S is for Second Chance

by Annie J. Rose

  “I’d like to be involved in that decision process as well. I’ve been working in LA and have a pretty good understanding of what is happening out there. We are close to Silicon Valley.”

  He smiled. “That works for me. I wasn’t sure how hands-on you would be in this.”

  “I will be. I’m not going to let this fall apart. It’s why I brought it to you.”

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  “Now, what about the start price?” I asked.

  He grinned. “You don’t like what we’ve put together?”

  “I do, but I worry it’s too high.”

  He picked up the file from the table and opened it up. I watched him read through it. He was so smart and really did know what he was talking about. I did trust him when it came to things like this. He had a head for business and was a genius compared to my father. Hell, he could run circles around my dad. He did run circles around him.

  I admired him. I always had. I hated what had happened between us. Once I realized he wasn’t the villain my dad had made him out to be, I had felt tremendous guilt about my role in the whole situation. I wished I could take back what had happened. I would have loved to have a real relationship with him. He was someone I could learn from. Not to mention, my daughter would have a father. But right now, with his animosity still so close to the surface, I couldn’t risk him knowing about her.

  “You’re right,” he said after several minutes. “I’ll talk to the team. We should bring it down at least two percent. Any lower and we undercut what we are trying to market as a premium product.”

  “I agree,” I said, pleased he was taking my suggestions.

  He smiled and it felt like I had been washed in a warm ray of sunshine. He was handsome in the traditional sense, but there was something else about him I was drawn to. I loved his mind. He was brilliant, and when he spoke, you could hear the confidence in his tone. It wasn’t condescending; it was reassuring. He would have made an excellent preacher or cult leader. People would follow him into the fires of hell if he asked them to. I had a feeling that was one of the reasons my father hated him. Devin was everything my father wasn’t but wanted to be.

  “You’ve done a lot with this in a short amount of time,” I told him.

  He shrugged. “I already had some of the work done. It was just a matter of pulling it all together.”

  I smiled. “Of course you did. This is going to be a great investment. I am confident the turnaround is going to be good for all of us. I guess the short-term investment plan isn’t necessary.”

  He smirked. “A long-term investment is a short-term investment gone wrong.”

  I laughed—actually laughed. “I’m going to grab some water if that’s okay,” I said, getting to my feet. As I walked past his chair, he reached out and grabbed my hand.

  It was a totally natural move for a couple. But we weren’t a couple. I looked at where his hand was on mine, his fingers around my wrist. My eyes moved to his. He looked just as shocked as I was. He released my hand, but I didn’t pull mine away. His eyes dropped to my mouth. He was going to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me. I debated bending down to take the kiss, but before I had a chance to move, my phone rang.

  I blinked, pulled out of the moment. It was a good thing, I told myself. Kissing him would lead to much more. That would lead me to walking out of his office feeling like complete shit again. “I better get that,” I breathed.

  He nodded. “Go ahead.”

  I pulled my phone from my briefcase and saw Jane’s number. “Hello?” I answered, turning my back to Devin.

  “Hey, I’m sorry, are you still in your meeting?”

  “I am. What’s up?” I asked, turning back to Devin with my hand over the speaker. “I need to take this.”

  “Please, go ahead.”

  I stepped away from him, going into the corner of the office for some privacy. I couldn’t step out and have his assistant eavesdrop. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Well, I don’t want to freak you out, but Lizzy has a little fever.”

  “What is little?” I pressed, wondering if she was getting her molars and running a low fever. That would be normal.

  “I took it about twenty minutes ago. It was 101.”

  “What?” I gasped with alarm.

  I turned to look over my shoulder. Devin was trying to look like he wasn’t listening, but he was. I couldn’t ask Jane the questions that were on the tip of my tongue.

  “She doesn’t seem too sick,” Jane quickly said.

  “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes,” I told her.

  “I can handle it. Should I give her Tylenol?”

  “No, I’ll be there,” I said and ended the call. I turned around and walked back to grab my briefcase.

  “Everything okay?” Devin asked getting to his feet.

  “Um, yes, fine, I need to go, though. I like what you’ve got so far. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Friday?” he said.

  “Yes,” I answered, trying to hide the panic in my voice. “Friday at Toby’s.”

  “I’ll see you then,” he said.

  I rushed out of the office. I tried not to be one of those moms, but I couldn’t help but worry about my baby girl. She was my everything. I told myself it was just a fever, probably something she picked up on the plane. I hated flying. I always felt like I was swimming in a pool of germs. Lizzy was never sick. I was very lucky to have a healthy baby.

  A fever wasn’t a big deal, I told myself as I hailed a cab. “She’s fine.”

  She likely just needed her momma. We’d have some soup and ginger ale and veg out on the couch watching Paw Patrol. I would know more once I laid eyes on her. I got out of the cab and rushed inside. When I walked into the apartment, Lizzy was sitting on Jane’s lap, cuddled up under a blanket.

  “Hey, guys,” I said, dropping my briefcase and going straight to Lizzy. “Are you sick, baby?”

  “I don’t feel good,” she pouted.

  I put my hand on her forehead. She didn’t feel too hot, but her cheeks were red. “Let me get you some juice,” I told her.

  “She seemed fine when I got here,” Jane commented.

  “It could be molars. Did she throw up at all?”

  “Nope. We played with the LEGOs I brought over, and I noticed she was kind of down.”

  “Thank you for the LEGOs, by the way,” I said, opening the orange juice and pouring it into her sippy cup. “Here you go, sweetie.”

  I sat down on the other end of the couch. Lizzy climbed off Jane and into my lap. I snuggled her warm body against me, wrapping my arms around her and wishing away her ailment.

  “How was your meeting?” Jane asked.

  “Good. Great. It actually went really well. I did not think it would, but he was nice. He’s got a great plan, and I think everything is going to work out just fine. My dad will be saved, and I can rest easy knowing the new company will be in good hands. I can go home and move on with my life.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you really want?”

  “Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “No good can come from me hanging out here. I need to go back before things get really complicated.”

  Jane looked at Lizzy and smiled. “Yeah, I could see how things could get messy.”

  “It’s better this way,” I insisted.

  “I know,” she said. “I know.”

  She got up and collected her things. “Get better, kiddo. We’ve got big plans to hang out again soon,” she said to Lizzy. “I’m sorry, but I don’t do puke or diarrhea. If that happens, you’ll need to call a real nanny.”

  I laughed. “I wouldn’t leave her if she was actually sick. And one of these days you will have to learn to deal with the puke and poop.”

  She grinned. “Nope. I’ll hire a slew of nannies.”

  I shook my head. “You say that now, but when your precious little angel is the one spewing, I bet you’ll be right there to take care of it.”

  She grim
aced. “I don’t think so. Not in a million years.”

  “See you later,” I said as she walked out of the apartment.

  Chapter 17

  Devin

  I slid the tie around my neck before quickly tying it without thinking about what I was doing. It was second nature to me. I straightened the power blue tie before adding my tie clip. I reached for the jacket that matched the black pants. As usual, my tie was the only splash of color in my outfit. I turned left and right in the mirror, making sure I looked good before heading downstairs.

  I couldn’t believe how nervous I was about the meeting with Toby and Elly today. I had gone through similar meetings hundreds of times. I had the experience. I had the knowledge, and I knew my proposal was good. Yet, I was acting like a newbie, fresh out of school and meeting my first client.

  The reason wasn’t hard to figure out. It was the fact I was seeing her. Things had been going so well between us at my office the other day. I couldn’t believe how well we’d been getting along. It had been like old times—the times when I didn’t know she was acting as a spy. She’d been nice, friendly, and her smiles were genuine. It had been easy to have a conversation with her. For a brief moment, everything had been right in my world. It was as if I had stepped into a parallel universe, one in which she and I were friends.

  I had let myself believe we had turned a corner in our relationship, that there was a chance we could be friends. Then it came to a grinding halt the second her phone rang. I had been seconds from pulling her into my lap and taking what I craved. The phone call had been strange. She’d really been concerned about something. The immediate change in her easygoing attitude told me it was something big.

  I had to consider the fact she had a life in California. That life very likely included a boyfriend. The thought of her with another man made me furious. Jealousy flooded my veins, followed by white-hot anger. The thought she was toying with me while some poor sap sat back in LA waiting for her to return did not sit well with me. I didn’t think she was the kind of person who would cheat on her boyfriend, but what did I really know about her? She’d fooled me. Maybe her boyfriend was just as blind. She was very skilled in the art of deception. I had to acknowledge that everything I knew about Elly Savage had been a cover. She had been lying to me from the very first moment we met.

  “You’d best remember that,” I mumbled to myself. I couldn’t get caught up in another one of her schemes. I didn’t think I would recover a second time.

  I walked out of the house to the waiting car. It was time to focus on the deal. I wanted Toby to know he was going to get everything he needed to take his company to the next level. I knew he was nervous about it. He’d held off going public for a long time. My research revealed he’d been approached last year but rejected all offers, claiming he didn’t think it was the right move for the budding company. I liked that he wasn’t the kind of guy to make rash decisions. That was going to be important in the months and years to come.

  I walked into the building and was immediately escorted to the conference room. Toby rose to his feet from where he’d been sitting at the table. “Devin! I’m so glad to see you.”

  “I’m glad to be here,” I told him, shaking his hand.

  “I can’t tell you—I probably shouldn’t tell you—but I’m really happy to have you and your team on board. I was a little nervous when I was signing what I consider to be my life’s blood over to a company I wasn’t totally confident in. I’m looking forward to what you’ve got planned.”

  “I’m sorry there was some confusion in the beginning. We’ve got it all worked out now though.”

  “Thank God,” he said with relief in his voice. “This is something that has kept me up for far too many nights. I feel like I’m hiring a nanny or something. This company is my baby. I’m glad it will be in your capable hands.”

  “I’m glad to be along for the ride. I reviewed all your files, and I’m excited to see what you’ve got in the works. As long as you keep doing what you’ve been doing, slow rollouts and paying attention to every detail, it’s going to be a successful journey.”

  Our conversation stopped when Elly walked—no, breezed, into the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I didn’t care if she had a boyfriend back in California. I didn’t care if she had twenty boyfriends. I was going to look my fill while she was in front of me. She was in another one of her chic business suits that was sexy, powerful, and projected confidence. I could smell her perfume, something light and airy and so damn sexy.

  I liked it. It was tickling my fantasies to life. I couldn’t let my want of her get in the way. I had to keep my head in the game and out of the clouds.

  “Hello,” Toby greeted her. I stood as well, offered a nod before returning to my seat. I couldn’t risk touching her. I knew the electricity that zinged between us would be obvious to Toby. I didn’t want him to get the impression there was anything going on between us.

  “Gentlemen,” she said with a smile. “Sorry about my tardiness.”

  “You’re perfect.” I said the words before I had a chance to think about it. “Perfectly on time. I was a little early.”

  She smiled at me, warming me from the inside out. “Good to know.”

  I watched as she took her seat across from once again. The tone of the meeting was much different than the first time we’d sat down at the table. She seemed to be in good spirits.

  “Thank you both for meeting with me,” Toby said. “I appreciate all the time you have both put into this.”

  “You’re welcome,” we answered at the same time before we both gave small laughs.

  “You’ve had a chance to review what Devin’s team put together?” Elly asked Toby, getting right to the heart of the matter.

  Toby nodded. “I have. I have a couple questions about the rollout and who will be appointing the board of directors.”

  I looked at Elly and gave her a slight nod, telling her to explain it to Toby. It was ultimately her deal, and she deserved to get as much credit for it as possible. She offered me another smile before turning her attention to Toby. It was well worth letting go of the reins to see her face light up.

  I watched her talk, listening to her explain the details in a way that was easy to understand. She was thorough and knew her stuff. Anytime she mentioned something, she referred to it in the package of paperwork. I was mesmerized by her. A gorgeous woman that understood and spoke my finance language was the total package. She was amazing. I couldn’t help but think she had been created and put on the earth just for me.

  She was supposed to be mine.

  Toby looked over at me, as if he was verifying everything she said. I needed to back her up. “Elly is exactly right. I told you, you are in good hands with her.” I looked to Elly and smiled at her. “You’ve said everything I would have said.”

  Elly blushed a little. “Thank you. I’m here to answer any questions you have, Toby. I’m sure there will be things that come up along the way. You have my cell. You can call me day or night, and I’ll do what I can to answer. If I don’t have the answer, I will get it for you.”

  Toby nodded. “Thank you for walking me through all of it. I’m sorry to be a pain in the butt about it.”

  “You are not being a pain at all,” she assured him. “You have questions, and that’s a good thing. It tells me you care about the company, which is going to be another selling point.”

  “When does this all happen?”

  “Well, I think we’re almost there. Things are moving fast. We’re working on creating some buzz. Don’t be alarmed if the shares don’t sell like hotcakes the first few days or even weeks. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

  “You guys both seem pretty confident,” Toby commented.

  I smiled and nodded. “I certainly am. I’m thrilled to be a part of this.”

  “I am as well,” Elly answered.

  Toby nodded. “I think I’m ready. I’ve waited a long time for this. I was reluctant to go p
ublic, but after a lot of consideration, I know it’s the right thing to do.”

  “It’s a big step, and I definitely understand your hesitation,” Elly told him. “We’ll do all we can to ease the growing pains that are sure to come. It is difficult to give up control of something you’ve built with your own two hands. Just remember to keep your eyes on the prize.”

  Toby nodded, taking a deep breath. “It is my biggest concern, but with the wording in your contracts, I’m confident I’ll be able to navigate it just fine.”

  We chatted a bit more about what he expected. Elly answered his questions with patience. I was impressed, absolutely impressed with how far she had come in so little time.

  “If that’s all, we’ll get out of your hair,” I said to Toby.

  “That’s all I have.”

  “My team will be in touch next week with finalized plans,” I told him.

  “It was nice to see you again,” Elly said.

  We walked out of the conference room together. I stopped Elly just before we got to the door. I had to give credit where credit was due. “You did great in there,” I told her. “You put him at ease, and I can see he really respects you and trusts you. That isn’t something that comes easy.”

  “I appreciate that,” she said with a friendly smile.

  “You deserve it.”

  “Thank you again for agreeing to do this.”

  “You’re welcome,” I told her.

  I opened the door for her and let her go first. I wasn’t ready for our time together to end. I figured since we were getting along so well, I may as well ask her to lunch. The worst she could do is shoot me down. Before I could ask her, I noticed something behind her. Not something—someone. I inwardly groaned as Ron Savage barreled down the sidewalk.

  “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath.

  “What’s wrong?” Elly asked. She turned to look behind her. “Shit,” she breathed.

  There was a young guy trailing behind Ron, who was moving much faster than I thought was possible for a man of his girth. With the look on Ron’s face and Elly’s sudden change in demeanor, I had a feeling shit was about to hit the fan.