Chapter 4
4
River
T omorrow is Christa’s first day on the job, and I think I’m more excited about it than she is.
My brothers and I arrived early to the conference room. We still have a few minutes to burn before Alexandra Jones, a prospective partner for our green energy project, arrives. Nathan handles our coffees, while Cassius lays out copies of the business plan for each seat at the table. Our minds are elsewhere, though.
“She’s something else, isn’t she?” I ask, unable to stop myself from smiling.
“Who’d have thought?” Cassius mutters under his breath as he flips through the on-screen presentation to make sure all the slides are in order. “Christa Campbell. The girl who got away.”
“She was too young back then,” I say. “And we were still quite green. We were in two different worlds. It was different.”
“Christa is different,” Cassius says.
Nathan gives him a curious look. “You noticed?”
“What do you mean?” I reply, my gaze bouncing between the two. Cassius and I may be twins, but I’m not always able to read him as easily as people might think.
“Something happened in LA,” Cassius says.
“Yeah, you mentioned that during the interview. I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just wondering if it bears any weight on what’s happening between us.”
“It could bear weight, but we won’t know until she tells us exactly what happened.”
Nathan scoffs. “Overly cautious, as always. It’s Christa. Let’s chill for a bit. I’m sure it’s nothing nefarious.”
“Maybe,” Cassius says.
“I’ll consider it a blessing, nonetheless,” I say with a shrug. “Come on, Cass, we’ve always had a soft spot for her. Granted, it was easier to mask it under faux brotherly affection. We had her in the same bubble as Teagan, and she was off-limits. It’s obviously different now. For all of us.”
He nods in agreement. “She’s addictive, man.”
“And beautiful. And funny. And smart. I don’t know what happened in LA, but I think it made her who she is today.” I sigh deeply. “The fact that she is accepting of all three of us is rare, Cass. It speaks volumes. It’s about more than just luck here.”
“Do not call it fate,” Nathan groans and rolls his eyes at me.
I laugh. “It is kind of. And you know I’m allergic to this kind of stuff.”
“Christa was right about one thing, though,” Nathan concedes. “No matter how it plays out between us in the long run, it cannot affect our professional relationship.”
“That, too. It’s Teagan I’m worried about,” Cassius replies. “She’s a stickler for old promises. She can’t know.”
“I’m not telling,” I say. “I don’t feel too good about it, but… I don’t know. Teagan knows what we’re like. She knows what we’re about, and she’s never ostracized us because of it.”
“As long as we didn’t touch Christa or any of her close friends,” Cassius grimly reminds me. “For good reason, if you think about it. How many women have we met who were genuinely open to build a relationship with the three of us? Who didn’t have dollar signs in their eyes when we suggested something like this.”
“Christa clearly isn’t in it for the money. She’s too busy making her own,” Nathan says and takes a seat next to me.
I’m still reeling from our interview. That was intense. Incredible. My pants get tighter every time I replay the scene in my mind. The fruity smell of her hair. The silky feel of her skin. The guttural sound she makes when she climaxes. Damn, this is a dangerous road we’re taking, but I don’t want to go back either.
“One day at a time, brothers,” Cassius replies. “It’s all we can do. Christa is settling back into life in Portland, back in our vicinity, and now in our offices, too. We’ve changed as well.”
“We’re not kids anymore,” I add. “Wholeheartedly agree.”
A knock on the door makes the three of us sit up.
“Here we go,” Nathan says.
Alexandra Jones saunters in with a subtle but charming smile. “Good morning, gentlemen,” she says in her slightly nasal California accent. “Thank you for having me.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Cassius says, motioning her to a chair.
We met her at an energy conference in Chicago earlier this year. We were still developing our green project at the time, but we knew we’d need additional funding even then.
“Coffee?” Nathan asks, hospitable as always.
“Yes, please,” Alexandra replies, then watches as my brother pours her a cup and follows her instructions on the sugar and cream.
She’s got this pixie look about her—her long, perfectly straight black hair makes her seem even smaller. She’s a slim thing with a tiny waist and bony wrists. Alexandra looks comfortable in a semitransparent white blouse and ridiculously tight navy blue pencil skirt cinched around the waist with a red leather belt. Usually, I’d pay more attention to the gold-plated buckle on her belt, but her perky breasts wrapped in black lace, visible through her blouse, are rather distracting.
Her outfit choice is not a coincidence.
She’s not the first woman to outline her more intimate features in order to mess with the heads of her male counterparts. I make a habit of noticing these details quickly, so I know who I’m dealing with.
“I was surprised to hear from you, I’ll be honest,” I tell her. “Back in Chicago, you didn’t seem too convinced about our green energy initiative.”
“In all fairness, I was still quite green myself on the topic of renewable energy,” Alexandra says and laughs lightly, then gingerly tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. She’s doing all the dainty feminine things experts in body language claim as successful manipulation tactics. “I’ve been reading up in the meantime. Met a few entrepreneurs along the way. My trip to Scotland was incredibly insightful on the matter.”
“Scotland?” Nathan asks.
“Last year, about ninety percent of Scotland’s energy output came from their windmills. The Hawthornes have access to vast land all around Portland, plus the ocean along the Tillamook,” she says. “If we’re going into business together, I could facilitate some of the government approvals to start building wind parks on both land and water. You also mentioned solar panels.”
Cassius nods and takes a sip of his coffee before he gets the presentation rolling on the screen. “That’s right. It’s our focus for the next five years—solar and wind, namely for the reasons you just mentioned. Oregon is one of the best states for this kind of initiative, and we’re confident we can supply our neighboring states as well in less than ten years.”
“The future is green.” She chuckles softly.
Personally, I think she’s trying a little too hard to be charming and likable. There’s an underlying layer that irks me. a side of her she’s determined to hide. Maybe it’s my time in the service that’s honed this instinct, but I’ve learned to heed it.
“So, Alexandra, tell us about your company,” I say.
“Verdant Ventures is my brainchild, but most of the funding comes from my inheritance,” she says. “I was in a different line of business when I was named in my aunt’s last will and testament.”
“Who was your aunt?”
“Florence Vidal of the Orange County Vidals,” she replies. I know Nathan is googling these details on his phone as we speak. “Thing is, it was a lot of money. About $4.5 billion. I invested a small part of it in cryptocurrency, but I’ve been looking to diversify my portfolio and put what’s left to good use. According to everything I’ve read on this topic, green energy is the future, and I’d be an idiot not to jump in.”
“How much are we talking about?” Cassius asks.
“Funding available for your project, you mean? On behalf of Verdant Ventures? Oh, anything up to $3 billion.”
Hawthorne Corporation spins some great numbers, but nothing close to that for a single renewable energy project. That’s why we’ve been looking into outside funding. Even so, I’m surprised.
“Alexandra, surely you’ve been approached by bigger sharks for that money,” I suggest with a half-smile.
“Of course. But I’m interested in you,” she replies, pink, glossy lips stretching into a smirk.
“Why?”
“I liked your enthusiasm when I met you in Chicago. Passion drives you. Money is a tool. Everyone else I spoke to seemed driven by money. I find passion more exciting,” she says. “And you’re right; Oregon is full of opportunities other entrepreneurs have yet to recognize. If you’re willing to push this forward, I’d like to be involved.”
Cassius nods again. “We’d be looking at an equal partnership. Verdant Ventures and Hawthorne Corporation.”
“Define equal partnership,” she says. “If I’m offering $3 billion for this, what are you offering?”
“Obviously not as much in terms of funds, but we have the properties already lined up for the wind and solar farm development, the logistics, and the manpower,” my twin brother replies. “If we’re to do the math on this, in detail, you’d find it a fair match. Numbers are in there,” he adds, pointing at the folder of printouts in front of her.
“We’d need your funds to purchase the equipment, cover the government fees, and support the entire development, from ground to plug-in, so to speak,” I add.
Alexandra thinks about it for a moment. “Equal partnership. I suppose that means sharing the good and the bad, right?”
“Fifty-fifty on profits, fifty-fifty on losses or any fines that may arise in the process,” Nathan says, eyes on his phone. “Legislation around green energy at a state level is still being hashed out. Oil and gas lobbyists have made it difficult for our representatives to push significant reform through the state house and senate over the past couple of years, but we’re optimistic.”
“How so?”
“Ever since they legalized weed, we figured it’s only a matter of time before there’s progress in other fields.” I chuckle softly.
Alexandra laughs and subtly touches the side of her neck. She wants to draw my attention there, in particular. I wonder if she knows how well I can read her. “Well, then, we’re off to a good start. Why don’t you walk me through your presentation. We’ll tweak the details along the way, and I’ll have my lawyers draw up a preliminary contract by the end of the week.”
My brothers and I exchange glances. “You want to jump in, then,” Cassius concludes.
“Yes,” she says. “But I will need an office here until we get the farms up and running. I like to take a hands-on approach.”
That sets me back a bit. I don’t like it. And Alexandra can tell.
“What do you mean by hands-on?” I ask.
“Oh, don’t worry. I wouldn’t be interfering in any of the day-to-day operations, gentlemen. It’s just my way of keeping my eyes on the prize. Of staying close to my partners and making sure my investment is being used to its fullest potential. No micromanagement on my part; I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Just the occasional Friday night negroni.” She gives me a playful wink.
Ah. She’s flirting. Great. Tough luck, though, because my mind and my body have recently become irreversibly attached to a gorgeous, curvy blonde who’s about to come to work for us as well. I plan to give her all my attention—and so do my brothers.
We do need Alexandra Jones, however. Her short-term physical presence at our offices is a price we’ll have to pay. Her funds are essential to getting our projects off the ground sooner rather than later—and sooner, given the current state of the green energy market, is precisely what’s going to propel our family’s prestige into the stratosphere.