23. Cameron
23
CAMERON
T he last place I wanted to be was at the Glenhaven Club NYC given my state of mind since the Central Park incident a few days prior, but I was at the club for a meeting I couldn’t refuse: Vincent Forde of Summit wanted to talk business.
Vincent and I had run in parallel circles for years but never actually met, despite the fact that we were both charter members at Glenhaven. We knew many of the same people who all swore that Vincent’s fragrance empire was the perfect fit for Veritique. Coordinating a time to meet was surprisingly difficult, considering we were both based out of New York, but we’d finally found a day that worked for both of us. Our schedules were each chaotic in their own ways, mine more so than ever, which meant I needed to work hard to drown out the ancillary stress in my life and focus on what he was presenting to me.
The hush of Glenhaven was a welcome respite after the nonstop drama of late. The Veritique office felt stilted. My penthouse felt empty. I was in no mood to connect with Tyler or Aiden, so losing myself in the quiet luxury around me to consider a new direction for Veritique seemed to be my only option.
The club was nondescript from the outside, like any other old brick building. The only sign was a discrete brass plaque near the door. Glenhaven outposts could be found in every major city around the world, and each one was unique to that location. Glenhaven London had a posh patina, Glenhaven Paris looked out on the Eiffel Tower, and Glenhaven New York could not be more sleek and sexy. The club had something for everyone, including a full gym complete with an Olympic pool in the basement, a library, soundproofed pods, and meeting rooms of various sizes on the first floor, a Michelin-starred restaurant on the second floor, hotel rooms on the third, and a roof terrace at the top. I was one of the few Glenhaven members to have visited every location, and Manhattan remained my favorite.
Vincent’s assistant had texted to say he was running late. I had a half hour, so I wandered up to have a drink while I waited.
“Mr. O’Connor,” the longtime ma?tre d’ Wally said with a smile as I walked in. “We don’t have you on the books this afternoon, but we’re delighted you’re here! How many people will be joining you? We’ll get your favorite table ready.”
“Oh, no, I’m just here for a quick drink at the bar, Wally,” I said.
“Excellent. Your friend James will be delighted to see you, I’m sure. He’s right over there.”
I strained my eyes to see who he was pointing to and recognized the sandy-haired man sitting alone immediately. “James Branson? I haven’t caught up with him in forever.”
I strode over and stood behind him. “Excuse me sir, may I ask where you bought your suit?”
James laughed as he turned around. “Cameron O’Connor, it’s been too damn long! Good to see you!”
We shook hands and leaned in for a quick bro-hug.
James opened his blazer to show me the label. “This is a Branson original. If you like the look of it, I just might know someone who could hook you up.”
James Branson had taken over his family’s successful clothing design company and grown it into an absolute powerhouse, but he didn’t deserve all the credit for the exponential growth in the past few years. His wife Natalie had started their couture bridal division, and it now rivaled Vera Wang. Plus, after the birth of their beautiful daughter Olivia, they’d added a groundbreaking children’s line to their portfolio. The Branson brand just couldn’t stop winning.
But the best part? James and Natalie were two of the kindest people I’d ever met.
I slid onto the chair next to him. “How are you, my friend? How’s fatherhood?”
James beamed at me. “Cameron, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Let me show you a photo of Liv.”
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through a series of images of a truly adorable baby who had his blue eyes and her mother’s fair coloring. The pride in James’s face gave me a pang. I’d never given much thought to fatherhood. Lord knew, I never wanted to be like my father in any way. But more than that, I’d never been able to imagine a future with anyone before—not even with Carolina. Everything had happened so fast with her that there hadn’t been much time for planning—which was for the best, in the end. I couldn’t miss a future I’d never truly imagined with her. And with all the other women I’d dated, I’d never bothered looking ahead any further than the next weekend. None of them had ever made me feel genuinely excited to find out what came next, except for…Well, I’d never had a real relationship that made me feel that way. But seeing James so chuffed about it made me reconsider settling down for a split second.
“You’re really happy, huh?” I asked him, studying his face as he answered.
He smiled. “You don’t even know. Man, I thought I had everything before I met Natalie. Running an empire, living fast…but it got old. I was getting old. The clock was ticking, but I kept ignoring it. Nothing was making me happy until I met this spitfire of a woman who turned my world upside down. My Natalie…” he shook his head, smiling off into the distance at the thought of his wife. “Let’s just say she has no fear, because she’s the only person I know who can stand up to me.” He chuckled. “Well, her and Olivia.”
A vice tightened behind my eyes. I knew someone like that as well. Despite my best efforts to put her out of my head, my thoughts immediately conjured up Felicity’s beautiful face, then just as quickly, the image shifted to how wounded she’d looked that day in Central Park.
The bartender delivered a glass of Glenlivet I hadn’t ordered, but then again, it was my usual drink. Glenhaven thought of everything. I took a huge gulp, hoping it would smooth down the jaggedness inside of me.
“Where is Natalie today?” I asked.
“She had a meeting about our new sunglasses line, but she’s swinging by here any minute. Will you still be around? I know she’d love to see you.”
I glanced at the time. “I should be, I’m meeting with Vincent Forde shortly, but he’s running late.”
“Finally!” James said. “I’ve been trying to hook the two of you up for ages. What’s he got up his sleeve?”
I shrugged. “That’s what I’m here to find out.”
James polished off his pint. “Enough about business. How’s your real life these days?”
Dark? Depressing? James didn’t seem to know any of the recent drama, and I didn’t feel like going there at the moment. I was at Glenhaven to forget it.
“Fine,” I said, taking another draw from the glass. “Doing fine. Usual stuff.”
James narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’ve got nothing interesting to report.”
Liar . The vice in my head inched tighter.
James opened his mouth to continue the inquisition, but we were interrupted by a sprite of a woman who was dressed like she’d stepped out of a vintage Branson look book. Natalie Branson was the perfect advertisement for the brand.
“Oh my gosh, is that the Cameron O’Connor?” she squealed as she hugged me. “How is it possible I haven’t seen you since our wedding?”
“I know, I’m awful,” I smiled at her. “But you know, life is busy.”
She scooted onto the bar stool between us. “Do I ever. And it’s about to get busier, because we just signed Percival Banks to be the face of Branson Eyewear. Break out the champagne!”
I watched James and Natalie as we toasted their latest success, and what struck me was how synchronized they were. When Natalie searched for a napkin, James handed one to her without missing a beat in the conversation. When they told a story about Olivia, they practically spoke in unison. His hand rested on her thigh beneath the bar, and she kept finding excuses to touch him, like smoothing his hair or resting her palm against his cheek.
Watching them together physically hurt.
Fuck. I missed Felicity.
“Any ladies we should know about?” Natalie asked, wiggling her eyebrows. “Who’s keeping you warm these days?”
I snorted. “Um, Boris?”
“Oh, come on,” Natalie said. She slapped my hand lightly. “When are you going to settle down and add to the O’Connor clan?”
I shook my head and drained the rest of my glass. “Not in the near future. Too much going on. Maybe someday, twenty years down the line?”
“Cam,” James said, “you don’t want to miss this. I’m serious. It’s easy to get caught up in work, but there’s more to life than that. Trust me.”
He slid his arm around Natalie’s shoulder, and they jointly stared like they felt bad for me, which made me feel even worse. Maybe talking about Felicity with them would help me clear up what the hell I was doing?
I thought about how the conversation would go and opted to keep my mouth shut. They’d both push me to track her down and admit I’d been wrong about us, but I hadn’t been wrong. Not all relationships led to the blissed-out happiness James and Natalie shared. My experience proved to me that relationships were far more likely to be nothing more than a distraction from what really mattered.
Natalie started to ask another question, but a text came through on my phone.
“Looks like Vincent is here—I need to run,” I said, standing up slowly. “So wonderful seeing both of you.”
I hugged Natalie, and when I shook James’s hand, he held on for a beat longer than necessary.
“Don’t forget to live your life,” he said, staring hard. “Trust me, there’s so much more beyond the boardroom. Don’t forget it.”
“I’ll do my best,” I said with a curt nod.
His words echoed in my head as I took the elevator to the library. I was living my life. I was about to embark on a potential new business venture. Wasn’t that what life was all about? I strode into the library, which was more of a sophisticated lounge, and spotted Vincent waiting for me in one of the high back leather chairs in the waiting area.
“Cameron,” he said, crossing the room to meet me. “Glad we could make this happen. Pleasure to meet you.”
Vincent was the definition of “tall, dark, and handsome.” I watched women’s heads swivel as he walked toward me, because not only was he an impressive looking man, he also had a commanding presence. I could tell his suit was bespoke, and the light stubble he sported was cultivated, not careless. There was an air of mystery about him, like he was someone who had secrets. But then he smiled, and my concern disappeared. I was good at sizing people up quickly, and Vincent didn’t trip my alarm.
We shook hands and found a quiet space with a table where we could spread out.
Vincent pulled an iPad from his briefcase. “We both have plenty on our plates, so I’m going to get right to it. We’re developing a limited-edition line of fragrances that pair with gemstones, and we think partnering with Veritique could amplify both of our messages. We’re looking for input during the development stage of each fragrance to make sure we’re hitting the right fragrance notes, then embarking on a joint marketing message, both with traditional media as well as influencer marketing.”
My jaw tightened at the mention of influencers. I wondered how much he knew about the current Veritique debacle.
“It’s clear that Veritique could use a redirect at the moment,” he said, elegantly answering my question. “This partnership could be a way to redirect the conversation. Veritique is a venerable brand, as is Summit. The two of us joining forces could help each of us dominate new market segments.”
“Interesting,” I answered. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
Vincent opened the tablet. “The exact financial terms still need to be addressed, but here’s the rough creative concept my team is proposing.”
He handed over the tablet to show me a mock-up of an ad with an elegant multi-faceted perfume bottle alongside a Veritique engagement ring.
The Eternity, of course. There was just no escaping Felicity.
“The fragrances would contain trace elements of the actual stones, which is something we’ve never attempted before, but they would also evoke the feeling of it. So this scent would conjure up the sparkling brilliance of a diamond.” Vincent scrolled to the next photo, a lush, deep red image of our ruby Caligo bracelet next to a claret bottle. “The Ruby scent would be darker, more mysterious. And so on.” He paused to scan me. “Thoughts?”
The only thought I could focus on was the memory of holding the Eternity ring out to Felicity.
“It’s an intriguing concept,” I offered. “I’d like to continue the conversation with our teams present. Can we make that happen? Soon?”
Even with just a brief meeting, I had a good feeling about Vincent. He had the seal of approval from James, which told me all I needed to know about him. The partnership could work.
“Of course. I’ll have my assistant Roger get started on setting it up.” Vincent paused. “Hey, I’ve been on the run all day, and I haven’t had a bite to eat. Do you have time for an early dinner? No business talk, I promise.”
I shook my head. “Wish I could, but I have another meeting now. I’ll take you up on it next time. We’ll be in touch.” I held out my hand. “Great to meet you. I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation.”
“Agreed,” he said, shaking my hand and wearing a genuine smile.
I walked out of the club, but the positive feelings from our productive meeting dimmed as James’s words echoed in my head.
You don’t want to miss this
It was too late. And that was fine. All I needed was Veritique.
And Boris, the “meeting” I needed to get to.
I headed home, hoping a walk with my best friend would lift my sagging spirits.