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“Isn’t that ironic? If you try to move them, I’m sure some of them would opt out and who knows, maybe be relocated to other places far from the loved ones from Great Escape.”
He drummed his fingers on his knee. “Doesn’t matter what I do, I’m the bad guy, huh?”
“You fired me in cold blood without letting me explain. You’ve showed up at my door with a half-ass offer and still haven’t apologized for kicking me to the curb. So yeah, from where I sit you look pretty bad right now,” she said. A shot of excitement traveled through her, and her inner cheerleader rejoiced.
He captured her eyes with his. “I’m sorry. I was an ass, you’re right.”
“Go on.”
“You said something I wasn’t ready to admit. I’m attracted to you and thought it was easier if you were out of sight.”
Her heart skipped a beat, then resumed its pace at an alarming rate. She should be mad about what he’d done to her, and the consequences of his selfishness. But a part of her softened, shoulders sagging with a drop of relaxation. Perhaps after what Luke had done, cheating on her for months and not being honest about it, she appreciated Cole’s confession.
“You’re not mad,” he said.
“I’m not ecstatic, but I’m glad you’re being honest,” she said in a tone similar to the one she used when Henry told her about breaking her favorite vase by accident before she found out herself. She cleared her throat, blinking. Cole was certainly not her son. He was a corporate fellow, one who had fired her in broad daylight without any warning. She tilted her head to the side, watching his expression shift, and hated herself for listening to him. Listening and believing.
He thrust his fingers in his hair, ruffling it. “Look, I don’t want to mess this assignment up. My father and I have a strained relationship, mainly because of me, and this my chance to show him I can take his place sometime soon when he retires,” he said, the powerful emotion from his voice reverberating through her.
She swallowed. Damn. What had he done to mess up his relationship with his father so much? “Is that what you want?”
“That’s what I need to do. I’ve made lots of money on my own, building a vending machine business from the ground up. This isn’t about his wealth—this could be my last chance to show him the business he also built from the ground up will still be thriving after he’s long gone.”
Vending machines. She added it to the list of search words she’d punch on Google later next to his name. Who would have thought? “Did you start remodeling the new place?”
“No. We’re close.”
She cleared her throat. “I have a proposal of my own—I’ll go back to The Great Escape as a manager. If you’re open for me to take a look at your business plan and counter with a new one, in a closer location. You can come with me to scout a couple of different places, and if financially it becomes as viable, you’ll keep an open mind and at least share the idea with the board.”
“What if they say no?”
“Then they say no and I won’t be a pain in the ass.” But at least I’ll have tried. Her parents hadn’t done much for her to keep her as a child. They were too comfortable when she’d decided to live with Grandma Sue for her last couple of teenage years, and married young. Before she moved to Grandma’s, they’d divorced. They never cared about anything other than themselves—and acting like them would make her just like them. She’d promised herself she’d be different. She’d fight for things, people she cared for.
“All right,” he said. “I also need for you to talk to the people you did and squash the petition idea so it doesn’t become a thing—that document can ruin the chances of the board saying yes.”
She made a mental note of the few residents she’d talked to. Relief loosened her shoulders. She trusted them, and all would be good. “I will. Do we have a deal?”
“Yes. Maybe we should celebrate it over a juice box.”
She smiled. “Actually, I have wine.”
* * *
“An adult vending machine? Really?” Nikki said when he went into detail about where he’d started off as businessman.
Cole had a sip of wine then sat his glass on the coffee table. “Yeah. We started with condoms, lubes, then added some toys.”
“Interesting. Not the type you find in grocery stores, huh?” Damn it, they should place one of those at Great Escape. The residents’ families would be horrified, but she bet the contents of the machine would be gone overnight.
“No. We targeted clubs, liquor stores, couples only hotels, that kind of stuff.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for such a visionary,” she said, wondering if this was one of the reasons his father didn’t approve of him. Surely, even the conservative old timers had to value the profit from out-of-the-box business models, right?
“Sex sells and from early on I wanted to make my own money. Bring home the bacon.”
“And where is home to you?” she asked after he poured the third glass of Pinot Grigio for her. She’d regret this in the morning, but now… how bad was it to chat with an adult from the opposite sex about a subject that wasn’t children or work?
For the past hour, they’d talked about current events and she’d enjoyed talking with him to dispel the tension. Maybe this was a good way to establish a new milestone for their professional relationship. To erase the contempt and keep things friendly.
