Page 85 of An Irresistible Force (Vancouver Vice)

“It’s okay. I trust you.”

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Brenda stood up and closed the door. I felt a little uneasy. I stepped back when she came towards me, but she perched on the desk.

“I’m not sure if you know this, but Amanda’s father modelled himself after Jimmy Buffett, you know, the gazillionaire?”

“The guy who sangMargaritaville?”

Her forehead wrinkled up. “Oh no. It was another name. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What I’m trying to say is that Vince Richardson believed that all he owed his kids was an education. So it’s not like Amanda got a truckload of cash when he died. I know he left her something, but not much. The majority of his dough will go to charity once his wife kicks the bucket.”

I recoiled even more. If I could have, I would have backed right through the wall to get away from this viper. “And you’re telling me this, why?”

“Because it’s better to know the truth. Amanda’s not as loaded as she’s probably led you to believe.”

“Okay, whatever. Amanda’s finances are of no interest to me.”

“Really? I thought that you two were dating now. That’s the news going around the office anyway.”

Well, we weren’t dating, but we weren’tnotdating either. “Whatever happens between me and Amanda is none of your business. But I still don’t care how much money she has or doesn’t have.”

“Okay, if that’s how you want to play it. I don’t get why you’d get with Miss Goody Two Shoes if not for her money, so I figured I’d wise you up.”

Man, I missed hockey. I was filled with frustrated energy, and all I wanted to do right now was skate hard or hit someone into the boards. “For some reason, you’ve got it in for Amanda. But if you opened up your eyes, you’d realize that she’s beautiful, smart, and hard working. Right now, she’s busting her ass to save this team and everyone’s jobs—including yours—while you’re sneaking around and trying to stab her in the back. You’re the one who needs to wise up.”

Brenda’s mouth opened in shock, but before she could launch her next shower of poison darts, there was a knock on the door. Greg poked his head inside. “Sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to let you know that we’re all in the boardroom whenever you’re ready.”

I walked out. I wasn’t in the best mindset for a big presentation, but my adrenaline was sure up. For a moment, I thought I felt a familiar pain in my chest, but I realized I hadn’t had any heartburn in days. I tossed the stupid ginger root capsules in the garbage. One less issue to deal with.

“Okay,so thanks for meeting me today. I’m going to get right to it.”

Greg and Jeannie looked puzzled but not hostile. Amanda looked curious... and beautiful.

“I know that you guys weren’t too happy about the deal that the Millionaires offered you, and that you’re looking for other buyers. But I’ve got an idea that might work better.

“First off, I’m going to tell you something I shouldn’t, but I know whatever I say will stay between us. Rusty Cooper does appreciate everything your family has done for him. Unfortunately, this deal came up at a time when he’s trying to get a mine project going, so he doesn’t have a lot of extra cash right now. That affected the price we offered.” I hoped that this would even things out. Amanda thought I had said too much to the Millionaires, so I wanted to show I was still in their corner.

“There’s no denying that the Vice aren’t in a very strong position right now and need resources to improve. But if the team got better and started making a profit, the franchise would be worth a lot more. So, my idea is that you sell forty percent of the team to the Millionaires now—that would be Thomas’s share—and then sell the rest in a year. That gives us a full season, including training camp, to put all our plans into place. If we can significantly improve the team, those remaining shares will be worth a lot more. And the Coopers will be in a better place to buy the team.”

Jeannie spoke now. “I’m no hockey expert, but aren’t the Vice the worst team in the league? What makes you certain that you can turn them around so quickly?”

“The great thing about the AHL is that there’s a ton of change and turnover every season. If we turned the team around, taking it from last place to say—making the playoffs, that would be huge. The Millionaires have a few good guys in the pipeline, and they’d come over right away. If we didn’t have to carry the whole salary load, we could afford some better guys to support them. And I think if we made changes on the coaching and scouting side and amped up the training program, the playoffs next season are very doable.”

“Why would the Millionaires help us so much if they didn’t own the team outright?” Amanda asked.

“Hey, it’s a two-way street. They need you too. In the old days, they worked close with your dad. It’s just lately that hasn’t been the case. Of course, if they own forty percent, they’re going to want to have a voice in how the team gets run. But I think I can convince them that our plans are the way to go.”

“So, you haven’t spoken to your management about this proposal yet?” Jeannie asked.

“I wanted to get your okay first. But it’s not going to be a problem. Honestly, Jeannie, when you turned them down flat, you scared the pants off my boss and his boss. They know you’ve got a direct connection to Mr. Cooper, and they’re worried about the fallout of not making this deal.”

Jeannie laughed. “Christopher, you are a breath of fresh air, as always.”

“See, Mummy. I told you he was a smooth talker,” Amanda said. “Chris, we need to discuss this as a family before we make a final decision.”

Her mother held up a hand. “Actually, I have one last question. Who would be running this team?”

I swallowed. “Well, I’m hoping that it would stay the same. I’d be in charge of hockey operations, Amanda would run everything else, and Greg would be the General Manager.” If Amanda and I were equals, there would be no more talk about sexual harassment.

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