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“What? Where? When?”
He filled her in on his mother’s plans.
“A memoir?” Dani asked, tilting her head. “Well, go on, Mama Calanthe! Good for her.”
“She’s excited about the move and happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. For the most part.”
“Oh?”
“Us. She thought I should’ve chased after you.”
“That’s why I love me some Calanthe.” Dani snapped her fingers. “I hated leaving without saying good-bye.”
“She was happy you reached out to her.”
“Good. So, you’re saying your mother thought I was right?”
He laughed. “That’s not what I said.”
“Hmmmm... that’s what Iheard.” She sighed. “But back to the queen, what is she going to do?”
“Retreat. Reassess. For a while, the fallout from the state visit was the gift that kept on giving. After the prime minister’s statement, our absence from the ceremony and any subsequent royal engagements has meant headlines here have been nonstop Sturm und Drang.”
“They haven’t been fun on my side of the pond, either,” she muttered, dipping her chin to her chest.
He patted her thigh. “I imagine they’ll fall back on the tried-and-true ‘Nothing to see here, Keep Calm and Carry On’ and try to weather this storm and figure out their next move. Whatever they decide, it’s no longer my concern.”
Dani covered his hand with hers, entwining their fingers. “Have they heard more from Samantha Banks?”
“Just her daily social media postings, I’m told.” If he never heard that name again, he’d give daily thanks. “But enough about this dysfunctional wreckage. Don’t keep me in suspense. What happened with Genesis and the new company? Did you sign the contract?”
Considering what they’d gone through because of it, he hoped for her sake she was able to come up with a solution that worked for all parties involved.
“No.”
He was even more stunned than when he’d walked in here fifteen minutes ago!
“Did they back out because you didn’t attend the state banquet?”
“I”—she pressed a hand to her chest—“actually toldthemI was no longer interested. I thought about what you said, and you had a point. There would always be something or someone to answerto and the more money they invested, the more they’d think their opinion mattered and the more entitled they would feel to my time.”
“Weren’t you worried about them suing you?”
“It could still happen. But we were never concerned about the merits, only whether it would affect other companies coming to the table. And we’ve decided that no longer matters because we’re not taking on any new investors for the foreseeable future.”
He didn’t know how to respond. “That’s quite a shift.”
“I know, but not when you really think about it. Who knew the real key to negotiation is to be willing to walk away? And mean it! Parcellum immediately backtracked. According to Andrea, Genesis was furious that Parcellum cost them the deal, which would’ve been signed if they hadn’t stepped in.” Dani shrugged. “Everything happens for a reason and not having an investor is the right decision for me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I’ve grown Mela-Skin into the success it is and there’s no reason we won’t keep growing. In fact, we’re meeting with Oscar Michaels and Celebrity Gift Suites next month. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Mind? I’m thrilled. Oscar is a good man. I think you’ll work well together.”
“Thanks, baby,” she said, raising their clasped hands to her lips. “Would a nine-figure payout have been nice? Hell, yeah. But we’ll get there. That doesn’t mean I won’t consider another investment somewhere down the line. If or when that happens, I’ll be negotiating from a better position. And I may need to do one last world tour to line my pockets before I step back from music for good!”
Dani was a brilliant, marvelous woman and he was the luckiest bastard on Earth.
