Rumor Mill, page 1
Rumor Mill
The Takeover Series, Volume 4
Lexy Timms
Published by Dark Shadow Publishing, 2023.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
RUMOR MILL
First edition. February 7, 2023.
Copyright © 2023 Lexy Timms.
Written by Lexy Timms.
Copyright 2023
By Lexy Timms
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
All rights reserved.
Rumor Mill
The Takeover Series Book #4
Copyright 2023
By Lexy Timms
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Over Time Blurb
A LIE CAN BE HALFWAY across the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on...
Could life get any better?
I had a billionaire boyfriend, a job that I loved, and a new apartment. Everything was coming up roses, except for that nasty lawsuit that my former friend brought against me. She claimed I was responsible for a breaking and entering job that we’d concocted together. One that I never should have been a part of and only wanted to forget.
The closer we got to the court date, the more I panicked. I just wanted to move on with my life, to focus on my new relationship and get to know every inch of Brad Miller’s body. But he and I didn’t see things the same way.
With the court case looming over us, it didn’t seem like our love was going to survive. And that was the real tragedy.
How could I let something as stupid as one drunken mistake come between me and true love?
I don’t care about the job, and I don’t care about Nikki anymore. Brad is the only one I want, and knowing that I hurt him is breaking my heart. What I wouldn’t give for a chance to explain myself...and just one more night at his place.
Contents
The Takeover Series
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Over Time Blurb
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
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Chapter 1
Brad
“RELAX,” MY LAWYER SAID, eyeing me from the head of the table.
I rolled my eyes. Only a lawyer could tell someone to relax the moment before they met their adversary. I didn’t want to antagonize him, but a little bit of leeway for my nerves had to be considered. I wouldn’t have come to him if everything was all right.
I was being sued. And it wasn’t just my neck on the chopping block. My girlfriend, Theodora, or Teddy as she liked to be called, had been named in a separate but related suit. The woman who was skewering us both was a former secretary of mine, and a former friend of Teddy’s.
It seemed like so long ago, but it was really only about eight months since I’d bought the tech company Retro and restyled it to focus on art. As part of my takeover, I’d let go of more than half the staff, promising them that I would give them significant severance checks that would allow them to survive until they landed another job.
Teddy was one of those unfortunate ones who found herself out on the streets. I didn’t know her then, and if I had, I never would have gone that route. But she reapplied for the position as my executive assistant a few months later. I found out only recently that the severance checks had never been cut. Teddy was forced to work as a barista and live in a makeshift apartment over her brother’s garage.
Despite all the forces working against us, we had fallen in love. I said those three simple words in the heat of the moment after a long and luxurious lovemaking session. She responded in kind and since then, we’d been inseparable.
It felt like only yesterday we’d received the summons, but it was more than a week in reality. I’d had enough time to hire a good lawyer, one who came highly recommended by my peer group.
We met at his office once before where I explained the situation. I paid him a retainer, and he was off and running, collecting all the data he could. He spoke with Teddy and with me extensively, delving into my company’s bank accounts. I pointed out the massive payment made to the former owner that was supposed to go to the former employees. Instead, I knew that Nick Pierce, ex-CEO of Retro Technologies, had pocketed the cash and shared some with his daughter.
“They’re late,” I observed.
“It’s a power play,” my lawyer said. “Just hang tight.”
I didn’t have the patience for these little mind games. It seemed like enough that Nikki was demanding more than a million dollars in damages—did she have to squat and piss in my yard as well?
Nikki and Teddy had been caught breaking into my office late one night in search of proof of culpability on my part. Teddy foolishly thought I had something to do with the missing severance checks and mentioned it to Nikki. Afterward, Nikki suggested breaking into the office to uncover the truth.
This was what I heard, but I had no reason to doubt my lover. She was the one who’d called the security desk to turn herself in. She was torn up about it, and we’d managed to put the whole incident behind us. But I made the fateful decision to let Nikki go while keeping Teddy on. That stirred the pot and prompted Nikki to fight back by suing both of us, me for wrongful termination and Teddy for instigating the crime.
I was crawling out of my skin waiting for her. I just wanted to get it over with, but I knew enough about legal maneuvering to realize that I had to play it cool. I wasn’t going to gain any advantage by showing my hand. The lawyer was right: This was a game of cat and mouse, and I would be damned if I was going to play the part of the mouse.
“She doesn’t have a case,” I muttered.
“I agree,” the lawyer said. “And it’s going to be my job to convince her of that.”
“That’s why I pay you the big bucks,” I replied, half teasing.
“Relax,” he said again, with more than a little caution. If I couldn’t find it in my heart to pretend I didn’t give a damn, then the whole thing was going to go sideways quickly.
I diverted my thoughts from the impending meeting to other things on my plate. I had a meeting later on that day with a vendor. Retro had been redesigned to sell prints of famous paintings, and I was having some trouble with one of the companies I’d contracted with to create those prints.
Tapping my fingers on my knee, I pulled out my phone. There weren’t any new emails to attend to, and the stock ticker barely moved. It was a normal day, aside from the fact that my future was on the line. I didn’t care about the money; it was my reputation I was fighting for. I hadn’t wrongfully terminated her. I couldn’t trust her, and I knew that she was the brains behind the whole office break-in fiasco.
As I was staring at my phone, a text came through from Teddy. Good luck, it said. I had to smile. The mere thought of her was enough to warm my heart. That was the worst part about this whole charade. It hurt Teddy. It felt like an elaborate plot to twist the knife, making the woman I cared about twist in the breeze like a fish on a hook. I would do anything I could to make it go away, up to and including paying Nikki off. I didn’t want to, but at some point, it seemed like the most rational course of action.
Of co
They strode through the door like an invading army, and I could have sworn I heard slow motion rock music playing to the beat of their steps. My lawyer and I stood up. I adjusted my suit jacket, pretending that the meeting was nothing more than a nuisance. It wasn’t, in fact, and I was a very busy man who didn’t have time for legal charades.
I didn’t bother acknowledging her. She was dressed to impress, but it didn’t impress me. I only had eyes for Teddy, and no matter how flattering Nikki’s dress and heels, it wasn’t going to win me over.
My lawyer leaned close to whisper nothing in my ear. Literally nothing. He said, “Act like I’m telling you something.”
I nodded, diverting my attention from their staged entrance. The ploy had its effect, drawing the locus of control back to our side of the table. The plaintiff and her team settled opposite us, each one choosing a seat and settling down. It was game time.
I returned to my own chair, letting the lawyer do the talking for me. I didn’t even acknowledge Nikki, much less smile at her. She had chosen to meet this way, and I just wanted to get it over with.
She didn’t have a leg to stand on as far as I was concerned. No, I hadn’t fired Teddy, but my girlfriend had moved on to another job, leaving me with no secretary or assistant. The end result was the same. They had both broken into my office, and now they were both working elsewhere. Or in Nikki’s case, scamming elsewhere.
It wasn’t even Teddy’s fault. She was the one who’d had an attack of conscience and pulled the plug on the clandestine endeavor. I couldn’t stay mad at her, and I didn’t think firing Nikki was out of line. Not only was she the ringleader, but she wasn’t the least bit sympathetic when she was caught. She’d acted like she was entitled to her job even though she’d used her key card to access my office afterhours.
I would have done it again in a heartbeat, even knowing that I would eventually get sued. The question was how quickly could I get out from under this ridiculous lawsuit and back to my regularly scheduled life.
Things with Teddy had been strained ever since we were served at dinner a week ago. I had a little bit of experience with litigation, but Teddy had none. I tried to assure her that it would all go away, but she was skeptical.
Well, now was the time. I just wanted the suit to go away, and I was prepared to deal. Not in the millions, mind you, but with what I thought was a generous offer. If it was money that Nikki was after, I was willing to part with a certain amount of it in the name of peace.
“My client is willing to pay your client six months’ wages if she will drop the wrongful termination suit,” my lawyer said, remaining standing.
He was the only one around the table who hadn’t taken a seat, and as such, commanded everyone’s attention. There was a flurry of activity on the other side of the room as Nikki’s lawyers considered the offer.
I wondered for a moment if they were lawyers or actors. If they were lawyers, she was paying a fortune in retainer fees. The point of the massive frontal assault seemed to be to intimidate me, though it wasn’t working.
But if she was actually paying for their time, six months of a secretary’s salary wasn’t going to go very far. I reconsidered my offer but decided I didn’t want to raid the coffers. It wasn’t my decision to hire every single private attorney on this side of the city. She was just continuing the tradition of making poor choices, and I wasn’t going to enable that behavior.
“No,” Nikki said. “I want the full amount.”
The lawyers began their feeding frenzy, and I just sat back to watch it happen. My choice of counsel was evenly matched to Nikki’s four. He came highly recommended, and he was worth every penny. Respectful and professional, he nonetheless sent some very wicked threats their way in the form of counter suits and blacklisting. To hear my lawyer talk, I had access to the central hiring database for the entire country and the ability to shut Nikki down from any and all future employment. It was ridiculous, but I could see Nikki squirm. I hoped she would take the bait and accept my offer, but as the meeting progressed, I could see that she wasn’t going to budge.
All in all, it was a wasted two hours. Neither of us were interested in meeting the other halfway. I certainly wasn’t going to pay her millions for what was essentially a criminal act on her part. And I didn’t want to strike any deal that didn’t include dropping the lawsuit against Teddy.
For her part, Nikki felt like she had a valid argument, and she was willing to take her chances in court. One of her lawyers said it would come down to a “he said/she said” argument and that the woman nearly always won in those cases. My lawyer shot back by reminding their client that we had testimony from the security guards and video footage of the lobby on the night in question. It wasn’t “he said/she said” at all.
I tried to focus, but after a while, it didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere. The businessman in me took over, and I started wanting to protect my time. I had other meetings and more work waiting for me at the office. If this meeting wasn’t going to be productive, there was no reason to prolong it.
“Thank you for coming,” I said abruptly, cutting off one of Nikki’s lawyers. “Unless I’m mistaken, it doesn’t look like we have anything further to discuss.”
The opposing counsel conferred with each other before packing up their papers.
Nikki fumed, frustrated at my ability to command the attention of the room. She clearly wanted to be the center of attention, but her attempts to railroad me were unsuccessful. She narrowed her eyes, slamming her palms down on the table.
“I’ll see you in court,” she promised.
I smiled at her, unwilling to be intimidated. There wasn’t anything left to say, and I didn’t want to give her any more fuel to burn. So I just stood up and walked out the door, leaving my lawyer to deal with the mess.
Chapter 2
Theodora
GOOD LUCK, I texted Brad. He didn’t text back, and I wasn’t sure what to make of that. Either he was already in the meeting, or he hadn’t had time to read the message. I was sure I’d see him later that day and we could talk about how things went. He was taking the whole lawsuit thing in stride, but I was struggling.
In my world, people didn’t drag each other to court over tiny little things. If Nikki was upset with me, I expected her to come to me and try to talk things out. And I felt bad enough about her situation to go out and get another job.
She was right. I shouldn’t have been hired back just because I was Brad’s girlfriend. Our relationship aside, it shouldn’t have affected my professional life. I didn’t want people thinking I got special treatment just because Brad and I were involved sexually. It sort of felt that way, and it made me uncomfortable.
So I’d gone out and gotten a new job at a cozy little art gallery downtown. They were nothing like Retro, except in the fact that they dealt with art. The owner was impressed that I had been on a purchasing trip in Paris and had been given access to private collections. She picked my brain even before she hired me, making sure our tastes aligned.
I appreciated abstracts, but I tended toward big, bold colors while she favored smaller, more experimental pieces. I also liked landscapes and portraits. Her collection of that kind of subject matter was much smaller. While I was drawn to oil paintings and acrylics in my own work, she painted in watercolors. That meant a lot of her gallery was devoted to dreamy, light filled visions instead of intense, bold choices.
It didn’t matter at the end of the day. I was thrilled to be working for a gallery of any size. I even floated the idea that we could have a showing with all of our work, since I was an artist as was she. There were two other women who worked alongside us, one in sales and the other in PR. They were constantly holding wine tasting events and open houses whenever they had a new exhibit. It served to keep the customers coming back and to keep the gallery in the public eye.
