CHAPTER FIVE #2
“It doesn’t feel that way.”
Her eyes lift to mine, and for the first time, I see her vulnerability. I feel it in my chest as my fists clench, so I don’t reach out to her.
In this private moment, hidden away at the back of the store, I want to kiss her. I have no right to do that, especially not where she has this private memory with her husband, but I want to. I want to steal it and make it mine.
I want her—
My phone rings.
Shit.
I glance at the caller ID.
“Excuse me, I need to take this,” I say regretfully, taking one last glance at her simmering gaze. “Drew Carrington.”
“Drew. Daniel Dufort.” His deep voice booms down the line.
“Hey Daniel.” I was expecting a call from the hotel tycoon.
The Dufort family has hotels all around the world. At the last black-tie fundraiser, he mentioned he’d be in the market for more real estate soon. I told him to call me when he was ready.
“Heard you acquired the Open Leaf business from the Fords.”
I bet he did.
Word gets around fast in this town.
“Did you know Anthony Ford?
“Met him once. Him and his wife.”
I almost groan.
Why the fuck am I so possessive of this woman? I need to get a handle on this.
“What are you looking for?”
“Tell me you didn’t rip her off, Carrington,” Daniel says. “I’m not buying a building from a grieving widow and having my wife hate me for the next ten years.
I smile, walking a few feet away.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t an asshole. Of course she has an emotional attachment to the company, so we won’t be including Mrs. Ford in any discussions at that level.”
I wait while Daniel speaks to someone in the background. His assistant, I’d assume.
“Sorry, Drew.”
“No problem.”
“So, what cities are we talking?” Daniel continues.
“Right now, we could sell the Chicago and Atlanta buildings, but I’ll know more in the coming weeks.”
Those stores have been competing heavily with BooksNow and are churning through profits. I need to shut them quickly, but not if we don’t have a buyer for the building.
There are mortgages on them.
Anthony Ford made some very silly decisions.
BooksNow is the largest bookstore in the country, dominating the market. If Ford had been smart, he would have shut the store years ago.
Instead, he took out a loan and bought the fucking building. It’s mind boggling how stupid that move was.
And it’s not the only one.
“Send me the details and I’ll have my team look at it.” Daniel says.
He’s a lot like me.
All business and not much chit-chat.
I like that.
“Don’t take too long.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I heard Daniel’s smile as he hangs up.
Grinning, I pick up a book I read as a kid and flip it over. Memories of my mom flood back and I find myself flicking through it.
After a few minutes, I realize Gemma has disappeared. Returning the book to the shelf, I go in search of her. Five long fucking minutes later I head to the front counter.
“Maureen, have you seen Gemma?”
“She left, sir.”
What?
My brows fly to the top of my head in surprise before I can stop them.
“Gone.”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
She’s fucking left? In the middle of a business meeting? She just fucking left?
I stroll out of the store and find Patrick and Jeeves standing side by side leaving against my town car.
“Is Gemma in the car?” I growl.
“No sir.” Patrick shakes his head and points to his right. “She went in that direction.”
“When?”
“A few minutes ago. Three or four, maybe.”
Dialing her number, I get her voice message.
Then again.
What the fuck is she playing at?
––––––––
SIX HOURS LATER, when I’m in the middle of dealing with a very drunk Colt who has decided to fall in love with his Australian online lover, Gemma decides to call me back.
“Hello, Mr. Carrington.”
“Gemma, you better tell me you had an emergency with your daughter.” I’m drunk and shouldn’t have answered but I want an explanation for her disappearance today.
“No. However, I received your missed calls. How can I help you?”
What the fuck?
“For starters, Ms. Ford” —she deserves that— “you can explain to me why you took off today without saying a word.”
Silence.
“Gemma?”
“I heard your conversation,” she replies.
I rub my forehead.
The conversation with Daniel.
Surely, she couldn’t have put two and two...ohhh wait.
...she has an emotional attachment to the company, so we won’t be including Mrs. Ford...
Fuck.
“You told me you would save Open Leaf.”
“No, I didn’t.” I glance at Zander and Colt, who are in the car with me, both as drunk as I am.
A mix of irritation and guilt blends together with at least three glasses of Macallan, and it’s not good. Gemma doesn’t get to take off like that. It’s not how you do business, and she breached her contract.
Something inside me snaps.
I didn’t fuck up her company. She did.
Her stupid husband did.
“What is it you think I do? I’m a venture capitalist, not a therapist. I buy failing companies and do what is necessary to make a profit.”
“So, it’s all about money to you?!” Gemma spits, and I realize how late it is and that she might be drinking, too.
This isn’t good.
And yet, I can’t stop.
“Yes.”
If I didn’t do it, someone else would. I saved her from losing more money. Doesn’t she understand that?
Or is she one of those billionaire-haters who are completely unaware of the contribution our enormous taxes make to the economy?
Without them, the world would look quite different.
Those taxes pay for the benefits that the vulnerable in society lean on, and infrastructure that everyone enjoys.
The dream that we are all equal, that we could all earn the same money and live a perfect life is just that.
A fucking pipe dream.
Life doesn’t work that way.
Crap...I’m going off on a drunken tangent.
“Why did you want me to stay on with the company if you think I’m so emotional? What is going on? I want to know.”
Ouch.
“You don’t have the right to know the details Gemma. I own the company.”
“Are you going to close it down? Is that your plan?”
Maybe.
I don’t know yet.
Part of the process my team is working on is deciding on that. Hence my fucking comment to Daniel.
“I won’t let you do this. If that’s your plan, I’m not coming back.”
Shit.
I rub my forehead
“Well, Ms. Ford, I’m afraid that decision is not up to you. Obsidian Capital now owns your business. So, unless you want to be in breach of the terms of your fucking contract, I will see your ass in my office on Monday morning.”
Then I hang up.