As Trey buckles his seat belt, he turns to me and says, “We’re going to eat well this afternoon.”
Emerson, Dillon and CeCe are the first to arrive. Walking around, they admire the house and surrounding area and start planning the partner retreat.
“Be careful,” I tell them. “The whole team may not agree. I’ve gotten the okay if we choose to meet, but you need to remember the beach house isn’t that big, and it certainly isn’t a five-star hotel and resort. It’ll be a lot of work on our own.”
“Are you kidding? This place is perfect. You and Trey can stay in the room you’re in. Dillon and I will stay in the other adjoining room. CeCe and Greer will be in one of the bunkbed rooms, with Cameron and Mason in the other. If Charles and Margo want to stay here, Dillon and I will move into the bunkbed rooms. I know it’s a lot of people, but we can do a few team-building events out on the beach or hike up at Mount Tamalpais State Park. This great outdoor kitchen area is perfect for cooking and eating. Plus, it’s secluded, so we won’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping when we talk about sensitive matters. I think it’s an easy sell to the team.”
I’ve learned to not question Emerson and just roll with it. “You’re probably right.”
Cameron and Mason arrive with Charles and Margo right behind them. Everyone wanders around for a bit, then settles on the deck. Trey’s made sure everyone has a drink as he grills the chicken, and we spend the time catching up. Margo is preening like a peacock over her son, and each time she sees me, she hugs me and gives me a compliment.
“I love your hair like that.”
“Trey is so lucky.”
“That green really brings out the green flecks in your eyes.”
“We all love you.”
There is so much hugging and touching, I’m struggling. I don’t think I’ve had this much physical contact in a year.
Lunch is a success. Emerson takes an informal poll, and we all agree to have our partner meeting here late next month. There’ll be many more tourists by that point, but we’ll have a lot of fun. We agree to leave early on a Friday morning and caravan over. The hope is that we’ll have a new business development partner who can join us.
As we talk, we learn that Cameron, Dillon and Mason have been speaking to some candidates Emerson’s identified for the position. It’s down to a man and a woman, and they’ve set up time for me to talk to them later next week.
Charles has a report from the investigator regarding the mole. It isn’t much, but it’s agreed that they’re behind the public relations nightmare.
After that, we spend the bulk of our time talking about prospective investments. The team is further along with their evaluations, and the hope is that by next week, some confidential information will be moving around the office and more vulnerable to being stolen.
Our meeting goes until after five, and we pick through what’s left of lunch as we go along.
Eventually Trey stands and shares, “There’s a great pizza place downtown. Shall I order in, or do we want to move this party over to the pizza place?”
Charles and Margo stand as well. “We’re going to head out before it gets too hard to climb out of here in the dark.” Winking at Trey, Margo continues, “Enjoy your time with your friends. Your dad and I are thrilled that you found a quiet spot and are able to enjoy yourself.”
Trey gives them both a big hug, and he and his dad make plans to speak again next week. CeCe steps in and gives her parents a warm embrace. “I’ll be by tomorrow. You both drive carefully. Love you.”
I’m a bit envious. Jim and Carol know me and love me, and I love them, but I’ve never allowed them to hug me too often, and I struggle if they become too affectionate. I lean over to Emerson. “Do you think they’ll have any problems with the drive home?”
She shakes her head. “I think they’ll be fine. Mason said they actually led the way here.”
Trey grasps my hand, squeezes it and leans over to me. “I think the rest of the team plan on staying the night.”
Glancing around the room, I realize he’s right. “I agree. Is that okay with you? This is technically your place this month, after all.”
“I don’t mind at all. I’d rather have time alone with you, but this group of people is probably the closest friends I have. I love the company.”
I can’t help but remember the look he had on his face when I referenced coming back next weekend. I think something’s up, and it makes me nervous.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Trey
After my folks head home, the remaining team announces they’re going to stay. I tell them, “I charge rent if you all are going to stay the night.”
Cameron speaks up, “You’re dating one of our favorite people, you owe us, my friend. Right now, you’re in a rental situation, but when you decide to buy, the cost is significant.”
We all laugh, but at the heart of it, I know that I’m only fully accepted by this group through Sara. Yet another reason to know that she’s amazing. She has created a family that fiercely protects her. “I’m in the mood for pizza. Do we want to go into town or order delivery?”
We all agree to drive into town to get pizza after my parents leave, Emerson saying, “The more I can see here, the more I can plan for our retreat.”
We’re a little past the dinner hour, but they happily invite us in. Thankfully we’re the only people in the restaurant, because we’re loud and very rowdy. They bring us several pizzas that are house specialties, and we enjoy a local beer and laugh our way through our evening. I sit next to Sara and hold her hand under the table.
After we keep the restaurant open well beyond their typical hours, we pay for our pizzas, tip them extremely well for staying late, and then caravan back to the beach house. Sara and I weren’t drinking, so we’re the drivers.
When we return, we sit around the fire and hang out. Mason gets out a twenty-five-year old bottle of scotch he brought with him, and it’s so smooth. CeCe brought wine from a new vineyard she, Greer, and Hadlee found and want to sample for Emerson and Dillon’s wedding. Too much drinking and, not surprising, everyone packed an overnight bag.
As I lie in bed with Sara spooning in close, I press tight behind her, kiss her head and finally tell her, “I’m going to Seattle for a few weeks.”
“A few weeks? When are you leaving?”
“Monday. We’re trying to make sure we don’t lose an acquisition we have in the works. I’m sorry. We decided late last Friday, and I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to ruin our weekend.”
Taking a big breath, she sighs. “I get it. Don’t worry about me.” She’s quiet, and I don’t know what to say. “Sara, I still want to be with you. I’m not breaking up with you. I’ll have meetings that take me out of town at times, a downside to my job. But I’d love it if you flew up to Seattle to join me next weekend.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make a big deal of this. This is just all very new and exciting for me, and I’m very sensitive to all this. I only wish you would’ve told me earlier.”
“We’ve had a great weekend. Let’s focus on that.”
I know she thinks I want away from her, but I do have the purchase of Cedar Pine Cypress Technologies to take care of. They’re nervous to be selling to us after my sex video made the news. Paul Ellington is a conservative Christian and struggles to sell the company to what he sees as a giant conglomerate with a leader with no morals.
What I don’t want Sara to know is that I have plans to meet Catherine and her husband to get a feel for what’s going on. I’ll go out of my way to talk to Sara at least once a day, and hopefully I can talk her into coming up to Seattle with me at some point.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Sara
The weekend was fun until he told me he’s leaving. I understand it would’ve ruined our weekend, but he could’ve given me a warning: “Hey, Sara, the acquisition is heating up and I may have to go to Seattle. Just a heads-up.” Would that have been so hard?
I t
hink he was hoping to stay with me on Sunday night at my place in The City, but after we lock up the beach house, I give him a chaste kiss and tell him I’ll talk to him later in the week.
I make the drive through the park and reflect on what he said, and I overthink it all. I realize I’m too raw from all the mess with Henry and my birth mother. Maybe that disappointment is why I’m taking the Seattle trip so hard. It’s not his fault and I know I’m being ridiculous.
My cell phone pings, and it’s Trey: Miss you already.
It makes me feel so much better. I know I’m being a jerk; he really is the perfect guy for me. I text him back: Miss you, too.
I’m relieved to be home, and I’m mad at myself for overreacting. I shouldn’t be making a big deal of a slight change. We had fun, and I can’t seem to focus on that. So I do what I always do and pour myself into my work, going until after midnight to catch up on missing out this weekend.
When I finally turn in for the night, I’m restless. I realize that I sleep better with Trey. I miss him.
I fall asleep thinking of the nice time we had this weekend, the beautiful bracelet and earrings, and the incredible deck he had built. I keep replaying our weekend and try to focus on the fun we had. He was clear that he wasn’t breaking up with me, so I’m going to try to put all my negative thoughts out of my mind.
Rolling over before the alarm sounds, I check my phone as I finally get moving and see a text that came in from Trey at 5:00 a.m. I’m boarding my flight. Wish you were here. I’ll let you know when I land.
I’m conflicted. I want to text back and tell him to have a safe flight, but he’s probably close to landing at this point. Instead, I text him: Welcome to Seattle. Good luck, and I’ll talk to you tonight if you have time.
I feel better about where we are, and it lifts my spirits.
When I finally arrive at the office, work is crazy busy, but he’s never far from my thoughts. It seems to be one of those days where I don’t even have time to go to the bathroom. When I see Trey calling on FaceTime, I glance at my wall clock and realize it’s almost six.
“Hey.”
His hair is frazzled, but he looks yummy. “Hi, beautiful. How was your day?”
“Very busy. Playing hooky on Friday has caught up with me.”
“I’m sorry. You did work all day on Friday.”
“I did, but there was an Adonis who kept distracting me.”
“Wow. An Adonis? I’m flattered. But I had a beautiful woman who was distracting me nonstop all day.”
I’m blushing from head to toe and need to change the subject, or we’ll be having FaceTime sex—if that is such a thing. My office is all glass, so there’s no way to hide what I’m doing. “What did you do today?”
“Mickey Johns met me at the airport, and we spent the morning preparing for our meeting with Cedar Pine Cypress Technologies.”
“Their name is really Cedar Pine Cypress Technologies? As in the wood they believe made the cross for the crucifixion?”
“Wow, I’m impressed. Most people don’t know that.”
“I had a set of foster parents who were born again, and that’s one thing I remember from their lectures.”
“Their founder and CEO is a devout Christian. We met with the chief financial officer this afternoon, and tonight we’re having dinner with the CEO, who owns the largest number of shares.”
“What are you expecting?”
“Because of his faith, I’ve been warned that he’s concerned about the videos.”
“Oh crap!”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m here. I need to assure him that I was secretly filmed and that I’m not searching for a lot of attention. I’m sure you’ll come up in conversation often, and he most likely will want to meet you at some point.”
“This is different than the mergers and acquisitions we usually do.”
We talk for about twenty minutes more, sharing mindless activities and things we observed during the day. It’s comforting to know we can talk about silly things.
He glances at his watch. “Okay, honey, I guess I should get downstairs to meet up with Mickey so we can meet our dinner guest. Can I call you later?”
“Of course.”
“Good night, sweetheart.”
“Good night.”
I stare at the phone long after he’s gone, then slowly realize I’m not productive sitting here in my office any longer. It’s already been a fourteen-hour day.
Turning off my computer, I pack up and head out the door to catch the bus home, walking in the fresh air usually helping to clear my thoughts. I get to my bus stop and stare beyond the tall buildings at the stars—the great expanse of the sky makes me feel even smaller and more insignificant. It’s times like this that I think of Catherine. Tears of rejection beg to be set free, but I won’t give in to them.
I come to the realization that I’m more than her biological daughter. I have wonderful foster parents who truly care and love me. I have friends who’ve stuck by me when life’s been difficult. And I have a man who, despite my pushing him away repeatedly, still seems to care about me. Life is good, and I need to embrace it.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Trey
Things are finally on track with Cedar Pine Cypress Technologies, so it’s time to tackle the next reason I’m here in Seattle. The private investigator found Catherine, who her attorney is, and how he’s sheltering her. I’ve contacted my attorney and set up a meeting at her attorney’s office for today.
I arrive a few minutes late on purpose. I don’t want to be sitting with her in a waiting room or conference room. We all shake hands and sit down.
“Mr. Arnault, you asked for this meeting, and it seems rather out of place. What can we do for you?” her lawyer asks.
Catherine’s in a black pantsuit, cream blouse and a strand of pearls with matching earrings. She and Sara could be twins. “Well, my girlfriend is Sara White.” She blanches at Sara’s name and fidgets, obviously uncomfortable with my statement. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but your husband is CEO of a company that Sandy Systems is currently doing due diligence to purchase. This is not public knowledge, but our personal lives are about to collide.”
“I’m confused,” her attorney says. “Why would your personal lives collide?”
Deferring to Catherine, I ask, “Do you want to tell him?”
If looks could kill, I’d be dead. She remains quiet, and her attorney asks, “What do I need to know, Catherine?”
Since she’s choosing to remain silent, I explain. “Sara White is Paul and Catherine’s daughter, and she was abandoned by them when Sara was three years old.” The room is silent. “It’s my understanding that Paul doesn’t know Sara exists, but once the announcement of this sale goes through, because of my notoriety, the press will be talking about her.” Taking a picture of Sara from my pocket, I put it on the table. “People will most likely learn that Sara was abandoned at three years old at a Catholic church in San Francisco. As you can see, Sara and Catherine could be sisters.”
Catherine stands. “How dare you blackmail me!”
Her lawyer reaches for her arm and says, “Catherine, sit down. Let’s hear what Mr. Arnault wants.”
“I know what he wants,” she spits. “He wants me to acknowledge her existence so she can inherit my money.”
I laugh. “Do you have any idea who Sara is? You’re shameful. I’ve seen the letters she sent to you. She doesn’t want anything from you. And by the way, she’s richer than you and me combined. It’s going to get out that you dumped your daughter with a priest in San Francisco, and how you’ve withheld that information from your husband and children. No, I’m not threatening you, Catherine. I’m warning you.” I stand up and look her in the eye. “I began the acquisition of Cedar Pine Cypress Technologies long before I began dating Sara. I was surprised when I learned your husband was Sara’s father. He’s been all about holding a secretly recorded sex video against me in the negotiations. Let me be clear
. I love Sara, and I won’t let her be dragged through the mud and castigated by you. The world will know what you did.”
Her lawyer speaks up at that. “Mr. Arnault, are you threatening to release information about Catherine and Paul Ellington?”
I laugh a deep belly laugh. “I don’t have to. The press has already started to get wind of Sara, and enough people know her life story. She’s been written about in the legal press, and it’s no secret that she has a delightful rags-to-riches story. Once the press pulls together that your client dumped her daughter at a church, then proceeded to marry her father and have four more children with him, they’re going to be a pack of rabid dogs. Not to mention, as you can see from the photo, Sara is the spitting image of her mother. No, I don’t have to leak information. My notoriety will push the gossip press to find it themselves, and you won’t be able to deny it.”
Catherine stands once again. “I won’t be blackmailed.”
Her lawyer reaches for her arm, and as I walk out, I warn her, “I’m inviting Sara up this weekend. I’d suggest you let your family know by Saturday, because I plan on taking her to the ball to benefit the Museum of Flight. The press will be there, and I’m introducing Sara as my girlfriend, so it won’t be a secret to anyone by Sunday morning. The press will know everything by this time next week. Listen to your lawyer. He knows I’m right.”
Sara may never know what I did, but I do know that if I didn’t, it would affect the negotiations of our purchase of Cedar Pine Cypress Technologies. I’ll do whatever I can to protect Sara. I won’t let Catherine’s actions affect her. My family adores Sara, and with the help of Jim and Carol, her partners at SHN and her friends, we’ll all show her how loved she is.
Picking up my phone, I scroll through some of the pictures I’ve taken of her when we were together. I miss her, so I push the FaceTime app and call her. She answers, and I see her beautiful face on the screen. My heart beats faster with her subtle smile. “Hey, you. How was your day?”
Promise (Venture Capitalist Book 2) Page 20