by K. L. Brady
"For this collection, we need to push web sales," Tessa said.
"What about Hart's existing market? Traditionalists still want puppies and cotton candy,” Zeke said. “Keep It Real took traditional to the left with snarky. This new line, whatever we call it, goes to the left, up the street and around the corner to the liquor store."
"Exactly,” Destiny piped in.
"We won't attract well-meaning consumers," Mia warned, "which is most consumers. These are almost mean...almost. Let's just pray no one takes this all the way to the left and causes someone emotional pain they can’t recover from." Mia sucked some of the oxygen from the room. She’d kept her lips tight and listened ... until now. "I dunno. I'm listening, and uh, we're way off the reservation," Mia continued. "The messaging is polarizing. People are gonna love it or hate it. There's no grey here. Only black or white."
Tessa stood up and moved front and center. "I agree. This is a risk...and a sizable one."
"If it's a success, it may pull up the sales on the other card lines," Mia interrupted. "My fear, no offense, is it'll pull down the other lines. We could cede our existing market share to the Hart Enterprises of the rest of the world."
"On paper, Real Talk isn't workable, but that's what everyone told me about Keep It Real," Tessa said. "I learned that revolutionary ideas cause radical shifts. To escape this sales rut and build some momentum, we've got to try something even more innovative and edgy. This fits the bill."
"What about kinder and gentler. You know, cotton candy, roses, and puppies?" Zeke said.
"Going that route would be inauthentic. Don't you think?" Tessa glanced around the room to gauge the level of support. The team was on board. A few questioned her sanity and motives, as well they should.
Bethany rarely talked during creative meetings, although her work was superb. Her general silence was the reason everyone listened when she spoke up. "I think we're all forgetting one key factor—our new boss, Cody Hart. The soul of Hart Cards will never agree to release the Real Talk line. Not in a million years. Just go to the local CVS and pick up their collection. What we're proposing is the opposite of everything he stands for."
Tessa's back stiffened. "First of all, he's not in charge of our operations. I still maintain full control over our creative vision." This was among her greatest fears, that her own team would constantly question her authority. "Next of all, he's already aware that we're cooking up a new line and he's onboard," she said, before mumbling, sort of.
She hadn't lied...entirely.
This idea might take a little getting used to...oh, who was she kidding? She didn't want Cody to love the idea. She needed to save her relationship with her team, not with him.
She checked her watch, the five o'clock hour had almost arrived. The time had come for dinner with Kyle. "Let's adjourn for today," Tessa said. "How about we stick a pin in this discussion until we develop a few mockups. Destiny, Zeke, Dion, and Judy, send me your copy and I'll pass it on to Bethany for graphic design. When we've got some artwork, we'll finalize the Real Talk concepts."
The meeting broke, and everyone dispersed except Mia. Tessa braced herself to receive the serving of truth her bestie would offer, but she didn't want to hear it. Turned out Tessa was wrong. Mia's only goal was to dish on Tessa's date with Kyle. "So, what time are you leaving?" she asked.
"I plan to arrive fashionably late."
"Mmm-hmm. Riiiight. Meaning you'll get there a half hour early, stalk the doorway from a distance, and walk in five minutes after him."
"Exactly.”
Chapter Fourteen
Cody
* * *
Tessa stood him up for their lunch date and left him with a card. Deja vu. Except this time he'd received rather than delivered it. Maybe he deserved this Karma—he didn't have to like it.
"Ms. Dee, please find Kyle for me?" Cody ambled around the halls still brooding over the fact that he'd fallen victim to Tessa's special brand of petty. She'd infuriated him. He couldn't think straight.
He'd invited her to lunch to offer her an olive branch, and instead of grateful acceptance of his charity, she stripped the leaves and beat him over the head with the entire tree. Then she left him with a bitter card and nothing resembling dignity.
While stewing over his cold lunch and warm cocktail, he plotted and schemed to exact revenge for her bitter, witchy act of war. No more Mr. Nice Guy. He vowed to become a tick burrowed beneath her skin.
Game on.
Caving to family pressures, he'd hurt her in immeasurable ways, ways from which she'd not fully recovered. But had she not gotten over their break up—or him?
Didn't matter. Now, he was petty and bitter.
Kyle had a date with Tessa, and Cody planned to be Tessa's tick.
If she wanted to play tit-for-tat, she'd get more than she bargained for. The acquisition had placed Cody in a position of power, and he'd wield it any way he chose.
Bright sun rays and oncoming whiskey-sour headache proved to be too much for Cody's eyes as he trekked through the corridor area leading to his office. The glare obstructed his vision so much he bumped into Kyle and knocked himself off balance. His friend, foe for the moment, whistled with more cheer than Cody could stand.
"Hey, excuse me," Cody said before he reached his door.
"You all right?" Kyle said. "Ms. Dee said you're looking for me. How'd lunch go?"
Cody had no desire to tell the truth, a stark contrast from their routine. On friend- time, he shared all the details. Before Chandra, women considered him to be a catch. Tessa wasn't normal. "Well, let's say Tessa's never short on surprises."
Cody adjusted the blinds in his office as Kyle took his usual seat.
"Did you need me for something?" Cody continued.
"It's Tessa..." Kyle began.
"What's going on?" Cody braced himself to hear the date news...again.
Kyle's expression was happy...and yet not. "A couple of things," he said. "First, be forewarned. Word's seeping out that Keep It Real's working on a new collection."
Cody smiled to himself, knowing what Kyle had said was true. He'd seen the evidence of it himself. The team was hard at work on the "kinder and gentler" messaging he'd proposed to Tessa, the only suggestion from him she'd ever followed. "Yeah, I'm aware. I walked in on Tessa's planning session with her team. I'm on board. Actually, it's a good idea. One might even say I played a small part in developing the creative vision for the new direction."
"Wait a minute. You're cool with it? I mean, you support what she's doing...as part of Hart Cards?"
Cody's brow crinkled from confusion. He didn't quite understand Kyle's reaction. "Absolutely! Like I said, the pivot was practically my idea."
"Yours? Wow. Okay."
Cody jerked his head back, tilted it to the side, and shrugged. "In the original plan I developed with Tessa, back when we were kids, I was the artist."
"Original plan? You mean Tessa worked for Hart before the acquisition?"
He nodded and shifted his gaze to his hands to avoid the true confession: Hart Cards should've been Sweet-Hart Cards. "Something like that."
"Ah. Light dawns on Marblehead. I'd suspected you two had a little history, but I didn't realize...why didn't you ever tell me about her?"
"Well, it's not a best-kept secret. Besides, you and I met after Tessa and I broke up, so I had no reason to mention our ancient history. At least until now. Unfortunately, our relationship remains complex, to put it mildly."
"Wish you had told me sooner." Kyle's lips pressed together with consternation. "I mean about your involvement."
"Why?" he asked deceptively. Tessa had already informed him about their little date. He wanted to find out whether Kyle would confess the truth.
"I invited Tessa to dinner," he said, keeping his eyes trained on Cody, studying him as if trying to catch changes in his expression. "From what you're saying, that's not a problem, right? I mean, as you say, ancient history. Besides, Chandra's amazing and you'r
e marrying her in a matter of weeks."
Cody nodded.
"I've known you longer than her. Maintaining this here,"— Kyle pointed toward Cody and then himself—"is my priority. We’re boys."
Cody shrugged, forcing his mouth into a straight line, burying his jealousy below the surface, far below. The thought of Kyle dating and kissing Tessa made his stomach curl into a massive knot. The thought of him sleeping with Tessa made him borderline murderous, but he and Chandra were a tuxedo rental and an aisle away from marriage.
"Awkward? Please. I can literally count the number of years since we were together on one hand"—he holds his palm in the air— “And I broke it off. Now that I think about it, she may have mentioned your dinner in passing this afternoon. No issues here at all."
Kyle's lips stretched into a broad smile, and he breathed a sigh. He swiped the back of his hand across his forehead, and said, "That's a relief. Since we're all Hart now, I thought I should ensure there was no conflict of interest. Once the integration's over, there's no issue, whatsoever."
Cody offered Kyle a salute. Why? He didn't know. Maybe it saved him from choking Kyle...or flipping him the bird. Truth be told he wished he could molly-whop Kyle, but he'd need to keep his hands and opinions to himself for fear of exposing his lingering feelings for Tessa. Fighting Kyle because his friend fell for Tessa would serve as an admission of Cody’s painful the truth—and he preferred to dwell in denial. "It's all good. Really, you're overdue for a night on the town. You haven't been out since whatsherface. So, where are you two kids eating?"
Kyle stared into space for a moment and then shrugged. "I hadn't had much time to think about it. Honestly, I thought she’d turn me down flat. I can't believe she's still on the market. A woman like that should have a man—or at least be in a committed relationship."
Cody coughed...hacked was more like it. Choked on the whole truth and nothing but the truth. "Ahem. Sorry. Swallowed down the wrong pipe," he said. "Yeah, Tessa's quite the catch, but, as you said, I'm practically married to Chandra. So, how many men does she have cooking in her oven? Who knows. I do remember one thing about dating her, though. She'll let you shoot your shot, but you only get one. She remembers bad dates like family vendettas. If she hates it, you'll never live it down, and never is a mighty long time."
Cody hoped to spark Kyle's curiosity, provoke him ask the question only a tick trying to get under her skin could answer.
Kyle chewed on the thought for a moment too long for Cody's comfort. Then came a reversal of fortune.
"Honestly, I'd planned to keep the evening simple, so we'd have time to talk, get to know one another. McCormick's and Schmick’s? Maybe Ruth Chris's."
Cody's stomach tanked. Ruth Chris's. Hell would freeze over before he ever allowed Kyle to take her there.
Anywhere but there.
His friend’s dinner plan was a nonstarter. Cody didn't respond verbally, rather allowed his face to pucker long enough for Kyle to react. "What? Something wrong with Ruth's?"
"No, not unless you want to be completely forgettable or bore her to death, take your pick. She may not even remember your name."
"Really?" Kyle believed him for all of thirty seconds. His pursed lips suggested it lasted only that long. "Man, try again. Sounds like sabotage to me. You need to quit messing around."
"Hey, you don't have to listen to me. Enjoy your steak and potatoes. They pair well with loneliness and blue balls."
After a hard laugh, Kyle prepared to leave and blow off Cody's snarky comments. A second before he reached the door he did an about-face. "Okay. What do you suggest?"
"No, you didn't want my advice. Go on and order your little filet. That'll excite her into sedation."
"Cody, man..."
“Fine. She's addicted to Thai...seafood curry. If you want to ride the expressway to her heart, you've got to go through ThaiPhoon. It's not far from Chandra's and my place on S Street. She loves that restaurant," he lied. She’d remember the place, but not in a good way. "Surprise her. The only thing she likes more than ThaiPhoon is big surprises. Trust me. This is fool-proof."
"You better not be B-S-ing me."
"Me? B-S you?" He replied with a question to avoid the outright lie. “I promise, after tonight, she'll only ask you one thing: how soon can we go out on our second date?"
Kyle smiled and stroked his chin. "Until this moment, I suspected you had feelings for her. Glad I'm wrong. I really appreciate the advice."
Somewhere in the dark crevices of his soul, Cody wanted to feel guilty about leading Kyle into the disaster. He should've, but remorse wasn't in his vocabulary. A quick flashback to his miserable lunch removed all guilt and all doubt. His only hint of regret stemmed from his inability to witness her misery himself with his own two eyes.
* * *
Nightfall brought brooding clouds, the distant roll of thunder, and chilled winter winds, but no storm would stop Cody from his latest mission.
Chandra balked at walking in bad weather and despised the way the untamed winds whipped her sleek black hair into a frenzy. Hat hair would never do for The Chandra, not in a quasi-posh public setting where she could be spotted. After all, she was the lone daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Barrington.
After an hour of her droning protests, he threatened to go alone. Only then did she concede. She accompanied him, grousing the whole way. He needed her presence, more for the optics than the company. Otherwise he'd have spared himself and left her at home.
At six p.m., he and Chandra entered ThaiPhoon, a rare mid-week date that took a lot of convincing on his part. In the foyer, she charmed the maître de who zipped off to find their seats shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, he craned his neck inside the nearly packed dining room, admiring the quirky design. The colorful modern Asian decor glowed under the recessed fixtures. The open floor-plan made it a cinch to spot Tessa and Kyle sitting in a cozy corner overlooking S Street. The expression on Tessa's face was everything he hoped it would be—nauseated, even though there were no plates on the table.
He leaned into the petty, reveled in the moment. He now understood how Tessa so excelled at it.
In truth, he regretted coaxing her into trying the Thai shrimp dish at ThaiPhoon all those years ago. How could he know the contents of her stomach would shoot out of her ends like propane flames from a blowtorch? He witnessed her transform from a beautiful brown to Godzilla green and snapped a photo for posterity before rescuing her from her fate.
So, Cody knew the only thing Tessa hated more than Thai food was surprises. To Cody's delight, Kyle had followed his advice to the letter, and now Cody could watch the fallout in the flesh.
He donned a self-satisfied smile as Chandra turned toward him to grouse. "Seriously, Cody? Why were you so pressed to eat out tonight? I'm exhausted. I'd rather be in bed than standing in this lobby."
"If we stay home, you're cranky. You complain that we never go out enough. If we go out, you fuss and say we should have stayed home. A brother can't win for losing." Inside of an hour, his part in the impending fiasco would end. He'd make it up to Chandra when they arrived home, perhaps with a massage and foot rub. But now he needed her for his ruse.
She huffed for a moment and shrugged. "What can I say? When you're right, you're right. Forgive my grumble wumble, Codykins." She'd reduced herself to baby talk. Apparently, she was more sorry than he thought.
She stalked the waiter through narrowed slits, impatient to be seated. He must've felt the hole burning through him because he locked eyes with her and approached.
"Here he comes. Thank goodness. Five more minutes and I might've considered eating Cody-fricasseed,” she said.
He chuckled. "Did you ask for a table with a view?"
"As you wished.”
They followed the waiter, weaving through a maze of dining patrons on a collision course with Kyle and Tessa who were so engrossed in conversation they never saw him and The Chandra coming. He wondered what magic words Kyle had spoken to keep Tessa so entran
ced in their conversation. Her perfect baby browns glazed over as if she was hypnotized. He couldn't remember her gazing at him with such adoration and affection. Then again so much time had passed, he wouldn't.
Conveniently, Cody's targets took up two adjacent seat at a table for four. As he reached them, he slammed on the brakes and performed an exaggerated double-take that could've won him an Oscar.
"Well, hello, there," Cody sang to Tessa and Kyle. "Imagine meeting you two here."
Keep It Real Cards
Always the bridesmaid, Never the bride.
Now your special Wedding Day is just around the corner.
* * *
Let's Keep It Real—It took a bottle of brown liquor and a pole in your bedroom, but you bagged that loser. It's about time.
Congratulations!
Chapter Fifteen
Cody
* * *
With Kyle and Tessa in his sights, Cody gave a gentle tug to Chandra's elbow to stop her at their table.
"Kyle, Tessa, how wonderful to see you both." Cody was on one as he played the lead in a performance as phony as a six-dollar bill.
He'd never pass up the opportunity to get front-row seats to Tessa’s misery. Chandra stepped back toward him and the table, but not without a cost for which he’d pay later. She flashed a wisp of anger at Cody but seemed to recognize the couple, at least Tessa. They were introduced via Tessa's "About Me" page.
Didn’t matter.
He ignored everyone's reaction except one.
"Oh, please, meet my girlfriend, Chandra. Chandra, this is Tessa and Kyle. We all work together, at least we do since Hart obtained its latest acquisition."
"Good evening," Chandra said, greeting Kyle and Tessa with a slight bow.
Tessa's eyes turned so deadly he feared they may spew venom. Her horrified expression made enduring Chandra's aggravation worth every second.
