Page 14 of The Marriage Bid
“Yes! Or no! I don’t know! How many times do I have to repeat myself? Kendra is gone. She has left a kid on my doorstep she claims is mine and has gone back to France… I think. I have no idea where she is, and I need to deal with this mess. Work is going to have to wait while I take care of this.”
“Oh yeah, sure, man.”
Damn. A kid. I would help my brother no matter what he got himself into, even if it meant working with my blackmailer. Fucking Saffron. No matter how hard I try to get away from her, the universe pulls us together.
Chapter 8
Saffron
He was late. He always came on time, even five minutes early, which forced me to be five minutes earlier than him. But today, he was ten minutes later than the agreed time, which meant I had been waiting for a while amongst busy construction workers with my little pink conspicuous hard hat on. It had been a gift from my aunt after I told her we had won a lucrative contract. Without Sebastian here, gently ribbing me about it, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Like I was cosplaying as Construction Barbie.
A man rolling a wheelbarrow nudged me with it. “Sorry!” I screamed, jumping out of his way, but as I did so, I bumped into five men carrying sacks of cement. “Sorry,” I said to them. I was standing in the almost complete suite of the building where Sebastian and I were supposed to discuss our plans for the décor. It was still just concrete and steel, but Sebastian and Tyler’s vision was already coming to fruition. Their style was distinct. A throwback to mid-century style while also injecting classic Parisian elements into their designs. No wonder Sebastian chose us over other experienced designers. Their style was similar to ours. But that wasn’t their only genius. Another lay in being able to get prime real estate addresses thathad amazing views. This suite in particular had breathtakingly gorgeous three sixty views of the park and the city.
When another trail of workers marched past me into the other room, I made a call to Sebastian. He did not answer. The text I sent saying I was at the site was unread. Should I tell him I am here? He might think I’m bossing him. The look he gave me when we met to sign the deal and every moment after told me he did not like me. They had that same disdain Tyler showed me, though Sebastian was more civil than his brother. So Tyler told him about the ‘blackmail.’
Fuck it, let me just send the text. Maybe the meeting was canceled. But before I could do anything else, a familiar scent filled my nostrils. My pulse sped up. My body froze as it became aware of who was coming up behind me.
“What are you doing here?” I said as soon as I turned around to see Tyler in a dark blue suit and a yellow hard hat.
He raised his eyebrows, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Cute hat. Elle Woods.”
I rolled my eyes. The mirth playing on his lips made me clench my fists. “Where’s Sebastian?” I peeked behind him and saw instead his assistant trailing with a briefcase and an iPad in hand.
“Family emergency. I unfortunately have the displeasure of dealing with you.”
“What happened?” No wonder Seb wasn’t responding. He had never acted as he did today. “I hope he’s doing okay.”
Tyler rubbed his brow. “He’s fine. It’s a whole mess that has nothing to do with you, and I don’t care to tell you all about it. Can we get on with today’s business?” He checked his Rolex. “I have places to be and things to do.”
“That’s fine,” I said, going to the table in the corner and collecting my bag. “I will postpone the meeting and deal with Sebastian when he gets back.”
“You didn’t read the email we sent you?” Tyler turned to his assistant. “You sent her the email, right?” The short young man nodded, his shaggy blond hair shaking as he did so.
“I didn’t get it.”
“Check your inbox.” He wandered off, surveying the suite as though he had momentarily forgotten I was there. Oh, he wanted me to actually check the email instead of telling me the contents. Asshole. I took out my phone and went to my inbox. It was the second most recent email.
Tyler Hawthorne would be taking over Sebastian Hawthorne’s duties as his brother goes on an emergency family leave.
What the fuck was happening?
Tyler Hawthorne will oversee The Bellamy on Park project in place of Sebastian Hawthorne.
God fucking damn it.
“We have to work together? For how long!”
Tyler had his back to me as he stood by the corner windows looking outside. “A couple of weeks tops. Trust me.” He turned to face me. “I hate this more than you do. We can’t postpone this project any longer, or it will be long past its due date.”
I couldn’t work with Tyler! I made a call to Sebastian.
“He’s not going to pick up. He’s blocked all work calls. And considering you’re just a business partner, he’s probably blocked you entirely.”
Tyler was right. The phone went to voicemail, like it did previously. I sighed. Sebastian and I had built a professional rapport. Even though he hated my presence, he was tolerant enough of me to listen to my suggestions. And over the last few months, he had come to view my talents at least in a good light. I doubt that was going to happen with Tyler.
“So where were you with my brother?” he asked.
“He wanted to see if we could fully implement the changes we discussed. That’s why we are on location.”
