Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
AARON
TEN YEARS LATER
“ T he interview’s started, Aaron. Your father’s texting me every ten seconds.”
I sighed and looked up from my desk to find Patrick, my executive assistant, staring at me. “Thanks. I was just finishing up these notes before I head down.”
As the CEO of Taylor-Ladner, I ran the day-to-day operations of our consumer health company. I’d come a long way from the shy, awkward nerd I was in high school and college, but when it came to navigating my family dynamic, things hadn’t changed. My father, Winston, was still a control freak and chairman of the board, so he had the political sway. What made things worse? Several cousins, an aunt, and uncle of mine were members of the board. It had been that way for nine decades and the company was stuck in the past.
Until I stepped into this role two years ago.
It hadn’t been an easy road to get here. I’d worked my ass off in college, then worked my way up the company ladder, absorbing everything I could, and devising strategies for improvement. But revitalizing a century-old business takes time. Time, a solid plan, a shitload of patience, and money. Lots of money. Unfortunately, the more I tried to change things, the tighter the familial leash around my neck. And my stress grew exponentially with every passing day. Sales struggled this year, and the pressure ramped up. But while some of us—me—worked our asses off, the rest of the Taylor-Ladner clan simply fed off the generational trough.
It was getting increasingly annoying. Much like this interview I had to sit in on.
“Remind me again why I have to take part in this process?” I asked.
Patrick chuckled and shook his head. “Because the chief of sales works directly with the CEO. Or have you forgotten already?”
“I wish,” I quipped as I closed out my notes. I stood up, buttoned my jacket, and grabbed my laptop. “Let’s hope the new person sticks around for longer than a month this time.”
“Trevor’s already worked up about this guy being the one,” Patrick replied. “He’s texted me four times in the past hour. Between him and your father?—”
“Sorry.”
Trevor was our VP of HR, and he also happened to be my cousin. Unlike most of my family, Trevor worked and worked hard. Oddly enough, he excelled at his role, even though his personality was as warm as a wet winter’s day. He reminded me of a tornado when it came to interview time, his anxiety picking up speed the closer we got to the first round. Yes, there was a lot of pressure in choosing the right person, but I was a firm believer in my gut. I knew the last guy we’d hired was a bullshitter and a lazy ass, and it turned out I was right. I didn’t want to make him an offer, but as so often happened, I got outvoted; my father strikes again (cue Darth Vader music).
“Did you have a look over this person’s résumé?” I asked.
“Harrison Ducker.” Patrick nodded. “He seems like a perfect match. Eight years of experience in sales positions, over five thousand connections on his profile, plus lots of glowing reviews. He recently moved here from LA.”
“I hope he’s not going to break out the yoga mat in the middle of the interview,” I quipped.
Trevor would have a fit if he heard me say that, but I could make jokes with my assistant. I’d learned a long time ago that it was better to make the joke, than to end up being the butt of one.
“Unlikely, and I happen to love yoga so don’t knock it,” Patrick retorted. “And FYI, his profile says he’s originally from Oregon and he went to college in Pullman. He attended your alma mater, in fact. He’s in late twenties. You sure you don’t recognize the name?”
The mention of college made me pause.
“The name doesn’t sound familiar.” I headed for the door and walked out with Patrick. “God, I hate interviews. It’s always the same boring questions and canned answers.”
Patrick smirked. “No one ever said being a CEO was all glamour.”
“Glamour? When?” I replied and looked around. “Did I miss that day?”
“Go on,” he chuckled. “You’re already late.”
Patrick motioned for me to get out of the office, and I did as I was told. I was the boss around here, but not always the one in charge.
“Can you have coffee sent down for me, please?” I asked.
“Already taken care of.”
“What would I do without you?” I called out over my shoulder as I headed for the elevator.
“You’d flee the country!”
“I’m not far off now.”
Thankfully, the elevator ride was fast and when I got out on the thirty-fifth floor, I headed straight for the meeting room. Glancing at my watch, I was now ten minutes late for this interview. Fuck, that was rude. Then again, making people wait could be an effective corporate tactic. Testing people’s patience—and their reaction—was always interesting.
I knocked once and entered. Trevor was sitting at the end of the conference table, my father to his right. On the left, I presumed, was Harrison Ducker. My eyes caught on his sharp gray suit and an even sharper black undercut. He certainly looked the part. Squaring my shoulders, I walked briskly into the room, readying my CEO face; eye phasers set to maximum interview intimidation .
Until Harrison Ducker stood up to greet me and his gaze locked with mine. Arctic blue eyes stared back at me, and I almost dropped on the spot.
“Mr. Taylor-Ladner, it’s an honor to meet you at last,” Harrison announced, smiling, showcasing two dimples.
No. Impossible. I was imagining it, right? This couldn’t be the guy I’d met that night in college. But as I reached out to shake his hand, I realized that’s exactly who he was. I never forgot a face. A name, sure, but a face? No. And when that face was associated with my humiliation? Fuck, no. Those pale blue eyes, framed by thick, inky lashes, had me frozen to the spot. It was him. Ten fucking years, and it was him . Harrison Ducker was The Asshole. What infuriated me even more was the fact that he didn’t seem to recognize me. Or if he did, he was a damn good actor.
“And you, Mr. Ducker,” I managed to reply, my voice hoarse.
“Harrison, please.”
He squeezed my hand, and the warmth of his palm snapped me out of my daze. I moved to sit in the nearest empty chair and not a moment too soon, my knees giving out from shock. No, it wasn’t that. I was vibrating with anger. Ten years felt like no time at all. To distract myself, I reached for the cup of coffee in front of me. Not that I needed extra stimulation at this point.
“Now that we’re all finally here.” Trevor cleared his throat and tapped on the table repeatedly. “Let’s begin. Aaron, would you like to go first?”
I shook my head. I needed a minute to compose myself.
Make it ten.
Trevor nodded. “Harrison, why don’t you start off by telling us more about your background, your recent position, and why you chose to apply to Taylor-Ladner?”
Harrison’s grin widened and the sight of those perfect teeth made mine clench.
“I grew up in Oregon and moved to Washington State for college. After graduating with a degree in business management, I received an internship at a tech start-up in California. Part of the job required me to work closely with the sales and marketing teams. I’ve always had a gift for the gab and an affinity for building relationships, and it was the right fit,” Harrison paused and glanced at me for a moment, then back at Trevor again. “The next year, they offered me a full-time sales role. I was there for three years, moved to a senior sales position at a beauty brand in LA, and now I’m ready for a new challenge. Most of my family has settled in Seattle and it was time to come home to the Northwest.”
He was confident and well-spoken, I had to give him that. But his smooth delivery was just that. An act.
“Aaron?”
I glanced at my father and shook my head. “Go ahead, I’ll jump in as needed.”
What I needed was to get the fuck out of this room…
“Of course.” My father nodded and turned to Harrison. “We’re a consumer health product company founded on the principles of quality and innovation. From skincare to home care, our products are best in class. Taylor-Ladner was established in?—”
I blocked out the rest of my father’s blather. It was the same corporate speech he’d been spewing for decades, and it wasn’t revolutionary. I knew the whole thing, verbatim. I’m sure Harrison did too, judging by the bored look on his face. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes. Instead, I sipped on my coffee as my brain whirled in twenty different directions. How the fuck was I going to deal with this turn of events? I should kick Harrison’s ass out the door right now. Or better yet, hire him and make his life miserable. Yes, the second option sounded very satisfying. Then again, the man was a jerk. He didn’t deserve my offer of employment.
“—And in this, our ninety-third year, our commitment to consumers’ needs is still unparalleled.”
Sneaking another glance at Harrison, I noted the smirk on his lips. When I glanced up, he caught me staring, and his smile widened. Did he recognize me? Or was he just a smug prick? Most likely the latter.
“Why are you the best candidate for this role?” I interrupted point blank.
Harrison leaned forward, a lock of that thick, straight, jet black hair falling into his eyes, his icy blues staring right through me. A shiver of unease wracked my body, a reminder of the uncertain young man I used to be. But not anymore. I knew right then that revenge was indeed a dish best served cold.
“One reason only,” Harrison replied. “I’m the best at building relationships.”
“So you say,” I bit back. “And that’s not unique or impressive in and of itself.”
Harrison cocked his head. “I renewed twenty million in deals and pulled in just over ten million dollars’ worth of new ones in my last position. In twelve months. Is that impressive enough? Sir?”
Harrison’s tone was inordinately cool, snarky, and arrogant. No doubt he was slick, even getting the usually sour Trevor to smile at his comment. I didn’t like it, and I didn’t like Harrison. The guy’s outspoken attitude chafed, so I took another sip of coffee while I gathered my thoughts.
“It’s not unheard of,” I replied slowly, sounding as bored as possible. “And it takes a much bigger portfolio to impress me.”
“It’s not just a matter of size,” he added as he stared at me, never losing eye contact. “It’s the quality of relationships that counts.”
The glint in his icy blues told me he was enjoying my line of questioning. He wasn’t anxious; he was amused. But I wasn’t. I swallowed hard but I didn’t look away.
“Ninety percent of my clients are return customers,” Harrison added. “That’s the solid foundation. That’s the kind of relationships that I’m talking about. And cultivating new ones; finding common ground with prospects, building trust, respect, and partnership.”
He was really laying it on thick. Respect my ass. This from a guy who humiliated me and made sure everyone at school knew about it? Irritating prick. I’d already made up my mind. I didn’t care if he brought me a hundred million dollars, in cash, right now. I wasn’t hiring Harrison Ducker. My plan was set; I’d reject him and then tell him who I really was. The first part was simple enough. The second, well, I needed to talk to him alone. How would I do that? Or should I even bother?
This guy wasn’t worth wasting my breath.
“I’ve heard enough,” I replied sharply and stood up. “Good day, Mr. Ducker.”
I glanced at Trevor, ignored his scowl, and recused myself from the interview.
When I stepped outside the room, my heart was pounding so fast I thought I might pass out. Or, throw up. Then I noticed that my father had followed me out the door.
“Give him the offer,” Winston demanded.
“No.”
“Aaron, we need a closer. Hell, we needed him yesterday!”
“He’s a smarmy, egotistical jerk,” I bit back. “And there are dozens of other qualified applicants in the queue. The answer’s no.”
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” he yelled.
“Keep your voice down,” I fired back. “And that guy’s not to be trusted. No offer.”
I stalked off towards the elevator and spent the rest of the day locked in my office, unwilling to talk to anyone. Not even Patrick. I sent Trevor a follow-up note to remove Harrison from the final cut. That was the end of it.
Or, so I thought.