Undertow (31 page)

“I’ve never heard you say it like that,” he laughed. “And in front of that kind of audience.”

“Bullies is what they are. Just trying to make us sweat.” I unbuttoned my coat and loosened my tie. I was ready to cut loose. “But they know a good thing when they see it, and we’re handing them the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“You got me convinced.” Bryant was still shaking his head.

I glanced at him. “I thought you were onboard from the beginning.”

“Oh, I was. But I’ve always had working with Dad to fall back on.”

“Well, so did I. But this is going to happen, Bryant. I haven’t been bustin my ass all this time for nothing.” We stopped at my rental.

“So what now?” He said. “Recruitment meeting number two?”

“Yeah, I’ll give Alex a call and tell her we’re out. Her office is up in Roswell, so we’ll beat you to the restaurant. Grab Donna and head over as soon as you’re ready.”

He hailed a cab, and I pulled onto the freeway. We’d agreed to have our pitch meeting and celebratory dinner at Ray’s on the River. It was a fancy restaurant, and I wanted to impress our future design leader.

Lexy’s new company Stellar Advertising was a high-end firm, and I’d have to pull out all the stops to get her to leave them and come work with us. Especially since we were starting primarily on faith. On top of that, I had to overcome her prejudice against the idea. But that Board meeting had me feeling more than confident.

I almost didn’t recognize Lex when she walked out of the massive office building to meet me. I hadn’t seen her since the funeral when she was so upset, but tonight she was all business and very professional in a grey suit with her long dark hair hanging loose down her back. We exchanged a casual hug, and I drove us to the restaurant as we made small-talk about advertising, living in Atlanta, seeing old friends.

I figured Bryant would be a half-hour behind us at least. He had to get back to Buckhead to pick up Donna at our hotel and then drive back to meet us. I suggested we wait at the bar, but as we entered the dim-lit room, she froze.

I caught her arm as she shrank back. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I can’t…” she looked down and away fast. “I don’t want to go in there.”

“Why not?” I quickly scanned the low tables to see what had caught her eye. I saw a dark-haired fellow sitting at the bar with a young blonde. “That guy? Who is that?”

“Can we just go?” she whispered, her dark eyes pleading. “Let’s get a drink somewhere else and meet Bryant for dinner later.”

I was in no mood to run from anybody. “This is the nicest place around,” I said. “Just relax, you’re with me.”

“You’re not my date, you’re my best friend’s husband.”

“He doesn’t know that. Be cool.” I slipped my arm around her waist, hoping to boost her confidence. She straightened up at least, but I could feel her body was tense.

“What are you going to do?” she said quietly.

“Order us a few drinks. What do you want?”

She stopped walking. “Anything. I’ll sit at this table back here.

“You’re coming with me.” I took her arm and led her casually to the bar, finding an open space right next to the fellow and his blonde date.

Of course he noticed us. He stood and approached Alex, and I could feel her draw back as if she were going to run. I tightened my grip on her arm.

“Alexandra?” the fellow said. “I can’t believe it! You take my breath away! So grown up.”

“Nick, what a surprise.” Her voice was higher than normal. “This is… my friend, Bill Kyser. Bill, this is my old professor Nick Parker.”

It was that guy. I’d never seen Lexy so intimidated before, and it pissed me off. He’d really hurt her. “Nice to meet you, Nick,” I said. “Let me buy you a drink. Two Glennfiddich please, and what will you have?”

“Scotch? I thought you only liked champagne.” He smiled at Lexy, and her cheeks turned dark red.

“That can be for you two,” she said. “I’ll just have a glass of wine.”

“So you two are friends?” he asked me.

“More than that.” I decided to deliver the good news to him before my newest team member. “Alex has just agreed to become the new head of my design team.”

She blinked but played along. “I didn’t agree. I said I’d think about it.”

“Right.” I smiled, slipping my arm around her waist and giving her a squeeze. “But I won’t take no for an answer. You’re the best.”

“You look very young,” Professor Asshat said. “Design team for what company, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“Kyser-Brennan Equities. We’re building the Phoenician resorts on East End Beach? Surely you’ve heard of it.”

“East End Beach?” His brow creased. “Can’t say that I have.”

“Well, if you were in development you would have.” I took a sip of my forty-dollar scotch and returned his unimpressed expression. “And you’re in education?”

“I was Alexandra’s professor last year. Remember, sweetheart?” He put his oily hand on her lower back. I saw her stiffen at his touch.

“I guess those that can’t, teach. Right, Parker?” I clapped him on the back hard, and pulled out my phone to keep from punching him in the face. “Excuse me. I need to check on our flight.”

I turned my back but spoke loud enough for him to hear. “Bryant? Is the plane ready? Give us an hour, and we’ll be there.”

“We’ll have to finish our drinks another time,” I said, turning back. “We’ve got a plane to catch.”

“A plane?” Lexy frowned at me.

“Remember earlier when we were discussing escargot?” I smiled, pulling her away from the slimeball and back to me.

“Uh… yes?” We hadn’t, but she was a great actress.

“I wanted to surprise you. Surprise!” I said. “I thought we could get some. How does l’Escargot sound?”

“L’Escargot?” Parker butted in. “As in Paris?”

“Then you’ve heard of it.” I turned back to Lexy. “The sky’s the limit for my best girl.”

“You want us to fly to France tonight,” she said.

I put my hands on her waist and kissed her nose. “You’ve been saying you wanted to go. If we leave in an hour, it’ll be dinnertime when we get there. I’ve got it all set up, private jet. We can sleep on the way. Or not…”

She was doing everything in her power to hold her expression neutral, and I had to confess, I was struggling not to break character myself. I placed a stack of twenties on the bar and pulled her to the door leaving Professor Nick Parker staring after us.

We left the building cool and collected, but in the parking lot Alex fell against the car, dropping her head in her hands. “Oh my god,” she exhaled loudly.

“Get serious,” I hissed, pulling her up so I could open her door. “He might be watching.”

She complied, and in a few moments we were headed back into the city. I glanced at her a few times, but her face was a mask under the flashing streetlights.

“He kept calling you Alexandra,” I finally snorted.

She cut her eyes. “Grow up, Billy.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I held up a hand, still grinning. “It’s just that guy was a real piece of work.”

“You’re the piece of work,” she said turning to the window again. “Was any of that for real?”

“The eighty dollars worth of scotch sure was. The rest was all a bluff.”

“Eighty dollars for two scotches?” She looked at me disapproving.

“We can cover it.”

I’d called Bryant and told him to meet us at Ray’s in the City. It was an easier drive for him, so he didn’t object. Then I turned to Alex who was still quietly looking out the window. “That was the jerk you were crying about to Meg wasn’t it.”

Her expression changed to irritation. “She told you about that?”

“Meg doesn’t tell me your business. I just heard you two talking is all. He needed to be taught a lesson.”

She looked down and I noticed her shoulders relax. “I’ve got to hand it to you, you do have the whole white knight thing down. Meg was right.”

“I don’t know about knights,” I said, watching the streetlights pass. “I just don’t like my friends being treated that way.”

“Nice touch with the job offer.”

At that opening, I took a deep breath and charged in. “That was actually real. It’s why I wanted you to meet us for dinner tonight.”

“Bill…” I could hear the protest coming, but I wasn’t letting her finish.

“Just hear me out. I was thinking about how you did all those elevations for us back when we were in school. You’re really good, and I want to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

“To work for you.”

“To join our team. Kyser-Brennan Equities. Bryant and I are putting together a core group, and I was thinking you could be head of design and marketing.”

She was quiet a moment, which I decided was a good sign. “Are you already that far along?”

I took it slow, letting the vision take hold as I said it. “I’ll graduate next year, and we’ve already started approaching investors. If you helped us, we could do a whole line of brochures and mock-ups. Really come out strong.”

“I don’t know, Bill. I mean, I’ve got a great gig here, and I hate developments. I wish a hurricane would blow them all away.”

“It won’t happen with us,” I said, still careful. “Bryant’s been working with the best guys to make the Phoenicians tough enough to stare down a Cat 5 storm.”

“That’s what you said to Nick.”

“That’s what we’re calling them. Phoenician one, two, three and so on. Our goal is nine and a two-hundred-room, stand-alone convention center with a ballroom and patio extending out to the ocean. It’s all going to be five-star.” Then I paused, just a beat. “But I need your help bringing it to life.”

She exhaled and looked away. “You can hire somebody to do that. Somebody who believes in what you’re doing.”

“I want a friend.” I hoped that still carried weight with her. “And you’ve been with us from the beginning. C’mon, Lex. You’re who we want. I’ll pay you more than you’re making here.”

“How?”

I exhaled a laugh at her cutting to the chase. “Just have a little faith. We’ll get there, I promise. Give it a chance. For me?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’m not doing it for you.”

It stung, but I had to expect that response. “That’s gratitude,” I said with a grin. “And after the way I stood up for you back there? How come?”

“You’re too ambitious. If I hitch up to your wagon, no telling where I’d end up.” She looked at her hands in her lap. “I’ll do it for Meg. She’s so convinced that you’re going to conquer the world. I’d hate for her to be disappointed.”

I was on fire tonight, but I resisted doing a victory shout—or gesture. “One year,” I said calmly. “Give me one year, and you’ll be well-compensated.”

“I’m only working on contract. And I set my own hours.”

“Done.” I nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

A sly smile crossed her face. “Hmm… you might not be such a bad boss after all.”

I loved that look, and winning her over was as big a rush as impressing Rex at the Board meeting. It was going to happen. We were going to make it.

“You let me know if anything makes you unhappy,” I said, “and I’ll change it.”

“Including you?”

Then I laughed. “No promises there.”

May 15, 19--

Pushing, pushing, pushing… Don’t give up. Keep going…

Almost there…

Almost there…

Almost there…

Done.

Finishing school was like running a marathon. I knew if I could make it to the twenty-mile mark, I could finish. But about half-way through, I started getting tired. The funeral, the disbelief of investors, Meg’s complaints, Dad’s leaving, that ass Travis Hayes…

Every part of my brain was telling me this was crazy, and I was going to fall flat on my face. What made a nobody-hick like me think I could ever accomplish something this big? What qualifications did I have? It was an insane idea and only ignorant people who liked to believe in fairytales would have faith in me. And I was missing so much. My wife, time with my little boy…

I fought those voices back by telling myself nothing comes without hard work and that this was the hard work that was going to pay off big. Why shouldn’t I be successful? Who else had worked as hard or spent as much time preparing? I had to keep my eyes on the goal and not get distracted.

Then the doubts would quietly creep back.
But what if you lose? What if you fail? And in front of all these people who are depending on you to succeed.

The only solution was to put my head down and keep pushing. Put the blinders on and just look straight ahead. The journey of a thousand miles began with a single step. The road to hell was paved with good intentions. Intentions were not actions. It was the action that puts you on the other road. The road to heaven. The road to winning.

And the next thing I knew, I was done.

Graduation day, and the investors were lined up. I was ready to put on a hard hat and get out there with Bryant directing the workers, monitoring our progress.