Читать книгу A Christmas Rendezvous - Karen Booth - Страница 13

Three

Jeremy finally gave in at 4:37 a.m. His night’s sleep was a lost cause. He climbed out from under his down comforter and sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, and ran a hand through his hair. A deep sigh escaped his lips, but he could have sworn he heard a word in it. A name. Isabel. What the hell was that? What the hell happened?

He’d never had a woman work her way into his psyche in such a short amount of time—mere hours. Sure, part of it was the fact that he was still stinging from the way he’d had to exit her room, and her life. When they’d been down at the bar flirting and she offered the invitation to come upstairs, his plan had been to leave her happy and exhausted, positively aglow from sex. Instead, he’d departed while she was bundled up in a sheet like a hastily wrapped gift, granting him a dispassionate kiss goodbye and leaving him with the crushing sense that they would always have unfinished business.

Another sigh came. He was going to have to stop letting this get to him.

With a long day of client meetings ahead, he decided to get in a workout. He sometimes managed to sneak away at lunch and go to the Sharp and Sharp gym, but that likely wouldn’t happen today. He flipped on the light in his master bedroom, grabbed a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes, then made his way up one set of stairs to the fourth floor of this renovated brownstone. He had a small theater and gym up there, additions he made after his ex-wife moved out. Kelsey never saw the point in watching movies and didn’t want the “smell” of a workout space. But now that he was all on his own, Jeremy could do as he liked.

It wasn’t much of a consolation.

Forty-five minutes on the treadmill and a half hour of free weights was enough to work up a sufficient sweat and shake off some of the lingering thoughts of Isabel. He hustled down to the second floor and the gourmet kitchen, where he prepared entirely too many meals for one. Coffee was dripping into the carafe when he heard a familiar sound coming from the patio off the back of the house.

Meow.

It was December 9. It was entirely too cold for an animal to be outside. Jeremy padded over to the glass door, and as had happened many times before, a large orange tabby cat was winding his way back and forth in front of the window. The cat had been to the house many times, and Jeremy had even taken him in once before, over a year ago when it was unbearably hot. The cat’s visit had lasted less than a day. He slipped out the front door when Jeremy came home from work that night. Jeremy wasn’t a cat person at all—he didn’t really see the point of a pet that didn’t do anything other than lounge around all day. He’d called Animal Control to see if they could catch him, but they’d seemed unconcerned. He’d even had his assistant call the veterinarian in his neighborhood of Park Slope, but they couldn’t do much until someone caught the cat and brought him in. Jeremy kept hoping someone else would take on the burden, but apparently not. At least not today.

Meow. The cat reared up on its hind legs and pressed a single paw to the glass, peering up at Jeremy with eyes that were entirely too plaintive.

Jeremy crouched down and looked into his little cat face. “Buddy. What are you doing out there? It’s six in the morning and it’s freezing.”

Meow. The cat pawed at the glass.

Jeremy straightened. This was the last thing he had time for, but temperatures weren’t expected to get above freezing today. He couldn’t let the poor thing suffer. Resigned, he flipped the dead bolt, turned the knob and tugged on it. Bitter cold rushed in, but not as fast as the cat. Jeremy closed the door, realizing he now had a big task ahead of him—he had to feed the cat and figure out where to put him all day while he was at work.

He went to the pantry to look for a can of tuna, but that was a bust. Then he remembered that he had some lox in the refrigerator from the bagel shop down the street.

“I guess we’re going to find out if you like smoked salmon.” He placed a slice of the fish on a plate and broke it into smaller pieces with his fingers. Jeremy had a feeling this was going to be a big hit. The cat was now rubbing against his ankles.

Jeremy put the plate on the floor and the cat began to scarf down the food. Mission one, accomplished. He filled a cereal bowl with water for the cat, then went about making his own breakfast of eggs and a bagel. As he sat at the kitchen island, the cat wound its way around the legs of his barstool, purring loudly enough for Jeremy to hear. He had to get to the office, so he sent a text to his housekeeper, who would be arriving around eight. There’s a cat in the house. Don’t ask. Can you bring a litter box and show it to him?

Margaret replied quickly. You got a cat?

Jeremy laughed. Not on purpose.

After getting cleaned up and dressed, Jeremy left for the office, arriving promptly at seven thirty, just like every other day. Not only was the weather unbearably cold, it was gray and dreary, somewhat typical for early December, although Jeremy couldn’t help but feel like it was somehow sunnier outside than it was inside the Sharp and Sharp offices.

The other partners typically arrived at eight, but Jeremy had learned long ago that his boss, who was also his dad, demanded that his own son deliver more than everyone else. Jeremy had worked twice as hard to make partner. He brought in nearly twice as much billing. He worked like a dog for two reasons. First, he hoped that he would eventually make his father happy enough to loosen his iron grip on the firm and afford Jeremy some autonomy. The second reason fed into the first. When Jeremy had been in the middle of his divorce, he bungled a big case. The Patterson case, a multimillion-dollar wrongful termination suit. It should have been a slam dunk and instead, Jeremy dropped the ball, mostly because his personal life was falling apart. His dad might never forgive him for that grave error, but Jeremy had to keep trying. He had to live the life of a workaholic for the foreseeable future.

In recent months, his father had been pressuring him to bring on a very specific sort of big-fish client, someone with a case that could attract media attention, even of the tabloid variety. In the internet age, one juicy headline brought a lot of free exposure. And although his dad was a traditional and upstanding guy, he loved the spotlight. He basked in it. He loved knowing the firm’s coffers were piled to the ceiling with cash.

“Morning, son,” his dad said, poking his head into Jeremy’s office. He truly was the spitting image of Jeremy, only twenty-three years older. A bit more gray. A few more deep creases. The uncanny similarities in their appearance made the problems in their relationship that much more difficult—on the outside they were nearly identical. On the inside, they couldn’t have been more different. “Are we a go with the Summers case?”

“We are. I’m just waiting for the signed agreement to come in this morning and then we’ll be in contact with the legal department at Eden’s.”

His dad glanced at the chair opposite Jeremy’s desk. “May I?”

“Of course.” Jeremy took a deep breath and prepared himself for what might come—there was no telling with his dad. Some days, he was calm and reasonable. Other times, he hit the roof over the smallest detail. It had been like that since Jeremy was a kid, and he still wasn’t used to it.

“What do you think is the real reason Mr. Summers fired Mulvaney and Moore?”

“Honestly? I met with Mr. Summers last night and he’s a little off his rocker. He’s dead set on getting revenge against the Eden family. This is about far more than money. I’m sure that scared off the senior partners at M and M. They’re an incredibly conservative firm.” Jeremy leaned back in his chair. “Why? Are you worried about it? There’s still time to call it off if you want.”

His dad shook his head, pulling at his chin with his fingers. “No. No. I think it’s a good thing. Summers is desperate and he’s willing to pay for it. I don’t have a problem with getting our hands dirty. Your grandfather always avoided it.”

Jeremy’s grandfather had been the first Sharp in Sharp and Sharp. In fact, Jeremy’s dad had declined to add an extra Sharp to the firm’s name when Jeremy made partner. He’d simply waited for his own father to pass away. Jeremy missed his grandfather. He was the real reason he’d become an attorney, and things had been much different around the office when he was still alive. His grandfather had a love for the law and the myriad ways it could be interpreted. He loved the arguments and the strategy. His dad had a love of money and winning. He refused to lose, something that had been hammered into Jeremy’s head countless times.

“I think it’ll be just fine. I have it all under control.” Jeremy knew nothing of the sort, but he had to lie. The truth was that the meeting with Benjamin Summers at the Bacharach had been chaotic. Thus the reason for the Manhattan. Thus the reason for perhaps not exercising the best judgment with Isabel.

“Don’t let this one get away from you. If he’s fired one firm, he’ll fire another, and I don’t think I need to tell you that it would be a real shame for our bottom line if we lost this billing. It’ll be a scramble for you if you have to make up for it.”

It was just like his dad to make not-so-thinly-veiled threats. “He’s not going to fire us.”

“At least you’re only going up against the Eden’s corporate lawyers. Those guys are so far out of their depth with a case like this. It should be a walk in the park if you do it right.”

There went another insult wrapped up as praise. Jeremy wasn’t about to point it out. It never did any good. “I’m not worried about it. I’ve got it all under control.”

“Good.” His dad rose from his seat and knocked his knuckle against Jeremy’s desk, then made his departure. “Have a good day.”

“You, too.” Jeremy grumbled under his breath and got back to work, writing up the details for his assistant so she could set up the meeting with the Eden’s legal team, which he hoped could happen tomorrow. It was the only thing he could do—try to move ahead. Try to make Dad happy. And after that, he’d need to dig into the mountain of work on his desk. Anything to take his mind off Isabel Blackwell and their amazing night that went horribly wrong.

Isabel arrived at Eden’s Department Store shortly before 10:00 a.m. the morning after her rendezvous with Jeremy. Her lawyerly instincts normally had her keyed up and wide-awake before a client meeting, but she was so tired she could hardly drag herself out of the taxi.

She hadn’t managed more than a few minutes of sleep. After his departure, Jeremy’s warm smell lingered on the sheets, meaning the memory of his touch followed her with every toss and turn. If the condom hadn’t broken, their night might have gone on to be nothing less than perfect. He might have asked to see her again, an invitation she would have eagerly accepted. She might have started her new life in New York on a positive note. But the moment they had their mishap and Isabel witnessed firsthand how anxious he was to get out of her room and away from her, she knew he wasn’t the right guy. It didn’t matter that he was charming, sexy and one of the most handsome men she’d ever had the good fortune to meet. She needed more. She needed a man who would stick around, not run for the exits the instant things got serious.

Per her brother Sam’s directions, Isabel took the elevator up to the top floor where the Eden’s executive offices were. Sam was sitting in reception when she got there.

“Hey, handsome,” she said as Sam got up out of his seat.

He was dressed in all black—suit, shirt and tie, just as most days. He placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Isabel wasn’t quite so happy about it, but she was hopelessly devoted to her brother and that meant she was going to take one last dubious legal assignment before turning her sights to less messy work. “I’m still not sure I’m the right person for this job.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the exact right person for this job. You’re an expert at making problems like this go away.”

The subtext of Sam’s words made Isabel’s stomach sour. This wasn’t the sort of case that got wrapped up by legal wrangling and negotiation. Whenever you had very wealthy, powerful people fighting over something valuable, it inevitably turned into a race to the bottom. Who could dig up the most dirt? Who could make the other side cry for mercy first? “Sam, you know I don’t want to tackle this like a fix. I just don’t want to work like that anymore.”

Sam put his arm around Isabel and snugged her close. “You worry too much. It’s just a wealthy guy trying to get his hands on the store. You can handle this in your sleep.”

First, I’d have to get some sleep. “But your girlfriend’s family legacy is on the line. We can’t afford to be cavalier about it.”

“You mean fiancée.” Mindy Eden appeared on the far side of the reception area and approached them, a big smile on her face.

Isabel knew full well that Sam and Mindy had gotten engaged. She’d merely slipped. Perhaps it was her subconscious reminding her how bothered she was that her younger brother had found the sort of happiness she desperately wanted for herself. “I’m sorry. Fiancée.”

Mindy gave Isabel a hug, then wagged her fingers, showing off the square-cut diamond-and-platinum engagement ring Sam had given her. The thing was so big it looked like Mindy was walking around with an ice cube on her hand. “I honestly never thought this would happen.”

Isabel didn’t believe that for a minute. Mindy was lovely, but she seemed like the sort of woman who was accustomed to nothing less than getting exactly what she wanted out of life. “Why’s that? You had to know my brother was over the moon for you.”

Mindy elbowed Sam in the ribs. “I was oblivious to that for a while. I spent so much time focused on my career that I forgot to open my eyes.”

Isabel took a shred of comfort in that. She and Mindy might have butted heads when they first met, but that was only because of Isabel’s protectiveness of Sam. Mindy had hurt him and Isabel wasn’t going to be the one to forgive her for it. Now that Sam and Mindy had reconciled, and the two women had gotten to know each other a little better, Isabel knew that she and Mindy had some things in common. They were both driven, determined and not willing to take crap from anyone. “I’ll try to remember that when I jump back into the dating pool.”

“Any prospects?” Mindy asked.

“I’m out of here if you’re going to talk about guys,” Sam said, turning away. “I don’t do well with this subject when it comes to my sister.”

Isabel grabbed his arm. “Oh, stop. We’re not going to talk about that because there’s nothing to say. I need to get an apartment. There are a million other things for me to accomplish before I can seriously think about dating. I have to find an office and get my new practice up and running.”

“Don’t put it off too long,” Mindy said. She then cast her sights at Sam. “Are there any cute, eligible guys working for you right now? Maybe you can set her up.”

Sam shook his head. “Something tells me she doesn’t want that.”

In truth, Isabel might not mind it. If Sam picked out a man for her, she’d not only know that he had been fully vetted, she’d have the knowledge that Sam approved. That was no small matter. “We’ll see how I do. For now, let’s sit down and talk about the case.” Isabel was resigned to moving forward with this, and the sooner she started, the sooner she’d be done. So she’d delay her fresh start a few weeks. It wasn’t the end of the world.

“Come on,” Mindy said. “We’re going to meet in Emma’s office. It’s the biggest. It used to belong to my gram.”

Gram, or Victoria Eden, was the founder of Eden’s Department Store, which at its height had more than fifty stores worldwide. Unfortunately, the chain was now down to a single location, the original Manhattan store. Mrs. Eden had passed away unexpectedly a little more than a year ago, and left the business to Mindy, her sister, Sophie, and their half sister, Emma. It was a bit of a tawdry story—all three women had the same father, and their two mothers were also sisters. Victoria Eden had brought the affair to light via her will, where she told everyone of her son’s dalliance in an attempt to give Emma some justice.

Inside the office, Emma and Sophie were waiting. Isabel had met them both at a fund-raiser a month and a half ago, which was also when Sam and Mindy had finally figured out that they were desperately in love. Mindy made reintroductions and they all sat in the seating area—Isabel and Sophie on the couch, Sam in one chair with Mindy perched on the arm, and Emma opposite them.

“I guess we need to walk you through as much of this as we know,” Mindy said. “I wish we had more information, but until a few weeks ago, we had no idea who Benjamin Summers was.”

“He claims that our grandmother had an affair with his father, which is utterly preposterous,” Sophie said. “Gram was devoted to our grandfather for as long as he was alive.”

“Please, Soph. Can you not do this right now? Let me finish,” Mindy said, returning her sights to Isabel. “This would have been nearly forty years ago if it really happened. Early days for the store, but our grandmother was doing well and by all accounts, very eager to expand. That’s when Mr. Summers, the father, comes into play. Supposedly he lent our grandmother a quarter of a million dollars so she could open additional locations.”

“That was a lot of money at that time,” Isabel said. “And this is a handwritten promissory note?”

“Yes,” Mindy said. “We’ve been going back through the store’s old financials and bank records, but we can’t find any record of an influx of money. There are large chunks of cash flowing into the store at that time, but it could have just been sales. Unfortunately, the accounting from that time is nowhere near as exact as it is now. Most of it is on paper.”

Isabel’s gears were starting to turn. As much as she’d said she didn’t want to do this sort of work anymore—untangling the pasts of wealthy people—she had to admit that she had a real knack for it, and that made her feel as though she was ready to tackle it. “The first thing we’re going to need to do is get the promissory note authenticated. There’s a good chance it’s not real.”

“Do you think it could be a fake?” Emma asked.

“You’d be surprised the lengths people will go to in order to cash in.”

“But Mr. Summers is so wealthy,” Mindy said. “Why would he do that?”

Isabel sat back and crossed her legs. “It might not be the cash. It might be the store he’s after.”

“No. We can’t let that happen,” Sophie blurted.

Isabel didn’t want to be the bearer of bad tidings. Losing the store was a real possibility. For now, Isabel needed to get up to speed on the materials in the case and see where the Eden sisters stood. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Give me some time to look over everything. I have several different financial detectives I’ve worked with in the past. They’re going to need access to your records to see if we can figure out if the money ever flowed into the store at all.”

“How long is all of that going to take?” Mindy asked.

“A few days to a few weeks. It just depends.”

Mindy cleared her throat and Isabel sensed something bad was about to come to light. “Yeah. About that. We don’t have that kind of time. Mr. Summers’s lawyer sent a letter to the Eden’s in-house counsel today. He’s threatening a lawsuit right away if we don’t come to the negotiating table tomorrow.”

Isabel blinked several times while trying to absorb what Mindy had just said. “Mr. Summers not only wants us to start negotiating tomorrow, his lawyer isn’t even aware the store is employing outside counsel?”

“We thought a sneak attack was the best approach. They’re expecting someone else. Not Isabel Blackwell, Washington, DC, fixer.”

Isabel cringed at the words. She didn’t want to be that person anymore.

Sam sat forward and placed his hand on his sister’s knee. “I have to agree. The store is too important to the Eden family for us to be anything less than completely strategic about this. They’ll prepare for a corporate negotiation, not having any idea who they’re dealing with.”

Isabel took a deep breath, trying to ignore the way her already soured stomach grew even more uneasy. “Can I see the letter they sent?”

“Yes. Of course.” Mindy hopped up from her seat and grabbed a thin folder from Emma’s desk, handing it to Isabel.

Inside was a single page—the letter inviting Eden’s Department Store’s legal representation to the negotiating table. All looked in order until Isabel saw the name on the signature line. Then the blood drained from her face.

Jeremy Sharp. Oh my God.

Her big meeting tomorrow with the lawyer representing the man who wanted to take down Eden’s Department Store? It would be the second run-in with her one-night stand. And apparently, they were about to go from the bedroom to the war room.