34. Theo
34
THEO
I should tell Mia. I just need to tell her what Steve’s pushing me to do. Then, I’ll make it abundantly clear that I’m not going to give in. But it’s so difficult to start that conversation. I can’t just walk up to her and say?—
The bell from the front door rings, and I frown. All my contractors have gone home for the day. If someone is coming into the resort right now, it could only be one of two things—something really good or something really bad.
I go to the top of the stairs from where I’ve been standing just outside the doorway of one of the newly completed guest bedrooms. Mia is standing in the lobby.
When she spots me, I see her face become more serious, tighter.
I descend the stairs. When I’m about three steps above her, she speaks.
“Theo, we need to talk.” Her voice is tight with barely contained anger.
I nod, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “Alright. Let’s talk. You know I don’t have anything to hide from you.”
Mia barks a laugh at that, and I know somehow. My stomach sinks. Steve has gotten to her. He’s approached her with another deal, another deal I didn’t approve. She’s furious with me, and this is it. I’ve lost my last chance to fix things with her.
“I know something’s going on. You’ve been distracted and secretive. And then there’s this.” She pulls out a crumpled piece of paper and passes it to me as I reach the bottom of the stairs.
I look at it, and even though it’s clearly English, it’s like my brain can’t comprehend what it’s trying to say. “Double-cross” and my name and… I don’t understand who would sabotage me like this.
Then, it all slides into place, and I see what Steve is doing. My anger starts boiling until my face matches Mia’s, but I’m not mad with her. No, I completely understand her perspective. I’m furious with Steve.
“Mia, let me explain this note. My?—”
But Mia doesn’t want to give me a chance. She bulldozes right over me.
Her voice rises until she’s almost yelling. “Explain? You’ve been lying to me, Theo. Pretending to be on our side while planning to screw me over. I know that the original plans have been refiled with the county—the plans that include my property. And there’s only one reason why that would have happened even after you told me you weren’t going after my property anymore.”
Refiled? Now I’m really confused. I feel like Mia is moving three times my speed, and my thoughts aren’t able to catch up with her long enough to have a real conversation.
“You were just pretending that we had something so you could get close to me and screw me over. That was your plan all along, and that’s sick! Sick, Theo!”
“Hold on. Hold on! That’s not true.” I’m practically pleading with her because I meant everything I said. I was willing to give up the more profitable resort if it meant Mia and I could have a chance.
“I’m not going to hold on . I’m not going to listen to you or what you say ever again. I mean, coming to help me with my sunroom… That was good. Teal good. You had me fooled into thinking you cared about me and the house. Meanwhile, you were just planning to do this .”
“Mia, please.” I reach for her, but she steps back, determined to maintain the distance between us. “At least listen to me. I never wanted to hurt you or the community. I’ve been trying to find a way to make this work, but Steve?—”
She cuts me off, her eyes blazing with fury. “Don’t you dare blame this on Steve. You should have told me what was going on. You should have trusted me. If Steve is trying to pressure you, that’s his issue. It’s up to you to be honest with me, to tell me what’s going on. But that would only happen if we had a real relationship.”
I don’t like that she’s referring to our relationship in the past tense. “I didn’t want to worry you. I thought I could handle it. I’ve been trying to tell you, wanting to tell you for days that he’s turned the pressure up. But it’s hard enough for me to deal with it. I didn’t want to put any pressure on you either.”
“Well, you thought wrong. I can’t believe I ever trusted you. I can’t believe I let myself get close to you again. I—” Mia breaks off and shakes her head, and I get the first hint at an emotion other than fury. She’s biting her lip, and I can see her eyes shining. She wants to cry, but she doesn’t even feel comfortable enough with me anymore to do that.
“Mia, please. I’m so sorry. I never wanted this to happen.”
She shakes her head, tears of anger and betrayal shining in her eyes. “Sorry isn’t enough, Theo. You lied to me. You kept secrets. How am I supposed to trust you now? I just… I never wanted to be in this position.”
I am not in a good position either. I have never wanted to be in this position, but Steve has put me here. And maybe my not being upfront with Mia has put me here too, but I’m not willing to accept full responsibility when Steve is the reason we’re both here.
She’s right about one thing. I’ve betrayed her trust, and there’s no easy way to fix that.
“Mia, I… I don’t know how to explain. I wasn’t deliberately trying to hide anything.”
“And that’s the problem. You thought you were doing what was best, and your best isn’t good enough.” Mia shakes her head and refuses to make eye contact.
I slowly reach for her, one more time, despite the fact that I’m still stinging from her last rejection, but she shakes her head.
“I need some time. I need to figure out if I can forgive you.”
“I know. I get it. Take your time, but I want you to know that I’m going to deal with Steve.”
“You said that before.”
“This time… I’m going to really deal with him. He won’t…” But I can’t make promises when I don’t know how Steve is going to react. I realize I have nothing to offer Mia, and she must realize the same thing.
She turns and heads toward the front door of the resort.
I stay frozen to the spot for a moment before I know I have to take drastic action. I can’t let things end like this. I can’t just give up. I’ve run the numbers before, but I need to run them again.
Before I do that, I’m going to set up a meeting with Steve. I need to fix this, and I need to do it quickly.
I grab my phone and dial Steve’s number. He answers on the second ring, sounding annoyed. “Theo, what is it now?”
“We need to talk,” I say, my voice firm. “In person. Tonight.”
There’s a pause, then he sighs. “Fine. Come to my office.”
I hear the annoyance in Steve’s tone, but I don’t care if I’m interrupting his schedule. This is more important than anything else he might have to do.
I give myself an hour to run the numbers, typing furiously at my computer and scratching figures across the legal pad beside my monitor. Finally, I think I have the best offer I’m going to be able to muster.
When I arrive at Steve’s office a little while later, the place is mostly empty. It’s pushing seven, and most people aren’t workaholics, not like Steve and myself. I wonder if I should have waited until tomorrow… In case I need witnesses. Steve isn’t going to like what I have to say, that’s for sure. I’ve always been good at negotiating, but this is different. This is personal.
Steve greets me with a scowl. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait? I was about to head home. I thought you decided not to come in after all.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I’m not going to dance around it. “I want to buy you out. Your share of the project. Name your price.”
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Are you serious? You know how much money we’re talking about? Do you know how much I’ve invested already?”
“I’m serious. I’m tired of all this back and forth, you filing plans with the country behind my back, and other things that aren’t strictly legal.” Steve’s only response is in his eyebrows, slowly rising as he tries to figure out if I’m trying to threaten him or not.
“I haven’t broken any laws,” Steve finally states.
I’m not so sure about that but accusing him of crimes won’t do anything to help my case. “That’s not the point of why I’m here. I want you off the project. I think you would feel better investing your money in a property where you have complete control.” I keep my voice as neutral as possible, though what I want to say is, “I think you’ll feel better if you can boss people around and they just do what you say.”
“I’ve invested ten million already. Do you have that to just hand me?”
I swallow. Hear the number like that makes it sound so big—seven zeroes. “I’ll find a way to get the money. Just name your price. You want your ten million back? I can get it to you in six months.”
“Six months,” Steve repeats, but he sounds more like he’s toying with me. He’s smirking like I’ve come in telling knock-knock jokes.
“Yes.”
“But you have to understand that I’m going to want more than my ten million. This money has been dormant for the last six months. I could have been investing it in another property, a property where my partner is just as determined to turn a profit as I am.”
I ignore the dig. “I understand that. That’s why I’m willing to pay you out, including some interest that you could have earned on your money. Name your price.”
He leans back in his chair, a smirk forming on his lips. “You’re doing this so you can impress that girl? Let her keep her little beach shack? You’re making a huge mistake, Theo. This project is a goldmine. You’re willing to throw all that away?”
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect Mia and the community. So, what’s your price?”
He studies me for a moment, then names a figure that makes my stomach churn. It’s more than I expected, more than I can afford. But I don’t hesitate. “Done.”
Steve’s smirk widens. “You’re really going to go through with this, huh? Fine. I’ll draw up the papers. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Without the extra building, you’re giving up half a million a year, easily.”
“Thank you, but I didn’t ask for your business advice.”
“Clearly, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need it.”
As soon as I’ve left Steve’s office, I realize I can’t get the money together on my own. I’m going to need help from my financial advisor.
It only takes a phone call for him to get started on the process of liquidating assets and securing loans. It’s going to take a couple of weeks for the buyout to be finalized, then I’m going to get Steve the money in the next couple of months, but I finally feel confident that I’ve made the right decision.
The resort is mine and only mine, and my first order of business is to correct the plans filed with the county.