My six o’clock meeting was going late as I expected it would. We were working with a challenging client, trying to go over final details for acquiring their boutique clothing line. Friday nights could be the worst, but as usual, I was prepared for it.
In my selfish interests, I would’ve liked to have skipped the meeting and ask Avery to spend tomorrow together, doing whatever she wanted. I didn’t care what. I just longed to be in her presence and learn more about the side of her I’d met at dinner with her and Addy. Her daughter was an absolute gem and Avery’s mini-me for sure. I had nothing of great importance going on this Saturday and was hoping that with Avery not having Addy for the weekend, she’d be free too. If this meeting ever could end, I’d text her and see if she was open to doing something together.
“Listen,” I finally said, regaining control of the room, “while I would like to sit and continue the slides and presentation, I’ve noticed the expressions on your faces,” I said to the two businesswomen. “I believe we’ve lost you both somewhere.”
“We just don’t feel comfortable having a company buy us out like this,” one of the ladies responded.
Alex and I exchanged knowing glances. After going through it, I knew this presentation would hit a raw and very wrong nerve with these women. The presentation had not been properly researched, and it was not catered to their specific needs. Whoever came up with this needed to be fucking fired.
Alex read the expression on my face and instantly knew he had to find a better way to make this happen and immediately. If the person who was responsible for this didn’t help Alex fix this embarrassment quickly, Alex would be personally letting them go. We were a better company than this, and I wouldn’t tolerate people half-assing it with their jobs.
I watched Alex go directly to his phone—and until the solutions came in, I was speaking up. I couldn’t sit in this room a second longer with these two women believing we were the bad guys, trying to steal their company from them. We saw value and we wanted to invest and help them grow their business to what I already knew it was worth. They needed our help in expanding like they wanted, and it was my job to take over and relay this information to them.
“I appreciate that more than you know,” I said to both women. “While it may feel as though Mitchell and Associates are buying you out, I want to assure you that is not the case. In being up front, it is my job to ensure you know that we will be taking some proceeds after investing in the Chic Gals clothing line. With that said, you need to understand that we will also be assuming the risk and full liability as well.” They looked at me skeptically, most likely for sounding like a dick. “Hear me out,” I said with a smile. I used the keyboard to pull up their numbers onto the screen at the front of the room. “Those numbers you’re seeing on the screen will not put you in front of the clients you’re aiming for. My company has a greater potential to do so. We are also willing to use our investors to help you place your line of work in higher-priced areas to gather the clients who desire to pay over a hundred dollars for a shirt. We work in this area more than you know.” Now was the time to turn into the dick, but only to allow them to understand the value in their own company. “Both of you, Christine and Gabby, would not be in this room if we didn’t believe your company was worth our time, our investors’ time, or my time alone. If Mitchell and Associates believed your company would fail our idea for opportunity and growth, we would not have extended the invitation to meet with you.” I pointed back up to the screen. “Those numbers aren’t anywhere near what a business like yours should be. In my personal opinion, those numbers should be double to triple of what I’m seeing on that screen. I believe you both understand that, yes?”
“Yes,” they both answered.
“Yes,” I repeated. “Your business deserves to return you both hundreds of thousands in at least one quarter, as we have already projected. In order for this growth, and for it to happen rapidly for you? It will only happen when we involve our investors, our sales teams, our marketing teams, and so on. You both saw how those teams would be working not just for my company, but mainly and exclusively for yours, yes?”
“Yes.” Christine’s features softened more.
“Yeah.” Gabby sighed.
Okay, Gabby wasn’t entirely with us yet. “Very well. I would like to ask you both if you believe you’re willing to take this risk and go into marketing on your own, search for investors on your own, et cetera? Allow me to warn you, if choose to do this, it could cost you millions if you chose the wrong people. We have dealt with multiple clients who have sought us out after almost being bankrupted by falling into this trap. I’d personally hate to see this happen to either one of you. I believe your business should get off on the right foot with a company that uses investors who don’t toy with their clients—a company that has your business’s best interest at heart. I would assume you would believe the entire nation—to start—is missing out on your fashion line, yes?”
“Yes.” Gabby smiled this time.
A solid yes from Christine, and I knew we were back in the game. I looked at Alex, who nodded in gratitude. The dumbass owed me a bottle of my favorite bourbon for saving his client.
“Then allow Mitchell and Associates to do the hard work for you and you can focus on your creative skill. We will have the clothing line pushed out to the entire nation, your brand buzzing across headlines, and a client base that you deserve.”
My phone buzzed, but I ignored it while Alex stepped in from where I got the yes mentality going with these young and enthusiastic women.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Fucking hell. I pulled the device out of my pocket and glanced at it from hiding it underneath the table. Avery. Shit.
I knew Alex could handle the rest from here, and I was more concerned about why Avery was blowing my phone up. I hadn’t heard from her since the McDonald’s date, so I had no idea what to expect, but the urgency with which she was calling my phone didn’t make me feel at ease.
“My apologies, but you’ll have to excuse me,” I answered the phone and covered the receiver. “I need to take this in my office.” I looked at Alex and smiled at Christine and Gabby. “I look forward to working with you both in the near future. Alex will present you both with more information that should help explain things further.”
“Thank you, Mr. Mitchell,” Christine said.
“Yes, thank you. It’s much clearer now that you’ve explained it,” Gabby said.
“I’m thrilled to hear that.” All I needed was that lively yes from Gabby, and we had this company on board. I smiled, happy we saved them, and I walked out of the conference room.
“Avery?” I questioned, hearing her heavy breathing. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m so sorry about calling you, but I’m in a bad situation, and I can’t pick up Addy from her church, singing-practice thing tonight,” she said, sounding like she was in tears. “You’re the only one I knew would eventually answer your phone because you pretty much live on the thing. I’m broke down. I was coming back from jury duty. Addy already likes you a lot and I don’t want her going home with another kid’s parent if I can help it. Fuck! Jim, are you there?”
“I need you to slow down. Do I need to pick you up too?”
“I need you to pick Addy up from her Christmas pageant singing practice,” she said. “She’s there for practice and has to be at her dad’s like thirty minutes ago too.”
“And what about you?” I asked, worried she was sitting on the side of the road while Addy couldn’t have been safer, being at a church.
“I’m fine. And shit, I’m so sorry to put you in this shitty position, but I’m getting a tow, so I’m good. But having you pick her up will save me from another parent or teacher taking her because I’m too far to Uber back to get Addy and then drive to Orange County where her dad is.”
“So long as you and Addy are safe, I will handle it.”
“Okay, can you—damn it—do you mind picking her up and heading to her dad’s house? I’m so sorry to do this to you.”
“It’s not a problem; send me the address.”
There was a pause then Avery’s heavy breathing slowed some. “Okay. I texted you the address, and I’ll be waiting at the house before you and Addy get there. I just need Addy picked up and heading this way. They’re closing the church early tonight too. Dammit, I should have started with that.”
“Take a breath. I will handle it.” I threw her on speaker, already packing my briefcase in my office, and heading to the parking structure. “I’m reading my text and it’s an address in Anaheim. That’s where I’m meeting you in Orange County, right?”
“Right. Hang on,” she said. “I’m texting you the church location now.”
“Try to relax a little,” I said. “They’re not going to leave a three-year-old standing outside a locked church.”
“I know, but still. I didn’t want to call you. I don’t want you to have to see or deal with Derek, either.”
“I can handle your ex,” I said, seeing the address to the church had me about ten minutes or so away. “I’ll get Addy, and I’ll have her call you when she’s with me, and we’re on our way to Orange County.”
She sighed a huge breath of relief, “Thank you. Can I say I love you for this?”
“You can say you love me anytime you want,” I teased as I sat in my car, stuffing the briefcase on the floorboard, having no room for it behind the front bucket seats. “I’ll call you when I’ve got the special package.”
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” she said in a softer, more relaxed voice.
“There’s no need to thank me. You just take care of you, and I’ll make sure Addy is fine. I’m pulling out of the parking lot now.”
We hung up, and precisely fifteen minutes later, I was pulling into a large church parking lot. Addy was swinging on a swing while a teacher stood by, watching her and three other toddlers in the playground area. A minivan pulled in next to me, and I smiled seeing that other parents also appeared to have been put in a last-minute predicament to pick up their kids.
I stepped out of the car, hoping Addy would recognize me. Thank God she did. I couldn’t help but smile in response when she broke free from the teacher’s hand, and scream my name with excitement.
“Sir,” the woman called out to me after Addy came running into my arms. I loved the way this child seemed to admire me. I still had no idea what I’d done to gain her interest in such a way, but it was great.
“Yes,” I answered the woman, taking Addy’s backpack that she’d shoved into my hands.
“I will need your name before I allow the young lady to leave with you.”
“I’m James, or rather, Jim Mitchell. Avery Gilbert should have called ahead informing you I would be picking Addison up in her place tonight?”
“Okay. Yes, Avery called to notify me. We must take safety measures; I’m sure you understand.”
“I completely understand,” I answered, while I opened the door to the passenger’s seat for Addy.
“Hold up. That car—” she eyed my Aston Martin. “Darn it, I don’t have time for this, but do you at least have a car seat in that? I’m pretty sure it drives itself and turns off the airbags, but it’s illegal to drive a three-year-old in any vehicle without a car seat.”
“Oh, gosh,” Addy said, and I could have sworn she was trying to mock the woman. “He’s okay, Miss Shirley.”
“Addy.” I smiled at her. “Allow me to work this situation out. She is correct.”
Why didn’t I think of the car seat? I thought, trying to come up with the quickest solution to legally drive Addison to her dad’s house.
“I have an extra car seat,” a woman’s voice spoke from the direction of the minivan. “I still haven’t taken it out since Connor grew out of it.”
“I can use it and give it back,” Addy said when the young woman came into sight.
Addison was so much like Avery that it only made my smile broaden in the midst of this sudden chaos. I couldn’t get over how she was so outspoken, commanding and, well, just intriguing.
“This would be a lifesaver. What are the chances of this? Really, thank you,” I said, following the woman to the back of her vehicle.
She smiled back at me. “Do you know how to put it in your car?”
“Not exactly.”
Her chocolate skin glowed and radiated with her humorous expression. I understood why she found this funny too. I looked like a total dumbass.
“Well,” she started after I took the seat she offered, “safety first with children, of course. Always.” She winked while the other woman seemed to collapse in some sort of relief.
I tried to smile at the spectating woman, but that wasn’t breaking through the stress I’d caused her after not being prepared to pick up Addison safely.
She sighed loud enough for me to wonder what I should say to help ease her distress. She eyed my car like it was Satan’s personal vehicle. “Well, I hope her mother knows about this car. It doesn’t seem too child-friendly,” she said, rightfully annoyed.
“Miss Shirley.” Addy planted a hand on her hip and faced the upset women, while I tried to work with the helpful one that was occupied by installing the car seat into my car.
“Yes, Addison.” She tried to smile past her stressful appearance.
Addy kept her sass going. “You’ve met my mommy. You know she’ll yell at Jim if she doesn’t like his car.”
“Well, it’s safety first and—”
“Children first,” I said, feeling like I would have to pass a safety exam next in order to leave with Addison. Hell, this whole thing was turning into a movement that was about to go up against me and this stupid car I’d decided to drive to work today of all days.
“Very good. I need to leave, and you were the last two parents.” The woman, Miss Shirley, finally gave up.
“Okay. Very good,” I responded. “Addison will be driven safely to her mom.”
Shit. I’d closed three, multi-million-dollar investments today, and I dealt with bringing in a new investor to Mitchell and Associates, and yet, here I was, feeling like a total deadbeat who had no idea what the fuck to say. No matter what smile I held, I was still getting an evil eye from Miss Shirley.
“I’ll drive slowly,” I said, waving her off as she sat in her car.
“You’re all set,” the woman who saved my ass said.
“I’ll have Avery return the seat to you,” I answered. “I truly appreciate this help.”
“Just take it slow,” she said with a laugh.
“We’ll be heading out on the 405 and at this hour, that freeway will likely still be a parking lot.” I grinned.
“Traffic on the 405 or not,” she arched a motherly eyebrow at me, “slow,” she finished and then walked off to get in her car.
I had no time to defend myself, nor would I try to. My concern was getting Addison to her mother whether these women trusted my driving or not.
Addy was buckled in when I waved the woman off and sat in my car. “Slow, mister,” she taunted, mocking the women who’d busted my ass since I first arrived in the parking lot.
“Are you making fun of me getting in trouble with Miss Shirley?” I smiled and rechecked her harness straps. “All right. You’re good to go. We’re taking side roads. I’m not sitting in traffic, and you need to call your mom.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No.” I smiled and used the car to call Avery. “I’m the one in trouble.”
“Wow,” Addy said, as she looked around the car when the phone connected to the audio system while dialing out to Avery’s cell.
“When your mom answers, you can just talk in the car and she’ll hear you,” I informed her. “It works like a speakerphone.”
“Jim?” Avery answered her phone. “I’m just now on my way over to Addy’s grandparents. I texted you that address too, right?”
“You did and the GPS is bringing us up through the hills. Accidents have the 405 and 5 locked up.”
“Thank you so much again. Can I talk to Addy?”
“I’m here, Mom. You can talk through Jim’s car. You’re in it,” she squealed.
“Jim’s car?” she asked in confusion. “Is the driver listening too?”
“I’m driving,” I said.
“No chauffer?” I heard her laugh. “Well, I have to say I’m proud of you. Freedom calls, eh?”
“Yeah, you won’t be saying that when you see my car,” I smirked at Addy.
“He has the fastest, coolest car ever, Mom. I want one too.”
“I bet he does.” Avery’s voice changed. “You better not drive that car fast, Jim,” she demanded with humor and warning in her voice.
“I have precious cargo, and,” I said, looking over at Addy after we turned down another street, “should we tell your mom what the ladies taught me today?”
“Safety first. Children first!” Addy giggled.
“What the hell?” Avery said.
“Yeah, I didn’t have a car seat. Miss Shirley almost had a breakdown, but one of the other parents was there at the same time and saved the day.”
“I didn’t even think about the car seat. Did they give you crap?”
“Bad words, Mommy,” Addison scolded Avery.
“Sorry, Addy,” she said. “Jim, did they say anything nasty to you about it?”
“They were concerned, as any good person would be when some guy shows up in a sports car and no car seat.”
“And knowing you and your car in England….” I could hear the smile in Avery’s voice, and it made me smile. “It’s probably the most expensive sports car on the market.”
“And why would you assume that?”
“I believe I met a man who enjoys cars—preferably Ferraris.”
“Well, that one isn’t with us today, and last I recall, you almost wrecked my Ferrari.”
“Funny,” she said, and I could hear her voice calming as we talked.
After Avery and I got off the phone, Addy and I enjoyed my car, grabbing the ground on turns. We weren’t flying through the hills; in fact, we were embarrassing the vehicle by taking it slower than usual. The cars behind us were trying to use this route to get out of downtown LA and were likely pissed that my car was moving no faster than the speed limit.
Addy had officially named my car the rollercoaster, and she danced in her car seat to the music on the radio while we drove toward Anaheim to meet up with her mom. I noticed Addy grow quiet when I made the last turn onto the road to her final destination, and her mood changed some.
“You excited?” I asked, seeing Avery standing on the lawn—not in the best of neighborhoods, and I didn’t say that because I was some Beverly Hills snob, either. Bars on all houses’ windows told me there was trouble around this area. It was clear that, while this might’ve been a great neighborhood fifty years ago, it’d seen plenty of dark days since.
“I kind of wanna stay with you and mommy,” she said.
I brought the car to turn around at the end of the cul-de-sac while some young man stood outside near Avery in a white tank and jeans. His hair was a mess, his arms were sleeved with shitty-looking tattoos, and he hid his eyes behind dark sunglasses. Jesus Christ, is that Derek? I thought as Addy looked at the two quietly.
“Next weekend, we can go to the beach, remember?” I said to Addison, hoping to cheer her up some.
I watched the man walk to a lifted—too fucking high—truck and light a cigarette. He eyed my car as I pulled past him and parked in front of the driveway. I couldn’t park anywhere else because the truck was taking up the entire curb in front of the house, and all I had was the driveway entrance.
“That’s my daddy,” Addy said, and this was the first time I noticed the spirited young girl subdued. It concerned me.
“I should like to meet him,” was the only answer that rolled off my tongue in response.
Avery was pulling Addy out as soon as I put the car in park. I left it running and stepped out myself after I popped the trunk so I could clear out the car seat. I pulled off my sunglasses. There was no way in hell I was hiding behind sunglasses as this guy looked like he wanted to kick my ass just for being here.
“Nice car,” he said. “What the hell, man? That’s a 77, isn’t it? Shit. Only seventy-seven sold.”
“Yes. I’m James,” I said, extending my hand out to his.
He shook it but was more concerned with the car.
“Addy, go with Daddy and Papa into the house,” Avery ordered after giving her kisses and hugs. “See you in forty-eight hours.”
I waved at the older man who exited the house, acknowledging me, yet eyeing his son. I sighed in relief when Addy forgot about the rest of the world and ran into her papa’s arms while screaming with excitement to see him. Then they disappeared into the house, and we were faced with Avery’s ex.
“So, are you the one who’s been fucking my girl?” Derek asked, walking the length of my car and then leaning against the grill of his truck.
“I’m not sure I follow you,” I said, feeling more confrontational. This was the shit bag drug addict Avery had to put up with? The guy did look like death. He acted like he was some kind of badass, and I wasn’t going to waste a conversation on him.
“Let’s go, Jim,” Avery said, getting in the car.
She went to close her door as I walked to mine, then I saw where Derek caught hers.
“Get your hands off her door,” I said protectively of Avery. There was no way in hell that he was going to intimidate her in front of me. He could confront me all night long and get away with it, but watching an asshole go after a woman? Unacceptable.
“Fuck you,” he said to me, then he looked in the car. “Or is that your job tonight, Avery?”
“Your daughter is here to see you. Shouldn’t you care more about that?” I said, working to get his stupid ass to direct himself toward me and not Avery.
“So, you get to fuck my girl, pick up my daughter in your fancy car, and now you think you can talk to me however you want? You’re a fucking pussy,” he slurred.
I glanced into the car and saw Avery’s face was in her hands. This loser was high, and Avery wasn’t fighting back. This must’ve been the icing on the cake for her fucked-up day.
“If you don’t back the fuck away from my car, I’ll drag you away from it myself.” Fuck, I had to be cautious. He was high, and I was sober. I couldn’t do anything to make this worse on Avery, and reacting to a drug addict that I really wanted to beat down would solve nothing.
“Avery, get out of the goddamn car,” Derek said, reaching in for her.
I came around the car and walked over to where Derek was. My sudden move prompted him to step back after he saw me pursuing him. I stood there and towered over this miserable punk while Avery ordered him to get into his house as she dialed out on her phone.
“I said get out of that fucking car, Avery.”
“She’s not yours to order around,” I said sternly.
“Gonna fucking kick my ass?”
That’s when the dumbass swung up at me, and I blocked his arm. God, what I wouldn’t give to step behind his leg, and send his ass to the ground.
“Fuck, Derek! Leave him alone and get in the goddamn house,” she growled, trying not to alert the entire neighborhood. “He’s high,” Avery said into her phone. “Get him out of here and call the cops. I don’t want him around Addy at all. I will leave with her if you don’t fix this right now,” she said while Derek danced around me like a buffoon.
“Derek, get up here!”
I jerked my head over in the direction of the stern man’s voice. Derek threw his hands up and stomped up toward the front door.
“Are you okay to leave Addy here?” I asked Avery, shocked she would consider it.
“No,” she sobbed into her hands after her phone slipped into her lap.
Shit. “One call, and I can have someone here to arrest him, and we’ll all be leaving together.”
“Let me go talk to his parents, and I’ll make that decision. Trust me; he’ll waste everyone’s time by being passed out by the time the cops show up.”
“All right,” I answered, seeing that this was definitely not Avery’s first shit storm with this guy.
I waited outside, leaning against the passenger side of my car. This was majorly fucked-up bullshit. No one should ever have to worry like this.
I grabbed my phone from my car and dialed my brother.
“Jimmy,” Jake answered.
“Hey, how’s your schedule right now?”
“Stuck in fucking traffic. Why?”
“If I needed you to get your ass down to Anaheim, how fast could you get here?”
“Anaheim?” Jake answered. “I guess if I made it to an off-ramp and got off this freeway, I bet around thirty to forty minutes? What the fuck are you doing in Anaheim?”
“I might need your help driving Avery. I’m in the Aston Martin and only have two fucking seats. We might need to get Addison out of here. Her dad is jacked up and high on something.”
“Holy shit,” he said. “I’ll try to be there in about thirty minutes, hopefully less.”
“Hang on. Avery is coming out now,” I said. “We might be good. I’ll call you back if I need you to drive this way.”
“All right. Let me know what’s up when you can, then.”
“Fuck all of you, then! I’m out.” Derek looked at me as he walked across his father’s patchy lawn. “Get this piece of shit out of my way before I run it the fuck over.”
“Derek, back the truck up, and just leave, goddamnit. Go sober the fuck up, and if you’re not sober tomorrow, I’m getting Addy first thing in the morning.” She looked at me after Derek jumped in his truck, backed up, and peeled out.
“Welcome to my life. Nice intro, eh?” she said.
“And Addison?” I asked.
Avery’s face was red and stained from tears. “Her grandparents called the cops on him. He won’t be back tonight.”
“Jesus.” I reached for her hand. “Are you okay. Will you be okay?”
“I’m okay now that the front door is locked, Derek is gone, and I can breathe again.”
“Where do you want me to take you?”
“Can you just drive for a while? I don’t want to go home yet. I just need to drive,” she said as she intertwined her fingers with mine. “Your hands, I’ve missed them.”
I brought the back of her hand to my lips. “And they’ve missed you,” I answered. “How about I take you through Laguna Hills, and we’ll have dinner in Laguna tonight? Sound good?”
“And if I get a call that Derek’s in jail?”
I looked over at her. “Then I’ll be profoundly relieved that he’s behind bars, and not endangering lives on the road. Who the fuck drives a truck like that and still lives with his parents?”
“A fucking addict who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing outside of killing himself?”
“I guess so,” I said.
“His friend’s house is down that street.” She pointed down a frontage road. “He’s safely getting his fix and will pass out there.”
“He’s a jacked-up piece of shit, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
She laughed and glanced over. “That’s putting it lightly.”
We got in the car and headed on our way. I needed Avery to tell me more about how she could be okay with Addy staying at that place or anywhere near that guy. I’m sure she had reasons, but I also worried that it was his empty threats that were manipulating her too. Either way, I told her that I would stick by her and help. That’s what I planned on doing, but I needed to know more, or I would have great difficulty believing that Addy was safe from her dad tonight—or any night.
