Chapter 26
KAEDE
The sun’s still in the sky, golden as afternoon stretches out to evening, and outside Ross’s office, the gym’s humming along.
The members think it’s been a great day, and if anything, it’s a bit busier than normal as our sales staff does walkarounds with folks who saw today’s events and want to join.
Meanwhile, inside the office, Ross and I feel like we just limped off the field after being victimized by the NFL’s All-Time Greatest Defenses.
“Shit.”
It’s been Ross’s favorite word over the past few hours as he’s checked the web for coverage of the event.
And yup, not only did Jeffrey’s pipe bomb of a speech get streamed live, but it was mixed right into the longer bit that went on the noon news.
Worse, it got picked up by the tabloid sites as soon as an Andrews engagement was mentioned, and even broader coverage with the name Jeffrey Sanders attached to the story.
In other words . . . shit.
“What now?”
“Another repost,” Ross bemoans, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Vi’s gonna skin me alive, and Court peeled out of here like her ass was on fire. I’m sorry, man. We’ll get it all worked out.”
I should be chill, should be a calm little flower floating on the sea.
It’s what I’m known for, but right now, I’m not .
. . by a long shot. I’m frustrated, because right before Jeffrey kick-fucked everything, I was considering the odds of a happily ever after, imagining that by some miracle, we could continue this relationship we’ve developed for real, pretending that everyone would understand and accept it.
“You mean I’ll get it worked out.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ross asks, obviously hurt. “Fuck, man, it’s my neck too.”
I shake my head, trying to keep my temper in check. I’m not really mad at Ross. I’m mad at the situation, at the look on Courtney’s face when she left, and mostly, at my inability to fix it.
I’m the fix-it guy. That’s what I’m supposed to do. Hell, I should’ve foreseen this and fixed it before it was even an issue.
You’re furious at yourself for getting blindsided.
But Ross is right. We’ve both got skin in this game.
“Nothing. I’ll take care of it. I texted and sent an email to the PR department at Andrews.
They said they’re ready for anything, although they’re waiting on Morgan before making a move.
I’ll send Vi flowers and chocolate and those bath bombs she likes to soak in as an apology.
And tonight, I’ll stop by Court’s place and apologize.
Hopefully, she’s not too mad to keep up the charade or the whole thing’s going to blow up in our faces. ”
Ross looks at me in shock. “Fuck, man. You’re good. I’m still in breakdown mode and you’ve already got shit handled.”
I shrug, knowing he’s right. When things go to hell, I have to find control in the chaos to maintain my sanity. “It’s what I do.”
“Okay, let’s put our brains together and talk it through.
We knew Jeffrey and Missy were up to something, but what does this get them?
” Ross muses. “Is this really because Missy is this hungry for your dick? No offense, but it’s not that impressive.
” I throw a pencil at him in a silent fuck you.
More seriously, he says, “It’s just so out of touch for Jeffrey.
He’s not a man who does anything carelessly or accidentally. What’s his endgame?”
It’s a question we’ve batted around time after time, or at least I have mentally. I’ve spent hours over the past few months trying to analyze, calculate, strategize every permutation, every scenario.
Too bad I didn’t see this particular situation, the nuclear pipe bomb.
“Well, first, we made the expansion announcement as planned. Nothing to be gained or lost there, and his ass is publicly in the sling if he backs out. The only thing not planned today was including the women in the announcement, something we specifically said not to do, so that’s the key.
What does that net, and how does that tie in to Missy’s meeting with your dad? ”
Ross nods, following me.
“I think Missy chatted up Morgan and asked about Court. He wouldn’t have thought a thing about her asking about his daughter, especially if she made it part of her small talk chatter.
She can play the charm when she wants to.
” I shudder, thinking about her running her nails on me.
It’s not a charm that appeals to me at all.
“So Missy knows it’s a lie. If she told Jeffrey, his best bet would’ve been to walk away from the contract . . . but he didn’t. There’s still something we’re missing.” Ross scribbles on the paper in front of him, thinking.
“Missy must’ve told him to make the announcement, knowing that it was a pinch point. But that still gets us back to Missy. I don’t think this is a Jeffrey thing or Missy doing something on his behalf. I think it’s solidly, one hundred percent Missy fucking with us. With me,” I summarize.
We’re quiet for a moment, both our minds switching from ‘what’s Jeffrey’s endgame’ to ‘what’s Missy’s endgame’ because that is the more likely root cause of all this.
“Why would your dad have even met with her?” I ask suddenly. “Andrews and Sanders have never worked together before. It’s why we went to Jeffrey in the first place.”
Ross puts his hands on his head, elbows wide as he leans back in his chair. “Dad doesn’t know about our contract with Sanders. Or he didn’t until it was splashed all over the news today.”
“What?” I ask, shocked. I mean, I get not asking Morgan for money, but to not talk about our expansion plans with his dad seems strange for Ross. “Why?”
“I wanted to do this on my own. On our own. Kaede, I wanted to build this place as a testament to our skills, not my family’s old boys network.
So I didn’t tell him the details past our doing well.
We talked about not wanting Andrews to be our investment partner, so I was waiting to tell him until it was a done deal. ”
“It was a done deal!” I growl, more frustrated than ever. “We signed the contract. Hell, man, stepping out of the old man’s shadow is one thing, but not telling him who you’re working with is another. Obviously, since it’s coming back to bite us in the ass!”
Ross’s eyes go sharp. He’s never liked being called out so bluntly to his face, even by me. “Really? Not telling him is the cardinal sin? Pot, kettle, you hypocritical fuck.”
“What are you talking about?” I growl, my own anger rising.
Ross stands up, planting his hands on his desk to stare directly into my eyes. “You’re fucking my sister, asshole!”
He knows!
I stand, bracing for the punch I figure is coming. I might deserve it, but I’m ready to throw right back at him too. I’m mad, feeling the loss of Courtney already, and Ross is a good target to take that out on, especially since he’s the reason I’m holding back with her. “And?”
“And I’ve given you every chance to come to me, man to man, and tell me!
” Ross half yells. “Yeah, I’d have been pissed, but I figured you were the one son of a bitch on this planet I could trust with Courtney.
But did you? Were you a fucking man about it?
No, you’ve been avoiding me instead. The one thing I told you—don’t hurt her—and you go and fuck her like some one-night stand. ”
I slam my hands on the desk too, nose to nose with Ross and ready to pound his fucking face in. “Don’t. It’s not like that!”
“Well, I wouldn’t know since you won’t talk to me about it.”
For a long ten seconds, Ross and I glare at each other, and finally, I pull back, decades of friendship and brotherly love stopping me from turning him into a bloody pile in the corner.
Instead, I start pacing back and forth, pulling at my hair in frustration.
“Goddammit, Ross, I wanted to so many times! But it wasn’t supposed to be like this. ”
Ross stops and crosses his arms over his chest. “Like what?”
“I—” I start, but I can’t say it. It’s on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t tell Ross before I tell Courtney. Finally, I sit back down, my head in my hands. “She deserves better than me.”
I know it. Ross knows it. That’s why he’s so mad. I broke the guy code, and the unspoken social code, too. I got too big for my britches, thought I had grown enough to earn my place at the table. But I’m still just passing. I lean back in the chair, defeated.
Ross considers saying something, but his phone dings and he looks at it. “Fuck,” he growls. “Family meeting. At the estate. But we need to finish this.” He points at me sharply, his eyes glaring and not remotely done yelling at me.
Without another word, Ross leaves, leaving me in his office alone. The pissed off, hurt, rejected kid in me wants to grab the big pink liquid chalk marker on his desk and graffiti the shit out of his chair, maybe carve a big fuck you into his desk.
But instead, I leave, wandering aimlessly around the gym. I wonder how much longer I’ll be able to do this. I built my dream, but I can feel it crumbling around me.
Funny thing is, none of it matters.
The only thing I care about is Courtney.
And that little voice in me whispers again.
Fuck the rules . . . burn it down.