by Lisa Bilbrey
“But I’m not,” she argued.
“Yes, you are!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. “And do you know how I know you are?”
“No,” she said.
He smiled. “Because yesterday, you walked into my office and proposed an addition to my company that would not only make us more successful, but would offer the Asciari Brothers and their employees a level of protection they don’t have right now. Your proposal was well thought out, you did your research, and you came to me prepared.”
“I’m sure others have come to you, as well,” she bit back.
“They have, and some of their proposals were damn good, others not so much.” Samuel shifted in his chair, leaning forward so that he was bracing himself on his elbows. “You’re ready for this, Elle.”
“Do you have any idea what people are going to think about me?” she asked, falling back in her chair.
“That you’re an incredibly talented architect and a smart business woman?” he suggested.
Elle snorted. “Don’t play dumb, Samuel. You and I live in the real world. The others — they see the world through rose-colored glasses, but not us.”
“Well, now, I am curious,” he murmured. “Tell me, what are people going to say about you?”
“That I’m a whore,” she said, frankly, and when his eyes widened, she went on to say, “That I slept my way into the company. First with Callum and Derek, and then probably with you. They’ll look at everything I’ve accomplished during my career and wonder whose cock I sucked to get here.”
Samuel whistled under his breath. “You really don’t see yourself clearly, do you?”
“Oh, I see myself just fine,” she quipped. “You read the newspapers after Trixie shot me, and again after she was arrested. You’ve heard the theories about me, about why she came after me. I’m a gold-digger, a home-wrecker, remember? I slutted my way into this company and stole the man of her dreams. What makes you think people won’t believe every claim of unethical behavior if you give me your damn company?”
Instead of replying, Samuel stood up and walked out of her office, confirming Elle’s feelings. Or so she thought. A couple minutes later, he walked back into her office and laid a manila folder on top of her desk.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Open it and find out,” he said.
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she flipped open the file. A gasp stuck in her throat as she picked up the letter that lay inside. Across the top were the words: Gruger Architecture Prize.
“Read it out loud,” Samuel ordered.
“Dear Mr. Davis, the Gruger Architecture Prize is awarded annually to honor a living architect or architects whose work demonstrates a combination of the qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, and which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity. This year, we have added Ms. Elle Reid our list of nominees. Ms. Reid’s work is nothing short of astonishing, and we are pleased to recognize her efforts. The Jury normally undertakes deliberations early in the calendar year and the winner is announced in the spring. Sincerely, Vanda Gruger.”
Elle blew out a sharp breath as she placed the letter back in the folder, a hundred emotions flooding her system. Alfred Gruger, a British architect, created the award in 1948, as a way to honor those who strived to be the best. He passed away in the early seventies and over the years, his son and granddaughter have headed his organization. The Gruger Architecture Prize was one of the biggest honors an architect could achieve, and now, she was a nominee.
“When’d you get this?” she asked, struggling to keep her voice calm and even.
“Two days ago,” he replied. “I had planned on telling you yesterday, but then you approached me with your proposal, and I spent all night following up on your research. And you’re right: the Asciari Brothers will be a valuable asset to the company. However, I cannot bring them in if I have one foot out the door,” he explained. “It wouldn’t be fair to them, or my employees, who have worked their asses off for me. But, Elle, I’m tired. I’m ready to step back, to enjoy time with Lydia, to take my granddaughter out for ice cream, to sit on the beach with a fruity cocktail.”
She shook her head, smiling softly. “Like Sadie will let her have ice cream.”
“I’ll be sneaky,” he chortled.
Though she smiled, Elle leaned forward, placing her elbow on the desk. “You really think I should run this place?”
“I do,” he said with confidence.
“I’m having a baby in eight months,” she murmured, mostly to herself.
“Oh, well, in that case,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You think I haven’t considered that already?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like you talked to me about this ahead of time, did you?” she snarked.
“Touché,” he said. “I’m not looking to hand over everything today, Elle. What I’d like to do is use the next eight months or so to transition you from your current position to the head of the company. Then, I can stay on while you’re on maternity leave. Once you return, I’ll step back and let you have full control.”
“And you’ll just do what? Make coffee?” she asked.
“I’ve actually been thinking about branching off with a new division dedicated to building affordable houses for those in need. Maybe reach out to some charities. I haven’t worked out all the details, but I’d like to give back.”
“Because you haven’t given back already?”
“Not enough,” he said. “I’ve been lucky, Elle. I’ve had a great career, running a company that is about more than just the bottom line. I have a gorgeous wife, a great kid, who has turned into a pretty amazing man. He’s found people he loves, people who love him in return, and I have a beautiful granddaughter with another grandbaby on the way. I’m content with my life, Elle.”
Sighing, she shook her head. “I’ll have full control? You won’t second guess my decisions? Challenge my authority once I’m the boss?”
“No, ma’am.” Samuel smirked. “I will be, but a lowly squire. All I ask is that you continue offering one account a year for outside bids, as I have.”
“You’re not really giving me much of a choice, you know?”
“On the contrary, I’m giving you the ultimate choice,” he said. “If you don’t want it, I will walk out of here and won’t mention it again.”
“Of course I want it!” Elle exclaimed. “But have I earned it? I’ve only completed a handful of projects.”
“Alvarez Park counts as more than one, Elle,” he chided.
Elle leaned back in her chair and stared at him, a million thoughts running through her head. With Callum leaving, their division would be shorthanded. Derek wouldn’t be able to handle their special project on his own, and Sadie had her own career path to consider, as well.
“Okay, I’ll take the job on two conditions,” she said.
Samuel lifted an eyebrow. “And they are?”
“First, we hold off on announcing the change until I’m get ready to take my leave. I don’t want to spend the next seven to eight months with people trying to kiss my ass in the vain hope of gaining favor with me.”
A grin tugged on the corner of his lips. “Acceptable. And the other?”
“You allow me to find Callum’s replacement so that I can train them. I can’t leave Derek and Sadie alone, they can’t handle all the work, but our division is special to me.”
Samuel inhaled a sharp breath. “As long as I’m allowed to sit in on the interview, I don’t see a problem with that.”
“Then, I guess we have a deal,” Elle groused.
“Excellent!” Samuel cheered as he stood up. “I will meet you in the conference room in an hour.”
“Why?” Elle asked, her brow furrowing.
He smirked once again as he walked to the door, pausing long enough to look back at her and say, “We have a company to buy.”
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Elle yelled. “You set me up!”
<
br /> But only the sound of his laughter could be heard.
Twenty-four
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” Elle muttered under her breath as she anxiously watched the door to the conference room.
Her proposal lay in several folders on the table, a rush job given the short notice. An hour — fifty minutes to prepare for the biggest meeting of her career. Glaring at Samuel, Elle pressed her lips together, struggling to keep from calling him several four little words.
“It was your proposal,” he quipped, a smirk tugging on his lips.
“But you don’t have to enjoy this,” she snarked, under her breath.
“Yeah, I know, but I am.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You act like I’m throwing you to the wolves.”
Elle snorted, but before she could offer a witty retort, the door to the conference room opened and Lucia led the Asciari Brothers inside.
“Can I get you some coffee?” Lucia offered, a pleasant smile on her lips. She had taken to her new position within the company with grace, but Elle knew her time with them was limited. With Taj heading into the studio soon, it would only be a matter of time before she found herself having to make the choice between her job and her passion. Lucia would pick music; it was a part of her soul.
“No, thank you,” Tank Asciari told her, nodding before choosing one of the empty chairs across from Elle and Samuel.
Lucia smiled and exited the room. Once Duke and Gunner were seated, the oldest of the three, turned their attention to Elle and Samuel.
“We weren’t expecting to be meeting with you again so soon,” Tank said, grinning. “We’re assuming you have another project for us.”
“Not exactly.” Samuel gestured to Elle. “We’ve been discussing our relationship with your company.”
“You have?” Gunner asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked from Samuel to Elle. “And what, exactly, have you been discussing?”
Before Samuel could explain, Elle pushed her chair away from the table and grabbed the handful of folders, carefully tossing one in front of each of them and Samuel.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush. You’re good. You’re quick, you’ve got an amazing crew, who are loyal. And that means everything in this business. You don’t cut corners, you stay as close to budget as you can, and you’re a family oriented company, and that’s important to us.” Elle paused. “Which is why we would like to purchase your company and merge you in with ours, giving you exclusive bids on all projects handled by our architects.”
Elle’s heart was racing as she stood across the table and stared at the three brother, who appeared shocked by the offer. Cursing inwardly, her anger raged. If she’d had more time to prepare, she could have presented her plan with more grace.
After a moment of silence, Tank laughed and picked up the folder. “You want to buy our company?”
“Yes,” Elle replied, wishing her voice sounded stronger.
“And what makes you think we’d be interested in selling?” Duke shifted his eyes up to Elle’s. “Especially to you.”
“Because at the end of the day, you’re a business man.” Elle flipped her folder open to page three. “Last year, Asciari Brothers Construction netted a three million dollar profit, and this year, you’re projected to almost double that. Yet, you’re not pocketing the excess cash; you’re spreading your wealth to your employees, which tells me that at the end of the day, they are who matters most.”
“And you think selling out to you is in our best interest?” Gunner asked.
“Yes,” she told him. “We can offer your employees more than you can.”
“Oh, really?” Tank smirked. “Like what?”
“Like tuition reimbursement, paid vacation, sick days, stock options,” Elle rattled off. “In addition, each of your employees would get a two percent raise on their current hourly wage. The three of you would be paid salary, but I believe you’ll find our offer more than generous.”
Elle took a deep breath and waited as the three brothers flipped through the multitude of pages. Biting the inside of her lip, she wondered if she had been too wordy in her proposal. She shifted her eyes to Samuel, who was watching her with a smirk, rather than focusing his attention on the brothers, almost like he was saying, ‘I told you so.’
“Would you like to offer anything to the discussion?” she asked, gesturing toward the brothers.
“Nope,” Samuel chirped.
Elle rolled her eyes and turned back to the gentlemen sitting across from her. “Look,” she said, drawing their attention up to her, “it’s not my intention to be disrespectful. I’ve enjoyed working with you on Alvarez Park and the Anderson house, which is why I feel we can help lift your company to new heights.”
“But it won’t be our company anymore, will it?” Tank asked, quietly. “It will be yours.”
“No, no, you’re taking this all wrong.” Elle paused. “If you agree to the sale, you’d have full control of your division.”
“You have to understand how unexpected this offer is,” Duke said. “Our father worked with his hands until the day he died. His father went without so that the men working for him could feed their families during the Great Depression. Our company is our family, and you’re asking us to put a price tag on it.”
“I am,” she admitted. “I don’t want to share you with other companies, and that makes me selfish. I want to people to seek out our firm to build their houses, their shopping malls, their hotels because we have the best crews in the state.”
“Flattery won’t get us to sign across the bottom line,” Gunner scoffed.
“Then what will?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her. “I’ve presented our proposal. Short of begging, which I won’t do, I’ve put all my cards on the table. So tell me what it will take to get your signature on a contract?”
Duke shook his head and stood up. “Some time. We have a lot to talk about, and we need some time to process everything.”
“Time I can give,” Elle conceded. “Thank you for listening to me ramble.”
“You’re welcome, we suppose,” Tank laughed. “For the record, Elle, you’re a pleasure to work with, and if we opt out of your offer, I know I speak for my brothers when I say we are always available for your projects.”
“I appreciate that.”
Elle waited until the brothers walked out of the room and the door was shut before she crumbled into her chair, leaning forward with her head resting in the palms of her hands.
“Are you okay?” Samuel asked, placing his hands on her back.
She shrugged his touch off. “No. I wasn’t prepared and it’s going to cost us everything.”
Samuel laughed, which surprised her.
She turned her attention toward him. “How can you laugh? I fucked up everything!”
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re so naïve,” he snickered as he stood up and picked up his folder. “They’re going to accept.”
“Were we in the same meeting?” Elle exclaimed.
Samuel nodded. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, Elle. Trust me; they’ll be back.”
“I hope so,” she murmured, watching as he walked out of the room and left her alone. “I really fucking hope so.”
—FA—
Elle’s rotten mood stayed with her for the remainder of the day. By the time she, Callum, and Derek arrived back at the house, her head throbbed. All afternoon, she had obsessed over her conversation with the Brothers, analyzed every aspect, yet she still didn’t have the confidence that she had convinced them to sell. For all she knew, they were preparing to sever all ties with the company.
“Are you okay?” Derek asked, turning in his seat in the front of the car and looking back at Elle, who had her head resting against the back seat.
“Yeah,” she lied. “Just have a headache.”
“Anything I can do to help?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he placed his hand on her knee. “I have magic fingers.”
; “Yes, you do, lover, but I’m not feeling up to it tonight,” she groused. “Think I just need a hot shower and some snuggle time with Flora.”
“Pretty sure we can arrange that.” Derek laughed as he pushed open his door and climbed out of the car. He yanked the backdoor open and held his hand out to Elle. “Come on, beautiful.”
Elle slid her fingers across his palm and allowed him to help her out of the car. He wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her weight as they followed Callum up the front walk and onto the porch.
His mood had changed drastically after receiving his father’s blessing to quit his job. As much as Elle would miss him at the office, all she wanted was for him to be happy and being a stay-at-home dad made him happy. That was enough for her.
As Callum reached for the handle, the door swung open and they found themselves face to face with a frazzled Sadie.
“Thank God you’re finally home,” she hissed, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.
“What’s going on? Where’s Flora?” Callum asked, his eyes flittering from her to the door and back.
“Don’t worry about her; she’s being taken care of by my mother,” Sadie quipped.
“Your parents are here?” Elle questioned.
Sadie nodded. “And your mom and dad, too. They showed up about five minutes ago. Apparently, they’ve decided to move here to be closer to us.”
“What?” Elle screeched, pushing past her and throwing open the door to the house.
Sure enough, Helina and James were perched on one of the two sofas with Bruce and Claudia on the other. Flora was sleeping peacefully in her grandmother’s arms.
“Told you,” Sadie mumbled just loud enough for Elle to hear.
“We didn’t know you were coming,” Elle said, trying to keep her voice calm and even.
“Because we didn’t tell you,” Helina teased before she stood up and walked over to Elle. Placing her hands on either side of her face, she sighed. “You look tired. Beautiful, but tired.”
“It’s been a long day,” she said, stepping backward. “What’s this I hear about you moving?”
Helina’s smile faltered for a moment. “Yeah, um, we’ve sold our houses in Texas and moved here.”
