Chapter Seven
Cam
After I'd finished my shift at the station, I drove home, walked Tesla, then showered, changed, and headed over to see Leo. I was not looking forward to this meeting, but I knew that steering clear of it wasn't an option.
What I really wanted to be doing was driving back over to Chicago General and seeing if Alex Pierce was on duty. I hadn't been able to get her curvy figure out of my head for the duration of my shift. I cursed myself for not getting her number, but it hadn’t seemed like the best thing to do after she’d nailed me for using a pick up line, so keeping a safe distance had seemed like the smarter choice. Even if the choice meant I didn’t know how to contact Alex.
"Sometimes we have to do what we don't want to do; isn't that right, girl?" I said to Tesla as I stood at the counter finishing my breakfast. She looked up at me and thumped her tail on the marble floor, hoping that I'd toss her a bit of the bacon I'd made to go with my eggs.
"All right, fine," I said as I tossed a piece in the air and watched as she gracefully leapt up and caught it in her open mouth. She chewed it quickly and then sat back down waiting for more. I laughed. "Nope, that's it. No more."
Tesla wagged her tail a few times, and, when it became obvious that I meant what I'd said, she sighed loudly and dropped to the floor, resting her chin between her paws as she gave me a mournful look. I smiled as I shook my head then went back to scanning the headlines on the iPad I kept in the kitchen.
"It looks like we've got the usual mash up of things going on in the city, girl," I said as I read the headlines out loud to her. "I see that the mayor is pushing a new education program, the governor is trying to cut the budget down to a manageable level, and the South Side is still going to hell in a hand basket. Looks like business as usual!"
I set my dishes in the sink, pulled on my coat, grabbed my keys and sunglasses, and headed out to meet with Leo. The office was down in the Loop, which usually meant not being able to find a parking spot, but we'd contracted with a local valet service at one of the restaurants and they'd agreed to let us use two spots for Chicago Security Corporation when we needed it, so I was able to park and get up to the fourteenth floor quickly.
"Mr. Connor," Becky said, surprised to see me. "Was Mr. Marini expecting you this morning?"
"I certainly hope so." I smiled. "He sent me a message yesterday requesting a meeting."
"Will you be in your office, sir?" she asked as she picked up the phone and dialed Leo's extension.
"Nah, I'll just head back to Leo's office and see what he wants," I said as I headed down the hallway. I could hear her telling Leo I was on my way in a hushed whisper.
"So, what's up with this contract, Leo?" I said as I pushed his office door open and entered. Inside, I found a somewhat flustered Leo buttoning his shirt as a lovely young woman folded up a massage table.
"I thought you'd call first," he said as I gave him the once over. "I didn't know you'd be this early."
"Yeah, well, my shift is over at eight and I headed right over because you said it was important," I said with an amused grin. Dropping my voice, I said, "Barn door's open. Close her up, friend."
"Will you be needing me to come back on Friday, Mr. Marini?" the girl asked as she stood at the door. She was an exotic beauty with large breasts and shiny black hair, and I had little doubt that she was providing my friend with more than just a Swedish massage.
"Uh, yeah, that would be good, Misty," he said after zipping his pants. "Becky will give you a check for today. Stop by the front desk and pick it up."
"Thank you, Mr. Marini." She smiled before closing the door behind her.
"Jesus, Leo, what the hell are you doing?" I asked.
"Hey, look, I don't have time for dating and I have needs, my friend." He smiled as he regained control of the conversation. "It's just easier this way. No fuss, no muss."
"I do not understand you," I said, shaking my head.
"Yeah, well, if you'd let go of our Puritan ideals, you might," he said in a tone that was only mildly irritated. "Sorry, that wasn't fair. I just think you need to get out there and experience something other than work for a change. It's been a long time, Cam."
"You wanted to talk to me about business?" I said, cutting off the trip down a path that I didn't want to travel. Leo looked at me and shook his head before grabbing a stack of papers off of the desk and handing half to me.
"We've been asked to provide security for the next election cycle," Leo said. "It's a huge contract with multiple candidates and their families."
"You know how I feel about this, Leo," I said, reading the top page and shaking my head. "I don't want to get CSC involved in any contracts that will expose my involvement in the company. The answer is no. Anything else?"
"You can't just waltz in here and say no without actually discussing this," Leo protested.
"Actually, I can," I replied. "I own the majority stock and I have the deciding vote. You knew that when you accepted the position as public CEO."
"This isn't fair," Leo said quietly. "I've been doing everything you ask of me and I've run this company at a profit for the past eight years. Everything I've done has improved the standing of this company, and I've grown the business by more than one hundred percent since you started it."
"Leo, we discussed this at length when you agreed to accept the position," I said as I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't want any publicity. CSC is a private security firm that offers high-level protection services for people who want to stay out of the spotlight. We do not get involved in political campaigns or self-serving celebrity issues; we fly under the radar and we get the job done."
"But this is an opportunity to join the big league, Cam!" Leo pleaded. "We're incredibly good at what we do and we are recognized as being top in the field. Shouldn't we be able to capitalize on that reputation and increase our client base?"
"Not if it involves Chicago-based candidates," I said, shaking my head. "I do not want people digging into our business and uncovering the fact that I own controlling interest in a multi-billion dollar security firm. I want to keep working for the fire department without being hassled by every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to write a story on the poor firefighter who turned tragedy into triumph. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime, thank you very much."
"You're so selfish," Leo muttered. "It's always about you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean? You agreed to this deal!" I said feeling defensive about his attack. "I didn't beg you to take the job; you offered to do it. I told you what the terms would be and you agreed!"
"Yes, I agreed -- EIGHT YEARS AGO!" Leo shouted. "Everything was different back then. We were different back then. I didn't know I'd be so good at this job, and I didn't realize that there was a potential for growth in the way it's come about. You can't blame me for wanting more, Cam."
"I don't blame you a bit." I sighed as I looked at my best friend. "I just don't want to have my life on parade again. Once was enough, Leo. I can't go back there."
"I know," he said, sinking down into his chair and resting his head in his hands. "I know. I just..."
I looked at Leo knowing how difficult it must have been for him to ask this of me. We'd been friends since grade school, and he'd been the one who'd watched me struggle to keep things together as my mother wasted away from the drinking. He'd been with me at graduation, and he'd stood next to me at my mother's funeral when no one -- not even her own family -- had shown up. And Leo had been the one who'd gotten drunk with me the night the fire changed my entire life and then looked out for me in the hard months after that night.
I knew he was trying to do what was best for the business, but I couldn't let the business interfere with the life I'd carefully constructed to keep everything at bay. I'd started the security firm as a way to distract myself while I was on leave from the fire department, but it had grown faster than I could manage alone, and when my leave was over, I found that there was no way I could manage the security business while also working full-time for the department.
Leo was between consulting jobs as he finished his MBA and looked for a position that would give him an opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge. It was the perfect fit, and after we'd agreed upon a couple of rules that would govern the company, I'd handed over the reins to him.
"All right, let's talk about this." I sighed as I sat down and looked up at him. "How can we manage this without putting my name in the papers?"
"Make me an equal partner in the business, and I'll take all the heat," Leo said in a way that made me realize he'd been thinking about this for a lot longer than the last few days. "Either that or we can hope for a political scandal that will occupy the headlines for months."
"Well, the latter might not be so far off." I laughed. "It is Chicago, after all."
"C'mon, Cam," Leo said in a serious tone. "You know I'm not going to run off with the business or run it into the ground. You can trust me."
"I know, I know," I said, running my hand through my hair and suddenly feeling very tired. "It was never about that. It was..."
"The business was your baby," he finished. "It was what you turned to after Quinn was gone. I get it, Cam, but letting go of a little portion of it isn't going to mean that you've let go of her completely. We're in this together. This business can be so much more, but you've got to let go of the tight control."
"I know." I sighed. "I just feel like everything is changing so fast, and I don't know what to do, Leo."
"What else is going on?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just..." I began and then trailed off as I looked away not knowing how to finish the sentence. When I looked back up at him, I took a deep breath and said, "Fine, let's split it fifty-fifty and see how that goes. You take all the public heat, got it?"
"Happy to oblige." He grinned.
"But for God's sake, get yourself a girlfriend," I said, shaking my head. "The last thing you need is a scandal based on your love of exotic massage girls."
"Hey, it works for me." He shrugged. "And I'm single; I don't see the problem!"
"Dammit, Leo," I growled. "If you're going to be the face of the company, then you have to act like a professional! I don't care if you hire the girl who just left here to play your girlfriend, just do something so that you don't get caught with your pants down and have to expose me in the process!"
"I got it, I got it," he said, holding up a hand to ward off my tirade. "I'll take care of it."
"Good, and get the lawyers to draw up the paperwork," I said. "I'll swing back around early next week and sign everything."
"Cam, are you sure you're okay?" Leo asked quietly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I'm fine," I said, shaking my head. "I'm just tired and feeling a little out of sorts. Maybe I'll take Tesla for a run and see if I can't shake it."
"Maybe you need to find someone to talk to, Cam," Leo gently pushed. "You know, there's nothing wrong with that."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I said as I stood up and walked to the door. I opened it and then turned around. "Thanks, Leo. For everything."
"No sweat," he said, waving me off. "That's what friends are for, man."
I nodded before heading out to my car wondering if I was making the right decision and, for the first time in a long time, feeling like taking a chance or two.