Kate straightened as they walked out. Cal turned to Kate. “We appreciate you flying out here and lending us your expertise on such short notice.” He extended a hand to Kate. “Chase will be taking you to his office now, where the two of you can hammer out exactly what you need.”
“Sure. No problem,” Chase said in response, but Kate could feel his animosity building with each word. She wanted to shake him, slap him, or kiss him. Anything to remove the disdain from his face.
“Chase and I will work together, Cal. I’m sure I’ll be able to explain what I do in a way that makes him feel more at ease.” Kate tilted her head and gave him a half smile.
A successful IPO launch for KinCo would also re-launch her own career, and she wasn’t going to be thwarted by one spoiled ego-maniac. As she followed Chase to his office, she resolved that she would keep him in check for the next month. He wouldn’t be easy, but she’d worked with tougher clients than this. Hell, she could floss her teeth with this guy. Now, if she could just manage to control herself…
Chapter 4: Chase
Chase took giant strides to stay ahead of Kate as they left Big Cal in silence and walked through the glossy halls of KinCo. He expected to hear the click of her heels scurrying to keep up, but instead, Kate hung back as if she was some dignitary he was escorting on a company tour. The faster he walked, the slower Kate followed. He felt the blood rising up past his collar and into his face.
Chase Kincaid did not need a Reputation Manager. The idea was ridiculous.
As he entered his office, he took a moment to smooth down his tie and gather his thoughts. This day was not going the way he had hoped.
When Kate caught up, he motioned for her to take the chair opposite his desk. She set her notebook on his desk, then sat easily, sweeping one perfect leg over the other and waited. A long moment passed as Chase looked across at Kate in exasperation, although he hoped it didn’t show. He silently considered how to break her down. To put her in a tiny little package he could put the lid on and keep in the corner until this month was over.
Chase waited for her to give in and say something. Instead, she looked at him patiently with her liquid blue eyes. He couldn’t believe he was letting this woman beat him at his own game. If he wasn’t careful, she would end up getting everything she wanted from him. He wasn’t sure yet what that was, but Kate was a Reputation Manager, and to him, that was the same as Professional Manipulator, so he knew it wouldn’t be good. He imagined himself in a clown costume with shackles and felt his blood pressure rise. He’d better change tactics and get the upper hand before she had him trailing out of here like a trained puppy.
He cleared his throat.
“Ms. Piper,” he began, “I’m sure you’re tired after your adventure filled ride from the airport, so let’s cut this short. How about you tell me what you need so I can get on with my day.”
Chase couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw the trace of a smile pass by Kate’s lips.
“I’m here to help you,” she said, then added, “I can do that if you’ll let me.”
“That’s sure nice of you, Ms. Piper. Thing is, I don’t need help.”
“Everybody needs help.”
He smiled and gave her his best Oh Shucks Oklahoma grin and ran his hands through his hair. “Well, I’m sure a lot of people do, Ms. Piper, and I’m sure you’ve seen a bunch.” He leaned forward. “I can only imagine the kind of shit you’ve shoveled.”
He watched her shift in her chair and continued. “Problem for you is, there’s nothing going on here that would require your type of service.”
“My type of service?” Kate asked. “What is that, exactly?”
Chase felt his jaw tighten. “My dirty laundry is not hanging outside my window for everybody to see. I’ve gone to great lengths to make sure I’m insulated.” Chase felt a stab in his heart as he admitted this. If Kate only knew how isolated he had made himself to protect his reputation she would pity him. “I don’t do drugs, I don’t send pictures of my genitals over social media. I don’t take secret trips to Bangkok. There has never been a sexual harassment suit at KinCo, on the books or off. So there are no skeletons that you need to dust off and put a pretty bow on.” He leaned back as if he had handily won the discussion. “If you would like me to have you set up at a corner desk where you can Google me all day for a month, I’d be happy to do that for you, although I’m sure that would be boring for someone like you.”
Kate cocked her head and smiled. “I’m sure you have done an excellent job managing your reputation…” She tapped her pen on her leg and looked around. “Until now. Even though your philosophy might be a little short sighted.”
“Are you trying to insult me?” Chase asked in astonishment.
“You make bumpers here, don’t you?” Kate asked.
Chase leaned back, unsure where she was going. “Bumpers? For cars? Yes, we do.”
“And a lot of time and engineering goes into those bumpers, I’m sure.”
“Right…”
“And the bumper has to be strong and protect the vehicle, no matter the risk or speed?”
“Right…”
“But you have a special kind of bumper that has an extra layer of resistance, right?”
Chase nodded.
“And this bumper is meant just as extra protection, right? All the engineering and heavy lifting is done by the car itself. The bumper just protects all the other work that’s gone into the body of the car.” She leaned forward and placed her palms on his desk. “Think of me as your bumper.”
As Chase let out a tiny laugh, he felt his blood-pressure drop back to a normal level. “You want to be my bumper.”
“I do.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Let me explain.”
“Please, do.”
Kate leaned back and crossed her legs. “You do a lot of work here. You create and manufacture a myriad of products successfully. You are a major employer. It’s impressive. But all this work,” she motioned with her hand, “all of it is at risk. All your work could be destroyed if this launch goes badly. You can control a lot of it, true. But a dent in your reputation is like a juggernaut that can fly out of control and destroy you. I’m sure you understand how important your reputation is to this launch.”
Kate watched as his eyebrows drew together and continued. “I’m sure you remember the launch of a very famous social media company―you might not participate in social media yourself, but this launch was big. You couldn’t have missed it.”
“Right…”
“Well, that CEO waltzed into a meeting with his investors wearing a hoodie and his valuation tanked. They didn’t trust his commitment because of his wardrobe. Something as simple as a hoodie can hurt your launch.” Kate took a beat to meet his gaze. “I can see already how important this is to you. You manage a myriad of quickly moving parts. Let me look out for the other things that might endanger the launch―things that you might not see coming.”
Chase felt the air go out of him. “I’m listening,” he said.
“Now more than ever, you need a barrier. Think of me as an extra layer of protection that covers all your hard work.” She smiled.
“Okay,” Chase said, “I’ll play along. How do you do that?”
“Reputation Management is an art. Instead of handling a crisis once it’s already started, my job is to anticipate problems and cut them off before they can grow and hurt you or your company. I do this by taking in all the information I can about you, your goals, any existing problems, and any potential enemies. I deduce likely scenarios. If there is any rumor, I change the narrative. If you have enemies, I anticipate and diffuse their next move. In other words, if anyone wants to hit you, I deflect them.” Kate put both of her hands flat on the desk and looked Chase in the eye. Her voice sank soft and low. “That’s what makes me a good bumper.”
Kate leaned back with an ease and power Chase had not seen before. He believed her. He felt a warm sensa
tion run through his chest as he took her in, so calm and sure. He wanted to climb over the desk and curl up in her lap. This was a whole new experience for him. “Alright,” he said, “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but what do you need from me?”
Kate grinned. “I need to interview you and your team. I need access to all your social media and PR materials. I’d like to get started right away if―”
Kate was interrupted by a buzz on his phone and a voice breaking in. “Chase, Peggy is here to see you.”
Chase exhaled and rubbed his brow. “Okay, let her in.”
The door burst open and a tall, thin woman strode in. “Cal told me but I couldn’t believe it,” she said, casting her eyes down to Kate. “I had to see it for myself. Reputation Manger, huh? My God, what will people start calling themselves tomorrow? Likability Monitor? Or, how about Confidence Enhancer? Yeah,” she practically spat, “some people will fall for anything if you let ‘em.”
Chase stood and stared at his aunt. “Peggy, let’s not rush to judgment.”
Kate stood and extended her hand. “Hello, Ms. Kincaid. Kate Piper.”
Peggy hesitated, then offered her fingers, bent at the wrist. “I’m not used to being second guessed,” Peggy said, “and frankly, I have not wrapped my head around just what you’re doing here.” She raised her shoulders as if in disbelief. “More evidence of my brother’s aging mind.”
“Aunt Peggy,” Chase interrupted, “hear Kate out. After listening to her, I have to say, I don’t see any harm in working with her.”
Peggy snickered. “I’m sure you’re just chomping at the bit to work with her, Chase.” Peggy shook her head, looking Kate up and down. “Men,” she added dismissively.
Kate smiled. “I think I have what I need to get started,” she said as she grabbed her bag. She paused at the door and turned to Chase. “Mr. Kincaid, we can pick this up again tomorrow.”
Chase stood, dumbfounded, as he watched her depart. Twenty minutes ago he couldn’t wait to get rid of this woman and now he wanted to run after her and ask her to come back. She had an unnerving effect on him. He must have had this written all over his face because Peggy snapped her fingers and said, “Hey, snap out of it, Chase. Keep it in your pants. We have a lot on the line here.”
Chase shook his head. Peggy was right. Of all the times in his life to get distracted by a woman, this was the worst. The thought of all the people depending on him rushed into his mind. She could do her work and he would do his, but if he couldn’t control how he felt about her, he’d better keep his distance.
Chapter 5: Kate
Kate slept better than she had in months. She stretched her limbs out beneath the thick, fluffy comforter and slowly opened her eyes. Morning sunlight was pouring through slats in the windows, bathing the room in a soft yellow light. There was a slight hum coming from outside. Kate blinked a few times, then bolted upright. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She wasn’t in Boston. She was inside a bungalow on the KinCo corporate housing compound.
Kate leapt out of bed and ran to the window. How late had she slept? She peered outside at the morning sun. Good. It wasn’t too late. She could jump in the shower and hurry to KinCo headquarters and beat most everyone there. She would arrive later than she liked, but still early enough to be respectable.
Outside her window she saw perfectly manicured lawns and sidewalks dotted with flower beds. The compound held about eight identical brick bungalows, as far as she could see, each linked to the other by a curving series of walkways. Last night, when she was about to leave KinCo, Constance had brought her a manila envelope filled with information about the company, her visitor ID, a parking pass, and a smaller envelope which held a key to this house. The key was attached to an information sheet with directions to the house, how to order groceries, and a copy of their No Smoking policy.
“I assumed I’d be staying in a hotel,” Kate said to Constance as she pulled out the key.
“Oh no, honey. There are no hotels anywhere near here. Cal’s parents built the bungalows in the thirties when housing was hard to find. Used to be all family, but now they like to keep a couple of houses empty for visitors.”
“I see. That’s nice.”
“It is. Lovely place. Cal and Rosemary are next door, and Chase is across the way, so it makes everything real easy.”
Kate peered out the window at the door directly across from hers. The blinds were drawn and there was no sign anyone was home. Kate wondered if Chase was in there. She shook her head as she remembered her reaction to meeting him in Cal’s office. Silly Kate, she thought. It’s not like you’ve never been near an attractive man before. Super attractive. Crazy attractive. Get it together, Kate, she scolded herself.
This was the most important job of her life and she felt like a dribbling idiot in his office. Once they were alone behind closed doors, she could barely speak. She had to keep coaching herself silently to get her head in the game. Her mind swirled with words but nothing would come out. She sat there like a mute. She hoped he didn’t notice. Thank goodness he spoke first and gave her time to get her thoughts in order.
After a good night’s sleep, and a chance to wrap her arms around how much this job could mean to her future, Kate was ready to dig in. She was going to annihilate this job. She was going to crush it.
Kate pried the window blinds open a little wider and looked once more at Chase’s bungalow across a perfect sea of green lawn. Only he stood between her and success. He wouldn’t be easy to manage, but he could see reason, and that was a good start. She bit down on her lip. He was also easy to look at. Good lord, that man could wear a suit. And a pair of jeans. She wondered if he was in that bungalow right now wearing anything at all. She shook her head, disgusted with herself. She let the blinds snap shut and shuffled off to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and check her email.
Kate leaned against the kitchen counter and set up her laptop. She opened Wi-Fi settings and saw a network, but she didn’t have the password. She reached for the manila envelope again and looked through the information. Drat. Nothing. She checked her phone. After updating Lindsey with all the sorted details of the day via text message, Lindsey flooded her email with various files on the company, but reading them on her phone would be a nightmare. She ran to turn on the shower. If she hurried into headquarters she could use the Wi-Fi there. She called Lindsey as she stripped off her clothes.
“Hey, girl,” Lindsey answered.
“Hey. Whatcha got? Besides mad skills, of course.”
“Not as much as you’d think, really.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Mr. Chase Kincaid, AKA the Hot Drifter, doesn’t seem to have many issues. He’s almost squeaky clean.”
“Huh. Well, I guess that makes things easier. Background?”
“Looks like Chase was raised out there in KinCo land, then, as a teenager, was sent off to prep school; he got a Bachelors in Business, and Masters in Business Economics. Ivy League, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Most of what I found percolated around that time and in the three or so years after he graduated.”
“Like what?”
“The typical. Pictures on social media of him partying, hanging onto girls, stumbling out of nightclubs, the usual.”
“Nothing crazy? That’s good.”
“Yeah, but about seven years ago he was highlighted in a national article on most eligible bachelors. And, by the way, holy crap that guy is hot!”
“He’s a client,” Kate said, mostly to remind herself.
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be ogled online by me and any other girl with a pulse,” Lindsey said. “His Internet presence shot up for a while. You know, Facebook posts of old pictures sprung up, lots of tweets. Rumors of romantic dalliances here and there. Then it looks like the KinCo racing team was involved in an accident. Chase was driving and some woman was hit on the raceway. After that, I couldn’t find much.”
“Hold up. KinCo has a racing team?”
“Had. Chase was the driver in several regional races, but then it looks like the team was disbanded. Nothing recent.”
“Okay, good. All we need is a 'fast-women, fast-cars' narrative to surface.”
“Nope, I don’t think so.”
Kate gripped the counter. “Good,” she said. “Hopefully, this will be smooth sailing. You got the NDA I sent you?”
“Yup, signed and returned, Captain, what’s up?”
“Good. Here’s the deal. KinCo is going public and Chase is taking over as CEO.”
“Holy Crap.”
“I know. If we can keep his nose clean and this IPO launches well, we are back in business, girl.”
There was a pause and Kate could hear Lindsey exhale. “That’s good news, Pipes.”
“Yeah.”
“You can’t hold a good woman down. And, hey, when it’s all over, can we rub it in Donna Ogrodnick’s dumb face?”
“Wouldn’t that be nice? But, no, we don’t rub,” said Kate. “Winning is enough.” She felt a simmering prick of anger at the mention of her old boss' name. Kate worked for Ogrodnick for six years before she'd had enough and quit. Ogrodnick would say fired, at least to anyone that would listen, but Kate always took the high road. When she went out on her own, Ogrodnick made it her mission to spread rumors and assassinate Kate’s character. The irony was never lost on Kate. She couldn’t do her job to help other people redeem themselves and save their reputations when her own reputation was being slaughtered. Kate felt a new flush of determination rise in her belly. “I’ve got to go. I need to get to the office and get to work.”
“It’s Saturday, Kate.”
Kate blinked. “What? Shoot. That’s right.” Her mind raced. She couldn’t lose two days when she only had six weeks on this job. “Okay, Lindz, thanks. Send me everything else you find.”
Chasing Kate (An American Dream Love Story Book 1) Page 3
