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When I first met Reagan, I was immediately impressed by her. She’s very smart and extremely forward-thinking. A bit out of the box at times, and she’s got a dirty sense of humor, but I think that makes her more relatable and genuine with the employees. She’s both respected and loved by all. Our stock values have quadrupled since she took over nearly four-and-a-half years ago.
She and I hit it off immediately. I was promoted to my current position as soon as she took over, and she promised me autonomy in deciding which businesses to acquire. She has lived up to her word. She assists me when I need it and is a sounding board when I need that, but otherwise, she allows me to do my job. I know she thinks I do it well.
“It went smoothly, thanks for asking.”
“How’s life as a full-time dad?”
“It only just began, but I’ll manage. My daughter is very helpful with my son.”
“That’s great. Do what you need to do, Dom. We know your work won’t suffer. We trust you.”
I smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence and for being so understanding.”
“Of course. You should talk to Skylar. She somehow manages to balance work and family life well.” Skylar has two young kids with her husband, Lance, both under three.
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe I will.”
“I never knew you had kids.”
“I prefer to keep my work and personal lives separate. I think it’s best that way.”
We all laugh as we look at Carter rubbing her feet. He smirks as he nods. “We’re not as good at that.”
She looks at him with all the love in the world. “We’ll have to figure it out soon.”
It hits me. “You guys are expecting?”
They both grin and nod enthusiastically.
“Congratulations. I’ll have to place a bet in the company pool.” There’s a company pool over when Carter and Reagan will announce a pregnancy. They’ve been married for over four years. People have been relentlessly gossiping about it since day one.
They laugh. She says, “We’ll announce it soon. No need until I’m showing. Let them all speculate a little longer. I may have a few dollars in the pool under a pseudonym.”
I chuckle. “Well, get ready for the ride of a lifetime.”
“We are. Anyway, I called you in here to talk about the Wallingford acquisition. You mentioned issues.”
Wallingford is a popular, trendy brand of sneakers. They’re growing faster than they can manage it. They need our help to become the internationally best-selling brand they’re projected to become.
I nod. “Yes. There’s employee and stockholder resistance. They can’t manage to get out of their own way on this one.”
“I don’t want to mess around with it. Time is of the essence. I don’t care what it costs to move this along. Call my aunt. Hire her to deal with everything. Our in-house counsel can’t handle it. This is too complicated for them.”
I’ve worked with Cassandra on a few other occasions. She’s a barracuda. She’s phenomenal at what she does.
“I did. She’s a bit tied up right now. She said she’ll make some calls as soon as she can, but it doesn’t sound like it will be anytime soon.”
Reagan sighs. “I don’t think we can sit around holding our dicks on this one. What about her sister, Beth? She’s great too.”
Fuck. I’ve been avoiding dealing with Beth O’Connell for over four years. I completely mistreated her at Reagan’s birthday party. I should explain myself, but so much time has passed. At this point, it’s insulting to her.
When we’ve needed to use their legal services throughout the years, I’ve made it seem like we’d only use Cassandra because she’s the chair of the department and known to be the best in the business. I’ve learned that Beth is just as well respected, but I couldn’t bear to see her gorgeous face after what I did to her.
I give a quick nod. “I’ll see what they can swing.” Meaning: I’ll beg for Cassandra.
CHAPTERTHREE
BETH
