Bedazzled (The Beguiling Bachelors Book 1)

by Madison Michael

  “Sloane, would you like to give them your dress for pressing?” Wyatt offered, “The staff has promised to have everything back before dinner.”

  Sloane gave him the dress to have pressed without pointing out that she had brought three others for the two-night trip. She probably would not wear the dress again, but Wyatt took it and paid to have it pressed without complaint.

  “Now that’s done, Wyatt, can we please go to the pool?” Sloane was whining but Wyatt figured the sunshine and fresh air would help improve her mood. They wandered down to one of the many hotel pools.

  Wyatt preferred to sit near the pool’s edge, but Sloane cajoled him into spending the extra hundreds for one of the shady cabanas. She efficiently draped herself upon a chaise, ordered cocktails and began reading the stack of magazines by her elbow, ordering the staff around like a queen. Wyatt disappeared to the bar without her noticing.

  “Coke,” he said to the waiting barman, gulping it down before heading for the pool. It was in the mid-90’s if not hotter and Wyatt dove smoothly into the busy pool, rising and sluicing the water from his toned body like a seal. Somewhat refreshed he walked gingerly on the hot pavement, made his way back to the cabana and flopped on a mostly shaded lounger. Sloane did not acknowledge his return.

  The sun had shifted when Wyatt woke with a jolt. The last weeks had been exhausting and the warm sun finally took its toll. Making sure he still had time to lie around and finding it only 3 Chapter, Wyatt moved to a shadier spot and reflected on the last month’s efforts.

  Almost immediately after leaving Keeli’s apartment that night, Wyatt began making calls. He had already eyed the space for his offices. They were, of course, in a Lyons Howe building he owned and once managed. He called meetings with the people he had been coordinating with for the last year, software developers, engineers, accountants and real estate sales people and offered them jobs.

  The meeting at the bank had been sticky, but they did advance him the cash to get started, taking his trust fund and personal investment accounts as collateral. If he didn’t make a success of this venture, he would be broke.

  Lyon Technical Solutions Software officially opened two weeks ago and already they had a rough design for two products and a prototype for a third. Things were moving faster than Wyatt could have imagined, the small team operating like a well-oiled machine. He had no need for marketing staff yet since he had offered Lyons Howe a six-month exclusive deal. Instead, his product designers were meeting with people from Lyons Howe in a marketing capacity for now. It kept the team smaller, and cheaper, and got the staff closer to their end users too.

  All this activity meant 12 to 14-hour days for Wyatt, who slept little. In the few hours he did rest, he dreamed about money problems or software designs.

  If things went well tonight and tomorrow, it would all pay off. He had concrete prototypes and designs to share with the VC people and a strong indication that they would invest the millions he needed. Best of all, his father seemed to have come around about Wyatt’s new venture. He was offering to match the VC investment dollar for dollar.

  He just had to keep his cool around Sloane and get through these meetings. His temper had been flaring more than usual since they had reconciled. It wasn’t her fault his father had forced them together. She was thrilled with it of course – making wedding plans for early spring, basking in a role to which she had always believed she was entitled.

  At 4:30, the couple headed back to their suite. The air conditioning was too cool on Wyatt’s skin and he realized that he had gotten a bit too much sun. His sun-kissed cheeks confirmed this, but only make him look more rugged and devilishly handsome. The pink would be a golden tan by morning. His hair had acquired streaks of blonde over the summer and the overall look of a sun god was not far off the mark.

  Sloane demanded the shower first and after a lengthy time in the steamy room she emerged wrapped in a sumptuous terry robe. She sat on the end of the king-size bed to dry her shoulder-length hair while Wyatt slipped into the bathroom to shower. When he emerged, she immediately took back over the space to do her makeup and preen.

  He knew she would be at least another 30 minutes, giving him time to catch the scores on ESPN and check his email. Stopping to follow a tennis match for a few minutes, Wyatt lost interest and surfed channels until he found the Cubs game. His team was up by three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. It would be their fourth win in a row. Wyatt gave a small ‘whoop’ drawing Sloane from the bathroom.

  Wyatt had a sad realization that when he was alone in the room, he was calm; but as soon as Sloane reentered his tension ratcheted up She didn’t even need to speak, just being in the same room with her caused his mood to worsen.

  I have to get over this. I am going to face this woman every morning for the rest of my life. I used to like her. I just need to recapture that feeling. Yeah, why did I ever like her? She is everything I always feared in a woman – she would run if I were not a Howe, if I lost my money. In an instant.

  “We need to leave in15 minutes.” Her muffled voice rose from the closet. Wyatt stepped into the bathroom, fixed his hair, brushed his teeth and emerged to find Sloane looking elegant in a red MaxMara dress that perfectly suited her height and her extremely slender figure. She was even taller in the strappy sandals she was fastening into place. She was the perfect picture of the executive wife doing casual.

  Oh yeah, this was what I liked about her.

  Wyatt grabbed his recently pressed Zegna suit from the closet, added a crisp white shirt but no tie, grabbed his shoes, now polished to a high sheen and after pocketing his phone, wallet and room key turned to give Sloane his arm. They made a gorgeous couple, both tall, elegant, fit and good looking.

  In the few minutes he had taken to get dressed she had added a statement necklace to her bare neck. The floor dropped out from under him when he saw it.

  “Where did you get that necklace?” His voice was a bit too sharp and accusatory.

  “I borrowed it from Missy, don’t you like it?”

  “Ah, that explains why I thought it looked so familiar,” he mumbled to himself, regaining his composure. When did Missy buy more of Keeli’s jewelry? He would recognize it anywhere. Now he would be thinking of Keeli when he needed to be focused on business.

  Like there is ever a time I am not thinking of Keeli.

  “I like it fine. It goes well with the dress.”

  Wyatt sounded confident, but the butterflies in his stomach would not subside. He had a bad feeling about this dinner.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Keeli was actually enjoying herself. She thought she would feel overwrought and out of place, but Linda had been the perfect hostess, and that made Keeli more comfortable. The women invited to the trunk show turned out to be fun to be with, much more like friends. The conversation flowed easily and Keeli was delighted to find that they had much in common.

  If you exclude their millions, of course.

  Linda had been a dream come true to work with, inviting 20 guests she knew were likely to buy, setting up the food and wine, sending out hand-written invitations, following up with phone calls. Then, as icing on the cake she had blithely announced at the beginning of the evening that Keeli “only works with a very elite clientele.” The phrase had worked like catnip on kittens. It would seem that snob appeal was critical to selling expensive jewelry.

  The women were mothers, writers, and philanthropists. They were doctors and lawyers, well educated, well read and up on current events. Their conversation was lively and engaging. The time flew by while they nibbled on sweet and savory finger foods, sipped expensive wines and tried on jewelry. Keeli anticipated being underdressed, small town and unsophisticated, but this group of women had shown up in jeans and sundresses. They were impressed by her efforts to work through the classics, her determination to educate herself. They had been nothing but warm and supportive.

  The response to her jewelry was outstanding. She took orders for seve
ral custom pieces using gems including pearls, sapphires, and diamonds. She sold most of the inventory she brought as well. Best of all, she scheduled two more trunk shows. This group of twenty or so women represented precisely the clientele she had been trying to reach.

  As she wrote up her last order of the night, sipping fine Bordeaux and laughing at the pictures one of the women was sharing from Facebook, she wondered what she could send Aaron to thank him for opening this door for her. Earlier, when she had seen Linda admire a lovely bracelet, she deftly removed it from the table and put it aside as a thank you for her hostess. Aaron and Linda may have been the key to turning around Keeli’s entire business.

  Ready now to call it a night, she was packing the last of her displays and mirrors when Linda suggested they sit for a few minutes before Keeli headed home. Normally Keeli would be watching the clock, anxious to return her Zipcar, but tonight she had borrowed Theo’s car so she gratefully sank into a plush armchair and kicked off her heels.

  “I think we were a success,” Linda announced with pride.

  “We were indeed. How can I ever thank you?”

  “Stop doing art fairs, my dear. These women will be your bread and butter from now on. I would be happy to invest, to help you open a storefront if you like, or at least support your efforts to sell in boutiques. You make beautiful pieces, but they need higher quality stones to appeal to this crowd. Let me help you pay for them.”

  Keeli was speechless, overwhelmed by the generosity of this virtual stranger. “I couldn’t let you do that, Linda. I would be sick if something happened to your investment.”

  “Oh, please. I don’t know what else to do with my money but spend it, make it and lose it. Lately I have been making a lot, spending a lot and losing nothing. There is no hardship here. Take the offer, please. Let me be your benefactor. I want to be able to brag to my friends.”

  This last was said with such glee that Keeli found herself agreeing that she would at least consider the remarkable offer. They rehashed the evening for a few more minutes before Keeli took her bags of merchandise and said good night. The two women shared a fierce hug.

  Keeli loaded her much lighter baggage in the trunk of the car and pondered Linda’s offer while driving the few miles from the Gold Coast condo back to Logan Square. Keeli was dealing with so much change it made her head spin.

  She had confirmed with the two Evanston stores last week. One would consign a large order in October. She was delivering a smaller order to the other store next week. She had one trunk show under her belt and two more scheduled. She had Missy talking to several boutiques on her behalf and now Linda offering to invest in her future.

  She knew she should turn down the offer but she also recognized that it would allow her to get an apartment on her own. The concern over housing after the upcoming wedding had been foremost on her mind. With business so busy, the last thing Keeli needed was to be homeless and without a studio.

  The temptation was great, but Keeli stifled her excitement. She had vowed to do this completely on her own. What if she lost Linda’s money? What if Missy introduced her and she disappointed the boutique owners? She strengthened her resolve to do this on her own. That way failure affected her alone.

  Of course, she could create some spreadsheets, consider the amounts involved, discuss it carefully with her neighbor upstairs, Lynn, who was an outstanding businessperson, and then decide. Keeli went back and forth in her mind – taking help from anyone was not her strong suit.

  Pushing the idea aside for the moment, Keeli enjoyed the quiet darkness around her. The streets were almost empty this late on a weeknight and she had the windows open to enjoy the heat and smell of August in Chicago. She was tired of air conditioning and ready for autumn, now just around the corner.

  The night reminded her of driving home with Wyatt late at night after their first drink. She allowed herself to feel the pain and heartbreak for a few minutes. She had made a pact with herself. She kept herself as busy as possible, not allowing thoughts of him to intrude in her day. Then in the quiet of nighttime she gave herself no more than 30 minutes to mourn her loss.

  She missed him terribly. On a night like this, she wished she could share her news with him, ask his advice, and celebrate her success. She wondered what he was doing, sure he was somewhere with Sloane.

  Keeli had been scouring the Internet for news of his new startup. A big story announced the opening, but she had read nothing since. She thought perhaps she would see him at the Port Clinton Art Festival but he failed to show, crushing her last hope of running into him.

  Okay, 30 minutes is up. Time to think about other things.

  Turning to happier thoughts, Keeli planned what kind of dress she would buy for Theo and Dylan’s wedding. She had made enough money tonight to buy something chic. She wanted something fun and pretty, something feminine and not cheap looking. Something classy. She was looking forward to shopping in the better stores. Maybe she could get Missy to come along to help her.

  She reminded herself that what she really needed to think about was jewelry - lots and lots of jewelry. She had to complete the custom wedding rings she designed for Theo and Dylan, and the custom pieces ordered tonight. Keeli began building her list of to-dos in her head, itching for a notepad to write everything down. She really needed inspiration for a new winter collection, because her fall collection was almost all sold out or committed.

  It’s time for me to get happy, and get creative. Just keep moving forward. Keep moving forward.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Wyatt could breathe at long last. Las Vegas was behind him and concluded without mishap. Dinner the first night was friendly and comfortable, the conversation easy and full of laughter. There had been no mention of business until dessert and after-dinner drinks. Wyatt learned that Edward had similar taste in rock and roll, Cary was an avid hockey fan with season tickets for the San Jose Sharks and Sydney reminded him of Regan, extremely well educated and hungry for success. They all got along beautifully

  Sloane had been a perfect dinner partner, laughing at the men’s jokes, but not too loud, connecting with the wives about fashion and children, flirting with Sydney’s husband but not too much. Wyatt noticed that despite the advances for women today, the two wives chose to stay home and raise families. Only Sydney had an equally successful husband, and of course, he and Sloane were both in demanding jobs.

  Is it really still true that behind every great man there is a great woman? Sloane will not be happy with that arrangement after all her education and hard work. I wonder how we will figure that one out.

  They transitioned to the business conversation seamlessly the next morning and discovered a common strategy and vision for Lyon Technical Solutions Software. Being familiar with the data before arriving allowed the VC team to make decisions quickly and by noon Wyatt had a commitment for ten million dollars. He would operate with that for a few years and then, if everything went as planned, go public.

  “Let’s celebrate.” He twirled Sloane in the lobby “Cocktails? Gambling? Dancing? It’s a bit early for dinner. Lunch? What is your pleasure?”

  “Let’s start with drinks and gambling then dress up and do some dancing.”

  Wyatt’s mood was infectious. It was obvious to Sloane that he had just scored a great success. Sloane was a shrewd and calculating woman. She knew she was marrying a very wealthy, important man. He would still be a powerhouse from the Howe family, but now he would be a powerful CEO from Lyons Technical Software Solutions too. It was actually more than she had expected.

  Wyatt knew she had targeted him years ago. She had been patient while he dated other women, been understanding and implacable. She never questioned him when he returned to her. She had just been there, waiting and available. Her parents had cultivated a tight relationship with the Howes. Sloane had been the perfect girlfriend, the perfect hostess and now she would be the perfect wife and mother.

  Except that I don’t love her.

&
nbsp; She had brought up Keeli a few times since they had become engaged. She had been a little concerned about that redhead from the wrong side of the tracks. Sloane had complained about Keeli’s wide-eyed innocence, her poor background, lack of polish and sophistication. She had conceded that perhaps Wyatt had needed to dabble with someone different from his usual women.

  Sloane knew his weakness and she used it well. He was not the confident, cocky man he presented to the world. Tyler had once let slip that Wyatt believed no one loved him for himself, only for his wealth and for his name. Sloane never forgot about that. Wyatt had watched her use it strategically over the years to drive a wedge between him and anyone he was seeing, allowing her to worm her way back into his life. She accused Keeli of being a gold-digger so frequently that it was apparent to Wyatt that Sloane didn’t believe it. It was also apparent that Keeli scared her. He could tell. Finally, thank God, she let it drop, but Wyatt suspected that Keeli had left a chink in Sloane’s armor. She feared Keeli, as she had no woman before.

  Tyler had solved that problem for Sloane. He let slip that Wyatt wanted to start his own company and that his father likely would not take the news well. Enter Sloane’s equally high powered and manipulative father. Presenting Wyatt III with an opportunity to expand overseas, Mr. Huyler dragged the Howes into a potential nightmare with the Chinese government. If the news became public, it could destroy the credibility of Lyons Howe, and trust was everything in real estate.

  Mr. Huyler had a simple solution. In exchange for a wedding between Wyatt IV and Sloane, he would release the Howes and LHRE from the contract for the amount they had spent to buy in. He promised to keep the deal secret as well.