CHAPTER SIX
Ledger
“Why?”
“Why what?” Mayor Grossman asks from his seat in the middle of the raised lectern amid six other city council members.
There’s a smarmy look on his ruddy face that tells me I’ve been invited to this Cedar Falls City Council meeting with a purpose in mind other than to welcome me to their robust city. Insert eye roll.
“Why the two months?”
“Because someone like you doesn’t understand the Cedar Falls way of life,” he says.
“Someone like me?” Seriously? Asher was definitely right. This man is on a power trip simply for the sake of show and poll numbers.
“Yes. You think you’re better than we are. New York City and all that.” He waves a hand of indifference as if that will explain his lack of reasoning.
“And all that. Gotcha.” I chuckle and just as I’m about to speak, he carries on with his ridiculous show of authority.
“You don’t get us, our town, or our desire to preserve our way of life. You see dollar signs and profit—not lives and their livelihoods.”
“And so, my presence here for two months serves what purpose?” Requiring that I come to a town hall meeting to watch you pound your chest is bullshit.
“With all due respect, Mayor Grossman, I know this town. I know its people. I spent summers here growing up as a kid, hence why my brothers and I wanted to buy this resort as an homage to our late father. He loved this town.”
Murmurs ripple through the audience at my back. Too bad I can’t tell if they are for or against me.
“That’s a novel idea but you can’t barge into this town and think your money will make you welcome. You may have known Cedar Falls ten, fifteen years ago, but that doesn’t mean you still know it now.”
Something catches in my periphery and I look up just in time to see Asher cross her arms over her chest and give a subtle head shake. I’m guessing she’s saying the same goes for her. That I knew her then and don’t know her now.
I lose my concentration and have to force myself to remember where we were. What I’m doing.
“Isn’t this why you’ve insisted I be here? So I can get to know the town to your satisfaction?” I meet the eyes of the other six council members.
“We have a running history in which we do good for and by the people of Cedar Falls,” the mayor continues without answering my question.
“As any city council should.”
“And you have a reputation for coming in, gutting a town of its jobs and charm without any regard for the city.”
“I beg to differ, Mayor Grossman.” Jesus Christ. This is Ford’s realm. The kissing the babies and shaking hands shit. Not mine. “Sharpe International intends to leave a positive footprint wherever we have a property.”
“A positive footprint?”
“Yes, sir. As noted in the request sent to my office, we failed on our promise to hire locally. I’m here to satisfy that condition, among other things.”
“Among other things?”
Why does he keep repeating what I’m saying?
“Yes, sir.”
“But let’s face it. You’re only here because we threatened to hold your permits unless you came here to understand our way of life.”
I stare at him and question where he’s going with this.
“We take a vested interest in all our properties. While I can’t say that our schedules would have allowed one of my brothers or me to stay in town for a full two months during the renovation, we definitely would have been here on and off to check on its progress.
And what we couldn’t check on personally, we fully trust Hillary Deegan, our on-site project manager, to do just as good of a job as we do.
” I pause for dramatic effect. “We always strive to go above and beyond for the community. In turn, that helps make our resort profitable. And that, Mayor Grossman, puts dollars back into your community.”
“Above and beyond. A vested interest.” He lowers his glasses to the top of his nose and stares at me above their frame as I nod.
Can we speed this up? I have shit to do. Millions of dollars to spend and deals to make. Things way more important than kissing some pompous man’s ass for a simple goddamn permit.
One that we can’t live without no less.
This is below my pay grade. So fucking below it my back aches trying to stoop to its level.
Doesn’t he have a cow to go tip somewhere? A defenseless animal to kill in the name of sport?
“Is something the matter, Mr. Sharpe?”
“Of course not.” I offer a go-fuck-yourself smile. “What else could I possibly have to do than to stand here and listen to you repeat my own words back to me?”
“Like above and beyond and a vested interest,” he repeats.
“Correct.” Check your temper, Ledge. “Just like those.”
“Strong words coming from a man who just last night was overheard at Hank’s saying”—the mayor looks at a paper in front of him—“‘the best part about this town is that I get to leave it when my two months of torture are up. It’s a fucking fishbowl.’ Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but those were your words, weren’t they? ”
Motherfucker. Someone heard my conversation with Ford while I was standing outside of Hank’s.
Goddamn small town, everybody knows everybody, and everybody loves to know everybody’s business.
I’m fucked.
Utterly and totally fucked.
Mayor Grossman waits for my response with expectant eyes as the citizens who chose to attend chatter behind me. They aren’t exactly thrilled with my insult to their town and in turn, them.
“Mr. Sharpe?” he prompts.
Backpedal.
Fix your fuckup.
Evade.
“My intent wasn’t to insult—”
“Of course, it wasn’t.” His smile matches his tone—sarcastic. “But since you find our town . . . lacking in all areas, then we, the town of Cedar Falls, have decided to put it on Sharpe International to make some improvements in the town being as our success will be your success and all.”
“Improvements?” What the actual fuck? “Meaning?”
“Meaning we feel it’s important that a venture as big as yours should have more of an investment in the overall well-being of our community. Should help make our citizens profit while you do.”
Is he extorting us?
“There is nothing in our agreement with the city that states an investment is required in the town over and above the resort itself.”
“Well”—he glances at the other council members on either side of him before looking back at me—“you know us Podunk folk, we don’t exactly abide by rules.
It’d be a shame to do all this construction and spend all this money, especially now that you’re in the home stretch of it, and not be able to get your certificate of occupancy.
What is it they say? Another day, another dime wasted? ”
I emit a nervous, disbelieving chuckle as I scratch my temple.
Think. Fucking think, Ledger.
But there is nothing to think about. They’ve got me over a barrel and they know it. We have tens of millions already invested in this property and its renovations. We can’t exactly abandon it, and no one’s going to buy a half-constructed resort if we were to bow out.
“And what exactly do you expect from us?” It’s all I can think to ask. I’m normally not thrown by curveballs. I am this time.
Without having lawyers at my back to consult like I normally would, I’m still ninety-nine percent sure Grossman has zero authority to do this.
He’s a dick. Plain and simple. What he doesn’t know is I’ve dealt with much worse dickish behavior in New York City.
I know how to play this game. How I need to appear that I’m at this Podunk town’s mercy regardless of the legalities of it.
Kill them with kindness.
Jesus. It just might kill me in the process.
“You’re a successful businessman, Ledger Sharpe.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sure you can think of something to appease us.”