13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Adalie
I ’m at work early the next morning, sitting in the meeting room with a cup of tea. Derek comes in, taking the seat beside me.
“Any idea what this is about?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No clue. It can’t be something bad, can it?”
“I doubt it. Everything has been running smoothly. Maybe something about wedding season coming up?”
We can’t speculate more because Spencer and Vic come in. Vic closes the door behind her while Spencer takes a seat, a folder in front of him.
“Hey,” he says.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, because I don’t like the look on his face. He doesn’t seem upset. More like he’s been thinking about something serious. And Spencer is not usually the most serious person.
“Everything is fine,” he says. “What I want to talk to you guys about will either change nothing or change things for the better.”
Vic takes a seat as well but doesn’t say anything. Apparently, this is Spencer’s show.
He takes a breath.
“My father came to see me yesterday.”
My mouth drops open. Spencer and his dad are basically estranged. After a shitty childhood, he’d gone so low contact with his father that it’s almost no contact at all.
“What did he want?” Derek asks.
“He wants Lis to sign a prenup before we get married. She agreed. But in exchange, he has agreed to give me control over my trust fund.”
Spencer’s dad had originally withheld the trust because he wanted Spencer to work at his business, Cole Enterprises, one of the biggest private companies in British Columbia.
“Lis got him to agree to that?” I ask.
Spencer smiles. “She did.
“So are we taking her out for drinks?” Derek asks. “I mean, she deserves something for getting that asshole to loosen the reins a bit.”
Spencer’s smile grows. “Don’t worry about Lis getting something. I’ve already started thanking her for this.”
“We don’t need to hear about your sex life, Spencer,” Vic says dryly.
He laughs then opens the folder he’d brought with him, sobering again. “To business. When we started Blue Vista, Vic used her trust to purchase things we needed. The building, initial materials, staff salaries. I would like to invest an equal amount of money into Blue Vista, which would allow us to expand to that second location this year.”
He hands a piece of paper to me and one to Derek.
Before I read it, I say, “So you’re going to buy shares from Vic?”
Because she had invested the initial money, Vic owns 70 per cent of Blue Vista, while Derek, Spencer, and I each own 10 per cent.
“Yes. Vic and I drew that up with the lawyer last night.” He gestures at the papers in front of me and Derek. I haven’t started reading, but Derek has, and he looks up, his brows drawn down in confusion.
“You’re going to purchase shares from Vic and give them to us?” he asks.
I gasp, finally reading through the contract Spencer has given me. The gist of it is that he’s purchasing 45 per cent of the business from Vic, keeping 15 per cent for himself and distributing 15 per cent each to me and Derek. Added to our original 10 per cent, this would make us equal partners.
“That’s the plan,” Spencer says. “If it makes you guys uncomfortable, we won’t go through with anything, and we’ll stay as we are. We don’t need the additional money to keep growing Blue Vista. It’ll just make the growth faster.”
“But why give us the shares?” I ask.
“This business is not one without you,” he says. “And the idea of me and Vic owning the majority together.” He grimaces and shakes his head. “It would feel wrong for us to hold 80 per cent while you guys hold 20. It would be unbalanced. This business only works if we work together. Equally.”
I turn to Vic. “You agree to this?”
She nods. “It was always my intention for us to be equal partners. You three wouldn’t let it be since I was putting up so much money. I agree, back then, I was taking on the most risk, so it made sense for me to own more of the initial business. But we’re doing so well now, there’s not as much risk. It’s time Blue Vista was split the way we’d intended when we came up with the plan in university.”
I glance down at the contract in front of me, at the amount Spencer is putting in. “This is a lot of money,” I say. “Will you have anything left in the trust after this?”
He chuckles. “Yes. My trust is significantly larger than Vic’s.”
“Significantly?” Derek asks.
“I’m not sure of the specifics yet,” Spencer says. “I’ll be meeting with Dad’s lawyer in the next week for both the prenup and the trust. But let’s just say, mine is at least four times the amount of Vic’s.”
“Jesus,” I say, slumping back into my seat. I can’t even imagine that kind of money. I’ve been doing well these last few years. With Spencer and Vic’s help, Derek and I have managed our finances very well. As a result, we both own homes in Vancouver—one of the most expensive cities to live in Canada, if not the world. We both own vehicles outright. We have officially moved into upper-class status. But the kind of money that Spencer will have access to ventures into stupid levels.
“What did Lis agree to?” Derek asks.
Now, Spencer looks concerned. “She agreed to sign whatever Dad wants. But I’ve also been talking to our lawyers about that. I’m not letting her sign something that will be bad for her. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.”
Derek nods. We’ve known Spencer a long time now, and he’s right to be concerned about Lis dealing with his father. That man didn’t become the owner of the most successful tech company in BC for nothing.
“This is something we want to do,” Vic says. “Just because you guys haven’t contributed monetarily to the business the way I have or Spencer will, doesn’t mean you aren’t as important to it.”
“Can we have a minute?” Derek asks.
Spencer and Vic nod and leave the room.
Derek turns to me. “What do you think?”
I glance at the contract in front of me then back up at my friend. “Logically, it would be stupid of us not to do this.”
“I agree. We can do a lot with this money. Adding this amount to Blue Vista will propel us forward years ahead of where we would be otherwise. The question is, would we feel weird accepting the shares? Are we worth the additional percentage without having the capital to buy in?”
We’re quiet for a moment. Then I take a breath, straightening my shoulders and lifting my chin.
“Yes,” I say. “If we’re talking about the day-to-day running of the business, we contribute just as much as Spencer and Vic.”
Derek grins. “I agree. And Spencer’s right. It would be awkward if he purchased shares from Vic and they owned so much more than us. If we want him to add this money, this ownership structure makes the most sense. I say we do it.”
I hold out a hand and we shake on it. Then we call Vic and Spencer back in. They wait for us to tell them our decision.
“Equal partners,” I say.
There’s a round of hugs and handshakes before Derek says, “We should go out to celebrate tonight.”
“I actually have plans.” As I say the words, my face heats.
“Are you going out with Nate?” Derek asks suggestively.
My face heats even more. “Not exactly. He has a hockey game tonight. The last one of his season. I wanted to go watch.”
He snorts and we leave the meeting room, heading toward our offices to get started on the day. “When’s the game?”
“It starts at six.”
“Come out after, then.”
“Or we could leave Adalie alone and celebrate on Sunday night,” Vic says, coming to my rescue. “There are no events scheduled for Monday. We could go to a bar or something.”
Everyone agrees and we get to work. Derek keeps walking with me since my office is next to his.
“I just want you to know, I’m only bugging you because I’m totally shipping you and Nate.”
I laugh as we reach his office. “You’re shipping us?”
“Obviously. You guys totally don’t match, but that’s what makes me think you really do. I don’t know. I just want you to be happy.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Get to work.”
I sit down at my desk and check my phone, since I’d left it in here for the meeting. There’s a text message waiting.
Nate:
How did the meeting go? Everything okay?
Me:
Yes. Everything is fine. I can tell you about it later.
I smile, warmed by his concern.
The bubble pops up, indicating he’s texting, so I wait for the response.
Nate:
Good. You’re still planning to come tonight?
Me:
As long as you don’t mind.
Nate:
Of course not. There’s a couple others coming, so if you want, I can introduce you.
Me:
That sounds great. I’ll see you later.
I set my phone aside and as my computer starts, I wonder if maybe I’m starting to ship me and Nate as well.
Nate is already at the rink when I get there, leaning against the trunk of his car with his arms folded across his chest and his ankles crossed. He is so hot with his broad shoulders and piercing grey eyes, my mouth goes dry and my stomach fills with butterflies. He hasn’t slicked his hair back, so today, it falls over his face until he straightens and rakes his fingers through it when I park next to him.
“You weren’t waiting for me, were you?” I ask as I get out.
“Not you.” He’s cut off by the sound of a bunch of loud motorcycle engines turning into the parking lot.
He watches them approach and park in spaces nearby. There are four motorcycles, two with passengers on the back. I recognize one rider as Taylor.
“Why didn’t you ride?” I ask as Taylor parks on the other side of the car from me and turns off his engine.
Nate lifts a shoulder in a half shrug, popping his trunk. “Short straw,” he says, hefting one large bag and handing it to Taylor who had gotten off his bike.
Taylor takes his helmet off and grins at me. “If it’s a nice day, we take turns who gets to ride and who drives the gear over. It was Nate’s turn tonight.”
Three other men come over next, each taking a bag from either the trunk or the back seat of the car.
“This is Mace and Zach,” Nate says. “They’re brothers. Zach and Taylor have been friends since high school.” He nods in the direction of the last man. “That’s Doug. He, Mace, and I have also been friends since high school.” He gestures to a woman with purple hair. “Raine is Mace’s fiancée. And Patricia is Doug’s wife.”
The last woman offers me a warm smile and a wave as she links her arm with her husband’s.
“Everyone, this is Adalie,” Nate says. “She’s a friend.”
Doug snickers but doesn’t say any more as his wife leads him away. She calls over her shoulder, “It’s nice to meet you, Adalie. I’ll see you inside.”
We all start making our way into the building, me and Nate taking up the rear.
“Do Raine and Patricia play?”
“No. But they usually come to the games. They’re pretty close.”
I grab a fistful of my skirt, twisting it in my hand. “Should I sit with them?”
“If you want to. I told them you’d be here so they know you might.” He holds the door open for me.
It’s silly to be nervous meeting Nate’s friends, but here I am. “These are the guys you usually play with?”
“Them and a few others. The other guys are here already. If you want, I can introduce you after.”
“Sure. Good luck out there.”
He smiles down at me, and I blink, stunned by just how sexy he is when he smiles.
“I don’t need luck, princess, but thanks. See you after.”
He heads off into the locker room and I go to the bleachers where Patricia and Raine are already sitting. They have a thermos with them and are pouring something that steams into a couple of cups.
“Adalie,” Patricia says with a smile. “Come join us. Did you want a drink? Coffee and Baileys.”
I sit down next to the women. “Oh. No thank you. I don’t actually like coffee.”
“What do you drink in the morning?” Raine says, aghast.
I laugh. “Tea, usually. But I’m kind of a morning person. So sometimes nothing.”
Raine shakes her head in disbelief. “I don’t know how people function without coffee. So, have you known Nate long?”
“Only about three weeks.”
“How did you meet?” Patricia asks next.
I wonder what they think our relationship is. Do they think we’re seeing each other? Does it matter?
“I run Blue Vista Events. Have you heard of it?”
They exchange a glance. “You mean that event venue right on English Bay?” Raine asks. “Mace and I considered it when we started planning our wedding, but it’s a little out of our price range.”
“That’s the one. We just partnered with Hops Scotch. We’re going to be serving their beer at events this summer.”
“So you’re not dating him?” Patricia asks.
“No. We’re just friends.”
“Why are you here?” Raine asks. “There aren’t many spectators at the hockey games. Patricia and I come to see each other, not the game. And Dani, of course, on the weeks when Nate has her.”
I shrug. “I’ve never been to a hockey game before. Of any kind. I figured I’d check this one out. I’m trying to do some things I’ve never done before. Shake things up a little.”
The teams skate out onto the ice, doing some warmups. Before he joins his team, Nate looks at the bleachers finding me, as though he wanted to know exactly where I am. He joins the others and Patricia and Raine laugh.
I turn to them.
“Right,” Raine says. “You’re just friends. Not interested in each other at all.”
My face heats. Even strangers seem to be able to see my reaction to Nate. Suddenly I worry: if people who don’t know me can see how attracted I am to him, can he see it?