It felt like my stomach dropped through the floor.

“What?!” Connor raged.

“That’s one of the terms she’s, uh, demanding,” Sebastian said, dropping his eyes again.

“‘Demanding’? She can demand the moon turn pink, but it’s not going to fucking happen.”

“She, uh… she has some leverage.”

“Oh? And what exactly would that be?”

“She’s prepared to fund a class-action lawsuit against your solar company on behalf of the environmental groups in Nevada.”

Connor’s grand plan was to rent out millions of acres in Nevada from the state and federal governments, and from there create a gigantic solar farm that could power every home in America with cheap, clean energy. But Connor’s family, who owned huge stakes in coal and gas companies, had been fighting him at every step. Connor had bypassed most of the hurdles they had thrown in his way, though, and was making serious progress.

Environmental groups in Nevada had been one of the few flies in the ointment. They had gone ballistic over the solar project. Normally Connor – and me, too – would have been concerned about endangered species, but all the scientific reports had said there would be negligible impact on their habitats. Connor’s company was going to spend tens of millions of extra dollars to ensure that.

Plus, when you weighed it all out, was the Southwestern willow flycatcher really worth sacrificing energy independence for the United States, plus a 50% drop in energy prices for the average American, plus an 80% reduction in US greenhouse gas emissions?

The biggest environmental groups didn’t think so. Greenpeace, the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, and a dozen other national organizations were all onboard – but the Concerned Nevadans for the Environment weren’t. Neither was the Las Vegas Environmental Society, the Lake Mead Conservation Group, and a bunch of other small organizations with maybe a couple thousand members combined.

However, that didn’t matter much. By themselves, the Nevada groups weren’t powerful enough or wealthy enough to do much more than make noise.

But if they got someone to put up $100 million for legal fees…

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Connor seethed.

“No, and neither is Miranda,” Sebastian said.

“This is just a desperate attempt to get me back for hounding her.”

“Maybe. But it could work.”

“How?”

Sebastian shrugged. “There’s the possibility, with the right PR firms – and a lot of money for advertising – that they could cast you as a capitalistic profiteer, looking to rape and despoil the Nevada wilderness for profit.”

“‘Rape and despoil’?!”

“Miranda’s words, not mine.”

“Who the fuck is going to listen to them?”

“If they capture enough of the lefties, and put enough pressure on the Democrats… it is an election year coming up…”

“Jesus – do these people know they’re getting into bed with the devil herself?” Connor raged.

“You got into bed with her,” Sebastian pointed out.

Connor looked like he was going to leap across the table and strangle his assistant.

I intervened to keep the peace. “She said she wants me there – in exchange for what?”

“If you go to the meeting and hear her out, she promises not to fund the environmental groups’ lawsuit.”

“Until she decides to change her mind.”

“She said she would sign a legally binding agreement.”

“Right.”

Sebastian threw up his hands. “All I can tell you is what she wants, and what she’s threatening if she doesn’t get it.”

“I’ll go,” I said.

“No,” Connor snarled. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not? What can it hurt to hear her out?”

“This is a power play on her part. If she gets us to jump through hoops, it weakens our position – ”

“I’d say a class action lawsuit against you would weaken your position, too, wouldn’t it?” I asked.

Connor just glowered.

“Have her sign the agreement, or I walk out,” I suggested. “Simple as that.”

Connor looked at me, and for the first time I could see concern for me instead of rage at Miranda. “She threatened your life.”

“And she put out a contract on yours, but you’re still going in to talk to her.”

“But – ”

“I’m not a fragile flower, Connor. You don’t have to protect me. I can stand on my own.”

He looked at me for the longest time… and then the tension faded from his face.

“Alright. If you really want to do it…”

“If it means the solar project can keep going without getting bogged down, I do.”

Connor sighed, then looked over at Sebastian. “Tell her… people that we’ll both be there.”

“Good,” Sebastian said. “Now, as for the – ”

“NO,” Connor said. “Not another word about Miranda OR the meeting tomorrow.”

“But – ”

“She’s ruined enough for me. I’m not going to have her ruin the rest of dinner.”

“Fine,” Sebastian pouted.

The entire room was silent as we went back to our food.

“…but you really should stop blueballing about her,” Sebastian added.

Everybody in the room looked up in shock – and then burst out laughing.

“You are so fired,” Connor grinned.

“You wish,” Sebastian said, as he lifted his glass of wine. “A toast: to Miranda. Fuck that bitch.”

“Fuck that bitch!” we all shouted and laughed as we lifted our glasses, and then the party was back on.