Chapter 1 Grant #2
Once I arrived at my office, I took out my phone and googled Ruby’s restaurant again, analyzing every photo.
The location was small, but I couldn’t find the details I needed.
There were no clear pictures of the outdoor area, and I needed to know how many entrances they had.
I’d have to go there in person. Fortunately, Roger had left me Ruby’s number.
Even though the engagement party was two months away, I wanted to get this thing going.
If the restaurant was as bad as I thought, I still had time to persuade Roger and Daphne to choose another venue.
Ruby answered after a few rings. “You’ve reached The Cozy Place. I’m Ruby, how may I help you?”
“Good morning, Ruby, this is Grant Clifford.” I waited for a split second, but there was no exclamation of recognition. “I’m Roger’s best friend and will be in charge of security for his and Daphne’s engagement party.”
“Oh, right, yes. Grant,” she said slowly. “Right, right. Um, wow. I mean, Daphne did mention something, but they really want security?”
I jerked my head back in shock as I entered my building, a four-story redbrick construction along South River Drive. Does she even know who Roger is?
“I want to come and inspect the location myself.”
“Inspect? What do you mean?”
“I need to see the perimeter so I can think about how I can secure it. Check every possible entrance and exit, the windows, and so on.”
She paused, then said, “Aha. Interesting. Honestly, I’m here day in, day out, so just drop by whenever, and I’ll make time for you. ”
“That’s not how I work, Ms....” I didn’t know her last name.
“Ward. Ruby Ward.”
“I want us to decide on a specific time so you can show me around.”
“Oh, that would be maybe six months from now.” She actually giggled at that.
Why wasn’t she taking this seriously?
Heath waved at me when he saw me come in. The office space was a huge open area, though each division was separated by glass walls, which significantly reduced the noise.
I shook my head, indicating that I’d meet with him later. Focusing on my call, I said, “That won’t do. I want to come by this week.”
She made a weird sound, and then it suddenly got quiet. Did she just groan into the phone? I didn’t like this at all. “I can do tomorrow at four. It’s before dinnertime, and... oh no, I’ll have to talk to Sherry before...”
Her voice faded. I was starting to get annoyed.
“Ms. Ward, if you’re not going to focus on our meeting—”
“I heard you the first time.” Her response was sharp and sassy, and it pissed me off.
“No need to use that tone with me.” I bristled right back at her as I walked straight into my office.
“Tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. is the best I can do.”
“Then I’ll be there at four o’clock sharp.”
I didn’t have a good feeling about this at all.
After hanging up, I remembered Heath wanted to talk to me, so I left my office and went to his.
Clifford Security employed over a hundred people in our various divisions.
I started out as a bodyguard at sixteen with a fake ID that showed I was twenty-two so I could get bouncer jobs in clubs.
I’d needed the extra money. Thomas and Sybil were more than generous, but I’d never liked handouts.
I’d spent my first sixteen years in foster care—some habits died hard .
When I came in, I saw Cameron was in Heath’s office too. “Perfect timing,” he said.
I frowned. “Did we have a meeting that I forgot about?”
Cameron started to laugh. “Yeah, like that would ever happen to you.”
“Then what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked.
He ran a hand through his hair, always a sign of frustration. We looked like our dad so far as we could tell—we only had one photo of him and Mom. They passed away in a car crash when we were very young.
I moved around the office, not in the mood to sit down. I was still annoyed with Ruby and her off-putting attitude.
I always thought it funny how my brothers and I had very different tastes in decorating offices.
I had a black leather chair, a mahogany desk, and a couple of mahogany chairs with black cushioning to the side of it for guests.
Heath had all-white furniture, and Evie’s drawings were hung by a million clips on the walls.
The color explosion made my eye twitch every time I was here.
Cameron’s office looked futuristic—he had three desks and several types of chairs that he switched between.
He claimed it made him more productive. I didn’t see how, but it seemed to work for him.
Cameron jerked his thumb at Heath. “This one wants us all to take time off work on Evie’s birthday.”
My niece was turning nine. Man, time flew by.
I stared at him in surprise. “Heath, you know I’d do anything for that girl... but missing work?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. We all have enough workload for the next century. But it’s my girl’s special day. Sybil and Thomas said they can make it.”
“They’re retired,” I reminded him.
“You don’t have to come, then.”
I was affronted. “What the fuck? I’d never skip her birthday.”
“I can make up an excuse for you,” he offered.
That didn’t sit well with me. I’d do anything for Evie.
I was trying to be a present uncle—on occasion taking her to the zoo or picking her up from school.
I always attended her recitals and all the other after-hours stuff she was involved in.
I could just imagine her disappointment if I didn’t show up on her birthday. Hell, I’d be disappointed too!
“Just let me know where I should be and when.”
“Perfect,” Heath replied.
“That’s all?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Can we talk about the Filipo account?” Cameron asked. They were one of our biggest repeat customers.
“Not right now. I’ve got a meeting starting in ten minutes. And I have to rearrange the one I have tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m heading to the restaurant where Roger and Daphne are having their engagement party.”
Cameron narrowed his eyes. “What’s it called?”
“The Cozy Place. I looked it up. It’s very small and old looking.”
“Well, small is good,” Heath said. “Means we can easily secure it.”
“I’d rather they use one of the venues we’ve secured before,” I replied.
“It’s not going to be that difficult. We don’t need to go overboard.”
“Better safe than sorry,” I said automatically.
Heath rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know. That’s your life’s motto.”
“That motto has made us hundreds of millions of dollars over the years.”
“You know what? I’ll go with you,” Cameron offered. With a smirk, he added, “I’m more easygoing. Don’t want to scare off the poor guy who’s running the place.”
“Woman. Her name is Ruby—she’s Daphne’s best friend. ”
He quirked a brow. “Why do you talk about her as if you already dislike her?”
“She wasn’t taking this seriously at all on the phone.”
My brothers exchanged a glance.
“One of us should go,” Heath insisted, pointing between himself and Cameron.
“No. I promised Roger that I’ll oversee this personally.”
Heath rolled his eyes. “Fine. Suit yourself.”
“I’ll be in my office if you need me for anything,” I said before leaving.
The three of us were alike in many ways.
We both had a great work ethic and a lot of respect for money.
Even though we were extremely well-off, we weren’t wasteful.
My brothers were younger when Sybil and Thomas adopted us, and while we were in foster care, I had done my best to shield them from the ugliness of the system.
I had the marks to prove it—but they didn’t, and I was damn proud of that.
I was fifteen when Sybil and Thomas adopted us.
Heath was twelve and Cameron nine. I would be forever grateful to them because they had a comfortable life before taking us in.
Readjusting everything, along with the expense of three kids, was not easy, but they gave us everything we could possibly want.
As I went into my office, I tapped my phone.
“Fran, you here?”
“Yes, Grant.”
I only had a virtual assistant these days.
Fran had worked at the office ever since I began, but she’d insisted on retiring a few years ago and moving to Maine so they could be with her husband’s family.
I’d convinced her to continue working for me remotely, and it was working out just fine even though we had a three-hour time difference.
“I need you to rearrange tomorrow. I’ve got a meeting at four o’clock, and I can’t move it.”
“All right.” She paused for a moment, and I could hear her typing. “Oh, well, tomorrow... Hmm. I’ll make it happen. ”
“I know you will. Thank you.”
And that was why I’d accommodated her need to work remotely.
I pulled up the page for Ruby’s restaurant again. It annoyed me to no end that she wasn’t taking this seriously. Tomorrow’s meeting was going to be interesting, but I would get my way, one way or another.
I always did.