Chapter 9
Angela
Standing in the office I’ve dreamed of inheriting since I was a little girl, I face down my nemesis with a smile. Garrett Cooper can be as rude as he wants, but I will kill him with kindness in return.
On the outside, anyway.
And maybe only for the duration of this meeting.
I’m seething on the inside and have no idea how long I can hold it in, so we’ll just take things one step at a time.
I smooth my hair, wrench my gaze from his, and plaster pleasantness across my face. “If all goes well, the way we met will simply be an interesting twist to our origin story, won’t it, Mr. Cooper?”
“Interesting indeed.” He steeples his fingers under his chin and deliberately turns his attention to the men. “I’ve been coming to the Hutton Hotel since I was a kid. If I’m honest, I’m surprised you’re in a situation that requires a meeting with a man like me.”
Oh no.
He will not dismiss me that easily.
I speak up before Dad can answer. “We are too, as I’m sure you can imagine. Though, once you hear the story, it’ll make sense.”
I explain that the hotel had grown as much as it could, but I came up with a plan to expand. It was big. Bold. And required going in on a venture with an investment company.
The possibility for success was amazing, though Dad and Uncle Wyatt worried it sounded too good to be true.
I, however, was so convinced, I started a new limited liability company to protect my family's financial wellbeing in case the worst happened, then put together the prospective business plan, our share of the startup capital, and presented it to my new business partner.
Contracts were drawn and construction on our first satellite location began in Bliss, South Carolina.
Only, no one expected the economy to tank.
The investment company went under, and all the players disappeared like a puff of smoke.
Worse, the deal was too good to be true.
I was so confident I had everything under control that when a last-minute change to the contract came in, I made the worst mistake of my life.
Instead of passing it to our lawyers for review, I read it, signed it, and sent it back.
Buried in the fine print of the contract was a clause that lists the hotel itself as collateral in case of default.
“Expansion of the brand into other markets,” Dad says.
“The Hutton Hotel isn’t just about making money.
It’s about improving the lives of the people who stay here and giving back to the community that supports us.
Angela wants to open more hotels, to better serve more people. Her idea is good. Her plan is solid.”
“A noble dream.” Garrett meets my gaze with an almost imperceptible smirk. Something tells me he’s still laughing at me, but I couldn’t guess why.
I glance away and lift my chin. “But without the investment company’s money, we’re forced to scale back and take things one market at a time.”
The truth is, we’re barely staying afloat making both halves of the payments with no new business to bring in extra revenue. And given the economy, I’m not sure we’ll make it through the off season.
Garrett gives me a long look. “It must have been hard to accept a meeting with me after that experience.”
It was even harder not to shove you out the door with my foot in your ass the second you walked in, but hey, look at me doing difficult things.
Uncle Wyatt folds his arms on the table. “We only considered talking to you because of the positive reputation Vision Enterprise built helping turn Waystar Resorts around after they went through bankruptcy.”
I nod, crossing my legs and watching Garrett’s expression like a hawk. “And your assertion that you won’t do anything to risk the unique charm of the Hutton Hotel sealed the deal.”
Which is probably something he said to make him sound like a friend instead of the enemy he is. The surge of disgust following that thought is the best rocket fuel around. Having this jerk contaminating my favorite room has me determined to succeed…simply to spite him.
“As I said, I have wonderful childhood memories here.” Garrett’s eyes meet mine and they’re inscrutable.
Probably because he’s lying through his teeth to seem like less of a threat.
Lucky for me, he proved what he’s made of by failing to introduce himself last night.
If he had, we’d have walked into the meeting on equal ground.
He knew that and chose to use his identity to his advantage.
We share the original proposals I drew up for the first investment company as well as current financials and our projections.
Garrett pours over them, nodding as he reads. “This all looks good.”
“We have faith in the project.” I watch as he digests the numbers one more time.
“I can see why.” He taps the papers. “There’s a lot of potential here.”
“I agree.” I lift my chin because damn it. There’s more than potential. He’s holding a business plan that is guaranteed to succeed and he knows it.
“I think next steps would be to visit the new site in South Carolina. Get an idea of what’s been done and what still needs doing.
I came to Florida with a good feeling about this project and today is only confirming that.
” His smile is wide and genuine for Dad and Uncle Wyatt, but his eyes harden when they settle on mine.
Mr. Garrett Cooper doesn’t like me.
Don’t you worry about that, sir. The feeling is mutual.
“Do you mind if I take these with me?” he asks, tapping the papers again. When Dad and Uncle Wyatt shake their heads, he continues, “I’ll go over the numbers one more time and then call to set a date to visit the new site.”
We shake hands, say our goodbyes, and Garrett leaves.
“I think that went well,” begins Dad and Wyatt agrees.
But it didn’t go well. There’s too much left unsaid between Garrett and me and he can’t just walk out of here like nothing happened. Not without making it clear I’m not as easy to manipulate as he thinks.
“You know what?” I stand. “I need to say something to Mr. Cooper. I’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for a response, I hightail it out of the office in time to watch the front door of the hotel swing shut. I race after him as fast as my skirt and heels will allow, sucking in air as I step into a blistering July afternoon.
“Mr. Cooper!” I call, clutching the white porch rail as he stops in front of a car in the lot.
The bastard doesn’t even look up, so I hobble down the steps. Whoever made women’s fashion so impossible to move in should have a special section waiting for them in hell.
“Hold on a second!” I arrive at his car a breathless mess and lean both hands on the hood.
Garrett’s eyebrows twitch upwards. “Is there something I can do for you, Angel?” He puts an uncomfortable emphasis on my name.
Oh, God. Please say I didn’t tell him about my college professor…
The glint in his eyes can only mean I did.
Okay, then.
If he’s willing to play dirty, I have some ammunition of my own.
“I don’t know, Bear…” I smile so sweetly it makes me throw up in my mouth a little.
His jaw drops. “How did you…did you go through my phone?”
“Not on purpose. I got one of your texts, but I didn’t know I had the wrong phone, so I was confused.
I read through the conversation until I figured out what happened and…
” I wave a hand because I’m babbling and that won’t help things.
“Look, I don’t know if I should apologize for being so rude last night or expect an apology because you could have said something…
anything…about who you are while we were at The Pact.
You knew I’d be shocked when you walked in today.
You knew it and used it to your advantage. ”
“It’s not like I could get a word in edgewise.”
I pop a hand on my hip. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I—”
Garrett lifts a hand, stopping me in the middle of a sentence I had no idea how to finish when I started. I just couldn’t let him have the last word. “Why did you chase me out here, Ms. Hutton?”
“Honestly? I kind of wanted to murder you a little, but considering we’re going to be working together, I thought it best for us to clear the air. We got off on a very bad foot.”
“And how exactly do you intend to do that with someone as slimy and shady as me?” A sly smile curves one side of his mouth. “Those are the words you used to describe me, right?”
Do not take the bait.
Rise above.
Show him how two perfectly reasonable adults are supposed to act in a business situation.
I extend a hand, shaking off my frustration and brightening my smile. “Hello, Mr. Cooper, I’m Angela Hutton and I’m pleased to meet you. If you’re still in town tomorrow, is there any chance we could meet at The Pact? Clear the air? Get to know each other under better circumstances?”
Garrett looks as disgusted by the invitation as I feel. He’s the last person I want to spend more time with. And as far as clearing the air goes? I don’t think I could get much clearer on how big a turd this man is.
“What would Nick the Wonderful say if he knew you’re spending so many nights at a bar with other men?” he asks with a sneer.
“My cousin?” I flinch, truly taken back by the question. “Why would he care who I’m at the bar with? And what other men? You mean Micah and Nathan? My other cousins?”
There’s a moment of stunned silence, and then Garrett scrubs a smile off his face. “I thought Nick was your boyfriend—”
“My what?”
“And I thought you were being unfaithful.” He sighs, shoving his hands into his pockets. “When I saw you sitting with two other guys.”
Is he kidding me? This is really happening right now?
My jaw drops and I shake my head to jumble my thoughts back into logical order. “Not only did you read my texts, then get uppity because I read yours, but you actually thought I’d cheat on someone? With two guys?” I sit back on my heel, dumbfounded. “What kind of woman do you think I am?”
Garrett’s eyes glimmer as a smirk quirks his lips. “Believe me, Angel, you do not want to know. And yeah. The Pact. Tomorrow. Seven?”
I huff in surprise, unsure if his use of my nickname is a shot at my expense, or if he’s trying to be endearing. Combine that with the flutter of energy that courses through me every time his eyes meet mine and I find myself in the rare state of not knowing what to say.
Garrett pulls open the car door and I can’t let him leave without saying something.
“Six,” I counter. The sooner he realizes I’m not someone to boss around, the better. “Be there at six. And don’t call me Angel.”
With a condescending smile and a bob of his head, Garret lowers himself into his car and drives away, leaving me to stare after him, seething and confused.