Chapter Twenty Five
MEREDITH
The celebratory banquet was in one of the smaller ballrooms of the Taj Boston. The committee really hadn't spared any expense for this competition.
I walked around, drinking in my surroundings. It was a relief not to be in the running anymore. I’d spent the last three weeks focusing on all our Christmas promos. In theory, I shouldn’t care about the outcome of tonight, but I was keeping my fingers and toes crossed for Cade to win.
We decided to come here separately and to stay professional the whole evening. I wondered if I could stick to that, considering he was going to wear a tuxedo, but I was going to try my best.
I was a bit uneasy tonight. Same as Sonya.
She emphasized how important the meeting with Alfred Danvers was, and I wasn't going to screw this up for either of us. I wanted her to sell the company. She seemed to want to retire, and although I really wanted to keep my job, it didn’t appear as though that was possible.
We had a small table for Sonya’s Blends with four seats, which was surprising considering Sonya and I had been the only ones who'd ever gone to these events. But this time, there was a place for Arthur as well as our VP of sales. Sonya had invited them for Alfred’s benefit.
Since it was Friday evening, most people were hoping the event would end quickly. I was among them.
"Oh, you're here. That's good," Sonya said, taking me by surprise as I was about to sit at our table.
"Hey, I didn't see you. I looked around for everyone."
"You and I are early, although Alfred is already here. Come on, I want to introduce you to him."
"Of course. Don't be nervous, Sonya."
"Honestly, I can't help it. Being here tonight makes it all the more real. If I don't manage to sell the company, I'm stuck running it for a few more years, and I'm honestly exhausted. I've been working for forty years, and it’s time to retire."
I felt a rush of sympathy for her. Being a business owner was always heralded as one of the best things a person could do. But you could leave a job at any time, whereas you couldn't just up and leave your company.
"It's going to work out. I'm sure of it," I encouraged.
"Alfred, I want to introduce you to Meredith," she said when we approached another round table. There was only one person there for now, even though there were places for six. "This is Meredith, my VP of marketing."
"How do you do?" I said as we shook hands.
He smiled. "It's great to meet you. Sonya told me you worked on the presentation she pitched to me."
"I did. "
"I'm going to leave the two of you to get to know each other a bit and get myself a cocktail," Sonya said.
I'd never seen Sonya so nervous. There were servers circulating with trays of champagne, so clearly she just needed an excuse to get away. I was determined not to ruin this for her.
"So, what do you think?" I asked as soon as she was gone. "Think our customers would be a good fit for your portfolio?"
"Yes, it would be a very promising start in niches I haven't bothered with until now."
"I'm sure your customers will appreciate our special products.
And vice versa—our customers will embrace the mainstream products in your portfolio as well.
I already have a few ideas of how we can marry the two.
" I wanted to show him that I was dedicated to my job and that I’d already put thought into this.
"Meredith, right?"
"Yes," I said. Something in his eyes chilled me to the bone.
"Look, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'll be honest. If this merger goes ahead, I will bring my own VP of marketing, and I would prefer if you're not part of the team going forward."
I steeled myself, rolling back my shoulders. "May I ask why?”
“I'm sure Sonya already spoke to you about this."
"I would like to hear it from you." I didn't want to provoke him. I just wanted him to look me in the eye and tell me to my face that he wanted to let me go just because I was in a relationship he didn't like.
"I don't like Cade Whitley. I've dealt with him in the past, and I'm no fan of his. Frankly, the fact that you're in a relationship with him is worrying.”
“I’d never share trade secrets or company information with him."
"I have a very hard time believing that. I wouldn't feel good knowing that someone in my company is so close to the enemy."
"The enemy?" I asked. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that was a little dramatic, but I didn't want to lose my job right now, even though I clearly didn't have a future if the acquisition went ahead. I was fighting to keep my composure. "I’m sorry you feel this way.” Close-minded was another word for it.
"You know, there's no legal framework for firing someone because they're in a relationship with someone working in the same industry.
At most, you can ask someone to disclose that information, though even that isn't legal. "
He waved his hand. "I don't care about the legalities. I'm just telling you the way I prefer to do things."
"Right. Well, I see Sonya coming back with her drink. Let's not ruin her evening," I said. "She has enough at stake right now and doesn't need to know that you've practically dismissed me."
He narrowed his eyes and nodded. "I respect you for that. I was sure you were going to throw a fit the second she returned."
"Not my style. Not at all."
Sonya took one look at me, and her expression turned stony. I was sure she could tell exactly what had happened.
“Everything all right?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I’m going to get some air.”
What I needed was to step away from Alfred Danvers. But I was here tonight to keep my fingers crossed for Cade. I wanted him to win—I couldn’t wait to see Jeannie and Abe’s joy when he succeeded.
CADE
Tonight was my night. I felt it in my bones.
I knew we were going to win. Not just because we'd put a lot of hard work behind this—everyone else had too—but I trusted our products.
I knew our quality, and I knew the committee would see it.
Tonight, I was finally going to clean up the company's name.
As soon as I entered the ballroom, I looked around, wanting to catch Meredith’s eyes. I was all on board with her plan. We didn't have to parade our relationship, but I wanted to see her. Ideally, I wanted her up there onstage with me when I received my award.
I tried to find her, but the room was full to the brim.
It was impossible to distinguish one guest from the other.
There was a table chart next to the entrance, but that was it.
I found my table easily enough. Sonya's Blends was right across the room.
I instinctively looked over there, but Meredith wasn't at the table.
Maybe she hadn't arrived yet. Sonya was chatting with Alfred.
He was definitely one of my least favorite people.
I didn't like his business practices. I was surprised Sonya wanted to sell to him at all. Then again, it was none of my business.
I went to our table, even though the rest of the team hadn't arrived yet. There were three other seats. I took out my phone, intending to text Meredith, when someone walked up to me. I glanced up from my phone, pocketing it.
"Sonya," I said.
“Cade.”
"To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Look, I've handled all of this badly. I'm sorry about that."
"No need to apologize. Business is business. You didn't like my approach, and it's your prerogative to look for another buyer. One you're comfortable with."
She flashed me a smile that seemed forced. "Yes. Well, I'll be honest. I would rather you buy me out, but if the price isn’t up your alley, what can I do? Alfred is a bit…"
A waiter came to us with a tray of champagne glasses. I grabbed one and took a sip. She played with the pendant at her neck, which was a huge gold thing. Something I'd only ever seen my grandmother wear.
She continued, "I don't like him very much, but I do like the money he's offering."
I respected that. "Is Meredith here already?"
"Yes. She was actually chatting with Alfred before I went back over to them. I think she went to clear her head. She's upset."
I squared my shoulders, putting down the glass of champagne. "Why?"
Sonya pressed her lips together. "Alfred told me he made it clear that once he takes over, he won't keep her around. He's not happy that she's in a relationship with you."
"What the fuck? That's none of his business." Why hadn’t Meredith told me that?
"I don’t like how he's handled the whole situation either."
Fuck this. I wasn't going to allow it to happen. Meredith worked hard. She deserved her job. Hell, she deserved far more than that. She wasn't going to lose it just because Alfred didn't like me. That wasn’t how business was conducted. I was even more disappointed in Alfred than before.
Sonya started to turn away. "Anyway, I'll leave you alone now. I'm rooting for you, by the way. I do like your products and everything you've done for the company over the past years."
"Do you know where Meredith went?"
"No, I honestly don't know. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you," Sonya said before leaving.
This was utter horseshit. My previous good mood had completely evaporated.
I took my phone from my pocket again, calling Meredith once, twice, three times. She didn't answer.
Where is she?
I had no idea how to find her, but I knew exactly what to do next. I was going to talk to Alfred.
There were still a few minutes until the winner would be announced. I caught up with him at the bar. He ordered a gin and tonic. I took another glass of champagne, since I’d left mine at the table.
"Alfred," I said curtly.
He turned around, raising his eyebrows. "Already drinking champagne?”
I cocked a brow. The waiters were circulating with champagne. Everyone was drinking it.
“You’re so sure you’ll win?" he continued. "The rest of us are going to give you a good run for your money. You’re not the hot shit you think you are."
I couldn't believe Alfred was still holding a grudge because my company had a higher market share than his. Usually I'd give him a cutting reply, but tonight my main priority was Meredith. I didn't want to do anything that could affect her situation even more.
"Listen, I’ll cut right to the chase. I heard you've got a problem with Sonya's employee, Meredith?"
He snorted. "Good God, that place is very unprofessional. She already came gossiping to you?"
"I spoke to Sonya, actually."
He shook his head. "She's terribly defensive of that girl."
"That's because Meredith is great at her job, and I don't see why her personal life should get in the way of her continuing to do that job."
“I’m not keen on keeping someone close who’s sleeping with the enemy, so to speak.”
“The enemy? That’s dramatic. There's no reason Meredith should lose her job for something that's personal and doesn’t affect her work. Our relationship has nothing to do with her performance."
He snorted. “That's just like you, Whitley. You like to keep it in the industry, huh? First Esther, and now this poor woman.”
I stared at him. “How do you know Esther?”
“Word gets around. She was the hottest woman at the Coffee Formation event. I can understand Esther, but Meredith? What did you do? Hook up with the poor woman, hoping to get insight into the competition?”
Unbelievable. His insinuation was way off track. I didn’t use people to get my way. Maybe that was how he operated, but not me.
“Meredith is a brilliant woman and a damn good person. I won't allow you any disrespect toward her or me.”
He scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Get off your high horse. You’re probably not even serious about her."
I didn't think I could dislike this Alfred guy even more. I'd wasted enough time with him. I had to find Meredith.