Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Noah
“What did you find out?” I ask my dad as soon as I can after I’m through the door on Friday evening. I’ve hugged my mom and given her the flowers I’ve brought her. We have a few minutes before Rafe and his parents arrive, and I don’t want to wait until after they’re gone.
“Come on through.” I follow him to his study and he seats himself behind his desk. I walk around and stand beside him. He has the contract up on the screen.
“It’s a long contract. It mentions lots of penalties and what they consider breaches of contract.” He pauses and I suck in a breath, waiting for him to continue.
“It also says if you leave, then you can’t automatically take your clients with you.”
“Damm.” I let out the breath loudly and my shoulders slump. That’s it. I have to start all over again and I can’t do that. I don’t want to. I love my clients and have a lot of pride in what they’ve achieved. My dad swivels his chair round to face me.
“Why did you want to know?”
All the vague answers I’d thought up get stuck in my throat. I swallow and decide to tell him the truth.
“I’ve met someone, initially because he was interested in writing a book. No, that’s not true, he was approached by the big five who are all desperate for his autobiography.” My dad’s eyebrows rise as he figures out it must be someone important for the publishers to notice.
“It’s more than that, we’ve become close. But ANC have a policy about not being involved with clients so I haven’t let it go any further.”
“And you’d like to?”
“Yeah, Dad. He’s fun, smart, good looking, we have the same interests, and he makes me feel really special. I thought I could start up on my own so I could be his agent as well. He’s even offered to invest in me having my own agency.”
“He sounds like a real knight in shining armour,” he says and I choke back a laugh at how true that is. I gulp in air the wrong way and it starts a fit of coughing. He stands and rubs my back, just like he used to when I was a child.
“Thanks, Dad,” I say when I’ve recovered enough to be able to speak. “But it’s no good. I’ve spent a lot of time and effort building up my clients. I can’t let them down, it’s not fair on them.” I feel deflated, not realising how much I’d got my hopes up since yesterday.
“There could be another way,” he says and I look sharply at him.
“You’ve found a loophole?” I try to keep my voice even.
“Potentially, yes, but I’d need to see one of the contracts you have with your clients.”
“That’s easy, I have a blank template I can email you straight over.” I whip out my phone and send it across in seconds. Dad sits back down just as the door opens and Mum pokes her head in.
“Henry,” she admonishes. “Our guests are here.”
“We won’t be a minute. Actually, even better, show Reggie in.
” He glances at me for my permission. I appreciate it but I know Rafe’s dad is just as good a lawyer as mine, and Rafe already knows half the story as well.
My mum lets out a sigh, but a minute later Rafe and his dad are entering while mum draws Rafe’s mum away.
I hear her say, “C’mon, Mary. If I know Henry, he’ll be a while yet. Let’s open a bottle of wine.” I close the door and turn to see Rafe smiling. He’d heard it too. I look across at where our dads are both staring at my dad’s computer screen and talking in low voices.
“Is this to do with the contract?” Rafe asks and I nod my head.
“I had my dad look at mine, and it says I can’t transfer my clients over if I leave.”
“I’m sorry,” he says sincerely. “But are you really thinking of leaving the agency? I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I don’t know. I thought there’d be a simple solution. But there never is, is there?”
“We think that, but when it truly comes down to it, I don’t think it’s too hard to pick the right path,” he says.
“Is this more Estrella wisdom?” I tease, trying to make light of what seems like an impossible situation.
“Just personal experience.” He smiles, and I decide perhaps I can confide in him after all.
“Then help me out here. My heart feels so light, if it weren’t for my ribcage it would have floated away. But my head feels heavy, coming up with a thousand ways why this is such a bad idea.”
“And what does your gut say?”
“My gut?” I scoff. “That’s been in a mess the whole time, it’s like a washing machine. It’s definitely not to be relied upon.” Perhaps his advice might not be so helpful after all.
“Is it swirling with excitement or fear?”
“Both,” I answer irritably.
“No, really think about it. Really tune in. When you think about the future, your possible future, there’ll be nerves, but are they because you really want to see what it will hold, like you can’t wait for it to happen fast enough?”
I think of Chase and how I feel when he’s close, how he looks at me. The time we’ve spent discussing his house and collection, how he calls me sweetheart. I let out a smile.
“There you go, there’s your answer.” Rafe smiles wisely, and deep down I know he’s right. I do want a future with Chase, or at least to try for one as much as he does. Rafe puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes.
“Do you feel better now?”
“Yes, no, yes.” I nod, confirming my last statement, and he laughs at me.
“I think we’ve found an answer.” My dad pipes up across the room, and I join him with Rafe just behind me.
“If there are no changes to this contract when you send it to clients, then there is a way. You might not be able to transfer your clients, but they have it a lot easier. They can terminate their contract with an agent, and there’s nothing in there to say they can’t then sign on with any agent they choose. ”
“What? There’s nothing to stop them from re-signing with me as an independent agent?”
“No. I guess ANC hadn’t thought that might be a possibility.” Reggie sneers slightly to give his opinion of their legal team.
“Well, I’d be willing to do that for you, Noah. I bet the others will too,” Rafe says.
“Thanks, Rafe. That means a lot to me.” He turns and suddenly hugs me.
“You deserve to have your dreams come true as well,” he whispers before he lets me go. I do want to make a go of it, with Chase’s investment if he’s still interested.
“Now, are you going to tell me who this important guy is who’s had us all in here checking this out while our dinner grows cold?
” Dad asks, sitting back in his chair and tipping his head to the side.
I know that look. He’s not going to let me leave until I’ve told them.
I look at each of their faces in turn and take a deep breath.
“Chase Knightly.”
My dad’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.
“Bloody ’ell! He’s nearly my age.”