“Is that what it is for you, just physical?” he asked.
“No, and that scares me. But the last three days in New York got me thinking. I have so much to tell you, but when we’re together none of that seems to matter. I just want to be with you for however long I can.”
“Actually, I think we know each other pretty well, and maybe that’s just it. We’re alike, you and I, the flip side of the same coin. We played this game for business but somewhere along the line it got personal,” he said.
“I lost control.”
“We both did. But it seems that our precarious situation is about to implode.”
“You think so?” she asked, suddenly feeling the foreboding in the air.
“I know so.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone.
Kenya gasped slightly. “Is that my—”
“Cell phone, yes, you left it here that first night.” He opened it. “At first I thought that it was Regina’s. She’s left hers here a few times. So I thought I would do her a favor and charge it. Imagine my surprise when I opened it. You forgot to save the last photo. So I saved it for you.”
“Trey—” she began.
“What?” he asked, handing her the phone. She immediately opened it and saw that she’d saved one of the documents she copied that first night as wallpaper. The entire back screen was a copy of his document.
“You have to listen to me.”
“No, I don’t. You did what you said you’d do. Congratulations.” He reached over and grabbed his red folder from the coffee table. “Here, take it.”
She looked at it as if it would bite her. “What is it?”
“The hard-copy files you came for.”
“I don’t want your files, Trey. I know what I did was wrong. I came here to apologize,” she said slowly. “I was wrong. I misjudged you and I’m sorry. I spoke to my mother this evening. She told me everything.”
“I had no intention of hurting you, Kenya. You know that better than anyone.” She nodded. “I asked you to trust me. I told that I’d never lie to you.”
“Trey, what happened between us wasn’t supposed to happen. I don’t think either of us intended for it to go in that direction, but it did.”
“Yes.”
“It’s not about who wins and who loses anymore. It’s about what we felt, what we feel. Yes, I took the pictures. But that was before.”
“Before we slept together that first night?”
“No, after. You were still asleep. I didn’t exactly plan to do it. The briefcase was there and I opened it and saw letters regarding my father. It said that you intended to sell his business. I thought the worst.”
“We’re backtracking. This all happened almost six months ago.”
“But my father didn’t say anything until two days before we met. You have to know he didn’t understand your game.”
“Then he shouldn’t have played.”
“How is that fair?”
“It’s not. The lure of easy money is seductive, particularly when you’ve already had a taste. But I don’t make anyone sign on the dotted line. There’s always an out. He could have just walked away. He didn’t. Instead your father tried to take advantage of me. He knew exactly what he was doing. It just backfired.”
“How can you be so cruel?” she said, turning to him.
“Me? You got the wrong person, sweetheart. Your father came after me, just like you did.”
The sting of his words hit hard. “Why can’t you listen to reason? He made a mistake. I made a mistake. It happens. It wasn’t personal.”
“No, sweetheart, it was very much personal. He didn’t go after TE Acquisitions & Associates. He went after me. That’s as personal as it gets.”
“Fine, he was wrong. I was wrong. Is that what you want to hear? You were right. The lure of easy money has always been hard for my dad. He’s played the lottery as far back as I can remember. When he won, we all said that it was just payback for all the money he’d squandered. So tell me, what if they can’t stop themselves? They’re victims, too.”
“Then they shouldn’t play the game.”
“What about ethics?”
“What about them?”
“It’s all a game to you, isn’t it? Business, life, love. King of the castle, push everybody off ’cause the last man standing wins.”
“It’s a difficult position, yes. But I don’t put anyone in it. Risk works both ways. It happens. We’re done here. You can find your way out, unless you’d like to look through my briefcase again.”
“I deserved that.”
They glared at each other for a moment. “And what about us?” she asked. Trey looked away. “Trey, what about us?” she repeated. “Yes, I know it was a game we played. We both knew what we were doing. But I think we both took a hit.”
“I don’t want to play anymore.” She paused. “I love you,” she whispered softly. “I never thought I could say that again, but I can.” She half chuckled as a tear slowly fell. “And you know, the funny thing is that it was supposed to be you. I was going to break your heart like you broke my father’s. But I forgot, the Iceman doesn’t have a heart.” He didn’t respond. She walked to the front door then turned back to him. He hadn’t moved. “I guess you won. Congratulations.” She left.
“No, you won,” he said after the door had already closed.
Kenya drove home, parked her car and then just sat there in the darkness. How do you stop loving someone? She needed Trey to understand how much this company meant to her father. It was his chance. Something he’d been searching for all his life. But more important, she needed Trey to know how much he meant to her. How much she loved him.
Chapter 19
The meeting had been long and arduous, and was now hopefully about to end. Seven corporate types, a select gathering, had assembled at the conference table. They had been sequestered for two hours. After a head-to-head discussion, Trey finally made the final statement.
“Okay,” Cal said, still obviously delighted to be included at the table. “Caine Enterprises basically needs new leadership. It’s a sixty-five-year-old dinosaur that needs vision and direction. Our resources can do that.” Trey nodded. Cal beamed.
“We can give them that from one of the divisions,” Joshua added, giving his point of view. Trey read over the latest prospectus as he listened to the general discussion. It was nothing he hadn’t already heard.
“Buying the company would increase our standing and open a new avenue in that market. We’ll lose revenue from the initial merger, but long-term, we’ll generate a stable base and add additional revenue,” Cal added.
“They have a base in a market we’ve been unsuccessful in thus far, plus they have a good reputation,” Trey said.
“Bottom line, they’re top-heavy. They’ve been drowning in executive compensation for the past twenty years. The management staff is near zero productivity,” Joshua said.
“Again, nothing we can’t handle. Their reputation speaks for itself,” Cal remarked.
“Granted, but so do a hundred and fifty other companies’,” Regina said. “I say we pass.”
“Actually, I’m inclined to disagree with Regina at this point,” Cal said boldly.
“Actually, I’m inclined to agree with Regina,” Joshua said. “Pass.”
“We’ve already expanded our search and drafted the final paperwork. We’d lose five months’ research and countless man hours,” Cal said.
“Ten million in annual revenue isn’t something you just walk away from. We could definitely use that in the push forward. Growth and expansion is imperative,” Trey said.
“It’s now or never.” Cal sat smiling. He’d done what no one else even came close to doing. He’d successfully impressed Trey, although apparently Joshua and Regina still needed some convincing. But they didn’t really matter in the larger scope of things. He had his eye on the seat beside Trey, and he intended to get there.
“I don’t see what the
problem is,” Cal began while comfortably leaning back in his chair. “The paperwork is in, and everything is a go. We need to make a move before someone else gets wind of it.” His confidence brimmed.
“Since you have not been here long, Calvin, we’ll excuse the fact that you don’t know that much about this company,” Joshua said accommodatingly.
“Having been called into this meeting, I presume my expertise and input is needed.” He was obviously challenging Joshua. He turned his attention directly to Trey. “Caine is ripe for a takeover. He wants this and I think was should listen to him.”
“We don’t make investments based on a prospectus alone. You’ll learn and understand that in time,” Joshua said condescendingly. The not-so-subtle reminder of the pecking order sent a ripple of raised brows and sideways glances around the table.
“Maybe we should, at least on this occasion,” Cal shot back.
Joshua smiled. “Calvin, there’s more to this than jumping when someone says jump, unless of course that someone is your boss. We make the decision that’s best for this company, not Caine.”
“But the man knows his business.”
“That might be so, but this is our business, not his. Unless, of course, you know something we don’t.” The no-nonsense tone in Joshua’s voice caused those at the table to look around nervously. Calvin had been quite handily put in his place, again.
Cal visibly bristled. The possibility that he’d gone too far was very real. He intended to stand up to Joshua in front of Trey, but maybe that wasn’t such a good plan. “Of course, Joshua, I didn’t mean to imply that we should just invest because Caine wants us to. I was just saying we might not want to lose this opportunity.”
“They’ve been losing revenue steadily for the past five years. Do we want that additional drain on cash flow? They may have hit their peak,” Regina said, interrupting the testosterone buildup in the room.
“Maybe the company has plateaued,” Joshua suggested.
“No, I don’t think so. There’s still money to be made,” Trey said. “What are the projected numbers for the next five and ten years?”
“They didn’t do that kind of analysis,” Cal said.
“What do you mean they didn’t do the projections?” Regina asked. No one answered. “Why not?” Regina asked. The room went silent as everyone looked around the table. It was obvious no one knew the answer. “How is it that a company like Caine didn’t forecast its revenue projection? Trey, we need to hold off,” Regina said. “The outside review and independent audits are still pending.”
“What outside reviews and audits?” Cal questioned, beginning to flip through his file for more information. “I wasn’t told we were doing any of that.”
Eyes shifted again, but no one bothered to respond.
“Okay, let’s close it down,” Trey said. Notebooks and folders were closed as the rest of the staff at the conference table stood to leave. Regina, Joshua and Cal remained seated. The room cleared. Trey looked puzzled. “Cal, if you’ll excuse us.”
“Oh, me, sure…of course, I just presumed that maybe you might want to discuss this matter with me some more. I mean, I did bring it to the table and I am spearheading the research. So maybe we can—”
“No,” Trey said plainly. Cal nodded then got up and left. Joshua and Regina looked at each other, shook their heads and smiled. He didn’t have a clue. When the door shut behind him, Trey stood and walked over to his desk. He dropped the files then waited.
It was blatantly obvious that he was back. But instead of his generous smile, good nature and steadfast focus, a fierce determination darkened his usual pleasant demeanor.
Dressed in a dark tailored business suit and crisp white shirt, Trey stood at his desk with a scowl on his face that would terrify Attila the Hun. Joshua and Regina glanced at each other then focused their attention on Trey as he spoke. “All right, let’s hear it,” he said.
“Why is Cedric so anxious to sell?” Regina asked.
“You think he’s holding back?” Trey asked.
“I don’t know. But I do think that there’s something up.”
“He signed the waivers of intent, and the full disclosure release. Legally he’s obligated to disclose all documents related to this merger. But we all know that doesn’t always happen,” Joshua said.
“We’ve looked at every aspect of the company. There don’t seem to be any red flags,” Trey said.
“That may be, but something’s up,” Regina insisted.
“Just saying something’s up doesn’t cut it, Regina. I need something concrete.” There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Trey called out. It was Regina’s assistant to tell her that she had an important call. Regina excused herself. Trey sat back down behind his desk. Joshua noted his pensive expression.
“You’re going through the motions, but your heart isn’t in it. It looks like the kill just isn’t as sweet as it once was.”
“Meaning?” Trey asked.
“Whatever happened, let it go,” Joshua said.
“What are you talking about?” Trey asked.
“Kenya Whitaker,” Joshua stated.
“What about her?” Trey asked
“You realize you’re hooked, right?”
“I’ll get unhooked, no problem,” Trey said.
“The evidence says otherwise.”
“You’re obviously mistaken,” Trey said.
“The head rules business, not the heart, Trey—your words.”
“That’s deep but irrelevant.”
“Not in this case,” Joshua said. “She’s got you, man, you got emotional from the start. She just finished where her father left off.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I didn’t think I’d ever see it, but here it is in living color. You’re in love with her.”
“Love has nothing to do with this.”
“Love has everything to do with this. Trey, look at you, you’re vacillating over a deal. There was a time when you focused your anger. But with James Whitaker you let it get the best of you. I don’t know if it was his fatherly image or what. But you saw something in him that touched you. Then when he betrayed you, you got pissed, understandably. Granted, you were provoked, he played you. The normal reaction would be to retaliate, which you did. Not cool. That’s not how we play. This company has never been about that.”
Trey looked at Joshua. They’d been friends and business associates for too long. He knew Joshua was right.
Joshua shook his head. “It seems only poetic that Ms. Whitaker continued where her father left off. She got you, man. You might as well surrender.”
He looked at his friend and asked, “Me?”
“Yeah, you—you wanted revenge. You got it. You were pissed at Whitaker. He was the first man to ever test you and actually make a dent. It stung more because you really liked him. He was your father all over again.”
“No.”
“Come on, man, business is business. You never looked away from the truth before.”
Trey finally nodded. “Yeah, fine, he pissed me off so I took his company.”
“That’s why you haven’t done anything with it. It’s not the trophy you thought it would be. It’s more like an albatross.”
“Are you finished?” Trey asked.
“Not yet, and now it seems that his daughter has taken up where her father left off. But this time she hit you in a more damaging spot, your Achilles’, your heart.”
“Albatross, Achilles’, you sound like a PBS special,” Trey joked. Joshua looked at him seriously. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he conceded. “It’s hard to accept what you’ve fought against all your life. You had to step up at an early age. You’ve been stepping ever since.”
Trey shook his head. “I don’t know what happened. In a week’s time, she got to me. And after everything, I still can’t stop thinking about her.”
Joshua smiled. “The instant you mentioned her name, you were heading in one direction. A week, three
days, an hour, sometimes that’s all it takes.”
“Somebody else told me that just recently. He said that once he looked across the room and fell in love. Bam, just like that.”
“Happily ever after?” Joshua asked.
“No, he walked away. His freedom was too important.”
“Looks like history repeating itself.”
“One week.”
“I guess anything’s possible. I once heard this a long time ago. Most captured animals don’t consider themselves caged. But they are.”
Trey remembered it well. It was one of his theories. He had a lot of them, most about avoiding love. Unfortunately none of them applied. Colonel Wheeler was right. Love isn’t about time, it’s about the heart.
Trey remained pensive. He’d gotten too close, too quickly, and he wasn’t sure how to get out or if he wanted to get out. The last realization hit him hard. Only once had he considered giving his heart to a woman and that ended, too. But that was nothing like this feeling. He’d easily walked away, but this time he knew he couldn’t.
“Just like her father, she played me.”
“Life is a cautionary tale, a lesson learned,” Joshua said. “Get over it, you played each other.”
“What, do you write these things down or something?”
Joshua laughed. Trey laughed. The mood in the room lightened as they went on to talk about Tony and Madison’s return and the twins’ leaving.
Kenya sat in the reception area, waiting. If Trey was avoiding her, he was doing a good job. She’d been waiting over an hour already. But it didn’t matter, she’d wait all day if need be. Trey was going to listen to her and that’s all there was to it.
“Kenya,” Regina said, walking over. “I thought that was you sitting there. What are you doing here?”
“I came to see Trey. Is he available?”
“Actually, he’s in a meeting right now. Is he expecting you?”
“No.” The sadness in her voice was unmistakable.
Regina smiled. “Okay, come on, I’ll take you to him.”
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