Brody - Ellie Masters Page 0,23
through my purse to find my phone. “It’s not like we’re signing Atwood Estates away. That’s not how this works. They’re not looking to take over, and I’ll retain controlling interest.”
“Then, how does this benefit them?”
“We give them a portion of our profits…” To be determined by them. “In exchange, we allow them to make an assessment of our business plan and formulate suggestions that we’re contractually obligated to implement.”
This is the one part I’m in complete agreement with Uncle Mark. The thing is, we’re beggars.
“Can you check the traffic? I’m going to change.”
“Again?” He stops his back and forth pacing to look at me. “Didn’t you change just a bit ago?”
“This blouse is too frilly.” It’s too damn feminine.
I race up the stairs and head to my bedroom for yet another last-minute wardrobe change. I want to look professional, put together. Not too casual. Not too sexy. Not too much of anything really. Professional and boring is the look I’m going for, something that will leave me feeling comfortable and confident.
I hope my confidence is enough to ease Mark’s worries. Equity investing is one of the subjects I excelled at in business school. I’m comfortable with the process and know what to expect. Poor Mark is not, and I get his concern.
Panic lingers at the fringes of my mind because this really is our last shot. I’ve yet to hear back from the other equity investors, and time is slipping through my fingers. I hide my feelings of inadequacy and fear from my uncle. He doesn’t need that burden added to his already overwhelming concerns. I lock up my insecurities and shove them way back in my mind, where I’ll deal with them later.
There are other things I need to prepare for, like a confrontation with Brody—if it occurs.
My gut says to give him a piece of my mind and tell him exactly what I think of the trail of broken hearts littering his past. My head says that’s the worst possible thing I can do, considering I came to his company asking for help.
Honestly, like many things, I overthink it.
My heart wants revenge, but Mom’s words run through my mind. ‘Revenge only hurts the one who seeks it. Don’t let revenge turn you into a hater. You don’t need that ugliness in your life.’
Her words are sound, but damn if I don’t want a little revenge.
I know Brody La Rouge. Women find him irresistible. At one time, that included me. I’d like to think things are different now that I’m more mature, that somehow the years between high school and now give me a better perspective, but I remember that undeniable pull when I saw him last weekend. It overwhelmed me.
Am I really ready to face him?
A little voice inside my head tells me it would be fun to mess with him. He’s a womanizer who always gets the girl but never keeps her. How can I turn that to my advantage?
I give a shake of my head. These are precisely the kinds of thoughts I should avoid, but damn if I can’t help myself.
The thing is, I’m way over my head with a man like Brody. I’ve done some digging since reading the email requesting a meeting. Bad Boy Brody, known womanizer, is evidently the catch of the century. He’s one of the few, unattainable, still eligible bachelors, wandering around the Bay Area, and his pockets are deep and growing by the second.
I dug up other things, like him being a workaholic with an unusual flair for investing in failing companies and turning them into exceptionally profitable business ventures. His determination and drive make all that possible. Not much seems to have changed from the Brody I knew in high school.
He was always driven to succeed—pushed in many ways to separate himself from his brothers. They were the undeniable power trio at school. Three identical triplets, insanely hot, incredibly talented in sports, and at the top of the class in academics. The La Rouge brothers were gods back then.
I suppose they still are.
CEO of La Rouge Vineyards, Asher La Rouge is not only making a name for himself in the local wine scene, he’s also a bona fide hero. Numerous articles speak to his heroics as an elite member of a helitack crew. I didn’t even know what that was until I looked it up.
Cage La Rouge is a highly sought after nature photographer. His photos are stunning. I lost over an hour last night perusing his