“No, of course not, that’s why you’ll have to stay and continue the job without me. A good part of it has already been written and sent to her. I’ve also dug out some family information. I want this completed as soon as possible.”
“Me, work with your writer? No, Granddad, that’s not possible. I’m too busy.”
“Of course it is. The two of you working together can get it done in no time. You can start tomorrow. I’ll join you in a few days.”
“No, that’s impossible. If you’ll remember I’m attending the commission meeting as well.”
“I’ll make your apologies,” he said firmly. “This is far more important.”
“Far more important than changing the direction of the company?” he asked. “More important than expanding our company and possibly altering the energy direction of the country and quite possibly the world?”
Jacob chuckled easily. “See, now that’s why you have the position you have. Your verbal skills are unmatched. You could talk the devil into central air conditioning. But it won’t work on me, not this time. My mind is made up and I think it’s an excellent solution,” Jacob said. “This way, Jo can get started, I’ll have my memoir working in my absence and you’ll be directly supervising the progress.”
“Granddad, I’ll tell you what, let’s just get you back to the cabin, I’ll wait for your writer and we can talk about it when I get there—if, of course, this writer of yours arrives.”
“She’ll arrive, you make sure of it,” Jacob insisted.
“Fine,” Andre conceded. Jacob nodded as he allowed Andre and his assistant to walk him through the terminal to his waiting car. Andre kept a steady pace showing no cause for concern or alarm. One thing that can be said for the Buchanans, they rose to every occasion publicly. They never showed weakness because appearance was everything. Always loyal and always family first, it’s how they were raised, it’s how they lived. In the public eye and under the media microscope, they each made sacrifices for the good of the company and the family. It was just expected.
Clearly he didn’t need this right now, he was stressed enough. After just arriving home from litigation in New York and before that handling the media frenzy in Los Angeles, he didn’t need this. He stood watching as his grandfather’s chauffeur and assistant got him in the sleek black town car and drove away. Thankfully the whole scene was kept low-key. The last thing he needed was to have the newspapers find out the patriarch of the Titan Energy Corporation was hanging out in the airport lounge waiting for a woman named Jo.
Andre turned and went back into the airport knowing that if he wrote a check large enough, this Jo would certainly turn around and head right back to wherever she came from. He stopped by the information desk and requested a page for Jo Butler every fifteen minutes for the next two hours. Afterward he decided to spare a few minutes looking around for Juneau’s newest arrival. Perhaps he’d take some time to get to know her before this next Buchanan implosion.
Chapter 3
They’d long since left the bright lights of Mendenhall Valley and were now headed toward downtown Juneau. Jo looked out the window to see what local sights she could see in the murky darkness. She knew that Juneau was tucked between the mountainous terrain on one side and a narrow body of water on the other, but seeing either was impossible. Adding to the darkness and lateness of the hour, visibility was decreased because a heavy saturating mist had settled over the area.
The cab continued traveling in complete darkness along Egan Drive. It had been only fifteen minutes, but it seemed a lot longer. Along with the mist came patches of an ice-cold drizzle. It fell like a curtain and for a time she focused on the cab’s wiper blades as they pushed the frozen rain aside.
It had gotten colder outside. She shivered and gathered her heavyweight jacket closer around her neck. What was she thinking? Obviously late summer in Alaska wasn’t exactly late summer everywhere else. In actuality, it was more like winter in her hometown of Florida. But she could take it. She could take anything at this point. After all, she was in Alaska about to complete the perfect assignment.
Every biographer she knew would give their right arm to be in her place. She eased back, closed her eyes and considered her upcoming assignment. The jovial voice of Jacob Buchanan came to mind. They’d had several phone conversations. He’d been the perfect gentleman, charming, attentive and charismatic. How could she possibly turn him down when he suggested she continue the interviews and research immediately? She smiled just thinking of him. But she cautioned herself not to grow too attached to her client. She made that mistake the last time and it was a disaster.
Detached and remote, facts only, she reminded herself. Don’t get personally involved. Although she’d found Jacob charming and congenial she knew that a man like him had to have more skeletons in his closet than the local cemetery. Since the project originally started two years ago, she needed to refresh what she knew about her client.
Jacob, son of Louis Buchanan, was a billionaire businessman recently retired after the death of his wife. He became chairman emeritus of Titan, leaving running the company to his son and family. Although his father, Louis, started the company, it was Jacob’s insight that took it in a new direction and made it one of the most successful small oil companies in the world. She reviewed several more facts then took a deep breath. Taking on this job was guaranteed to be nerve-wracking, but she looked forward to it.
Still chilly, she quieted her chattering teeth and drifted off calmly, peacefully to a place between sleep and consciousness. She rested comfortably for a while until troubled half dreams intruded, centered on past drama and strife. Then feeling the cab’s slight jarring bump, she jumped and opened her eyes. The bridge was ahead. She knew she was close. “Do you know of a ferry that crosses here?” she asked.
“This time of night, other than the bridge, swimming’s the only other way to get to Douglas Island, lady. The ferry’s closed for the night,” he said, adding a gruff chuckle at the end.
“Thanks,” Jo replied tartly, noting his sarcasm. She tried to relax against the backseat again, but found it impossible. She was too excited. She closed her eyes thinking about the last few months. She’d gone through hell and back, her reputation had been trashed and her career was teetering on the edge of an abyss. She needed this time away, but most of all she needed this job.
Eventually she felt the cab’s slight bump then back to the steadiness. She opened her eyes just as the cab cleared the bridge. Just as she relaxed her cell rang. “Hello?”
“Hello, my dear,” Jacob said in a welcoming tone. The genuine softness in his voice set her at ease instantly. Old enough to be her grandfather, at least, she found that she’d been looking forward to hearing his voice.
“Hi, Jacob, I’m in a cab, I’m on my way to your house now.”
“Oh, well, that’s good to hear. I think I missed you at the airport, damn crowded terminals.”
“That’s okay, are you still there?” she asked, looking around at the darkness again.
“No, I’m on my way home as well, but my grandson is. I’ll call him and let him know that you’ve already arrived.”
“Your grandson?”
“Yes, Andre, I believe I mentioned him to you, didn’t I?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Jo said, without adding more. It had been two years and her outdated research had been primarily centered on Jacob and his father, but she still remembered Andre Buchanan. He was a man few women could forget. As soon as she reconfirmed the assignment, the first thing she did was to gather and review her old notes and reacquaint herself with current information on Jacob and the immediate family.
It hit her, the man at the airport, minus the beard of two years ago. “It was him,” she said aloud.
“Excuse me,” Jacob said of her odd remark.
“Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud,” she said. “I promise to be on my best behavior. Your grandson will adore me.”
“That’s exactly wh
at I wanted to hear,” Jacob said.
She looked out of the cab’s side window. “Jacob, my cab just crossed the bridge onto Douglas Island.”
“Excellent, you should be there shortly. I’ll phone ahead to have the gates open. I’m certainly looking forward to finally meeting you.”
“Me, too, I’ll see you soon,” she said, then closed her cell and smiled. Just the brief conversation was all she needed to ease her frayed nerves. And of course there was Andre.
Since the job had ended so suddenly and she wasn’t exactly up on oil and energy now, she hadn’t heard about or seen Andre Buchanan in two years. No wonder she didn’t recognize him without his beard. She smiled, remembering a few not-so-chaste fantasies she had had about him at the time. “Good Lord,” she muttered.
The cab driver looked up in the rearview mirror, “What’s that?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said, slightly embarrassed by her thoughts.
It had been two years since she’d seen a photo of him. In that time she hadn’t thought about him or any of the Buchanans since the job ended midway through. They didn’t know each other, they didn’t travel in the same social circles and she had no reason after all this time to even consider him. But if memory served, Andre Buchanan was the most elusive front man she had ever read about. They called him the charmer. Supposedly he was so charming, yet evasive, cunning and persuasive, that when he spoke, the media was instantly enamored. He was vice president of PR, but apparently stayed completely out of the limelight himself.
She remembered his academic background and his professional accomplishments, but everything else was, as per the Buchanan family, a complete mystery. She also remembered that he was considered smooth, cagey and would probably be impossible to circumvent when it came to getting information. Thankfully she’d be dealing directly with Jacob. But it wouldn’t hurt to loosen up and use her charms on Andre a bit. The more family support she got the better.
Several miles down the road, driving in almost darkness the cab driver finally stopped and shifted to park. He glanced in the rearview mirror at her. “All right, what now?” he huffed.
Jo looked up and saw that they’d stopped in front of a tall iron gate. There was a call box off to the side. “Push the button,” she said. He did. Nothing happened. He pushed it again. Again nothing happened.
“Doesn’t look like they’re expecting you,” he said gruffly. She didn’t reply. Then without warning a green light shined and the gate unlocked and opened slowly. The cab drove forward down a well-lit path then turned into an open area parking in front of a large structure. She paid and thanked him with a large tip then covered her head with her hood and got out. Seconds later the trunk popped open. Just as she grabbed the handle of a small valise, the cab driver hurried to assist her. “I’ll get these up on the porch for you,” he said.
He made two trips piling the cases at the front door. Joanna thanked him again as she climbed the steps with her purse and laptop. “Looks like you’ve got company,” the cabbie said, looking behind her down the driveway at the approaching car. Joanna turned around to see a large black car pull up and stop behind the cab. “Have a good one,” the cabbie added, as he went back to his car, got in and drove back down the long driveway.
The car’s driver quickly got out just as the back door opened on the opposite side. The driver hurried around to hold open the door as an older gentleman got out. He looked up at Jo standing on the porch and smiled. “Jo Butler, I presume.” She nodded and smiled. “At last,” he said happily.
Jacob, along with his assistant, walked up the steps to meet Jo. He took her offered hand, shook it and then kissed her cheek. “It’s a great pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, my dear. After all of our phone conversations and interviews, I feel like we’ve known each other for years.”
“I feel the same way, Jacob. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I still can’t believe I have this opportunity. It’s truly an honor to work with you. You’re a legend.”
Jacob chuckled. “Well, I certainly hope not, at least not yet. Come along, let’s get you out of this damp weather. This is Bane, my personal assistant.” They greeted each other with a polite nod. Bane opened the front door. Jo turned to retrieve her luggage. “Don’t worry about that, Bane will take care of them.”
“Thank you,” she said, as Bane began gathering her luggage.
“Sure,” Bane said, with an easy smile.
“Come in, come in. Let’s get you inside and dry. I’m sure you’re not used to our weather just yet.”
“Actually it is a bit surprising. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I looked up the weather for Alaska online. I’m just glad I packed warm clothing.”
“This is the rainy season. This time of year Alaskan weather can be unpredictable, cold one day, warm the next. Come, dry yourself by the fire or would you rather freshen up first?”
“Actually, freshening up sounds like a great idea. I’ve been traveling since early this morning.”
“Of course. Bane, please show Ms. Butler to the guest room.”
“Sure,” Bane said, already loaded down with several pieces of her luggage. He waited on the first landing as Joanna walked to the stairs to follow him.
“When you’re done just come back down, we’ll have a nice chat before dinner’s ready. I hope you’re hungry?” he asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I’m starved.”
“Excellent, a woman with a hearty appetite. I’ll meet you back here in the drawing room in, let’s say, forty-five minutes?”
“Yes, perfect,” she said, following Bane upstairs.
They walked up what could have been considered a grand staircase, had it not been for the complete lack of posh. As with the rest of the house, everything seemed purposely understated. With the money Jacob had, she assumed he lived in the lap of luxury, but instead, his home was more like an oversized cabin in the woods.
“So, Bane,” she began, following him down the lengthy hall. “Tell me, is Jacob always so friendly?”
“He’s exactly the same as long as I’ve known him.”
“How long have you worked for him?” she queried.
“Not long, a few years or so, give or take,” he said.
“So what do you do around here?”
“What don’t I do around here?” he joked easily.
“Are you from the area? Alaska, I mean.”
“Sometimes it feels like it, although I guess no one is originally from anyplace anymore.”
“You’re probably right,” she said, realizing that he hadn’t actually answered any of her questions with a definitive reply.
“This house is beautiful,” she said as he stopped at a door and set one piece of luggage down. He opened the door then stepped back to allow her to enter first. Jo walked in and was instantly astonished by its beauty. “Wow, this is for me, are you sure?”
“Positive,” Bane said, grabbing the case he had set down then following her inside.
Jo turned and smiled. “Aha, so you can give me a straight answer.”
Bane chuckled and looked away slightly embarrassed. “Well, after a while you learn to play cards close to the chest.”
“I completely understand. Don’t worry, I’m not here to write a scathing exposé, just a facts-only bio. So unless you have a mass of information about Jacob’s childhood, I wouldn’t worry about me using anything you say.”
“Thanks, Ms. Butler.”
“Please, call me Jo,” she said.
“Thanks, Jo.” He proceeded to show her around the guest suite pointing out the bathroom and a sitting room with a huge walk-in closet, and a balcony. There was also a small alcove set up like an office with a desk, chair and bookshelf.
“This is perfect. Thanks, Bane.”
“Anytime. I’ll get the rest of your luggage up here while you’re at dinner. I think I’ll check on Jacob now,” he said as he walked a few steps and turned back to her. “To answer your questio
n, yes, Jacob’s a great man. I’ve known him all my life. When my mom died my sister and I came to live with my grandmother who worked for his late wife. When my grandmother died Jacob and his wife kind of adopted us into the family, and I’ve been here ever since. He’s a good man.”
Jo nodded, touched by his story. “I agree. He is a good man. I’ll see you downstairs in a few.”
When Bane closed her door Jo walked over to the bed, held her arms out wide and collapsed back. The giddy feeling of being here completely immersed her in calm. She looked up at the vaulted fifteen foot ceiling beyond the large four-poster bed. The room was like a suite at some grand hotel. She could definitely see herself getting used to this. Her condo in New Jersey, as nice and comfortable as it was, didn’t even compare.
A few minutes later she opened a suitcase, grabbed a fresh outfit and hurried into the bathroom. Ten minutes later she emerged wearing jeans and a hunter green sweater with simple jewelry and feeling completely refreshed. She checked out the office area again noting anything she might need and then headed downstairs.
As she came down the steps the front door opened. A man entered talking on his cell as a cold wind blew in behind him. She continued down the steps observing him curiously. From behind he looked familiar. Then it hit her, it was the man from the airport, tall, dark and gorgeous. The corner of her mouth curved upward. So this is Andre Buchanan.
The conversation, which began on the phone shortly after Andre left the airport, lasted for the next fifteen minutes. The two men talked about myriad topics ranging from the current political climate and his chances of unseating the local senator to the end result of his New York and Los Angeles trips. Andre assured his father that as far as he was concerned, everything was under control.
They went on to discuss the meeting the next day and the best way to garner the additional support they needed to keep control of their interest without being swallowed up by the larger companies. The idea of mergers and hostile takeovers wasn’t completely foreign. It had been tried many times. For some reason the idea of a prosperous, exclusively African-American-owned oil company was bait for every would-be game hunter in the northern hemisphere.
When It Feels So Right Page 3
