“Please, have a seat.”
“I prefer to stand.”
I move closer to her, but she doesn’t blink. “So, what brings you to West Palm today?”
“As I said, I wanted to represent Pelican Point in person. And to let you know the Reilly building is not for sale.”
“How can you know that? We haven’t yet made an offer to the owner.”
“If you had done your homework, you would see that I have a long-term purchase agreement in place with Mrs. Reilly. Neither she nor I are interested in selling. At any price.”
“I’ve learned over the years that everyone has a price.”
“I’m not everyone. And believe me when I tell you, I can’t be bought.”
The determination on her face leaves no doubt. This woman is impressing me more by the minute. “Duly noted.”
She moves toward the door, but then turns back. “You know, Mr. Anginelli, it might serve you well toactually visit Pelican Point and get to know the people there before determining what you think our town needs.”
I’m not about to tell her that I know one person in Pelican Point very well. And my mother said much the same thing to me. I’m enjoying the verbal sparring; so much so, that her imminent departure already feels like a gaping hole in my gut. I try to stall, blurting out the first thing I can think of.
“Do you like hockey?”
She gives me a look of genuine confusion. “Hockey? What does that have to do with Pelican Point?”
“Absolutely nothing. It was just a question.” No way in hell am I admitting that there’s a game tonight here in West Palm that I’m obligated to attend, but I’d rather spend the time talking to her.
She gives a little sniff, turning her nose up in a most attractive way. “I prefer football.”
And with that, she’s gone, leaving the lingering scent of vanilla, and something else I can’t put my finger on, in her wake. I inhale deeply, attempting to prolong its essence before it dissipates.
Burton Sherwood, my head of security, another friend from college and a former professional football player, steps into my office. No doubt he saw the gorgeous woman who just told me she prefers football to hockey leaving my office, but he’s discreet, so he doesn’t ask about her.
“Hey boss. I got Hannah set up in a hotel and I’m about to take her and her daughter back over there now.I also gave her some cash to get food and whatever she needs for the next few days.”
I’m still bothered by what I encountered this morning when I arrived at my building. I found a little girl and her mother huddled in a corner on the sidewalk, because they had nowhere to go. The blankets and backpacks were a dead giveaway that they had slept on the concrete. Despite all the money and success in Palm Beach County, there’s an increasing number of people who have fallen on hard times. That could have easily been my mother and me when I was growing up. I could never live with myself if I had turned a blind eye.
“Thanks for taking care of them. Be sure to let Hannah know my mother will pick them up in the morning to help navigate social services and provide any other support they need.”
“Will do.”
Typically, I’m laser focused on the business at hand during monthly board meetings. As Kyle brings the meeting to order, all I can think about is the unexpected encounter with Desirae Russell. Not only am I still reeling from her fierce defense of her town, my brain is fixated on the vision of her in that dress that hugged every curve and set off her brown eyes, the gold flecks in them giving off fire with every word she said to me.
Besides, I already know what’s in the reports that Kyle is about to go over with the board. Not only Desirae, but business owners and citizens alike, havebeen quite vocal about the impact on the Pelican Point community. Hell, even my own mother has voiced her opinion on this project.
For the first time since I made my first million, I’m feeling indecisive. I want to do what’s best for the community. And according to Desirae and all the angry emails I’ve received, what’s best for Pelican Point is to preserve the spirit from when it was in its heyday and give small businesses the opportunity to thrive once again. How do I reconcile that with the need to maximize profits to satisfy the board? The conference room feels unusually confining today as I tug at my collar.
While the board members argue about the budget numbers and potential profits from the Pelican Point project, I’m still thinking about Desirae and trying to figure out a way to see her again. And then it comes to me. I stand from the leather chair at the head of the table and make an announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen. This project is headed for failure unless we can establish goodwill and garner significant community support and buy-in. There’s a small business owner who is well-respected in the community and has an established and prominent business that’s nationally recognized in its industry. That business occupies the Reilly building, so it’s essential we have her in our corner. I propose we collaborate with her on a charity event to benefit the community and gain support from other local businesses. It’s a win-win for us and Pelican Point.”
What I don’t say out loud is this will also be an opportunity for me to get to know the fascinatingboutique owner who stormed into my office like a hurricane.
I look around the table to gauge the temperature in the room regarding my proposal, relieved to see a consensus of nodding heads and murmurs of approval. However, my satisfaction is short-lived when the senior outside member of the board takes me aside and says, “Your idea better work. You need to win over this community and get this project moving, or we just might need to reconsider the future leadership of Stone Development.”
CHAPTER 5
DESIRAE
