She brushes back an imaginary strand of her perfectly coiffed, chin-length silver hair before pausing, making sure she has my undivided attention.
“I spoke to Gary Williams yesterday.”
And here we go.
Gary has been with Rothwell from the second he graduated university, and he’s loyal to me, no question, which means he likely went to bat for me without my knowledge.
Like most who work for Rothwell, he isn’t a fool and knew, despite what I didn’t say, that Nan was most probably the reason why we backed off the Azure opportunity.
“Hmm.”I lead her to the small seating area, and we sit side by side on the loveseat.
“I thought I told you to let your wild idea of purchasing a hotel go?”Her question is rhetorical, and I wait for her to continue.“Yet he tells me you still have him looking for potential properties.”
I don’t bother to correct her.I’m looking for potential hotel sites—plural.She isn’t on board with the idea of even one let alone a few, and if I had access to my trust, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.I could do this on my own.
Nan lifts a hand to run her fingertips over the multiple strands of pearls around her neck and straightens her spine.Her steely blue eyes bore into me and she takes my hand in her frail one and squeezes, imploring my further attention.
“Zachary, give this idea up.We’re into real estate management, equity, and operations for multi-family properties, not in the business of buying and running hotels.And we never will be.”
She talks as if I’m still a teenager learning the basics of our family-run corporation.The very business her husband, Galen Rothwell, started and built into the multi-billion-dollar empire it is today.
“It’s hard to give up on something I know would be good for the company.Profitable as well as an exciting opportunity.”
She tsks, shaking her head.Nan was at the helm of Rothwell Enterprises for thirty-five years.She’s a shrewd businesswoman and when my grandfather, her husband, passed, she naturally stepped in as CEO.But she’s also risk averse.Apart from adding the Rothwell Foundation, she hasn’t diversified or grown what her husband built.My hotel idea would diversify our holdings and provide more areas for growth, as well as be my contribution to the Rothwell legacy, but she won’t even entertain the idea.
“Please drop this.I’m getting tired of having this discussion.”It isn’t even a discussion.It’s a dictatorship.“On another note, did you sign the papers for the complex in Arizona?”
To the world, I run our holdings.At thirty-seven, I’m CEO of Rothwell Enterprises and have been for the past five years since the death of my uncle, Bernard Rothwell.
Nearly twenty-five years ago, around the time my parents were killed, Nan stepped down as CEO, handing things over to her younger son, Bernard.She then started the Rothwell Foundation, privately funded by Rothwell Enterprises and dedicated to improving communities.
“Yes, the Arizona deal is all good and ready to close.”
I let go of her hand and leave the sofa, running a hand through my hair while holding back an exasperated sigh.Even with CEO as my title, most days it’s in name only.Nan very much calls the shots.
“If that was all you wanted to talk about, I’ve got a stack of papers to go through and sign before my next meeting.”
Her gaze flits to my desk where there is a pile of documents, nearly two feet high, waiting for my signature.Nodding, she stands, straightening the front of her navy Chanel suit before coming to my side.“Zachary, you’re a good boy.”She tenderly pats my cheek and I give her a half-hearted smile.
I could fight her on the hotels and sometimes I really want to.But I love her.I don’t want business to come between us or cause her stress.I’m still holding out for my trust and think I have a way to speed things up.
My trust money would enable me to do this hotel deal on my own.And as much as she’d hate it, she couldn’t stop me.She likely realizes this because the woman has changed the parameters of my trust more times than I care to count.
Initially, my trust fund was to be mine at twenty-five, but as the time drew near, Nan claimed I was too immature for that kind of money.In other words, she thought I was having too much fun living the life of a bachelor.
When I neared thirty, the next appointed age, she agreed I was good at my job, but wanted me to settle down.While she had no direct stipulations, she extended it to thirty-five and when that came, the age became forty.She then also added that I could have my trust sooner if I got married, whichever came first.
I’m no longer willing to leave this in her hands because if I’m not married as I near forty, she isn’t above changing the age again.For Nan, she isn’t being mean-spirited—it’s about control, whether she realizes it or not.
The woman is used to power and doesn’t know what to do without it.She knows I can run the company successfully with or without a wife.It’s just an added hoop for me to jump through.And maybe all of it scares her, knowing that while her opinion matters, it’s no longer needed where the business is concerned.
With all of this, I have decided to play her game but on my terms.
I’m going to get married, sooner than later, but it’ll be a business arrangement, not a relationship.The romance will be fake.
Once married, with an ironclad prenuptial agreement, of course, I’ll get my trust and purchase my hotels.Sadly, my marriage will suddenly fall apart, and we’ll divorce.
I thought I had a willing partner and was ready to present her to Nan as my future life partner when it became apparent that my soon-to-be-fake wife wasn’t faking anything.She was looking at our business arrangement as a means to love, children, and the whole shebang.
