Forever With You

by Laurelin Paige

  This morning’s meeting was set early, and I was arriving just on time. I glanced at my watch. Maybe a little past on time. Unlike me, but considering the cause, I was not regretful. "Yes, buzz her. And coffee?"

  "Already brewed." She hung my coat in my closet as she spoke, then turned to Taylor Madison, my public relations lead, and my younger brother Chandler, who was finishing up a call on his cell. Both had been in the lobby waiting and followed me in.

  Taylor immediately went to sit on the couch in the spot that Norma usually took for herself.

  "Ms. Madison?" Patricia asked, already poised to prepare our mugs.

  "Black, please."

  "Chandler?"

  I smirked, never tiring that my brother was the one person my secretary refused to address formally.

  "Cream and sugar, Trish. Thanks." He tucked his cell in his jacket pocket then undid the single button as he sat down next to Taylor.

  Cream and sugar. He was such a child.

  A child who was marrying into Celia’s family. Not for the first time, I wondered if he had what it took.

  I finished tucking my briefcase under my desk, glanced at the schedule on my screen—it was a full day—then walked over to take my place in the armchair at the head of the seating area. By that time, Patricia had returned with a tray of mugs. Norma Anders, my financial advisor, followed behind her with a coffee cup already in one hand, a file folder in her other. Prepared. Ready. Unflappable. Now there was someone who could handle Celia.

  “Let’s get started,” I said as soon as she closed the door. “Multiple allegations of sexual harassment at one of our clubs. Let’s discuss solutions.”

  She walked over to the loveseat opposite Chandler and Taylor, and before sitting, nodded at Jordan, my chief security advisor who had slipped in at some point and was seated in the other armchair.

  I hadn’t noticed him walk in, which was, I supposed, the point. I only hired the best, and that Jordan was.

  "He's here?" Norma asked, a brow raised. "You must be worried about potential backlash."

  A hickey on Patricia’s neck distracted me as she bent to hand me my coffee. She’d left her usually-kept-up hair down today. This must have been the reason. I appreciated her attempt at hiding it—if only because I didn’t like accidentally imagining her with Nathan Sinclair, the man who most likely put the hickey there. He was part owner of the advertising firm I used, and I hated mixing business with pleasure. Even when it was my secretary’s pleasure.

  As she moved on to hand mugs to the others, I focused on Norma’s question. "I'm not worried about backlash, per se, but I think the situation warrants a look at the security angle." I didn't mention that Jordan had asked to be included on meetings such as this. There were very few people who knew he had cause to be investigating anything at all, and I wanted to keep it that way.

  "If you say so," Norma shrugged. She set her coffee on the table then opened up her file and distributed copies from inside before taking a seat, smoothing her hand over her pant-suit clad leg when she did.

  "You can never be too prepared. Better security could have prevented a lot of this. I happen to think it's a wise decision on your part, Hudson," Taylor said, always eager to refute Norma when she had the chance.

  "Of course you do," Norma said, recognizing the younger woman's ass-kissing for what it was. She circled her gaze around the room. "I've drawn up varying cost estimates based on each potential scenario. Option A is the least expensive, where we attempt to settle out of court with the accusers. You can read on all the way through to option F which includes all of that plus a complete overhaul and rebranding of the Adora nightclub. Obviously, this last is the most expensive."

  Chandler flipped the page of the handout. "Yikes!"

  I lifted the bottom of my top sheet to see the number underneath. "As always, it costs the most to do the right thing."

  Since it was the first I’d voiced any opinion at all on which route to take, Taylor saw that as an opportunity to make it her agenda. "It might be the most expensive, Hudson, but, like you said, it is the right thing. In today's social climate, you cannot ignore accusations of sexual assault. Even if you pay these women lump sums and have them sign NDAs, they can come back to haunt you. At the very least, you should go with option C. Fire the current management and put out a statement saying that Pierce Industries believes women."

  "You'd lose a few weeks of income, or however long it would take to replace the nightclub’s managers," Norma conceded. "It is the second best option, financially speaking, and because social statements can have long-term financial implications, it may actually be the most cost-effective in the long run.” She looked directly at me. “If I may ignore my position for a moment, Hudson—"

  "Go on." She was going to whether I gave her permission or not.

  "As of now, the scandal has only made local news. Do the right thing. Get the managers out. But even if you don’t issue a statement, there is potential that people will talk and the truth will come out. You’ll risk national headlines, and if you don’t come out in front of it, it will seem like you’re covering it up, which could—”

  "I agree completely,” Taylor jumped in, eagerly trying to preach on what was supposed to be her soapbox. “And furthermore—"

  Norma narrowed her eyes, unwilling to be interrupted before she was finished. "—which could damage your financial bottom line irreparably. I think your best bet, though most expensive in the short run, would be to be transparent with your firings.”

  "I agree, but there’s also going to be immediate backlash if you try to continue business as usual, even if you’ve fired the offending managers. There were too many people involved.” Taylor pushed a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "Do the statement, do the firings, but you should also shut down for a while. Say that you’re doing a complete investigation, and you won’t open again until you’re confident the entire problem has been washed clean. Then, do a complete overhaul of the building and the brand. Open again in a year as a higher end club when the whole thing is forgotten."

  I sat back in my chair, considering. She made a good point, but the skyrocketing cost she proposed wouldn’t just be financial. "If we close the place down and do a rebrand, that's going to be jobs lost for everyone who works there, including the women who have come forward about harassment."

  “Severance packages for everyone but the three main managers,” Taylor offered, making Norma grimace.

  "Who are the managers being accused again?" Chandler asked. He’d brought out his phone once more, and I couldn’t be sure if he was taking notes or playing Candy Crush.

  It was a fifty-fifty shot either way.

  "Steve Wolf, Jeffrey Bannon, and David Lindt,” I answered.

  "David used to be at The Sky Launch," Norma commented. "Did Alayna have any thoughts about this whole thing?"

  "I didn't want to bother her with the scandal," I answered honestly. I had wondered about it though. About David and how he'd once upon a time made moves on my then-girlfriend. If Alayna hadn't been the type of person she’d been, hadn't been so desperate for attention and affection, would she have thought his behavior was inappropriate rather than welcomed? As his boss, did I consider the way he’d behaved toward her inappropriate?

  I did, but it was admittedly hard for me to separate my perspective as her husband from that of his boss when reflecting on the matter.

  And as her husband, I didn’t really want to discuss her former lover with my wife.

  But I didn't have to do that in this case. Other women were saying he'd been inappropriate. That his two assistants had also been inappropriate. That all three men had assaulted employees on various occasions at my Atlantic City nightclub.

  And that was all I needed to hear.

  "Fire the three accused. We'll offer severance packages to everyone who is being laid off, and encourage them to re-apply down the road. It's time to rebrand and put new life into that nightclub anyway. Sales have been sluggis
h under David's management for some time. This is a good opportunity to regroup. Besides, it will take us a while to find a qualified person to take over."

  "I'll prepare a statement," Taylor said excitedly.

  I nodded in approval.

  "Alrighty," Norma said, but she was smiling. "Expensive, but I'm sure it will pay off. Any leads on who you’d like to hire for the position? The sooner you start looking, the cheaper the transition will be."

  "Chandler,” I waited until I was sure I had his attention. “I'm putting you in charge of finding someone to take over and rebrand Adora. Start with figuring out a new vision for the place before you search for a manager." If the last year hadn't been what it had, I'd have suggested Alayna. This was exactly up her alley, and I felt a twinge of guilt for not getting her on the phone right then.

  But there were ways in which my wife required protection that went beyond security systems and bodyguards.

  So I gave Chandler another name. "Try contacting Satcher Rutherford. His family owns a chain of international nightclubs that are doing really well right now. He should have someone for you. He doesn't like me very much, though, so you might want to leave me out of it."

  "Do I want to know?" Chandler asked.

  I hesitated. Even if it were just my brother and I in the room, Chandler didn't know much about my days of manipulation and scheming. I found I liked it better that way. One person in my family, at least, could look at me without seeing the long shadow my past cast over me. "You don't."

  I stood and addressed the room. “Thank you for meeting so early, everyone. You each have tasks. You’re dismissed.”

  Jordan had one too, though I hadn’t said it aloud. He would follow up to make sure that no one involved in this incident would become a threat.

  Everyone began to disperse.

  "Chandler," I called after my brother, gesturing for him to hang back.

  I paused until everyone had left before going on. "What happened to waiting a few years?" This was the first chance I'd had to speak to him alone since he’d delivered his wedding news, and, sure, I'd been engaged to Alayna within a few months of meeting her, but Chandler was different. Chandler wasn't me.

  He stuck his hands in his pockets and smirked. "What happened to congratulations?"

  "I said that yesterday."

  "And I said we'd wait last year. Times change, bro. We were ready to settle down sooner than we thought we would be. And no, she’s not pregnant, so don’t even ask."

  I’d been about to ask.

  Frankly, I didn't have any problems with his union, save for the distress it was causing my wife. Although I didn’t envy my brother the pleasure of Celia’s company, I wasn’t convinced she was overly involved in their relationship. I tilted my head to study him. "What does Genevieve's father think about this?" The British businessman had given me the impression of being very protective.

  "He's oddly supportive. He's even throwing us an engagement party." He toggled his head from side to side. "Well, Celia is throwing us an engagement party. But it was Edward’s idea."

  My skin pricked at the sound of her name, but the information was useful. "Is she, now? How very thoughtful." Perhaps she was more invested than I’d thought. I could feel my jaw tense as I calculated the costs and benefits of getting involved.

  "Hudson?"

  "Hmm?"

  "If you don't need me anymore, I really need to get on the Adora rebrand and tracking down this Satcher Waterford…"

  "Rutherford," I corrected. "You're free to go." I didn't miss the scowl he shot me. He didn’t like it when I treated him like my employee.

  I chuckled to myself. Truth was, I enjoyed riling him up. Likely as much as he enjoyed riling me up.

  Not that I'd ever tell him.

  "Oh, and shut the door on your way out." It was probably the lack of the word please that earned me his middle finger. But he did shut the door.

  Once he was gone, I circled around to my desk and sat in the chair behind it. My hand hovered over the phone a few seconds before I decided I didn't want to involve Patricia in this call. Instead, I reached for my cell phone from my suit jacket pocket, pulled up the contact I needed, and hit the button to dial the number.

  "Hudson, what an unexpected surprise." Celia's warm honey tone filled my ear like sweet poison, sending a shot of familiarity and dread down my spine. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

  I couldn't remember the last time I'd spoken to her privately like this, and because I’d years ago sworn to end all communication with Celia, it was arguably a betrayal to my wife.

  I reminded myself I was doing this for Alayna.

  "I hear you're throwing an engagement party for the kids," I said, my voice steady and in control despite the tap, tap, tap of my finger on my armchair.

  "Word gets around quick. We haven't even set a date yet.” She was moving, walking as she spoke, perhaps comforting her infant daughter. I could hear the baby quietly gurgling in the background. It was a sound I recognized easily these days. “Isn't the news fantastic? I knew those two lovebirds were meant for each other the minute I heard they were dating."

  Sure, she did.

  While I no longer feared my old friend the way that Alayna did, neither did I trust her. I’d known her far too long for that.

  "I can't speak to the wisdom of my brother’s romantic notions," I said, carefully, "but he does seem sincere in his intent to marry Genevieve. Therefore, I’m presuming this party of yours will be the first of many occasions that our families will have reason to attend an event together."

  "And this concerns you?" Through the receiver I couldn't tell if she sounded bored or if she was two steps ahead of me.

  "Concerned is putting it a bit harshly." I wasn't about to give her the upper hand. Wasn't about to let on that either Alayna or I was worried about her. "I'm more interested in everyone's comfort."

  "Ah, I see. I suppose it wouldn't do to have any catfights spoiling the mood. Not fair to the kids. I’ll be sure to seat you and Laynie, as well as Jack and Sophia, far from me, if that reassures you." She sounded nearly gleeful that she might be the cause of a problem.

  Perhaps I’d given her too much credit when I’d said she’d changed.

  "That doesn't mean stuffing us in the back, either, Celia. We are Chandler's family."

  "Oh, Huds, what do you take me for? I would never do that. I want the party to be fabulous. Something everyone talks about. I’m not going to ruin anything on purpose."

  Right. On purpose. But I knew what people talking meant—drama.

  "Then you'll let me see the seating chart beforehand?"

  "Definitely. Once we've selected the date and picked out a venue."

  She was being awfully amiable, which put me on guard.

  It also made me reconsider. Maybe I’d been right the first time. Maybe she had changed. It was silly to think that she hadn’t. Ridiculous to think that, after all this time, now that she was married and had stepchildren and a baby of her own, that she’d risk all that to destroy my happiness.

  Still, there was more than one reason why I could never be too sure where she was concerned.

  "I appreciate your cooperation," I said, throwing her a bone.

  "Any time. We’re family now. Practically,” she purred.

  Again, my skin pricked. "I have to say, I'm surprised you’re still in the States. I’d have thought that you and Edward would've returned to England by now. You said you wanted to raise your child there, and since the merger with Werner Media was denied and the three point alliance has been established between our businesses, there’s nothing for you here." The decision to deny the merger had been mine. Instead, I’d agreed to an alliance between Pierce Industries, Werner Media, and Accelecom, the company Celia’s husband owned. I still held the controlling interest in Werner Media, the company her father had founded, which gave me the upper hand in the relationship, and I didn’t let her forget it.

  "Isn't it great that we’ve decided
to stay, though? Or we wouldn't be here for all the celebrating." She knew what I wanted to know. This was a game for her.

  I didn’t play games anymore. "That wasn't what I was hoping to elicit from my comment."

  "You want to know when I'm leaving. Well, I’m not. Not without a bigger piece of Werner."

  "Oh, really,” I scoffed. She had to be joking. “And why would I give you a bigger piece of Werner Media?”

  “I never said that we were looking to get it from you.”

  My muscles tensed as I sat up in my chair. “Oh?”

  "Don't act all casual about it, Huds. We both know this is a big deal between us."

  Big deal was an understatement. There were other shareholders with stock in Werner Media. It was possible that they’d found someone who wanted to sell, possible even that they could buy enough shares to overtake my majority. Controlling interest was the one thing I had over her. It ensured my family’s freedom from her machinations. It let Alayna sleep at night. If she bought me out, I lost every bit of the power I’d used to keep her in her place for the last six years.

  It was possible I didn’t need it anymore, but was I ready to risk that?

  "We’re willing to buy from you, though," she added, spinning the tables again.

  "That's not happening. Give control to you and your husband? Why would I do that?"

  Was this why she’d been so amiable? Because she wanted something?

  "We’re not asking for control,” Celia answered. “We’re asking for equal shares bought at full price. Equal footing in our three-point alliance. We each come to this partnership with a company and stock in Werner, and those shares should be distributed fairly. It’s the only way to move on, if we want this feud truly to be over."

  She had a point. If she was being honest. If she’d grown and matured and stopped with the schemes.

  But if she hadn’t...

  "I'll think about it," I said, genuinely. I’d think about it for my sake, to determine how it could benefit me, not her. I’d think about Alayna.

  "Thank you, Huds. I appreciate your cooperation," she parroted my earlier words.