"I see," Darius nodded.
They sat back as their coffee arrived on the table. That was the exact moment the heavy front door of the diner opened, and Darius went entirely rigid as Linda and Penny walked into the room.
His heart nearly exploded right in his chest. His first instinct was to rush across the floor and tell Linda that this was not what it looked like. The urge was so strong he stood up suddenly, bashing his knee hard against the underside of the table. A sharp spike of pain exploded in his leg, but he hardly registered it as his eyes locked onto Linda.
"Isn't that your assistant and Ms. Heart?" Debbi asked, her brow contouring.
"Ms. Rawlings is my legal counsel and executive advisor," Darius corrected her coldly, his posture rigid. "And she is no longer in my employ."
"Oh, did you fire her?" Debbi's eyes glinted with immediate pleasure. "I'd fire her too if she was cozying up to the enemy."
"No, unfortunately, Ms. Rawlings resigned," Darius told her, his voice flat. "She is pursuing other opportunities."
"I see," Debbi said, nodding slowly. "So, Darius, I've told you all about me. What about you?"
"Nothing to tell, really," Darius said, shifting the subject straight back to business. "Can you tell me why I'm really here, Ms. Wineberg... sorry, Debbi."
Before she could form an answer, Linda and Penny stood up from their corner table to leave. Darius quickly excused himself from the booth and went after them, his strides long as he caught up to them near the door. He tried to lock eyes with Linda, desperately wanting to offer an explanation, but her expression remained an unreadable, frosty mask. She adjusted her grip on the take-out bags and sidestepped him without a word, stepping out into the heat. He turned to Penny, imploring her to reason with Linda, but Penny cut him down with a sharp reminder that he had blown his chance at honesty, flatly stating they were standing with Linda.
Darius walked back to the booth, his chest tight. "Sorry about that. I needed to talk to Ms. Rawlings."
"Not a problem," Debbi smiled, watching him sit down. "I must say, Darius, you are rather ruthless in your pursuit of the Hearts Hotel. I never took you for the type to get what you want through emotional manipulation. Bravo."
Darius mentally gritted his teeth. He never hit women, but he would sure love to get Penny over here to slap this woman's smug, evil face. He smiled to himself imagining the scene, assured that Penny would enjoy doing it too.
"Darius?" Debbi frowned, tilting her head. "Is everything okay? You seem a little distracted."
"Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind with a whole lot of projects moving forward," Darius told her, clearing his thoughts. "Debbi, what exactly is it that you want from me?"
"To come meet my family," Debbi told him. "They will be here in two days' time. My brother and uncle, that is." She reached into her purse and pulled out a heavy paper envelope. "This is a formal invitation to dinner at the hotel we're staying at in Sanibel. Please come. My brother and uncle are very keen to form a lucrative alliance with you in regards to the Hearts Hotel Resort project."
"I see," Darius said, warning bells exploding in his head. He glanced at his wristwatch, his analytical mind tracking the trap. "Ms. Wineberg... sorry, Debbi." He looked her dead in the eye, his expression turning thoroughly corporate. "Before I accept dinners, I like to see formal proposals first. Maybe get your brother and uncle to send that data to me before we schedule anything."
He pushed the envelope back across the table. Debbi looked stunned, her eyes widening as if she had never been told no in her entire life.
"Then you can send out invitations that I will decide to attend, send a trusted official of the Wayne Group to cover, or simply not attend at all," Darius stated flatly.
"I will talk to my brother." Debbi's voice shook slightly, her poise fracturing.
"Good," Darius said. "Now that's settled. I really can't stay, I have somewhere to be." He stood up and gave her a slight nod. "I'll pick up the check on the way out. Good day, Ms. Wineberg."
He strode out of the diner before she could speak. The moment he climbed into his car, he took out his phone and sent two quick messages.
The first went to Pete:Thanks Pete, send it to Clyde.Pete responded immediately:Right away boss.
The second went to his private encrypted contact:Can you meet me later? I don't want to wait until tomorrow.The contact replied:Give me an hour and then meet me in town in the alley near the ice cream shop.Darius typed back:We're resorting to meeting in alleyways now?Contact:I have to go to the ice cream shop anyway so it's not too suspect.Darius:Fine, I'll see you then.
Darius pulled into the gravel beach parking lot near the town ice cream shop. He pulled a dark baseball cap low over his forehead and threw on an old leather jacket to hide his tailored dress shirt. He climbed out of the vehicle and walked stealthily toward the narrow alley running beside the building.
He stood half-hidden behind the large commercial bins, his pulse ticking upward as he waited in the shadows. His heart gave a sudden jolt when he spotted his contact walking into the alley.
"Hi," Darius smiled, stepping forward.
"Hi back," his contact smiled, her voice low.
"How did everything go?" the contact asked.
"I'm not sure," Darius admitted, leaning his shoulder against the brick wall. "I have more information, of course. It's all twisted to suit their narrative. But I do know she has family coming to town in two days. And I have to tell you, this is not all about getting set up in Florida and reopening their not so legitimate businesses."
