Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
DEIDRE
“W hat the hell do you think you’re doing?” a voice calls from behind, trying to be heard over the music.
“Pardon?” I ask when I turn to face Victoria.
“I said?—”
“I heard what you said,” I interrupt.
Victoria stares at me blankly for several seconds. “We have a contract.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Excuse me?!” Victoria replies snidely.
“No. I will not excuse you.”
“Do not test me,” Victoria challenges. “I will have your business on a silver platter by tomorrow morning. Did you really think that going behind my back with a deal?—”
“Honestly, Victoria?” I snort, cutting her off.
“I have proof that you are in breach of your contract,” Victoria spits heatedly. “ Flirt is mine!”
My right arm lifts and signals for someone to come over. “No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is,” she counters.
“You really do think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she sneers.
“Well,” I giggle. “You’ve underestimated me.”
Victoria’s confident expression falters. “What?”
“I would like you to meet my lawyer,” I state as he approaches. “This is Mr. Edmond Gomez.”
Victoria’s brows crease in reply, but she doesn’t say a word as she studies him.
“Ms. Moore,” Mr. Gomez begins, “these are for you.”
Victoria looks down at the paperwork in his hand. “What?”
“Consider yourself served,” I announce.
“You’re suing me?” she retorts.
“Ms. Moore, your agreement with my client lacked full transparency which voids the contract and proves fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. In addition to those charges, my client is suing you for damages to her company and her personal reputation.”
“What?” she balks.
I bite back a snicker and try to stay composed.
“I will?—”
“I’m strongly cautioning you to be careful of your words, Ms. Moore,” Mr. Gomez interrupts. “I am now recording this conversation, and it can, and will be held against you in a court of law.”
“Hey, Dei,” a voice calls from behind Victoria.
My eyes lift and my smile widens. “Mike. Claire. I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Deidre, honey,” my mother greets, following behind my brother.
“Mom, I’m so glad you could come.”
“Mrs. Baird,” Mr. Gomez greets.
She extends her hand forward to shake his hand. “Who is this handsome man? I’m Alana. Alana Baird.”
Mr. Gomez places a similar envelope of papers in my mother’s hand instead.
“What is this?” she asks.
“Consider yourself served,” I inform.
“What?” Mom replies calmly.
I have to give my mother credit, her acting skills have dramatically improved.
“What game are you trying to play, Deidre?” Victoria asks.
“Isn’t it clear, Victoria? I caught wind of your back-door deal with UA Capital. You know, the one where you’d get a sizable amount of money if you got me to sign a marketing contract with them.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says.
“What’s going on?” Mom asks, continuing to play dumb.
“I’m suing you both. I’m sure you two ladies are smart enough to put the final pieces of the puzzle together. Oh, Victoria. Consider this your notice of being fired.”
“You can’t fire me,” she claims.
“Sure, I can.”
“Stop making a scene, Deidre,” Mother directs.
“Oh, Mom,” I laugh. “This is far from me making a scene. No…this is me taking control.”
“You’re mad that I’ve been pushing,” Victoria guesses. “We can make changes. I’m willing to?—”
“I have enough proof to put you behind bars and to block either of you from ever conducting business again.”
“Why me?” my mother quips.
“Don’t play dumb. You and I both know that your soon-to-be-hubby is an executive with UA Capital. One of the companies Victoria was trying to get me to sign a contract with. When I objected, you three have been making Victoria’s end of the deal sweeter.”
“Stop making up lies,” Victoria declares.
“We have had several of your former clients who are willing to testify against you in a court of law,” Mr. Gomez informs. “We also have proof that the lawyer who helped Ms. Lawrence with her contract between you and her was actually in fact on your payroll and that there are two types of contracts you use with clients.”
“Lies,” Victoria accuses with a shaky tone.
“Really?” I goad.
Victoria looks around at everyone, not sure what to say or do.
“Now…” I begin, signaling for another person to come over. “Tony and his men are instructed to remove you from the premises. ”
“Remove us?” Victoria repeats.
“Michael, are you going to let your sister treat me this way?”
“Cut the shit, Mom,” he says. “She’s got proof that you and Joseph have been talking to Victoria not long after our wedding. I’ve seen it.”
“Neither of you are welcome at this party,” I direct. “And neither of you are welcome in my life anymore.”
“How can you treat me like this?” Mom asks.
“Easy.”
“You’re father won’t allow it,” she accuses.
“Dad knows,” Mike defends.
Dad approaches from our left. “How could you, Alana?”
Mom jumps, not expecting his presence since he and Irene have been standing off to the side.
“Mother,” I preface. “Know that regardless of how you’ve treated me over the years, I still love you. I love you for who you are, because you’ve helped me to become who I am.”
Her mouth drops open slightly.
“I wish you happiness. I know that I’ve found it.”
Without another word from anyone, Tony and his team escort my mother and Victoria away.
“Have a great weekend,” Mr. Gomez suggests. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Sounds great. Thank you for everything,” I reply.
Mr. Gomez tips his head and leaves without another word.
“I’m proud of you,” Luke praises lowly in my ear.
“Thanks. I’m proud of myself.”
“You should be, Deidre,” Dad adds, hugging me.
I smile at him and Irene for their support.
“I think it’s time to kick this party off right,” Mike suggests.
“Definitely,” I agree. “Where’s Rachel?”
“Over here,” she calls out.
“You ready?”
“Yes,” she confirms.
Rachel was an innocent bystander in all of this. There’s no way she was helping Victoria since she was the one who accidentally handed me the contracts between UA Capital and Victoria. It was easy to get her to verify information since Victoria was always mean to her.
“Awesome,” I praise. “Oh, Rachel.”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like a job, you know, since you just lost yours?”
“I do need one,” she says solemnly.
“Great. How about being my assistant?”
“Shut up!” she shouts.
I laugh. “Consider yourself hired. Can you start tonight?”
“Uh, yeah,” she confirms eagerly.
“Great.”
As I walk out onto the stage, the DJ lowers the music as the lights are cued on me. Images of Flirt begin to flicker over the large screens behind me and throughout the room. “Good evening,” I greet the five hundred-plus crowd.
Everyone cheers in excitement.
“I wanted to thank everyone who’s busted their butts to make tonight happen on such short notice. For those of you who are Flirt users, take out your phones and open the app because you’re going to see the updates go live here in just a few seconds.”
The crowd cheers as I watch the entire front row doing as instructed.
“Now, I want to address the rumors about the pictures that have been floating around about me on the internet, especially since we’re filming this event live,” I say. “The rumors are true. I am, in fact, in a relationship.”
Whistles and cat calls erupt around me as well as a few groans.
With a widening smile, I continue. “Because of that relationship, I’ve grown in so many ways, which is why we’re all here tonight.
Not only have I grown, but Flirt is growing, too.
We’re releasing some amazing new features and sponsors…
for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re just looking for a booty call…
.” I pause when shouts and whistles vibrate the room.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for something a little more.
” I wait for the crowd to die down again.
“It doesn’t matter if you want a relationship or are in one…
because Flirt will be there for you and with you. ”
The images on the screen behind me and the sides of the room change, revealing the new marketing pieces to illustrate what’s possible with the app. The entire crowd is now shouting.
“You can send flowers to your girlfriend or boyfriend. You can send date night reminders. Anyone can buy last-minute tickets for a concert or have a driver sent to pick up their special someone at work…while those in love can buy rings to propose.”
The screens behind me continue showing images of the new functions and capabilities with Flirt even after I stop talking. The crowd cheers. When I look to my right, where Luke and Rachel are standing, I get a thumbs up from both of them.
“ Flirt is no longer about the single life…it’s about all relationships. Most importantly, it’s no longer about me. It’s all about you! Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for your support. Enjoy the evening. And I’ll see you out on the dance floor.”