Page 12 of Acquiring Ainsley
“No. Trevor is asking foreverything.”
His mouth opened as if he wanted to reply, but then it snapped shut.
“You know what this is?” I asked. “This is more than just a merger. We’re talking about a major commitment here. Where did you get this ridiculous idea?”
He shrugged.
“Oh, great,” I replied, drawing the unspoken conclusion. “Trevor came to you with this, didn’t he?”
“He’s a smart man, Ainsley. He said he had a feeling—”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “I’msurehe did.”
A deep breath escaped Ashton’s lungs. “Okay, I’ll give you a few days to think about it. I owe you that.” He shifted on the couch, took his phone out of his jacket pocket, and unlocked it. After a few moments of studying it, he said, “Since it’s Friday, what if I give you until Monday to think about this? That’s fair.”
“I already know what my answer is going to be. No.” I surveyed the room, taking in the art on the walls and the decorator-inspired touches that had once made this apartment one of the most coveted spaces in the whole building. “I’ve been thinking… what’s in here is worth at least 250 thousand. We could sell it, and the unit. I don’t mind.”
Ashton shook his head. “I’m not doing that. I won’t do that.” He sat up and stared directly into my eyes, as if he wanted the fierceness of it to convince me to change my mind. “I don’t want everything our father built to end up in the hands of people who don’t care about it.”
“And Trevor McNamara does?”
“He knows us. His family has a—a history with us.” Ashton made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “He gets this. He does. On some level, he has respect for it, and that’s why I’m willing to entertain him.”
“Too bad he doesn’t like men,” I said under my breath.
Ashton’s face fell. “I’d do anything to save this company, Ainsley, I would. Anything. Ihavedone that. And if he wanted me, then yes, I’d give myself to him.” He set his jaw. “But he wants you.”
I puffed out a large lungful of air.
“Can you at least consider this?” he pleaded. “That’s not asking too much, is it?”
“Fine.” I raked a hand through my hair. It felt tangled and dirty, just like what had become of my life in the previous few hours. “Let’s say I did agree to this—just as a hypothetical. Let’s say Iallowedthis to happen. How long do I have to stay married to him?”
“According to the prenup his attorneys presented to me this morning, he wants a six-month engagement, then a two-and-a-half-year marriage. Three years total. Just long enough for it to seem like the real thing to the people outside of our family.”
Thirty-six months. I mulled that over in my head. In thirty-six months, I’d be thirty. Notthatold. Still young enough to start over, and to forget this mess. But no—no. I wouldn’t do this.
“I’m going back to Palm Beach as soon as possible,” I told my brother.
His shoulders slumped. “I had hoped that you’d stay the weekend.”
“No. I need air.” I glanced out the window at the gray New York cityscape. “I checked the flights, and there’s a cheap one that leaves tomorrow morning out of LaGuardia. I’m going to book it.”
He sighed. “Fine. I suppose we can spare the expense, considering what I’ve sprung on you in the last few days.”
“Thank you.”
“I should also let you know… Trevor sent me an email a short time ago. He’s extending us an interest-free loan to cover our expenses while we hash out this deal.”
My eyes widened. “He is?”
Ashton nodded. “A very generous gesture. And we need it, so I’ve accepted.” He added a weak shrug of one shoulder. “It allowed me to turn your AmEx back on, for one. You’ll have to watch your spending, but we can cover the basics.”
“That’s very… Kind of him.” I hated giving Trevor this kind of praise, even behind his back, but I couldn’t deny the effort, or how much we needed the money. I paused. “Fine. Given that, all I’m going to promise you is that I’ll think his offer over.”
“Good,” he said.
And for the first time since my arrival, my brother gave me a genuine smile.
