by Sera Taíno
Andreas looked away, showing an intense interest in his fingernails.
“He was the best landlord his tenants ever had,” Philip continued.
“He was a shrewd businessman, Philip. He wasn’t a bleeding heart.”
“No, he wasn’t, but he believed in treating people with respect. By the time you moved Wagner Developments headquarters to Exchange Place after he passed away, there were practically monuments to Grandpa Filip in the community.”
Andreas leaned on his hand and he looked more like the father Philip had grown up with, the one who, no matter how late he worked, always came to his son’s bedroom to wish him goodnight, even if he thought Philip was sleeping. The one who taught him that there were no free passes just because he was his father’s son, but he should strive to work hard and be the best possible professional version of himself. His dad was aloof at times and pushed the concept of work ethic to its extreme limit, but Philip had to believe that deep down, he was motivated by love and a sense of fair play.
“He would have never pulled something like this. He believed in rules and he believed in people.”
Andreas crossed his arms, staring at a point on his desk as he listened. When Philip was done, he looked up, ice-blue eyes gone cloudy with something that might have been sadness—or shame. “You inherited more than your grandfather’s name.”
Philip shrugged. “I get it. It’s fun to win. But not at all costs. We need to fix this.”
Andreas sighed, defeated. “I’ll call Mr. Graham.”
Philip stood, and his father stood with him. “It would mean a lot to me if you do.” Philip turned to leave, emotionally drained and physically as worn-out as if he’d just finished a grueling tennis match with Étienne.
“You really care about this young woman, don’t you?”
Philip tasted salt, and he hoped he wouldn’t start crying in front of his dad. This was about as emotional as they’d ever gotten, and he didn’t think either of them could handle his waterworks. “I love her, Dad.”
His father let out a deep sigh at that. “But,” Philip continued, “that’s not the only reason why I’m asking you to fix this. I want to do work I’m proud of and I can’t if this is the kind of thing that goes on. If I’m meant to take over the company, I won’t tolerate it.”
Andreas nodded in understanding. He had his phone in hand and was already dialing. Philip thought it best to leave his father to deal with this himself. He’d do the right thing, of that Philip was certain.
Now came the hard part. He had to figure out how make Val understand. It was clear she struggled with trusting him, which hurt. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that her fears were not only reasonable, but had also been confirmed, if his father’s actions were taken into account. He needed to make this clear, that he understood, then determine if there was any hope for the two of them.
* * *
Philip pulled into a free spot close to the restaurant, next to a dumpster with Wagner Developments stamped on the side. If that wasn’t a metaphor for his life, he wasn’t sure what was.
He’d called Val as soon as he left his parents’ townhouse but Val didn’t answer, nor did she respond to his numerous text messages. But as he strode up the walk, he was surprised to see the restaurant lights on, despite the time of the evening. He’d barely made it up the steps when the door opened and Rafi stepped outside.
“You here to see Val?”
“If she’s around.”
“She’s around,” Rafi answered, but he didn’t budge from in front of the door.
“I messaged her but I haven’t been able to speak to her. I thought if I came in person—”
“She knows you’ve been messaging her. She’s upset right now and needs space.”
Philip took a deep breath, having anticipated this. “There are things I need to tell her.”
“You mean about your father? What more does she need to know?”
“Rafi, she’s right to be angry. I know that. But he regrets what he did and he’s trying to fix it. Please, let me explain things. She can throw me out afterward if she wants.”
Rafi crossed his arms over his chest. “You seem like a nice guy but I never was a big fan of you being with my sister. Nothing personal, just too many conflicting interests for it to work out.”
“I don’t care about any of those things.”
“But they matter to her.”
“I’d rather hear that from her.”
Rafi got very close to Philip. “I’m not going to let you in just so you can hurt her again, so it’s best if you leave now,” Rafi said quietly.
Philip put his hands up, the universal sign of surrender. “I won’t insist. But just like you have her back, so do I. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt her.”
Rafi didn’t budge, leaving Philip no other outlet for his frustration than to turn and stalk back to his car. It was only when he was inside that he realized his hands were shaking. He should have heeded the sign from the universe and taken a moment to calm down, but he turned on the car instead and peeled out of the space. The whine of metal grating on metal filled the car. He’d certainly scraped his car against the dumpster, but he couldn’t care less. The car could catch fire for all it mattered and he’d be capable of doing nothing more than watching it burn.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Summer made its scorching appearance as if from out of nowhere, turning everything hot, sticky and uncomfortable. Val asked Felicia to arrange, through her own contacts, a personal interview with the local credit union. The mortgage officer proved brisk and competent, expediting the preapproval for the application. Because Val had done her due diligence during the first application, the mortgage documents were ready to sign within the week.
When everything was approved, Val called Olivia and the Gutierrezes and, together with Rafi, Nati and her dad, invited them to celebrate at a local Polish restaurant, which served a pink borscht that Papi loved. The food was excellent and the mood buoyant, but everything Val put in her mouth tasted like ash. She spoke very little and responded only when spoken to. Nati glanced often in her direction and even Olivia restrained her teasing.
The conversation progressed from the extraordinary events of the previous weeks to Rafi’s plans for renovating the basement, and finally settled on the upcoming City Hall meeting.
“It’s already here?” Val asked, the first thing to prompt her interest all night.
“Of course. Felicia sent us an email about it a couple of days ago,” Nati answered.
Wagner Developments and EWFHC would present the community benefits agreement together with the project timeline to be approved by the city. There was no way Philip wouldn’t be there—he’d been as instrumental in writing the agreement as she’d been.
Just the thought of anything related to Philip sank like lead in Val’s stomach, curdling the soup she’d managed to force down. He hadn’t stopped trying to reach out to her until she told him, in no uncertain terms, that he needed to give her space. Indefinitely.
Olivia, who sat next to her on the faux red velvet chair that comprised the decor of the restaurant, bumped her on the shoulder. “Hey, sourpuss.”
Val reached for the roll she’d been shredding the entire meal. “I am not a sourpuss.”
“Don’t try to pull that with me,” Olivia whispered. Rafi was talking to Eunice, gesturing animatedly, while Nati and Papi were deep in discussion with Benito, leaving them with a brief moment of privacy. “Be happy. You are the proud owner of real estate.” At Val’s silence, Olivia softened her voice. “I hate to see you miserable, Darth Cupcake.”
“I’m not miserable!” Val snapped.
All eyes turned toward Val. She refused to hold anyone’s gaze, staring down into her bowl of cold borscht. She shouldn’t have snapped at Olivia, but she’d had about enough of her love life being
the biggest circus in town. She was about to get up from the table and walk home when something hit her on the head.
“What the—” She looked up in time to watch a rolled-up paper towel land next to her glass of water. Rafi and Nati smothered a laugh. Olivia had her hand over her mouth, and her father, Eunice and Benito all bit back a grin.
“A toast.” Rafi stood before she could protest, one hand holding a beer bottle, the other sweeping out toward Val. “To my sister, for devising a plot to save 724 Clemente Avenue from the dastardly clutches of capitalist pirates, despite obstacles both institutional and personal. You are a warrior and we all admire you very much, even if you are crankier than a basketball fan with a losing team.”
Val gave him a half smile, raising her own glass. This was what she’d always wanted—to keep her family and her community intact. But while she was overjoyed for her family, her heart was missing an important piece, and now she was too damned afraid to do anything about it.
* * *
The following week, Val entered City Hall flanked by Papi, Rafi and Nati. People milled in and out of meeting rooms and into the hallways, as part of the audience for the public meeting.
“This is a good turnout,” Rafi said.
“Surprising, given how dry the details can be.” Val took in the crowds, pretending not to be looking for anyone in particular.
“I don’t think he’s here yet,” Nati whispered, nudging Val in the ribs.
“Who’s not here, yet?” Val retorted.
Nati crossed her arms. They were dressed in business attire—Val in a blue pencil skirt with a white, button-down blouse, while Nati wore a beige shirtdress that was miles better than her usual scrubs. “Oh, por favor. You haven’t stopped looking around since we got here. I’m telling you, he’s not here. His car wasn’t in the parking lot.”
“You’re awfully invested in my relationship, you know that?” Val sighed, abandoning all her pretenses of being indifferent to Philip’s absence. “Maybe he didn’t come in his car.”
Nati glanced over at her father. “Papi, Rafi, save me a seat, okay?”
Nati pulled Val into a side hallway where the bathrooms were located. “I’m thinking, after all of this, it might be a good idea if you had a little talk with him.”
Val stared at her sister. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Usually, yes, but not about this,” she said, glancing around to make sure no one overheard her. “I’ve never known you to back down from a confrontation.”
“This is different.”
“Because you’re scared? Yeah, these things are scary, but you know what else is scary? Missing your shot. You care about him and even though his dad is a lot to deal with, Philip seems different.”
Val bit back a welling of emotion. She was in this limbo of wanting and not wanting, wishing he would give her the one assurance no human being in the world could give her—the absolute certainty that she would never be hurt again.
Nati reached out to hug her, nearly knocking Val off-balance. “Don’t get in the way of your own happiness.” She hooked her arm through Val’s, pointing at the open door of the hearing room. “Come on. This is what you’ve been working toward all this time. Go get this done.”
The crowd shifted and surged as people found their seats. Nati pointed to their father and Rafi, who both gave her a thumbs-up. Val reached Felicia at the conference table, not surprised to see George Leighton and Wagner Developments’ community liaison already there.
Next to her was Philip, as always, captivating in his impeccable business suit, making everyone else’s attempt at formal dress look plebeian in comparison.
It didn’t help her state of mind when he held her gaze and gave her that brain-melting smile. She waited for the lurch in her stomach, the ready protest for why she shouldn’t stare at him, exchange awkward glances with him or linger before pulling her gaze from his. But nothing came. Instead, she remembered the ease of talking all night in her restaurant, the excitement of their walk along the boardwalk, the joy of their first night together. It was easy to hold on to her fears when he wasn’t standing before her with every memory they’d ever shared coiled like a stream of rainbow-colored ribbons, tethering her to him.
“Philip,” she whispered, instinctively moving toward him, but she was brought up short by the presence of his father, seated next to him.
“Ms. Navarro. It’s good to see you again,” he said perfectly polite, as if he wasn’t responsible for aging her a whole decade with his shenanigans. If he thought being polite to her was going to cancel all the aggravation he’d given her, he clearly had no idea how long Val could hold a grudge.
“I wish I could say the same.” She couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at him before backing away and taking the seat next to Felicia.
“What is Andreas Wagner doing here?” Val hissed.
Felicia’s eyes were bright with triumph. “Right? After he agreed to the proposal, I figured that was the extent of his involvement, but then he requested to join the meeting. Who would’ve thought?”
“You don’t think he’s going to sabotage the proposal, do you?”
“Val,” Felicia whispered in return. “Where do you get such ideas?”
Wouldn’t she like to know?
Val leaned back. The good news was, she had very little to present and could let Felicia take the lead, leaving her to observe Philip.
The call to order drew her attention back to the front of the crescent moon–shaped desk, where the seven members of the city council’s development committee, as well as the mayor, sat facing the packed room. The meeting, for all its importance, began with the procedural blandness that characterized all city business.
When their turn came, Andreas took a back seat to Philip, allowing him to fully describe the proposal details. The presentation and proposal had been sent to the council in advance so it could be reviewed and questions prepared.
“I would like to address the members of this council and the community,” Philip said.
“You may, Mr. Wagner,” Mayor Simone answered.
Philip turned to the crowd, the room so packed, many stood along the back wall. Val leaned forward, eager to hear how Wagner Developments would address the issues.
“Thank you, Mayor Simone. Esteemed council members. Ladies and gentlemen. We’ve heard your comments and explored your complaints.
“Our company’s policies of the last year have not best represented our business ethic. We would like to inform the public that we have heard your concerns and we are taking steps to mitigate the damage done by the practices of the last twelve months. It’s why we worked with Mrs. Morales and community leaders to come to an agreement about sustainable, profitable development that is ethical and preserves the character and well-being of the existing community, starting with the property in question. We hope the council with look favorably on the result of that work.”
Someone shouted from the back, “Are you saying you’re not evicting any more tenants from their homes?”
Philip nodded. “Yes. We will revoke all lease renewals of the last six months and rewrite them with the terms the community and our company have agreed upon.” He turned and captured Val’s gaze. “The foundation of any good relationship is trust, and Wagner Developments is willing to do whatever it takes to demonstrate its trustworthiness to the community.”
Val couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face. He had done everything he could to undo the damage of that first lie. The latest complication hadn’t been his fault, but he’d stepped up there, as well, and somehow gotten his father to not only accept his proposal but there he was, sitting by his son’s side, with the same goofy look of pride she surely had.
When the meeting adjourned, a crowd swarmed Philip. Slowly, too slowly, the meeting room emptied. Val debated whether to approach him in the middle of the melee
or try to speak to him later. Nati’s hand on her elbow roused her from her indecision.
“You need to stay right here.”
Val opened her mouth to answer, but Philip was rounding the table in her direction.
She swallowed, her throat dry. “Hey.” Her eyes flitted away from him. She couldn’t trust herself to stare at him too long.
He had less self-restraint; the way his eyes raked over her made her feel like she was standing naked in front of him. She missed him—his open need, the easy way they understood each other, his husky laughter and dry humor. All the denied feelings of the past weeks crashed over her.
“How’d you get your father to come out?”
Philip gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “My father had an epiphany of sorts.”
Val ached to touch him. Why had she let this rift go on for so long? “You did really well. I’m proud of you.”
Philip rubbed the back of his neck, disrupting the waves of blond hair that had been so meticulously styled. Val wanted to smooth each one back into place.
Before he could answer, Leighton interrupted their conversation.
“The mayor would like to introduce you to the members of the council. You are quite the darling now.” He dipped his head in greeting toward Val. “I’m sorry to steal him away.”
Was this it? Was this all they were going to say to each other? Val panicked and reached for him. “Philip?”
Philip’s expression was apologetic as Leighton led him away. Words tangled in Val’s throat and she couldn’t do anything but stare at Philip’s receding back as he made his way to one of the adjacent rooms.
“It’s mostly a formality,” a familiar voice said. Val wrestled with whether to drag Philip out of that meeting or not. “They’ll accept the proposal and it will clear the way for the approval of the waterfront project.”
Val blinked rapidly as she processed Andreas Wagner’s words. “Why aren’t you in there with him? You’re the owner of the company.”