Page 6 of The Marriage Pact
It’s no use. I’m going for a walk. Perhaps I’ll be able to concentrate then.
It felt strange to have her thoughts so distracted by one man, a man she hadn’t seen in years, and who surely wasn’t giving her a second thought. Kaitlyn felt angry with herself for allowing him to get under her skin. She still had the plastic ring he’d fashioned for her out of a drinking straw; it was in an envelope in a box upstairs.
A box of memories. And that’s all it is.
Sighing to herself, she left the house, determined to walk off these unexpected feelings. But try as she might, there was something comforting about them — a reminder of a happier past, one that had so easily slipped away.
CHAPTER 2
ALEX
NEW YORK CITY
“Don’t let them do anything without my say-so. Got it? And make sure Curt knows we’ll only go up to three million. Not a dollar more. Oh… and get on the phone to Michigan. I want the profit forecast for the Turnham Group. If those hotels aren’t going to turn a profit in two years, I want to get rid of them,” Alex Lancaster said as he strode through the twentieth floor of the Macarson building, home to the offices of Lancaster Holdings PLC, and the place where Alex spent most of his time.
Behind him, his harassed-looking EA, Hilary, followed, trying to keep up with his instructions, while simultaneously balancing a holder of take-out coffees and a box of donuts in one hand.
“I’ll get onto it straight away, Mr. Lancaster. Don’t forget your flight at twelve,” she said.
Alex glanced at the clock. It was five minutes past nine. He had plenty of time. The plane was hardly going to leave without him. He owned it.
“Have a car ready for me. This meeting shouldn’t take more than an hour. But I have to settle the deal before I leave. Japan needs an answer. What time is it there?” he asked, turning to Hilary, who looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
“Oh… it’s… ten o’clock, at night,” she replied, looking relieved.
“I’d better not keep them waiting then,” Alex said as he hurried into the boardroom.
Several of the other directors were there, and they rose respectfully as Alex took his place at the head of the table, a bank of screens showing the company executives in other parts of the world, gathered for the meeting. Hilary, who, among her many talents, spoke Japanese, sat down next to him to translate, pushing a piece of paper toward him, before surreptitiously hiding the box of donuts from view of the screens.
“That’s the upper deal,” she whispered, pointing to a figure at the top of the page.
Alex nodded, signaling for the meeting to begin. Microphones were unmuted, and greetings exchanged. The purpose of the meeting was to secure a deal on a new hotel chain in the Pacific, with sites along the Japanese coast and various outlying islands. It was worth millions, and Alex wanted to impress on his executive counterparts the value to the company.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Greetings to you. I can’t stress the importance of this deal for Lancaster Holdings. Our shareholders are counting on us to deliver a large profit,” Alex began, before outlining the terms of the deal and explaining how he intended to proceed.
The clock was ticking, and he was beginning to regret arranging a meeting so close to his departure time. He could’ve donewithout the wedding, a week back in Cedarhurst. What was he thinking?
“Thirty million dollars. That’s the cost of the upgrades to the resort,” one of the executives was saying.
“We can authorize that. Let’s get a deal on securing the asset first, then think about the upgrade,” Alex replied.
The clock had ticked past ten. Hilary pointed to the schedule. Private jet or not, there was still a flight plan in place. Alex had to be at the airport at eleven thirty at the latest. He hadn’t even touched his coffee.
“So we’re agreed on the sixty-million-dollar acquisition? A one-hundred-million-dollar budget for that and the upgrade, leaving the extra ten percent for unexpected costs and initial staffing outlay?” one of the executives said.
Alex needed longer to think about it, but there wasn’t time, and he nodded, signing off the deal and instructing the broker to go ahead with the purchase. In the world of high finance, a few extra noughts were nothing. It was child’s play — ten million here, twenty million there. As the screens flickered off, Alex nodded to the others in the boardroom.
“That’s that, then. I’ll leave things in your capable hands,” he said, causing Hilary to clear her throat as she disguised an obvious smile.
Hers were the capable hands. Without Hilary, Lancaster Holdings would be nothing.
“You need to go,” she whispered, tapping the itinerary.
The coffee was now cold, but the donuts were still glistening in the box, and Alex took two, hurrying back through the buildingand into the elevator. A car was waiting outside, along with a hastily ordered lunch — again, thanks to Hilary.
“If you need anything at all, just call me. I’ll be at my mom’s,” Alex said as he climbed into the leather-lined interior of the car.
“It’ll be fine. Just enjoy yourself. It’s nice to think you’ll get to spend some time at home,” Hilary replied.
