“Yeah, I see that.” Nate swallowed his drink and handed it to a passing waiter. “What do you want to do?”
Vince hated having to play protector, hated needing to intervene for a man who should fucking know better. But ever since his mom had left them, Vince had no choice but to do everything he could to keep his father from self destructing. “He’s had too much to drink and needs to go home.”
“Do you want to divide and conquer then?”
They’d come tonight at Geoff’s insistence. The after party for the film launch opened them up to schmoozing with financial backers, actors, and the sort of crowd Geoff gravitated toward. Vince had intended to stay for a round or two, then bow out and head home for a run. But once his dad got drinking, Vince couldn’t trust him not to make a mess of things.
When Geoff reached over and put his hand on the girl’s ass, Vince stiffened. “Yup.”
“I’ll get the girl out of there and you deal with your dad.” Nate nodded and was already moving before Vince could find a place for his drink.
“Nate! Wait.” Vince carefully sidestepped a couple before striding quickly across the bar to his father.
“Mr. Taylor, Vince needed to speak with you.” Nate winked at the young woman. “Hello, beautiful. I’ve been dying to dance all night. Interested? Or maybe we can have a drink?”
The look of relief on her face was so obvious it was painful. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
Before his father could protest, Vince put a hand on his shoulder and led him in the opposite direction, toward the bar. “I think it’s time to get you home.”
“Little bastard. I was about to make my move.” But Geoff didn’t fight it when Vince started to move him toward the back of the bar.
With his arm around his dad, Vince waited until a group passed them before leaning close to his ear. “You know better than to corner a woman like that. Your therapist—”
“Is a fucking asshole. He doesn’t know anything. I wasn’t pressuring her to do something.”
“It didn’t look like that from where I was standing.” Vince released his dad and took a step away. He was going to punch him if he didn’t get him home soon. “I’m going to call the car.”
Geoff waved him away. “Not yet. I haven’t seen Simon. He was supposed to be up for the film festival. I need to see him.”
Vince’s chest tightened. His father and Simon Berry had been at odds for over a decade now. Their strange back and forth had caused Vince more grief both personally and professionally than anything else in his life. “I’m sure he’s around somewhere. You can always email him later.”
“I don’t think you understand.” Geoff leaned in, the strong scent of alcohol washing over Vince. “He’s going to buy GreenPro.”
Motherfucker. “We’ve talked about this. I don’t want to sell the company. At the very least, we need to hold on to it for another year. The market might be ready by then.”
It was an excuse, and a flimsy one at that. GreenPro was the last company that he co-owned with his father. For years, Vince had wanted to take charge and develop the green energy organization into something big. Its model made it such that every city in North America could be a potential market, which was far bigger than anything they’d ever worked on before. But his father…there was no way he’d let Vince take the reins and run with this. No, he wanted to sell, to get every penny he could from GreenPro, and take away the dream that Vince had of leaving his mark on the green sector. Or doing something professionally that would leave an actual mark on society.
Back and forth they’d gone, cock-blocking one another, trapped in an eternal stalemate. Both of them needed to approve the sale, or any changes with the company, and neither was willing to give an inch.
His father’s narrowed gaze was a dagger pointed directly at Vince’s head. “Simon knows what he wants to do with it. Better than you.”
“I doubt that.” Not that any of that mattered, because the last he’d heard, Simon wanted nothing to do with Geoff. “I’m surprised he’s even talking to you.”
Their quarrel had been precipitated by his father sleeping with Simon’s now ex-wife. The fallout had Vince painted with the same carousing brush as his dad, which had helped with his television appearances, but harmed his business dealings. Simon’s wrath had been more directed at his ex-wife than Geoff, which had never sat right with Vince. She wasn’t the only one who’d been in that bed.
“I’m a changed man.” His smug smile sent alarm bells off in Vince.
“I’m scared to ask. How?”
“I have a new woman in my life. She’s young, smart and will lull Simon into a false sense of security. And if I pay her enough, she might even get him into a compromising situation that I can use to my advantage.”
Vince grabbed his father by the arm and dragged him to the hallway that led to the coat check. Only once he knew they were alone did he let him go, turn around and get in his face. “What the hell did you do?”
“Nothing.” He grinned. “Yet.”
Five. Four. Three… “Elaborate, before I punch you and it ends up in the news.”
“I’ve signed up for a site. To get girls.”
“An escort site?” Vince took a breath. This was far worse than he’d anticipated.
“Sugar daddy.” Geoff took out his phone and flicked open an email. “See, she’s sweet and innocent. Simon would know an escort a mile away. But this? She needs money and I need some arm candy. She’ll do whatever I ask, and she gets paid in return. Best business deal I ever made.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Vince took the phone from him and stared down at the profile. Marissa Roy, age twenty-four. “She’s a college student.”
“Most of them are. They need help paying for school. I have a friend who put me onto this.”
“I’m not letting you do this.” There was no way in hell he would let his father anywhere near this girl. His father was a shark and would have no problem taking advantage of her.
“Too late. She’s agreed to meet me on the yacht Friday night.”
“Cancel.”
“No. I’ve already agreed to the date. She’s agreed to come and I’m expected to pay her for her time.” Geoff leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. “Scared I’m going to hurt her?”
“More like traumatize.” He knew nothing about Marissa Roy, but even if she were the most capable woman in the world, he doubted she’d be prepared for his father. “Cancel.”
“No.” Geoff’s grin was toothy as he cocked his head. “Unless you agree to deal with Simon. To let me work my deal to sell that fucking albatross of a company.”
Why did it always come down to this between them? “I’m not letting you run the deal. And I won’t let you see the girl.”
“You run the deal then. But you’ll need the girl.”
“Why?”
“Simon thinks we’re neutered if we’re in a relationship. He’ll think we’ll be soft and then we can go in for the kill.” The look on his father’s face was pure malice. “I’ll enjoy proving him wrong.”
Vince knew he had no choice but to run with this. If his father was determined to try to sell GreenPro to Simon, Vince didn’t have enough ownership in the company to override him. If one of them didn’t give in, they’d continued to be caught in a perpetual circle of bitterness. That wasn’t the type of relationship he’d wanted with his father. He’d tried to help support him after his mom had left them and done everything he could to pull his dad out of the depths of his despair. Even asking him to go in on the initial GreenPro deal had been his way to bridge their widening gap. It had instead turned out to drive a near permanent wedge between them.
Vince knew the only way he’d be able to move on with his life was to cut his father out completely. That meant regardless of how he felt about GreenPro, he’d need to give in to his
father and sell it. But there was no way he’d let his father be the one in charge, or to use an unsuspecting woman in his plot. Marissa Roy needed to be kept as far away from his father as possible. “Send me her information. I’ll meet her Friday.” He’d pay her and then send her on her way. She didn’t need to be dragged into this mess.
He’d half expected his father to protest, but the alcohol must have kicked in. A sloppy smile spread across his face. “About time you listened to me. I’m going to get my things and head out. The night is still young and you’re cramping my style.”
“I’ll let the limo know you’re coming out.” Vince texted the driver, instructing him to take his father back to his condo. By the time they got through traffic, he’d be in shape to go to bed and nothing more.
Walking back out to the party, Vince caught sight of Nate dancing with three women, one of whom was the costar of the movie they’d seen earlier that night. Nate caught his eye and nodded toward the women and gave him a wink. He’d have to worry about his father, GreenPro, and Marissa Roy later. Walking to the group, he smiled. “Hello ladies. Time to have some fun.”
Chapter 2
The sun had slipped beneath the horizon moments before Marissa stepped out onto the sidewalk. She readjusted the chain on her clutch, giving up when she realized it wasn’t going to lie right on her shoulder, and instead, shoved it into the clutch itself. Stupid thing. Why she’d let herself get talked into buying it, she’d never know. Sure, yes, it was practical—she was going to need a place for her phone and ID and stuff—but now she’d end up playing with it all night.
She’d taken the price tag off the bag, seeing as she couldn’t have returned it because she’d picked it up on sale. The dress though, she’d been extra careful with that tag. This baby, while looking absolutely amazing on her, needed to go right back to the store first thing in the morning. Naomi had been the one to convince her to try that particular trick. Marissa hated the thought of doing something so dishonest, but nothing she owned could hold a candle to the type of clothing she had no doubt someone rich would expect her to wear.
There was hardly any room left on her credit card, and as much as she might want to have the ultimate little black dress tucked away in her closet for special occasions, she could buy a hell of a lot of groceries for three hundred dollars. So, despite how shitty it made her feel, she went along with the plan to return the dress in the morning.
The sky was streaked pink and orange, giving the warm October night an ethereal glow. Marissa closed her eyes for a moment and tried to relax, to take everything that was about to happen in and not worry for a few minutes. It was strange, feeling the energy coming from her Toronto neighborhood; it was as though the night had come alive, prodding her forward toward her task. And she had to think of it as a task, something to be checked off her To Do list, because otherwise the thought of going on a date with a potential sugar daddy was nearly too much for her to handle.
A crash from the backyard of the house next door had her jump and turn. She glanced around, half expecting one of her creditors to come racing out from behind a tree where they’d been lying in wait for her. Give us your money!!! Her heart pounded and her hands shook as she peered a bit harder into the shadows, just in case. Maybe, if things went well tonight, she might get a little bit of money so she could fend some of these assholes off for a while. Maybe.
Shit, this is so fucking weird.
Naomi promised that everyone she knew who’d done this had nothing but awesome things come from their adventures. She’d told her about one girl she knew who’d gotten a free trip to England out of her arrangement. The girl had a separate room and everything. No reason to think that Marissa’s kick at the can would have anything horrible happen. She wasn’t asking for an international vacation, just a little pocket cash and money to pay her debts. That wasn’t asking for too much.
Right?
And if sex was on the table as a requirement, then she could manage that as well. It was the twenty-first century and if she wanted to bone some older guy for money, then that was her business and everyone else could fuck right off.
She could do this.
She would do this.
Reaching into her clutch, she took out her phone and read the message once more. Limo will pick you up at nine. Dress to impress. Geoff Taylor.
The brief back and forth she’d had with Geoff had been weird. He was in his late fifties, divorced, and was some sort of business guy. He didn’t go into many details in their email exchange and she wasn’t about to ask him directly. Google brought up over five hundred Geoff Taylors in Toronto, so it wasn’t exactly easy to narrow him down that way. He’d said he was looking for arm candy to go with him for a business dinner, and all she had to do was sit there and carry on a half decent conversation. Talking was her forte and it would be fun to sit and chat with a bunch of business types. Hell, she might even pick up a few tips for when it came to starting her own company.
A breeze kicked up, stealing the residual warmth that radiated from the concrete beneath her feet. If this limo didn’t show up soon, she was going to die from exposure. Shivering, she rubbed her hands over her bare arms trying to encourage blood flow. She had to shift her clutch from hand to hand, doing her best to avoid the sequins from picking the material.
It was another five minutes before the sound of a car turning onto her street drew her attention. A stretch limo crept toward her, somehow managing to navigate the narrow Toronto throughway peppered with illegally parked cars. Holy shit, this was really happening. Not even buying the dress and getting ready had made tonight seem real.
She was going on a date with a millionaire. She, Marissa Roy—college student and damaged goods—was going out with an older, financially well-off man. Well, it wasn’t exactly a date, more of a meet and greet. That’s what the website called it at any rate.
Her heart pounded so hard she was terrified the driver would hear it when he climbed out of the front seat and jogged around to the door to let her in. “Miss Roy?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
His smile appeared automatically, the reflex of a professional. “The bar is fully stocked. Champagne included. Mr. Taylor wanted you to be comfortable.”
Having champagne in the back of a limo while on her way to meet her potential sugar daddy? Oh yeah, that was totally going to set her at ease.
Sliding into the back of the car she couldn’t stop from staring at the interior. She’d been in a limo only once before. Andrew and his buddies had paid for one to take them to prom their last year of high school. It was nowhere near as nice as this one; Mr. Taylor’s limo lacked color-changing neon lights and the smell of cheap air freshener and high school hormones. Totally a bonus in her books.
The driver slid back into his seat and looked at her in the rear view mirror. “Are you comfortable? Would you like the heat up? A drink?”
“I’m fine.” Now that she was out of the breeze, the idea of breaking into a sweat was a real possibility. “How long will it take us to get there?” He hadn’t mentioned the name of the restaurant where they’d be going. In his text he’d simply offered to wine and dine her so they could get to know one another.
“In this traffic? Thirty minutes. You can turn the music on if you’d like. The controls are to your right. If you need me, just hit the intercom button.” Then he gave her one last smile and slid up the privacy window.
And that was apparently that.
Okay, that wasn’t so bad. She sat in silence as the limo started down the road toward her destination. She lasted about thirty seconds before turning on the music to scan through the XM Radio stations. Nope. She turned it back off and looked out the window. Naomi would be laughing her fool head off if she knew how freaked out she was right now. You’re going to hook up with a rich guy who was old enough to be your dad. What the fuck are you freaking for?
Mostly becaus
e she was probably going to be hooking up with a rich guy who was old enough to be her dad. Someone who she’d only exchanged a few emails with. Jesus, it was hard to fathom.
Okay, she had to get mentally prepared for this. She couldn’t stop fingering the rough corner of her clutch. I can do this. It’s perfectly fine for me to do this.
The drive went smoothly, surprising given the time of night and the traffic that normally filled the streets. She was more than a little surprised when she realized that they turned off of Lake Shore Boulevard toward Lake Ontario. She pressed the intercom button. “Hello?”
“Yes, Miss Roy?”
“I was just wondering where we are headed? I don’t know of any restaurants down here.”
“To the marina. Mr. Taylor is waiting on his yacht for you.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what she was expecting. “Thank you.”
She was about to go on a yacht. With a millionaire. Who she hoped would be her sugar daddy.
God, her life was fucking mental right now.
The limo drove her to the outer harbor marina where she could see a large yacht docked a short distance away from the bobbing array of sail boats. She could see two people standing at the base of a dock as they pulled alongside. Shit, should she get out on her own or wait for the driver to open the door? She should wait, right? That’s what rich people did. The driver lacked her hesitation and before she knew what was happening her door was opened and he helped her to her feet.
An attractive woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties came forward smiling. “Miss Roy, welcome.”
“Thank you.” Don’t fidget. Smile. Relax. She only looks like she’d eat you for breakfast.
“I’m Caroline Macy.” The woman smiled, her gaze drifting over Marissa’s exposed arms. “Let’s get you someplace warm.”
Sugar Sweet Page 2