Marrying Mr. Wrong (Dirty Martini Running Club #3) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,89
it occurred to me. He was sober. He must have been on something that night at the club, and he wasn’t now.
But he was still a jerkface.
Mr. Calloway sat behind his desk and, for a second, met my eyes. He didn’t make eye contact like that very often. Was he trying to tell me something?
“Thanks for coming,” Mr. Calloway said, turning his attention to Dominic. “I think we have a lot to discuss.”
“I admit, I was surprised when you reached out. But I’m glad you did. Your timing is good.”
I was so confused. Mr. Calloway had set up a meeting with Dominic Coates? Why would he do that?
Unless.
Oh my god. He knew something.
Suddenly I understood what that eye contact had meant.
Okay, Mr. Calloway. Let’s do this.
“Let’s get straight to the point,” Mr. Calloway said. “We both know I have a significant investment in the Skyline project. I have some concerns.”
“As you should,” Dominic said. “Under its current leadership, the Skyline project is being grossly mismanaged.”
Mr. Calloway raised his eyebrows. “How so?”
“Details slipping through the cracks; total lack of oversight. I’ll be surprised if the whole thing doesn’t come to a grinding halt before they’ve poured concrete for the parking garage.”
Mr. Calloway narrowed his eyes but didn’t interject.
Dominic kept talking. “Of course you know I used to be a partner in Cox Development. Unfortunately, right when Skyline was about to get off the ground, I was forced out. I fully admit, I made some mistakes in my personal life. But Cox used that as a cover. He got rid of me because I wasn’t towing the party line. I kept pointing out problems with the project, but he didn’t want to hear it.”
I kept as still as I could, but inside, I was seething. He was such a big fat liar.
“And now you believe those problems are enough to threaten Skyline,” Mr. Calloway said.
“Absolutely. Cox Development isn’t capable of pulling off a project of this scale. It’s going to come crashing down, sooner rather than later. But the news isn’t all bad.”
“No?”
“Not at all. Cox has a buyout offer on the table, but he’s letting his arrogance get the better of him, and he won’t take it. I think it’s become personal. I told him this is beyond him and now he wants to prove me wrong. Not a good way to make business decisions with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.”
“Especially when it’s not all his money,” Mr. Calloway said.
“Exactly. Now, this is a little bit premature, but since we’re here, I can fill you in on the details. Your cooperation is going to be key to getting this thing back under control.”
“What do we need to do?”
“I’m working with legal counsel and several other investors to take back Cox Development. Once we’ve acquired the company, we’ll have decision-making power, and we can do what’s right for the project and everyone involved.”
“Which means taking the buyout offer,” Mr. Calloway said.
“Yes. I’ll be honest, the return on your investment won’t be what Cox led you to believe. But something is better than watching it all go up in flames.”
It was a miracle that I kept myself together. On the outside, I was as cool as my boss. Okay, no one was that smooth—except Cox—but I was the perfect unobtrusive assistant. Dominic had no idea that he was literally sitting next to Cox’s wife. Or girlfriend? Was that more accurate, all things considered? Whatever, I was the woman sleeping with him and Dominic didn’t know.
Mr. Calloway tipped his fingers together, as if he were considering everything Dominic had said. “Normally I wouldn’t get involved in a hostile takeover. But I have a lot at stake.”
“That you do,” Dominic said.
“I need some documentation first. I can’t agree to anything otherwise.”
“Of course.” Dominic opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder. “This should be everything you need.”
Mr. Calloway took the folder and flipped through the pages. Then he held it out to me. “I need a copy of this.”
Meeting his eyes, I took the folder. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”
I stood, trying to act natural and not let my hands shake. Resisting the urge to run out and immediately call Cox, I walked to the copy room. One foot in front of the other. No hurry at all. My hands started to get sweaty, so I held the folder with just the tips of my fingers.
Leslie, one of my co-workers, came in behind me. “Hi, Sophie. How’s it going?”