The Billionaire's Proposal (Scandal, Inc Book 4)

by James, Avery

  The knock on the door startled him. Maggie, he thought. He rushed to the door and swung it open. He had half-hoped it would be Maggie, come back to bring him along, but it was the hotel manager.

  “Is it her?” he asked.

  “Ms. Maggie?” the manager said. “No, but I thought I should get you anyway. The call is for her. It is her father. He sounds quite concerned.”

  Her father. “Did he say what the call was about?” Harry said. “Has he called before?”

  “No and no,” the manager said. “She did have a friend who called. I believe she and Ms. Maggie have spoken before.”

  Harry had spent so much time fantasizing about leaving his life that he’d never considered that Maggie might actually want to stay in hers. “I’ll let him know she’s alright,” he said. He walked with the manager down the hallway. Her father was calling, probably because he was worried about her, and meanwhile Harry was planning to whisk her away.

  For the first time, he realized the enormity of what he was asking her to do. It was one thing for him to move from one hotel to the next, to take his few belongings and his checkbook to the next party. He didn’t have anything or anyone keeping him in place. His mother had been abroad for the past decade. His father despised him, and all of his friends were little more than drinking buddies. His relationship with Maggie was the one good, true thing he had in life, and he knew it couldn’t last.

  When he reached the manager’s office, Harry felt a lump in his throat. “Hello?” he said as he picked up the phone.

  “Hello?” the voice said on the other end of the line. “Who is this?”

  “You must be Maggie’s dad,” Harry said. “I’m here on business with your daughter.”

  “Coworker?” he asked.

  “I’m her client,” he said. “Well, she’s getting paid to make sure I don’t misbehave.”

  “Have you?” he asked in the wary way that only a father could.

  “I’ve been nothing but honorable,” Harry said. For once it wasn’t a lie. “Your daughter is very good at her job.”

  “Our Maggie has always been a worker. Tell her to give us a call when she can,” her father said. “We worry when we haven’t heard from her in a few days. You know how parents can be.”

  “I’ll make sure she calls as soon as she’s back,” Harry said. He wondered when his parents had last worried about his well-being. After the call was over, he hung up the phone and sat in silence. In a few short days, Maggie had become everything to him, but he couldn’t ask her to give up everything for him. It just wasn’t fair. She had a job she loved, a family who cared about her, a whole life she’d built that he wanted to take away.

  He wondered what Maggie was doing. She was probably finishing her meeting with the interior minister at that moment, putting herself completely at risk for him. Since he’d met her, he’d only thought about himself. He’d been completely selfish. He’d disrupted her life and put her in harm’s way. He couldn’t do that to her any longer. As he made his way back to the room, he knew what he had to do.

  ***

  Señor Cienfuegos leaned back in his chair and eyed Maggie across the wide expanse of his mahogany desk. It had taken half an hour to convince the man that she was there on Harry’s behalf, and another half hour to convince him that Harry had given her full authority to make a deal on his behalf. The matter was complicated by the fact that Maggie couldn’t use Harry’s name in order to protect him in case anything went wrong with the deal. At one point, she had resorted to bringing Ramon in to vouch for her, but finally, after what felt like an entire morning of assuaging doubts, she was sitting across from him in a small wooden chair with her briefcase at her side.

  “Is this your first time on our island?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Maggie said. “It’s quite beautiful.”

  “That is part of my job,” he said. “I help preserve the beauty of this island. My father was a logger. His father harvested sugarcane. My children have advanced degrees. I want you to understand that.”

  “Of course,” Maggie said.

  Señor Cienfuegos launched into a long-winded history of the island and the revolution. Maggie wondered if he was genuinely interested in telling her the minute details of the country or if he was testing her patience, but as he talked, he stole a glance at the briefcase. Maybe he was waiting for her to make the first move. Generally in this kind of situation, it was best to follow the lead and act as necessary, but Maggie was beginning to worry that she’d run out of time before getting to her offer.

  Señor Cienfuegos’s eyes kept wandering down to the briefcase next to Maggie’s chair. The briefcase itself was little more than a prop. The man across from her was expecting a bribe, and she wanted him to think, for as long as possible, that she had actual money with her. It was meant to make him more attentive to what she had to say. Judging by the fact that he had just given her a full history of the island in impeccable English without letting her get a word in, she was starting to doubt that portion of her plan, but the eyes didn’t lie. He wanted to know what was in the briefcase.

  Maggie picked up the briefcase and put it in her lap. She tapped her fingers against the side. Señor Cienfuegos sat silently, waiting for Maggie to do something. She intended to make the silence last as long as possible. It was one of the first tricks Amy had taught her. In a negotiation, silence is your friend. In particular, your comfort with silence is your friend. It’s power. That lesson was second only to everything is a negotiation. Of course, the man across from her didn’t know this was a negotiation. Before Maggie was going to lay out her proposal, she needed Señor Cienfuegos to understand that she was doing so from a position of power. As he shifted forward in his seat, she knew she had him where she wanted.

  “I believe you know why I came here today,” Maggie said. “I represent a client with an interest in helping the Cuban government establish a new national park. I believe my client has already established a dialogue about the land in question. Is that correct?” Maggie asked.

  “Sí,” Señor Cienfuegos replied. His eyes were locked on the briefcase. Maggie slid her hands to the latches and clicked the briefcase open. She watched the man’s pupils dilate.

  “I am not here to negotiate any items related to the establishment of any park,” Maggie said. “Nor am I here to unduly influence your government in any way.”

  “If you excuse me, why are you here?” Señor Cienfuegos asked. “I have gone out of my way to advance your man’s agenda. I do not appreciate being toyed with.”

  “I’m here on another matter, one that does not involve the Cuban government.”

  “Sí?” he replied.

  “I managed to convince my client that his previous course was ill-advised, and that he and you will be better served by a different arrangement.”

  “Tell your employer that I was happy with the proposed agreement, and if he wishes to change his mind, I’ll make sure his father gets his damn hotel,” the man said. He stood up and started walking to the door.

  His father, Maggie thought. So Señor Cienfuegos was well informed. Suddenly she was glad that Harry wasn’t present. Just the fact that Señor Cienfuegos knew who he was meant he was at risk. But it was also a good sign. It meant he was savvy. And if he was savvy, hopefully he would understand how good her proposal was.

  “Half a million euros,” she said as he reached for the door.

  “Half a million,” he said. “That was the agreement.”

  Maggie pulled a piece of paper out of the briefcase. “I have here a contract for consulting services. The total for the contract is half a million euros.”

  “Consulting contract?” he asked.

  “I’ve been informed that you’re retiring to spend more time with your highly educated children,” Maggie said.

  “That I am,” he replied.

  “In your retirement, we hope you’ll consider a position as a consultant for my client’s hotel chain.”

  “Avalon?”
he asked.

  “No,” Maggie replied. “This will be a separate company, one with an interest in establishing a small eco resort at the edge of the park. This will be after sanctions are lifted. The company, which will remain unnamed for now, will need the services of someone knowledgeable in conservation, someone who can also cut through governmental red tape.”

  “A job,” he said with a laugh.

  “An opportunity, one that could lead to a potential ownership stake, but for now, it’s a consulting gig.”

  “And there are conditions?” the man asked.

  “Of course,” Maggie said. “You and I will choose a third party in the Cayman Islands to hold the funds until the terms of the contract are satisfied. Your contract will be with a shell corporation with no ties to the United States or my client. The money will be disbursed only after the park is established and the land is protected.”

  Señor Cienfuegos walked back over to his desk and opened the center drawer. “Not a bribe,” he said with a smile on his lips. “Your client is a very clever man,” he added, “although something tells me this was not entirely his idea.”

  “As I said, he deferred to counsel,” she replied.

  “Tell him I hope he pays his counsel as well as he pays his consultants.” He pulled two cigars out of his drawer and offered her one. Maggie politely declined.

  “So we have a deal?” Maggie asked.

  “Soon enough,” he said. “Now if you excuse me, I have to create a park.” He reached across the desk and shook her hand before leaning back in his chair and lighting the cigar.

  “If he’d come to you with the opposite request?” Maggie asked.

  “The natural beauty of this island is unparalleled in all the world,” he said.

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” Maggie said.

  “If he’d wanted to build a resort in the middle of that forest, we’d break ground tomorrow. It’s a good thing your employer has a good heart, and I’ll be able to retire with a clear conscience.” And a fat wallet, Maggie thought.

  Maggie agreed, shook his hand again and left. She admired his honesty. If the politicians in D.C. were so brazenly corrupt, she’d be out of a job.

  ***

  As she rode across town listening to Ramon sing along to “My Way,” Maggie let herself have a moment of feeling accomplished, but it was just a moment. One problem down. One even bigger one to tackle, she thought. Fixing Harry’s problem had been easy. It was her job, after all. Fixing her Harry problem was going to be impossible. She knew what her choices were. Either she could end things and go back to her job, or she could take Harry up on his offer. They could leave together and start a new kind of life.

  The streets of Havana passed by far too quickly, and within what felt like seconds, Maggie found herself back at the front door of Bosque. She hesitated as she got out of the car, but she waved goodbye to Ramon and made her way inside. One way or another, everything was about to change. It didn’t matter if it happened the moment she stepped into the room or in a week’s time. Eventually she and Harry would have to decide whether they had something or not. No, she thought, I know we have something, something rare and wonderful and exhilarating. The only question is how long it can last.

  For a moment the thought depressed her. There were a thousand ways things could end badly with Harry. She could see all of the warning signs: his past, his risk-taking, his inability to commit to anything for any real amount of time. It was crazy, she thought. It was a complete risk.

  And yet, the more she thought about it, the more she thought it was a risk she wanted to take. He was worth it. He was worth the danger of losing everything. She felt it in her bones, and she was sure that he felt the same way. She would do anything for him. As much as she had tried to ignore that fact, and as much as it made no sense to fall so hard for someone she’d only known for a matter of days, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she was falling in love with Harry, and she wanted to give their relationship the chance it deserved.

  Love, she thought as she made her way to the base of the stairs. Love, love, love. She worked the word over in her mind like she was turning a stone in her hand. With each repetition, she found new meaning, new nuance. Love wasn’t some abstract idea; it was the way Harry looked at her. It was the way she felt she felt when he held her in his arms, when he wrapped himself around her. It was the thing that drove her to take crazy risks on his behalf. It was the thing that pushed her to be more than she’d ever thought possible.

  Love was with her as she made her way to Harry, and love would be waiting for both of them wherever they went next. There was a rational part of her brain that told her this was all happening too fast, that she couldn’t just follow her heart wherever it led her, but she knew what she had to do. She had to get to Harry, and she had to tell him how she felt.

  As she climbed the stairs, her excitement grew with each step. She had to keep herself from running the rest of the way to Harry. She wanted to see the look on his face when she told him the news. She felt like she was on top of the world. Sure, telling him would be a risk, but wasn’t that what he’d wanted from the start? She’d taken one risk, and it had paid off. Now she was ready to take another.

  When she opened the door to the hotel room, she was surprised to find Harry packing their bags. “Another unannounced trip?” she said. “Do you have another adventure planned?”

  “No,” he said. He finished zipping up a bag and tossed it on the floor. He turned away from her and headed into another room. “You were right, Maggie, and I should have listened to you from the start.” He sounded upset, and she wondered why he was acting so strangely. Whatever it was, she could tell it wasn’t good. She felt like there was a cloud of gloom hanging over him, and she wanted to do everything possible to change his mood.

  “I’m always in favor of people listening to me, but I have to admit that I’m kind of glad you didn’t,” she said. She walked up behind him and put her hands around his waist. He stood still for a second, and Maggie felt like he’d turn around and kiss her, but instead, he pulled her hands away. She was still smiling. “There’s something I want to tell you,” she said. “I think it will make you happy.”

  “Don’t make this any harder than it is,” he said.

  “What are you talking about?” Maggie asked. “Harry, what’s going on?”

  “We have to face the facts at some point,” he said.

  “What do you mean, face the facts?”

  “It means we’re going back,” he replied. “We can’t do this. The flight leaves in a little over an hour.” He picked up another bag and walked out of the room, leaving Maggie by herself wondering what the hell had just happened. Two minutes earlier, she’d been on top of the world. Now Maggie felt like someone had kicked open a trapdoor beneath her. From the top of the world, she had a long way to fall.

  Chapter 19

  Harry gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the dull ache that throbbed in his chest as he watched the jet take off into the midmorning sky. He was leaning against the rear fender of Ramon’s car, and Maggie was heading back to her life. He’d seen to that. For some reason, he thought he’d feel some sense of relief about doing the right thing for her, but instead he felt hollow, broken, angry. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her. He wanted to inhale her sweet scent and watch the cute way her lips curled when she was trying to act mad at him but was actually amused.

  She hadn’t been amused when he told her she was going back alone. He’d said he was staying behind to deposit the money at a bank and finish the transaction, but in reality, he’d been afraid that he’d give in to his selfish need for her if he stayed with her for another moment. He knew if he told her his real reasons for breaking it off, she’d find a way to change his mind. It was her job to change people’s minds. No, it was her job to marry him off to some well-connected bride-for-hire, and it was his job to go along with the plan.

  He’d told her he’d see he
r in D.C., as if that was some consolation.

  She’d said, “You’ll understand if I don’t believe you.”

  There was more he’d wanted to say, but he couldn’t find the words. By the time he knew how to say it, Maggie was already on the plane, somewhere beyond sight. He leaned the fender and stared off into the blue sky, wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Ramon was standing next to him until Ramon cleared his throat and said, “Women, hermano.”

  Harry turned to see Ramon shake his head. “Woman,” Harry said. “As far as I’m concerned there’s only one for me.”

  “And you sent her away?” Ramon said. “Why?”

  “Because I care about her,” Harry said. As he thought about the betrayal he’d seen on her face, he began to realize just how much he cared about her.

  “Either my English is not so good or you Americans have a funny way of showing you care,” Ramon said.

  “She was too good for me,” Harry said.

  “I’ve heard there’s a trick for dealing with women like that,” Ramon said.

  “What’s that?” Harry asked.

  “Ask them to marry us and hope like hell they say yes,” Ramon said.

  “Where were you an hour ago?” Harry asked.

  “Bringing your woman back to you,” Ramon said.

  “There isn’t any chance you can bring her back again, is there?” Harry asked.

  “I’m afraid that one is on you,” Ramon said.

  “In that case, bring me somewhere with drinks strong enough to make me forget what an idiot I am.” He watched Ramon start to smile.

  “Harry, I know just the place. It’s called Cuba,” Ramon said. He spread his arms wide.

  “When did you become a comedian?” Harry asked. “Give me a minute, and then come drink with me.” He knew that drinking wouldn’t help anything. He knew it wouldn’t make him forget one second of his time with Maggie or erase one ounce of guilt over how things ended, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. He’d done the right thing in letting go of Maggie. He just wondered why doing the right thing hurt so badly.