by North,Leslie
“I don’t know how I feel about the situation,” Gabe said softly. He was avoiding the question, and Nathan noticed, but he didn’t push.
“You know, you used to be fun,” Nathan muttered. “Stephen might have been my older brother, but I wanted to be you when I grew up. You didn’t care about what people thought of you. You didn’t care about Duncan or Stephen. You enjoyed life. What happened to you?”
“What happened to me? I have a good time. I’ve got the damn pictures to prove it.”
“I’m not talking about your damn sex life. I’m talking about your life!”
Gabe shook his head. “I realized that you were watching. I didn’t rebel because I didn’t care. I rebelled because I did care, and I realized that my little brother actually looked up to me. I didn’t want you to fall in with the wrong crowd like I did.”
“Jesus.” Nathan rolled his eyes. “Gabe, I looked up to you, but I could still think for myself. I would be me whether you grew up to be a stuffed shirt or not. Now you live a painfully controlled life, and I’m considered the rebel. The way my life turned out was due to more than you.”
Staring at his brother, Gabe smiled. “I was always proud of you, you know? Stephen left because of his pride, and I stuck around because of my pride. But you left because of something you believed in. Probably makes you the best man out of the whole bunch of us.”
“You’re kidding right? Stephen went on to start his own company. And when everything threatened to fall apart last year, you were the glue that held us all together. I got a couple of degrees, but I haven’t done anything with them. Daisy might be crazy, but she’s passionate. I’ve never been like that.”
“She’s crazy. And passionate,” Gabe grunted. “But you’re logical. Just because you two execute things differently doesn’t mean that you don’t believe in something.”
“For the record, I think she’s good for you. Daisy might be over the top about her beliefs, but she has a good heart. She’s lovable and spontaneous. It might be good for you to lose a little control over your life.”
Gabe chuckled. “The whole thing is a mess. But this is what happens when we all get together to do something. We end up with one big mess.”
“I don’t have feelings for Daisy anymore. There was a time when I thought I loved her. There was a time when I did love her, but it was because we were working together for a cause we both believed in. We knew long before it was over, but we’d spent so much time together that neither one of us wanted to admit that we were a failure. Duncan had been telling me to break up with her for years. I didn’t want him to be right. She thought if we both went after Duncan Enterprises, it could save us. In the end, it’s what drove us apart. I might have disliked my family, but that didn’t give her a right to attack them.” Nathan shook his head and smiled. “She doesn’t need to be with someone like me. She needs to be with someone like you.”
“I appreciate that,” Gabe said as he took a deep breath, and he meant it. He would never have been able to move forward with Daisy if he didn’t have Nathan’s permission. But now that he was being honest with himself, he had known all along that Nathan would give him permission. “But this isn’t about my relationship with Daisy. It’s about what we’re supposed to do now.”
“Not we. You. This is about what you’re going to do next.”
Gabe glared at his brother. “You come into my apartment, hit me, drink my beer, and then give me crappy advice? Thanks.”
“Did Stephen do any better?”
“He didn’t crash my place, but no. He mostly yelled at me.”
“See?” Nathan winked at him. “Some things never change. Thanks for the beer. Now that I no longer have to do that weird awkward thing where I protect my ex-girlfriend’s virtue from my older brother, I’m going to go to bed. Like I said, weird week.”
Gabe watched his younger brother leave and laughed to himself. At least now, he didn’t have to worry about his relationship with his brothers. No matter what happened, they stayed the same. But that didn’t solve his other two problems
After stewing and sobering up for a few hours, he grabbed his keys and headed for the last place he expected go.
Duncan Maxfield didn’t even blink when he handed Gabe a bottle of water.
“You don’t have anything stronger?” Gabe complained.
“Angie called me. You think alcohol is going to solve your problem, but you don’t have a problem.” Duncan moved slowly as he settled himself into a chair. Gabe watched his father closely. Over the years, after Stephen and Nathan had left, Gabe had watched his father age. Duncan was a man of iron will, and it was hard for Gabe to watch his health decline.
“I don’t have a problem?” Gabe asked carefully. He might need to double-check the pills his father was on. Now, on top of everything, he didn’t need to learn that his father was in the early stages of dementia.
Duncan smiled. “You think because I chose Angie over you that I haven’t been watching you.”
“Oh, no.” Gabe shook his head. “I know you watch me. You’ve made that abundantly clear over the past few years. But this isn’t about our relationship. This is about how I fix this media storm that we’re going to face.”
“Boy, don’t interrupt me,” Duncan grumbled. He leaned over and coughed into his hand. “See what you made me do?”
Gabe rolled his eyes and leaned back. “My apologies, Duncan. Continue.”
“I chose Angie for two reasons. The first is that she wanted it more than you did. She worked hard for that position. She had the fire in her that you lacked. And the reason that you lacked it was because you spend so much time surpassing yourself.”
“What?”
“You think I didn’t notice it? You used to be such a little hellion, and then suddenly you cleaned up your act. I suspected it had more to do with Nathan than it did with me, but I was happy. Fewer police calls. Less wondering if you were even coming home. I didn’t like that Gabe, but I also didn’t like the one who replaced him. You threw yourself into the company because it was the only place you fit in with your newly controlled life, but your heart wasn’t in it. It’s never been in it.”
“I gave the company everything,” Gabe growled, but Duncan put up his hand.
“You were very good at your job. You are very good at your job. You’re as good as Angie, and it was hard for me to pass you over for her. But I don’t regret that decision, Gabe, and I think that deep down, neither do you. You like having Angie in charge because it’s freed something inside you. What’s wrong with you Gabe? You’re not Stephen. You were never meant to turn into the corporate man. You were never meant to be me.”
Gabe slammed the bottle of water on the table and stood. “I’m not you. I’m nothing like you. You put that company first all your life, and then last year you tried to destroy it. With no regard for what that might do to me. You’re right. My soul is not in that company, but I’ve put in enough work that I do actually give a damn about what happens to it. And now we’re going to face a lot of flak because you couldn’t make a few simple changes.”
Duncan waved his hand nonchalantly. “Please. Greenman’s is old news, and frankly, I forgot all about him. This isn’t about Duncan Enterprises. This is about you.”
“Me? I wasn’t even here ten years ago.”
“Not you and the company. Just you. For the first time in a long time, you have to make a decision, and it’s based entirely on you. It has nothing to do with the company. It has nothing to do with the family. You’re going to have to face yourself, Gabe.”
Gabe shook his head. “You’re unbelievable. I came to you for advice, and you spit this crap into my face. I guess some things never change.”
As he walked past his father, he couldn’t help but see the small smile on Duncan’s face. Despite his anger, he knew that Duncan was right; he had a decision to make.
Did he side with Daisy, the woman he’d known for less than a month? Or did he side with the company he’d
tried so hard to lose himself in for the last ten years?
20
The neighbors were having another marathon screw, but Daisy barely heard them. Her eyes were glued to the news.
“Recently Duncan Enterprises, the mega corporation specializing in design, construction, and property sales all across the country has been making headlines touting changes about becoming a greener company. But now there is new evidence coming to light to show that they are the next Greenman’s Corporation. Based on policy changes that haven’t been updated in ten years, it now looks like Duncan Enterprises haven’t made nearly as many changes as they claim. Stay tuned for more information tonight at ten.”
“Oh God,” Daisy whispered. How did they find out? With Jordan in jail, did someone else at Restore Eden send those files to the media? “What have I done?”
Your job. You did your job. Well, almost.
She never got the chance to tell Gabe that she had no intention of contacting the media. That she had understood that their actions were in the past and she knew that Nathan was working to turn Duncan Enterprises around. Now, Gabe would think it was her. That she had done it out of some sort of petty revenge for their argument.
Daisy, more than anyone, knew that everyone could change with the right incentive. That while the past might shape us, it didn’t control our actions in the present.
Grabbing her keys, she made a beeline for Duncan Enterprises. It was still early. Maybe she and Gabe could come up with a plan to get ahead of things. Of course, after the way she left his apartment, he probably didn’t want to work with her. And Angie would be furious…
Nathan. Nathan might be her only ally. Life was getting stranger by the minute.
Her heart sank as she pulled up outside the company. There were already hundreds of protesters in the parking lot. No doubt, Restore Eden organized this. They liked to take advantage of companies’ weaknesses rather than working with them to fix things.
That had been her mistake.
Honking her horn, she slowly eased her bucket of junk through the crowd. People banged on her car and jeered at her. They didn’t even realize that she didn’t work for Duncan Enterprises. They didn’t really care about the environment. They just wanted to protest against something, anything. No doubt, they were snapping Instagram photos and posting selfies and videos on Snapchat. For them, it was about instant gratification
What was it for her?
As she parked, Stephen Maxfield stood outside the building with his arms folded. “I figured you’d show up to gloat,” he said in a dark voice.
“Stephen…”
“Don’t talk. My wife let you in here on good faith, and you’ve practically served her up on a silver platter for the media to devour. Did you think of that before you pulled this little stunt of yours? This company has some flaws, but we employ many people. We treat our people with respect, and we do a hell of a lot for this country’s economy. But that was the point, wasn’t it? Try to take down a giant business and make a name for yourself?”
“Stephen, I didn’t. That is to say, while I thought about it, I…” Daisy pleaded softly.
“Save it. I don’t even care. I’m glad that you’re here. You’ll get to see what happens when a company scrambles to save more than their reputation. Usually after a stunt like this, people lose their jobs to cover for loss of profits.”
Daisy lowered her eyes and shook her head. “I’m here.”
“Yes, you are. Upstairs. Now.” Stephen opened the door and waited for her. When she tried to move through, he grabbed her arm. “I always knew that you and Nathan wouldn’t make it, but I still didn’t like the way he looked when it was all over. Now, I hear you have eyes for my other brother. Why Gabe?”
“I didn’t plan on Gabe. And we’re not…” Daisy took a deep breath. “I don’t know if we were ever together, but we’re certainly not together anymore.”
Stephen stared at her. “Did you care for him?”
“Nathan? I loved him.”
“Not Nathan. Gabe. Did you care for Gabe?”
Clenching her jaw, she pushed past him. “This isn’t about Gabe. This is about your damn company. So let’s focus on that.”
Security stepped forward to stop her, but Stephen must have waved them away because they let her through. In the elevator, he folded his arms and stared at her, and she met his gaze. Maybe she had done something wrong, but she wasn’t going to back down now.
When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Stephen mockingly swept his hands aside to let her go through first. In the glass conference room, everyone turned to stare at her. Angie stood at the front and glared at her. Nathan and Duncan stood inside with several other prominent members of the company.
Gabe was missing.
“Daisy Levine. So nice of you to join us,” Angie said softly when Daisy came in. “We were just discussing our next move.”
“What the hell is she doing here?” one man grumbled. “She shouldn’t even be allowed on the premises.”
Daisy turned and faced the man head on. “Yes, I’m the one who discovered the information about Duncan Enterprises’ attempts to mask some of their practices. I admit that I may have handled the information poorly and I should have brought it to someone’s attention sooner. If you want to fix this, you need to face the truth head on.”
The man snorted. “Sweetheart, you have a lot to learn if you think companies like this face up to the truth.”
“Then that’s your damn problem,” Daisy whirled around. “You want to blame me, but if you keep burying the problem, then you’re only going to find more and more people like me to show the world the truth. Duncan Enterprises has made some changes, and you have the potential to do so much more. You’re the driving force behind this company. You collectively can fix this.”
“Or you can come forward to say that your information was wrong.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Really? I didn’t start spreading rumors, the files came from your office.”
“And we can create more files that will make your paperwork look outdated. Problem solved.”
“Enough,” Angie said, holding up her hands. “We’re not going to lie to the media. Daisy is right. Lies got us here, and lies are not going to solve the problem. Any more ideas?”
“You let her in here,” the man grumbled. “This is as much your fault as it is hers.”
Stephen rose to his feet to defend his wife, but a new voice interrupted them. “Careful. That’s your boss.”
Daisy’s breath caught, and she turned her head slowly to see Gabe leaning in the doorway. For a long moment, no one said a word. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and carrying a protester’s sign. What the hell? He locked eyes with her and gave her a wink, but Daisy was too shocked to do anything in response. What was going on?
“Gabe. Nice of you to join us,” Angie said slowly. “That’s a new look for you. Please tell me that you were not out with the protesters.”
“I was,” Gabe said casually as he tossed his sign on the table.
“Okay. Did anyone recognize you? Take a picture of you? It’s one thing to look like liars, but it’s another thing completely to look like we’re not a united front,” Angie said in frustration.
“We’re not a united front,” Gabe muttered. “I’m the one who sent the news station the files. Not, Daisy.” He sat down at the table and propped his feet up. Daisy nearly fell out of her chair. This couldn’t possibly be the same Gabe that she knew. But it was gratifying to see there was one thing she had been right about.
He looked damn good in those jeans.
Angie shook her head. “Christ. Really Gabe? Is there something in the water that I don’t know about? Or are the Maxfield men all insane?”
“Hey!” Stephen chimed in. Duncan grumbled as well, but Nathan and Gabe stayed quiet. Daisy couldn’t help but notice that Nathan kept staring at her. Was nothing going to go easy today?
“Okay.” Angie held up her hands and glared a
t Gabe. “Exactly what was going through your head when you sent the media dated files on our past practices? Are you looking for a reason to get fired? Because Maxfield or not, this is grounds for…”
“I have a suggestion,” Gabe interrupted, as he jumped on the table. Everyone craned their necks to stare up at him, as the room grew instantly silent. “For too long this company has been operating under the misguided notion that what the public doesn’t know, won’t hurt them. But I’d recently been told that simply saying we’re going to make changes isn’t enough. We actually have to do them. And what better way to spur our actions on than by making it public. So, I suggest that we bite the bullet. We admit that we’ve been a company that couldn’t bend when the winds changed. We did something that was cowardly, and even though we’re changing now, we’re not changing fast enough.”
“Why are you on the table?” Angie muttered.
“How exactly are we supposed to do that?” Duncan piped up. He sounded interested and alert. Daisy looked at him quizzically, and Duncan gave her a wink.
“Hells bells,” Daisy muttered. Maybe there really was something in the water.
“Daisy still works for Restore Eden. Now, she wanted to believe that Restore Eden had changed, but there were still a few rogue agents involved. Those men are behind bars, and under Daisy’s leadership, I think Restore Eden could flourish. To make amends for our actions, our first step should be a sizable donation to help Restore Eden get back on their feet.”
“You want to do what?” Stephen and Angie both roared. Even Daisy had to pinch herself. What in the hell was going on with him?
“We build sustainable, green buildings for Restore Eden to broaden their reach in the city, and we own up to everything that we’ve done. We take Nathan’s ideas and push more power behind them. And we hold a press conference now to change the way the news presents us tonight,” Gabe said as he jumped from the table. “Duncan Enterprises is looking into the mirror. Faced with our mistakes, we have a decision to make. The public loves a sinner on the path to salvation, but it’s more than that. We need to change. We need to look towards our future. Our legacy isn’t the buildings that we erect but the children that we raise, and it’s important that we provide a secure, clean environment for them.”
