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Eleanor folded her hands. “I like you, Claire, and like I said, I want this resort, so I’m going to do us both a favor. I’m going to give the business commission until one month from today to schedule their vote, or I’m scheduling it for them. This proposal has been up in the air for way too long.”
Good—a deadline.I worked well under pressure, not that having one month to get this job done provided much of it.
“I appreciate that, and I guess I’m all set, then.” I tucked my notebook in my bag, stood, and offered my hand again. “Any advice?”
She chuckled. “Good luck.”
With the singsong way she’d offered those words, I had a feeling I was going to need it.
CHAPTER 4
Claire
I SAT ATthe kitchen table, staring at the list of members on the Carolina Banks Local Business Commission homepage, and there it was in black-and-white: Bennett Ramsey.
Fuck a duck and slap me silly.
I tapped my pen on my notepad, wondering if it was worth wasting the ink to write down his name. It wasn’t likely I’d forget his name. Besides that, he’d made his position about the resort abundantly clear, and unfortunately, he had some power in this situation.Ugh.I hadn’t seen that one coming.
He may have some power but not much, I reminded myself. There were over a dozen names listed, and Bennett only got one vote. Frowning, I worried my lower lip. This was going downhill like a greased sled on slick snow. I was a lawyer, not a real estate developer.Why did Phil trust me with this?
Closing my eyes, I exhaled and tried to center myself. The negative talk was simply the Chubby Hubby talking. I was a badass lawyer, and even though my belief in that was wavering, I trusted Phil. My brother-in-law was a shrewd businessman, and he wouldn’t risk messing up this deal, even if I was his wife’s sister.
Bennett had the home field advantage. So what? In business, that mattered, but so did experience, and I had that on my side. I might not have much real estate experience, but I was a hell of a negotiator. By the time all the papers were signed, Bennett wouldn’t know what hit him.
He was only a small piece of the puzzle, and I’d already spent way too much time thinking about him. Trying to convince him to change his mind would be a waste of time. I needed to let go of my past feelings for him and accept that he’d become my adversary, even if it did make my stomach hurt.
I jotted the rest of the names down and started the tedious process of researching them. If Phil’s people had done their jobs, this information would have been provided to me. But I was no stranger to grunt work. I’d do whatever it took to earn the sizable bonus Phil had promised.
It wasn’t only that, though. I believed in the resort. My words to the mayor weren’t lip service. Despite what Bennett might think about my motives, I was rooting for the people of the Carolina Banks, and I wanted to improve their quality of life. Money wasn’t everything, but it sure as hell helped, and that was what this resort could bring.
While I didn’t recognize any of the commission members’ names, most of the businesses were familiar. That was a good start. Next, I needed to devise my new strategy. In New York, I would have had my people call their people to set up a meeting, perhaps over drinks, but that wouldn’t work here. Well, the drinks part might work, though I doubted they would be top-shelf martinis.
Stephanie appeared in the doorway. “Come on,” she whined. “I’m hungry.”
Hangry was more like it. I glanced at the clock on my laptop.Damn.It was already well after six, which was when I’d promised to quit working. But thanks to the oversight, I was way behind.
“Five more minutes?” I pleaded.
Glaring at me, she crossed her arms. “Nope. Because five will turn into ten and then twenty. I already gave you extra time.”
“Fine,” I grumbled, knowing she was right. “Just so you know, this wasn’t how I wanted to spend my time, either.” So far, nothing about this trip was going how I’d thought it would.
“So you said.”
Muttering, I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder. So maybe I was a little grumpy about the turn of events, and perhaps seeing Bennett’s name on the list made my grumpiness take a left turn into bitterness.
I’d been looking forward to this trip, not only for the opportunity it provided but for personal reasons. The summer I’d spent in the Carolina Banks was one of my favorite times from my college years. I hadn’t expected things to be exactly the same—we were adults now—but I’d hoped to have another positive experience. So far, I was coming up empty.
Bennett’s animosity stung. When I’d known him, he’d had the soul of a grumpy old man, but we’d liked and respected one another. More than that—I’d crushed on him hard. I’d only finished my freshman year of college and was still finding my way, while he had his future all planned out. He knew exactly who he was and what he wanted to do with his life, and the type-A planner in me found that attractive.
Plus, he was hot in a way that the slick frat boys at college weren’t. They’d been so full of themselves, thinking they were God’s gift and expecting girls to drop their panties as a reward for a smile. The frat boys had turned into men like Reg, while Bennett had retained his raw charisma.
Raw charisma? Ugh.Maybe I was the hangry, irrational one.Prickly boorishnesswould be more accurate.
“Do you have a preference where we go?” Stephanie asked once we were in the Land Rover.
I shook my head, my mind still on Bennett. The worst part of the situation was that I still found him attractive, despite his surly attitude. Or maybe partially because of it—I’d always had a thing for obstinate men. Those who were too likable on the surface made me suspicious. I always felt like they were after something.
