Chapter Seven #2
A few days after Raina started, we’d both insisted she address us by our first names. I’d told her it was too confusing if she called us both “Mr. Powers,” but the secret truth was that I liked hearing her say Simon. It felt personal. Intimate, even.
Shit. I’d been crossing lines with her since her first week.
“There are muffins on Simon’s desk if you’d like one,” I heard her offer.
I reached out and pulled the basket closer, positioning it protectively near my keyboard just as Liam appeared in my doorway.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said before he could speak. “These muffins are mine.”
Liam rolled his eyes, and from her desk outside I heard Raina’s laughter—bright and genuine and entirely too appealing.
“Good morning to you too,” Liam said dryly, dropping into the chair across from me with a smirk.
“Yeah, yeah.” I took a sip of my coffee. “I didn’t realize you were coming in today.”
He was usually at GalvaTech on Mondays, deeply embedded in launch preparations.
“Just a brief visit. I wanted to stop by and talk about Alexander Spencer.”
I opened the drawer on the right side of my desk and pulled out a brown folder. “I’ve got a file started on him. Initial research suggests going into business with him would be a solid investment.”
Alexander Spencer owned Neptune’s Kingdom, a wildly popular indoor water park and resort upstate. He wanted to expand into a chain throughout the northeastern United States, and we wanted to be part of that growth.
“There’s excellent potential,” I continued, rattling off the cash flow statistics and market traction data without opening the folder. I had it all memorized. “The business model is sound, and his track record is impressive.”
Liam nodded along. “It sounds like this could be perfect for us. Different sector than we’re used to, but too good an opportunity to pass up.”
“I agree.” I flipped open the folder and turned it so Liam could see the first page—background information on Alexander’s business associations that Raina had helped me compile.
“Alexander himself is particular about who he works with. He’s an oddity in the business world.
Doesn’t make decisions based purely on contract terms or profit margins.
He likes to know the people he’s partnering with on a more personal level. ”
Liam’s eyebrow lifted. “You look vaguely offended by that concept.”
I chuckled. “Not offended. Mildly annoyed. His history shows he favors working with people who share his family values, but that sort of thing shouldn’t factor into business decisions.”
“Maybe not.” Liam shrugged. “But you have to admit it’s better to get along with the people you’re partnered with.”
I thought about Harry Frazier—how he’d tried to avoid meeting with me, how defensive and temperamental he’d been when we finally sat down together.
He’d acted as though I was wasting his time by expecting an explanation for the quarterly losses.
In the end, he’d agreed to provide more detailed financial statements and to meet again in six weeks.
Raina hadn’t let him leave the office until that follow-up was scheduled.
“Fine,” I conceded. “I’ll admit that it’s better to have a good relationship with business partners. But I don’t like the idea of jumping through hoops for the man.”
“Not us.” Liam’s smirk sharpened. “You.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“I can’t schmooze the guy. I don’t have time with the product launch approaching. There’s too much to handle at GalvaTech.”
“So you want me to win him over?” I asked incredulously.
This wasn’t how we operated. I was the numbers guy, the behind-the-scenes investor who monitored financial reports and drafted contracts.
Liam was the one who worked directly with companies, who charmed executives and smoothed over rough patches.
We had different strengths, which made us effective partners.
“You can handle it.” He sounded entirely confident. Flattering, even if misplaced. “Alexander will be at the gala for The Vitality Initiative on Saturday. I have two tickets.”
He pulled them from his pocket and placed them on my desk.
I stared at them with undisguised reluctance.
The Vitality Initiative was a worthy cause, raising money for global health concerns and focusing on disease prevention.
I would have been happy to write them a substantial check.
But attending a black-tie event with the express purpose of charming a potential partner sounded like just about the worst way to spend a Saturday night.
But Liam wasn’t really waiting for an agreement. We both knew I’d do it because it was good for business. Alexander was looking to expand within the year. We couldn’t afford to wait for Liam’s schedule to clear.
“Okay,” I said with a heavy sigh. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You should bring Raina with you.”
The emotions that rushed through me were immediate and unexpected. Excitement. Anticipation. A warm pressure behind my ribs that I couldn’t quite name, and didn’t want to examine too closely.
My reaction was ridiculous. It wasn’t a date. It was a work function. There was no reason to react like a teenager about to ask out his first crush.
“She’s friendly and warm,” Liam continued, oblivious to my internal chaos. “She could help counterbalance your…”
“Assholeness?”
“I was going to say gruff exterior,” he said, his tone amused. “But whatever works for you.”
I laughed despite myself, and some of my irritation about the whole Alexander situation faded.
It wasn’t ideal, but I could handle it. And Liam was right.
Having Raina at my side would help. Not just because she could probably win over anyone I needed to do business with, but because her presence would make the entire evening more bearable.
“Fine, I’ll bring her,” I said.
And if the prospect of having her on my arm in an elegant evening gown appealed to me more than it should have…well, no one else needed to know that.