Page 27 of The Mastermind
I slid him an annoyed glance. The question sparked a revelation in me. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure what I wanted to do with Starke Vision. Did I really want to sell it? Was Audri influencing me?
No, she couldn’t be. I hadneverallowed anyone to affect my decisions. Why was I hesitant now?
“You can focus on the other companies first,” I said, ignoring his inquiry.
“Is Audri okay?” Howard poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher at the center of the coffee table. “She seemed distracted at the Krazee Tavern.”
“Lawrence Lafayette was giving her trouble before we fired him.”
“Oh. I hope it gets resolved soon. As for Lawrence, he used his parents as crutches. He contributed nothing to the company. I spoke to a few people who were comfortable talking about him, and they had a lot to say now that Susan and George weren’t around.”
“Being too privileged has its downside,” I said, thinking about Brian. “It’s a blade that can cut both ways, depending on how it’s used. Lazy people will threaten and stab others to get what they want while efficient people will use it to carve something spectacular.”
I got a copy of Audri’s complaint to Human Resources. At first, I fumed when I read every detail down to the exact time it occurred. Then I had to smile at her forethought to jot everything down. Her thoroughness about Lawrence’s actions clarified her intention to stop the harassment. Pride had burst in me.
I wondered what would be on her list if she made one about me? If only she knew about the list of things I wanted to do to her . . .
Shit.My brain screeched to a stop. For a moment, I compared myself to Lawrence.No, I’m not like him.If a woman showed me no interest—which rarely occurred—I moved on. There were plenty around. I wouldn’t harass a woman. I didn’t need to stoop that low, and there was no fun in that.
The concept that Audri wouldn’t have an interest in me soured my mood. Based on her reaction to me whenever I was near, Audri was either attracted to me, or I unsettled her.
“I’ll be heading back to New York tonight. I’ll be in touch.” Howard shoved the folder into his briefcase. “How long are you staying here?”
At first, I had planned to stay only two months. However, with this recent development with Brian, I wanted to make sure the idiot didn’t cause any more trouble for me. I had made an important phone call to Ricardo, one of Karolina’s elite ex-lovers, regarding an exclusive recording of him. Though he didn’t admit or confirm anything, I knew he’d take care of her.
Ricardo had married into an extremely wealthy family with ties to the mafia. He couldn’t let one mistake ruin his life. I offered him the recording and told him I’d delete every version found on the internet. Ricardo thanked me, and I showed him proof.
With one issue scraped from my plate, I should’ve felt better, but something still nagged at me. Something wanted me to stay put. As an entrepreneur, I made my decisions based on facts, but I also trusted my gut, which told me things facts often missed.
“I’m not sure, Howard. With unpredictable Brian causing trouble, I want to be here, just in case, you know?”
Howard knew about my family’s drama. “The fucker needs a beating.”
I laughed at the shocking words from my longtime friend. He didn’t often show this side of him, especially while he was “working.” Outside of office hours, he was a fun guy to chat with.
“He needs more than that, but for now, I’ll monitor him from a distance.”
I had another meeting, but first, I had to remove the tension straining my body. A good workout at the gym would do that, or so I hoped.
* * *
After two hoursat the gym inside the hotel, I felt better. Taking a walk down to the Waterplace Park, I absorbed the atmosphere and used the time to research, looking at the updates from other buildings around Starke Vision.
I bought a coffee from a small shop and walked over to a bench. Someone had left behind a local magazine and an image at the bottom corner caught my eye.
Is that Audri?
I placed the coffee cup down beside me, flipped through the magazine, and found the page with a write-up on a new lingerie shop in Providence. Her face and body were faded into the background, highlighting the jewelry, but I knew it was her. Ifelther presence.
After our encounter at Grayson’s housewarming party, I became more sensitive to her, as though something had sparked between us. Something came alive and I couldn’t get her out of my mind. When she had studied my car that night, I wished it was me. I wanted to be the recipient of her attention.
I traced my finger around her gorgeous face, moving down to her body, and envisioned more than what was in the photo. The stunning photography was artistic, showing just enough to entice the customer to buy the jewelry and the lingerie. I imagined her wearing the outfit for me.
The credit of the photograph was Kiera Ford, and the write-up was done by Michelle Yates, her two close friends.
“Hey, man!”
I glanced up to see Grayson grinning and walking toward me with takeout bags from the food court down the street. His mom walked beside him and waved at me. I returned the gesture. Grayson’s uncle, Derek, lagged behind, chatting on his cell phone.