by Evie Claire
“Right, so your intent is to use this money for debt repayment and to start serving food at your bar. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” Brody moved to pull a stack of papers from his bag and passed copies out to the banker and Lona. “As you can see, we have a very detailed business plan—start-up capital needed, rate of expansion, projected income. We’re not going crazy at first. It’ll be a slow build, but we’ve got some of the most loyal clientele in the city.”
“I bet,” the banker said absently, his mind on the plan in his hand. “Burgers…mmmmmm…” he added, reading through everything he’d been given. Thanks to Drew’s unused business degree, Brody felt like the professional he’d never known how to be. Looks could be deceiving, but in this case that was a good thing.
“You’ve never tasted anything like these burgers. I can guarantee that,” Lona added, handing her business plan back to Brody.
“Well, then.” The banker smiled at Lona again. “I guess we have nothing left to do but sign.”
Brody released the breath he hadn’t known he was holding.
“Really?” he asked, unable to believe how simple it was.
“Really,” the banker confirmed.
Brody straightened in his chair, letting his shoulders fall back and his chin lift the tiniest bit. A new kind of weight settled over him—not the burdens of a struggling business he was used to. Burdens that were inherited along with everything else. This new weight felt different, full of promise instead of regrets.
There was honor and respectability in shouldering burdens others couldn’t, but only if you had a plan to get out from under them eventually. Brody had never had that before. Now, for the first time ever, he finally did. And it felt amazing.
Chapter 26
Phebe
“Miss Stark?” Leyla, Phebe’s private secretary, knocked softly on the door as she opened it, peeking through the threshold to be certain she wasn’t interrupting anything mission critical. “Mr. Brent Williams is here to see you.” Her face remained emotionless, because while Phebe had informed Leyla of the ongoing litigation over her firing from Burton Holiday, she hadn’t shared the reasons for it. Unfortunately, the commercial real estate industry was small enough that rumors were already rampant.
Three months ago, the news getting out was the last thing Phebe wanted. Now that the bag had been opened and rumors were running like crazed cats, she didn’t mind it so much. Turns out, that underground secret sister society that supported the CEOs of her industry loved her for refusing to slink away.
“Thank you, Leyla,” Phebe said, turning away from her computer screen. “Please offer him something to drink. I need about five minutes.”
“Certainly.” Leyla offered a commiserate smile and backed out of the doorway, pausing just before she shut the door. “You take all the time you need. I’ll keep Mr. Williams comfortable.”
“Thank you,” Phebe mouthed, and returned the knowing smile, though the five minutes weren’t needed to compose herself, as Leyla certainly assumed they were. No, Phebe was beyond ready to sit across from Asshole Steve and watch him squirm and try to defend his actions as a court-appointed litigator learned all the ways he insulted and harassed Phebe over the years. No, the afternoon was one she’d looked forward to for months. There was another pressing matter she needed an answer to first.
In her corner office on the sixty-seventh floor, overlooking Centennial Park. Seated behind a custom-made mahogany desk that dwarfed her. Tucked into a custom leather chair that perfumed the entire room. A chair from which she had her choice of three windows from which she could enjoy an incredible view of the city skyline. No, Phebe had another project she was working on.
“Atlanta Savings and Loan, this is Karina Green. How may I help you?” a voice drifted through her computer speakers. Phebe immediately hit the button to switch the call to her cell.
“Karina, Phebe Stark. How are you?” Phebe stood up from her desk, walking over to the bank of windows and farther from her office door.
“Phebe, how the heck are you?” Karina shot back without missing a beat. Obviously, belonging to the same secret sister society as Leyla. “I’ve heard a lot about you lately. How are you settling in at Stewart Capital?”
“They’re so amazing. How did I put up with so much shit for so long at BHI?”
“Because you’re the only woman I’ve ever met who can actually get a man to do what she wants!” Karina laughed at the compliment she was paying Phebe, and if it hadn’t been for a pang zinging right into her upper aorta, she would have laughed back just as heartily. But seeing as men didn’t always do what she wanted, she now knew the lie in Karina’s words.
“Let’s do lunch soon; I’d love to discuss how we can continue working together now that I’m in my new role.”
“That would be amazing. We would love to get more of Stewart Capital’s business over here. Next week, maybe?”
“Sure. I’ll have Leyla call to set something up.” Phebe switched the phone to the ear closest to the window. “While I’ve got you on the line.” She paused and thought how to best ask her question. “Do you remember the financing you helped me secure almost three months ago? There was a building near the BHI office that was partially collateralized against it?” She held her breath, because technically, it wasn’t her business. Not anymore.
“Yeah, sure. Give me a sec, I can pull up the account. What do you need?” Phebe could hear keyboard strokes on the other end of the line.
“I set up online access to the loan when we closed on it. Without getting into too many details, the deal has gone south. I don’t think it’s going to happen anymore. I’m trying to see what’s owed and I can’t get access to anything anymore.”
“Riiiight…” Karina dragged the word out. More pounding keyboard strokes clicked in the background. “Huh. Can I put you on hold for two seconds?”
“Um…” Phebe started to say she’d call back, not wanting to keep Brent waiting. Before she could, Karina was gone. Phebe looked over her shoulder at the wall clock. She could spare two minutes, then she’d have to hang up and call back later.
True to her word, a few seconds later, Karina was back.
“Phebe, I’m sorry, but you aren’t listed on this loan. I can’t give you access to the information. You understand?”
“Oh, yeah, of course!” Phebe stammered. “I wasn’t…I just…” She sighed. “The guy who owns the building doesn’t really know his way around real estate. I’m not involved with the project anymore. But as a good-faith effort I’m trying to close things out.” Phebe nodded her head as she spoke. She hadn’t thought about how weird it might sound, her trying to gain access to a loan she wasn’t listed on. It could possibly be illegal, too. “Can you tell me how much is owed on the loan? I’m assuming everything has come due.”
“Phebe…” Karina now dragged her name out, knowing she couldn’t do what Phebe was asking her to.
“Right. Okay, I’m going to throw out a number based on my calculations of where I left the project. If I’m in the ballpark, tell me the name of your favorite Braves player. Okay?”
“Phebe, I cannot tell you anything about this loan. I could lose—”
“Karina, I know,” Phebe interrupted. “But please understand, the building that is collateralized for this loan is his life and livelihood. It’s all he has to remember the man that raised him. He can’t lose it because he doesn’t understand the way these things work.”
Instead of continuing to argue, Karina sighed loudly enough for Phebe to hear it on her end. She took it as a silent resignation.
“Twenty thousand.”
“Freddie Freeman.”
“I’ll have Leyla call you later this week. Thanks, Karina.” Phebe hung up before she was tempted to ask anything else and really get them in trouble.
Because…Twenty. Thousa
nd. Dollars?
Holy fuck.
Where was Brody going to get that kind of cash? Especially when he was so vehemently opposed to taking money from his family, even when they obviously had it. And $20,000 was only a drop in the bucket. Added to the $30,000 debt he declared when he got the construction loan, that made it…Phebe did a quick mental calculation and her stomach dropped.
Fifty. Thousand. Dollars. That was the true total Brody owed. Now that the renovation project wasn’t happening, he wouldn’t have that source of income to supplement the bar, either, so what was he going to do? Guilt curled around Phebe’s middle. Feeling the twenty thousand was all her fault. Never would Brody have taken the initiative to start work, even if it was a dream of his. No, she had incurred that debt for him.
If he was a normal man in her industry, he would have sued her for the balance—claiming breach of contract or something else. A case he probably would’ve won. Yet, there had been nothing. Because Brody wasn’t the kind of guy who always looked for someone to blame. No, he took on more blame than he should.
“Miss Stark?” Again, Leyla knocked on the door.
Shit.
“Yes! I’m coming right now.” Phebe grabbed her briefcase and bag and sprinted to the door.
* * *
—
Pack your shit and get out!
Steve’s voice ranted like a lunatic’s from a tape recorder sitting in the middle of the table. A door slammed so hard it caused the recorder to rattle against the table’s surface. Everyone in the room, including the litigator, startled in their seats.
Since the second Brent had started the tape that replayed every word exchanged between Phebe and her “supervisor” the day she was fired, no one had dared to breathe. Everyone hung on each word the tape held. After the slamming door silenced, light rustling poured through the speakers and the recording ended. Brent immediately stood to present his next piece of evidence in the case while the conversation was still hot in everyone’s ear.
“As you will see here in a sworn affidavit from Burton Holiday’s Human Resources Department, there is no record of Ms. Stark ever signing a noncompete agreement. Furthermore, you will also see a statement from Mr. Joel Stewart outlining the conversation he had with my client upon his offer of employment. Ms. Stark’s acceptance of the new employment offer was contingent on her getting a month to fulfill her obligations to Burton Holiday. Specifically, her work on the Auburn Oaks Project, which to date has yet to gain the permits she was working on. Something she feels confident would have already happened by now.”
“Objection, she has no way of knowing that.”
“Actually, we do.” Brent tried to keep a straight face as he reached for the next piece of paper.
“Ms. Stark had just been granted a temporary approval the morning of the day she was fired. That temporary approval was never followed up on. We can have that verified by the city’s Planning and Zoning Department if you would like,” Brent offered to the litigator.
Phebe sat back in her chair, letting out a slow, steady breath, and fixing her gaze on Steve. He squirmed like a fat fish on a hook. It had been obvious Phebe was playing with her phone that day. How could Steve not have even assumed she would have been recording the conversation? Especially when he was so accustomed to showing his ass.
“That won’t be necessary. I believe I’ve seen enough.” The litigator thumbed through the pages he’d been presented. “And Ms. Stark is asking for wages lost and legal fees, correct?”
“And that Mr. Eubanks’s employment with Burton Holiday be terminated as well.”
“Just a minute!” Steve leaped out of his chair, nostrils flaring, finger pointing across the table. It was such a display of uncontrolled rage, everyone at the table recoiled. Everyone except his own attorney, who was trying to rein him in as best he could. And Phebe. She didn’t even flinch. Instead, she sat stone still while he raged. It was beyond satisfying, having him lose his shit like that.
“Yes, well, that all certainly seems reasonable. I will make my decision by the week’s end. Thank you for your time.” The litigator reached over to shake Phebe’s hand, then offered the same to everyone else at the table. Steve was already halfway out the door, not even waiting around to hear anymore and certainly not wanting to cross paths with Phebe, either.
They were outside the litigator’s office when Phebe finally let out the peal of excited laughter she’d been holding in since Steve blew a gasket.
“Could that have gone any better?” she said through her chuckles, raising a hand to muffle her excitement.
“How did you work for that guy for five years? I have never witnessed such unprofessional conduct in my life. We should’ve asked for millions.”
Phebe let out a cleansing breath. “Beats me. Hopefully no one else will have to endure what I did anymore.” Still smiling, she pulled out her phone to start getting back into work mode. “You know this isn’t about the money for me, right? I honestly don’t want a penny. It just feels…ugh.” She shivered and stopped, sitting on a nearby bench to adjust her heel. As she sat she thought. No, she didn’t want any of it. Not a single red cent. There was nothing in the world she could buy with the settlement money that would ever justify such a cost. She shook her head and frowned.
“I know it’s not,” Brent said. “Not with your high-powered new job at Stewart Capital. If you win, donate it to a worthy cause. You’re making a point, sticking up for people who may not be as strong as you are. Jenn and I…we’re really proud of you.”
“Thanks.”
“We’re volunteering with the Boys and Girls Clubs this weekend. Why don’t you come? If you have time, that is.”
“Well, that’s certainly a worthy cause. Where?” Phebe asked, turning away from the emails she had started scrolling through.
“Brody’s playground.” Brent softly held her gaze, obviously knowing all the implications it held for her.
“I don’t think he’d want me there.” Phebe shook her head.
“Right.” Brent rocked back on his heels, pausing, nodding, fidgeting with the buckle on his briefcase. “Well, I’ll let you know when I hear more, but it sounds like you’ll be able to pick up your check from my office by Friday. Or I could courier it over. You’re probably too busy to run your own errands now.”
“Ha-ha.” Phebe forced a teasing eye roll. “Friday, though? You think Friday?”
“A litigator rarely gives a specific time frame unless they already know it. By the way things went today, I can’t imagine anyone would not find in your favor.”
“Thanks, Brent.” Phebe reached for a quick, one-armed hug. “I appreciate you doing this for me.”
“Well, that totally got my blood pumping. I thought for sure he was coming across the table at you!” Brent hunched down in a linebacker stance. “My typical clients don’t require physical protection as well. That was fun!”
“You were great.”
“Seriously, though, think about Saturday. It could be fun.” Brent wasn’t letting it go, and Phebe had to wonder why. “We take the kids. It’s crazy, but fun.”
“Fun,” Phebe said, repeating the word he kept using, because he was obviously nervous for some reason. What wasn’t he saying?
“Yeah, and they always cater lunch. The most amazing burgers in town. Best you’ve ever had.” Brent’s eyes went wide, and he rubbed his stomach.
“Sure. I’ll think about it.”
Phebe waved and stepped into her Uber.
Hours later, she sat behind her desk eating a salad and trying to catch up after her morning away. She was just about to send Leyla a note to schedule a meeting with Karina Green when a text came zinging in.
BRENT: Litigator already ruled.
PHEBE: That was fast!
PHEBE: ???
She pushe
d away from her desk, swiveling her chair to the side and rocking back.
BRENT: $50,000.00 and Asshole Steve’s job. BAM!!
PHEBE: Whoa! You are beyond amazing! I’ll swing by Friday!
Phebe stared at the text, rubbing her thumb back and forth over the number. It wasn’t a coincidence. It was fate. And Phebe was no longer a fool that couldn’t tell the difference between the two.
Chapter 27
Brody
It was a slow Friday afternoon at The Guns. Normally, that would concern Brody. Not anymore. Not when the kitchen sat littered with empty plates from the lunch rush.
“Can you handle all these? I can help.” Brody offered to his newest employee, a dishwasher and chef’s assistant they’d needed ever since Brody’s Burgers were rated number one on a local Best Eats in Town list.
“No, boss, I got it!” Mac answered cheerily, diving into a sink full of suds up to his elbows.
“All right, I’ll be out front if you need me.”
The Guns now had four full-time employees—two bartenders, one waitress, and Mac. Brody could relax a bit now, share the workload, concentrate on the business side of things. More early mornings and fewer late nights were good for him. Good for his soul in a way he desperately needed.
Because despite the time that had passed, he still ached for something else he desperately needed. Something he knew he couldn’t have. And alcohol-fueled late nights made him think he could. Made him think his fingers should type a few simple words and bring her back into his arms. Which was the last place she needed to be.
The ache smoldered day and night inside him, but he remained strong. Loving a woman who couldn’t understand him would be hell. Plain and simple. Instead, he self-medicated with booze as best he could. Typical. But practical.
