by Lauren Wood
Ten minutes later, I saw the older man coming to the table and I started to relax. Everything was going to be okay. I really needed to listen to Ashlyn about that sometimes. She was convinced that I wished bad things on myself always expecting them to happen.
“Well I didn’t expect to see you here Keenan.”
I stood up a little to shake his hand and cover up the surprise that he actually knew who I was. He was like an investment guru and anyone that was taken under his wing was made richer in days. Ronald had the magic touch and I hoped for that now.
His hand was firm and I smiled at the woman that he had with him. She was an older woman and I was as equally shocked that he would take his wife to one of these things. Most men his age would have taken a beautiful young woman, most likely the mistress. If I had to guess, they were about ninety percent of the women that were in this room.
“This is my wife Evelyn.”
She was beautiful and had kept up well with her age. I don’t know why, but her being in our midst puzzled me so much that I had to have it pointed out that I hadn’t introduced Ashlyn. When I did, I felt a little embarrassment.
“This is my friend Ashlyn.”
The older woman smiled at Ashlyn and I could tell that she found me rude. It was not very often that I was looked on that way and I knew I was going to have to win her back if I wanted to work with her husband. I had heard that he was a family man and now I was starting to see how real that assertion had been.
We all sat down and the waiter was there almost immediately for Ronald. I didn’t like to point out in my mind that we had been sitting here for several minutes and was still not waited on. It was a humbling moment if nothing else that just drove me to want to get to know him more and figure out how I could make the money that he does. I had the capital. I just needed a nudge in the right direction.
“You know, it’s funny Keenan.”
“What is that Sir?” I hadn’t been paying too much attention, too much in my own head.
“I think that it is strange that you are here tonight. I had my assistant check and see who would be at this table and I was told a few extras that don’t seem to be here at all in attendance. Mr. and Mrs. Winchester.”
I looked away for a moment and took a drink of the wine in front of me. I had made sure that I was at his table. I didn’t care how it happened. I didn’t know what to say and I figured that if Ronald was saying anything, then it would be because he already knew what was going on.
“What can I say Sir? You are a hard man to get a hold of.”
Evelyn agreed with me and told me that she liked my initiative. I was surprised that she had anything good to say, however her and Ashlyn had been talking for some time. Leave it to Ashlyn to make me look good. She was the reason that I had brought her here, not knowing how much I was going to need her in the end.
“Yes, I suppose you are right dear. Not much of a loss I must say. The Winchesters would have most likely gotten drunk and fought the whole time anyways.”
Evelyn gave him a look like he was saying more than he should, though she didn’t disagree with him. I had heard the same thing about them, though I had only met the husband a few times and never with his wife around.
I was just glad that he hadn’t taken it as underhanded, even though that was exactly what it was. Ronald had a high moral compass and I was sure that I would have to tone down a lot of my actions if I was going to go into business with him. I was so sure that it was going to happen. I had convinced myself that all I had to do was meet him and I would be on my way. Ashlyn’s optimism seemed to be rubbing off on me.
***
“Wow Ashlyn, you were magnificent.”
She giggled and pushed me away. “I am serious. I have never been attracted to you as much as I am right now.” Her brown hair was coming down in waves and she had the most beautiful smile on her face. She had done well and I was thankful moreover that I had come and I had brought her with me. She charmed the couple enough that my first few miss steps were quickly forgotten. Not only did I get the face time that I wanted, I also got him to agree to see me later in the week. Ronald hadn’t agreed to take me on, but he had agreed to let me run a few ideas that I had by him.
“Well I am not attracted to you Keenan. We tried this before. You are like my brother.”
I sighed and opened the door for her. I have to say that I wasn’t having very brotherly feelings towards her at the moment. I was instead trying to remember the last time we had tried. What had gone wrong?
“You don’t even find me remotely handsome?”
“You know you are gorgeous, but you are too much of a player for me. You always have another woman on your arm Keenan and I am a jealous girl. It is better this way.”
She was getting serious and I guess the look in my eyes said I was getting that way as well. How badly I wanted her and I don’t know what came over me. She suggested that I just needed to get laid. Ashlyn could be right, she knew me too well.
“Come on Keenan, drop me off and call one of your girls over. I will talk to you later. I have a lunch date with Evelyn tomorrow. She was the sweetest woman.”
I just shook my head amazed. “You are an enigma Ashlyn. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Always here to help. Call me when your head is straight Keenan.”
She was getting out of the limo now that we were at her apartment. I waved to her and I knew that she was right. I wouldn’t want to mess up what was between us for just one night of pleasure. There was plenty of women for that.
Chapter 2
Keenan
The meeting with Ronald was scheduled for eleven. We were going to go out to lunch and again I wish that I had Ashlyn with me. Her personality made everything so much smoother and I wanted her there to do just that. Ronald was a hard man to work with from all of the reports and gossip that I had heard on him. But after meeting him I was sure that we were going to work well together. I just had to prove to him that I was worth working with. The man had enough money so I was going to have to offer more than a few more dollars to add to his billions or trillions if some reports were correct.
There was one angle that I thought would work with Ronald. In his old age, he was starting to focus more on philanthropy and I was under the impression that it could be done in tandem with making money. I wasn’t going to push that part of it, but there was no way that I wasn’t going to try to pull him in with the thought of helping. As an investor for new start-ups, there were several that were going to change the world and if I could get Ronald involved, it would turn to gold. Everything he touched always did.
My nerves were banished by a few swigs of the flask in my inside pocket with just enough to take the edge off. I needed to be confident and when I walked into Casp, I was feeling just that way.
When I told the hostess my name, the wattage of her smile doubled. It was once again not because of whom I was, my name pretty big in Chicago. She was more worried about making Ronald happy and I came to realize then that I was going to have to leave my ego at the door if I was going to be seen around town with him. No one here was going to ask for my picture, not with a guy like Ronald around. I was no longer the big fish in the pond. It was a strange sensation to say the least.
“Keenan, glad that you could make it and on time. Punctuality is the key to life.”
I could have mentioned that he was late the last time I saw him, but I would imagine that he was always on time. No matter where he went, whatever time that he showed up was the time that he was supposed to be there. He just had that kind of pull on everyone. It was that quality in particular that I wanted to harness from Ronald, that and more money.
“I wouldn’t have missed this lunch for the world. Like I said before, you are a hard man to get in contact with.”
Ronald shook my hand and then I sat down. He was dressed in much of the same suit as he had been before. It was one of his quirks. The same brown suit that he had been wearing for thirty years.
Some say it was because it was a lucky suit and he was superstitious. Others assured that he had taken away the options of what to wear in the morning for efficiency. It was a question that I would have liked an answer to, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask such a thing.
“I have seen a few calls from you Keenan, but I felt at the time that we weren’t very compatible to work together. We have very different goals and are in different stages of life.”
I had a bad feeling that this was going to be a polite rejection and I raced to think of what to say so that wouldn’t be the case.
“Well you have really ramped up your charitable giving.”
His brow went up. “You have kept up with what I do?”
“Sir, I think there are thousands of people, maybe more, that do. When you drop a stock, everyone scrambles to do the same.”
“But my charitable giving doesn’t make me money. You have done well for yourself son, but it is clear where your priorities lie.”
I didn’t like the way the conversation was going. We didn’t even have food on the table and I was starting to think that we weren’t going to get that far. It was hard to not feel anxiety bubbling up. I really wish that Ashlyn was here. She would know what to say.
“I have made a lot of money and I plan to make more, but I am becoming choosier about how I do so. I want to make a difference, just as much as I want to add to my net worth. That I think is something that we have in common. You did not get where you were just doing the right thing. I believe that multiple goals can be accomplished with only one act.”
Now I had his interest and I was thankful that I was right. I knew that the old Ronald was still in there.
“You are right Keenan, there is always more than one goal. I have a few of my own and it doesn’t solely involve giving away most of my money.”
I hoped that this was a sign that we were getting somewhere. I just had to figure out what his goal was and make sure that he knew that I was the one to do it.
“What kind of goals are you looking to accomplish? I am sure there is nothing that you can’t do.”
The old man looked away and I felt a redness creeping up his neck. Whatever it was, it was something big and I waited on the edge of my seat to see what it was. What would make a man like that, act like this?
“Did you know that I had a daughter?”
I actually did not. I heard and read a lot about his son, doing big things in business like his father, but I had never once known that there was a daughter as well.
“No I did not.”
“You wouldn’t. She is quite a bit younger than Anton. Gemma is our miracle child and I tried to keep her from this life. Now she rejects it all together. I want her married off, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Anton has decided that he is gay, a decision I stand by, but that leaves me with only Gemma to give me grandchildren. I want to see them before I leave this world. That is my goal.”
I sat back and tried not to whistle through my teeth. How many things I had imagined he would say? Never this. I had so many more thoughts in my head and I had to admit that he had me stumped. I told Ronald as much and he chuckled as he sat back. “Well you asked my goal. Main one is to get my daughter married. She is spirited though and she has yet to get a suitable suitor. I have paid off countless men to get her away from them, but it doesn’t seem to matter. She just finds another one and I think she does it to drive me crazy.”
I was shocked that Ronald was being so forthcoming. It made me a little leery of why I was being told such a personal tale. The man was the type that didn’t do or say anything for no reason. He had a reason, even if I didn’t know what it was at the time.
“So why are you telling me this Sir?”
“Because you asked.”
I nodded, but waited for what was left. I knew there was more and I was starting to get an idea of what it was. I was holding out with the hope that I was wrong, but I really don’t think that I was.
“And because I think that we can help each other.”
Now I was paying attention listening for the terms that I knew were going to be high. I just had to see if they were too high for me.
“In what way?”
“Well I take it you want to work with me, have me take you under my wing, teach you everything that I know so you can take your 3.27 billion and make it into something a small country would envy. Am I right?”
He was exactly right in so many words and I was waiting for what he wanted out of it. I was sure I was wrong about what I was thinking. He didn’t want me to…
“Well you know what I want, my goal.”
“I don’t see how they are connected.”
“Well I am not going to waste my time on a no-name. I respect your father, but it is not enough to take you under my wing and teach you. You would have to become something to me. You would have to become family Keenan.”
I sat back in the seat and took another drink of my flask. I didn’t even bother with the wine in front of me. I knew that it wasn’t going to be strong enough for the sort of day that I was having.
“You want me to marry your daughter?”
I had gone from excitement to thinking that this man must be crazy. There was no way that he could be being serious, right? How could I marry a woman that I had never met before? It didn’t make any sense and I knew that he must be senile. That’s what it was. He had lost his mind somewhere along the way and I was now making a deal with a crazy man.
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
“Why?”
“You have the sort of background that I would like to see her marry and although you have a colored past, you have also shown that you can do what is necessary. Your father left his company in a messy state and look what you have done with it? I think that you are the perfect one for the job. My daughter can be quite troublesome and I think you are up for the challenge.”
I had to wonder what kind of woman would need her father to help her get a husband. Was she hideous? He said she was difficult and I had a feeling that was an understatement. How did he figure that he was going to get her to marry me in the first place? He couldn’t make her and we were long past the age of arranged marriages.
The food arrived and I was relieved to get away from the subject. I knew that Ronald wasn’t joking. He was being serious and I had to wonder the desperation that he must have felt to have even propositioned such a thing. How bad could she be?
“So what do you say Keenan?”
I was speechless and there really wasn’t much that I could say. “Well Sir, I appreciate the offer, but I am not really looking for a wife.”
“Why, you are getting old and will soon be past your prime. Do you not want to carry on your name and bloodline?”
I wasn’t that old. I was thirty six, but I had thought about what was going to happen to my legacy when I was gone. I had no brothers or sisters to carry it on and it was all down to me. I am sure my father would be absolutely thrilled, but could I really do something so drastic to make others happy and to further my career? It was a lot to ask for and I needed time to think about it.
“How do you know she would marry me?”
Ronald was happy that I had asked, it meant that I was actually thinking about his crazy scheme.
“Well she would lose her inheritance if she didn’t. Gemma may turn her nose up at money and privilege, but she isn’t stupid. She is used to a certain kind of life. That is how I will get her to agree. Do I have your agreement as well?”
Chapter 3
Gemma
The day had gone from bad to worse. First I went to the store to grab a few things. I needed a new dress and bathing suit for a party on a yacht over the weekend and when I got to the register, all of my credit cards weren’t working. It was extremely embarrassing and I left the store with a bright red face. I don’t know if I am ever going to be able to show my face in there again.
So then I went to the bank to withdraw some money. I wanted to sho
w those store clerks with their smug smiles that I had the money. It was just some kind of bank error. Maybe someone had charged it up and stolen my identity. By the time I got to the local branch, I had convinced myself of this.
When I got in there and talked to the bank teller, I was given the same answer. My request was denied.
“Why may I ask, will you not honor this check?”
“Your account has been frozen Miss. Gray. I am sorry to be the one to tell you this.”
“How can my account be frozen?”
“The other person on it has stopped you from being able to withdraw any money for a temporary amount of time.”
“How temporary?” I could deal with a day or two. I don’t know what is going on, but I was still grasping at straws.
“I can’t be sure. Your father will have to take the freeze off before you can withdraw any money or use any of the cars linked to the bank account. I am sorry Miss. Gray.”
I was irritated when I left out of there and I called my dad. I knew that he was the cause of it. When he didn’t answer, I decided to call mom. She would never let this stand. She didn’t want to leave me broke and without money. She wouldn’t do that to me, would she?
“Mom.”
“Hey Gemma. It is good to hear from you. Where are you? I haven’t seen you all day.”
“I am just leaving the bank.”
“Oh okay. Your father and I are leaving for the weekend. I was leaving you a note now.”
I had a feeling that their sudden departure was not a surprise weekend like my mother wanted. Dad was getting out of town so that he didn’t have to hear how ridiculous this was to do to me. Why was he doing this?
“Can I talk to dad real quick?”
I heard the phone being rustled around and then after a minute mom got back on the phone. “He is really busy dear. I will have him call you in a little while, okay?”
I should have said something then, but mom sounded so happy to be getting out with dad that I didn’t want to ruin it for her. It was just for a couple of days and it wasn’t like I really needed anything. It would be fine.
