Chapter 17
seventeen
Scotlyn.
After my morning with Christian, I headed back to my room with my body pleasantly sore in a way that had me smiling, then checking myself for smiling.
There were so many things I could have been stressing about with this situation I was in but I decided I didn't give a damn about what I should or shouldn't be doing or what made sense.
I was here, enjoying the moment and the man.
That was as far as I allowed my mind to drift.
Temporary bliss and amazing orgasms were all I cared about.
When I made it to my room, I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and an oversized Whitney International sweatshirt, then rolled my eyes because fuck Whitney International.
Well fuck everything I didn't build and brand.
It was childish but my father was being just as childish by getting in the way of me having something that wasn't connected to him.
This was all about his ego and I hated that he would rather ruin our relationship than just stay out of my way and let me do what I was good at, just because he couldn't take credit.
Once I was dressed, I headed to the bathroom and used a Denman brush to untangle my hair, grateful for the Keratin treatment Tezni gave me before I left.
A quick blow dry and flat iron later would get me right, but for now, I twisted my damp curls into a ponytail before rushing back to the room when I heard my phone ringing.
"You have good news right?" I dropped onto the edge of the bed.
My brother grunted and my stomach twisted. "Not really, just the details of Dad's emergency board meeting."
"Okay."
"Thursday at two. He's making everyone fly in for this one, so full house."
"Two days. He's trying to make sure I don't have time to defend myself."
"You know how he operates and you need to be here, Scot. In person. This isn't something you can do on the phone."
I rubbed my temples, mentally working through the logistics. "I know. I'll fly back tomorrow night. I have to prepare my arguments."
"Yeah, you do. Don't think that just because it's you, he'll go easy."
I laughed arrogantly. "He's going to go in guns blazing because it's me. I'm going against him. He's going to be pissed because it makes him look bad."
"At least you know what you're dealing with."
"I do." I sigh.
"James forwarded me that market analysis you requested. I'll send it over with my notes in an hour."
Last night, while Christian made us dinner, I worked on this trainwreck my father had created with James.
He immediately got to work, and I was grateful for having him on my side, but nothing was better than knowing Alex always had my back, even during the times he didn't fully believe I was making the best decisions.
"Thanks, Alex. I really appreciate you."
"You know I got you, Scot. Always. Oh, and Dad sent Justin to feel you out? What the fuck?"
"How do you know that?"
"I heard Dad on the phone with him right before I called you about the board meeting but didn't catch the entire call. I asked what was going on and he brushed it off. I didn't think about it till later."
"Yeah, he called last night and tried to convince me to bring the project under Whitney International's umbrella. Claimed he was looking out for me."
Alex snorted. "Dad's really on some bullshit with this. Want me to handle Justin? I could make his life very fucking difficult."
I smiled. "No. I handled him. I made it very clear that I wasn't interested in his help or anything else he might be offering."
"You sure? Because I've been looking for an excuse to fuck with him."
After he tried to use me to sleep his way into our family connections…
"I'm sure. Justin's not worth the effort and he was just following orders. We both know who the real problem is."
Our father…
"Yeah we do."
"I need to focus on preparing for Thursday. This is my baby, Alex. I'm not giving it up."
"You shouldn't have to and you won't. You've got this. Your numbers are solid and the development plan is on point. Whether he likes it or not, Dad will have to acknowledge that."
I sighed. "From your lips to God's ears, but thank you."
"Always. Just promise me you'll have your shit together with this. Dad's really on one."
"I will. I'll see you Thursday."
"You want me to pick you up from the airport or send a car?"
"Not sure yet. I'm going to figure out my flight plan. I don't want to use the company jet or he'll know I'm coming."
"I'll charter one for you."
"You don't have to. I'll work something out."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure." I grinned, knowing my brother was a much better man than our father.
"Love you."
"Love you too, Scot."
I ended the call and stared blankly at nothing for a minute. Two days. I had two days to prepare for the biggest battle of my professional life and that battle was against my father which really fucking sucked.
And hurt…
No point in worrying about things I couldn't change.
I grabbed my laptop and files from the dresser and headed toward Christian's study.
I pretty much knew what my argument would be at the board meeting, I just had to organize my thoughts.
But for now, I had other pressing business that required my attention.
The last thing I needed was to let my other properties suffer and give my father a reason to argue that being here was messing with my focus.
I settled into a leather chair, grateful for the relaxed atmosphere.
The space was cozy and quiet. I had a lot on my plate and needed to make sure I didn't drop the ball with not one single detail or my father would be all over it.
I sent James a text asking if he was ready for our video chat, and when he responded with a thumbs up, I logged in on my laptop and hit connect.
After I adjusted my camera so he could see me clearly, we jumped right in.
"What's first?" James pushed glasses onto his face and waited for my instruction.
"Let's start with the renovations at that resort in Thailand. Can you draft an email to our contact there? I need to check on progress and see if there are any delays."
James nodded while he typed. "Got it. What deadline would you like for their reply?"
"I need an update by the end of next week. Also, ask if they're experiencing any issues with materials or labor costs."
I watched him writing notes while I flipped through my own documents, glancing over designs for potential upgrades we discussed last month.
"Reach out to Heart Corporation. We still don't have their numbers." I shifted gears.
"Already done. I sent a follow up this morning," he said without looking up from his screen.
"Perfect. Let me know if you don't get a response and I'll call personally."
"Got you."
"Now let's work on Onyx Luxury in California."
I gave James a moment to shuffle through his files, and when he had the one he needed, I got started.
"I need an updated list of contractors who can handle the extension we've been discussing."
James nodded again. "Do you have any specific ones in mind or should I pull a list?"
"A list is best for now. Once you have that, please request updated timelines and cost estimates for each contractor's availability."
"Understood." He paused briefly while typing notes in his phone then looked up. "Anything else for Onyx?"
I chewed the corner of my lip, thinking. "Yes, find out if we have permits already approved."
James looked up and frowned. "They better have the permits approved by now."
"Should and do are two different worlds in our business but you know this."
He nodded again and typed out another note before glancing back at me. "I'll make sure everything is prioritized so you're not stressing over little details."
"Thank you. Let's also keep tabs on any marketing strategies we can implement for both locations."
"What do you have in mind?"
"For Onyx Luxury I want to focus on eco-friendly initiatives and community engagement."
"That's a good angle. What about Thailand?"
"We could explore partnerships with local artists or crafters who can offer unique experiences to guests. That generates income and brings the local connection to the property."
"Smart. I like that." James went back to typing out notes. "I'll reach out to the marketing department and send them something to play with based on your ideas."
"I think that's all for now. We can wrap this up for now."
James nodded and began stacking up his files. I did the same.
"Oh wait… Can you reach out to a few digital marketing firms? We should start thinking about targeted campaigns focusing specifically on luxury clientele heading toward both properties."
He grinned and began typing furiously once more as we wrapped up our discussion about next steps with both properties.
I ended the video chat and the rest of my day was spent dealing with emails, financial projections, and strategy documents.
By early afternoon I made my way through most of my check list and had even worked on my argument for the board meeting.
Just after one I smiled when a member of Christian's staff came in with lunch because I knew that was all him.
He had stayed away all morning, likely giving me time to process our night.
I appreciated that he didn't make things feel awkward with the "how do you feel about last" night conversation.
Shit, or was he just trying to find a way to tell me he fucked up by crossing lines and it wouldn't happen again?
It shouldn't happen again because me in his bed was too intimate and the kind of sex we had was very different than playing in a playroom.
It was more like two people in a relationship.
I groaned at the thought and enjoyed my chicken salad sandwich instead of overthinking and got back to work. A few hours later I was on another call and caught movement by the door.