.” Rio jerked the folders out of his father’s fingers.
“It’s a shame that seven years away from civilized society have obviously tarnished your manners, son.”
“You think this is being uncivil?” Rio met his father’s gaze head on. “You have no idea.”
“Rio.” Isabelle put her hand on his arm. “Let’s go.”
With a sharp nod at his father, Rio acceded to his mother’s unspoken plea and left the room with her. He still needed to process what had just happened. The non-event somehow didn’t ring true, or was his father right, and had his ability to behave in a civilized manner disappeared?
No. Graham Howatch was a devious snake who could not be trusted. He’d had that lesson rammed into his head at a young age, and he wasn’t going to forget it.
He waited while Isabelle got the details for the dinner party, and then walked her back to the elevators. After checking his cell, he realized he would probably have time to meet Yvonne for lunch after all, but decided he’d better stay with his mother and at least make an attempt to go through the paperwork with her.
“Graham looked thinner, didn’t he?” Isabelle said. “But still quite distinguished.”
“For a despicable human being, I suppose he did.”
“Oh, Rio. Don’t be so hard on him.”
“Me?” He looked down at his mother. “You once threatened to cut his throat, and bury him in the desert so the coyotes could dig him up and eat his bones.”
“I was annoyed with him!”
“You were in a court of law! Why do you think he ended up getting full custody of me? Nothing’s changed, Mom. He’s just better at hiding it.”
She bit her lip. “I suppose you are right. But, maybe he’s just lonely, and wants to reconnect with his family?”
“Mom,” Rio said gently. “I know you love happy endings, but this isn’t one of your soaps. Dad treated you appallingly. He had an affair right under your nose with my nanny !”
“Yes, he did, but I didn’t behave very well either.”
“You were a saint compared to him.”
“Yes, but still, I was very young, and I didn’t always—”
“Shall we go?” Rio interrupted her.
The elevator doors opened, and they got in, and were whisked down to the lobby. Outside, the sun was shining, and the roar of the city traffic permeated even the thick glass doors. Rio contemplated getting a taxi versus persuading his mother to walk a block or two.
“Please listen to me.” Isabelle put her hand on his arm, and he looked down at her.
“What is it?”
“I wasn’t a saint, Rio. I behaved very badly and refused to compromise with Graham about anything. That’s why I lost you. I’ll regret that for the rest of my life.”
“You weren’t at fault,” Rio said firmly. “You were played by a master. How else were you supposed to behave when he had all the power on his side?”
She sighed. “That’s very sweet of you, darling, but I wasn’t a fool. I knew what I was doing when I married him. I thought being beautiful meant I could have everything I wanted in life. I was spoiled rotten, and that should’ve ended when I had a child.”
Rio looked over her head toward the street outside. “Can we talk about this some other time? I’d hate for one of Graham’s minions to overhear us.”
“You never want to talk about it.” Isabelle patted his arm. “But you are right. We really should be getting on.”
As they approached the exit, a uniformed man sitting by the door sprang to his feet.
“Mrs. Martinez? I’m one of Mr. Howatch’s drivers. He told me to offer you a ride back to your hotel.”
Isabelle smiled in delight and spun around to face Rio.
“That would be lovely, wouldn’t it, darling? How kind of Graham to think about us.”
Rio sighed, and followed his mother and the driver outside. He didn’t trust his father at all, but he wasn’t stupid enough to antagonize his mother and this would save her a long walk or a long wait for a cab.
Was she right? Had her behavior contributed to the breakdown of his parents’ marriage? He’d always hated his father and idolized his mother, but was there more to it than he’d imagined? He shrugged off the thought. That was the trouble with seeing his father. The man looked so innocent that it was almost impossible to believe what a monster he could become when he was thwarted.
After all these years, Isabelle might be willing to forgive Graham and accept her share of the blame. Rio still wasn’t sure if he would ever be in that position. He’d never told his mother how bad things had gotten once she’d left. He’d been afraid that she’d get so angry that she’d literally go for his father’s throat, and then he’d lose her forever.
He’d go through the documents with her during lunch, and then leave her to make her decision. After that, he’d go and meet Yvonne. With the mood he was in, he wasn’t going to let anyone give her shit.
* * *
Yvonne glanced at her cell, and worried her lip. It was almost two o’clock, and there was still no sign of Rio. He hadn’t texted her since his initial confirmation that he’d meet her at the Tasty Treats Productions offices. Which was where she was now, sitting outside the conference room, waiting....
“Yvonne?”
She looked up at the man striding toward her and did a slow double take.
“Rio?”
He halted in front of her. His usual smile was absent. “Sorry, I couldn’t get a cab. Am I late?”
She pointed at his chest. “You’re wearing a suit!”
He looked down at himself. “Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No, you just look . . .” She tried to frame words. “Delicious.”
His eyebrow went up. “Better than my cowboy look?”
“Just different.” She rose to her feet and walked a slow circle around him. The suit was very dark with a tiny pinstripe, and he’d paired it with a white shirt and grey tie. “It fits you like a glove.”
He shrugged, creasing the fine wool over his broad shoulders. “I was just glad it still fit me.” His gaze traveled over her. “You’re looking pretty good yourself.”
She fiddled with the floppy bow of the white silk blouse she’d worn underneath her pale blue pantsuit. “It feels weird not to be dressed in black.”
He grimaced. “You and me both.”
“Did you cut your hair as well?”
Now he was looking embarrassed. “No, you’re just not used to seeing me without my hat. How did lunch go?”
She glanced around the empty space. “Okay, I think. It was just Priscilla and Greg. Their boss and the other members of the team are going to be in this meeting. They are already in there, talking things through.”
She stared down at him. “What do you mean?”
“Money, fame, a line of your own cooking products? What’s important to you?”
She blinked at him. “Wow, put you in a city, and in a suit, and you become a totally different person, don’t you?”
“I’m just trying to make you think about what you want. Having some kind of game plan before we go in there is always useful.”
“I think I’d like the money, and the business opportunities,” Yvonne said cautiously. “I’m not sure about the fame bit.”
“Unfortunately, it often comes with the territory.” His smile finally emerged, and it was so full of sympathy and warmth that she wanted to grab him and kiss him stupid. “But we can talk about that, and put certain caveats in place if need be.”
“Are you okay?” Yvonne asked.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You look a bit fierce.”
“This is my game face.”
She sensed it was more than that; he was tenser than she’d ever seen him before.
“How did it go with your father?” Yvonne asked.
“How about we talk about that later, and keep this discussion about you, and what you want to achieve in this meeting?” he countered.
Okay, so he was definitely pissed about something, but it wasn’t her. She’d never seen him look so determined before. It was interesting to see his more competitive side coming out to play. For the first time, she could see why he’d become a world champion.
“Do you want me to ask questions, or would you prefer to handle everything yourself and have me just listen, and give you feedback later?” Rio asked.
“If I look like I’m floundering, or not asking the right questions, please feel free to join in.”
“Got it.” He took out a pen from his inside pocket. “One last piece of advice. Don’t show your hand too early. Make them work for this, okay?”
She was just about to reply when the door into the conference room opened and Priscilla came out.
“Hi, Rio! So glad you could join us!” She beckoned them both over. “Come on in.”
* * *
Yvonne glanced over at Rio as they waited for the elevator.
“You were awesome.”
He winked at her. “You weren’t too shabby yourself.”
“Do you have time to come back to my hotel and talk this through?” Yvonne asked. “I’ve got so many questions. I’ll even buy you dinner if I keep you too long.”
“Sure.” He hesitated. “Dinner might be tricky.”
The elevator arrived, and they got in.
“Why’s that?”
“As my mom and sister would love to go shopping with you, I was planning on asking you to come to dinner with us this evening so you could meet them.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Which, it would have been.” He sighed. “The thing is, my father invited us over to his place.”
She had to admit to a throb of disappointment. “Oh well, I’ll meet your mom tomorrow anyway, when we go shopping.”
“My father invited you to dinner as well,” Rio said. “My mom made the mistake of mentioning you, and he suggested we bring you along.”
She searched his face, noting the lines of tension around his mouth that made him look older and harder.
“I’m quite willing to come, but only if it’s okay with you.” She paused. “I get the impression that you and your father aren’t ‘sit down together and have a meal’ kind of people.”
“We’re not. But my mom wants to go, and I can’t let her deal with him alone.”
“She is a grown woman who can make her own decisions, Rio,” Yvonne pointed out as they walked out of the lobby, and into the street.
“Yeah, I know I’m being overprotective.” His smile was crooked. “But she’s my mamae and I love her.” He grimaced. “And he wants to meet my sister, Josie, too, which he’s never done before, and she’s dying to go.”
“Sounds like you’re not the only determined one in the family.” Yvonne turned to face him and cupped his cheek. “I’m fine to come if you want me to. At least then I’ll have met your whole family in one hit.”
“True,” he acknowledged, turning his head until his lips met her thumb and he kissed it. “Let’s walk back to your hotel, shall we?”
“Easy for you to say in your flat shoes,” she grumbled.
“Hey, I’ve been wearing cowboy boots for the last five years. My feet are in agony.” He took her hand and set off. The sunlight was dazzling, and the streets were crowded, but it didn’t seem to faze him.
“I thought you said you didn’t know the city well.” Yvonne had to yell above the traffic to be heard.
“I know the business district, but that’s about it.” He glanced up at the tall buildings surrounding them. “Jeez, it’s hot. I wish I had my hat. In fact, I wish I was back on the ranch, period.”
They arrived at her hotel, and went straight up to her room. She pointed him in the direction of the coffee maker, and went to freshen up in the bathroom. She carefully hung up her pantsuit and blouse, and put on her yoga pants and a baggy T-shirt, leaving her feet bare. She’d have to get dressed up again for dinner, but she might as well be comfortable for a few hours.
The smell of coffee greeted her as she entered the room, as well as the sight of Rio, shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbow. He’d draped his tie and jacket over the back of one of the chairs.
“Take your shoes off if you want,” Yvonne invited him.
He glanced down at his feet. “I might take you up on that, but I’m scared once they come off I won’t be able to get them back on again.”
“Hey, take everything off.” She winked at him, relief at having gotten through the meeting making her giddy and maybe a bit flirty. “I wouldn’t complain.”
“But then we wouldn’t get any work done.”
“True.” She pouted. “Naked meetings aren’t really a thing, are they?”
“Maybe only in Scandinavia.”
He brought two mugs of coffee over to the desk, and pulled up a second chair. “I took notes, so fire away with your questions, and I’ll see what I’ve got.”
“Well, firstly, they seem to be moving pretty fast on this. Is that normal?”
“No. Shows can be in production for years, but I did some research last night. Apparently, one of their regular shows is coming off the air because the lead couple is going through a nasty divorce. The producers don’t want all that emotional stuff spilling out and overshadowing the show. They need a quick and cheap replacement, and I guess that might be you.”
“Cheap?” Yvonne raised an eyebrow.
He grinned. “I meant inexpensive. You could never be cheap.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Yvonne nodded. “But does that put us in a better or worse bargaining position?”
“You’re a newbie, so they won’t be paying you anywhere near what an established star would be getting, which they’ll like, but you could also be a complete flop, so there is some element of risk.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“When I say you, I mean the concept presented in the show. They might go for a particular angle that just doesn’t work with the viewers.”
“Like what?”
“Like a ‘city-girl cake maker in small town full of hilarious yokels who don’t know one end of a croissant from the other’ vibe, or something like that.”
“Oh, I see what you mean.” Yvonne considered her next question. “How will we know what tack they are going to take before they start filming?”
“That’s a great question and a difficult one to answer. From what I remember, they don’t usually know what angle they are going to take, beyond choosing the presenters, and the venue, and making a few general assumptions. They usually like to see some audience reaction first. But sometimes they do have an agenda
and get things wrong, or try and force the action to go a certain way.”
“I wouldn’t like that. Is there anything you can put in the contract which says I have control over the final content?”
“That’s almost impossible to get.” He made a face. “It’s certainly something we can talk about.” He typed in a note on his cell. “I know a couple of people who might have a better idea about how that might go. I’ll get in touch with them tomorrow.”
“They didn’t really go into specifics about money at all, did they?”
“Not yet. Greg said he’s going to bring John, the boss of the parent company, and Sara, the finance person, out to Morgantown in the next few weeks to get a feel for the place.” He checked his notes again. “Then they’ll have to draw up a profit and loss statement, discuss timing, reimbursements, and all the legal stuff to make sure they are good to go.”
Yvonne leaned back in her chair and stretched, pointing her toes and arching her back. “This is way too complicated, you know?”
“Not if we break it down into manageable steps,” Rio reminded her as he helped himself to more coffee. “And if it’s something you want to do.”
She straightened up and stared at him. “Do you think I should go ahead?”
“Yeah.” His brown eyes narrowed in amusement. “Why do you think I’m sitting here helping you out?”
“Because you like me?”
“Maybe I just want to get rich, and run off with all your money?”
“Like you need it,” Yvonne scoffed.
“Some people are never satisfied.”
“But you’re not one of those people.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”
“Because you’ve already walked away from one lucrative career. I don’t see money as a motivator for you.”
“Hey, I’m motivated. After I left my father’s business, I had to work out a way to keep my mom at her ranch if my father decided to stop paying his part of the bills.”
“Did he stop?”
Rio paused, an arrested look on his face. “No. He didn’t.”
“Why does that surprise you?” Yvonne asked.
“Because I hadn’t thought about it before. If my father had threatened my mother’s financial security, I would’ve come back to work for him immediately with my tail between my legs.” He put down his coffee cup. “Why didn’t he do that?”