Chapter 20 #3
Sitting up straight and looking at Jeffrey, she becomes bright and bubbly, like an effervescent poison. Her smile is dagger sharp as she says, “Oh! Daddy, you haven’t told them the best part yet.”
Her eyes cut back to me, victory sparkling in those baby blues, and my gut tightens. She’s up to something. Her eyes land on Kaede, who freezes. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Jeffrey answers gleefully. “Oh, yes! Missy had a rather brilliant idea. We’d like to announce the future expansion of One Life Gym with a showcase of sorts.
Have a sort of sports exhibition. Maybe a 5K fundraiser for a charitable cause, an axe throwing demonstration by Kayla, a strongman competition with AJ, or a Zumba party with Stacylynne.
I’m sure that you could set it up with . . .”
Jeffrey continues, throwing around more details of the gym staff than he could have learned in the cursory tour Kaede said he took.
The evidence is clear to us all. Missy has been working behind the scenes during her visits, gathering more and more intel, and she’s damn near crowing with pride over it.
And this event is her doing, through and through.
But what’s her end game?
Surely, it’s not Kaede. I mean, he’s amazing, but damn, girl, take a no and move on. She’s gorgeous in her own way, rich, and could have a lot of men wrapped around her little finger in ten seconds flat.
Why Kaede? Why not go get any one of the probable dozens of guys who’d kill to have her on their arm? Is it just because she’s never been told no? The whole Veruca Salt thing?
Grow the fuck up, honey. We all get a no sometime.
“Sure,” Ross says carefully, giving Kaede a glance. “I’m sure we could set up something. It would get some momentum and excitement built up.”
“And press,” Missy adds. “We’ll invite the press to cover it, both local and from Charlotte.
If we choose the right charity, we can even get some of those pro players from the area to come down, right, Daddy?
” She flutters her lashes at Jeffrey like a demon-possessed doll, and he smiles back, completely unaware of how she’s manipulating him.
But there’s the shoe drop.
Press. I know how leery of the press Ross is.
With our last name and how the media painted him in broad strokes as an immature, irresponsible loverboy over the years, it’s understandable.
Ross looks at Vi, knowing that she’s even more nervous about the press after they nearly attacked her on her wedding day.
And now, with a baby on board, she’ll want to be even more careful about publicity. Ross takes Vi’s hand.
“Of course, we’ll have press there to showcase the new business venture between One Life Gym and Sanders Investments,” Ross says, talking to Jeffrey while reassuring his wife.
“But I would ask that we keep the coverage to the business. I’m sure you understand how intrusive paparazzi can be, and we work hard to keep our families safe. ”
He looks at Missy and then back at Jeffrey.
Jeffrey sits back, steepling his hands. After a moment, he looks at Violet.
“Of course. I completely understand. But Violet, if you’ll allow an old business man to give you a bit of advice?
” My teeth clench behind my bland smile.
Violet does her version of the same, already shutting out whatever ‘advice’ Jeffrey thinks he’s going to mansplain to her.
Jeffrey, of course, is oblivious and continues full-steam ahead.
“You could likely benefit greatly from press coverage of your design work on this project and from my last name.”
The question is implied . . . why not?
Vi looks at Ross, her eyes flashing with tension and pique. Ross isn’t going to stand in his wife’s way. He’s going to support her no matter what. I know that, and Vi does too because she leans forward, matching Jeffrey’s steepled fingers over what’s left of her dessert.
“I have worked hard and done quite well, honing my craft, creating the art that I design, and cultivating my confidential client list. Who says that One Life Gym, or even Sanders,” she says boldly, looking around, “would be my most impressive clients?”
Whoo, that’s my girl!
It’s brassy and brazen, and inwardly, I cheer her on like a tumbling stunt master doing flips across the stage.
It’s not my style of taking someone down, but there’s a reason I love my sister-in-law.
She’s a spicy-blooded fighter and won’t take shit from anyone.
And God, I cannot wait to hear her tell this story to Archie.
He will go ‘cut a bitch’ for Violet in an instant.
For an infraction this severe, I’d best get the restraints ready before Vi spills.
He’ll probably think it’s something kinky at first, but he’ll understand why we needed to hold him back when he hears.
Bitch slapping a man like Jeffrey Sanders is not a bail money offense.
We’d maybe never hear from Archie again.
Jeffrey’s lips quirk, clearly amused by Violet’s big, clanging balls. “Touché. My apologies.”
“Accepted,” Violet says with a nod of deference.
“Jeffrey, I’m sure you understand, as you are in the same boat.
” She looks at Missy and then back to Jeffrey, reminding him without a word of his stance on his own family.
“I like keeping certain parts of my life private, a level of anonymity, if you will, when and where I can get it. And other than some behind the scenes ideas with my husband, I’ve chosen not to get involved with One Life beyond the design level, which I would be happy to reproduce in the future sites.
But it’s his business with Kaede. And now you.
Those are the faces of One Life. That won’t change. ”
It’s a strong, definitive statement, and I can’t be prouder of Violet.
Jeffrey takes it with grace. “You are very right. I do understand and respect that.”
Missy, who has about as much grace as a monster truck at a funeral, sighs loudly. “So, the event? Say, two weeks from today? We’ll work together to get it all arranged, won’t we, Kaede-y?”
And there’s the other shoe.
Plus, did she actually just call him Kaede-y, like he’s some ponytailed, fluffy-haired, spoiled poodle lapdog? Has she even looked at him or had an actual conversation with him? Apparently not because if so, she’d know that nickname would set him off like Mount Vesuvius.
“I’m good, but not that good, and I do have a day job,” Kaede says, trying to laugh as he pawns it off on a hired hand. “We could probably hire an event coordinator to help you, Missy.”
He’s trying, gotta give him credit for that. But Missy has Kaede in her sights and she’s firing shots fast and hard with precision aim.
“That’s not necessary. If two weeks isn’t enough, how about four? I don’t care . . . weeks, months . . . whatever,” Missy says, grinning. “Just means more time to work together and plan.”
Ouch. I heard that ‘plan’, girl. You’re making plans on my man. Okay, he’s not my man for real. But he kinda is, and he damn sure is as far as you know, so back the fuck off.
“Together, we can get so much done. I bet you have all sorts of ideas on how to make the strongman part shine, and I’m excellent with negotiating with vendors so we get the best deals.
We’ll go over every item, line by line, together until it all fits just the way it should to be its absolute best. You and I will make a great team, Kaede. ”
If any bit of that was delivered in anything close to a professional voice, I might . . . maybe . . . be able to excuse it. But it wasn’t. Oh, no, it was breathy, sultry, damn near moaned out phone sex style like a commercial with ‘singles near you who just want to talk.’”
As if.
What she truly said was . . . Together . . . we . . . us . . . fuck me . . . we fit together . . . you and me.
Kaede gives my hand a squeeze, nodding. “I’m sure we can pull something together in a month. It’ll be great.”
I squeeze Kaede’s hand back, definitely harder than he did mine. His was reassuring. Mine is punishing. I’m pissed. Not at him but at the situation. And there’s this other hot bitterness flowing through my veins . . .
Jealousy.
I don’t want Missy spending time with Kaede. I want all of his lazy mornings, his busy days, and his sexy nights for myself.
Well, on the positive side, Kaede and I have to keep this up for another month.