Chapter 41

Jay

“Are you kidding me?!” Mitchell’s voice boomed through Jay’s office as he learned the news.

Jay had tried not to tell his business partner, hopeful that Kasey’s return to Passions Publishing would be enough to sway his opinion on such a major decision he chose not to include him on.

“Mitchell, calm down,” Jay urged, although he understood the reaction. It was rare for Mitchell to be the one losing his temper, but that only made him feel worse.

“Calm down?” Mitchell looked from one side to the next, as if Jay could be talking to anyone else. The wrinkles in his forehead disappeared as his face relaxed. “You can’t be serious,” he scoffed in disbelief.

Jay had made a deal behind his back to sell off one of the three publishing houses owned by Passions Publishing in an effort to get Kasey back. It was impulsive and selfish, this much he knew. But losing Kasey made his professional successes feel worthless, and Jay wasn’t willing to go back to a life that didn’t include her.

“Mitchell, I can’t think with you screaming like a mad man,” Jay fought to keep his cool.

It wasn’t like he intended the deal to go this way. His temper was raging just beneath the surface, but with Mitchell losing his cool, Jay had no other option but to be the level headed one.

“What is there to think about? You made a bonehead decision, and you did it behind my back! There was no thinking involved when you did it, so why should there be any now?” he sneered, looking across the office at Jay.

Usually, Mitchell sat across from Jay’s desk in the soft leather loveseat, planning for the day, or recapping how their strategies had been executed. But, today, Mitchell couldn’t be confined to a chair, choosing instead to stand at the bar, fighting the need to down three fingers of whiskey before noon.

“I was making a play to get Kasey back,” Jay admitted, his voice low with embarrassment.

“I think it’s pretty obvious what you thought you were doing, but it didn’t work out that way, did it?” Mitchell’s words were laced with sarcasm, his hands resting on his hips as he scowled at Jay, who sat in the chair behind his desk looking defeated.

“I can’t believe she would renege on our deal,” Jay whispered, more to himself than Mitchell.

“You can’t believe that Renee, the woman who has been your arch nemesis for over a decade, made a deal with you and didn’t come through? Are you hearing yourself?” Mitchell repeated Jay’s actions, and even he heard the naiveté he’d exhibited.

Renee was a snake, and he knew it. She was not to be trusted, but in a weak and desperate position, Jay had done the unthinkable. Now, he was without one of the major publishing companies he’d built from scratch, and on top of that he didn’t have Kasey to help him rebuild.

“Jay,” Mitchell began before taking a deep breath. “This is the first time you’ve made a bad decision for the business, but I think it was such a bad choice, we may not be able to recover.”

Jay’s head popped up when he heard Mitchell’s voice crack. His best friend was never emotional about business, but he could sense this deal had more to do with the secrecy than the details. He had gone behind his back, and that hurt Mitchell more than anything.

“I’m going to talk with the lawyers and see what we can do,” Mitchell added before Jay could think of a way to express his remorse.

His mouth opened, but Jay couldn’t find the words before Mitchell made his way out of the office, closing the heavy glass door behind him. Alone with his thoughts, Jay pounded his fist against the thick wood of his desk.

How could he have been so stupid?

There was a better way to get Kasey back, after what was nothing more than a misunderstanding. She’d found a phone number in his pocket, but it was from before their relationship began. Even more, he’d never called the girl and never intended to.

Kasey was upfront about her insecurities, and it was his job to protect her, and build up her confidence in him. His actions had pushed her away, making her believe something that would never be true. There was no other woman in the world Jay wanted. Kasey was more than his wildest dreams. All he wanted was for her to see how much she meant to him, but it all fell through the cracks, leaving him holding nothing but ashes from the fire.

Just then, an alert sounded from his computer. A new email, from Renee, announcing the expansion of her business. His stomach dropped and his temper returned. She was announcing what she’d gained in the deal as if she had fulfilled her end.

“Jessica!” Jay growled into the intercom on his desk before instructing his assistant to contact his driver. He had a plan and wanted to set it in motion as soon as possible.

“Danny is downstairs now,” Jessica responded after a brief pause.

Jay’s chest heaved as he grabbed his suit jacket so aggressively, the coat tree almost toppled over.

“Send any important calls to my cell,” Jay ordered in a deathly tone as he passed Jessica’s desk.

“Yes sir,” she answered, although he had already stormed past her. Jay was on a mission, and the determination on his face stopped every employee from approaching him with ideas or feedback.

The ride down the elevator was fast, as his thoughts raced with ways to handle such an enormous problem. Jay wasn’t used to being the one to mess up, but he’d grown quite successful at cleaning up other people’s messes. In his heart, he believed that this would be like any other bad decision, and he’d talk his way back to the top.

“Mr. Canton,” Danny was too cheerful as he held the door open for his boss.

“Not today, Danny,” Jay shook his head.

There would be no conversation during the ride. Jay wasn’t interested in what courses Danny would be taking this semester, or how his on-again-off-again relationship was holding up. Typically, the two would chat their way through the city, as Jay stared at Saint Paul passing him by. But today, the city he loved so much seemed gloomy and depressing, fitting his mood.

“We’re here,” Danny announced, disrupting Jay’s thoughts.

He jumped, looking out the window to see Rockwell Publishing emblazed on the large sign in front of the office. He’d always thought it was gaudy, but today it annoyed him more than ever.

“Wait here. This won’t take long,” he ordered, before stepping from the black Mercedes.

His steps were calculated as he stormed through the halls to make his way to Renee’s office. Her door was open, and she sat with her legs crossed, propped on her desk. A glass tumbler sat beside a notepad sitting on her desk, and the cocky smile on her face let him know she was expecting him.

“I thought you’d be here earlier, but once the email blast went out, I knew it wouldn’t be much longer. Come in, have a seat,” she extended her arm towards the couch in her office, but Jay empathized with Mitchell, unable to be confined to a seat with such rage coursing through him.

“When are you going to follow through on the deal, Renee?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Jay, there’s so much success going on here, it’s difficult to get anyone to leave such a thriving company,” she shrugged before slowly taking a sip of the clear liquid in her glass. Jay noted her lack of sophistication, drinking vodka from a whiskey glass. He could smell the sharp aroma, it made his stomach churn.

“Renee, cut the games,” he said, clearly annoyed.

“I’m being completely honest, Jay. I mean, I can’t exactly force her join the losing team, now can I?” She chuckled before taking another sip, clenching her teeth as the cool liquid warmed her chest.

“So, you’re going to be the snake I knew you were?”

“Well, I hope you’re not one of those innocent people who think they can wander into a pit without betting bit. Tell me you’re not that green, Jay?” She mocked him, enjoying it thoroughly.

“You’re going to regret this, Renee. No matter what it costs, I’m going to right your wrongs,” Jay said before turning on his heel.

He could feel the pressure building in his chest, and decided he needed to get out of the office as soon as possible, otherwise he would make another decision he wouldn’t be happy with.

Renee’s devilish laugh followed him down the hallway as he stormed through Rockwell Publishing feeling like a fool. He’d risked it all for a woman he was certain was the one. She wouldn’t even know how much he was willing to give up for her, and she wouldn’t be working with him. Now, his company was significantly weaker, and it was all his fault.

As he made his way back to the car, he vowed to find a way to make things right with Mitchell, refusing to force his friend to carry his loss.