stream and began to calm down. If I could escape from my life right now and jet off to some island where corporations and asshole men didn’t exist, I’d be fine.
“Damn you, Dad, for dying and leaving me with this mess,” I spoke as I looked up at the sky. “Why did you do it? Why did you have to steal from your employees?”
Not only did we owe the pension fund fifteen million dollars, we also owed the vineyard two million, not to mention all the other creditors that were knocking on the door. Uncle Robbie told me that a bank loan was out of the question because my father tried a year ago and they turned him down. I was at a loss. With no grapes, there was no wine. No wine meant no sales and no sales meant no money. We’d be forced into bankruptcy, which would raise a red flag concerning the pension fund. An investigation would be launched and I’d be saying hello to my new jail cell.
Nathan and his damn proposal. Motherfucker. He was trying to take the company right out from under me. Swoop in and act like the hero he wasn’t. Deals always came with a price. Unfortunately, my price would be losing the company my father started when I was three years old. A company I wanted nothing to do with because I was so angry at him for betraying our family. But now that he was dead and left me in charge, I would have no choice but to make the responsible business decisions that he failed to do.
Chapter 20
Nathan
I didn’t think my proposal would go over well with her, but I didn’t expect her to storm into my office and call me names. Well, maybe I did. Was it wrong that I was turned on the whole time she was yelling at me? Regardless of what my feelings were for her, which, I’m not even really sure what they were, I had to make the best business decision possible.
“So, I take it she hated our proposal,” Will spoke as he stepped into my office.
“I guess so.” I sighed as I took a seat behind my desk.
“She’s a little spitfire, that one.” He smiled. “A very sexy little spitfire. I thought you had her under control. Maybe you should have waited until you fucked her a few more times.”
“I don’t think that would have mattered. She’s a strong woman with a strong personality.”
“So now what?” he asked.
“Give her some time. Let her calm down. Something was wrong with her when I walked into her office this morning. She was already stressed about something else and I have a feeling it was something serious.”
****
Climbing into the back of the limo after a late meeting with a client, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Fiona’s number. She had been on my mind all day and I wanted to make sure she was home and okay.
“Well, look who’s calling,” she answered. “The great savior Nathan Carter.”
“Fiona? Where are you? Are you drunk?”
“Maybe. Slightly,” she slurred. “Why are you calling me?”
There were loud voices in the background and music playing. I could barely hear her.
“Are you alone?” I asked.
“What’s it to you?”
“Answer the damn question, Fiona.”
“Don’t use that tone with me, mister. I’m out trying to harness my inner calm,” she slurred.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Where are you? I have to go.”
She hung up on me, so I called her again. After the fourth ring, a man’s voice answered.
“Hello.”
“Who is this?” I asked in an abrupt tone.
“Joey, the bartender. Were you the one she was just talking to?”
“Yes. Where is she?”
“Sitting on a barstool in front of me at the Wolf and Crane Bar in Little Tokyo. She’s been here for four hours and she’s hammered. I can’t let her drive home. Can you pick her up?”
“I’m on my way. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“I won’t.”
“And cut her off.”
“I already have, man, and she’s not happy.”
“I’m sure she’s not.”
I ended the call and looked at Jason.
“We’re going to the Wolf and Crane Bar in Little Tokyo to pick up
“Damn you, Dad, for dying and leaving me with this mess,” I spoke as I looked up at the sky. “Why did you do it? Why did you have to steal from your employees?”
Not only did we owe the pension fund fifteen million dollars, we also owed the vineyard two million, not to mention all the other creditors that were knocking on the door. Uncle Robbie told me that a bank loan was out of the question because my father tried a year ago and they turned him down. I was at a loss. With no grapes, there was no wine. No wine meant no sales and no sales meant no money. We’d be forced into bankruptcy, which would raise a red flag concerning the pension fund. An investigation would be launched and I’d be saying hello to my new jail cell.
Nathan and his damn proposal. Motherfucker. He was trying to take the company right out from under me. Swoop in and act like the hero he wasn’t. Deals always came with a price. Unfortunately, my price would be losing the company my father started when I was three years old. A company I wanted nothing to do with because I was so angry at him for betraying our family. But now that he was dead and left me in charge, I would have no choice but to make the responsible business decisions that he failed to do.
Chapter 20
Nathan
I didn’t think my proposal would go over well with her, but I didn’t expect her to storm into my office and call me names. Well, maybe I did. Was it wrong that I was turned on the whole time she was yelling at me? Regardless of what my feelings were for her, which, I’m not even really sure what they were, I had to make the best business decision possible.
“So, I take it she hated our proposal,” Will spoke as he stepped into my office.
“I guess so.” I sighed as I took a seat behind my desk.
“She’s a little spitfire, that one.” He smiled. “A very sexy little spitfire. I thought you had her under control. Maybe you should have waited until you fucked her a few more times.”
“I don’t think that would have mattered. She’s a strong woman with a strong personality.”
“So now what?” he asked.
“Give her some time. Let her calm down. Something was wrong with her when I walked into her office this morning. She was already stressed about something else and I have a feeling it was something serious.”
****
Climbing into the back of the limo after a late meeting with a client, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Fiona’s number. She had been on my mind all day and I wanted to make sure she was home and okay.
“Well, look who’s calling,” she answered. “The great savior Nathan Carter.”
“Fiona? Where are you? Are you drunk?”
“Maybe. Slightly,” she slurred. “Why are you calling me?”
There were loud voices in the background and music playing. I could barely hear her.
“Are you alone?” I asked.
“What’s it to you?”
“Answer the damn question, Fiona.”
“Don’t use that tone with me, mister. I’m out trying to harness my inner calm,” she slurred.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Where are you? I have to go.”
She hung up on me, so I called her again. After the fourth ring, a man’s voice answered.
“Hello.”
“Who is this?” I asked in an abrupt tone.
“Joey, the bartender. Were you the one she was just talking to?”
“Yes. Where is she?”
“Sitting on a barstool in front of me at the Wolf and Crane Bar in Little Tokyo. She’s been here for four hours and she’s hammered. I can’t let her drive home. Can you pick her up?”
“I’m on my way. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“I won’t.”
“And cut her off.”
“I already have, man, and she’s not happy.”
“I’m sure she’s not.”
I ended the call and looked at Jason.
“We’re going to the Wolf and Crane Bar in Little Tokyo to pick up
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