“So you’re telling me this meeting is to fire us?”
“I don’t think they’ll outright fire us. Not today. But I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Luke sank back against the upholstered seat of the limo. “Well thanks to you, so do I.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay? Act penitent. Contrite. Promise to do better. Something. It’s not just your butt on the line anymore.”
“If you’d told me about this earlier, it never would’ve gotten to this point.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you to do your job.”
The limo pulled up to Ryder Communications’ corporate office—a fifteen story monstrosity in downtown Los Angeles. Put on your game face, Luke. Maybe this meeting had nothing to do with the gala.
Maybe hell would freeze over, too.
I can fix this. I will do anything to fix this.
Luke straightened his tie, then stepped out of the limo and followed Mitch. He squinted as sunlight glared off the reflective surface of the building. They passed tall palm trees and a modern art sculpture that Luke had never understood. A fountain gurgled softly right outside the entrance, but it did nothing to soothe Luke’s nerves.
“Mr. Ryder,” the receptionist said, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Luke scowled. It wasn’t like he never showed up at the office. He’d spent fourteen hour days at this place until a few weeks before his father’s death. Taken on a lot of CEO responsibilities while his dad grew sicker and sicker. Every long weekend and school break during college had been spent here. He’d been one of the first to arrive and last to leave the office every day until his father’s cancer progressed to the final stages.
“We’re heading up to the conference room on the fifteenth floor,” Mitch told the receptionist.
“I’ll let them know you’re on your way.” She picked up the phone and dialed.
Luke followed Mitch to the elevator. The sensors detected their presence as soon as they were in range and the doors opened automatically. When they arrived on the fifteenth floor, the secretary there was hanging up the phone. “The last of the board members just arrived,” she said.
“Thanks,” Mitch replied. The conference room doors swung open as they approached, and Mitch waited for Luke to enter first. Trying to keep me from running away? With the board threatening to oust him, there wasn’t a force in the world that would keep Luke from this meeting. Whatever it takes. Saving his father’s legacy was worth whatever promises, half-truths, and outright lies he had to tell.
They weren’t taking Ryder Communications from him. He wouldn’t let them.
Fifteen of Los Angeles’ stodgiest men and women sat around the mahogany conference table, chatting amiably with each other. Floor to ceiling windows flooded the room with light and a view of the Los Angeles skyline. None of the board members seemed to notice Luke and Mitch’s arrival. That’s because they’re all half blind and mostly deaf.
“My daughter just announced she’s expecting a baby,” Walter said to Harold.
“Congratulations.” Harold pushed his glasses up his nose. “How many does this make?”
“Five grandchildren.” Walter chuckled. “The missus is tickled pink.”
Luke rolled his eyes, but kept his mouth shut. He took a seat next to Mitch at the end of the table—closest to the door.
“Luke, nice of you to join us,” Walter said.
Luke almost grunted, then remember his resolve. “Feels good to be here, Walter.”
“Can I get you some coffee, Mr. Ryder? Or maybe some tea?” A girl in a smart business suit gave Luke a timid smile. An intern, maybe? She couldn’t be more than eighteen. He used to know everyone in this place by sight, if not by name. Had so much really changed in two months?
“Coffee is fine. Black.”
The girl nodded and turned to Mitch for his order.
“It’s good to see you.” Emma, in the chair next to Luke’s, patted his arm. “We’ve missed you around the office.”
“Nice to see you, too,” Luke lied.
A large hand fell on his shoulder. Luke looked up into the solemn eyes of Darius.
“Lucas,” Darius said. “So glad you could join us. I wasn’t sure if you’d come.”
“Why wouldn’t I be here?” Luke asked.
“I thought maybe you were neglecting your email again. Since everyone is here, we’ll start.”
Luke glowered. Darius may be the chairman of the board, but Luke was CEO. He should call the meeting to order. He should call the meeting, period.
“Your coffee, Mr. Ryder.”
Luke took the cup from the intern with a mumbled, “Thanks.”
Darius sat at the head of the table. “I think we’re ready to start,” he said. Fifteen pairs of eyes shot toward Luke. “Where’s Andrea? Someone needs to take minutes.”
“Here,” said a small voice. A woman scurried over to sit at the back of the room, behind Darius.
“Good,” Darius said. He sank into his chair, then placed his arms on top of the mahogany table and steepled his fingers. “Luke, we’re here to discuss the future of Ryder Communications. I’ll come right out and say it—we’re not sure you’re the CEO for the job. We were uncertain from the moment your father suggested the idea, and your behavior since his death has confirmed our worst fears. We think it might be time to reevaluate your position with the company.”
Luke’s heart thudded. He hadn’t disbelieved Mitch, but he hadn’t expected Darius to be so blunt, either. “I didn’t realize things were this bad.” He knew he’d been acting mainly as a figurehead the last two months, and the board had been the ones running things. But he was still working through his grief.
Harold snorted. “You’re in the tabloids constantly. You’re drunk more than you’re sober. You’ve got a new woman every night. The investors are concerned about the stability of the company. We need a capable, strong CEO to reassure stockholders that even though our founder is gone, the company is still thriving.”
“You could at least have the decency to fake a stable relationship for appearance’s sake,” Silvia piped in. “The gala was a disaster. I don’t care who Nathan Kendall is sleeping with, that was over the line.” She let out a harrumph. “It made it look like our CEO cared more about his latest booty call than keeping the company afloat. I’ve received half a dozen calls this morning from concerned shareholders, and four times that many emails, not to mention all the calls I got over the weekend.”
“This isn’t you,” Emma said. “We need the Luke who had an MBA by twenty-two and practically lived at the office. And frankly, we haven’t seen any evidence he still exists the last two months.”
A general murmur of agreement circulated around the room.
Luke took a deep, calming breath. You can rage in the privacy of your own house later. For now, be the CEO. He struggled to slip into the persona that used to come so naturally. “I’ll admit the gala wasn’t my finest moment. But that wasn’t about Candi—it was about Talia. Kendall said their new product will destroy us.”
“It very well might,” Darius said. “Talia is a disaster. You have to stop being stubborn on that matter. She needs a complete overhaul or another company will steal our spot in the automation world.”
Luke opened his mouth to protest, but Harold spoke up. “It’s not just Talia. Stock is down, and people are getting nervous.”
Luke was losing his cool. He couldn’t keep this up much longer. “We knew stock would dip after Dad’s death. You can’t possibly blame that on me.”
“You’re the CEO,” Harold said.
Darius held up a hand, and the room quieted. “We know this has been tough on you. We all miss Rick, but it’s time to move past his death and focus on his legacy—Ryder Communications. We understand you need time to grieve, but we won’t allow it to affect the company any longer. We don’t want to replace you. But something has to change.”
The boardroom started spinning. Luke gripped the arms of his chair. Th
is can’t be happening. They can’t take the company from me. They can’t!
“We had our misgivings about you taking over at such a young age,” Darius said. “In fact, I suggested to Rick that we appoint an interim CEO while you learned a bit more. But Rick assured me you were up for the task.”
“I am,” Luke said. “I was doing half Dad’s job before his death.”
“Which is why we agreed to appoint you,” Darius said. “But your behavior the last two months has made us question whether or not you can do this without your father’s guidance.”
“We’re all worried about you,” Emma said. “We’ve watched you grow from a gangly teenager into a man. We want to see you succeed.”
“But we aren’t willing to continue to put the company at risk,” Darius said.
“Or to continue working weekends to pick up your slack,” Walter added.
Luke wanted to scream. He wanted to fight back and curse and storm out of the room after flipping them the bird.
But he wanted to remain CEO more. They could fire him, and Mitch. They would, if things didn’t change.
“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay? Act penitent. Contrite. Promise to do better. Something.” Had it really been less than an hour ago that Mitch told Luke that? Luke glanced over at Mitch, who slowly nodded his head as if to say, Give them what they want.
“I didn’t realize my personal life was causing the company so much distress,” Luke said. The words caught in his throat, but he forced them out anyway. “It wasn’t my intention to endanger the company. I’m as interested in seeing Ryder Communications continue to succeed as the rest of you, obviously.”
Darius smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Luke swallowed hard. “I’ve allowed my grief to overcome my good sense the last few months, but I see that it’s time for me to put that all behind me. What can I do to regain your trust?”
The next two hours were grueling. The board’s demands were numerous, but nothing he hadn’t been doing daily until two months ago. Show up to work every day. Show up sober. Show up before nine. Stay out of the tabloids. Get back on track with the corporate version of the home automation system, and launch it by summer. Either fix Talia’s bugs, or start over with a new voice automation system.
“We want shareholders to feel like the company’s making progress,” Darius told Luke as they finished up. “It’s been a while since our successes with the security features and integration systems of early models. We need to restore confidence in you as CEO, and Ryder Communications as a company. Let’s see if we can’t launch some new products and get stock up, okay?”
And if I don’t? But Luke didn’t ask that question. He already knew the answer.
“I’ll handpick a team today for the corporate automation system and revamping Talia,” Luke said. “And I’ll personally oversee both.” He hadn’t brought anything with him to the meeting, but the intern had graciously brought his work laptop from his office. “I’ll get to work immediately.”
“Excellent,” Darius said. “We’re pleased you’re willing to work with us. I feel like we’ve made good progress today. We’re hopeful things can turn around. Let’s reconvene in a month and see where we are. Meeting adjourned.”
The room broke up into individual conversations. Members of the board left the conference room, rushing to whatever it was they did with the rest of their time. Luke closed the lid on his laptop and stood.
From behind, Darius clapped Luke on the shoulder. “I hope we weren’t too harsh with you. Your father was a dear friend of mine. I don’t want to see his company destroyed because you’re mourning.”
Luke clenched his jaw. “It’s my company too, Reginald.”
Darius frowned. “I hope you can handle the job. To be CEO at twenty-five … I’m sorry such a burden has been placed on you.”
Me too. But Luke wasn’t about to let Darius know that. “My father was twenty-five when he started Ryder Communications. If he could do it, so can I.”
“Yes, but back then he was the company’s sole employee, and mostly doing contract work. Plus he had your dear mother to help him.”
Luke stood and grabbed his laptop off the table. Don’t say a word.
“Karen supported and helped him through the hard times. Family is really all we have, when you think about it. I doubt Ryder Communications would’ve ever gotten off the ground without your mom’s help.” Darius smiled. “I’ll check in with you regularly, and if you need any help, don’t hesitate to call. I’m on your side.”
Luke gave Darius a tight nod and left the room. Mitch trailed his footsteps. The two men were silent as they walked down the hallway to Luke’s office. Luke’s personal secretary looked up in surprise, jumping to her feet as they approached.
“Mr. Ryder,” Krista said. “I thought you’d head home right after the meeting.”
Luke raised a hand to his eyes and rubbed. His tie felt like it was suffocating him. Had he really been so unreliable lately? “No, I’m back to my regular schedule. Mitch and I have business to attend to. Hold my calls, and don’t let anyone bother me for the rest of the day.”
“Of course, Mr. Ryder.”
“I need a list of all project manager stats and current projects as soon as possible,” Luke continued.
“I’ll bring it right in.”
Luke nodded. He opened the door to his office, and shut it behind Mitch. His vision was tunneling, and he blinked rapidly.
“You handled that well,” Mitch said. “I think if we keep our heads down for the next few months, this’ll blow over. If they see you’re trying, they won’t even consider—”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Luke grabbed his hair and pulled, his breath coming in gasps.
“Luke?” Mitch put a hand on his shoulder.
Luke shrugged it off. He fell to his knees, his heart racing. His hands tingled and he shook them violently, trying to get rid of the sensation. “They’re going to fire me. And I’m going to lose the company.” It’s all I have left of Dad.
“Calm down.” Mitch crouched next to him. “Breathe. Look at me, Luke. Look at me!” He shook Luke roughly, and Luke stared into Mitch’s concerned face. “I’m not going to let you lose this company—it’s why I gave you a heads up about the meeting. Do you hear me? You’re not going to lose it.”
Luke’s heart beat started to slow as he followed Mitch’s lead and took deliberate, even breaths. “It’s overwhelming,” he whispered, feeling like an idiot.
“I know. But we’ll make a plan and make lists and get everything done. I’m on your side. I’m here to help.”
Luke nodded, rising from the floor and brushing off the knees of his suit. “What do we need to do first?” he asked Mitch, even though he already knew the answer.
Whatever it takes.
CHAPTER TEN
“What was that about?” Zoey asked when Brooke arrived back at their shared cubicle.
Brooke sank into a chair. “I’m going to sign Luke.”
Zoey’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not.” Brooke quickly explained the discussion she’d had with Charlotte. “It makes sense. It’s risky, but it’s the only thing I can think of to save the company.”
“But Luke?” Zoey folded her arms and shook her head. “He’s your best friend. He’s been in love with you for eight years.”
Brooke rolled her eyes. She booted up her computer and swiveled back to face Zoey. “That was ages ago.”
“If you gave him any encouragement, he’d be all in.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Brooke clicked on the icon to log into her computer. “What I’m worried about is whether or not he can handle it right now. He’s not great with relationships.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to be Luke’s matchmaker. That’s messed up.”
“I’m not—Charlotte thinks it’s best if someone else is his matchmaker. And you won’t be complaining when we can still make ren
t next month.”
“That’s even more messed up. What will Luke say? What will Antonio say?”
“Luke will do it for me. Antonio will get used to the idea.” He would hate that Luke was doing her a favor, but love that he was dating others. “I’m taking off early for our cake tasting this afternoon. I’ll tell Antonio then.”
It was a fairly slow day, which was becoming more and more typical. Brooke spent a few hours scanning the database for client matches, and then had two client appointments before logging off for the day at five.
“Leaving for the cake tasting?” Zoey asked.
“Yes.” Brooke tossed Zoey the car keys. “I’ll have Antonio drop me back at home.”
Zoey grinned. “I love chocolate, if the maid of honor’s opinion holds any weight. Just sayin’.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Zoey nodded, waving a hand absently as she returned her focus to her computer screen. Toujour’s database was open, but it didn’t look like Zoey was having much luck finding her client a match. That’ll all change as soon as Luke signs. With more clients in the database, it wouldn’t be as hard to find matches.
The chatter of employees conversing was overtaken by music as Brooke made her way to the front lobby. Antonio was already there, waiting for her. He leaned against Lianna’s desk, his head tilted toward hers as she laughed at something he’d said. “Oh, Antonio.” Lianna swatted at his arm playfully.
Antonio chuckled. “Careful, Lianna. You’ve displaced the poinsettia.” He straightened the potted plant on one corner of her desk.
Brooke swallowed back the jealousy that threatened to choke her. Antonio was only being friendly. Women always flirted with him. It didn’t mean anything.
“Hey,” Brooke said.
Lianna turned to Brooke, her cheeks flaming pink. “Brooke. I didn’t hear you come in.”
Miss Match Page 7
