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Eventually, the plane started its descent and the two detangled from each other. Rogen was almost at the bottom of his drink. Jewel headed off to the bathroom. Vin straightened his tie and sank into his chair.
Of Rogen’s silence, the fact that he hadn’t intervened, Vin said, “That might have been more accommodating than I could have been.”
“Don’t be too sure,” Rogen mused. He shook the cubes in his glass. “Our feelings for Jewel are rooted deep.”
“Without doubt.” Vin was quiet for a few contemplative seconds, then ventured, “Sometimes, in the end, I wonder if we’ve ever had her best interests at heart.”
Rogen couldn’t dispute that.
Vin sat back. “Still feeling guilty about going to Trinity and Yale?”
Rogen challenged, “Still feeling guilty about going MIA on prom night?”
“Yes,” Vin confessed without hesitation.
“Yes for me, too.” Rogen polished off the whisky. Melinda collected his glass. Asked if they needed anything else. Neither did—at least, not anything she could provide.
Jewel returned and buckled up. She looked a little unnerved but gave both men a smile.
Rogen said, “Why don’t you tell us about this first transaction?” He bit back the sweetheart he’d almost added. What was the point in antagonizing Vin when ground rules regarding this new threesome scenario had not yet been established?
Jewel retrieved her slim laptop bag from under her seat and extracted a file folder. She handed it to Vin. Then she told them both, “Legalese. I had CE’s Chief General Counsel draw up the agreements. Usually one of his representatives accompanies me on these trips, in a separate plane with Security heads and all the other pertinent players, such as appraisers and experts who can authenticate items on first glance, before they do a more in-depth analysis. I canceled Legal’s presence for this trip.”
Vin scanned the documents and nodded. “This all appears to be in order.”
“There’s some damage to the yacht I’m buying,” she said. “The photos are in the back of the file. I need to verify there’s nothing beyond what’s visually documented and sign off on the pictorial evidence. Then my buyer will allow his people to engage in the transportation of the ship. I always insist on separate teams on both sides of the transaction, and an objective third party. That way everyone’s on the same page and we all get what we’re paying or bartering for.”
“Very thorough of you,” Rogen commended.
He’d always been impressed with her resourcefulness. Even if she hadn’t had the kind of grades that would get her into an Ivy League school, Jewel had been clever in many other ways. She’d been one of the first in the community to start up crowdfunding for those in need, even before it’d become a popular concept online. Jewel had raised money for the animal shelter, the homeless, and even Bayli’s mother, since she didn’t have medical insurance.
Granted, it hadn’t been enough to keep the Styles family from crumbling financially, but that was because Mrs. Styles continued to need surgeries and treatments, couldn’t work, and required extensive home health care while Bayli was in school. And Mr. Styles was long gone.
Jewel said, “We’re meeting with the owner of the yacht in San José, outside of Cabo.” She wrung her hands in her lap. “Every single move is imperative to getting us closer to acquiring the land, Rogen. But it all starts with this first deal.”
He reached over and clasped her hands. Stilled them. “My father wouldn’t already have a plan in place to possess the scotch and keep the land if he thought you’d fail. So don’t give in to any self-doubts, Jewel. Let’s do this.”
She gave him a grateful smile. Then slid her glance to Vin. “I know you feel this is a conflict of interest, but—”
He held up a hand. “It’s okay right now. I didn’t draw up any of these agreements, and the signatures required are between you, your sellers and buyers, and the team leads. I don’t have to do more than answer any legal questions that crop up, and I’m more than willing to provide that bit of counsel, pro bono.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it completely pro bono,” she lightly teased, apparently overcoming some of her insecurity over the tricky transaction. “You do get a free vacation.”
Vin chuckled. “I will admit, the destinations are enticing.”
They chatted about the agenda as the plane landed on a narrow private airstrip. Jewel’s team had arrived ahead of them and was waiting with two black SUVs to travel to San José del Cabo.
She pointed out the highlights to Rogen and Vin along the way, including the location of George and Amal Clooney’s home, next door to Cindy Crawford and her husband. Rocker Sammy Hagar’s retreat. The One&Only Palmilla resort, a favorite of celebrities and the ultra-affluent.
The SUVs turned into a long drive that led to a gorgeous house on the beach. Rogen watched as Jewel went into business mode, squaring her shoulders and hitching her chin, the way she’d done when she’d faced his father at the gala.
They all exited the vehicles and were met by a conglomeration of a dozen or so men. Jewel shook hands with an elderly gentleman with shockingly white hair against his tanned, leathery skin.
She said, “Señor Mendoza, a pleasure to meet you in person.”
“And you.”
They then proceeded to hold a discussion strictly in Spanish. Rogen caught the gist of the conversation and suspected Vin did as well, since they both spoke fluent Italian and had also taken some Spanish in school.
