“Because you have one of their houses,” Kasey shrugged, annoyed by Renee’s boasting, as if she had earned the boost in sales.
“Because I’m a business woman.” She crossed her arms as she corrected Kasey, eyeing her closely before she continued. “The acquisition has afforded us a new office building, where we are relocating staff, in addition to the new benefits we’ll be offering all of our leading earners,” she grinned.
“This isn’t right, Renee. What you did to Jay is wrong.” Kasey could hold back no longer as her disgust for Renee multiplied with every word she spoke.
“Kasey, I thought you were a business woman. If you can’t handle how business works, maybe this isn’t the right place for you,” Renee threatened, as she raised her eyebrows expectantly.
“I think you’re right, Renee. Rockwell Publishing might not be a good fit for me,” Kasey heard herself say, instantly feeling the fear of unemployment crawling up her shoulders.
“Well, I was just going to tell you about the raises we’re giving to those we value most. Yours has already been decided to be a five figure payout. All you have to do is help with the onboarding at the new office.” The arrogance had evaporated from her tone, leaving nothing but worry as she pleaded with Kasey to stay longer.
“No, I don’t think I’ll be able to do that,” Kasey decided without a second to deliberate. She knew that what Renee offered her was blood money, and she wanted nothing to do with it. “Good luck with your new business, Renee.” She turned to leave, but Renee’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Where do you think you’ll go? No one wants you, Kasey. You’re not the superstar we thought. Jay came by yesterday to let me know he didn’t want you working for him anymore. He asked for the company back instead. You’ll never find work in this city again,” Renee had returned to her condescending normalcy, and Kasey pretended to be unbothered as she flashed a smile before leaving the office one last time.
Moving quickly, she gathered the few personal items she had in her office before leaving the busy company that seemed to be growing too fast for its own good. What did Renee know about managing two publishing houses? She could barely keep one above water.
Kasey tried to focus on the business because her chest was heavy with what Renee said about Jay not wanting her at his company anymore. Maybe he had come to his senses and realized that Kasey wasn’t worth his company—or even worse, maybe he wasn’t interested in her at all. A man like Jay could easily find another woman overnight, Kasey had always feared he would tire of her.
As she made her way through Rockwell Publishing for the last time, carrying a cardboard box like so many other employees, she forced the negative thoughts to the back of her mind. Renee only wanted to get in her head, but Jay was the only person who could tell her the truth. She needed to hear from him exactly what was going on, and she planned to do just that.
Chapter 43
Jay
Richard Lawson was the best lawyer in Minnesota, and had represented Passions Publishing since Jay founded the company in college. While Jay liked to consider Richard a friend, there was no discount on his services, and in the hour he’d sat in his office recounting every detail he could remember, Passions Publishing had racked up a bill larger than the average mortgage payment.
“So, after the oral agreement, you had paperwork drawn up?” Richard asked Jay, who was now slouching in the stiff chair across from the glass topped desk.
“She did,” Jay corrected him, perking up in his seat at the possibility of good news.
“Mmm hmm,” Richard said, jotting down notes on his legal pad.
“What do you think?” Jay asked.
“You know I’m going to give it to you straight, Jay.” Richard began, and Jay knew there was no good news to come. He placed his pen on the desk gently before continuing with his undivided attention. “I’ve looked over the contract, and regardless of the wording, there is no way she can guarantee another person’s employment. Without Kasey’s involvement, there’s no way Renee could offer such an exchange.”
“So, that makes the contract void, right?” Jay was on the edge of his seat now, hopeful and doubtful all at the same time.
“Not exactly. Everything in the contract is legally binding, Jay. You made an agreement, and Renee’s legal team worded it very inconspicuously, which will make it hard to fight in court.”
“She’s a snake.”
“I can’t believe you did business with her. All these years, she’s done nothing but steal your ideas and staff. I’ve got to ask about the change of heart,” Richard asked, with sincerity in his eyes.
“Sheer stupidity,” Jay answered flatly, feeling the last of his hope sink to the endless pit in his stomach.
Richard nodded slowly before rising from his seat and walking to a bookshelf across his office. He opened a cabinet to reveal a few glass bottles, retrieving a bottle of Glenlivet Scotch and two glasses.
“You need a drink, my friend.” Richard poured a double into both glasses, handing one to Jay before sitting across from him in a leather seat.
“Thanks,” Jay took a gulp of the Scotch, exhaling as the amber liquid warmed his chest. Leaning his head back, he racked his brain for solutions that had eluded him for days. He knew there had to be a way out of the deal, he just couldn’t figure out what it was.
“It’s not the worst thing, Jay. A shake-up has been known to ignite companies,” Richard added, taking a sip of his Scotch.
“Well, this is definitely a shake-up, that’s for sure.” Jay lifted the cup until he’d drank all of the alcohol before placing the tumbler on the glass table between them.
“My advice would be for you to think of ways to diversify. So, don’t just rebuild what you lost, think about a better way to add to the existing publishing houses. I mean, you’re not starting from zero. You have options,” Richard added, taking another swig of his drink.
“I hope you weren’t drinking with your previous meeting. I like sober advice,” Jay joked.
“You’ll notice I didn’t chug mine like I was twenty-one,” he shot back, glancing at Jay’s empty glass.
“Oh, fuck! This is a disaster!” Jay exclaimed, more to himself than Richard.
He’d been holding back his disappointment, but now that Richard had all but assured him that there was no fixing his misstep, it felt like too much to take. Jay was always the smart one in business, never risking too much, but this was more than anyone could imagine. He’d practically given the company away.
“You’ve given yourself the opportunity to rebuild, fresh!” Richard somehow managed to remain optimistic, and Jay tried to accept his lawyer’s feedback, but it was difficult.
“I’m going to head back to the office,” Jay solemnly announced, slowly rising from his seat. He was a little foggy after the drink, but knew he needed to get to work finding a solution.
“I won’t stop working on this, Jay,” Richard reminded him, shaking his hand before walking Jay to the door of his office.
“Sounds good.”
The ride back to the office was like all Jay’s recent—silent. Danny had learned to keep his thoughts to himself after Jay snapped at him the previous day. His temper was flaring nonstop, always seconds away from an explosion.
Leaning back against the headrest, Jay felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. There was no new news to tell Mitchell, and he had to own up to the consequences they would face as a company, whatever they may be.
He had always downplayed Renee’s ability to offer any real competition, but she had gotten the better of him in their exchange, and for that he was sick. It was losing that felt worse than anything else. He had nothing to show for his loss, and Renee was gloating in her success.
“You can leave for the day, Danny. I’ll be in the office late,” Jay announced to Danny’s surprise. Almost all of his instructions recently had come directly from Jessica, Jay’s assistant.
“I won’t be far, so if you need me, do
n’t hesitate,” Danny added, as Jay exited the backseat. He’d been trying to think of ways to assist his boss, but when it came to business, Jay was the expert.
“Hi, Mr. Canton!” A blonde woman cheered as he entered Passions Publishing. Jay waved, though he was unable to muster a smile.
He tried reminding himself of all the people depending on him, but nothing seemed to fix his mood. As far as he was concerned, he’d ruined the company.
Taking the back way, he hoped to avoid Mitchell, who would have the right to be more upset at the news that they were stuck with the deal Jay struck. While he couldn’t avoid him forever, Jay wasn’t ready to face him just yet.
The office was buzzing, as the staff held meetings and creative brainstorming sessions as if everything was normal. He waved as the employees called out to him, before ducking into his office.
He was shocked to see Kasey standing next to the bar in the corner of his office. She looked pale, and a bit disheveled, but still beautiful. Wearing a black shift dress and high heels, she looked sleek and professional. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with small diamond earrings sparkling in the sunlight.
“You look like you need a drink,” she said, after Jay failed to acknowledge her.
He was staring in disbelief, wondering if it was the whiskey playing games with his mind. He didn’t know if she knew all he’d gone through to get her back, but now it was too late.
“I’ve already had too much,” Jay groaned, rubbed his eyes before running his fingers through his hair.
“Then let me take you to lunch,” she responded quickly, too quickly. “I need to talk to you.”
Jay could sense that she was not taking no for an answer. Kasey had come to his office with a mission, and he knew her well enough to know she would not back down easily. She was much like him, unwilling to take no for an answer without at least putting up a fight.
“Where do you want to go?” Jay asked, just to drag out her plan.
“We can go wherever you want, but I had a place in mind.”
“I want to go to Migos,” he suggested, bringing a smile to her face. It was the first time he’d seen her relax in a while, and he took the first deep breath he’d had in days.
“You remembered,” she blushed.
“I did,” he nodded, still unable to smile himself.
“Okay, Migos it is.”
“Should I call my driver?” he asked.
“No need, I’ll drive you,” she quickly replied, heading towards the door.
Jay paused, enjoying watching her body sway with every step before falling in behind her. His plan to get back to work had been easily pushed aside, but he had no regret. He needed to hear Kasey out, regardless of what she wanted to say. He felt he owed her that much, so he went along, anxious to hear what she had to say.
Chapter 44
Kasey
“What do you usually get?” Jay asked, as the waiter stood beside their table with his notepad in hand.
“Let’s start with two margaritas,” Kasey answered for the both of them, dismissing the waiter.
“I don’t drink tequila, Kasey.”
Jay was irritable and frustrated beyond all measure. The man who never let on what he was thinking or feeling, was showing his cards as he now wore his feelings plastered on his sleeve. Kasey was unsure about how to continue, but she knew that delaying it would only make him more upset.
“I don’t want to waste your time,” she began, nervously glancing at Jay, who clenched his teeth so tightly she could see his jawline clearer than ever.
“Well, I’m glad. I don’t have time to spare at the moment,” he responded curtly, glancing at his diamond encrusted watch.
“I want to talk about this whole shake-up between you and Renee.” It wasn’t exactly a question, but Kasey was simply trying to understand what was going on.
It was unlike Jay to make a bad decision in the business arena, and she still hadn’t accepted that he would risk so much for her. There had to be some sort of explanation. She’d been trying to convince herself, but had yet to figure out what it was.
The waiter gave Jay a few more moments to think, as he delivered their bright green drinks to Jay’s disgust. From the look on his face, Kasey was sure he wouldn’t take one sip of the beverage. She anxiously nodded, dismissing the waiter hoping Jay would answer her.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked instead, putting the ball back in her court.
It was a clear indication to Kasey—Jay didn’t want to talk about the details because it was a failed attempt on his part. While she wasn’t certain what the attempt was, her confidence was increasing by the second, as she pondered the possibility of him risking so much for her.
“Why did you do it?”
Kasey was past the games. She wanted to know the truth, and felt no need to sugar coat her curiosity. If Jay had sacrificed one of his companies for her, she wanted to know.
He glared across the table, his blue eyes piercing into her as he squinted, surely trying to read her. Kasey always felt like he had the rare ability to know how she was feeling without her admission, but this time he appeared stumped. When he took a small sip of the margarita, she knew he was stalling.
“How do you even drink this?” he winced, wiping his mouth with the paper napkin.
“First of all, it’s not about how it tastes, but where it takes you. Second, you didn’t answer my question.”
“Well, I don’t want to go anywhere that nasty thing will take me,” pointing at the drink with disgust, before he finished his thought. “And as far as the deal with Renee, what is there to discuss? You want to break down business strategy?”
Jay’s poker face was flawless as he looked across the table with supreme confidence, but deep in her heart, Kasey believed he had made the sacrifice specifically for her.
“Oh, so it was just a business strategy?” she quipped.
“What else would it be?” Jay tightened his jaw, challenging her to question him, but the only way she could was to put him on his heels by revealing what she had learned from Renee.
She didn’t want to embarrass him. Regardless of his intentions, by now he had to understand that he’d made a bad call. She had sensed the defeat from the second he walked into his office looking less like himself than she’d ever seen before. The last thing she wanted to do was kick him while he was down, so she thought of ways to build him up instead.
“I never signed any of my authors to Rockwell,” she blurted out, before she could form a complete sentence.
“What does that mean?” Jay looked offended, but she knew if he could understand her reasoning, he’d lighten up. All Kasey wanted to do was help; to show that she was as committed as he was, if he was still interested. She wanted to work with him to rebuild the empire she’d admired since college.
“I can bring them to Passions, and it will help the financial burden,” she wondered if her words were too harsh. When his eyebrows raised, just before his lips curled to one side, she had her answer.
Jay didn’t speak a word, instead he slowly reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket before withdrawing his wallet and placing a one hundred dollar bill on the table, much more than the cost of their drinks.
“Jay, what are you doing?” Kasey asked, annoyed with herself for pressing too hard.
“I don’t need authors, Kasey. I have to get back to the office. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Jay, that’s more than we would have ever spent on lunch,” she stated the obvious, but it didn’t prompt as much as a pause from Jay.
“Order something you wouldn’t usually order then. Thanks for stopping by,” he said, lifting the left side of his lips slightly, but it didn’t qualify as a smile.
“Jay!” Kasey called after him, but she was drowned out by the noise of the restaurant.
“Are you leaving already?” the waiter asked.
“Uh, no. Can I have these drinks to go?” she asked, before placing to-go orders for
meals for herself and Nicole. It was time for another talk with her best friend, the only person who seemed to understand her these days.
Unwilling to bombard her in the midst of her work day as usual, Kasey waited for Nicole’s scheduled lunch time in the park across from the doctor’s office. By the time Nicole strolled onto the cement pathway, outlined on both sides by an array of tulips and sunflowers, Kasey had created a spread on the flannel blanket she had found in her trunk.
“Did you really set up a picnic for me? This must be major news,” Nicole grinned, while kneeling down on the blanket.
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 47
