“The start of a very fun weekend.”
8
W e barely leave my apartment the next two days, and I think it’s the first weekend in eight years where I do no work whatsoever. I take Cora to a gorgeous restaurant on the outskirts of Houston, and more and more I realize that I’m taken with her. She’s smart and funny and sexy and she likes to play. I understand now the clichés about how a person could be everything that you never knew you were looking for. That’s the way I feel. I didn’t know that I was looking for someone like Cora, it just happened. I suppose I have Jack to thank for that, as strange as it is. Even though I’m not nearly ready to tell him.
Cora looks over at me from the other side of the bed. The sheets are draped over her in a way that’s fucking sexy, and I’m tempted to take a picture, but my phone is in the other room.
“We never actually talked about that code you had me look at,” she says.
I smirk. “We were busy doing other things.”
“True.”
“What do you think of it?”
She sits up, bringing the sheet with her so that she’s still covered. It’s cute, after everything we’ve done with each other that she still has the impulse. “I thought it was good, but when we get to the office tomorrow I want to show you a base code application that I think will just make everything simpler. It won’t change the aesthetics much, just function.”
“You think it’s better?”
“Maybe,” she says. “I think starting with that will allow you to route things through fewer protocols, which will make it faster. There’s the potential for it to be smoother than it already is.”
I nod. “Then I’m excited to see it.” I lean back against the headboard. “The truth is, I don’t really disagree with Jack on expanding. I just want to do it our way. Up until now we’ve been cautious, and it’s worked in our favor. I think he’s worried that moving that slowly will make us less competitive.”
“How do you want to expand?”
“I’d like to do a whole bunch of things,” I say. “I’d like to try a subscription box since those seem to be so popular. I don’t think Takedown’s idea of on-call tailors is a bad one if you can find a way to make it financially viable. Eventually, down the road, I’d like to see if we can get any traction in the women’s clothing world. But what we have now is good, and I don’t want to ruin what we have by rushing into something we’re not ready for. One weak point in the boat will make you sink even if all the other parts are strong.”
“You want to know what I think?” she asks, crawling over to me and lounging across my chest.
“There are lots of things that I always want to do with you,” I say.
She laughs. “I know, but seriously, Michael. I think you’re both right.”
“Oh?”
“Jack’s right that you guys need to adapt. Things are changing quickly and you might have to be more nimble in your planning in order to keep up with the smaller start-ups that are taking more risks in order to one-up you. But, by the same token,” she’s straddling me now, “you founded the company by finding a niche that needed filling. You’ve got loyal customers and a solid base. Customers like what is familiar to them. And besides,” she says, eyes sparkling, “old things can be beautiful too.”
I roll over, reversing our positions. “Are you calling me old?”
Her laugh rings out clearly throughout the room. “If that’s the only thing you took from what I said, you really are going senile.”
“Senile at thirty-five,” I say, leaning in to kiss her. “That is a cruel fate.”
These kisses are soft, a slow burn that’s definitely leading somewhere. I trace my tongue across her lips, silently asking them to open, and they do. Our mouths are dancing together, gathering heat and strength, and when I pull away we’re both a little short of breath. “I do understand what you said, though, and I agree. It’s one of the reasons I don’t want to sell the company. We built it and I’m not ready to let it go to someone who won’t necessarily do what’s best for it.”
“Wait,” she says, pressing her hands against my chest. “Who wants to buy you out?”
“Those investors that you were sent to seduce. Anderson Financial. We got an offer a couple days after the bar.”
Cora shakes her head. “I didn’t know. Is that what Jack was talking about while I was…you know.” She waggles her eyebrows.
“Yes, he’s been trying to corner me, to have a meeting about it, but I don’t want to meet. He wants to take the offer, and I don’t. Besides, I’ve been having too much fun doing other things to focus on it.”
“It has been very fun.”
“Has been or will continue to be?” I ask.
Her body stills under mine, and there’s no trace of playfulness there now. “Continue to be. I’m here for as long as you want me to be.”
“That may be a long time,” I warn her. There’s an ache in my chest that I don’t recognize, and I try to ignore it. Instead, I kiss her again, and show her exactly how I mean to spend our last evening of the weekend.
9
I manage to put Jack off in the morning, and make a note to myself to get Ellen a very, very nice gift for all the interference she’s been running for me lately. But near lunchtime, I see him storming down the hall towards my office, and I know that there’s nothing that I can do about it now. We’re having this meeting whether I want to or not.
This time Jack doesn’t explode into my office, he stalks. Which is far more dangerous. Loud Jack is able to be reasoned with and controlled. Cold, angry Jack is something that’s terrifying and that people should hope they never see. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen him this way, and now he’s there. I can see it.
I walk to the bar in my office and pour myself a small drink. It looks like I’m going to need one very shortly. Jack closes the door quietly and comes to stand in front of me. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Is it true that you’ve been seeing my daughter behind my back?”
My stomach goes into freefall, and I know that my face instantly gives me away. I’m used to controlling my face—to concealing surprise—but this was the last thing I expected him to say. “What?”
He scoffs. “Did you really think you could take her to The Palace and no one there would see you and tell me?”
I had hoped. “You hate The Palace, Jack.”
“Yes, I do. It’s overpriced garbage, but other people do, and I make sure that the wait staff loves me wherever I go. You know that.”
It’s true, Jack can be one of the most charming people I know. Combine that with good tips, and you get remembered. Only one problem. “How would the wait staff of The Palace know that Cora was your daughter?”
Jack stiffens and looks down his nose at me. “Why are you changing the subject? Does it really matter how I found out? I found out .”
“What if I told you I took her out to dinner simply as a mentor.”
“Then I say that’s bullshit,” Jack explodes, his voice echoing off the walls. “You were seen not only having dinner at The Palace, but sharing multiple kisses with my daughter.”
It’s true. Something Cora did to her lips that night made them irresistible—aside from the fact that she’s an amazing kisser. I couldn’t help myself. I clear my throat, trying to see a way through this. “What are you more angry about?” I ask him. “That I kissed your daughter or that I didn’t tell you about it?”
“Both, and more, Michael. We’re in a critical juncture of our business, and you’ve been distracted. Now I realize it’s because you’ve been screwing around with Cora. I’m done with you dictating to me what we’re going to do with this company when you clearly can’t see what’s best for it.”
I knock back the half-shot of whiskey that I poured myself. “What exactly are you going to do?” I ask him. “We have equal stakes in the company, so it’s not like you can just have your way. I’m not selling.?
?
“Oh,” he says with a sinister laugh. “You will.”
“No, I won’t.”