Chapter 2 ~ Carter ~
I grinned confidently at the wall behind my desk. Which meant I was grinning at New York. The wall behind my desk was made of glass. And my desk was located on the top floor of a skyscraper. Almost. Above me was only my spacious penthouse. My penthouse. My company. My desk. My view. Even though there wasn't much to see today. Yesterday had been one of those wonderful spring days when everyone fell in love with New York. Today, however, the city showed its foggy face. The large panoramic window was covered with a light drizzle.
But that didn't dampen my good mood.
On the contrary.
My grin deepened. I had made it. In more ways than one.
Our developer had just informed me that our new product was ready for mass production. It was a car battery that weighed considerably less than our competitors' products. And that, in turn, meant we were guaranteed a lot of lucrative contracts. Every car manufacturer wanted the lightest, longest-lasting batteries for their electric cars. And I was the one supplying them.
My grin grew even wider. The future belonged to me and my company. No one would be able to get past me anymore. That had been my goal for years. Our revenue would reach record heights this year. Everyone would be talking about my company Carco Batteries . Everyone.
And the best part: My brother Cameron would be green with envy.
I hadn't thought it possible, but my grin grew even broader. My mouth probably stretched from ear to ear, and a triumphant feeling spread throughout my entire body. Cameron also had a company that manufactured car batteries. For several years, since the founding of our companies, we had been vying for the favor of the big auto manufacturers. But not together. Against each other. So far, it had been a neck-and-neck race. Sometimes I had won a big contract, sometimes Cameron had taken the victory.
But now... Now I would be the winner! Unbeatable! I clenched my fist in my pocket. The new product was unbeatable. For years to come! Thinking about the dumb face Cameron would make when he heard about my breakthrough made me grin again. Everyone would be talking about me, no one about him anymore. Everyone would want to buy from me, no one from him anymore.
At that moment, a loud knock sounded on my office door. Only one person knocked like that: my personal assistant Francis.
"Come in!" I called out loudly.
Francis entered the office. He was a small, wiry guy who had come to me right after university and had now been with the company for just under a year. A clever mind full of ideas who brought fresh wind to the company and whom I had come to greatly appreciate. My housekeeper managed things one floor above me, keeping my apartment clean and my back free so I could focus on other matters. Francis did the same here in the company.
"We've done it," I called out triumphantly and grinned at Francis. "The new product is a thousand times better than hoped and ready for market. You've read Allen's email too, right?" Allen was the chief developer of my company.
Francis nodded. He rarely showed his excitement.
"The news came just in time," I continued. "After all, we've already included the specifications for this battery in the Elecar Corporation 's tender. Now everything is ready, and that contract is as good as ours." It was a huge contract. The biggest there had ever been. Whoever got it would become the largest manufacturer of car batteries in the USA. A pioneer. In my mind, I already saw myself on the cover of all business magazines. Or maybe even in the New York Times . But not just in the business section. No, my place was on the front page, next to the President, shaking my hand and thanking me for my services to the future of the American auto industry.
"The Elecar Corporation just wrote to us, Mr. Jenkins," Francis announced.
"Really?" In all my joy over my triumph, I must have overlooked this email. "What do they want? More details about the new product?"
"No. They're thanking us for our participation in the tender and informing us that they will be equipping the test vehicles with Cameron's products."
"WHAT?" While Francis had delivered this news in a completely neutral tone, an outraged cry escaped me. The test vehicles were being equipped with Cameron's products? I knew exactly what that meant. He had the edge in the race for the contract. The Elecar Corporation preferred his products.
"That can't be! We're the best! No one can touch us technically!" I growled.
"I don't understand it either." Francis scratched his head and now did look somewhat desperate. We had spent countless evenings and nights together in the office, compiling our documents for the tender. It had all been for nothing! As it looked, Cameron suddenly had the best chances of getting this huge contract. Cameron! Everyone would be talking about Cameron. Not me. Cameron would be shaking hands with the President. Not me! Cameron would be on all the front pages. Not me! Cameron would be making huge sales and record profits. Not me!
This couldn't be happening!
Something must be fishy here.
Something wasn't right.
Had Cameron bribed someone at the Elecar Corporation to be favored in the race for the contract?
I took three quick steps away from the window and hurried to my glass designer desk in the center of the office. Angrily, I dropped into my office chair. As I unlocked the PC with my fingerprint, I took a deep breath. Maybe this was all just a mistake. Maybe Francis had misread something. Maybe the Elecar Corporation had confused Cameron and me. After all, we were brothers and had the same last name. Even our first names were somewhat similar. A mix-up could easily happen.
"Nice shoes today, Mr. Jenkins," said Francis, pointing to the colorful sneakers I was wearing with my dark suit.
"From some store in Soho," I replied distractedly.
"I still like the combination," Francis tried to cheer me up further. "Sneakers and a suit, it has something going for it."
I just grunted as I scrolled through my emails.
"THERE!" I finally exclaimed and opened the message from the Elecar Corporation . I quickly scanned the text. There it was in black and white. Exactly as Francis had said. The test vehicles were being equipped with products from Cameron's company.
"Damn it all to hell," I cursed loudly and slammed my fist on the glass desk.
"It's just the test vehicles. That doesn't have to mean anything yet," Francis tried to encourage me.
I looked at him sharply. "When was the last time a contract was awarded to a company other than the one that got the bid for the test vehicles?"
"Uh..." Francis stammered.
We both knew the answer.
It had never happened before.
The contract ALWAYS went to the company whose products were installed in the test vehicles. That was as certain as the "amen" in church.
Until now.
I had to find a way out.
Once again, I scanned the email. It was signed by the chief developer of the Elecar Corporation . Finally, my eyes lingered on the signature. The members of the supervisory board were listed there.
"Donovan Hayden Ellesmere?"
"Pardon?" Francis asked.
"Donovan Hayden Ellesmere is now on the supervisory board of the Elecar Corporation ?"
Francis hurried behind my desk and peered over my shoulder.
"Looks like it. That must be new. Do you know him, Mr. Jenkins?"
I just growled.
Of course I knew Donovan Hayden Ellesmere.
At that moment, the phone rang in the anteroom. Francis looked up. "Yolanda's on vacation. I'll see who it is. Be right back." Despite my bad mood, I looked at Francis appreciatively. He really kept every inconvenience away from me and wasn't above taking on my secretary's tasks when she happened to be away.
Just a minute later, Francis was back in the doorway to my office. His face was one big question mark.
"That was Donovan Hayden Ellesmere," he announced.
I looked up. "What did he want?"
"He just said: Tell that bastard his products are top-notch. But he'll only get the contract if he makes my daughter happy again. Tell him exactly like that ." Francis looked at me helplessly.
I groaned loudly. "This can't be happening!"
"So you can make sense of this message, Mr. Jenkins?" Francis looked at me attentively.
"Yes!"
Francis waited, but I didn't say anything more.
"Leave me alone for a moment," I ordered him. Francis obeyed. Without further questioning, he left my office and closed the door behind him.
"Goddamn it!" I shouted and slammed my fist on my desk again. At that moment, my cell phone rang. Angrily, I wanted to sweep it off the desk, but when I read the name on the display, I paused. I took three deep breaths and answered the call.
"Carter, old boy," the cheerful voice of my best friend Don boomed in my ear.
"Don," I answered.
"You don't sound particularly thrilled." I couldn't fool Don. He had known me long enough to know when I was angry and when I wasn't.
"The Elecar Corporation is giving the contract to Cameron," I spat out through gritted teeth. Just as I had calmed down a bit, I now felt the vein at my temple starting to throb again.
"That huge contract?" Don made sure.
"That's the one." I was so angry I could barely speak. I wanted to roar out loud, but that wouldn't have improved the situation either.
"Your product is better in every way."
"Yes. But that doesn't matter when your ex's father sits on the supervisory board of the Elecar Corporation ."
"Abigail's father is on the board at the Elecar Corporation ?" Don had quickly put two and two together.
"Exactly."
"The story with you two is ancient history." Don sounded visibly puzzled.
"One year," I replied curtly. Exactly one year ago, I had broken up with my ex Abigail Ellesmere. The woman had been as impossible as her name. How could I have gotten so involved with her? I shook my head at the thought.
"And now her father wants to take revenge on you? Because you broke up with her?" Don wanted to know.
"No, I don't think so," I replied thoughtfully.
"Then what?" Don pressed.
"Abigail's father told my assistant: Tell that bastard his products are top-notch. But he'll only get the contract if he makes my daughter happy again. " I took a deep breath. "It sounds like he wants me to... see Abigail again." The last word came reluctantly from my lips.
"Wow!" Don was speechless at first.
"That's out of the question!" I started ranting. "That woman drove me crazy with her jealousy! She constantly wanted to know where I was, where I was going, who I met there, who I talked to, what I ate and drank... It was absolutely unbearable! Of course, I didn't tell her anything, after all, I'm my own man and I decide freely about my life. I don't want a jealous bitch who's constantly breathing down my neck!"
"You've thoroughly enjoyed your freedom since the breakup," Don grinned. I couldn't see his grin, of course, but the sound of his voice told me everything.
"Of course, who wouldn't have enjoyed their freedom? New York is full of beautiful women. Who would I be if I didn't enjoy what the world has to offer? A woman only comes to my place for one night, no longer." That had been my iron rule since breaking up with Abigail. I always stuck to it and had a LOT of fun doing so. A whole lot of fun. Sure, some of the women had turned out to be a bit more clingy than expected and thought they could cure me of my "fear of commitment". I quickly dashed their hopes.
I didn't have a fear of commitment.
I simply enjoyed my freedom and had fun in my own way.
"Not all women are like Abigail," Don pointed out.
"Maybe not. But I'm just having too much fun. Why should I settle for one when I can have them all?" My argument was unbeatable in logic.
Don remained silent.
"No woman is coming back into my house, especially not Abigail. Her beloved father is apparently worried about her. He thinks I'm responsible for his daughter being unhappy and living off him. He probably wants to get rid of her too, and he can't think of anything better than tying her to me again."
"That could well be," Don said thoughtfully.
"I want nothing more to do with her. But I want the contract." With these two sentences, I outlined the conflict I had to solve.
"Can't you just pretend with Abigail? I mean..." Don didn't continue.
"The contract spans years, buddy. There's no quick fling and then getting rid of the woman again."
"And the contract is really that important?" Don made sure.
"We've worked towards this for months, if not years." I exhaled audibly and gripped the edge of the desk with my hand. "I'm not giving up that easily."
"What are you planning?" Don wanted to know.
"I'll meet with Abigail's father. Maybe Donovan Hayden Ellesmere will be more approachable in a conversation." I liked the idea so much that I asked Don, "Wait a moment." With the phone to my ear, I turned to my PC and typed an instruction for Francis in the chat window.
Please arrange an appointment with Donovan Hayden Ellesmere. As soon as possible. Preferably today.
This would have actually been a task for my secretary Yolanda. Francis would take care of it.
"I'm back," I said to Don.
"You think he'll talk to you?"
"In the end, he also has to make sure he's making the best possible decision for his company. Our product is leagues better than Cameron's. He can't get around that. I mean, if he only installs a second-rate battery in his cars, they won't be very popular. He'll lose buyers. Not immediately. But in a few years, the Elecar Corporation will already feel the consequences of this decision. Donovan Hayden Ellesmere can't afford that."
"Hm," Don said. "And what if he believes that... well, that you'll definitely follow his request? Then he's got Abigail taken care of AND the better products for his cars."
"That's out of the question! I can't be blackmailed," I was outraged.
"Surely Abigail's father knows how desperately you want this deal."
"Definitely. He knows that I now have the chance to finally outdo Cameron and how much I'm burning for it. And he'll also realize that my company can't grow further without this contract. We've invested a lot of money in developing the new product. Now we have to sell it."
A message from Francis popped up in the chat window.
Donovan Hayden Ellesmere expects you tonight at 7 PM at the Hotel Tiffany.
I grunted with satisfaction.
"I'm meeting Abigail's father tonight. My assistant just arranged it."
"Then you'd better think about how far you'd go to get the contract," Don warned me.
"You mean the old man won't be easily swayed?" I asked.
"I hardly think so. If he could be convinced with technical facts, he would have given you the contract already. Right?" Don's argument was undeniable. "He's unlikely to say anything different just because you present these facts to him in person instead of giving them to him in writing," he added.
I was silent. Don was right.
Unfortunately.
"Buddy, I've got to go," Don said at that moment. "Keep me updated on how everything develops."
"Sure," I replied. "Take care."
I hung up, turned around again, and clenched my jaw as I looked out the window. There was no trace of my previous high spirits. I had thought I was the sure winner, but now I was in quite a pickle.
I wanted the contract.
Desperately.
And I definitely didn't want a woman in my life.
Especially not Abigail.
I DIDN'T NEED a woman.
But I needed this job. Outshining Cameron was my ultimate goal.
I glanced at the clock.
About eight hours left until my meeting with Abigail's father.
I had to come up with something by then.
Something that would make it clear to him that there was no way I could get involved with Abigail again.