I swing open the gate of a secluded courtyard to an oversized beige tent, spying colorful flowers and a swing off to the side. I slip my key card in the door.
Upon entry I am blown away. The room is chic and cozy. A large cream faux fur carpet covers the wooden floor. A king-size bed takes up most of the space. The room is stunning, and every piece of furniture, textile, and structure is darling.
I plop my suitcase on the bed and immediately fumble through it to get out my power suit for my meeting with Kayla Stevenson. Then I spot the black lace thong and bra. I don’t know what comes over me, but I change into them and slip on my power suit.
I walk over to the mirror, swivel side to side. Sydney’s right. Not only do I feel prettier, I feel more confident. Now, time to nail this account for good.
“As you can see the yearly profits will increase with implementing the marketing plan as the seasons change.” I swipe my fingers across the tablet, and I show her the designs for the next four years. “Granted, these are the mock-up photos, but you get the idea. Each one is different. With a slogan to reflect the seasonal transformation.”
“I love what you have done here. It’s as if I’m seeing my resort with a fresh set of eyes.”
“Sometimes, that’s what it takes. My photographer told me this was one of his favorite projects.”
“He did an amazing job,” she says as she flips through a few of the printouts I brought with me. “Absolutely stunning.”
“I’m delighted you are pleased with the rough drafts, Miss Stevenson.”
“Please call me Kayla. My staff calls me Miss Stevenson. We are more like business partners, Delilah.”
Business partners?
I clear my throat. “Are you saying?”
“Consider this your go ahead to proceed. I’ll work with Catherine and Peter to extend the retainer to accommodate the additional work you have proposed.”
“Thank you so much.” We stand and shake hands.
I clear my throat as I gather the papers and pile them in a stack. “Kayla, may I ask you a personal question?”
“Depends how personal.”
“Your parents sold the company to Lindell Investments—”
“And you’re wondering why they didn’t just hand me the business,” she interrupts.
“I don’t mean to pry.”
“My parents offered it to me. But I turned it down.”
“I don’t understand. You’re already vested in your family business as a director, why wouldn’t you want it?”
“The thing is, Delilah, I love working here.” She motions her chin to the spreadsheet displayed on my tablet. “Evergreen was going under and selling was the only option. Lindell Investments saved my family’s business, the employees here got to keep their jobs, and I got to keep mine.”
“I had no idea. The figures didn’t show that.”
“Evergreen was doing okay. But according to the forecast I ran, we were flatlining. And I told my parents to retire and sell it. This way, they get to live a happy retirement and I can still keep close ties to what my parents built. With your designs, I know that Evergreen will thrive and I’m so glad I decided to meet with you today rather than in a few weeks in Los Angeles. Knowing the Lindells, they may still want to see the final plans and your projections.” She looked at her watch again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going. I have got to pick up my son from the sitter. Why don’t you head to our restaurant? I will inform the staff to comp your meal and drinks.”
“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
After my meeting with Kayla, I speak with Peter and Catherine on a video conference to let them know about the good news. The fact Kayla is extending our retainer says our meeting went without a hitch.
It felt like a million bucks and all I want to do is call my best friend and tell her how my meeting went.
I quickly get out of the suit and change into my comfy red summer dress, sit on the bed, and hit the camera icon to connect the video call.
“Hey, Syd.”
“Hey, I was just thinking about you . . . how’d your meeting go?”
A proud grin widens my face. “I nailed it!”
“See? I knew you would. How does it feel?”
“Absolutely amazing, now I’m going to grab some dinner and celebrate with a glass of wine or two.”
“Really?”
“Sure, why not?”
“So, you’re braving it and having a drink alone?” There’s caution in her question.
“I’m working, and I need to take in the vibe and the atmosphere.”
“Okay.” She draws out the word and I’m curious what’s going on in that head of hers.
“Okay, what, Syd?” Now she’s piqued my curiosity.
“It’s just that you were so hesitant to go with me to the club weeks ago. And now you’re venturing out to happy hour and drinking alone.”
“A lot has happened since then. And why are you being such a Debbie-Downer?”
“I’m not trying to be. I’m just trying to gauge your mindset.”
“My mindset is fine. And I wouldn’t be celebrating alone if Brody came with me.”
“Have you heard from him?”
“Not since yesterday when he bailed after dropping off my lunch.” I waltz into the bathroom and open my toiletry bag to freshen up. “He’s hiding something.”
“Good lord, Dee. How many times do I have to tell you? He’s nothing like that shitbag,” she scolds.
“Then why am I up here alone and haven’t heard one word from him? Not even a text.”
“Maybe he’s working a security job and he can’t call you.”
“I doubt it.”
“Look, I was planning to tell you something. But considering you’re already down, I’ll just wait.”
“You might as well tell me,” I say, letting out an audible sigh.
“While I was at the store yesterday, I grabbed that latest Kyndal Magazine and there’s an article . . . about Brody.”
“Why would he be in Kyndal Magazine?”
“Well, you might as well read it for yourself. I just sent you the link.”
Stepping back into the bedroom, I take my tablet from my bag, sit on the bed, and open the link Sydney sent me.
As my finger scrolls, I stop at a picture that catches my eye. It’s Brody and two women. One is Avery Saints. Jesus Christ. He never told me his sister is a fucking model—a famous one too.
Looking back at the picture, I assume the other woman is their mother. She’s wearing a satin scarf over her head and despite the frailty in her face, she’s beautiful and I can see where Brody and his sister get their good looks from. The date of the picture was almost five years ago.
I read the article aloud. “Stella Saint Clair, was the driving force in SC Investments, now known as Lindell Investments, bringing in more than $105 billion for clients and an uptick of 22% growth in 2016. In her last year as chairman of SC Investments, one of the largest investment companies in the nation, business began to flatline and became increasingly challenging, leaving her no choice but to pass the baton to her two children, Brody and Avery Saint Clair-Reinhardt, following her announcement of ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, this great empire built from the ground up by their grandfather, took a different path. In a news conference held on June 29, 2017, the Saint Clair-Reinhardt children announced the takeover by Charles Lindell. Saint Clair remained on the Board of Directors until the cancer claimed her life three years ago . . .”