It’s absolutely more money than it’s worth. That seat is notworth sixteen million dollars. I laugh once. “I see you are working on some interestingvaluations. Where exactly did that number come from? It’s more than double thepurchase price of the property.”
She raises one shoulder. “Yes, but as the contract iswritten now, my clients get the six million dollars as well as two seats. So, inorder to make up for the loss of the seat, they need to be compensated fairly.”
“I’m not denying that, but this isn’t a charity either, Ms.Arrowood. This is a piece of land—that is in decay, I might add. It’s not worthtwenty-two million dollars.”
“We never implied it is. We are stating the land’s valueremains at the agreed purchase price. We’re discussing the seat on the board sothey don’t turn it into a strip mall.”
That’s exactly what Mike is going to do. “My client would bewell within his rights to do whatever he wants as he’ll hold the deed.”
Hadley grins. “But at this time, he doesn’t. In fact, we canwalk out of here right now and sue you for breach of contract because as it’swritten, they get six million dollars and two seats on the board, which is whatyou’re here trying to rectify, are you not?”
I’d like to rectify the fact that I want to strip youdown and make you come on my tongue.
I shake my head, forcing that particular vision away. “Thenthey can have the two seats.”
I’m not sure if this is going to work, but I need to pushher.
“I see. You no longer wish to negotiate?” Hadley asks.
I stand, grabbing the papers, putting them in a neat pile,and, using the oldest negotiation tactic known to man, decide to walk out. “Iwould, if that’s what we were doing here, but you’re asking for more thandouble the cost of the land, which is not within my client’s best interests topay. This was a simple transaction and now it’s extortion.”
Hadley laughs softly. “Sit down, Cayden.”
I lift my gaze to hers and she’s sitting back, legs crossed,swaying back and forth in her seat. And I want to fall to my knees in front ofher.
“We’re done here.”
“We’re not. Sit down. You’re not going to walk away. Youcould at least counteroffer, but you’re too stubborn to lose so you’re bluffingto walk out.”
I stop moving, watching her in complete ease. “No, I’mwalking out. There’s no bluff.”
It’s a bluff, but I’m committed now.
“Fine.” She smiles at me and gets to her feet. “Thank youfor coming. I’ll let my clients know that the contract stands as it waswritten.”
Fuck. She played me.
I have no goddamn upper hand. Mike was crystal clear, hewants that seat back. He definitely didn’t say pay another sixteen millionthough. And Hadley knows me well enough that I wouldn’t agree to it. She alsoknows that my competitive nature wouldn’t let her push this meeting, which iswhy she began out of the gate aggressively.
I was blinded and now I have to fix it. Because the bottomline is that my clients want that seat.
I turn to her, hands resting on the table. “You need to dobetter if you want more money.”
She rises like a warrior, mimicking my stance. “You needthat seat back and you’re going to have to pay for it.” Then she pushesupright, standing tall. “I’ll await your call with a counter offer. Oh, andCayden?”
“Yes?”
“It better knock their socks off.”
* * * *
A week later we are sitting in the board room, our clientsas well, since I am not willing to do this back-and-forth thing. I am on a tickingtime bomb and need to fix this stupid case today.
“Do you have an offer for my client?” Hadley asks. Her longbrown hair is down today. She normally has it pulled back in a tight bun whenshe’s at work. When I saw her, I was momentarily rendered speechless.
Although that seems to be a norm with us.
“Yes, we have a counter offer that we believe you’ll all behappy with.”
