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And that’s exactly why I didn’t want tomeet you there. You’re too confident and casual on your own terrain. You’d probably insist on finishing the deal with a couple rounds of poker or a ribeye.
Not that I’m averse to either, and have certainly done business over both, but I want Geno and Denise to feel the weight of this agreement, and it becomes very real in a cold conference room in the middle of the city.
“Perhaps, but I wanted you to have a sense of what this deal offers you,” I reply. “The advantages here are enormous.”
“I thought the deal was done, Dad,” Denise says. “We’ve been over this again and again. What is there still to debate?”
Geno purses his lips as his shoulders stiffen slightly at her tone. “I’m concerned that there’s something missing.” His gaze moves from her to me. I don’t miss the tapping of his shoe against the floor.
“Geno, I understand,” I reply, not letting my frustration show. “Truth is, if I had more time, I’d be happy to run through things with you until we’re both sporting long beards. But time is running short.”
Geno, who wears a bit of a frost-trimmed beard, tilts his head. “Oh?”
“A couple of my sources have revealed that relations with one of your factories might thaw soon,” I tell him.
“Why’s that?”
“They’re going under,” I tell him blankly.
Denise sits up in her chair and leans forward. “How soon?” she questions.
“There are a lot of balls in the air,” I tell her, careful not to discuss matters brought to me by NDAs. Either they’ll trust me or they won’t. “But if we can sign this here, today,now, I can get the company guaranteed contracts with the two largest US based companies who can replace anything that’s lost.”
Geno licks his lips, his eyes going slightly hazy. In his mind, he sees it. He’s been down this road before. But there’s still something missing. He wants it all. He wants to cash out, but he alsowants to be the man who gets the credit for it all as well, saving a company and earning his wage as CEO.
And probably that big ol’ honkin’ ribeye too.
“What you’re proposing is just such a huge… risk,” Geno says, and I chuckle. Intentionally.
“And here I was thinking you know as well as I do that without risk, there’s no reward,” I comment, slyly calling Geno to the floor. “Geno, you’re holding two kings, and the flop’s shown a third. Sign this deal, and the only thing that’s going to show on the river is that fourth damn king. Now?—”
My private phone rings, and I stop, frustrated with myself. If an associate of mine were toeverleave their phone on in a meeting and it made the slightest noise, it would be the last meeting they went to.
Yet here I am, making the same mistake. And I know damn well why. I’m distracted by Raven. It can’t be denied as I think of her again while turning the ringer silent. Wondering if it was her. Hoping that it is and that she understands.
“My apologies,” I offer, resisting the urge to check to see whether or not it’s her. I clear my throat and put the phone face down on the table.
“Dylan?” Denise asks, slightly concerned. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” I answer, but I notice the quick flick of Denise’s eyes to her father. They’re worried the disruption has something to do with them. I decide to use the opportunity to apply gentle pressure to get this deal done. And also maybe to give in to the temptation to see if it was actually Raven calling me. “No, but I should check this,” I tell them, standing up. “Geno, I’m telling you, sign the contract as it is. No more negotiating.It’s in everyone’s best interest. I’ll give you a few minutes to think about it.”
I leave the conference room and go down the hallway to the executive washroom. Only six peoplein the firm have the electronic tag to get through this door, so I’m able to be alone as I look and see what it is.
The call was from a blocked number, and they left no voicemail. But they did send a text from the same blocked number.
Did you make her suck you off? She’s good, right? You’re welcome for training her. No hard feelings about the pity fuck, but why the fuck did you bring a no-name climber like her to the event? She’s nothing but a slut with good holes. Don’t worry, I dealt with it. Like I always do.
Rage instantly consumes me. With heat lingering on the back of my neck, it takes everything in me not to throw the fucking phone. I glance up at the mirror before reading it one more time, adrenaline surging through my veins.
The number might be blocked, but I’ve been down this road before and know exactly who it’s from. That son of a bitch has the balls to send me this?
He makes it sound like we’re old buddies talking smack about a woman who’s passed around the friend group like a party favor. He’s reminding me that he had Raven first. He’s putting her down, likely the way he did when they were together, either aloud or in his mind.
He’s working an angle to get back at me, I realize.
He’s playing the same game I am.
After all, I took Raven to the event to get under Evan’s skin and was expecting a counterpunch, especially after his father saw us looking like the aftermath of a porn film. It seems my plan to irritate Evan by shoving Raven under his nose worked… maybe a bit too well. Especially if he’s still ruminating on it days later to the point of resorting to frat boy name-calling and veiled threats.
