Flipping through the material he’d printed out, he found the piece of paper he was looking for: Karlana Vogel’s bio. Her agency’s website had been no-frills, low-key, a far cry from his specially designed online presence. But the bio had snagged his attention and he’d found himself returning to read it several times after she agreed to a virtual meeting.
If her photo hadn’t intrigued him enough, a casual snap of her at the beach rather than a professional headshot, her list of hobbies—sharing fish and chips and champagne at Serenity Cove with friends, barn dancing, sustainable gardening, and rock painting—would have. She looked too glamorous in the beach photo, with her glossy brown hair blow-dried in a curtain that skimmed her shoulders, carefully made-up dark brown eyes and pink-glossed lips, to be immersed in the intentional living community that was a highlight of Acacia Haven.
Then again, he of all people should know to never judge a book by its cover.
An alert sounded on his phone as a reminder of their online meeting in five minutes, so he snapped the folder shut and headed for the kitchen. With his coffee poured and a warm brownie square on a napkin, fortification for the potentially sticky meeting ahead, he sat at his desk and hit the call button on his computer. He expected Karlana to keep him waiting considering he’d called early but she surprised him by answering on the second ring.
The moment her face popped up on his screen, he wished he’d insisted on this meeting taking place without the video component. He didn’t like the way he reacted to her—like he wanted to hold her hand, curl up on a couch and get to know her better. He’d felt the same way when they first met at that bar during a break at the conference, when she’d looked like she’d rather be anywhere else and he’d been intrigued against his better judgement.
When she’d barged out of the bar after labelling the keynote speaker a ‘slick trust-fund guy who’s been given everything rather than working hard for it’ he’d been tempted to run after her and tell her he was nothing like that. But he’d been too rattled by his reaction to the beautiful stranger so he’d let her go, only to confront her at the end of his speech two hours later, and that encounter hadn’t gone well.
However, as she smiled at him now, she didn’t show any signs of rancour. He hoped it stayed that way.
‘Thanks for meeting with me, Karlana.’ He held up his hand in a wave and immediately felt like an idiot when she smirked.
‘No problem. I’m always in the office before eight on a Saturday morning anyway.’
By her flat tone, he couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or genuine. ‘Have you had a chance to look over my proposal?’
‘Yes.’ A frown accompanied her curt response.
‘In that case, I’d like to discuss—’
‘Stop.’ She held up her hand. ‘Our agency isn’t for sale so we have no interest in your proposal.’
Her defiance came as no surprise to Hudson. He dealt with this resistance on a regular basis from smaller agencies he set his sights on. They resisted at first but quickly capitulated when he threw large sums of money at them. He expected this acquisition to be the same, but he had to tread more carefully in this case because of their previous encounter. Antagonising Karlana wouldn’t be conducive to a speedy resolution and that was always the preferred outcome.
Flashing his best placating smile, he said, ‘I prefer to view my proposal as an opening to further negotiations—’
‘What part of no don’t you understand?’ Her voice had risen and anger flushed her cheeks. ‘We. Are. Not. For. Sale.’
She enunciated each word like he was an idiot who couldn’t understand her refusal and he bit back a grin. He’d expected this resistance but not so quickly and overtly.
‘Does your grandfather feel the same way?’
She flinched and he tried not to let it get to him. This was business, nothing more, and he wouldn’t waste time skirting around the main issue here: he’d already been interested in acquiring several country agencies when she mentioned hers at the conference, and when he investigated further he’d discovered Jeremiah Vogel had already been putting feelers out to other country agencies, mainly in Inverloch, Sale and Bairnsdale, to see if anyone wanted to buy him out. So either Karlana didn’t have a close relationship with her granddad and he’d kept the truth from her, or she was deliberately stalling. Either way, he’d get this deal done. He didn’t accept failure.
‘Of course he feels the same way, that’s why I’m speaking to you. We’re a united front,’ she said, but there was no conviction in her tone and she looked away.
He tried another tack. ‘Okay then. How about you tell me what it’s going to take to get this deal done?’
He glimpsed fear flicker in her eyes before she blinked, twice. ‘There’s nothing you can say or do to change my mind.’
‘You sure about that?’
She reared back a little, like he’d stuck his finger through the screen and poked her, the awareness on her face a beacon that she remembered their last encounter, trading barbs charged with unexpected sexual tension.
‘This conversation is over.’ She reached out to disconnect him, but he wouldn’t let her have the last word.
‘In that case, you leave me no option.’
Her eyes narrowed, disdain lighting the caramel flecks amid the deep brown. ‘What does that mean?’
‘I’ll be visiting you in a few days so we can continue our negotiations in person.’
She squared her shoulders in outrage but before she could respond he added, ‘I’m looking forward to it,’ and disconnected their call.
The damnedest thing: hewaslooking forward to matching wits with the stubborn Karlana in person.