6. Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Tanner
“S o you agree?” Richard asks as he comes into my office without knocking. I blink as I watch him taking a seat across from me. He’s closed the door, and it’s late in the day on Tuesday, so no one will hear our conversation. I’ve already sent Carly, my assistant, home for the night.
I’d sent Richard an email earlier in the day stating that I’d like to speak to him at his convenience regarding our conversation Sunday night. I guess now is convenient.
“I didn’t say I agreed in the email,” I say, leaning back in my chair.
“Why else would you want to discuss the matter more?” he asks. He’s also leaning back, completely at ease, like he knows exactly how this conversation is going to go and he’s going to get exactly what he wants.
It makes me want to not give him anything he wants.
“I want fifty-one per cent.”
Richard blinks twice. He hadn’t expected me to counter-offer. “Absolutely not.”
I shrug. “All right. No deal. I’m heading out. See you tomorrow, Richard.”
I turn back to my computer, shutting it down, then standing. Richard watches I grab my things and prepare to leave.
I take one step around my desk before he says, “Wait.”
I pause, keeping my expression neutral, though inside I feel like I’ve won a gold medal. I’ve made Richard bend. Which then makes me consider just how badly he wants me to marry his daughter, and I wonder why. What is this deal really about?
I resume my seat and let him continue.
“You want majority stake, I can understand that,” he says after a moment. “It’s not necessary. When you marry my daughter, I’ll change my Will so you get the final shares I hold when I die.”
I shake my head. “Not good enough. In the intervening years, you and the Board will still hold fifty per cent. We could deadlock. I want fifty-one initially or no deal.”
He stares hard at me for a long moment before nodding. “Fine. But I want you married before the end of the year. It’s time my daughter quits all this nonsense of dating women and being child-free .”
He uses air quotes around the word child-free and I raise an eyebrow, but don’t comment. I know marrying me won’t make Vic any less bisexual. And our marriage certainly won’t result in children. I don’t need to explain any of this to Richard. Especially since I think I’ve uncovered the real reason why he wants me to marry her. He’s trying to control her. Or, more accurately, he’s trying to control us both.
“I want it in writing,” I say, instead. “A contract. Fifty-one per cent shares of Sterling Properties, plus the role of CEO, within six months of me marrying Vic.”
He gives me a curt nod. “I’ll have it drawn up tomorrow. You’ll be able to sign it tomorrow afternoon.”
“Perfect. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a date with Vic tonight.”
I hate the smile he gives me, like we’re conspiring together. Have I played my role here so well that he thinks this is who I am? A carbon copy of him?
Just a little longer, I tell myself. Then he’ll be gone—or as gone as he’ll ever allow himself to be—and we can move on.
After he leaves, I head out, taking transit to Gastown where I meet my brother. He drove out here and will give me a ride home tonight since I usually take the train, and it’ll stop running before dinner is over.
“Explain this to me one more time,” Wyatt says as we walk toward the restaurant where we’re meeting Vic and Spencer.
“I’ve explained it five times already. I marry Vic, Richard gives me the shares, I give half to her, we get divorced. What’s so difficult to understand?”
My brother pulls me to a stop. He and I look a lot alike, the same dark brown hair and eyes, the same height and build, we even both wear glasses and have close beards. Since he was born just over ten months before me, people often mistake us for twins.
“What’s hard for me to understand is how you think this is a good idea. Haven’t you had a massive crush on this woman for like ten years?”
I scoff. “It hasn’t been ten years.”
He raises his eyebrows in disbelief and folds his arms over his chest. “How long ago did you meet her?”
I remember the exact day. It was the first day of the last semester before we started our MBA program. I was rushing to get to class because I’d overslept since I’d had to work the night before. I reached the room about sixty seconds before the start of class and there was one seat left. The one in the front row next to a beautiful woman with black hair and blue eyes. She’d looked at me with that dry humour she has as I took my place.
“Cutting it close,” she said.
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I like to live life on the edge.”
She’d scoffed, and we’d been forced to cut any conversation short as the professor began our lecture.
I hated sitting at the front of the class, but I’d sat next to her every day on the off chance I might get to speak to her again.
“It was almost ten years ago,” I admit now because I try not to lie to my brother.
“And how many people have you dated since meeting her almost ten years ago ?”
From when I met her until our one night, the answer is zero. I’d been so focused on school and working, I hadn’t had time. And my feelings for Vic had grown. From the one night with her until now, not many. Every time I’d tried, I ended up comparing the woman to Vic, noting the differences, and the other women all fell short.
“It’s not a problem. This is just business.”
Wyatt’s expression tells me he doesn’t believe me. Which is why I try not to lie to him, because he always knows. I don’t want this to be business. I want it to be real. I want this one last chance. But I have also made the decision that it is my last chance. So I tell my brother the truth. “At the end of this, I will let her go.”
If what she wants is for me to leave, that’s what I’m prepared to do. Regardless of what my feelings might be.
Wyatt lets me go, and we continue down the tile and cobblestone sidewalk. We cross the street, walking past the steam clock without glancing at it, stepping around a crowd of tourists and into the side street that leads to the restaurant.
When we get inside the fancy Italian place, the hostess greets us, but I point to the far corner.
“The reservation is for Tanner Marcus. I see the rest of my party there.”
The hostess looks over her shoulder to where I’m pointing. “Ah yes. They arrived a couple minutes ago.”
She leads us to where Spencer and Vic are already sitting. Spencer is telling Vic something as she looks at the menu, an indulgent smile on her face. I remember the first time I’d seen Spencer and Vic together. It had reminded me strongly of how I am with Wyatt, always trying to make him laugh and him thinking I’m being an idiot, but indulging me anyway.
Wyatt and I take our seats across from Vic and Spencer.
“Hey,” I say. “Thanks for coming. Do you guys remember my brother, Wyatt? Wyatt, this is Vic and Spencer.”
They shake hands and talk about how they remember meeting him at a party years ago. The hostess asks if she can get me and Wyatt anything to drink. We order Cokes and spend a moment looking over the menu. When we’re done and everyone has ordered, Vic folds her hands in front of her.
“Let’s discuss what will happen here,” she says.
“Wait,” I say. “You agree? We’re getting married?”
She meets my eyes, and I concentrate on not holding my breath.
“Yes. I agree.”
I can’t stop the huge grin that spreads over my face. I remind myself this is a business arrangement and nothing more, but she has agreed to marry me. My last chance has officially begun.
“Here are the terms I’ve been considering,” Vic says, taking a sheet of paper from her pocket.
I take some paper from my pocket as well and slide it over to her. It’s not flat. Or big. In fact, it’s blue and folded into the shape of a ring.
“I’ll get you a real one later, but figured you could take this for now.”
She picks up the blue paper ring, rolling her eyes, but her mouth is curved upward in a similar indulgent smile like she’d had for Spencer and that’s all that matters. She sets it carefully next to her place setting and returns her attention to her list of terms.
“I figure we should get married pretty fast, but not like tomorrow,” she says. “Spencer has convinced me that my father won’t believe a relationship if we don’t have an actual wedding.”
“That’s probably true,” I agree. “I spoke to Richard today. He made a few comments, and I think I understand why he’s pushing this. You’re not going to like it.”
“Let me guess. He wants me to marry a man and start a family.” Her tone is dry, like she doesn’t care, but I note the way Spencer nudges her hand with his. He knows how much this hurts her. I wish I could be on that side of the table, offering my support as well.
“Yes. Plus, with Karen pushing him to retirement, I figure he’s thinking, two birds, one stone. I got him to agree to sign over the shares within six months of us getting married. I also got him to agree to fifty-one per cent, like you suggested. We’re going to sign a contract tomorrow.”
“You got him to agree to the additional percentage and to sign a contract?” she asks, and she sounds impressed.
I shrug like it was no big deal, but we both know how difficult it is to get Richard to do something he doesn’t want to do.
“I’ve been thinking about this since my meeting with him. Richard needs to believe we’re getting married for the sake of it and not because we’re working together. He’ll never give me anything if he thinks I’m going to give it to you. Which means,” I grimace, “I probably shouldn’t sign over any shares immediately.”
I’m certain this will be a hard sell, but to my surprise, Vic nods. “You have a point.”
The waitress interrupts, setting out our dinners. As soon as she’s gone, Vic is back to business.
“Let’s start with the wedding details. When should we do it?”
“May I make a suggestion?” Spencer asks. “The renovations on the new location will be done in the middle of July. We’ll need to get the designers in right after that, but if we pay a little more, we could probably have everything complete by the beginning of August.”
“The first wedding is on the second Saturday,” Vic says.
Spencer nods. “August first is available. We left it in case we needed the extra time. As a bonus, it’s a date that holds significance for you, Vic, since it’s the day of the Pride Parade. Of course, the new location is in Surrey and not Vancouver, but if you want to get married during Pride Week in Vancouver, you’re looking at like five years from now.”
They turn to me, questions in their eyes. All of a sudden, everything feels incredibly real. August first is only a month away. I don’t let the anxiety show and nod. “August first sounds great.”
Vic writes that down on her paper. “We have to assume Dad will drag his feet on signing over the shares. You said six months, he’ll likely take the full time. I figure, once he has, we wait at least three months before we transfer my shares. It should be relatively straightforward since we’ll be married. Then, to make it extra convincing, we remain married for another three-to-six months after that.”
She doesn’t look at me as she’s marking out the details of our marriage and eventual divorce on her sheet.
I swallow, all the hope I’d felt when she agreed to marry me draining away. “That sounds great to me.”
Over the past several years, I’ve gotten really good at showing people exactly what they expect to see from me and nothing more. She expects that this means little to me. That’s what she needs to see right now.
“Where are you guys going to live?” Wyatt asks.
“I have a second bedroom at my apartment,” Vic says. “You’re welcome to move in there. You can even keep your house and maybe rent it out for the time we’re together. Dad would believe we kept it as an investment.” She looks up, meeting my eyes again. “Where is your house?”
“Oh.” I clear my throat, then curse myself because I know it’s a sign of nervousness. “I don’t own my place, so I could move in with you.”
“That makes things easier.” She glances down at her terms. “We’ll have to set up a time for me to come over, so we can figure out what you should bring with you and what we can put in storage.” She runs her finger down the list. “We’ll need a prenup, of course. What are you doing on Sunday?”
“Sunday?” I repeat.
“Yes. It’s Derek and Ava’s wedding. No one will believe we’re a real couple if you don’t come with me.”
“Right. I have plans with Juliet and Rebecca. I can tell them I have to reschedule.”
Vic taps her fork against her plate, thinking. “It’s unfortunate, and I don’t want to interrupt your plans with your nieces and nephews, but I think this one is important.”
“Maybe we can make it up to them,” I say. “Take them out together the following weekend?”
“Weekends are hard for me in July,” she replies absently, looking down at her sheet again. “I’m sure we can make something work, though. And it makes sense we would do more things together in the lead up to our wedding.”
“Okay. I need to stop you guys here,” Spencer says, drawing our attention. He looks at Wyatt. “Are you as concerned as I am?”
Wyatt nods.
“Good.” Spencer turns his attention back to me and Vic. “These details are all important. But you’re both skipping over the most important one. What is your relationship going to look like?” He focuses on me. “Vic said you won’t be seeing anyone else, and she won’t be either. How real is this real marriage going to be? You’ll be expected to kiss at the wedding, at the very least. What is that going to look like? If you start sleeping together, what will that mean to the relationship going forward? Will you still be getting a divorce? What happens if you catch feelings?”
“We won’t,” Vic says. She sounds so certain.
“Right,” I agree. It’s not exactly a lie since I can’t catch something I already have. “Won’t be a concern.”
Spencer sighs. “Does Wyatt know about before?”
I assume he means the one night me and Vic slept together. I nod, because I’d told my brother everything when it happened, how I’d been so excited to finally be with Vic, and later how I’d been cut out when I got the job with Sterling.
“Okay,” Spencer says, looking from me to Vic. “You want to tell me you won’t be having sex for over a year when there is a person you’re attracted to sleeping on the other side of the apartment? Someone you’ve slept with before.”
“I never said I was attracted to him,” Vic says.
“Don’t lie to me, Vic,” Spencer retorts. “I’ve known you far too long for you to get away with it. Look me straight in the eye and tell me you’re not attracted to Tanner.”
He stares at her. She glowers back. “The fact is completely irrelevant,” she finally says, but I note she hasn’t refuted the claim.
“I’m worried, Vic,” he says, and he sounds like he is. “I don’t want you to get hurt if this all goes wrong. I don’t really want him to get hurt, either. If you remember, he was my friend, once, too.”
It’s nice that he’s concerned about me, but I know he’s more worried about his best friend. I’m glad she has him in her corner. Everyone should have at least one person they can count on. Vic has more than one. She’s really lucky that way.
Her gaze is steady, her back is straight. She looks completely composed when she says, “It won’t go wrong. And the intimate details of our arrangement will be discussed between me and Tanner. Privately.”
She glances at me, and I nod my agreement before she faces Spencer again.
“All right.” He holds up his pinkie. “I’ve got your back. No matter what.”
Vic links her finger with his.
“Let’s talk timeline,” she says, returning her attention to me as though none of that had happened. “When do we announce the engagement? I’m thinking at the next family dinner.”
I let her continue with the details, agreeing to pretty much everything she says. I don’t really care about them, anyway.
The thing is, I know Vic says there will be no emotions involved, but mine already are. And while I’m ready to let her go if I have to, I don’t want our marriage to end.