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His words sounded ominous, but he wore an excited smile that had her rethinking her initial assessment. That smile made her heart race, made her want things entirely inappropriate for the office. She squashed that thought.
She waved for him to come and sit. “What’s up?”
“Good news. WYCK is making a formal offer to Coastal’s board to take over the company. The offer is being drawn up as we speak.” Nik’s smile transformed from excitement to smug satisfaction. “I expect WYCK will own Coastal by the end of next quarter.”
Nik’s words reverberated in her head, raising questions she didn’t want to voice. Jules forced herself to look excited even as her dread grew. She should be happy. This was the best possible news for Coastal, if Nik lived up to his promises. An injection of capital would allow them to grow and would ensure the longevity of the company and the future employment of thousands of people, including her best friends. But what did this mean for her? Would she still have her job, or any job, once the takeover was complete? No matter what Nik said, the risk of losing her job hovered in the back of her mind. Nik wasn’t the only partner at WYCK. “That is good news for Coastal.”
Nik seated himself in a chair across from her, crossing one ankle over his knee. Jules noted how the fabric of his pants stretched tight over his muscled thighs. She remembered the feel of those thighs under her hands, and her mouth grew dry. Jules balled her hands into fists under her desk, determined not to let Nik know how much he was affecting her. Her future was at stake, and she needed to focus.
“How will this work? I’ve never been on this side of a takeover.”
“WYCK’s offer will be fair, and considering our current ownership stake, I expect the shareholders will accept it. We want to move fast, minimize disruptions to business, and reduce the risk of losing key employees. Problems like that would decrease the value of our investment.”
Minimize business disruptions? Keep key employees? Everything Nik said sounded good, but her experiences with buyouts and takeovers had been very different. There was no point avoiding the issue. “When will you be bringing in the new executive team?”
WYCK had to be bringing in a new team; the company couldn’t keep operating with the skeleton team they had now. And when they did, would she still be part of it?
There was a guarded look on Nik’s face as he spoke. “We obviously need to fill some of the open positions. We’re looking at our Ontario operation to see if there are any people there who might be able to assist Coastal. You’ve done an incredible job steering the company for the last several months, but—”
“The organization needs a change, new leadership, fresh ideas,” Jules said, cutting him off. “I’ve heard it all before. What type of package will you be offering me to stay until the new team arrives?” Her heart was breaking, but there was no point fighting it. This was how private equity companies worked, and she’d known this might be her fate since the day Nik arrived. She’d worked by his side on the purchase because she truly believed it was best for Coastal, even if it might not be in her own best interests. But now, if the severance package was generous enough, she could take time to figure out what she wanted to do next, rather than jumping into the job market immediately. Jules made a mental note to call the Orcas team owner. Maybe Chip needed someone with her skills, or knew someone who did. Once again she was glad she’d maintained good relationships with most of her former clients. She wasn’t without options.
Nik’s lips pressed into a thin line, and his nostrils flared as he exhaled. The changes were minor, but Jules recognized his irritation.
“Butyou can’t keep doing it all by yourselfwas what I was going to say. You don’t actually think I’d fire you, do you? Especially not like this, with no warning. I thought you knew me better.”
Relief warred with guilt at his words.Didshe know him better? Maybe, but that didn’t mean she fully trusted him. Not yet. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions, especially since they were wrong. My experience has been that management teams get replaced after an acquisition like this one.”
Nik’s nod of acknowledgement was curt, and he didn’t meet her eyes. After a space of several heartbeats, he spoke again. “I can’t get into the details yet, but WYCK wants to keep you on board. We’re looking at several options to maximize Coastal’s profits, and we believe you could not only assist, but could take the lead. You are a valued member of the team, and we don’t want to lose you.”
His words were stiff, formal, with no warmth. This was a side of him Jules had never seen. Even when he’d defended her to Michael, he hadn’t been this icy. It was another reminder that although they had a child together, she barely knew Nik.
“Thank you. I didn’t mean to question your integrity, or your faith in me. But we don’t know each other very well yet, and I was scared. I love this job, and this company. And while you have offered to support Ava, I’m not used to having someone else to depend on financially, so the thought of losing my job made me nervous. Being able to take care of Ava and myself is always my first priority.” Jules curled her nails into her palms, hoping Nik understood. She wasn’t going to apologize again, but their relationship was new, and they were still figuring each other out. She didn’t want this to ruin what they were building.
His posture relaxed, and she let out a silent sigh of relief. If they were going to build any type of successful relationship, they had to find ways to communicate with each other.
“I never meant to scare you. I thought you understood how important you are to Coastal, and to me. This deal is good news for everyone, and as soon as I have more details, I’ll share them with you. For now, I want you to plan on taking on more responsibility and to help us choose some new people to help you run this company.”
“I can do that.” Jules gave Nik a cautious smile, happy that they had resolved their issue by talking it through. It was something she’d never been able to do with Michael.
“There is something else.”
That didn’t sound good. Jules braced herself for bad news. “Oh?”
Nik was frowning, and he spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. “I need you to take the lead on some of the due diligence for a while. I have to fly to Halifax overnight tonight, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I’ll arrange to have the investigators start coming in as soon as Charles talks to the board.”
Nik didn’t explain further, and Jules wasn’t going to ask. He obviously wasn’t happy about the trip, which meant whatever business he had there wouldn’t be pleasant. He would tell her if she needed to know. He was putting a lot of trust in her, leaving her to take the lead on the sale. She knew she could handle the work, but it felt good that Nik recognized her abilities. “I’ll make sure everything stays on track.”
Jules searched for the words to ask her next question. Ava would miss Nik, but she needed to learn that her father would be gone a lot. Still, her daughter was excited about Nik being at her birthday party, and it would break Ava’s heart if Nik missed it. Jules needed to find a way to let her daughter down easy if he blew it off. “You said you didn’t know how long you would be gone. Do you think you’ll be back for Ava’s birthday?”
Nik’s head jerked up and his eyes narrowed. “Of course I will. Even if I have to fly back after the party, I wouldn’t miss her birthday for anything.”
He meant what he said, and the apprehension weighing on her lightened. “I’ll explain to Ava that you have to go away for work, then.”
Nik shook his head. “I’m not leaving until after dinner. I want to tell her myself. I’d also like to video chat with her every night before bed. Can you help me with that?”
Nik wanted to talk to Ava every night? They’d made a point of calling Ava Saturday afternoon when they were in Toronto, but to call every day for potentially weeks at a time? Jules was impressed at his dedication. She worried he was setting himself and Ava up for disappointment, though. How many nights would he be too busy to call? How soon would the nightly calls turn into once a week? “Of course. We’ll figure something out.”
Jules ignored her own disappointment at Nik’s being called away. This was his life: constantly on the move, flying all over the country to make deals and solve problems. Their own relationship was moving fast; maybe this time apart would give her more clarity about what she really wanted. Because right now she didn’t know. The idea of building a long-term relationship with Nik appealed for so many reasons, and not the least was Ava.
