Chapter 59

Jay

 

 

 

It was the end of another record breaking week. After just six months in business, Jay had found his way back to the top of every statistical category in the publishing industry. Things were even better than before he made his bad deal with Renee.

 

Unlike before, they didn’t spend their time pitching writers, convincing them to sign on with Passions Publishing. There was a waiting list to even get a meeting with their new division, because their clients raved about the services offered and the attention to detail their staff embodied.

 

By not focusing entirely on sales, they had increased their market share dramatically. It was a weird reversal that he never would have discovered on his own. He owed his newfound success to Kasey, and he wasted no opportunity to give her the credit. In a recent Forbes article, he had cited her as the key to his flourishing company.

 

While he expected nothing less, he was uncomfortable when publishing houses from around the world tried to poach her. She told him all about it every evening when they were readying themselves for bed.

 

Once, seeing the uneasiness on his face, she assured him that she didn’t want to work for anyone else because she loved to spend her days working with him. While it offered some level of relief, Jay still felt like something was missing. He needed to do more to keep her around, because she was really the reason the authors signed and remained on board. She understood them in a way that couldn’t be taught.

 

“Mr. Canton, should I order lunch?” Jessica buzzed in on the intercom.

 

Jay was lost in his emails. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was almost time for a break. “No thanks, Jessica. I’ll be going out with Kasey. Thank you.”

 

His decision to be upfront about his relationship with Kasey had been the right one, because there was no way he would ever want to sneak around with the woman he loved.

 

Everyone respected their relationship, while understanding that it didn’t mean they would always agree. There were some meetings he drove her right up a wall with his suggestions, but he would always make it up to her in the bedroom later in the evening. In some ways, he enjoyed getting her riled up at work so she would be more aggressive at home.

 

Their relationship was stronger than ever, and she continued to push him to be a better man. Now that she was staying with him more, the mansion felt less like an abandoned castle and more like a home. It was all still so new, but he loved every second of it.

 

“Are you busy?” He heard from his doorway.

 

Kasey was standing just outside his office, wearing a white blouse with navy blue pants. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and he could see excitement in her eyes.

 

“What are you reading?” he asked, waving her into his office.

 

“It’s a thriller. And Jay, it’s so good!” She spoke with her hands, as she always did when she was excited. Jay laughed, standing to greet her.

 

“Tell me about it,” he walked around his desk to join her on the sofa across from his desk.

 

He’d left the old furnishings of his last office, deciding on a new look for the new venture. Everything was lighter, white and different shades of gray filled his office. It was a sight to see in the snow.

 

Now, with the weather breaking, the city looked greener than ever, and it was a beautiful contrast to his colorless office.

 

“She’s fresh out of college, so she’ll need a lot of development and assistance. She won’t know the business, but we can teach her. In a way, her naiveté can be a strength, because she can create her image however she desires.

 

“Her social media presence is non-existent, so I imagine she’s probably very focused, which will be a benefit to us. I have Roger setting up a meeting with her for next week.”

 

Kasey was breathless as she rattled on about her latest project. Jay had never met someone who enjoyed work as much as he did. It was another reason he loved her so much.

 

“I’m proud of you.” It was a bit out of place, but he just felt the need to tell her again.

 

“What?” She asked with a tilted head.

 

“It sounds random, but you’ve just been working so hard and you’re so committed. It’s exciting to watch. I’ve told you a million times, but you know this company would be nothing without you. Passions might not even exist if it weren’t for you.” Jay pushed a rogue strand of hair behind her ear as he commended her for such a great job.

 

“Passions would never cease to exist, Jay.” Kasey would never let him downplay his abilities. She constantly claimed that if she had not come along with her idea he would have eventually found an equally beneficial solution, but he doubted that.

 

Jay was just about to tease Kasey about shying away from the spotlight when his office door flew open, with Renee Rockwell leading the way.

 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Canton,” Jessica chased after her.

 

“Its fine, Jessica. Leave us to it,” Jay nodded towards his assistant while pulling Kasey closer to him so he could feel her thigh against his.

 

“I’ve been trying to email you,” Renee began, as if they were old friends.

 

He’d seen her messages begging for a meeting, just like he’d seen the reports about her declining business. She hadn’t been able to juggle the new business with her old one, which had left them both teetering on disaster for the past six months.

 

“What do you want, Renee?” he asked bluntly, setting the tone.

 

“Hi, Kasey. I see you’ve landed on your feet. I never expected less,” she said, looking straight at her. Jay pulled her closer, his body tense with frustration.

 

He’d never gotten over the way Renee had used Kasey to get back at him, so even if her compliment was genuine, he didn’t like it.

 

“I wish I could say it’s good to see you, Renee. But frankly, you look a bit under the weather,” Kasey said, genuinely concerned. It was just like her to still have compassion for a woman who had tried to ruin her professional career.

 

Renee did look much worse than usual. Her hair was shorter, with gray hairs highlighting the disheveled style. Her clothes looked tattered, and she seemed to be on a 3-day binge, based on the bags gathered under her eyes.

 

“I’ve been stressed dealing with all the new business. There’s so much growth, I’ve been thinking of unloading some of my clients until I can expand again,” Renee tried her best to present her usual arrogant self, but the veil was transparent.

 

There wasn’t too much success, and she wasn’t busting into Jay’s office to help him out. That much he was sure of, and from the tension he felt in Kasey’s body, he knew she could sense it as well.

 

“Sounds like you’ve got a massive success on your hands, Renee. Congratulations,” Jay played along.

 

“That’s why I’ve been wanting to meet with you, Jay. To discuss how we can strike a deal. I was thinking you could buy our publishing house back at the same value it was worth when I acquired it.”

 

“The cost of something is only what someone is willing to pay for it, Renee. How much did you acquire the company for?” He asked the question he already knew the answer to.

 

Renee didn’t pay a dime for his publishing house, and yet she still wasn’t able to afford the upkeep. She was a bad business woman, and an even worse publisher. Jay shook his head while rising to his feet, ready to end the impromptu meeting.

 

“You okay?” he asked Kasey under his breath. At her nod, he continued.

 

“Jay, it doesn’t have to be about the past. We can focus on the future,” Renee answered, speaking fast.

 

“You’re right. In the future, I can’t handle any new business, Renee. And I’m able to understand what I can and cannot take on. So, even if you were offering to give the business back, I wouldn’t be able to help. We’ve got too much going on here,” Jay shrugged.

 

The irony that he truly was in the booming position she stormed into his office pretending to be was not lost on him. She had tried to destroy his life, and he was now everything she wanted to be.

 

“I think it’s time for you to go,” he added, when Renee failed to respond.

 

“I’m going to go bankrupt. Jay, if you don’t buy the company, it will go under. Rockwell and Passions will be finished,” Renee said quietly, as if the words themselves were reluctant to be spoken.

 

“You know, a brilliant colleague was recently telling me something. She said, ‘Passions would never cease to exist,’ and while I didn’t believe her then, I do now. That company you have is not Passions, and it doesn’t belong to me. That is your brand, and your problem. Now, please don’t make me call security on you, Renee,” Jay motioned towards the door, but he could tell she wasn’t quite ready to leave, so he went towards his desk to use the phone.

 

“You’re going to regret this, Canton!” Renee mustered up her old bravado as if she had not just asked him to save her. It was a strange sequence of events, but Jay managed to keep his cool.

 

“Kasey, if you want to talk, or help me in any way, you know how to find me.” She turned to Kasey, who looked on with pity.

 

“Goodbye, Renee,” Kasey said solemnly.

 

Renee looked over at both Jay and Kasey one last time before pushing her shoulders back and raising her chin. She stomped out of the office with all the confidence she could muster, slamming the door behind her.

 

“Wow!” Kasey said, turning to Jay with widened eyes.

 

“Crazy, right?” He shook his head as he made his way back to the couch.

 

“What’s crazy is how calm you were,” she said, bringing her palm to his cheek.

 

“Well, what else could I do?” he asked.

 

Jay had let go of the animosity he felt for Renee a long time ago. In a way, he was thankful for how things had played out because he’d achieved ever greater success in business, and was very happy in his personal life. He’d decided that karma would take care of Renee, and her little pop up appearance proved him right.

 

“I love you, Jay Canton,” Kasey whispered, before leaning in to kiss him.

 

“I love you, too.”