by Stacy Hoff
Ty wondered if, just maybe, his parents were right. He’d been so driven to conquer, he never stopped to savor the prize. What was money and power worth without someone you love to share it with?
His heart started feeling lighter than it ever had before. He picked up the phone to make a call.
Chapter 15
“You’re going to what?” Rudy screeched over the phone. “You are not going to tell her the reason why we need her land! The price will become so high we might as well be paying it as ransom.”
“I am going to tell her.” Ty held the phone away from his ear and lay back on the bed, his head and neck resting against the leather headboard. Rudy was starting to sound hysterical. And sputtering curse words. Gingerly, Ty attempted to put the phone back to his ear.
“Are you crazy?”
“Maybe. Morsik offered a quarter-million over our offer. She might take it. Of course we can offer her more. But I don’t think the woman’s motivated by money. She’s driven by success, and to do the right thing for people. But money, in it of itself, is not her end goal.”
“Sure it is. It’s everybody’s end goal.”
“Don’t think you’re right on this one. Nope.”
“And your solution is to simply tell her why we need it so she’ll take less than the going offer and still give us the land?”
“Not at all. I’m saying I’m going to tell her the real reason because it’s the right thing for me to do. I am not going to take advantage of her. I care about who she is, not what she can do for me.”
“All is fair in love and business, Ty. I’ve told you that a million times.”
“And I used to steadfastly follow your advice. I’m not going to anymore.”
As the expletives increased in both quality and quantity, Ty held the phone away from him again. “Rudy. Breathe. If you don’t, you’ll give yourself a heart attack. Then it won’t matter how this deal goes through because you’ll be dead.”
“Calm down? Not when I now have to pay a shitload more for the exact same parcel. Have you forgotten who I am in this business?”
“No Rudy. I haven’t. As much as I appreciate your investment, I no longer feel the need to impress you with my business acumen. It’s my company. Sometimes I’m going to make gut decisions, and I just made one of them.”
“Look, Ty, I don’t want us to be enemies. If you want Cat so much, take her. But our land deal with her is strictly business, and business has to come first.”
“That’s the problem with you, Rudy. You and your parents, both. People are not business deals to be worked out. Relationships are emotional. You know, emotions. You might have heard of them. Love. Trust. Concern. That sort of thing.” Ty’s voice was as dry as the Mojave Desert’s sand.
“I know all about emotions. That’s why I’m sure none of them belong in business. Listen, Ty, if you’re going to carry on this way, I may need to back off with my investments. I can’t have you throwing my money out the window.”
Ty walked over to the closed curtains and pulled them open to see the Vegas Strip. Like his parents before him, he was here in Vegas to take a chance on love. Roll the dice and see if he walked away a winner. It was time to gamble his heart.
“Rudy, you’ve got to do what you think is best. If that means withdrawing your funds, I understand. Orland Premier Properties, Inc., will remain solvent. I promise, no hard feelings. You’ll still be the closest thing I’ll ever have to a brother. Have a good night.”
As he hung up, Ty realized he was still clutching the picture of his parents. He really needed to get a bigger version framed. Hang it in his office. Let everyone know where he came from and what mattered to him most.
~ ~ ~
Cat stepped out of the elevator, ready to go to her next lecture. She had gone on this trip for a business purpose, and she was going to make sure to stay on task. Despite all the distractions. Or more accurately, one mega distraction. Down the corridor, she almost tripped on her feet again at the sight of a poster displayed in the middle of the lobby.
The poster featured a picture of Ty, as serious as she’d ever seen him. Despite the austere demeanor he was still drool-worthy. Dark hair. Green eyes. Smooth skin and masculine jaw line. His very expression oozed intensity. Intelligence. And yes, imperialism. The effect was bound to reel in any woman. One glance and they’d be besotted, falling hook, line, and sinker.
No wonder the Association wanted him as their poster child. But given Ty’s preference for privacy, she was surprised he had agreed.
Did Ty really want to help her out, too? Or was he “romancing” the land out from under her, like Morsik warned?
Did he hope she’d play into his hands so she could feel like she was doing the right thing by selling to him?
Unconsciously, she shook her head. Forget what he hoped. What she hoped was that she wasn’t being toyed with. After decades with her parents, and then the Rudy fiasco, she couldn’t bear to go through this again with Ty. What was it about her that screamed “puppet” to people?
Her thoughts were interrupted by loud banter down the hall. “Oh my God!” some poster-gawker gushed.
Cat tore her eyes away from the poster in time to see two twenty-something-year-olds glue theirs onto the paperboard. They were looking at Ty with such lust Cat wondered if they were going to walk off with the sign.
“He’s beautiful,” the other woman cooed.
“Women are beautiful, Maryann,” the taller lady corrected. “A man, on the other hand, is handsome, gorgeous, or hunky. But in the case of Ty Orland, I’ll go with choice ‘D,’ all of the above.”
With an audible lovelorn sigh from the shorter one, the women strode down the corridor. Cat heard their words as they disappeared, “Just think, Gina, we’re going to see him at the next lecture. Yay! Ohhh, thinking about him . . .”
“I know. Yum-my.”
Without realizing it, Cat placed her hands on her temples and tried to stroke away the headache she felt coming on. She hadn’t forgotten that next lecture was going to be Ty’s on budgeting. It was the one she needed to hear more than anything else this whole convention. But she hadn’t needed the gushing reminder, either.
How weird would it be listening to him talk when she would be yet another stranger in the crowd? Best to lie low. She had no idea what to tell him yet, her heart and her head so at odds. She wanted desperately to believe him but was she a fool if she did?
It was too much to think about. She hurried on to her second to last lecture.
Tomorrow she’d be on a plane returning home. She’d have the time, and more stamina, to work everything out. All she could do now was hang on to every class she could take and hope she’d come out a “better hotelier” at the end. Even if her last class was Ty’s. And with her hidden away in the back row.
Coming from the other direction, down the corridor, Morsik came in to view. “Cat, glad I caught up with you,” he panted. She must have looked like she was scrutinizing him because he hastened to add, “Don’t worry, I’m staying sober. I promise I learned my lesson from the bar the other night.”
“It’s all right. I’m glad you’re doing well.” She paused. “I haven’t made a decision yet, if that’s why you wanted to find me.”
“Okay, here’s the thing: I’ll need our deal done quickly, if it’s going to go forward at all.”
“What’s the hurry?”
Henry looked as if he had just won a game point in a hard fought tennis match. “Mr. Wonderful didn’t tell you?”
Cat felt the floor of her stomach drop off. A wave of nausea washed over her. Was this going to be the moment she finally understood what a fool she was to even consider trusting a man? Especially a man like Ty Orland.
Henry smirked. “I’ll be more honest with you than Orland was. He needs your
parcel for his development deal. He’s already acquired every parcel around it. Yours is in the center of it all, the one he needs to unite the two clusters of parcels, and the only one with direct lake access. He needs this access for a beachfront he’s going to create.”
Time suspended while she took in his words. When she spoke, her words sounded gritty, as if spoken through gravel. “How do you know this?”
“I have my methods. Orland may spend well to protect his privacy, creating companies to buy parcels so it doesn’t look like it’s him, but when I have this much money on the line, I have ways I can find out.”
“I don’t understand. How can you have any money on the line when you haven’t yet bought my parcel?”
Henry shook his head in disgust. “Do you really know nothing about what’s going on around you? I thought everybody knew about my large investment deal here in Vegas. But my project is turning out to be a bigger problem than I thought. I need more money, investors, government connections, the kind of things Orland’s got. And I want my project associated with Orland’s brand. People will fly out to Vegas to stay at one of his properties.” Henry sneered the rest of his words. “I’ve been trying to get him to go in with me, but he barely heard me out before he told me he wasn’t interested. So I figure if I get your land, he and I can trade. The Big Bear parcel he so desperately needs, in exchange for his helping my Vegas deal.”
Cat furrowed her forehead. “What prevents me from selling to him directly for a higher price? I assume he could beat your offer.”
Henry grinned. “Nope. He can’t do it. I also found out he overextended himself. Plus, the construction delays are pushing him over the edge. No way he can write a bigger check than the one-and-a-quarter-million I’m going to pay you.”
Cat stared at him, wide-eyed. “He can’t come up with it? It can’t possibly be that much money to Ty. He’s so successful—”
Morsik narrowed his eyes, effectively shutting Cat up. “If you’re done cooing over him,” he spat out, “I’ll dumb it down for you. It’s not only the cost of your parcel that’ll be hard for him to swing, it’s all the other costs his project is carrying. He’s sunk in millions of dollars so far and can’t even get construction going. No progress. No profits. Nada.”
Henry tilted his head in an obvious attempt to appear thoughtful. “Of course, Ty’s money problems may free up. Eventually he may be able to pay you more than I’m offering. Or he may not. But I’m not going to wait around to find out. You’ve got until midnight to let me know if you’re taking my deal.” With that, Henry trotted off with the exuberance of a horse who’d won its first sweepstakes race.
Morsik’s words crashed around her ears. Another midnight deadline. Maybe she really was Catinderella. A cold feeling washed over her. Why hadn’t Ty told her any of this? Was he trying to take advantage of her naïveté? It’d seem that if he really cared about her he’d have told her this bit of information. He would have let her try to get fair market price for a piece of land that turned out to be way more valuable than she’d thought. But he didn’t want what was best for her. He, like Rudy, and like her parents, only wanted what was best for him.
Half-numb, Cat took out her phone and started to text Vanessa. I need advice. Support. A soft shoulder to cry on. But before she hit ‘send,’ she had an epiphany. Instantly, she dropped the phone back in her bag. Vanessa had enough on her plate—Jan’s job, and now Cat’s job. It would be too much to also have to pick up the shattered pieces of Cat’s love life. Despite the fact Vanessa would always be willing, it wasn’t right to ask.
Cat realized it was time to grow up and stand on her own. If she was young and naïve, it was time to become experienced and wiser. And do it fast. Every day she delayed she would be at someone’s mercy. Clueless and malleable. Waiting for the next person to help lead her on her way.
Without realizing where her legs were taking her, she made her way back to the elevator bank. Mechanically she stepped in and pushed the ‘PH’ button. Seconds later, she was knocking on the door to Ty’s suite.
“Cat, what a pleasant surprise,” Ty remarked.
She tried to shake off the warmth surging through her. When he looked at her with a smile like that, she melted.
“Come in,” he said, gesturing down the large hallway. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks, but I won’t be staying long.” She closed the door behind her but didn’t move inside.
Ty quirked up an eyebrow but said nothing.
“I’m sorry, Ty, but I think any dealings between us—personal and professional—are done,” she rasped out.
He was silent for a minute. Staring at her. Did he hate her? She’d be sorry for that, to end things so harshly. His neutral expression gave nothing away, but she had a good guess. Why wouldn’t he be angry? Even if he was only mad at the business situation, it would be impossible not to have hard feelings flow over to her personally.
Why isn’t he saying anything?
“I had a wonderful time with you, Ty. But the convention is over. I guess we are, too,” she choked out. “Thank you for the best two days I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Me, too, Cat,” he said quietly. “I will never have a better time than I had with you. Not even if I live to be a hundred.” His eyes glazed over, his skin paler than it had been a moment ago. I’ll miss you.” He took her hand and placed it to his lips for one lingering kiss.
She gave a stiff nod, opened the door, and headed outside.
~ ~ ~
Ty sat down on the couch feeling like he’d been run over by a truck. He didn’t even have a chance to tell Cat what he wanted to say. That he loved her. And now it was too late. More important than losing the land, he lost the woman. The woman who had managed to fill his heart in two days more than anybody had his whole life.
Cat had cared about him. All she’d wanted from him was his time, attention and—he was sure of it—his love. Now that he wanted to give it, it was too late. She’d literally closed the door on their relationship and it was all his fault.
It was ironic the Association had him teaching classes—he had failed to learn the most valuable lesson of all—to have a shot at winning, one had to be “all in.”
~ ~ ~
It had taken Cat several minutes in her room to collect herself. The reflection in the mirror showed a wreck of a woman. Teary, swollen eyes and blotched skin. She’d be damned if anyone in the Association would see her like this. Especially Ty. She was going to his lecture on budgeting because she needed it. But he’d never know. Amongst the hundreds of faces, he’d never find her, seated in a corner in the back row.
What killed her most was the gentle, sad way he’d said good-bye. His lovely words. His gentle, loving kiss. He hadn’t seemed angry. He hadn’t demanded her land. He’d only said he’d miss her. Was she making a mistake?
Her stomach seized. Was it possible she’d been wrong about him? About herself, that people only wanted to use her? Did she throw away her one shot at happiness with a man who actually loved her for who she was?
At this point, she’d never know. She had placed her bet and let the roulette wheel spin. This time, the stakes were the highest they’d ever been—and she’d lost it all.
~ ~ ~
Ten minutes later, Cat splashed cold water on her face. She removed then reapplied her makeup. Paid extra attention to using her concealer because minimizing the red circles under her eyes was not an easy task. She’d already missed most of the lecture currently going on. She’d be early for the next—Ty’s.
Minutes later, she was downstairs in the lobby, praying not to bump into anyone she knew. Now was not a good time for her to try to make small talk.
Before Cat could walk more than a few steps toward the ballrooms she felt a vibration deep in her purse. A glance at the number made her feel even worse. With
a roll of her eyes she took the call.
“Catherine,” her father said in his deep, rich, and very formal voice.
“Yes, Dad. It’s me. I’m about to walk into a class. Can I call you back?”
“No. When I call you, it’s important,” he chastised.
“But, Dad,” she heard herself start to explain. And then it hit her. She wasn’t his little girl anymore to be ordered about. She was a grown woman who still needed to work on moving forward with her own life.
“No ‘buts,’ Catherine. We’re going to talk now. You need to do as you’re told. We know what’s best. So when we call you, you are to stop what you’re doing and speak to us.”
Cat felt heat start to well up in her. When were they going to realize she was an adult? One who knew how to take care of herself? Were they ever going to? Not really. Everything with them was great. Until she wanted to stick to her own guns. Then the bullets started to fly.
Was the Big Bear land they gave her really a symbol? A tangible way of saying they were sorry for pushing her to do things against her will? Or was it just an enticement to forgive them, so later on she’d still continue to do as they ordered? Because at the end of the day, they still knew what was best?
She glanced down at her phone and realized she was holding it tight enough her knuckles were white.
“Dad, it’s high time you understood I’m an adult. I am here on business, and it’s my business I’m going to conduct. I’ll call you at a time that works for me.”
“Catherine,” her father said in an icy tone, “every time you go off on your own, we wind up having to jump in and save you—”
“I’m not five years old any more!”
“I don’t care how old you are, young lady, you listen to me—”
