by Ava Miles
“I am,” she said, realizing how precious the feeling was. “And on what I thought was going to be one of the most stressful days ever.”
He tugged on her hand to settle her onto his chest. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? How special? Moira…”
This time she felt his vulnerability. “What?”
“You’ve been the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
He’d started out great, but she wasn’t sure how to read the rest of his comment. It was like he was already leaving her. A sharp stab of fear drove her to her feet.
“I need to shower and dress. I can drop you off before heading in. Lots to finalize.”
“Get going,” he said, pulling her down for one final kiss. “I don’t want to be the one to blame if the details don’t come together brilliantly.”
“That’s my responsibility,” she said, heading to the bathroom to get ready.
Throughout the day, she continued to supervise the last-minute preparations for the fundraiser. Gary was a huge help, doing everything from moving tables that needed to be adjusted a few feet to the right of the stage to tracking down a 9V battery for one of the musician’s electric violins.
Abbie had done a bang-up job with the flowers. The wine-colored tables were topped with towers of white orchids in three-foot-high glass vases lined with sea shells. Natalie was running a tight ship with the catering staff, and she and Moira exchanged a high-five every time they crossed paths. Even Mac came in to check on the progress.
“I know you could have used the university’s ballroom since Artemis is going to share its campus,” he said, “but we’re happy you chose The Grand.”
“I knew our elite guests would enjoy the ambience of your beautiful hotel,” she told him. “Besides, most of them are staying here, so it’s easier for them. Plus, your food is better than the university’s.”
He laughed. “I would hope so. Between Chef T and your sister, I know you’re in good hands. Have a wonderful fundraiser, Moira.”
“Thank you, Mac,” she said.
As promised, Evan arrived at around three o’clock, four hours before the official start time, to check things out. He’d been in meetings all day.
“Hey! This looks like one hell of a party.” He unbuttoned his suit jacket. “Do you think I could snag a late invite, or would I need to crash it?”
She laughed, watching as Gary ran over to his hero’s side. He’d been working hard with her all day, as eager to make this fundraiser a success as she was.
“We’ve hired Peggy to bust any crashers,” she said, biting her lip to keep a straight face.
“We did?” Gary asked. “I didn’t know that. Man, that’s super cool!”
Evan slapped him on the back. “She’s joking.” Then his whole face turned tense. “Of course, if Chase had his way, we would have hired her.”
“Holy shit,” she heard Gary say.
“Maurie!” Evan quickly called out. “The party hasn’t started yet.”
Moira bristled at the sound of the man’s name. Turning to look over her shoulder, she watched as a distinguished silver-haired man in a perfectly cut suit strolled toward them. Of course, she’d looked up pictures of him online, wanting to be alert to his presence because of how much he upset Chase. He was nearing fifty, she’d read, and recently freed of his third marriage to a woman half his age. Strikingly handsome, his teeth flashed white as he smiled at their small group.
“I thought I’d swing by and say hello before things got too busy,” Maurie said. “Evan, it’s good to see you. I was so sorry to hear about Chase’s accident. Is he able to make it tonight?”
It sounded like he meant every word.
“Of course, he’s coming,” Evan said. “You know Chase. Nothing is going to stop him.”
“Of course not,” Maurie said, shaking his hand. “One of the strongest, most determined men I know. I admire the hell out of him. And you too. Evan, Artemis is going do a lot of wonderful work in the world. Before you tell me more about how it came to you, please introduce me to your friends.”
Maurie turned to look at Moira, and that was when she felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck. This man looked at a person, and he oozed charisma. She’d realized he would have to have “something” to be as successful as he was. But this? She hadn’t expected it.
“Maurie Wallins of K-Barker. Please meet Moira Hale, the amazing and talented director of Artemis,” Evan said. “We’re lucky to have her.”
“Not a relation of the famed Arthur Hale?” Maurie asked. “But you must be. The coincidence would be too great in such a small town.”
“He’s my great-uncle,” she said.
He extended his hand to hers. When she met it, he held it. “Arthur has interviewed me a few times in my career. He’s one of the canniest journalists I’ve ever met. I read his Op-Ed every Sunday. Great stuff. Evan was smart to bring you in. I’ll bet you’re as marvelous as your great-uncle.”
Moira didn’t know all the details of Chase’s dislike for the man. Granted, they were competitors, but this man didn’t seem like the devil incarnate or even a slick used car salesman.
“Thank you,” she said, disengaging from the handshake. “He’s a great role model. Maurie, this is Gary Frehlich. He’s one of the brightest engineering students here at Emmits Merriam. We’re also lucky to have him working with us part-time at Artemis while he’s finishing his doctorate.”
Gary thrust out his hand. “Mr. Wallins! It’s an honor to meet you, sir. Wow. I’m in the same room as Evan Michaels and Maurie Wallins. If I died right now—”
“Please don’t, Gary,” she told him, putting her hand on his arm to calm him a touch. “We need your help.”
Maurie shook Gary’s hand and pumped. “I like your enthusiasm, young man. Are you going to be one of the inventors at Artemis?”
“Maybe, sir,” Gary said. “I’m graduating in the spring and still trying to decide whether I want to apply for Artemis or jump right into the workforce. I’d love to work for R&D at a company like Evan’s. Or yours, of course. Quid-Atch and K-Barker have been my dream companies since I was a sophomore.”
“You should give me your resume before I leave,” Maurie said. “Oops. Sorry, Evan. Was that out of line? I must have been swept away by this young man’s enthusiasm. Of course, you’d love to have him work with you.”
“I only want Gary to be happy,” Evan said with a brief gesture of his hand. “If that’s with Quid-Atch, Artemis, or even K-Barker, that’s up to him. I’m happy he’s decided to be with us for now.”
Moira took note of Evan’s response. Again, she remembered Chase and Evan’s disagreement about inviting Quid-Atch’s competitors. Evan seemed to view them as less of a threat than Chase did.
Maurie clapped Evan on the back. “That relieves my mind. Gary, you decide what will make you happy like Evan says. If you want to give me your resume tonight, please feel free. And Moira, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can speak more tonight at the party. Is your great-uncle joining us, by chance? I’d love to catch up with him.”
She smiled, remembering her uncle’s complaints about having to iron a suit for tonight’s shindig. “Yes, he is. Big news for the paper.”
“Indeed,” Maurie said. “I’ll let you all get back. So happy I ran into you early.”
As he strode off, Gary did a dance in a circle. “Holy shit. Holy shit. That was Maurie Wallins. I mean like, wowza.” He put a hand over his heart and swayed in place. “You guys are the biggest shit in the whole fucking world.”
“Gary,” Moira said, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Let’s try to leave out those words tonight around our guests.”
“You mean I can come to the party?” he asked.
She hadn’t really thought about it, so she glanced at Evan for approval. He was still looking at the ballroom doors Maurie had passed through, lost in thought.
“Evan?”
&
nbsp; “Sure,” he said, rebuttoning his jacket. “I need to get going. It looks like the preparations are coming along. Moira, do you need anything?”
“No,” she said, “I’m good. Last rounds are at five thirty, and then I’m off to get dressed.”
“I’m going to get Chase,” Evan told her. “We have some meetings with a few people before the party starts. Text me if something comes up.”
Like she would interrupt their meetings for anything less than a disaster.
“See you later,” Moira said. “Seven o’clock sharp, remember?”
“Would I be late for my own party?” he asked. “It’s Margie I feel bad for. This sucker is going to stretch way past her normal bedtime.”
“I doubt Margie’s worried about that,” she said.
Evan clapped his hand on Gary’s shoulder. “I meant what I said. I can’t promise you anything, but you know how much I value you. You know you can use me as a reference for a job. And Moira here too. Except for the invention program at Artemis, of course.”
“Moira explained conflicts of interest to me,” Gary said. “Thanks, Evan. I feel like I’m Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, walking on the Yellow Brick Road.”
“Don’t wear the ruby slippers,” Evan told him. “See you both later.”
After Evan left, Gary grabbed Moira by both shoulders. “Do you think I have time to run back to my dorm and print off my resume for Mr. Wallins? Shit, I need to change too. Oh my God, is my one suit going to be okay? I wore it for my grandpa’s funeral. It’s—”
“Gary, it will be fine,” she said, checking her watch. “Everything looks like it’s on track.”
“It’s pretty great of Evan to be so cool about me giving Mr. Wallins my resume, don’t you think? He was my hero before, but now… He’s like Jesus or something.”
“I doubt he’d enjoy being likened to the son of God, but I get your point. Go on, Gary. And make sure you print that resume on high-quality resume paper. Not the regular kind you turn in to professors.”
“Resume paper?” he asked. “What the hell is that? Oh my God, I’m going to screw this up, aren’t I?”
Because she loved Gary, she put her hand on his back to calm him. “I have some resume paper at my house from when I was applying for jobs. Let’s wrap things up here, and then we’ll get it.”
“Moira, you’re the best!” He kissed her quickly on the cheek. “You’re my new hero. I mean…my future has never looked so awesome.”
Hearing that made her all the more convinced she was exactly where she was meant to be, working in Dare Valley as Artemis’ director, helping young people like Gary. Some aspects of the future might still be a question mark, but at least she knew that.
Chapter 32
Chase was seeing red. If he’d been a bull, he would have stomped the ground underneath him and charged straight toward his mortal enemy, Maurie Wallins. As if the mess with Gopal hadn’t been bad enough, the man was now trying to steal one of their most critical teaming partners on the bid.
“Let me remind you, Douglas,” he told the president of their largest subcontractor, “that you committed to Quid-Atch’s bid over a year ago. We outlined a scope of work and a range of the possible level of effort—something you know I don’t usually do—in the teaming agreement.” Douglas Gadwershay, president of GreenSolutions, always drove a hard bargain, but he was pushing the limit this time.
“This isn’t personal, Chase,” Douglas said, tapping the massive table in the conference room they sometimes rented for business meetings like this at The Grand. “You know we work with both you and K-Barker depending on who we think is best positioned to win. We’re not dropping out of the bid to join Maurie’s team, but we have serious concerns about how things have been handled with Gopal. You know he worked for us in Brussels. He’s really upset about being caught in the middle between Quid-Atch and K-Barker.”
Chase wasn’t alone for this shit show—Evan, Rajan, and Darren, Quid-Atch’s VP of Operations, were also at the table—but he was running it. He let silence hang over the table for a moment while Darren reached for his water glass. Evan wasn’t normally present for this kind of meeting, but Chase had thought it best to bring the full complement of Quid-Atch’s executive team to show Douglas they meant business. Losing Gopal for this bid had been a blow. If GreenSolutions backed out, they’d lose the contract, no question.
“Gopal put himself in the middle when he signed a letter of commitment with K-Barker after committing to us beforehand,” he said. “Douglas, it’s not public yet, but as a gesture of good faith, we’ve offered Gopal a long-term contract with Quid-Atch, and he’s accepted. Evan felt he would be a good asset to us despite this incident.”
Douglas glanced at Evan. “I’m happy to hear that.”
Evan nodded in response.
“But let’s stick with the matter at hand,” Chase continued. “You’re asking for a greater share of this bid than we both agreed to months ago, and we just don’t have it to give. We have other subcontractors.”
“They aren’t as key as we are, Chase,” Douglas said, and he wasn’t wrong. “This is a competitive bid. I want our level of effort to reflect that.”
“Thirty percent more than reflects that, Douglas,” Chase said. “And you damn well know it.”
Douglas stared him down. “Maurie Wallins offered us forty percent recently, as I told you. Given your sudden leave of absence and Gopal’s departure from your bid, we’re not sure you have the edge to win.”
Because Maurie was playing dirty and going after the arrangements Chase and his team had worked so hard to put in place. “You’re trying to hold me hostage here, Douglas, and I don’t like it.”
But Chase couldn’t walk out. Douglas ran a highly respected company of technical consultants that excelled in areas in which Quid-Atch was weaker.
“We’re not saying we’re going to jump ship like Gopal did, Chase,” Douglas said through his perfect white teeth. “We only want to discuss amping up our role as a way of bolstering our collective chances to win this bid. Maurie is being more than aggressive this time. You need to have an answer for him. We think we’re that answer.”
Rajan released his breath slowly, audible enough for Chase to hear. Usually Rajan was the epitome of calm. He was the only person Chase knew who closed his office door and meditated for fifteen minutes during the work day.
“You shouldn’t be discussing this bid with our rival, Douglas,” Chase said, “and you damn well know it.”
“We were talking about another project we have together with NATO,” Douglas said, lying to his face. “You know Maurie. It simply came up.”
Calling bullshit wouldn’t get them anywhere. They needed to come to an agreement that would work for both of them. Damn it all to hell. Douglas had them by the balls, and he knew it.
“You’ve had your say,” Chase said, “now I get to. Douglas, we do value what you and GreenSolutions bring to this bid and the rest of the projects we work on. None of us wants to damage our overall long-term working relationship, do we?”
Douglas shook his head. “Of course not, Chase. We never meant for you to think that.”
“Good,” he said, putting his hands on his knees to ground his anger. “I will promise to do my best to increase your level of effort. I can’t give you a figure right now. You know how much things change as we work the budget. But you have my word. Are we good now? Because I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder tonight, wondering what you and Maurie are cooking up in the corner at the fundraiser.”
Douglas smiled at him, the kind that said he appreciated holding Chase’s balls and wouldn’t squeeze any more tonight. “You have nothing to worry about, Chase. When Maurie and I meet at the party, the only talk we’ll have is about our mutual enjoyment in golf.”
Chase ground his teeth and smiled. “Wonderful. Then let’s call this meeting to a close for now. Evan and I have some other business to see to before the fundraiser.”
“O
f course,” Douglas said, rising. “See you there.”
As soon as the door was closed, Rajan shot out of his chair. “Dammit! I want to strangle Douglas. He’s always trying to re-negotiate and cut new deals.”
Chase rubbed his forehead, finally showing his tension. His head was pounding. “I hate it too, but you know they’re the best at what they do. That’s why we have to put up with them. Not all our partners are our bosom buddies. That’s government contracting for you.”
“I think I’m still in shock,” Evan said, standing up and putting his hands on his hips. “Is this how most of our partners are?”
“Not all of them, but yes, quite a few,” Chase said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t usually see this side because you’re inventing. We work with partners who want and need to make money. It’s not a party all the time, but it’s the way the system works.”
“The system sucks,” Evan said, frowning. “Why are we doing this? I mean, maybe we shouldn’t go after government contracts anymore.”
Rajan turned his head sharply to look at Evan. “What?”
Darren set his water glass aside with a loud clack.
Chase leaned back, striving for calm. “Evan, that’s high-minded, but not practical. You create inventions with military and defense applications. You can only legally sell products like that through government contracting.”
“Right now, I’m questioning everything,” Evan said. “Hell, I didn’t want to tell you this because I knew it would raise your blood pressure, Chase, but Maurie waltzed into the ballroom earlier during setup and met Moira and Gary. He sweet-talked her and waxed poetic about being a fan of Arthur Hale’s work. Then he turned to Gary and all but offered him a job on the spot, making sure it was okay with me first, of course. What the hell else could I say but yes?”
So Maurie had already made an early move, and on Moira too. Gary was small potatoes as far as Chase was concerned, but it was still an affront, although nothing like what Maurie had pulled recently with Gopal and Douglas.
“Is steam coming out my ears?” Chase asked, changing tacks.
