Love is in the Cards

by K. L. Brady

  "I don't ever want to find out," Joya said.

  Tessa smiled and reached out to pat Joya's hand. "Well, I think it's time for me to make my exit. Just let us know when you're ready to come back."

  "Thank you...for everything. I mean it."

  Tessa's renewed spirit was short-lived. She departed with a smile on her face, but a heavy heart soon found her upon her return to the office.

  Even with the Joya visit, she had an hour and a half to kill before the board meeting.

  Again and again, her mind churned over what she would say, how she would behave, how she would conjure up the courage to face Cody as she betrayed him.

  She wished she'd created a card for such an occasion.

  In the past, whenever she needed to tap into negative emotions while creating cards or building emotional walls, she'd rely on flashbacks to the moment she read the card that Cody delivered.

  Now, something had changed.

  Unbeknownst to Tessa, and without notice, the memory of that pain had been replaced. Hurt and anguish over her unceremonious dumping had been supplanted by the feeling of his arms around her during her fall to rock bottom; he gifted his presence and security when she needed him most.

  He could've been anywhere in the world, including with Chandra, yet, without begging or urging, he chose to fill the cold, empty space beside her.

  At once, he'd made her remember...and forget.

  She busied herself for a bit, then plopped in her seat and clenched her eyes shut. She tried to push the thought of the vote from her mind as the sound of footsteps drew closer to her office door. Part of her hoped it was Cody.

  After a knock, a man spoke. "Meditating? Or clicking your heels three times to get back to Kansas?"

  The corners of her lips curved upward at the sound of Kyle's voice. She opened her eyes and allowed herself to see him, perhaps for the first time.

  "Hello there, Stranger."

  "Can I come in? Or do you need to get back to Toto?"

  "Please." She chuckled and waved him inside. "It's good to see you. The past couple of days have been...phew!"

  "I'm sure. I tried to call you and even stopped by the other day, but you've been busy. I was concerned.”

  "The eternal plight of the working executive. As successful as we are, none of us has figured out how to be everywhere at once." She walked to the front of her desk and leaned against the corner. "I've had a lot going on. A member of my team quit after a bit of a breakdown, but she's okay. I just hope I can convince her to come back to work."

  "Well, that's a relief, but I thought you were avoiding me...or worse."

  Tessa gave him the side-eye. "Worse?"

  "To be honest, I feared you might be falling for Cody again."

  She returned to her chair to give herself time to come up with a response. "You might've been right for a blink of a second...we have a lot of history. But Cody is firmly in love with Chandra, a fact I confirmed when I overheard them professing their love for one another yesterday. They're still an item and going full steam ahead with the wedding. The time has come to move on."

  "You sure about that?"

  "My ears don't lie."

  He slumped back in his seat, expelled a deep breath, and locked his shining eyes on her. "Does that mean I can take you to dinner again? We can take it slow. Maybe this time we can squeeze in some cheesecake...a walk at the National Harbor? Or we could try your luck at MGM? I just want to help you put yourself first."

  "That sounds amazing, Kyle. It's just bad timing. I need to make certain Joya gets back to work and on her feet. And putting myself first all the time, it's not for me. I don't want to lose the best of me. And the best of me is living a life that honors the needs of the many over the few...or the one. Even when that one is me."

  "Dr. Spock."

  She nodded. "Plus, I've got to"—she glanced down at her watch—"Oh, no. Where'd the time go? The meeting's in forty-five minutes."

  "Let me take you."

  "Thank you, but no. A quiet drive will help me collect my thoughts, get my head together. But I'd appreciate a text later."

  She flittered through the office, grabbing her things. Soon, Keep It Real Cards would be hers, and she'd serve Cody the cold dish of revenge he deserved.

  Cody

  "Where are you?" Cody half thought about ignoring the intrusive call buzzing his cellphone, especially since he was en route to the most crucial board meeting of his career, but something told him to pick up.

  "I'm getting ready to leave Keep It Real," Kyle said. "I came to try and assess your situation. The good news is Tessa's given up the Real Talk line. From all appearances, she'd shifted toward 'Connect. With Hart', but everything came to a screeching halt today."

  Cody's stomach turned. "I have no reason to expect her loyalty."

  "I thought you'd be more excited that she's back on track," Kyle began, "especially now that you and Chandra have made amends and the wedding's going full steam ahead."

  Cody swallowed hard and choked at the same time. "Wait, hold up. Where'd you get an idea like that?"

  "Tessa told me. Just a few minutes ago before she left for the board meeting."

  "Where in the world did she get an idea like that?"

  "She saw you two together yesterday, at least that's what she told me. Apparently, she heard you reaffirm your love for one another? I don't know...her words, not mine."

  Cody stared into oblivion with his mouth hanging open for what felt like a solid minute.

  Eventually, Kyle interrupted the silence. "What's going on, man? Everything all right?"

  "I've gotta go. If I don't get to the meeting before it starts and explain things to Tessa, we may all be polishing off our resumes tomorrow."

  He hung up, and his mind flashed back to the moment in his office just before he broke off his relationship with Chandra.

  I'm not sure what you think happened at dinner, but what you saw was a bitter clash between business rivals, he heard himself say. Yes, I do love you, Chandra.

  He squeezed his eyes closed and grimaced as he agonized.

  He should've been more careful, both about what he said and the way he said it. He easily could understand how Tessa misconstrued their conversation.

  She'd only heard part of it.

  He cursed himself for trying to break up with Chandra gently.

  In hindsight, he should've ripped the Band-Aid, confessed that in the beat of one sweet night, he realized that his love for Tessa remained inextricably woven through every fiber of his being, in every beat of his heart.

  Tessa had assessed him correctly. He was a coward. His timidity had cost him five years of building a life with the woman he loved—and now it might cost him Hart Enterprises, the very foundation on which he'd built his life—their lives.

  Even worse, Tessa stood to lose more than she realized. Whether she understood it or not, any deal she struck to regain ownership of Keep It Real would eventually lead to its demise. Sweet Media simply lacked the cash flow to bear Keep It Real's debt even with the temporary infusion.

  Cody returned to Hart's headquarters and took slow, measured steps toward the board room, trying to appear more relaxed than he was.

  He crossed the threshold to take his place in front of the firing squad, and all eyes centered on him.

  "Well." Regina had only said one word, but her smugness darn near suffocated him. She had nothing that resembled a poker face, and her wicked smirk spoke every word her mouth didn't. "Looks like the gang's all here. Have a seat, brother dear. We'd like to start. No need to waste everyone's time unnecessarily."

  He entered the room and scanned it. He tried to lock eyes with Tessa and give her a little head nod to let her know he needed to speak with her in private, but she looked past him as if he were a piece of furniture, the leg on a side table.

  He took a seat opposite her, hoping the chill in her glare would warm. His sisters sat side by side, square in the middle.

  "Before we
begin," he said, hoping with all faith that Tessa's eyes would meet his. "I need a minute to talk to Tessa alone, just a few seconds."

  "Anything you need to say, you should've said before you arrived," said Renee. "We've got the important business of Hart Enterprises to address."

  "Yeah, save your inconsequential sentiment for the end of the meeting," Regina added. "Shouldn't take long. This is just a formality now. The deal is done."

  "Tessa?" He turned to her, wanting her to look into his eyes to see his sincerity, but she avoided his gaze.

  "How long before we take the vote?" Tessa asked. "I'm ready to get this over with."

  "I think we all understand why we're here today," Regina said, blustering with her newfound authority. "Cody has run this business well for the past couple of years."

  "Officially—five years," he barked. "Including four since our father died and left me in charge, but I've been working for this company for much longer than that."

  Regina rolled her eyes and all but ignored every word he said. "Hart is ready for new leadership, a different strategy. Renee and I are set to assume leadership and undo the damage of some recent, poor business decisions. The shift in direction requires a new CEO—co-CEOs."

  He glanced at Tessa, who was now wringing her hands. She must know every venomous word seeping from their lips was based on lies, but she listened, appearing unfazed and impatient.

  He'd underestimated the lengths she'd go through to regain control of her company, and everyone at the table had miscalculated him. He would not take the coward's way out. No, if he were destined to lose Hart Enterprises, he'd go down flaming.

  "Neither of you spent a day here until Pops passed away, except to collect your shopping checks. I'm the one who's been working alongside him for more than a decade, slaving day and night to learn every aspect of this company's operations. No one in this room is more qualified to serve as CEO than I."

  Regina coughed and flashed a coy expression.

  "And, yes, I decided to acquire Keep It Real with my heart, but isn't that what this company is all about? Heart. Dad was a strong family man, but what did he ever accomplish or achieve without factoring in his love for us and his legacy, even when he made poor choices that I disagreed with?" Cody pressed his hand against his chest. "But make no mistake about it, I also decided with my head. It was the right thing to do by Hart Enterprises, by Brian Sweet, a man our father very much regarded as the only brother he's ever known, and by Keep It Real,"—he looked straight at Tessa—"which is owned by the only woman I've ever truly loved."

  His profession made Tessa do a double-take and took power out of their jabs. "You can eliminate my position, but you can never erase my legacy. You can reverse this acquisition, but you can never change what Tessa's meant to me...what she still means to me." He stared down his sisters like a lion eyeing baby goats. "Now, you may proceed with your little vote." He dismissed his sisters with a sweep of his hand.

  "Very well," Regina said, after clearing her throat. She directed her attention toward Tessa, who now appeared astounded and lifted a weighty folder containing layers of documents between the covers.

  "Once we regain control of Hart Enterprises, we will return Keep It Real to Sweet Media per this agreement," Renee said, "and forgive the cash outlay paid to secure the acquisition, as agreed upon by the new co-CEOs of Hart Enterprises, according to the terms set forth herein."

  Tessa nodded and at last looked at Cody. He searched her eyes for empathy, for a sign that she'd heard his plea for her heart. He found nothing but confusion.

  "Shall we begin?" Regina said. "Tessa, I'd like to offer you the chance to speak, if you'd like."

  Tessa nodded as Cody maintained his poker face and tried not to roll his eyes. She locked her eyes on the agreement, as if she needed to maintain eye contact with it to go through with the sham.

  Regina was bloated with smugness as she waited for Tessa to finish.

  "Keep It Real saved me." Tessa placed both palms on the table and pushed herself to her feet. She began to pace behind her chair. "At the lowest point in my life, when I believed I'd lost everything that matters—my hope for a successful business, a husband, two and a half kids, and a dog—starting Keep It Real gave my life substance, gave me a reason to wake up in the morning and believe in myself. And it was all mine. I never conceived of a time when I'd wake up and Keep It Real would no longer belong to me, not as long as I gave it my all."

  "I would like to offer that Cody made an autonomous decision," Renee said.

  "Surprise to me!" Tessa continued. "The unthinkable happened, without a second's consultation with me, before I had a chance to think about the ramifications, before I had the opportunity to weigh the opportunities or weaknesses."

  "And now I assume you've had the chance to assess the wisdom of this deal?" Regina asked, cutting her eyes at Cody.

  Tessa nodded. "Last night, I visited a young girl who nearly gave up on life. I looked around her, and I didn't see things or companies or jewels or money, just the one man who loved her enough to be there for her at her lowest point. She'd taken him for granted but swore she'd never forgotten he came to her when no one else did. At that moment, the teacher became a student."

  "I don't understand. What does this—" Regina started before Tessa cut her off.

  "Let me make it plain"—she interrupted—"I will not stand against the man who stood beside me at my lowest point. Not for you—or you," she said, pointing to Regina and then Renee. "Keep It Real will stay exactly where it is. And, so will you, Cody Hart"—she allowed her gaze to linger on him—"You are the best CEO of Hart Enterprises—and this is a business decision that is good for the enterprise and the people. I vote to acquire Keep It Real—and if you don't accept my vote, my father will do the same. It's where it belongs...and, Chandra or no Chandra, so am I."

  Cody and his sisters sat paralyzed in silence with their bottom jaws dangling low to the floor. Tessa stormed out the door and disappeared with paperwork in her hand.

  "What the hell happened here?" Regina's lips puckered in anger.

  "I believe this is the part where both of you slither back into your offices while you still have them."—Cody snapped to his feet—"I have some plans to make."

  Chapter Thirty

  Tessa

  * * *

  The morning came too quickly, rudely awakening Tessa with a beam of sun warming her face. After her performance at the board meeting, she expected Cody to celebrate with Chandra, but she figured he might at least text a thank you or word of appreciation—or send a card.

  So far—nothing.

  While Pepper pawed Tessa's pillow and purred in her ear, she flipped from her belly to her back and stared at the ceiling. She'd replayed the day before in her mind. Everything he said, everything she said, trying to figure out what it all meant for the company, for her future.

  She wanted to spring out of bed to greet the new day with a smile, but heartache anchored her to the mattress.

  She reached over and slapped her clock radio into the ‘on’ position to drown out the echoes of Cody's speech in her mind. She failed. Miserably.

  Just her luck—K4. Ugh.

  Even the universe hated her. She wondered if nine a.m. was too early to drown herself in Grey Goose and regret.

  Cody had overwhelmed her as he spoke up for her, stood beside her; he did so even as his sisters threatened to take his life's work. She couldn't watch him lose it all. It would've broken his heart, and that would've broken hers.

  He saved her and her company—so she rescued him. Suffocated by the overwhelming swell of emotion that followed her speech, she darted out of there like a deer on a country road, ultimately suffering the deer's fate.

  Now, she lie in bed alone as she pondered her day. She refused to go into the office and face anyone, especially not Cody. She would see Chandra's lips touching his and hear Cody's voice profess a love that Tessa wished belonged to her.

  The workaholic in her ha
ted to make the call, but, for her own sanity, she had to do it.

  She picked up the cell and phoned Mia. When her bestie answered, Tessa's performance commenced.

  Cough! Cough! She made sure it echoed in the receiver. Then she closed off the airflow to her nose so her voice would sound as nasally as possible.

  "Hey, Mia," she said, feigning sickness. "I'm not gonna make it in. I think I have Ebola....or the flu. So, I'll be out today, and maybe tomorrow. Maybe forever. You should probably count on not seeing me for the rest of the week, at least. Call me on my cellphone if you need me."

  "Really?"

  "What?" She asked plainly, then again with the nasal voice, "What?"

  "You had me all the way up to the point at which you stayed home. You must've forgotten I witnessed you drag your pain-ridden stump of a body in here to oversee the release of the first cards."

  "I had the sniffles."

  "You had the worst case of the flu ever known to man, and we couldn't make you leave. We'd all but planned your burial in the Creative Studios. So, you'll have to come better than that. Up here sounding like Mr. Snuffleupagus."

  Tessa held her laugh as long as she could, but it exploded out of her. "Okay, fine." She turned off the act. "So, I'm not sick. The truth of the matter is that I can't face anything today. Not Cody. Not Kyle. I don't even know if I can face myself."

  "What Happened?"

  "Things One and Two handed it to me on a silver platter, the opportunity to regain sole ownership of Keep It Real. I had one job. All I needed to do was cast one stinking little vote against him in the board meeting yesterday and install the Things as co-CEOs."

  "So, what happened?"

  "I couldn't pull the trigger. Oh, you should've seen my performance. I mean, it was the stuff of legends. Not only did I vote to retain Cody as CEO, but I also declared my belief that he is the best-qualified person to run Hart Enterprises...this happened, of course, before I darted out of the boardroom like a deer at a coyote convention."