Chapter 22
Maynard
“You certainly have a knack for obscene headlines, haven't you?” Bianca declared just after opening the front door to my apartment.
It had only been a day so the media was still ripping into me ruthlessly. Typically I'd have worked through the weekend but I was taking it off. It wasn't worth it. The building was probably being swarmed with reporters and photographers.
“I like to think of it as a skill.” The negative press never bothered me before, I was used to it. I just had to lay low until the next scandal broke and sometimes that wasn't even a full day. “I keep forgetting you have a key.”
“You may have my company but I still own your hotel.” Bianca removed her white alpaca coat and reverently placed it on the coat rack.
“About that.” It was hard to believe that it had been months since we last talked. We bickered like there wasn't any time lost. “I want you to know that I had nothing to do with you getting kicked out.”
“Of course you didn't. You wouldn't have the slightest idea how to go about removing an existing CEO.”
“I do enjoy our little talks, Sis.” I smiled at her cutting, and unfortunately true, remarks. She was right. Even after spending the last month poring over corporate documents, I still barely knew a damn thing about circumventing company policies. “Drink? Flagon of virgin's blood?”
“Tea.” She said, unfazed, as if all the options were equally acceptable. Bianca could make ice cubes shiver.
We walked from the foyer into my kitchen. Some of Claire's clothing and clutter was still laying around. I'd always been meticulous about maintaining my apartment but I couldn't bring myself to remove her things. They were the only thing keeping the place from feeling like a mausoleum.
Rule number three— Never bring girls home. No other woman had ever seen my apartment, let alone spent the night. Claire was different, she practically lived here for a short time. That was a big deal for me.
Now that she was gone I couldn't bring myself to restore the place to how it was. It would be like she was never here. I wasn't quite ready for that.
“Help yourself. I stole the tea from your first floor restaurant.” I pointed over toward the correct cupboard, filling a rocks glass with bourbon. “If you weren't upset at me then why didn't you answer my calls?”
“I was busy.”
“No, I understand. The job market is crazy right now. If you'd like I can put a good word in for you at the Starbucks across the street. I hear they're always hiring.”
“They are?” One side of her lips cracked upward, it was the closest thing to a smile she was capable of without hurting herself. “I own that building too and I'll have to inquire as to their employee turnaround.”
“Was that a joke? Should I call an ambulance?” I smiled, watching her cracked grin deepen ever so slightly. Bianca refused to reply as she steeped her tea so I changed the subject and continued. “I'll have you know that I've been working tirelessly to find a way to get you reinstated.”
“The only thing you can do is nothing.” She looked at me flatly, then discarded her tea bag. “As a safeguard against corruption, the bylaws prevent anyone ousted from the top position to be reelected for at least six months.”
“Nothing?” I scoffed. “Was that an insult or should I write that off as constructive criticism?”
Absorbing and studying and meeting people in a business setting made these last few months hellish. I worked my ass off for what was probably the first time in my life and to hear her brush all that off was cutting.
“So I'll be leaving for Hawaii tomorrow, you let me know how everything worked out.” I held up my glass, toasting to her. It was a joke, I had one more thing to do before I ever left NYC.
“Nothing of any negative media attention.” Bianca didn't bother to address my fake vacation plans. “Stay in good standing with the Board Members. Make them money. Keep our stock lowering any further, and at the end of the six months, hold a vote to bring me back in as CEO.”
“Because that went so well last time.” I took a sip and pointed out the obvious. They kicked her out, why would they ever elect her back? “Why doesn't Adam Boniello like you? Aside from your glowing personality, of course. You didn't turn one of his relatives to stone with one of your glares, did you?”
“I'll deal with the Board Members, including Mr. Boniello. For the next three months stay out of the media and whatever you do, do not go see Claire.”
“She's not answering my calls. I need to tell her what happened.” I was pretty sure that if she hadn't blocked me before, she definitely did after those pictures were released. I had to find her and explain what happened. Then my fists and I were going to have a few words with my former best friend.
Why had he done that? What did Anthony have to gain by betraying my trust like that? Questions and resentment rattled around my head like rocks in a tin can.
“Absolutely not.” Bianca stated bluntly. “If you get caught anywhere near her the media will make it out that not only did you cheat on her, but now you’re groveling for her to come back to you.”
So many things were wrong with that statement.
“I never touched those girls.” I said, my mind flashing back to Anthony's set up. I mixed my rising anger with the last sip of bourbon then swallowed them both. It wouldn't do me any good to be upset at Bianca. I'd need to save that rage for the next time I saw Anthony. “Besides, that was two and a half months after Claire dumped me. Who cares?”
“You really think that's the story they're going to run with?” Bianca shot me an incredulous look. “For a man who's been in the media so often, how are you still so naïve? It doesn't matter what's true; the only thing that matters is what sells. You should know that by now.”
“Fuck them. They can write whatever they want.” It was such an easy position to fall back into, it was almost a personal philosophy of mine. I did what I wanted, or what I thought was best, and everyone else could go screw themselves. “No one gets a say in what I do with my life.”
“Let me make this crystal clear.” Bianca's tone went up slightly like it used to when she would attempt to discipline me after she became my legal guardian. “If you're seen with Claire, public opinion will crucify you and that will drive down our stock value. We're a family company, Maynard, and until I can get reinstated as CEO, you are the face of that company.”
“Stocks fluctuate all the time, who gives a shit if we take a hit now and then?”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous the corporate world is? If our company looks weak we're liable to get bought out by someone else, then merged.”
I shrugged, leaning forward in a So What gesture. There was still a lot that I didn't know about business but partnering up with another company didn't sound too bad for us, especially if they let us keep our family's name on the company. There was also typically a huge buyout for the original owners.
“Whenever that happens there's almost always staffing redundancies and that means massive layoffs. Thousands of our employees will lose their jobs, Maynard. Is pleading your case to your ex-girlfriend really worth destroying the lives of so many people that have always supported our family?”
I stayed quiet. I hadn't thought about that. I didn't like this world. I was doing the best I could but it was never enough. I wasn't cut out to be in charge of a company.
“I understand that you care very deeply for Claire, I do, but wasn't she the one who asked you for space in the first place? Honor that, at least for a few more months, for all of our sakes.”
Bianca's phone vibrated. She checked it, then texted back for a few minutes. Finally she broke away long enough to make her way back to the coat rack.
“You're leaving already?” I followed after her.
“You're not the only one working on getting that charity foundation off the ground.” Bianca slid on her white coat, the color and cut made her look like nobility. “Good work by the way.”
“Be still my beating heart,” I gasped in mostly mock surprise. “Was that a compliment?”
I immediately regretted my sarcastic tone. I could count on one hand the amount of times Bianca had complimented me. In truth it did make me feel really good to know that she was still working on the organization and that she approved of what I'd done on it so far.
“Stay away from Claire,” Bianca warned, instead of acknowledging the ribbing.
“Scout's honor,” I said, holding up the three-fingered Boy Scout salute.
“I'll be in touch.” Bianca narrowed her eyes at me, passing judgment, then closed the door behind her.
When I was sure she was gone, I walked back into the kitchen for my phone. I thought about my next course of action very carefully. This was a delicate time for everyone; I had to be extremely careful about which path I chose going forward.
The right answer was to listen to Bianca. I should stay home and keep my head down for the next few months while I rebuilt my reputation. Soon the Board would vote Bianca back in and then we could launch that charity.
There was a dark side to that though. If I let three more months slip by without any explanation, I would definitely lose Claire forever. Could I really let that girl slip away without fighting for her?
“Yeah, I was never a good Boy Scout.” I reminded myself as I called Christian. I had always done the right thing for the wrong reasons.
It was time to do the wrong thing for the right reasons.
“Any word from her apartment?” I asked.
“Unfortunately no, sir. Ms. Tremont's neighbor said that she had gone home to visit her family.”
“Damn.” That was going to make things much more difficult. I lowered the phone to think for a moment then came up with a plan. It wasn't a great plan but it could work.
“Christian, please send up some inconspicuous clothing. Baseball cap, jeans, a thick scarf, that sort of thing.”
“Something other than a suit?” Christian asked warily, his dry sense of humor showing despite his efforts. “Are you feeling well, sir?”
“Make sure the jet is fueled up. I'll hopefully be feeling better when we get to Chicago.”