Chapter 15
ALEX
Alex had been pleased with how the night had gone.
His speech had seemed to go down well, but he’d stepped down from the stage before there was a chance for any awkward questions to be asked and had avoided the more difficult investors once the entertainment had concluded, leaving Hilary to deal with the final pleasantries.
As they approached the apartment, though, he was ruminating over what had happened; he felt guilty for exposing Kaitlyn to the scrutiny of so many people.
She didn’t deserve that, and he hadn’t prepared her properly.
But her performance had been exemplary, even if there’d been a few slip-ups along the way.
She’d smiled at all the right people, listened and appeared interested, even making her own comments over the deal.
And yet it was hardly fair for him to have expected her to do so.
“Are you really all right about all this? I feel like I’ve forced you into it a bit,” he said, wondering if she was simply putting on a brave face and saying what she thought he wanted to hear.
She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “It was daunting, but we got through it, didn’t we? And if it means the deal goes ahead, then that’s all that matters.”
It wasn’t quite the answer he’d hoped for, though he knew he didn’t have the right to demand anything more from her.
As for the deal, Alex wasn’t certain it was in hand.
There were still so many uncertainties surrounding it all, and if the Mexican contingent pulled out, he would have a real problem on his hands.
“We’ll see,” he said, forcing a smile to his face.
But behind the smile lay a worry, and not just about the Jamaica deal.
Alex was beginning to wonder if this had all been too much too soon.
He’d thrust Kaitlyn into the limelight, and there’d been several moments when things had almost unraveled.
Would Malwida continue digging? And what about when further questions were asked?
Alex knew he’d acted on impulse in proposing again.
Was this what was meant by cold feet? He’d brought Kaitlyn to New York, and she was like a fish out of water.
He wanted her to be happy, but he was beginning to wonder if he was actually making her so.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Kaitlyn asked as the car pulled up outside the apartment, and Alex nodded.
“I’m fine… just a little tired.” But behind the facade, Alex couldn’t help but wonder if it was all moving too fast.
“He’ll have to deal with it himself, won’t he? He’s meant to be the CEO of the Pacific arm. I can’t hold his hand every time there’s a problem,” Alex said, disconnecting the call before Hilary had a chance to answer.
It was late afternoon the next day, and Alex was sitting in the New York traffic, going nowhere.
He’d had a face-to-face meeting with the bank.
That was never a good thing. There’d been some discrepancies in one of the accounts, and several million dollars was missing.
These things happened, of course, and the paper trail would soon reveal the whereabouts of the money, but it was yet another thing for Alex to deal with.
“Back to the Macarson building, Mr. Lancaster?” Stephen asked, but Alex shook his head.
“No, go to the apartment. I’ll work from there for the rest of the day,” he replied.
It took almost an hour for the car to crawl through the traffic.
Alex would’ve been better off walking. He was feeling tired, and the Jamaica deal was occupying his mind.
There’d been another delay. What was supposed to have been a done deal was now proving anything but.
Even Hilary hadn’t been able to smooth things over with the investors.
As he went up in the elevator, Alex’s mind was filled with figures and possibilities.
If the Mexican contingent backed out, who could he rely on to invest at such short notice?
A pullout meant suspicion, and any other investor was sure to think twice before agreeing to take the place of those who’d refused.
Why does it always have to be so complicated?
As the elevator doors opened, Alex was met by the sound of loud music and what sounded like a herd of animals trampling.
“Kaitlyn?” he called out.
The music stopped abruptly, and Kaitlyn appeared at the door into the lobby, breathless in sweatpants and a T-shirt.
“I didn’t think you’d be back until later. I’m doing dancercise. You should try it,” she said.
Alex shook his head. “I have things to do,” he replied.
A look of disappointment came over her face.
“But you’re back early. Wouldn’t it be nice to do something together?
I’ve been thinking about the wedding,” she said.
“I know we haven’t talked about it properly yet, but I’ve got lots of ideas.
We don’t need anything over the top, of course, but you only get married once, don’t you? ”
In truth, Alex hadn’t given much thought to the wedding itself. The actual ceremony seemed distant, somehow. There were no plans, and they hadn’t spoken of it since arriving in New York. “Well… I suppose so,” he replied, not wanting to put a dampener on her enthusiasm.
“Come and have a look at a few things on my tablet. I’ve been going through a few possibilities for venues, but it’s overwhelming. You can get married anywhere, have whatever you want. If money’s no object, of course.”
Money was no object, but Alex was distracted by thoughts of the investment and the Jamaica deal. But knowing it was important to her, he nodded. “Why don’t you show me?” he replied.
Kaitlyn smiled, holding out her hand to him and leading him to the couch, where they sat next to one another, with Kaitlyn’s head resting on his shoulder as she scrolled through her tablet.
“Look at this place. You can get married on the fortieth floor and have the reception in the sky lounge above, with views right across the city,” Kaitlyn said, showing Alex the glossy pictures on a website.
“And this one’s cool. It’s an old nuclear bunker left over from the Cold War.
They’ve made part of it into an aquarium, and you get married there, then have the reception in the bunker itself.
The food’s served like ration packs, but Michelin-starred. ”
Alex raised his eyebrows. “I thought you didn’t want anything OTT,” he said.
Kaitlyn blushed. “I don’t… I just got carried away looking. It’s meant to be the happiest day of your life. We’ve waited long enough for it, haven’t we? I just thought you’d like to see what’s possible.”
There was a note of disappointment in her voice.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want something impressive.
They could get married anywhere she wanted, no expense spared.
But Alex didn’t understand why Kaitlyn should be so determined to make plans all of a sudden.
Weren’t they happy as they were? It had all happened so quickly.
Alex knew it was his fault, of course; he’d been the one to rush into things.
Yet now he preferred the thought of taking things slowly, of waiting.
“It’s all very lovely. Whatever you think,” he said.
The disappointment lingered on her face. “But I want to know what you think.”
Alex wasn’t sure what to say, but before he could say anything, his phone rang. It was Hilary. “I have to answer this. It might be about the Jamaica deal,” he said, rising to his feet.
Kaitlyn didn’t say anything, but her look was enough for Alex to know she was far from impressed.
“I’m afraid I have bad news,” Hilary said when Alex took the call in the lobby a moment later.
“I’m listening,” he said, his heart sinking as he waited for the bombshell to drop.
“The Mexican contingent has pulled out. They’re saying it’s too risky. We’ve lost our backing, and I’m all out of ideas for what to do next.”
Alex bit his lip. This was a disaster. It was precisely what he’d feared would happen, and as for knowing what to do about it, he was at a loss over that, too.
“All right. We’ll need to call a meeting first thing tomorrow. I want everyone involved to be there. We have to find new investors — and fast. Put together a list of local possibilities in Jamaica. We’ll get the government involved if we have to. This deal has to succeed,” Alex said.
He gave Hilary some further instructions, though he held back from saying he’d come into the office immediately. Disconnecting the call, he swore under his breath. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. He felt angry with himself for allowing it to happen. What hadn’t he done?
“Is everything all right?” Kaitlyn asked, appearing at the door to the living room with a concerned look on her face.
“It’s fine… It’s nothing,” Alex lied.
He didn’t want to burden her with his problems. They weren’t hers to solve. It wasn’t fair to lay them on her. Alex had always solved his own problems.
Kaitlyn raised her eyebrows. “You’d tell me, wouldn’t you? If there was a problem.”
Alex felt torn. Had he been on his own, he’d have gone straight to the office and dealt with what was necessary, but to leave now would mean disappointing Kaitlyn. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She was obviously excited about the wedding, about organizing things together and making plans.
“It’s the Jamaica deal. The Mexican investors pulled out. We’ll have to find new investors. It’s not going to be easy,” he said.
“Do you need to go and deal with it? Was that Hilary on the phone?” she asked.
“It’s fine. It’ll be all right. I don’t need… well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to be there in person. Hilary’s organizing a meeting for tomorrow. We’ll try to get local investment involved. I’m sure something can be done.”
Whether she meant to or not, Kaitlyn’s face displayed its obvious disappointment. “All right. You’d better go,” she said.
Alex sighed. “Look, I don’t need to go. It’s not important.” Another lie.
Kaitlyn gave him a look. She could see right through him; that much was obvious. “You need to go. I can see that. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Work comes first.”
Her words cut through Alex like a knife.
It was as much about what she didn’t say, too.
He didn’t want to feel angry with her. It was the frustration over the investors that was really making him angry.
But the way she said it, it was as though he was making a choice.
It had been a long day. Alex was tired, but he knew he had to keep going. His frustration was boiling over.
“I’m doing it for you, you know. All of it. This is for you,” he said.
Kaitlyn looked at him in surprise. “I didn’t ask for it,” she replied. “I don’t want any of it. I fell in love with you long before you were Alex Lancaster of Lancaster Holdings, New York. Do you think it matters to me?”
Alex was taken aback. He’d built the business from nothing by working long, hard, unforgiving hours. It meant everything to him, and now he wanted her to share it, to share the fruits of his labor.
“Doesn’t it? Because it matters to me!” he retorted.
He hadn’t meant to raise his voice, to be angry. They’d never argued.
Kaitlyn looked upset. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant… What’s the point of working if you don’t live your life?” she said.
The words hit home. Was that really what she thought? Alex didn’t have an answer for it. It upset him. He didn’t know why. She was right. But to say it to his face…
“I’m going to the office. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Don’t wait up,” he said, and, turning on his heels, he marched toward the elevator.
“That’s always the way, isn’t it? Hide behind work. It was the same before,” Kaitlyn called out.
There was a quiver in her voice, an obvious emotion.
Alex turned. There were tears in her eyes. “I have to sort this. I have to,” he said, pressing the button and stepping into the elevator.