Chapter 23

Jay

The start of a new work week always gave Jay an unexplained boost of energy. There was something about the blank slate of a Monday that washed away the week of the past, and a fresh start was just what he needed after the last two weeks he’d had. Even more intimidating than the funk he’d been hiding in was the feat in front of him as Danny opened the door to the café along the route, a stop he’d requested.

“This is the best café in the city, sir,” he proudly announced, holding the door open as Jay reluctantly stepped from the Mercedes. He knew he would need a caffeine boost for the stunt he had planned, but he usually had it catered in. Stepping into a coffee shop felt foreign to the man who stopped working hard for things in his twenties.

Jay was all about working smart, and it was his experience and expertise that had allowed him to remain at the top of all competitive lists for the past two decades. Publishing was his forte, and there weren’t many who could do it better than him. The few that could failed to do it grander, which kept them from even being considered competition.

Walking into the restaurant, there was no fan fair. Saint Paul was far from the likes of Los Angeles, but even when he was there, Jay was never followed by paparazzi, or even asked for his autograph. It was a privacy envied by his celebrity friends. How he could have more money, but less notoriety always baffled them, but Jay would have it no other way.

“Hi, can I help you?” the young brunette asked, as he gazed at the menu.

Startled, Jay stepped to the cashier stand. He’d expected a line, which would have afforded him a few minutes to pick his order from the seemingly endless list of options.

It had been years since he ordered his own coffee outside of the office, and the main reason was because he thought it saved time. Now, looking into the googly eyes of the barista, he wondered why he was paying his secretary extra when he could easily fulfill this role on his own.

“Yeah. Can I have a cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso, please?” He ordered with less confidence than he’d intended.

“Sure,” she smiled, while tapping a touch screen cash register, a soft dimple showing in her cheek.

“What’s funny?” Jay asked, instantly noticing the effect of his boldness. The fair skinned cashier went ruby as she glanced up at him nervously.

“Oh, it just seemed like you didn’t really know what you wanted, that’s all.”

She had the look of the poor employees at Passions Publishing when they feared they’d made a mistake. She was afraid she could lose her job, or at least that’s how Jay felt.

“I’ll confess that my secretary usually handles this part of my day,” he revealed, hoping to put her at ease her a bit.

“I figured. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you,” she smiled, tapping a few more times before telling him his total. Jay touched his credit card to the electronic reader until a subtle beep alerted him that his card had successfully been charged.

“No whip cream or any of that,” Jay added, as he thought of the extras coffee shops seemed to add.

“No? You seem like you could use a little,” she said, before pursing her lips, fighting back a grin.

Jay’s eyebrows rose in shock. She was blatantly flirting, and he couldn’t help but feel flattered. She was far too young for him, but still he was amused by her gesture. Glancing over his shoulders, he made sure no one was witnessing their encounter.

“You just missed the morning rush. It’s just you and me,” she winked, drawing his attention behind the counter as she moved from the pumping station to the espresso machine, bending too slowly as she knelt for sugar, and peeking over her shoulder when she reached a high shelf.

Jay was amused by her show, but knew she wasn’t worth his time. It had to be Kasey, and his desire to see her again, that even made the young girl attractive. It was unlike him to go so long without being with a woman, but no one seemed to measure up to the one he let get away two weeks ago.

Maybe the brown hair of the barista had stirred something within him, he couldn’t tell, but when she finally handed him the cappuccino with a smile, he was happy to be leaving.

Danny drove quickly as he continued along the route Jay had sent him on the previous Friday. They were going to confront the problem that had made Jay’s life a living hell for the past two weeks—Renee Rockwell.

His arch nemesis had hired Kasey, a move to do nothing more than piss him off. Sure, she would make millions from the talent Kasey harbored, but Jay knew that was less valuable to Renee than sticking it to Passions Publishing. She wanted nothing more than to gain Jay’s priceless attention.

“Is the front door okay?” Danny asked, his confused tone revealing his lack of understanding.

“Yes, this is fine,” Jay answered, sounding a bit unsure himself as he sat with his cooling cappuccino in the cup holder before opening the back door for himself. “Just wait here. I shouldn’t be long,” he added, before closing the door.

The walk into Rockwell Publishing seemed to take forever. It was more impressive than he remembered. His last visit had been to warn her of stepping on his toes, poaching his clients and employees, and while Renee tried to hide the effects of his intimidation, Jay saw through her like a lace covering.

“Do you have an appointment?” The blonde receptionist asked Jay as he entered the eighth floor, which he knew to house Renee’s office.

“No need. He’s here for me,” the arrogant voice stopped Jay from his planned routine of persuasion.

“Renee,” he stated coldly, looking over at his adversary who seemed more than eager to invite him into her shitty office.

“Come in, Mr. Canton,” she smiled, as she extended her hand towards her office.

“Nothing better to do than watch for me?” Jay sneered, as he walked into her small office.

The décor wasn’t comparable to his office—a glass top desk, the likes of which he’d seen in more offices than he could count, served as the center piece. Her small window showcased a glimpse of the city, if you tilted your head and squinted. It was fair real estate, nothing to brag about, but still an accomplishment for an up and coming publisher like Renee.

“My first-floor security alerted me to your arrival. I was wondering who I owed for the great Jay Canton to be visiting Rockwell Publishing,” she feigned surprise as she rested her hands on her narrow hips. Jay noticed the lack of polish on her nails, substituted by a clear coat and short cut nails.

Renee did everything to fit in with the men she competed against, which Jay found to be a disadvantage. She should have accentuated what made her stand out—her femininity and ability to connect on a level men lacked. It was what made Kasey so special, but seeing Renee only reminded him of his reason for barnstorming her business.

“I’m here to talk to Kasey,” he boldly admitted, silently thinking of how much of an asset he could be to Renee if she was a friend. He could easily quadruple her business, but because she always went about their relationship with a combative nature, he met the fire with fire, refusing to help a woman dead set on pretending to compete with him.

“Is this professional or personal?” she asked, catching him off guard.

It had never occurred to Jay that Renee could know about his relationship, if that’s what you would call it, with Kasey. But the way she spoke made him believe she had insider information he had not planned to divulge.

“Business,” he shot back before he could further doubt Kasey’s discretion. “Why would it be anything else?” he added, when he noticed the look of defeat on Renee’s face. She didn’t know anything, and Jay quickly realized he should stop expecting so little from Kasey.

That’s what got him in this position in the first place. Kasey wasn’t a girl after fame from sleeping with him, but accepting that was difficult for someone with his level of success. A woman wanting anything less than exposure from him was rare.

“Well, she’s not in. She usually works from home. You know, a talent like Kasey needs room to breathe, something she couldn’t get at Passions Publishing,” Renee crossed her arms as she looked directly at Jay, judgement in her eyes.

“Well, let her know I’m looking for her,” Jay said, before turning to leave the shabby office. There was nothing more he needed to say to Renee. She’d made a mistake by revealing that Kasey didn’t work in the office much. He had an entire staff who could easily pinpoint where she would be on any given day, and from the panic on Renee’s face, he knew she could read his intention of finding the woman responsible for her recent bump in sales.

“I’ll make you an offer,” she called after Jay, just before his hand reached the handle of her office door.

Turning his head in her direction, he prompted her to continue without speaking another word.

“I’ll fire Kasey, sending her back to Passions, if you’ll give me the rights to one of your publishing houses.” Unbelievably, she managed to deliver the ridiculous ‘offer’ with a straight face.

Passions Publishing had three houses—located in Saint Paul, Los Angeles, and New York. Rockwell Publishing, however, was located only in Saint Paul, which limited Renee in her attempt to compete with Jay. Why she would ever think Kasey was worth an entire publishing house, he couldn’t rationalize.

“Just deliver my message,” he reiterated, after a huff of disbelief.

Renee didn’t follow him on his way to the elevator, but her words did. There was no way he could give her access to another publishing house, but he had to get Kasey back. On the elevator ride, he vowed in silence to find another way to the woman who had walked away from him, taking more than her talent with her.