by Sandi Lynn
The next morning, as I walked into my office, my assistant, Kylie, followed behind.
“Get me everything you can on a woman named Elle Hemsworth.”
“Sure thing, Nathan. Los Angeles, I presume?”
“Yes, and do it now.”
“I’m on it, sir.”
As I took a sip of my coffee and was reviewing the stock market, Will walked in.
“Did you have a chance to look over the information on Winslow Wines last night?” he asked.
“Yes, and they’re in serious trouble. Looks like a win for us.”
“I found out from one of my contacts that Christopher Winslow appointed his daughter, Fiona Winslow, as president of the company in his will. Apparently, she was to go work for the company after graduating college, but they had some sort of falling out and she ended up going to work for Steiner and Richards Marketing Firm, where she was a huge success but then quit because she was passed up for a promotion.”
“Interesting.” I narrowed my eye.
“She was then hired by Toth and Sons Marketing Inc. in New York but never made it there because Christopher passed away and left her the family business.”
“She should have gone to New York.” I smirked.
“I agree. Anyway, we have a meeting this afternoon with her.”
“How did you manage that?” I arched my brow.
“I spoke with the financial manager, Robbie Peyton, who is her uncle, and told him that we were interested in helping Winslow Wines get back on its feet. He was open to a meeting and said he’d let Fiona know.”
“Excellent. If there’s one thing I’m superior at, it’s sweeping a woman off her feet. Persuading her to let us into the company won’t be hard. Is she married?”
“No.”
“Is she hot?”
“I have no clue.”
“How old is she?”
“My contact said she’s twenty-eight.”
“Even better.” I smiled. “This, my friend, will be a piece of cake, and we’ll be in the wine business before you know it. She’s young and I’m sure she knows nothing about running a company. She’ll be vulnerable and eager for some help.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Our meeting is at two o’clock.”
“Good job, Will.”
“By the way, that woman from last night, Elle.”
“What about her?”
“Is that her real name?”
“I don’t know yet. I have Kylie checking her out now.”
“I can guarantee it isn’t and, once again, you’ve been played.” He smirked as he left my office.
Will and I had been friends since the day we met in our freshman year at Berkshire Academy. We both excelled and went on to Harvard, where we graduated with our MBAs and in the top ten percent of our class. He got a job on Wall Street and I followed in my father’s footsteps. After the CEO of the company Will worked for was indicted on insider trading charges, the company closed its doors and Will came to work for me at Carter Management Group Inc.
“Excuse me, Nathan,” Kylie spoke as she poked her head in the door.
“Come on in. What did you find?”
“I’m sorry. There isn’t an Elle Hemsworth in Los Angeles. The only person I could find with that name lives in Anchorage, Alaska.”
Slowly closing my eyes, I sighed. “Thank you.”
Another fake name to go with the fake phone number. This woman, whoever she was, was now on my nerves. Just wait until the next time I run into her.
Chapter 9
Fiona
A migraine was kicking in as I closed the last file I didn’t get to last night. As I rubbed my temples to try and release the tension that was built up in my head, Uncle Robbie walked into my office.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“What about?” I continued to rub my temples. “Wait. Don’t answer that question yet. We’re seriously fucked here, Uncle Robbie. I honestly don’t think we can turn this company around in time.”
He took in a deep breath. “I may have a solution to our problem.”
“Then by all means, do tell.” I waved my hand.
“We have a meeting at two o’clock today with Nathan Carter of the Carter Management Group. He’s a venture capitalist and a consultant for struggling companies. His associate, Will Berg, called today and said they may be able to help us.”
“Help us how?” I placed my hand on my forehead and leaned back in my chair.
“He has money and a lot of it. He could be a potential investor. A silent partner, so to speak. With his backing, we could have this company back on its feet in no time.”
“Is this what my father would have done?”
“I believe he would have.”
“And how do we know that he’s not going to screw us over like the others did to my father?”
“He’s a very reputable man. If there’s anyone I would trust, it would be him. His name speaks for itself, just like his father’s did.”
“Did?”
“He passed away a couple of years ago and Nathan was groomed to take over. I’m surprised you never heard of him.”
“Name sounds familiar.” I opened my desk drawer and shook a couple of Motrin into my hand.
“Well, they’ll be here soon. So be prepared. Just let me do the majority of the talking.”
“Why?” I popped the pills into my mouth and chased them down with water. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do, but it’s only your second day. You’re not really familiar with everything yet.”
“Oh, I’m familiar.” I got up from my chair and walked into the bathroom. “I’m familiar with how this company is sinking faster than the Titanic.”
“Just relax, Fiona. I’ll show them in as soon as they arrive.”
As I took a seat back at my desk, my phone rang. It was Lydia.
“Hello.”
“Paul won’t return my calls,” she spoke in a sad voice.
“The blind date guy?”
“Yes. I can’t believe I slept with him and now he won’t call me back. Was I that bad?”
“It’s not you, honey. It’s him. He’s a typical male, lousy, woman-using douchebag. Forget about him and move on. You’re too good for him.”
“You’re right. Why is it so hard to find a good man?”
“Because there aren’t any good men left in this world.” I looked up and froze when I saw who was standing in the doorway of my office. “I—I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
He stood there, dreamy brown eyes, staring at me. Hands tucked neatly in his suit pants pockets. All six foot of him. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Why I’ll be damned,” he spoke in a low voice. “Hello, Lucy, or should I say Elle?” His brow raised.
“Hey. Isn’t that the chick from last night that gave you the bogus phone number?” his friend spoke.
“You two know each other?” Uncle Robbie asked.
“Not really. Could the two of you give us a moment before we start our meeting?” Nathan asked.
“Fiona?” Uncle Robbie looked at me.
“It’s fine.” I sighed.
After Uncle Robbie and the other guy walked out, the man, who I presumed was Nathan Carter, stood in the doorway, glaring at me.
“Well, are you just going to stand there? Come in and sit down. Obviously, you have a few things you want to say to me before our meeting.”
“Oh, I have a lot to say, Lucy, Elle, or whatever the hell your name is.”
“Fiona Winslow.” I cocked my head.
“Two fake names and a fake number. Why?”
“Because I’m not interested. Okay? There, I said it.”
“All right, then. That’s all you had to say in the first place. Let’s start over. Hello, Fiona Winslow, I’m Nathan Carter.” He held out his hand and I was afraid to touch it.
Hesitantly placing my hand in his and feeling the same spark that was there last night, I spoke,
“It’s nice to meet you, Nathan.”
“Now that I got your real name squared away, shall we start our meeting?”
“Yes.” I smiled.
After calling in Uncle Robbie and Will, we took a seat at the round table that sat inside my office. The same table that I used to sit at and color pictures when I was a kid.
****
Nathan
Fiona Winslow. Beautiful name, beautiful woman, and the president of Winslow Wines. She was smart. Tough. Actually, she was brilliant for the little stunt she pulled on me. Taking over her company was going to be tougher than I thought. Of all the women in Los Angeles to be attracted to, why did it have to be her?
“So how can you help us, Nathan?” she asked.
“From what I hear, you’re low on funds. Your inventory is low and vendors have already begun pulling out of their contracts. Now, I can help you with the funds and we can turn this company around.”
“Why the interest in Winslow Wines?” She narrowed her eye.
Leaning back in my chair, I spoke, “I’ve always wanted to dabble in the wine business. You make wine, you’re struggling, I can help, so it’s a win-win for all of us. I will need to see all your financial reports first.”
“Of course. Don’t venture capitalists usually take on start-up companies?”
“Usually. But I like to take risks.” I smirked. “And I believe Winslow Wines can be turned around and make even more money than before. I give advice on how you can do that, Fiona. That’s my job. We’d work together to restructure the company to maximize its profits. We’d take a look at what went wrong and how to fix it. Everything is fixable.” I winked.
“I’ll think about it.” She got up from her seat. “Uncle Robbie, get them the financial reports. Put together a proposal and get back with me,” she spoke.
“Will, go with Robbie and get the reports. I’ll wait here for you,” I spoke as I stared at Fiona.
As the two of them left the office, I got up from my seat and walked over to where she was leaning up against her desk.
“I think you’ll like my proposal. I’ll need your phone number to contact you when it’s ready and we can meet.”
“You have my office phone number.”
“Not good enough. What if I have a question about something I see in the reports and it’s after business hours? I will need to be able to get hold of you at all hours.”
“Fine.” She reached over, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and jotted down her number.
“Thank you.” I took the paper from her hand and our fingers lightly brushed against each other’s.
“I got the reports, Nathan. We should get going,” Will spoke.
“I’ll be in touch, Miss Winslow.”
With a small smile, she gave me a nod. As I was walking out of her office, I stopped and pulled my phone from my pocket, dialing the number that was written down on the paper. Suddenly, the cell phone sitting on her desk began to ring.
“Just checking.” I smiled at her.
Walking out of the building, Will placed his hand on my shoulder.
“All I can say, Nathan, is that you have your work cut out for you with Miss Fiona Winslow. Damn, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her sitting behind that desk.”
“I’m not worried about it. I can handle her. Never underestimate me, my friend.” I slid into the back of the car.
“I’m not, but I’m also not underestimating her. Fuck. Sexy and brains. Rare combo these days. The women we date are sexy, but as for the brains, not so much.” He chuckled.
“Leave her to me. Not only will she be in my bed, but she’ll also be signing over her company to me.” I stared out the passenger window.
Chapter 10
Fiona
“No. No. No.” I banged my forehead against the desk.
“What on earth are you doing?” Uncle Robbie asked as he walked in. “And thank you for taking over the meeting.”
“That man! I’m not sure we can do business with him.” I rubbed my forehead.
“Why not? And who? Nathan Carter?”
“Yes. I don’t trust him.” I got up from my chair and walked to the front of my desk. “He’s sneaky and he’s a game player.” I scrunched up my hands in front of my face. “He’s—He’s—a man! A womanizer, and he doesn’t take no for an answer.”
“What are you talking about, Fiona?”
Leaning back on my desk, I spoke, “I met him or, should I say, ran into him a couple of times, the most recent being last night. The first time we saw each other was at the casino when he refused to get up from the stool at the bar I was sitting at when I went to the restroom. The second time, I was alone in a restaurant and he slid in the seat across from me, took a sip of my drink, and demanded to know my name. So I lied and told him my name was Lucy. Then last night, we ran into each other at Pegu when I came back from the bathroom, and he was sitting in my seat across from Lydia. We exchanged a few words and then I told him I lied about my name. I told him my real name was Elle and I gave him a fake phone number. Now he just so happens to be the man that could save this company.”
“Shit, Fiona. Why would you do that?”
“Because I didn’t trust him.” I threw my hands in the air. “This is karma, Uncle Robbie. Karma for what I did to John.”
“And what exactly did you do to John?” He frowned.
“Umm. I broke up with him over text messages.” I quietly sank back into my chair and cupped my face in my hands.
“Listen, sweetheart. You’re just having a moment right now. So much has happened over the past few days and you’re still trying to process it. Look, go home. Take a hot bath. Relax. Read a book and have a glass of wine. Forget about Nathan and work for tonight. It’s all going to work out.”
“You’re right. I need to relax.” I grabbed my purse from the drawer.
Walking over to Uncle Robbie, I laid my head on his shoulder.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can and you will. Where’s that little girl that used to come in here and pretend she owned the place? Ordering me around, asking me for reports, telling me what we should do? Do you remember her?”
A smile crossed my lips. “Yeah. I remember her.”
“That’s my darling niece. Your mother would be so proud of you. Now get out of here and go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Walking through the front door, I kicked off my heels and headed straight to the kitchen for a glass of wine. Taking my glass upstairs, I went into the bathroom and started the water, adding a few drops of lavender oil and a capful of lavender bubble bath. Relaxation was going to be my friend tonight. As I laid back against my bath pillow with a warm cloth over my eyes, I inhaled the lavender scent that filled my senses. A calming sensation flowed throughout my body. I was finally relaxed, taking in the glory of the peace and finally getting my mind to rest, until my doorbell rang. My eyes flew open and I sat there for a moment, letting whoever it was believe no one was home. Another ring. Suddenly, my phone beeped with a text message from a number I didn’t recognize.
“It’s Nathan and I’m standing at your front door. I’m letting you know in case you’re afraid it’s a stranger and refuse to answer it. Which, by the way, you shouldn’t answer it unless you know who it is. So, I’m letting you know it’s me. Not a stranger.”
Are you kidding me? How the hell did he know where I lived? Climbing out the tub, I dried off as quickly as I could and threw on the closest thing to me, which was my short navy blue satin robe. The nerve of him just showing up at my place unannounced. I stormed down the stairs, unlocked the door, and flung it open. His eyes raked over me from head to toe and then from toe to head as the corners of his mouth curved up into a smile.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, you interrupted my nice, peaceful hot bath. What are you doing here, Nathan?” I placed my hand on my hip. “Or better yet. How the hell did you know where I lived
?”
“You aren’t that hard to find, sweetheart.” He smirked. “May I come in?”
“Why not?” I motioned for him to come inside. “Just give me a minute so I can change.”
“Why change? I happen to like what you’re wearing now. I think you should leave it on.” He winked.
“And I don’t care what you think. I’ll be right back. Go sit down in the living room or something.”
“Are you always this rude to your houseguests?” he shouted as I walked up the stairs.
“Only when they stop by unannounced!” I shouted back.
“I sent you a text that I was here, so it wasn’t unannounced.”
I stopped at the top of the stairs, turned my head, and looked at him.
“You were already standing at my front door before you sent me the text. Therefore, you showed up unannounced.”
He chuckled and I changed into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top.
“So why are you here, Nathan?” I asked as I walked into the living room.
“I would like us to have dinner together tonight.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” He smirked.
“You’ve been trying to get me to go out with you since the first time I saw you at the casino. Aha!” I pointed at him.
“What?” He arched his brow.
“That’s why you want to help Winslow Wines out. You’re using that as a way to get me to go out with you. Oh, you’re good.” I stood there, shaking my finger at him.