Chapter 46
Grant
The summer was finally upon them. Grant had spent the last few weeks getting acclimated in his father’s company. Kate was right. Sales wasn’t hard, just challenging. He missed having her around, but he was pretty sure he had ruined his chances with her.
The night of the party, he had passed out drunk on the bench after Kate left. He woke up with his uncle Jack shining a too-bright flashlight in his face. His father stood next to Jack with a disapproving look on his face.
“I thought marines were able to hold their liquor,” his father said.
“I’m not a marine,” Grant replied then puked on his father’s shoes.
“This is unbecoming behavior of a Holbrook,” Jack said as he and Walter had dragged Grant upright.
Grant had made a rude gesture to him and spent the weekend hungover. Then it was Monday, his first day on the job.
He wished Kate were still around. Brandy wasn’t as competent, though people seemed to like her. She was able to land him meetings, at least, though not for very prestigious clients. He wasn’t sure if she was mining her father’s contacts or those of her soon-to-be-brother-in-law. Grant was able to land a few small sales, but Randal was going on and on about these big projects he was bringing in. Martin would drop hints that he expected great things from Grant, and that he would be required to make a report at the quarterly sales meeting soon. He knew his father would be there, and he hoped Kate would show up as well.
It had been hard to acclimate to the Holbrook corporate culture. Fortunately, he was able to be on the road for several days out of the week. After exhausting Brandy’s minimal contacts, he got in touch with some former marines he used to know, including one guy who had moved into the defense industry.
After traveling to visit his buddy in the defense industry and meet with his bosses, Grant was feeling more confident about the quarterly sales meeting. He whistled as he got off the private jet back from Huntsville, the signed contract in his bag. He wasn’t sure if Martin would be okay with what he did—it wasn’t his region, and it wasn’t really his product to sell, either.
He had also been in touch with soldiers in the coalition forces he had fought with and some ex-marines who were first-generation immigrants. None of those leads had panned out yet, which was unfortunate because landing those international contracts was what he was supposed to be doing and what he had promised he could do. He was feeling nervous again about the quarterly sales meeting.
“I wish I had an excuse not to go,” Grant muttered to himself as he sat down in the waiting car.
“You’re going to do great,” Brandy said to him.
He ignored her. He was quickly beginning to tire of Brandy.
A few hours later, he was in the office’s main conference room with too many people. It was blazing hot outside, and the AC could barely keep up. He felt as if he were having a heat stroke in his suit. That was one thing he could say for the South… their AC was on point.
“Grant.”
“Excuse me?”
“Care to give your report?” Martin asked.
“Oh, right,” Grant said and sat up straighter in his seat. “I’ve got some things in motion, and probably next month, I’ll know more. It’s summer right now, and people are vacationing.”
“Have you made any sales progress?” Walter asked.
“I’ve got about three million from small international contracts.”
He looked over at Kate. She looked concerned.
“Which means you don’t have anything to report,” Randal interjected.
Grant glared at him.
“So much for our newest salesman,” Randal sneered.
“What I’m hearing is that you didn’t hit your goals,” Martin said, holding up a hand to quiet Randal.
“I didn’t say that—”
“You were supposed to meet a goal of twelve million this quarter,” Martin said, cutting him off. “I know you are your father’s son, but…”
Grant just looked at him, and Martin trailed off.
“If you had let me finish,” Grant said quietly after a moment.
His father looked between the men but didn’t say anything.
“The air force is building a new missile that will better target tunnels and embankments. A guy I know at Raytheon was going after the contract. I put us in on it jointly, but unfortunately, it’s not fifty million, which was my target, and it’s also not an international contract.”
“You were supposed to win twelve million,” Martin interrupted again.
Grant looked at him coldly. “I’m sorry, but it’s not twelve million.”
The room was silent.
“It’s six hundred million.”
There were audible gasps, and Randal looked pained.
“But I think Holbrook Enterprises can handle that,” Grant finished. “It’s going to be a lot of work, though.”
“Did you say six hundred million?” his father asked.
Grant shrugged. “It’s a 2.3-billion-dollar contract. We have a small percentage of it.” He pulled out the signed contract and slid it across the table. “Take a look.”
Randal slumped in his seat and said, “I’m supposed to be in charge of North American sales.” He looked at Martin, who still seemed stunned.
Grant tried to keep his face smooth. It was hard not to smirk. He looked over at Kate, and she gave him a triumphant little smile.
“Grant was working his contact, Randal. It is what it is,” Martin told him. He turned to Walter. “Well, Mr. CEO, as you can see, we’ve exceeded this quarter’s sales goal by four hundred percent.”
Walter closed his tablet cover with a snap. “I guess on that note, we’ll end the meeting.”
Grant accepted the handshakes from his coworkers in the hallway after the meeting. He saw Kate leaving then ran after her.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he said, smiling at her.
“Nice job for a no-count ex-marine,” she said.
He grinned at her.
“I knew you could do it.”
“Are you sticking around? Let me buy you a drink.”
“We came in for this quarterly sales meeting, but we’re about to head off again.”
“I’ll have to take a rain check,” Grant told her.
Kate didn’t say anything.
“Are you coming to Martha’s Vineyard?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Look at you, throwing around fancy names like a rich brat.”
Grant pretended to be hurt. “I don’t want to be there by myself.”
Kate flicked her gaze over to Brandy then back to Grant and said, “I don’t think you’ll be alone.”
Grant grabbed Kate by the upper arm then guided her over to a doorway.
“I cannot deal with her. I can’t believe you guys stuck me with her.”
“Then fire her and hire someone else,” Kate said, throwing off his hand.
“I don’t want anyone else. I want you.”
“I work for your father,” she hissed.
“Why are you doing this to me? You know we’re perfect together.”
“I have to go. I’m flying to Asia with Walter in a couple of hours, and I need to prepare.” She tried to push past Grant, but he blocked her with his body.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t mean it. I drank too much.”
“That’s not my problem,” she told him and stalked off.
“I don’t mind if you drink too much,” Brandy said, coming up behind him and running her hand down his arm. Kate glanced over her shoulder at him, and he caught her scathing look. His day was going downhill fast.