Hmm. I think about that for a moment. It might be true. I have lived here all my life. But… before this meeting I can’t say that I have ever even been in the same room as the Chairman. He feels like a stranger to me.
“Now,” he continues. “The only thing left to settle—”
But he’s cut off when his office door swings open and crashes against the polished wood paneling behind it with a bang.
And Cooper Valcourt—his fuck-up son—stands in the doorway.
He throws up his hands. “I’m sorry, OK? Is that what you want to hear? My apology? Happy now? Can you just… please be a decent fucking human being for a moment and give us back our cottage for the summer? We’ll do your stupid job, all right? I’ll get it done. And you don’t have to hear from me at all.”
“Cadee,” the Chairman says, standing up and buttoning his coat. “This is my son, Christopher. Christopher, this is Cadee. She’s going to be living with us this summer.”
“What?” Cooper and I say it at the same time.
“Escort her over to the mansion. Show her into the southeast guest suite and help her get settled.”
“What?” we say again. This time, Cooper and I are looking at each other with a mixture of confusion and fear.
“And the answer is no. You will not get that cottage back. You will live at home like your brothers did when they were in school.”
“But—” Cooper makes to protest.
The Chairman stabs the phone and barks, “Send in the next one, Laurie,” even though the door is wide open and everyone in reception just heard that entire exchange.
He turns to us. Frowns at Cooper. Says nothing to him and instead redirects his attention to me. “Cadee.” He walks over to me and offers me his hand.
I don’t know what to do except take it and allow him to help me up.
He kisses my knuckles and I hear Cooper breathe, “What the fuck is happening right now?”
I wish I had an answer for him, but I don’t. And he just saw his father—a man I do not know. Like at all!—just kiss my hand and invite me to live with them.
Like… is that… what basically happened here?
“Once again,” the Chairman says, “I’m truly sorry for your loss. I’m sure we’ll get that truck back eventually. In fact, I’ll make it a priority.” He holds my hand in both of his. Pats it. “We’ll get your stuff back. But in the meantime, you make yourself at home in our guest suite and Cooper here will fill you in on your new job. In the fall, my dear Cadee, life will look completely different than it does now. And you will be getting ready for your freshman year at one of the most elite private colleges in the world. Congratulations.”
Then his smile disappears just as quick as it formed. He turns to Cooper and growls the words, “Get the fuck out,” between clenched teeth.
I don’t even know what’s happening, but I’m so done.
I’m trying to leave, but there’s a girl waiting in the doorway for her… meeting? Hell, maybe she’s getting an invitation to be the Chairman’s… what? What was that?
Did he come on to me? In front of his son?
Oh, my God. No. Oh, my God. This is not happening.
I almost knock the waiting girl over as I push past, and then I have to jostle my way through the crowd of kids—who just heard everything after Cooper entered the office!
I’m so… I don’t know. Humiliated? I’m not sure.
I just head for the stairs and start down them, trying to make my escape as quick as I can.
I’m just about to head for the doors that lead outside when Cooper Valcourt grabs me by the arm, swings me around and pushes me into a little alcove under the stairs.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Fuck that.” He pushes me against the hard, stone wall and leans down into my face. “You’re not walking out of here until we have a little chat, Cadee.”
CHAPTER FIVE - COOPER
I seethe down at her. “What did you tell him?”
“Nothing!”
“You lying little bitch! You told him!”
“I did not!”
“Then why was he all over you like that?”
“I don’t know! He called me in for a meeting and… there was tea, and talk of North Dakota, and then…” She throws up her hands. “He invited me to live with you guys!”
“Why?”
“He didn’t say!”
“Jesus fucking—” I turn around and scrub my hands down my face. Can this day get any worse?
“He gave me a job. That’s it. A job, and a scholarship at the end.”
“No.” I’m shaking my head as I turn back to face her. “This is not happening.” Calm down, Cooper. You don’t have any of the facts yet. Let’s get the facts. “What job?” I growl.
“Some… lake house. Glass place?”
“Fuck.”
“What?”
“What did your mother know?”
“Nothing!”
I lean down into her face and hiss, “Liar. You’re such a little fucking liar! You told her, didn’t you?”
“Cooper.” She grits her teeth and sneers at me. “I did not. Tell her. Trust me. The last thing my mother would’ve wanted to know was that I got a secret abortion when I was fifteen! It would’ve devastated her. I did it for you.”
I hate Cadee Hunter. “I wish I’d never fucking met you.”
She slaps me. Hard. I reach for her, but she ducks under my arm and starts running for the door.
I chase her. But she pushes through the doors and by the time I’m outside, she’s already down the stairs, sliding into a crowd.
“Over here!” Lars calls from off to the left.
“Grab her!” I call, pointing at Cadee, not even caring that there are dozens of people around. They are all busy with their own move-out day problems, anyway. They pay no attention to me, or the fleeing Cadee Hunter, who now finds herself running straight towards Lars and Ax.
She either doesn’t believe that they will grab her for me or she didn’t hear me. Because she practically walks right into their waiting grips.
“What the hell!” She whirls on them, like a ferocious little rat.
God, I hate this girl. She almost ruined everything three years ago. It took me weeks to convince her to shut her fucking mouth and do what I said.
“Let go of me!”
But they don’t let go. Lars grips both her arms behind her back and Ax gets that gleam in his eye that means he’s found a target. Someone to unload on. He leans into her ear as I come up behind them and says, “Be a good little girl now, Cadee. Or I’ll put a leash on you and walk you through the gardens like a bitch.”
She recoils from him.
“All right,” I say, knocking him off her. “That’s enough.” But then I take Cadee’s hand and squeeze it. Hard. As I drag her into the gardens with me.
She tugs, and resists, and digs her feet into the gravel. “Let go of me! Let go!”
I jerk her towards me so hard, she does a little twirl and her back crashes into my chest. I hug her. Tight. Almost bear-hug her from behind. So that we almost look like a couple who stopped in the garden to gaze at the roses.