Chapter Nineteen
Jack
‘We need to get the deal sewn up before Christmas,’ said Braydon, pacing the room now things weren’t going his way. ‘Then in the New Year it’ll be all systems go to start gutting the place, make it into another of The Diamond Touch’s finest premises.’
Jack watched his father loosen his shirt collar. He’d had every intention of coming in here today and telling his father everything about how he’d felt over the years since he’d started working at the company. Last night Evie had instilled a sense of confidence in him he’d never known he’d had, and when he woke this morning it was the first time he had truly believed he could change his life. But now, since Braydon had frogmarched him straight to an emergency meeting, the tension was running so high he didn’t know what to do for the best.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Jack to Braydon. ‘But why are we in such a rush?’ He wanted to take his father aside and tell him what the building was currently used for, how by buying this he’d alienate Nicole, possibly for good this time.
Braydon stopped pacing and fixed his glare on the youngest Churchill. ‘The Diamond Touch needs to move forward, the whole reason we looked for premises in the first place. I think we should instruct the lawyers to push the sale through.’
Jack looked to his father, who sighed long and hard.
‘Maybe Braydon’s right,’ Kent conceded. ‘Maybe we should get the legalities sewn up and we can all move forward with the next phase.’
‘Dad, there’s something you should know first.’ Jack cleared his throat, but before he had a chance to say anything else, he heard voices down the corridor, increasing in volume until the door to the office burst open and in marched Nicole.
Kent stood. ‘Nicole? What’s going on?’
‘I need to talk to you.’ She didn’t acknowledge Jack or Braydon.
‘Let’s go to my office.’ Kent moved past the table, but Nicole’s feet were firmly glued to the floor.
‘No need. I’ll say what I’ve got to say and then I’ll leave.’
Kent sat down again. Jack attempted a smile of acknowledgment to Nicole, but she was focused on the purpose of her visit.
‘If this is personal,’ Braydon whispered to Kent, ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ He moved to leave, but stopped as soon as Nicole began yelling at Kent.
‘How dare you! How dare you take away the shelter from us!’
Kent looked bemused. ‘I’m not sure I follow.’
‘The building you’ve been sniffing around. I don’t suppose you’ve bothered to think about who you’ll be affecting!’
‘Now wait a minute. What has the building got to do with you?’
‘I volunteer there. Have done for years. And now everything we’ve worked for will be taken away just like that, just so you can dazzle the city with the finest jewellery, add some more zeroes to your bank account.’
Braydon shut the door to the office and stayed to hear more.
‘You took my job once before,’ she shouted, ‘and now you’re determined to take my life again!’
‘I’m not trying to do anything of the sort.’ His father’s voice was softer than it’d ever been during a confrontation of this magnitude. ‘I heard something about it being used as a shelter, an overspill from the city shelters in the daytime, but I had no idea you were involved.’
‘Well, I am. And those people need another place to go. Do you know how many homeless people there are in New York City?’
She’d asked the same question to Jack once, and he cringed when Braydon grunted as though he spoke for all of them with his inability to care.
Nicole took Kent’s silence as his answer. ‘No, I don’t suppose you do. You’re up here in a cosy office, going home to that big house you have all to yourself, and you wouldn’t give two hoots about anyone in need.’
‘Nicole, that’s simply not true.’
‘Come on, then, let’s hear about your concern for other people, the charitable work you do to make a difference.’
‘Hang on a minute.’ Kent stood, hands on hips.
‘Dad … take it easy.’ Jack motioned for him to sit down. The last thing they wanted was for his blood pressure to skyrocket and land him back in the hospital.
