Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
ANDIE
“ K nock, knock,” Sidni says as she strolls into my office.
“Sidni, the point of knocking on someone’s door is to wait until you’re invited in. Why bother knocking if you’re going to come in regardless of my response?” I say this with a smile so she knows I’m not actually bothered by her intrusion.
“Ordinarily, I would wait to be invited in, but–”
I cough out a laugh, interrupting whatever she was going to say. “Nice try.”
“Fine, but these just arrived, and I know you’ve been waiting for them. Oh, and also, Layton Graham asked me to send you over to his office when you have a moment.” She looks confused by this. Layton summoning me to his office is not unheard of, it’s just unusual. He normally just pops in when he needs something from me. My mind trails back to the dinner with Liam and Layton earlier this week and what Layton said about working after hours lately. Maybe he’s too swamped to take a break and mosey down the hall himself.
Sidni hands me a package from the title company and one from our inspectors. The property inspector must not have been on site yesterday during the sudden thunderstorm.
I open the package from the title company first. Inside, are the preliminary reports on each of the three properties involved in the Landmark joint venture. There’s also a map plotting all the easements of record and copies of the documents reflected on each title report. Included in the documents is a lot-line adjustment completed in 2019. Looking through the attached maps I’m relieved–and a little bit vindicated–to see that my concerns about the legal descriptions of the two properties were warranted. I pick up the lot line adjustment and head immediately to Layton’s office, pleased to be able to tell him the concerns I had about the property descriptions appear to have already been handled.
I reach Layton’s office, and unlike Sidni, I wait to be invited in before entering his office.
“Hey, kiddo, come in.”
I chuckle. “You do realize I’m only a year younger than you, right?”
Layton looks up from his desk and makes a show of looking me over. He shakes his head, making me suddenly self-conscious. “What?” I ask, looking down at the light gray pencil skirt and sleeveless navy blouse I’m wearing. It’s professional attire, so I’m not sure why the scrutiny.
A grin spreads across Layton’s face and he laughs. “You look fine, Andie. I was just going to say that it’s impossible you’re only a year younger than me. You look so–”
I raise my palm to cut him off. “If you say I look so young, I’m going to disembowel you in your sleep!”
Layton’s eyebrows shoot to the ceiling, a playful smirk playing at his mouth. “That’s the most tempting offer I’ve had all day,” he says. I roll my eyes and groan to myself as soon as I realize how my words might have sounded to him.
Setting the lot line adjustment on his desk, I point to the map showing where the original lines of record were and where they are after the surveyor revised the legal descriptions. “Good news,” I say pointing to the map.
“Are we going to ignore the fact that you just mentioned sleeping with me?”
I clear my throat and direct his attention to the map. “The concerns I had about the legal descriptions not lining up have already been dealt with. Why the lot line adjustment didn’t show up on the initial title report, I can’t say, but it looks like the current owners took care of it.”
Layton looks over the recorded document and the attached maps. He nods his head slowly. “The title company should have referenced this in the legal description, but that’s a simple fix. Good work, Andie.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You saw the problem. Knew what you were looking at wasn’t accurate. That’s impressive,” Layton says with another nod. “Now, can we get back to the part about what you plan to do to me in my sleep?”
“Seriously?” I growl. “You do realize you’re insufferable, right?”
Layton’s eyes light up as though I’ve just paid him a compliment. “Come on, face it. I’m much more likable than Liam.”
“Layton, you do realize you can’t talk this way to women you work with, right?”
His eyes cool, now devoid of their spark. “I do, actually. And I’m sorry.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I know you’re only teasing because it’s me. But
you can’t be too careful when it comes to flirting in the workplace.”
His lips quirk. “Is that what I’m doing? Flirting? Because in my defense, you’re
the one who started it with that comment About– ”
“Ah, ah, ah!” I say, cutting him off. “And by the way, thank you for the compliment.”
Layton looks confused. “Just to be clear, which compliment are you referring to?”
I laugh. “The work-related one.”
“Ah. You’re welcome.”
Remembering that I still have a job to do and that Layton is the one who summoned me, I ask, “What was it you wanted to see me about?”
Picking up a stack of papers, Layton says, “I take it you haven’t looked over the inspections yet?” He says it like a question, and for the first time since entering his office, I notice the shadows beneath his eyes. I’m not sure if it’s the result of working late so many nights in a row or his activities after business hours. Regardless, it’s none of my business.
I reach out a reluctant hand and wait for Layton to set the stack of papers in it. “I just received a package a few minutes ago, but I haven’t had a chance to review the contents yet.”
Layton gestures for me to sit down. “You might want to take a seat.”
So, not good news, then.
Lowering myself onto one of the comfortable gray chairs facing Layton’s desk, I begin sifting through the reports. The first two inspections reveal nothing out of the ordinary. I don’t bother mentioning that Liam and I were at the property site yesterday, so nothing I’m looking at is surprising.
“What exactly am I looking for?” I ask.
“Keep going,” Layton says, nodding toward the papers in my hand. When I get to the inspection on the third property, my hand stills. “Oh no!” I close my eyes against a groan. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I say, shaking my head. I look up from the photos and meet Layton’s gaze. “This sucks!”
Layton sits back in his chair and rests his arms behind his head. “That’s putting it a bit more gently than my initial reaction.”
I look through the photos again, hoping something will be different. There’s a lot of money riding on this project. “Landmark must know we can’t proceed with the financing, right? At least not without a huge delay.”
Layton shrugs. “I can’t sign off on the loan unless they exclude this parcel from the deal, and unfortunately, that means there’s not enough security to warrant the size of loan they’re requesting.”
I exhale with a deep sigh. “Does Liam know?”
“I wanted to make sure you and I were on the same page before bringing him into the conversation. He’s not going to be happy.”
“No,” I agree. “But he can’t argue with these photos.”
Layton chuckles. “This is Liam we’re talking about.”
I respond with a humorless laugh. “Should we notify the rest of the team now, or wait until Monday morning?”
Layton narrows his eyes in question. “Why would we wait?”
“Tonight’s the Board of Realtors soiree. Dinner, awards celebration, dancing.”
Layton waves a dismissive hand. “That’s not our concern.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask, hoping my question isn’t crossing the line. I’m only an assistant director. Who am I to question a senior manager?
Layton folds his arms across his chest and studies me for a long moment. He doesn’t answer my question, which means either he doesn’t feel a need to or he’s considering it before he answers.
After several moments of silence, he sits up in his chair and presses a button on his desk phone. “See if Liam’s available. If so, ask him to swing by my office.”
“Yes, sir,” the reply comes through immediately.
“So formal,” I say.
Layton raises an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong with that?”
I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “You’re the boss,” I say.
Eyeing me for a moment, Layton nods. “You think I should be more casual?”
“Like I said, you’re the boss.”
“It’s more than that, Andie. I’m also a Graham.”
“I’m not following,” I say.
Layton covers his scoff with a laugh. “You and I were joking around earlier and you rightly put me in my place, which I appreciate, as I’ve learned the hard way what happens when I’m too casual around the office.”
Nodding, I make a mental note to ask Liam about this later.
“By the way,” Layton says, the playful smile back on his lips. “I understand I missed out on being your date to the Benefit.”
I bury my face in my hands. “I’m going to kill Liam!”
Layton laughs, but before he can say more, a call comes in on his cellphone. When I move to leave and give him some privacy, he motions for me to stay seated. I do my best not to eavesdrop on the conversation, but it’s impossible not to hear what’s being said. By the sounds of it, Layton’s rescheduling an appointment. He hangs up and takes another call.
“Hey brother, where are you?”
I’m guessing the brother he’s speaking to is Liam.
“Don’t you have underlings to do that for you?” His face is smiling even as his words sound harsh. I’m struck once again by how strikingly handsome Layton is–in a way completely different from Liam. Layton’s dark hair has the same wave to it as all the Graham siblings, but Layton wears his hair longer than is considered fashionable among the business class. It suits his rebellious personality perfectly, though, and gives him an edginess that women swoon over.
“Stop by my office on your way out, then. This shouldn’t wait.”
There’s a pause, before Layton says, “Better come see for yourself.”
Layton ends the call and looks up, almost as if he’d forgotten I’m still in the room. “Liam’s on his way down.”
I nod. It only takes a few minutes for Liam to waltz his way into Layton’s office. He doesn’t bother knocking but stops short when he sees me.
“Hey, Andie,” he says by way of greeting. He looks from me to Layton before taking a seat in the chair next to mine.
“Why the hard hat?” I ask, pointing to Liam’s hand.
“Yeah, why bother, brother? Your head is hard enough on its own. You don’t need to wear a hat.”
Liam rolls his gaze in Layton’s direction. “Funny.” He turns back to face me. “I’m heading out to a job site. Just checking on the progress.”
“Isn’t that the project manager’s job?” I ask.
“Exactly,” Layton says. “That’s what I asked him.” Which explains the underling comment.
Liam raises his shoulder in a shrug. “I like to keep my finger on the pulse of things. Besides, I enjoy overseeing projects after the acquisition is complete.”
It occurs to me that Liam has alluded to this a few times, and I wonder if he’s unhappy in his current position, even though it’s a big step up from project manager.
“So what’s this thing I need to see in person?” Liam asks.
Layton tilts his head in my direction. “Care to show him, Andie?”
Actually, I was hoping Layton would do the talking and spare me having to break the news to Liam. But here goes.
“We received the inspections today on the Landmark deal.” I slide the papers in Liam’s direction. “Take a look.”
“Can’t you just tell me what the problem is? I’m assuming that’s why you called me down here, right? ”
I reach over and pull out the photos of the property in question. “We have a priority issue,” I say, pointing to the photos.
Liam lifts his gaze to the ceiling. “Are you serious?”
I nod, even though he’s not looking at me. “I wish I wasn’t. The tractor tire tracks are obvious. Apparently, someone has authorized workers to begin clearing the area. These photos must have been taken before the storm yesterday. I imagine the tracks are gone by now, but there are two tractors parked on the property in this photo,” I point to one of the pictures. “And there’s even a crane and a portable on site,” I pull a photo from beneath the stack. “See?”
“Is Landmark responsible for this?”
Layton and I both shrug. “Don’t know, yet,” Layton says. “Regardless of who ordered the work to be done, priority has been broken. I can’t approve a construction loan on this parcel until we have proof of payment for the work that’s been done so far, and the vehicles moved off the property. I’ll also need Landmark to sign a letter of indemnity. More for the sake of protocol, than anything else.”
Liam closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I can’t see Landmark making a mistake like this.”
“They might have provided letters of indemnity to the title company,” Layton says with a lift of his shoulder. “But letters of indemnity aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, and I don’t see our legal department and underwriting budging on that.”
“What if Landmark isn’t involved? It’s possible the current owners are the ones who authorized the work.”
“Even so,” Layton says, “our legal department will need to see a work cease order, proof of payment from all contracted parties, and letters from the current owners assuring us that no other work has been contracted before signing off on a construction loan. And underwriting might need additional security. ”
“That could take weeks,” Liam says.
Layton nods. “The question now is whether we inform Landmark of the issue right away or wait until after tonight’s Board of Realtors shindig. They’ll need to be apprised of the broken priority situation as soon as possible.”
“The good news,” I say in an attempt to redirect the narrative, “is that a lot line adjustment was filed in 2019, so the other two parcels you and I went to look at the other day no longer have overlapping property lines. It looks like the title company neglected to reference the recorded document in their legal description.”
Liam taps his finger against his chin several times as he considers the issue. “Have either of you notified legal yet?”
Layton and I shake our heads. Liam nods in response.
“Andie, you’re on the agenda for next week’s board meeting. What are you thinking as far as a recommendation?” Liam asks.
I tilt my head to one side. “Naturally, I’ll have to inform our board members about the delay due to the broken priority.”
Liam nods his head slowly, and I can see the wheels turning in his mind from where I’m sitting.
“Okay,” Layton says. “I’ll meet with Dad first thing on Monday morning. I’ll have Addison join us and set up a conference call with Landmark to apprise them of the problem.”
“Sounds good,” I say.
Liam nods his agreement and the two of us stand to leave. We’re almost to the door when Layton’s voice stops us. “You’re both planning to attend the Realtor event tonight, right?”
Liam and I share a glance and then redirect our focus to Layton and nod.
“Good. I’ll see you there then,” Layton says with an almost grin. “Oh, and Andie?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Save me a dance, okay?”
“Um,” I dart a quick glance at Liam and then return my gaze to Layton. “Sure.”
“Good,” he says before dismissing us.
Liam follows me back to my office without a word. “Hey Sid,” he says as we pass Sidni’s desk. She turns several shades of red but manages to acknowledge Liam’s greeting with a smile and a wave. I signal for Liam to shut my door, then round on him.
“What the heck was that?” I ask.
“What?” The obvious confusion on Liam’s face tells me he has no clue what I’m talking about.
“Layton telling me to save him a dance,” I say as though it should be obvious.
Liam shrugs. “I assume he said it just to mess with me.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“Why do you look so flustered?” Liam asks.
“Oh, I don’t know, Liam. Maybe it’s because you told him I was going to ask him to be my date for the benefit a couple weeks ago.”
“You told me to tell him he dodged a bullet, remember?”
I blow out a breath. “I did, but I didn’t think you’d actually tell him.”
“Don’t I always do what you say?”
Ignoring Liam’s question, I reach over and rap my knuckles against his hard hat. “You miss this, don’t you?”
“I do,” Liam says with a casual shrug of his shoulder. “I prefer it far more than being stuck behind a desk all day.” Liam closes his eyes and chuckles. “Not to say there’s anything wrong with a desk job, it’s just not something I enjoy as much as project management.”
“I can understand that.”
“There’s something about seeing a project through, seeing the creation come to life, I don’t know. It’s something I never got tired of when I was a project manager. ”
“Why not go back to that?” I ask. “After all, you do have some pull with the owners, right?”
Shaking his head, Liam says, “They want me to know every aspect of the company before becoming the next CEO. Project management is just one segment of what we do here.”
“Okay, I get it. But as a vice president, you’re part of the senior management team, right?”
Liam nods.
“Maybe you should rewrite your job description then. Make it so part of your responsibilities require you to be on site.”
Liam tilts his head to the side and grins. “I like the way you think, Marriott. However, changing my job description would create a domino effect. I’d have to revise the responsibilities of several positions in order to make sure all the bases are covered.”
“True, but it would be worth it in the long run, wouldn’t it? I’m happy to help if you decide you want to give it a shot.”
Liam runs his hand down my arm and squeezes my fingers. “Have I told you today what an awesome fake girlfriend you are?”
“No you haven’t. And I was beginning to wonder.”
Liam grins. “Pick you up at 6:00 tonight?”
“I’ll be ready,” I say with a nod.
Liam starts to leave, but before exiting, he turns back to me and places a kiss on my cheek. “See you tonight, Darlin’.” He winks at me and then heads through the door, leaving me to wonder exactly where the line sits between fake girlfriend and real girlfriend because with Liam it’s hard to tell sometimes. Which is exactly why I need to be on my guard and protect my traitorous heart.
“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, which is the cutest outfit of all?” I ask my former roommate, Lacey, as I hold up two evening dresses for her to view over FaceTime.
“What type of dinner is it?” she asks.
“It’s the annual Board of Realtors’ celebration dinner where they announce this year’s realtor of the year.”
“So, more business or dressy?”
“Dressy, I guess.” I pause, remembering what women have worn to this event in the past. “Last year most women either wore cocktail dresses or pantsuits.”
“Hmm,” Lacey taps her index finger to her chin. “Will there be dancing?”
“Yes, which is why I don’t want to wear my black sheath. It tends to ride up my thighs when I dance.”
Lacey laughs. “I’m sure Liam would love that,” she teases.
“Actually, he would,” I chuckle.
“Right,” she agrees, “but he would hate other men noticing.”
“Liam’s not like that. In fact, I think he’d get a kick out of knowing other men were noticing me.”
“Hah!” Lacey barks out a laugh. “You’re fooling yourself if you think that.”
“Anyway,” I say, cutting her off, “the black sheath is a no-go for dancing. Although it is a great dress for showing off my legs.”
“Ooh, ooh, ooh! What about your red dress? The backless one with the high neck? It shows off your legs too, but it won’t ride up your thighs when you dance.”
“Hmm,” I say, as I step away from my laptop to pull the dress from the back of my closet. “I forgot I had this.”
The last time I wore this dress was at a dinner I attended with Derek. In fact, I bought the dress specifically for the occasion and had some ridiculous notion that Derek was planning to propose to me. I imagined how he and I would look in photos commemorating our engagement. However, no proposal came that evening, and we broke up shortly afterward–right after I discovered Derek’s cheating was more than a one-off.
Looking back, I realize that even if Derek hadn’t cheated, marrying him would have been a colossal mistake. We’d been together for so long that naturally, I assumed marriage was the next step for us. But once I ended things for good, it was surprising how quickly I got over him. And even then, it was the investment in the relationship I mourned, not the man. So I guess it’s true what they say. Sometimes we have to allow our dream to die before we can clearly see that we’ve escaped a nightmare.
“Andie?” Lacey’s voice breaks me out of my thoughts. “You still there?”
“I’m here,” I answer, holding the dress up to the camera for her to see. “After having it dry cleaned, I had pushed it to the back of my closet and forgotten about it.”
“Yes! That’s it! That’s the one,” she beams. “Forget about wearing anything else, Andie. That is the fairest dress of them all. The magic mirror has spoken!”
I laugh and tear the plastic dry cleaning cover from the hanger and give the dress a shake. Its silky material hugs the waist and hips, the length hitting a few inches above the knee. The slit in the back allows for freedom of movement when walking and dancing, and if my memory is correct, it’s one of those dresses that is deceptively comfortable. It’s perfect for tonight’s event.
I quickly remove my skirt and blouse and slide the dress over my head, fastening the button on the back of the collar and reaching around to pull the hidden zipper up on the side. Then I step in front of my laptop and do a slow spin for Lacey’s approval.
“Andie, Andie, Andie,” she says with a wicked smile on her face. “Liam is going to lose his mind when he sees you in that. ”
I brush off Lacey’s compliment, despite knowing that a part of me secretly hopes her words are true.
“What’s that look for?” she asks, narrowing her gaze at me.
“What look?”
“The one on your face when I said what I said about Liam losing his mind.”
I lift my shoulders in a shrug. “I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?”
I drag my fingers through my hair. “I mean, so what if he loses his mind? We’re still just friends, remember?”
“I don’t know, Andie. He seems to be enjoying the fake boyfriend role a lot if you ask me.”
I shake my head. “To what end, though, Lacey? Liam isn’t interested in settling down. I mean, marriage? Kids? Liam never wanted those things. Even if there are real feelings between us, it won’t lead to anything permanent.”
“Are you sure about that?” Lacey asks. “Are you sure Liam doesn’t want those things?”
“I mean, yeah. He’s been saying that for years.”
“When was the last time he mentioned not wanting to ever get married?”
I think back. “I don’t know. I can’t say for sure.”
“Was it before or after you and Derek broke up?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask, confused by her line of questioning.
“Listen, I don’t know Liam as well as you do, but I have a theory.”
“Okay,” I say, trying to hide the skepticism in my voice.
“What if Liam felt that way because the only woman he’s ever loved was in a committed relationship with another man? What if it isn’t marriage he’s opposed to, but marriage to anyone other than you?”
I shake my head. “Listen to you, the hopeless romantic. But nah, I don’t think so, Lacey. I mean, that’s a pretty wide stretch if you ask me.”
Lacey waves her palms at me. “Okay. Maybe you’re right. But isn’t it worth knowing for sure?”
“Maybe?” I answer in a way that sounds more like a question than a response. “But not now. Not while we’re in this fake relationship. Maybe after, when we’re no longer pretending.”
“That’s fair,” Lacey says. And then the scheming glint returns to her eyes. “But in the meantime, wear the red dress, because I’m telling you, he is going to freak the heck out.”
I laugh and say goodbye as we end our chat.
Maybe Liam will never be interested in a permanent relationship. With anyone, me included. Maybe he’s as adamant now as he’s ever been when it comes to never wanting marriage and a family. Though in truth, he didn’t adopt that mindset until well after high school. Possibly not even until after college. I still wonder at times why he changed. I suppose he got a taste of the swinging single’s life, and once he did, he never bothered looking back. That’s why he and I will only ever be friends–the very best of friends, which isn’t something I take lightly. I respect him for knowing what he wants, and I care enough about his happiness to never ask him to change.
But I’m sure not above giving him a taste of what he’ll be missing if he doesn’t.