The Inheritance, page 16
Phyla finished typing a response to an email and hit send before looking up. “One of the reasons I was hurrying you into attending this meeting tonight is because it’s a perfect opportunity for both of us to take care of business by killing two birds with one stone. We’re both controlling shareholders in Alpite Industrial. Since I need to keep my thumb on the pulse of my enterprises while also controlling yours until you fully understand what you’re doing, this will be an excellent meeting for us to attend.”
“Okay, that makes sense. But what do you want me to do with this?” Ash flipped through the pages of some of the driest reading she’d ever seen.
“Read it.”
“You’re kidding me.” One raised brow from Phyla told Ash it wasn’t a joke. “Have you looked at this?”
“Front to back. I wrote it.” Phyla watched Ash flip through the pages again, sighed, and walked to the sofa. She sat next to her and pointedly turned to the table of contents. “What’s the purpose of tonight’s meeting?”
Ash ran a finger down the list and stopped on “Purpose of meeting.” She turned to the page and skimmed the words. “To discuss private placement offerings?”
“And what are they?”
“Hell, if I know.”
Phyla stared at Ash for a long while. “Have you ever taken any courses in finance?”
“No.”
“Have you ever stepped onto a college campus? Did you even finish high school?”
Phyla’s sarcastic tone, which reflected her pre-conceived notion that Ash was an uneducated oaf, grated on Ash’s already stretched nerves, and she answered with more pique than she probably should have. “I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Systems and finished my Master’s in Environmental Management while I was in the army.”
It took a moment for Phyla to process what she’d just heard. She sat staring at Ash with such a closed expression it was difficult to interpret what was going through her mind. When she did speak, it had nothing to do with Ash’s degrees. The tone was clipped, and the words were spoken with such impatience Ash knew they were designed to drive the point home that teaching such basic concepts to a neophyte was far beneath Phyla’s vast experience and a waste of her precious time. “There are many ways for a company to raise capital. One of those is by issuing securities either by offering them to the public or through private placement. Offering them to the public is a more complicated process. In this instance, we’re releasing securities for sale to a few accredited investors. Those investors will be at tonight’s cocktail party. So, you need to read the prospectus and,” Phyla got up and retrieved an iPad from her desk, “if you don’t know what something means, look it up. If you still don’t understand, ask me.” She tossed the iPad onto the sofa and stiffly walked back to her desk.
Ash had to admit that teaching her was beneath someone of Phyla’s professional status and was, indeed, taking time out of a working day already stretched to the limits by the demands of running a global empire. But dammit, the woman had agreed to mentor her and could at least do so with a modicum of tact and, heaven forbid, friendliness, even.
She sighed as she went to the kitchen and rummaged around for a glass, some ice, and a cold soda. “You want one?” When Phyla ignored the question, Ash picked up her glass and returned to the sofa. “Well fuck you, too.”
That got Phyla’s attention. Her finger’s stilled on the keyboard. “What did you say?”
“Well, I asked if you’d like a soda, and you ignored me, which is the equivalent of saying, ‘Fuck you and the horse you rode in on,’ so I answered in kind.” She set her soda on the coffee table and, this time, did put her feet up since Phyla had set the stage for what kind of rapport they were going to have. She opened the prospectus and began to read.
“Not answering simply means I’m busy. It does not mean something as crass as…as what you said.”
Ash ignored her and continued to read.
“Take your feet off my table.”
No response.
“Ash.” When Ash didn’t move, Phyla lowered her voice and spoke in the commanding, toneless way that told people they’d majorly pissed her off. Most people broke out in a sweat when they heard it. “Ash P. Redux. I’m speaking to you.”
Ash was not most people. That tone drew her like a moth to a flame and made her blood sing, specifically the blood that had begun pulsing between her legs at Phyla’s words. She tamped down the desire to dominate this woman, to order her to lie back on the sofa and obey Ash’s every command. Ash had never been cowed by powerful women. On the contrary. She was aroused and inflamed by them. Without looking up or moving her feet, Ash said, “Sucks to be ignored, doesn’t it? Kind of like I’m saying fuck you without actually saying the words, don’t you think?”
The way Phyla spoke through clenched teeth told Ash she’d won this round. “No, I don’t want a soda. Now take your God damned feet off my table.”
Now Ash did look up. “Oh, you can’t say fuck, but you can take God’s name in vain?” She knew she needed to give just a bit in this back-and-forth power struggle that had Phyla off balance enough to lower her veneer of respectability and actually stoop to using vulgarity to get her point across. She lifted her feet off the table and set them on the floor.
Phyla rose and angrily strode from the room. She was gone for a good forty-five minutes when Allegra Saint-Germaine walked in and sat on the sofa.
Ash glanced up from the iPad where she’d been reading about majority shareholders and controlling interest.
Allegra met her inquisitive gaze with an amused one of her own. “Would you please refrain from causing Phyla to have a stroke? I have to say, I’ve seen her angry on several occasions, but I’m not sure I’ve seen that exact shade of purple before.”
A broad, toothy grin was Ash’s only response.
“Ash, you have the potential to have a one-on-one opportunity to learn business from the best businesswoman in the world. Do you know how many men and women would give both their right and left arms for that opportunity?”
Ash flinched and shut her eyes at the memories that the idiom provoked.
“Oh, Ash.” Allegra put a hand on her arm, “That was probably one of the stupidest things I’ve said in a very long time. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Diva had been lying beneath the dining table, and when she came and sat at Ash’s feet and leaned against her knees, Ash absently stroked her ears. She opened her eyes and tried for a carefree smile. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a normal saying, and yeah, I get it, but I’ve never been very good at letting people treat me like shit and get away with it.”
“In the army, if a general came up to you and treated you like that, would you give them a smartass answer, or would you salute and say thank you?”
“This isn’t the army.”
“This is your accelerated masterclass in business and finance. Phyla is the general, and you’re—”
“The other general, since I’m probably wealthier than she is, right?”
“Right now, this isn’t about wealth. It’s about you needing to learn and her agreeing to teach you. Ash, we all need to modify our behaviors to accomplish our goals.”
“Okay. How about this? She teaches me business and finance, and I teach her how to treat people with a little respect. Because she’s lost that somewhere along the way. She’s lost her humanity, and yeah, maybe she’s been put in my life for a reason, but do you think maybe that goes both ways?”
Phyla stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. “Yes. It does. Clawing and scratching my way to the top has been a brutal process where if I give an inch, the gloves come off, and whoever I’m dealing with goes for the jugular. Maybe that’s made me hard, but that’s who I am.”
Ash remembered Phyla’s previous unexpected, kind gestures, and she caught and held her gaze. “I don’t go for the jugular Phyla. I’m the best friend anyone could ever ask for. But fuck with me, and the shirt comes off.”
Allegra stood and looked back and forth between them. “It sounds like a little trust might go a long way. Try it, the both of you,” she smiled, “and don’t make me come back here to smooth things over.”
When Allegra left the room and pulled the door shut behind her, Phyla pointed to the prospectus, apparently ready to pretend their previous angry outbursts never happened. “How are you coming with that? We’ll need to leave soon to pick up your suit since we have to leave time for a final fitting and whatever adjustments need to be done. We can discuss tonight’s meeting in the car.”
“Honestly? This is so much gobbledygook to me that I’ve spent most of the time looking up what stuff means.”
Phyla sighed and sat down next to her. If she needed to spoon-feed this woman for the next year so she could get her hands on her family’s land, then so be it. She pulled the prospectus into her lap. “Let’s go through it page by page, then. You’ll be reading three or four of these every week, and it will all start to make sense after a while. I…apologize for just throwing it at you. I’m not used to explaining entry-level concepts to my employees.”
“I’m not your employee.”
“No, you’re not, and I’ll try to remember that if you’ll keep your shoes off of my furniture.”
Ash turned to look her in the eyes. She knew what was drawing her to this woman, and while she might be new and unsure of herself when it came to business and finance, she was very comfortable wooing a powerful woman into her arms. Even though she’d only known Phyla a few days, her attraction was growing stronger the more time they spent together. By the occasional hint of interest lurking behind Phyla’s eyes, she felt it, too. “I’m sorry, too. I did that to piss you off, and I guess it worked a little better than I thought it would.”
The combination of power and raw need Ash saw in those expressionless, expressive eyes had her leaning in and placing her hand on the side of Phyla’s temple. When she didn’t flinch away in shock, or worse, disdain, Ash gently brushed her thumb along the perfectly shaped brow. “I just might enjoy learning to read something that, at first glance, tricks you into thinking it’s beyond reach.”
Phyla’s expression was one of a panicked, starving stray, ready to run but needing, desperately, to stay. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch until the moment was broken by a knock on the door. When Phyla jerked away and stood to face the sound, there was a slight blush in her cleavage that warmed Ash all the way to her toes.
Ash smiled down at Diva, who’d jumped up at Phyla’s unexpected launch from the sofa, and said softly to her dog, “Almost as soft as you are, but don’t worry, I won’t throw you over for another woman.”
“Come.” Phyla’s voice held no trace of the softness they’d just shared. If anything, there was an extra edge to it, as though she needed to make up for any residual weakness that might have shown itself moments before.
Daphne stepped in and closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but Lance Dagner just arrived.”
“I told you to cancel that appointment.”
“I did, and normally, I’d remind him of that and send him on his way. But he said there was something the two of you needed to discuss and asked me to let you know he was here and why.”
Phyla turned speculative eyes on Ash. “Dagner is the CEO of one of your fath—” she caught herself and amended her words, “Harcourt’s larger corporations, Tyden Property Group. This is your first lesson in the cutthroat world you’re stepping into. I’m not going to introduce you. Sit quietly until it’s time to not be quiet any longer, and you’ll send a very strong message to others in your employ.”
Not sure what those enigmatic words meant, Ash pulled the prospectus into her lap, nodded, and pretended to read.
Phyla retreated to her desk and sat before nodding to Daphne, who dipped her chin once, opened the door, and stepped into reception. “Ms. McGuire will see you, Mr. Dagner.”
A tall, broad-shouldered man with blonde, professionally styled hair wearing a sharply tailored black business suit with a solid-colored burgundy tie stepped into the room. “Phyla. I don’t normally drop in like this, but there were some time-sensitive issues, pressing issues I needed to speak to you about, and when you canceled at the last minute, I thought I’d take a chance you could slip me back into your schedule.”
“Of course, Lance. I understand. We’re living in interesting times, and I’ve found I’ve had to adjust my schedule to put out some last-minute brush fires.” She stood and motioned him away from Ash and over to her conference table. “May I offer you a drink?”
“Woodford Old Fashioned. Thanks.” He waited for Phyla to move to the table and be seated before following suit. He nervously drummed his fingers on the burnished wood, an affectation Ash thought Phyla would never indulge in herself.
“Daphne.” When Daphne stepped forward from where she waited by the door, Phyla gestured to the well-stocked bar. “Two Woodford Old Fashions, and then close the door on your way out.” She sat opposite Dagner and crossed her legs.
And what nice legs they were, Ash thought as she ran her gaze up those nicely toned calves to where the skirt hit just above the knee. While Daphne set about mixing the drinks, Phyla and Lance made small talk, a skill Ash realized with an inward sigh she’d have to polish if she was going to survive in the business world. As soon as they had their drinks and the door clicked shut behind her assistant, Phyla got right to the point. “How can I help you, Lance?”
When Lance glanced over his shoulder at Ash, who was studiously keeping her nose buried in the prospectus, Phyla waved in dismissal. “One of my people. Well-trained and very discreet.”
His interest in Ash fizzled, and she suddenly became no more important than the sofa on which she sat. Lance turned back to the one who mattered and got right to the point. “You said it earlier, Phyla. We’re living in interesting times.”
When he repeated Phyla’s earlier words, Ash realized the savvy businesswoman had deliberately cast her line and set the bait. She wondered what Phyla knew that she didn’t and continued to listen with more interest than before.
Oblivious to the trap he was walking into, Lance continued, “I know you appreciate people coming right to the point, so I will. I assume you heard Harcourt Langdon passed away?” Apparently, Phyla’s inclined head and raised brow meant something to him because he took a sip and leaned back in his chair.
“I heard through the grapevine they’re looking for his heir, and I’m also aware that in the past, you’ve expressed interest in acquiring the majority shares of Tyden Property Group. Now, before they find his heir, someone who’s probably never done a day of business in his life, I might be able to…well, grease the wheels in your direction, if you get my meaning.”
Without even the hint of emotion one way or the other, Phyla took a sip and regarded him over the rim of her glass. “I’m listening.”
“We both know Langdon’s holdings are vast. We also know that without him at the helm, they’re vulnerable. They’ll probably be even more so after the rube who’s inherited his holdings shows up and destabilizes his entire empire. Others will be piling on, ready to capitalize on his mistakes, and I figured you and I could be first in line. As you know, it’s not difficult to manipulate stock prices, and I’m willing to do that so current stockholders will jump at the chance to sell. In other words, I can get Tyden for you.”
“And what’s in it for you, Lance?” Still, the same poker face and bland tone that gave nothing away.
“All I’m asking is a quid pro quo. You gain the major stock position at Tyden, and well, I’m not sure you know that I hold a master’s degree in business finance, and before I came to work for Langdon, I was CFO at Silvershine and Energence. I’ve heard you’re looking for a CFO at McGuire Enterprises, a position I understand comes with excellent stock options and a chance to learn from the master.” He graciously opened his palm in Phyla’s direction.
She, in turn, languidly turned her gaze to Ash, who took that as her cue to introduce herself. Setting the prospectus on the coffee table, Ash rose and walked over to them.
Dagner angrily turned to her. “Do you mind?”
“Lance, is it?”
With pronounced irritability, he ignored Ash and turned to Phyla. “I know you said she was discreet, but could we have a bit of privacy?”
Again, Phyla turned her gaze to Ash and remained silent.
Ash wondered whether this was some kind of test to see how she’d handle a turncoat who was offering to sell her out to the competition. Well, that was easy enough. “Lance, let me introduce myself. I’m the rube in question, and you’re fired.”
The sides of her mouth lifted in a mirthless grin when panic rose in his eyes. She kept her gaze locked on his and hoped she wasn’t overstepping with what she was about to ask. “Phyla, would you please do me a favor and call security at Tyden Property Group and have Lance locked out of the company’s computers? Also, would you ask Neville to accompany him back to his offices so he can collect his personal things? He’s not to take any paperwork until I’ve had a chance to go through everything in the coming days, so please have Neville arrange to have the lock or entry code on his office changed, and if you don’t mind, ask him to leave one of his security personnel at the door until that’s accomplished. Also, I’ll need someone we can trust to take over the reins until I can familiarize myself with the business.”
The man’s panic intensified when, to Dagner’s astonished, stuttering, nonsensical utterances, Phyla picked up her cell phone and made the calls. Everyone knew Phyla did no one’s bidding but her own, but Ash understood that she was sending out a clear message to everyone. She was the ally to Harcourt Langdon’s heir, and no one had better try something as monumentally stupid as Lance Dagner had just done.
Neville strode in to collect the man, and when they’d gone, Phyla motioned for Ash to sit. Ash retrieved her soda, returned to the conference table, and sat opposite her.
