In that pause, I remembered that it wasn’t just my father’s ego that would be harmed from knowing the truth. It could be the first tile knocked down in a line of dominoes, exposing Hudson and forcing him to take more of a leadership role. There could be good at the end of that road, but it was too much of an unknown to want to risk finding out.
“I’m not having trouble with Edward,” I lied. Divorce wasn’t on my radar. I didn’t want to get rid of my husband, I wanted to win him back. “I am very much in love with him, but that doesn’t mean things don’t happen. He’s been divorced before. What if he loses interest in me?”
I shook my head, not wanting to hear whatever chauvinistic response my father had to that. “My point is that marriages are not always permanent, and with the previous bad blood you’ve had with Accelecom, I doubt you’ll get support from your board for deciding to go all in with them now.”
“I hold the majority. It doesn’t matter if—”
I cut him off. “Edward and I hold the majority. Don’t forget they’re in my name now. And it’s only forty percent. If the other stockholders got together to go against you—”
It was his turn to interrupt. “Glamplay holds thirty percent, and they’re legally bound to vote with me. Er, you.”
They weren’t bound anymore. That agreement became null and void when Hudson purchased them.
Since I couldn’t tell him that had already happened, I decided to hint that it might. “Those kinds of deals aren’t permanent. Something could happen to Glamplay in the future, a competitor could buy them out or something, and you’d lose that guarantee.”
My father astonished me by smiling. “You must be learning from your husband. That’s indeed true, and he’s right to worry about those risks. But he and I have already discussed that possibility, and we’ve found a way to get around it.”
“You and who? You and Edward? You and Edward have found a way around it?” I didn’t know why it was a surprise that my father had spoken about all of this with my husband before telling me. Of course he had. In fact, it probably had been Edward who had brought it up. What did I think he was working on every day in his temporary office space? Sure he could connect with London and still effectively run Accelecom from the States, but I knew he wanted Werner. Why would I think for even a second that he wasn’t pursuing it just because he hadn’t said anything to me?
“Yes, me and Edward. I’ll admit, he’s the one who brought up this particular scenario. I was quite impressed at his foresight. He’s quite an intelligent man. The right man to run Werner.”
Foresight, right. I had to agree with my father, though, about Edward’s intelligence. It had been a brilliant idea to get my father involved like this. Without exposing the truth, he’d gained an ally in his quest to get the CEO spot.
I almost didn’t want to ask, but I had to know. “How are you getting around it?”
“Glamplay’s thirty percent only becomes an issue if it’s combined with other stockholders, as you said. So we need to be sure that we have another stockholder on our side from the beginning. Then, even if the others gang up, we’ll still have a majority. Edward’s already reached out and met with the guy whose partnership would give us the most power.”
My stomach sank. There was only one other stockholder who had enough shares to mean anything, even before he’d acquired Glamplay’s thirty percent.
“What did Hudson say when Edward met with him?” What I really wanted to know was what Edward had said to Hudson, but there was no way my husband would have told my father the truth about that.
“Oh, good. You know it’s Hudson. I didn’t want to say his name in case that brought up any hard feelings from the past. I have to say, Ceeley, it might have been a big disappointment when you lost him to that Alayna woman, but you snagged a more savvy man with Edward. Hudson doesn’t have the vision your husband does. He can’t see the potential with a merger quite yet, but we’re working on him.”
I almost laughed. Hudson’s vision was beyond what my father could even fathom. Edward was sharp too. Maybe even sharp enough to go head-to-head with my old friend, but Edward was used to having the upper hand in these kinds of dealings, and he did not have it this time.
I’d been stupid, ignoring my father’s looming retirement and my husband’s pattern of going behind my back to get what he wanted. I’d been too focused on my pregnancy and Edward’s anger and protecting Hudson’s identity, I’d forgotten to be mindful that Edward desired more than just the name of the man who’d taught me The Game.
Well, I wasn’t going to sit back and let him outwit me now. Admittedly, there wasn’t much I could do to interfere, but there was one move I could make.
I glanced at my watch. I couldn’t make it downtown before five, especially not if I changed, and since I was wearing baggy shorts and a tank, I’d definitely have to change.
Tomorrow. First thing so I’d beat the summer heat that turned people into melting wax by the end of the day. I could go to Bergdorf Goodman now and find something that fit and was flattering, which was important. I might not have the influence I needed for the task, but I intended to use whatever tools I had. And that meant, when I walked into Hudson’s office tomorrow, I needed to look good.
I turned to face my reflection in the steel wall at the back of the elevator. My hair was perfect, my eye makeup subtle, a severe shade of red on my lips. I looked exactly like the woman I once was, the dragon that used to frequently make this trip to Hudson’s office.
Well, except for the change at my midriff. Seemingly overnight, my belly had popped, displaying to the world the baby growing inside me. Thank goodness I’d bought a sundress. My pre-pregnancy clothes officially did not fit.
I put a hand on the bump and felt immediately both centered and chaotic. This wasn’t who I was anymore. The countenance I’d adorned for this occasion was a mask that no longer sat well on my face. It made me itch and fidget. My shoulders had to fight to stay lifted, and focusing my scattered thoughts was a chore.
But my baby was gravity. She rooted me to my purpose. What happened to me mattered in a way that hadn’t before. What happened to her father, an equal concern. If it weren’t for her, I could maybe let this whole Edward/Hudson thing play out on its own, even if it meant I had to face the consequences of what I’d done in the past. I’d done it before, and I could do it now if it were only my skin in the game.
So, for her, I would play this part. I would be the woman I needed to be.
When the elevator dinged at a floor near the top, it was a composed version of myself that stepped into the familiar waiting area and greeted Hudson’s secretary.
“It’s been a while, Trish,” I said cooly, practicing the tone and the confidence required for the man beyond the double doors behind her. “Could you buzz me in? I need to see him.”
“Uh…” I’d made her flustered, which I took as a good sign. “Did you have an appointment?”
“It’s twenty past nine. If he keeps a schedule anything like he used to, he should be free right now.” I meant it as a reminder that I had once been very familiar with her boss and his routines. Hudson being the methodical kind of man he was, I doubted they’d changed much. Early meetings then a break at nine for coffee and conferring with his secretary before more meetings tied up the rest of the day.