Homecoming - Chapter 29
Friday
Matt
I was trying to focus on the homecoming game tomorrow instead of what happened with Kennedy and Felix last night. I didn’t know what I wanted to do about that situation. Luckily I had lunch with Mason today. Maybe he could give me some advice.
Hopefully he’d have better advice than Tanner did last night. He’d just told me he was willing to send the two of them on a date alone this time. And that really didn’t help anything.
Seriously…what the hell was I supposed to do? Sure, Kennedy looked happy talking to Felix. But I made her happy too. It wasn’t like Felix was an upgrade over me. Fucking Felix.
Just focus on the game. Besides, Kennedy would be with me on the field. While Felix was in the stands. I had the advantage here.
My administrative assistant called my cell phone just as I was walking into the office.
“Hey, Mary, I’m on my way up.”
“Thank goodness. That woman is here again.”
“What woman?” I asked. But I didn’t need to. Because a second later I could hear Poppy screaming at Mary to give her the phone.
Great. This was the last thing I needed today. “I’ll be right up,” I said and ended the call. I guessed Poppy got the contract. I’d kind of been hoping this whole thing could be done over the phone. But maybe it would be better in person. So she could see how serious I was about this.
As I stepped onto the elevator, I was glad Nigel wasn’t with me today. He would have hit all the buttons. And Mary was a fantastic assistant, but no one could handle Poppy’s wrath for too long.
I got off on the top floor and walked toward my office.
“I told her not to go in,” Mary said. “But she ignored everything I said.”
That sounded like Poppy. “Thanks, Mary.”
“Do you want me to call security?”
“No, I’ve got it from here.” I walked into my office and closed the door behind me.
Poppy spun around and glared at me. But I was a little distracted by the fact that her daughter Gigi was playing with my glass paperweights again.
I grabbed one from her and put it on a higher shelf before she could smash it.
“Did you send a fax to me yesterday afternoon?” Poppy said and lifted up a stack of papers. She looked so pissed.
I tried to hide my smile. Nigel was right, faxes were awesome. “Yes, I did.”
“Who sends faxes? It’s so inefficient. It just sat there all of yesterday and my assistant only found it this morning.”
I loved that. The wait seemed to make her even more pissed.
“And what the hell is this?” She lifted up the papers. “Why is there a clause about a designer bathtub?”
I thought I’d told Nigel to take that out. “Ignore that clause. But I’m dead serious about the rest of it.”
“I don’t understand…I thought we were on the same page.”
“Poppy I went to your house earlier this week and showed you the evidence I had against you. We were never on the same page.”
“Of course we’re on the same page. Just because you’re blackmailing me doesn’t mean we can’t be together. I respect this cutthroat side of you. And a contract? It’s a sexy touch.”
She’d completely lost it. “Poppy, if you don’t sign those papers, I’ll go to the police now.”
She sighed and set the contract down on my desk. “You don’t mean that, sugar tits.”
“Yes, I do. And seriously, don’t call me that.”
She just stared at me, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “Oh. This is about Brooklyn, isn’t it?”
When I had a problem, why did everyone always just assume it was because of Brooklyn? “No.”
“So you’re not still in love with her?”
I clenched my jaw. I didn’t even know how to answer that anymore. “It’s not about Brooklyn. She’s dead.”
Poppy raised her eyebrows. She looked genuinely shocked by my response. “Fascinating.”
“What are you talking about, Poppy?”
“You’re spending all this time protecting your friends and family. It’s a little ironic. Since they don’t seem to have your best interests in mind in the slightest.”
What the hell was she talking about? My friends had my best interests in mind. She was growing more delusional by the day.
“Darling,” she said. “I’m the only one that’s going to put you first. Forever and always. As soon as we walk down the aisle that is.”
I grabbed a pen from my desk and handed it to her. “Sign it.”
She looked around. “I don’t see a marriage certificate anywhere.”
“Sign the contract I faxed you.”
She pouted. “But there’s a whole section about how it terminates our original arrangement. Signing this would mean we are no longer together. That’ll have to be taken out.”
“That’s what the whole contract is for.”
“Oh, is it?” She picked up the stack of papers again. “I thought it was to make sure I wouldn’t blow up any of your friends, family, or acquaintances. Especially someone named Nigel who you hold near and dear to your heart?”
What? I grabbed the documents from her. She’d already highlighted a few sections. And I saw Nigel’s name highlighted in bright yellow under a ‘near and dear’ clause. When had he added that in? I swear it hadn’t been in the original he’d shown me.
“I think what we both want is that cute little redhead to remain safe. So let’s forget about the contract and just move forward with an engagement.”
“Poppy…”
“And speaking of our pending engagement…why haven’t you signed the relationship contract that Uncle Richard sent over?”
“Because I don’t want to be in a relationship. Hence this contract.”
“Well, give me some more time to look it over. I’ll need to make quite a few amendments. But in the meantime, go ahead and sign the relationship contract.”
Did she think she was negotiating with a toddler? “I’m not signing another relationship contract,” I said.
“What do you mean another ?” Her confident smile finally faltered.
“Mr. Pruitt made me sign one when I was dating Brooklyn. I’m not signing another damned thing.”
“You have one with Brooklyn?”
“Had. I had one with Brooklyn.”
“Interesting,” she said. “I think I need to have a talk with my uncle.”
“He doesn’t need to be involved in this.”
“Apparently he does. Regardless, like I said, I need more time to look this over. I think some clauses might nullify other contract’s clauses and things of that nature. It’s a whole big thing. I’ll need a while.”
“Poppy, why are you dragging this out?”
“I’m not. I’m protecting myself.”
“How is dating me protecting you?”
She stared at me for a moment. “I already told you. I want to take over the company. And Uncle Richard is delusional. He’s not seeing reason right now. My position in the company is in jeopardy.”
“I know you think you need my help with finances, but…”
“It’s not really about that anymore. He thinks he found a more suitable heir. Which is preposterous.” Her voice was growing louder by the second. “I’ve been here the whole time. I know how everything works. I’m the better choice. He has to pick me!”
I suddenly had a feeling that Poppy’s delusions had nothing to do with me. Well, maybe a little to do with me. But it seemed like she was more upset by whatever was going on with Mr. Pruitt.
“How about this…sign those papers and I’ll have a talk with Mr. Pruitt. About how you’re the perfect fit to take over for him.” I truly believed she was. She was as unhinged as her uncle. She’d run the mob just fine.
“Really?” She smiled. “Great! Have that talk and we’ll see about the papers.”
“No, sign the papers and then I’ll talk to him.”
“I like it my way better. Kisses.” She stood on her tiptoes and tried to plant a kiss on my lips, but I dodged it at the last second.
“Poppy…”
But she ignored me. “You’re so funny, lover. Gigi, come,” she said.
Gigi put the picture frame she’d been looking at back on the shelf, dangerously close to the edge.
I quickly pushed it back. And looked down at Scarlett’s smiling face in the picture. I took a deep breath. I was doing this all for her. To make sure she was safe. And I could swallow my pride for a minute in order to make sure that was possible. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll talk to Mr. Pruitt.”
“Wonderful,” Poppy said. “Isn’t that wonderful, Gigi?”
Gigi nodded.
God, that little girl really creeped me out. She looked just like a doll that had come to life to murder everyone.
“And after I do, you’ll sign that contract?”
“Right after my lawyers finish looking at it.”
“Quickly, Poppy.”
“Of course. Anything for you, darling. But it’s practically the weekend. It’ll have to wait until at least Monday. And then they’ll need a few days. Ta ta!” Poppy yelled and they walked out of my office hand in hand.
Lover? At least Monday? I sighed and sat down. The last thing I wanted to do was see Mr. Pruitt. But I could do it another day.
I needed to get my head in the game. If we won homecoming, Jefferson would be a legend. I’d accomplish what I’d set out to do.
Kind of. Really it was Kennedy who was helping make Jefferson so popular.
Fuck, what am I going to do about Kennedy?