Silently, we walk to the elevator. Thankfully, the next car is heading up and Coop is not. When the doors open, one of the janitors steps out.
“Hey, JJ,” I say, letting genuine warmth fill my face. I let the waiting elevator go to take a minute for a quick hug.
“Hey, baby girl. I’ll bet you’re excited to see your sister.”
“I sure am,” I say, lying as convincingly as possible, which has gotten remarkably easier as the day passes. “You’ve seen Jaclyn today?” I ask, masking my concern behind a charming grin.
“Yup. She’s waiting for you in your usual hiding place.”
“Great.” Fuck.
“Hi, I’m Coop,” my nemesis says, extending a hand for a shake.
“Jerome Johnson, but everyone calls me JJ.”
Oh my God. Really?
Of course the man would cozy up to JJ, the only guy in the whole damn company who has pictures of me streaking down the halls buck naked. Some might use it as straight-up blackmail material, but JJ is embarrassingly proud to show off my little toddler backside to whomever will look. And I can’t be mad. Never at JJ. He practically raised me back in the day, watching me whenever Dad’s meetings ran long. Which was, like, daily.
Panicked, I realize JJ is holding out his phone, talking a mile a minute.
Coop’s smile returns, lighting up his face in delight. “Is that—”
With another set of elevator doors opening, I loop my arm through Coop’s and yank him into the car. “I was just escorting Mr. Byrne to the lobby. He’s in a terrible rush.”
“Catch you later, Coop,” JJ calls after him like long-time friends, waving as Coop responds with an annoyingly cheesy grin.
Several quick jabs at the down button finally convince the doors to close. But being next to Coop in close quarters isn’t better. It’s far, far worse.
“Well?” he asks with a calmness to his tone that reinforces my own need to keep it professional.
“Well what?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You seemed intent to move from scorching-hot temptress to stone-cold ice queen.”
“Ha! This coming from a boardroom manwhore.” Ugh, so much for keeping it professional.
Coop raises a brow. “Wow. Tell me how you really feel, Margot.”
“Look, you’re obviously a player, but a little discretion would be nice.”
“Player? Let me get this straight. You’re pissed at me for sexting you.”
Outraged for too many reasons to count, I fume. “We were not sexting. I know I didn’t see a dick pic.”
Confusion creases his brow. “So . . . you’re upset because I didn’t send you a dick pic?”
The idiot can’t be this dense. “I’m not even dignifying that with a response. Now, when we arrive at the lobby, you’re getting out, and I’m getting back to my day.”
“Fine by me. But if you think you’re blocking my seat on the board, you’d better think again, Margot.”
“I don’t have to block your seat, Mr. Byrne. I have a feeling you’ll do that all by yourself.”
“Right. You wouldn’t do anything underhanded, because the Longs are beyond unscrupulous shit, right? Like that little addendum about Steele Holdings. Somehow, I feel like these little games are just another round of like father, like daughter.”
My spine stiffens as I glare up at him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Rather than respond, Coop reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cell phone in a familiar feminine rose-gold case. “Here. You left this behind.”
I snatch it back, stubbornly sticking my chin in the air. “Do me a favor. Lose my number.”
“With pleasure, Ms. Long.”
But when the lobby arrives, Coop doesn’t leave. He just stands there, searching my eyes. And try as I might, I can’t look away from the bright golden-hazel shade of them now.
I can’t believe I was falling for this guy.
The doors nearly shut, but he grabs them, forcing them open again. Shaking his head, Coop releases a frustrated huff and moves straight to the lobby exit without another word.
Watching that ass walk away would be heaven if it weren’t attached to the biggest asshole of all time.
As the doors slide shut, I check my phone. A text from Jaclyn and seven from Coop. He’s called too. By the time stamp, his call was practically during his embrace with Allison.
Shoving my curiosity aside, along with a pang of regret, I pocket my phone, determined to read his messages and deal with my feelings when I’m good and hammered.
But not too hammered. The last thing I need is a date with drunk-dial destiny.
When the elevator takes me to the executive floor, I stroll past Jaclyn’s office, bypassing the CEO suite, heading instead to the stairs to the roof that nobody ever uses. Squeamish, I push through the door and climb the stairs quickly to avoid the usual spiders that love the abandoned passages reserved for emergencies.
At the top, I find the rooftop door held ajar with an old brown doorstop. The sight of the silly piece of rubber brings a smile to my face. Pushing through the heavy door, I’m careful to leave the doorstop where I found it.
“Hey,” Jaclyn says, standing from her seat on an old steel crate that’s surprisingly none the worse for wear, even under the unbearable elements of Texas. But a cool breeze and a rare cloud coverage make the rooftop serene and relaxing.
Before I can get a word in edgewise, Jaclyn throws her arms around me in a snuggly embrace.
“I’m surprised you’re hugging me,” I say, half kidding.
“It was hug you or strangle you. Eh, let’s see where the conversation goes.” Pulling away to get a good look at me, Jaclyn asks, “You okay?”
“I’ll be better when I get a look at that rock Richard put on your finger.”
Delighted, Jaclyn wiggles the fingers of her left hand, pride beaming from her smile. “Who would’ve thought I’d be getting married.”
“Not this girl,” I tease. “It’s breathtaking. The blue halo is remarkable. Blue diamonds?”
Gleefully, Jaclyn nods.
“They’re extraordinary,” I say honestly. “They remind me of bluebonnets.”
At my words, Jaclyn erupts into the giddiest giggle.
“Should I ask the reason?” Seeing Jaclyn’s bright blush, I’ve got my answer. “All right, sounds like something naughty with Richard. Keep it in the vault. Your story for another time. Especially as I’ll no doubt be seeing my brother-in-law-to-be and wouldn’t want things getting awkward between us.”
“No, we sure as hell wouldn’t want that,” Jaclyn says, her face falling. “No awkward moments between us . . .” She trails off, letting her words slowly sink in.
“I’m not the village idiot, Jaclyn. I know I fucked up. But I’ll clean up my own mess.”
The quick pop of her brow expresses way more enjoyment in the situation than I can stand.
“Really,” I say, already unnerved by her gloating.
“I didn’t say a thing.”
“I can read your mind through those big brown eyes. You always warned me that if you and Dad let me run unleashed with my ideas, I’d bet the company on a round of roulette.”
“And yet here we are.”
Jaclyn’s words could have come out any number of ways. Scolding. Angry. Disappointed. Oddly enough, she doesn’t seem pissed. Disturbingly, she’s on the verge of laughter.
I shake my head. “And why, pray tell, are you smiling at me like a lobotomized lunatic?”
“Because I can’t wait to see how you get out of it.”
I blink back the shock of Jaclyn’s statement. “You’re not here to jump in and save the day?”
“Nope.”
“Well, why the hell not?” I shout, throwing my hands up in stunned disbelief. “Jaclyn, I’ve lost control of ten percent of the company. It’s like I’m the worst babysitter ever. I could’ve just sat back, let the company ride the wave of autopilot until your return, and everything would’ve been fine. But nooo . . . I let you come home to a neglected little baby gnawing on an adorable, chubby, little baby foot because I deprived him of ten percent of his food.”
“Aw . . .” Jaclyn squeezes me tightly, and the gesture forces a huge sigh of relief from my chest. A second later, she asks, “Have you been drinking?”
Shrugging, I say, “Not today.”
“Well, let’s rectify that. We’ll hit Dad’s Four Roses and celebrate.”
“That might be a problem.” Not ready to explain away my booze binge, I cover myself by saying, “We need champagne to celebrate your engagement.”
“No, Margot. I’m not talking about my engagement. I’m talking about you. Taking the helm. Being the kick-ass boss lady we all knew you would be.”
“Ha! Hardly.” I pull away to gaze aimlessly around, then down to my feet.
Jaclyn weaves her fingers with mine, and the connection gives me the crystal-clear understanding of why she wanted this moment. Just the two of us. Alone.
Breaking out in a laugh, I say, “You’re bailing on me, aren't you?”
“Yup.” Jaclyn grins. “I’ll say a quick hello to Jean and Evie—”
“Who will insist you jump in.”
Nodding, Jaclyn releases our bond. “I know they will. Which is why I want to see them before I head out. They need to support you on this because your play isn’t good.”
My brow furls hard.
“It’s genius, a beyond brilliant move for rapid expansion. Yes, we lost control of ten percent of our company, but that ten percent was scattered across a dozen companies that Dad picked up on a whim. None of them were even profitable when he got them. It took years and millions to get them where they are today, and even so, their profitability is maxed. But the play you made will bring us five times their value in eighteen months, tops.”
Apparently, Jaclyn's been making herself busy studying my play. My sister sounds elated. Proud. But I can’t help cowering in the revelation.
“Jaclyn, I know all that. It’s why I did what I did. I didn’t want to drag Dad into this with his health, and you were relaxing for the first time in your life. Finally getting a taste of the life I’ve been luxuriating in since college. So, I jumped. With both feet. Without looking at all the contingencies. But I never imagined—”
“There’d be a blind spot? A seat on the board going up for dibs?” Again, she gives me that annoyingly knowing smirk.
Aghast, I stare back in disbelief. “Oh my God. You really have snapped if you think that’s good.”
Wrapping her arm around me, Jaclyn turns me to face the sea of buildings along the Dallas skyline.
“See this city? It’s our playground. And like a glorious giant Texas sandbox, we helped build some of these companies, brick by brick. We made sure the rising tide carried all boats as high as possible. Dad always said what’s good for one of us is good for all of us, and he wasn’t talking about you and me. He was talking about this. The local economy. Jobs. People. The heartbeat of our country. And maybe it’s time to expand our horizons. Bringing in some new blood might help us raise the bar even higher.”
My head falls lightly against Jaclyn’s as I savor the moment of the two of us on top of the world. I ignore the vibration of my phone, enjoying the last moments of our precious sister bonding.
After the third string of buzzes in a row, I give Jaclyn a final squeeze before holding the phone in front of us both. I read the text that just came in, which might as well have been a smart-aleck smack across the ass. Despite Jaclyn’s squelched chuckle, I’m far from amused.
Fuming, I huff. “This means war.”