Chapter 3
Miles
I sat at the table in my attorney’s office as he held my mother’s will in his hand.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Miles.”
“I appreciate that, Nolan, but we know what kind of woman she was.”
“She has left her estate to your uncle.”
“What? What about the company?” I shifted in my chair.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Just spit it out, Nolan.”
“Your uncle was given the temporary position of Chairman and CEO.”
“What the fuck do you mean? That company belongs to me!”
“Relax, Miles. She has certain stipulations in place. If you marry within a year and stay married for at least one year, the company will be yours. If not, your uncle will permanently hold the title of CEO, and you will remain the president.”
“Excuse me?” My brow arched. “That company is rightfully mine, regardless of my marital status,” I shouted, slamming my fist on the table.
“I’m sorry, Miles.”
“That woman was out of her mind. Make no mistake, Nolan. I will be contesting that will.”
“You can’t. She included a no-contest clause. She put this clause in her will a year ago, well before she was diagnosed with cancer. She wasn’t being manipulated, there was no technical error, and she had no diminished mental capacity. Also, she already has the company documents signed and in place. There are two copies. One with your name as CEO and one with your uncle’s name. It’s up to you and how badly you want to take over the company.”
“My uncle is an idiot. He makes bad business decisions and will bankrupt the damn company.” I stood from my chair.
“Then I suggest you find a wife and closely watch Ben.” His brow arched. “There’s one more thing. Your mother also stated that you must live together if you choose to marry.” He looked down at the will. “She says, and I quote, ‘In the event Miles chooses to marry, his new bride will move into his penthouse, and they shall live as a married couple. If he chooses to marry out of deception in order to gain control of Bradshaw Capital, the company documents shall be processed immediately, appointing my brother, Ben Hartman, CEO of Bradshaw Capital.”
“This is bullshit.” I stormed out of his office.
* * *
“Miles, you have—” my secretary, Isla, started to speak.
“I don’t want to hear about anything,” I growled, stepping into my office and slamming the door.
Walking over to the bar, I picked up the bottle of bourbon and poured it into a glass, throwing the liquid down the back of my throat to calm my nerves. My office door opened. My Uncle Ben walked in, took one look at me, and made himself comfortable on my couch.
“I take it you spoke to Nolan,” he said.
“Yeah.” I poured myself another drink.
“I’m sorry, Miles. I’ll be moving into your mother’s office this afternoon.”
“You know this is bullshit.” I pointed at him.
“It’s what my sister wanted. You can’t contest the will because of the no-contest clause. She didn’t like the way you live your life. That’s why she put me in charge of the company. I’ve been faithfully married to Alicia for over thirty-five years, and I have my shit together.”
“Good for you.” I held up my glass as I walked over to my desk.
“Listen, Miles. You’re business smart, and your mother knew it. But you lack being smart outside of the office. Find yourself a good woman and settle down. Make a family of your own. It’s good for the soul. I do believe your mother is trying to teach you to be more responsible with your life.”
“She had no right doing what she did!” I shouted. “And I am responsible! I’ve made this company billions over the past seven years! Deals she couldn’t make, I did!”
“As I said, you’re business smart, but there’s more to life than this company.”
“Shut the fuck up, Uncle Ben.” I shook my head.
“You work for me now, nephew. Watch yourself.” He pointed at me, stood from his chair, and left my office.
I was so angry that I threw my glass against the wall. My door opened, and Isla walked in.
“Is everything okay, Miles?”
“No! Nothing is okay!” I shouted and grabbed my briefcase. “I’m leaving for the day.” I stormed out of my office.
I texted my driver, Sean, to come and get me. As I waited at the curb, I glanced at my watch. When he finally pulled up, I opened the door and climbed into the back.
“What the fuck took you so long?”
“Traffic, Miles. What’s going on? You’re in one of the worst moods I’ve ever seen you in.”
“My mother. That’s what’s going on. She put my Uncle Ben in charge.”
“What? Why would she do that?” he asked as he pulled away from the curb. “By the way. Where are we going?”
“To Collin’s Tavern. The company only goes to me if I get married within a year and stay married for a full year.”
“You’re not serious.” Sean viewed me from the rearview mirror.
“I’m dead serious, and my uncle is loving every minute of it. That son-of-a-bitch. The company goes to him if I don’t marry within a year. If I marry and divorce before a year ends, the company goes to him. I’m royally screwed either way.”
“I’m sorry, Miles. I know how tense things were with you and your mother.”
“She’s the reason I am the way I am. She and my father both. But mostly, her.”
Sean pulled up to the tavern. I climbed out and told him he could go home for the day.
“Are you sure? How will you get home?”
“I’ll take a cab. Just enjoy the rest of your day.” I shut the door and stepped inside the tavern.
Walking up to the bar, I sat on the stool and pulled my phone from my pocket.
“Hey, Miles. What can I get you?” Kelly, the beautiful bartender, asked.
“Bourbon. Make it a triple.”
I sent a text to my best friend, Levi.
“Can you meet me at Collin’s Tavern?”
“When?”
“Now.”
“I can be there in thirty minutes. I’m finishing up a proposal.”
“Okay. See you then.”
Levi Hudson worked for his father’s chain of department stores across the country and would take over when his father retired. We’d been best friends since we met in prep school at the age of thirteen. We graduated together, went to the same university, and both graduated at the top of our class with our MBAs.
“Hey.” He smiled, sitting on the stool next to me. “Kelly, I’ll have what he’s having.”
“Coming right up, Levi.” She smiled.
“What’s going on? Why aren’t you at the office?”
I sipped my drink, set it on the bar, and looked at him.
“I need to find a wife.”
“Excuse me?” He chuckled.
I told him the events of my meeting with Nolan.
“Damn, Miles. I can’t believe that.”
“You and me both.” I held up my glass and alerted Kelly to refill it.
“This is what we’re going to do,” he said, placing his hand on my back. “We’re going to take a trip to Vegas this weekend for some RR. Just the two of us. You need to get out of New York for a few days to clear your head. Vegas is the perfect place to do that.”
“Maybe you’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve been there. Will Laurel let you go?”
“Yeah. She’ll be fine with it. Don’t worry about her.”
* * *
Three Days Later
Iboarded my company plane, took a seat, and glanced at my watch. Levi was late as usual, and it pissed me off.
“Good morning, Mr. Bradshaw,” Karla, the flight attendant, spoke.
“Morning, Karla. Coffee, please.”
“Of course.” She nodded.
I heard voices, and when I turned my head, I saw Levi and Laurel step onto the plane.
“What the fuck,” I mumbled.
“Hi, Miles.” Laurel smiled.
I stood from my seat. “Laurel, what a nice surprise!” I kissed her cheek and looked at Levi. He shrugged.
“When Levi told me you asked him to go to Vegas for a little RR, I wanted to join in on the fun. I hope you don’t mind, Miles.” A devilish smile crossed her lips.
“No. Of course not, Laurel. You’re always welcome.”
“I’m going to use the restroom before we take off.” She walked away.
“Really?” I cocked my head at Levi as we sat down. “I invited you? You lied to her.”
“It’s a little white lie. If I would have told her it was my idea, she would have bitched and moaned that it’s been forever since I took her somewhere.”
“You just took her to Aruba six months ago,” I said.
“To her, that’s forever.” He rolled his eyes.
“That right there,” I pointed at him, “is why I don’t get involved in relationships. Women are enough to drive a man to the point of no return and one foot in the door of an insane asylum. Not to mention they are ungrateful and selfish.”
“Come on, man. That’s not true. Laurel and I have a great relationship.”
“Then why did she insist on coming? It’s because she doesn’t trust your ass.”
“Shush. Here she comes. Hi, baby.” He smiled, and I rolled my eyes.
I should have known Laurel would impose on our guy’s weekend. Now, I felt like a fucking third wheel, and I wasn’t happy about it. I was looking forward to spending a few days in Vegas with my best friend and best friend only.