Page 86 of Take A Number
She stands. “Max, I’ll let you iron out the final terms.”
“Norah,” I call out, but she ignores me as she walks away without a second glance.
I turn to Max and shake my head. “This is fucked up, Max.”
“It’s what she wants, Dean.”
“She doesn’t know what she wants.”
“Don’t be a dick,” Max snaps, his eyes narrowing at me. “I realize something must have happened between you two and your stupid arrangement, which I could have told you was a bad idea…but the truth is, she has more business sense in her little finger than every client you have in your hedge fund. Buying you out and owning two bakeries is a lot, but she has a great product and a plan for more great products. She can handle this.”
“I know she can handle this, but I hate she’s delaying her franchise plans. You know she’s ready.”
Max shakes his head. “If she wants to travel for inspiration, it’s better she does it now than before she starts opening up all over the States. This isn’t a bad idea. There’s no rush for her franchise. She can have her croinut and eat it too.” He shoves the contract in front of me and clicks his pen. “Just sign her offer here. It’s a good offer. You’re an investment man, and this is a great return on investment. It’s a win-win.”
“No offer will be good enough.” I growl and shove the papers back at him.
“Dean,” Max seethes, his voice taking on a harsh tone I rarely hear from him. “Just make this easy on me, please. I have to interview nannies after this because Everly’s mom just informed me she has to work overseas this winter, and I seriously don’t need to be chasing you down right now.”
My brows furrow at that admission. “You need a nanny? Isn’t Everly old enough to be home alone?”
“No way,” Max scoffs. “You know my crazy hours. I kill myself to clear out the days she’s not with her mom, so having her every day and night will be a huge adjustment, and I’ll need help. A lot of help. And the owner of this nanny agency is not making this process easy. That woman wears on my last nerve.”
“I’m sorry, Max,” I reply lamely because this is so not my area of expertise.
“It’s not your problem.” He waves me off and pushes the contract toward me again. “Just take this off my list, please?”
“I can’t do that.” I slide out of the booth, my entire body suddenly feeling very weak at everything changing all around me. I went from having it all to having nothing in the blink of an eye, and this isn’t what I want. Not by a long shot. “Norah was a good investment, and that’s the one I want. End of story.”
“Dean, come on.” Max holds his hands out helplessly. “You have to at least negotiate with me. Give me a counteroffer I can discuss with her. You owe her that much.”
I glare at him and resist the urge to punch him in the nose but instead reply, “I need to think about it.”
Max purses his lips. “Just try to hurry. She wanted this buttoned up before the opening in two days.”
“Things like this can’t be rushed, Max.” I turn and walk out, knowing that I don’t want to lose my investment in Norah’s bakery. If I lose that, I lose her, and I’m not ready to lose her.
My phone trills as I send off an email confirming my television interview timeslot for Saturday morning. I see it’s Nate’s name on the caller ID and begrudgingly answer, “Hello?”
“Hey, how did your meeting go today?”
I sigh heavily. “Okay, Max says he’s countering, though.”
“I’m not surprised,” Nate huffs.
“It’s annoying, but hopefully he comes back to Max with something soon. I want this over.”
“You sound stressed,” Nate says and clears his voice before stammering, “Do you w-want to maybe meet for a drink?”
My spine straightens at that request. “Nate, we talked about this.”
“I know, I know,” he replies, and I can hear him ruffling papers in the background. “But I kept my promise to you, Norah, and our meeting yesterday was strictly business.”
“Which is what you deserve after that crap you said at my parents’ dinner,” I state through clenched teeth. “You’re lucky I kept you as my accountant at all. If I wasn’t on such a tight deadline with this bakery investment buyout, I would have looked for a new accountant.”
“I know. God, I get it,” he whines, sounding flustered. “Which is why I want a chance to explain myself, Norah. Explain why I was so horrible. And apologize again.”
“Nate, it’s not necessary,” I reply and then hear the voice of my mother telling me she feels sorry for the guy, and he could use a friend right now.Ugh…stupid mom voice!
