Chosen for Power (Women of Power, #1) (14 page)

Drake ran his hand through his hair again. One thing he’d learned from the past three hours is the employees of Simpson Global were fiercely loyal to the Simpson ladies. Drake let out a long breath.

“I’m sorry, Finn. I didn’t mean to imply—well, I did, but I shouldn't have done it. Elle is preparing for that dinner tonight and doesn’t want to be disturbed. I offered to cover her duties for a few hours.”

“You, take over?” Finn tried not to laugh. “How’s that going for you? Enjoying the fashion part?”

“Incredibly, especially the part where I got to look over the models’ contracts. It included pictures.” Drake grinned.

“Get out!” Finn stepped forward with a grin on his face and took the seat Shirley had vacated an hour ago.

“So, tell me about the working out and the problem.”

Finn looked him over for a minute and finally gave a nod of his head. “I’ve been teaching her self-defense. She’s going to bring Chord down very publicly and she wanted to feel confident that if he grabbed her again she could take care of herself.”

Drake let out a long breath. “Good. Thank you, Finn. Now what’s the problem?”

“One of the banks Simpson Global owns made a loan to P&P Agency. P&P can’t pay it. They’re going to go under by the end of this year.”

“Really? How do you know that?”

“Kane Royale is a friend of mine.”

“He’s the wide receiver for the Atlanta Golden Eagles, right?” Drake asked about the state’s most famous professional football player.

“Yes, but more interestingly, he’s represented by P&P Agency. We work out at the same gym. Elle actually met him yesterday. Anyway, I had lunch with him today and he told me the agents are leaving in droves. He’s going to be looking for a new agency by the end of the year, if not sooner.”

“So . . .” Drake said slowly. He wasn’t sure where Finn was going with this.

“So, I took the bar exam in December and I found out last week that I passed. That’s why I was having lunch with Kane. To celebrate.”

“You’re a lawyer? Congratulations,” Drake said in total surprise. He had no idea Finn had been in school.

“I sure am. I took night and online classes for the past four years. Elle encouraged me. Anyway, Kane said something that got my attention. He said, ‘I wish you could be my agent.’ He was joking, but it got me thinking. Why couldn’t I be? I mean, I played professionally and I understand how professional sports work from a player’s point of view. Plus I’ve seen what people have done that worked and what hasn’t. I think I could be a good agent,” Finn said passionately.

“Are you quitting?” Drake prayed he wasn’t. He didn’t know how he would break that to Elle.

“No. I would never leave Simpson Global. I want Elle to look into bringing P&P Agency under the Simpson Global brand name. I have all these plans running through my mind. I think we could make some big bucks off it.”

Drake let out a relieved breath. “It’s a promising idea. Especially if you branch out to entertainment as a whole.” Finn’s smile went from ear to ear. “However, for Elle to really look into it, she needs reports. Data, figures, assets, liabilities. Get it?”

Finn’s smile faded.

“If you really want to take this seriously, then go talk to Kane and find out why he chose P&P. Research them and find out who else they represent. Then, see this?” Drake held up Allegra’s initial report on Bellerose. “You need to do this.”

Finn took it and started reading through it. The further he read, the more his brow furrowed. “This is a lot.”

“Sure is. I would also recommend talking to some agents to get a feel for the business. It’s pretty cutthroat from what I understand. Maybe Kane can get you an internship.”

Finn nodded his head. “That’s a great idea, Mr. Charles. I can intern at the same times I had previously taken my law classes. I’m sure Elle would agree.”

“Well, I think it’s a good idea. I’ll go to bat for you, but I’m sure Elle will have some questions as well.”

“Elle, are you . . . Whoops. Hi, Drake. Finn. What are you guys doing here?” Allegra asked as she stopped in the middle of the room, holding a garment bag and some sort of black case.

“Elle’s preparing for the Bellerose meeting. I’m filling in.”

“You?”

“Yes. Excellent report on Bellerose, by the way. I’ll go get Elle so you can help her get ready.” Drake rose and headed out of the office, hearing Finn ask if Allegra would mind answering some questions on how to write those reports she gave to Elle. Good, he wasn’t giving up. Finn had a good idea. Drake would be interested to see if he followed through on it.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Elle was wired. She had memorized the whole report and found out everything there was to know about Bellerose and its owners. She was prepared to casually slip the knowledge into their conversation and would be prepared to answer any questions as they came up. One of the arts to negotiating was to be so casual they didn’t even know she was planting ideas and terms into the conversation.

“Is it time already?” Elle asked as she stretched.

“Yep. Allegra is in your office with . . . stuff for tonight. Looks very girly. How are you feeling?”

“Much better. Thank you for letting me prepare. Were there any crises?” Elle rubbed cramped neck and stood up.

“Let’s see. First, I don’t know how you do it. Twenty different things were going on all at the same time. I handled one of your tech issues. I returned most of your phone calls within the company and handled those with Shirley’s help. I looked over the models’ contracts for the fashion show Allegra is producing. I summarized Bree’s report. And Finn passed the bar exam.”

Elle jumped up and did a little happy dance while Drake stood up smiling at her obvious excitement. “I’m so happy for him. He’s been working so hard on that.”

“Well, he came armed with a suggestion. He had lunch with Kane Royale. He’s the . . .”

“Wide receiver for Atlanta,” Elle finished. She’d met him the other morning at the gym. “What’s the suggestion?”

“Kane informed him that P&P could go under by the end of the year. Agents are leaving in droves and Kane is looking for someplace new after the season is over.”

Elle nibbled on her lip as she thought it through. “We have a loan out to them for a pretty big chunk. I wonder if I forgave the loan in trade for controlling interest of the company . . . Kane’s contract has to be worth enough to make me think about it. Only what would I do with a sports agency?”

“Finn has some ideas. So do I for that matter. He wants to become an agent and is going to look for an internship and talk to some of his buddies. If the numbers allow, then I'd take it and expand it to an entertainment agency. There’s lots of music, television, film, models . . . all here in Atlanta. Finn’s going to put together a proposal for you.”

Elle was impressed. She knew Finn had potential for so much more. She was so glad he finally found something to bite into. “I’ll look into it. You did really well.”

She linked her arm with Drake and leaned into him as they turned into the hallway. It lifted her heart to know she was with someone she could trust.

“We have a problem,” Jessica shouted as she hurried down the hall.

“Shouldn’t you be home?”

Jessica waived the question off. “I called to confirm dinner with Bellerose earlier today and had to leave a message. Remember how you said you wanted a casual dinner first to break the ice with them? Well, David Bell just called to say how excited he and Josh were for a date night and how they appreciated a chance to get to know you better before talking numbers.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Elle asked, slightly confused about the panicking.

“He also said how excited Josh was to meet Drake. Apparently Josh has a bit of a tech side and totally geeked out assuming Drake was going to be there since I told them it was a casual dinner.”

Jessica didn’t need to say anything more. Elle cringed and looked up at a very amused Drake. “I don’t suppose you’d do me one more
teensy-weensy
favor, would you?”

“Let me guess. Romantic dinner with you and the men of Bellerose? At least I'll get to let my inner nerd out. Sounds like fun, but I’m a little underdressed.” Drake looked down at his jeans and black sweater and shrugged.

“I can fix that,” Allegra called from down the hall. “But you better move it. I’ve sent Finn to get some clothes from my office. With a little styling, I can make you the belle of the ball. Now hurry up, you two, this fairy godsister doesn’t have a magic wand.”

Drake chuckled and Elle gently pressed her hand to his arm. “Would you really do this for me? You’ve done too much for me already today and if it makes you uncomfortable to be a . . . well, a . . .”

“Worshiped tech nerd,” Drake said dryly.

“I’m so sorry, but yes,” Elle giggled. “I would totally understand if you want to skip it. I could make up an excuse for you, no problem.”

“Sweetheart, I’m secure enough with myself to stand the thought of you using me as your personal nerd.” Drake lowered his head and she felt his lips next to her ear. “Just as long as you promise to use me when we get home tonight.”

Elle flushed as he whispered a few of the ways she could use him after dinner. She was just thankful Jessica rushed back to help Allegra and didn’t see the way she suddenly forgot to breathe.

“Come on, you two,” Allegra called as she grabbed a handful of items from Finn.

Drake pulled away and Elle forced herself to remember how to walk as she watched Drake saunter down the hall.

Elle slid her hand into Drake’s as they drove through downtown Atlanta. The city seemed to twinkle with the glow of lights reflecting off the buildings’ windows. Allegra had decked them both out in simple yet elegant attire for the night. The European cut of Drake’s suit showed off his wide shoulders and narrow waist while the white dress shirt, left casually unbuttoned at the neck, showed his laid-back side.

As she snuggled against his chest and listened to his heartbeat, she realized she’d been so distracted with Chord that she’d missed the time to just be together with Drake. And she felt silly for feeling as if she couldn’t talk to Drake about what was going on. She had just felt it was her problem and she had needed to deal with it. When they were together, she didn’t want to focus on the bad, only the good. What a mistake that had been. She’d learned her lesson and would share everything with Drake from now on. He showed he'd help her, support her, or just hold her like he was now.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so preoccupied,” she murmured as she nuzzled against him.

“I’ve been the same way. I was taking advantage of the fact you’d be around and didn’t think how much time we were really together. And it’s going to happen. We’re both incredibly busy, but I realized it’s not the amount of time we spend together, but the quality of it. I want to make you a promise. No matter what I’m doing, I will always step away to answer your call. Even if it’s to tell me Shirley is eavesdropping again.” Drake grinned down at her. “I’m always going to be there for you. And I always want to know what’s going on with you. I love you, Elle.”

“I love you, too.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and gave him a hug. “I guess I’m just getting used to being a couple. I’ve been responsible for everything for so long, I’m used to depending only on myself. But today you showed me what being a couple is about. Thank you for looking out for me and for my company. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It's what I wanted to do. You’re my everything. And after today I’m even more in awe of you. How you manage all the branches of the company and control the financials is beyond me.”

Elle smiled against Drake’s shirt. She was proud of herself and proud of her company. Hearing Drake’s praises made her feel so good about all her hard work. Chord or this woman trying to steal her identity would never change that. “I’ve found myself thinking about the future lately. Usually when I’m on some conference call and everyone is arguing. I think about handing off more of the financial side. I’ve even considered bringing Jessica into the financial side so I can have a chance to experience life a little more. I get this vision of us together. I know men don’t like to talk about the future, but it brings me sanity when things go crazy.”

“I admit I used to be like that. If a woman mentioned the future, I would run and hide. Of course, it’s all my mother can talk about. But this is different. You’re different. I think about those things as well. How it would be to come home to you every night. Think about finding a house that’s just ours. Think about having you by my side for the rest of my life. Having children, fighting, loving, growing. I think about it all, Elle, with you and only you.”

His images of their life became hers as Elle looked into Drake’s eyes. He leaned down and caressed her lips with his. The tenderness of the kiss made Elle sigh as Drake tucked her head under his chin and gathered her in his arms to hold her.

All too soon the limo came to a stop in front of the restaurant. As the door opened, they both reluctantly pulled apart. For just a while it had been as if they were the only two people in the world.  Drake eased out of the door and turned, offering Elle his hand. She placed her hand into his and decided to do exactly what David and Josh were doing—make this a date night.

Drake didn’t let go of Elle’s hand as they made their way to the table in the back of Atlanta’s hottest new restaurant. David and Josh were already seated, sipping wine and laughing at something. This should be interesting. He felt as if he received a crash course on fashion and more specifically, Bellerose, today. He hoped he didn’t make any faux pas.

“Oh. My. Gosh. As I live and breathe, it’s Drake Charles,” the young man, dressed in a hip navy blue suit and a lilac tie, cried.

Drake reached over the table and shook his hand. “You must be Josh. It’s nice to meet you. This is my girlfriend, Elle Simpson.” Drake placed his hand on Elle’s back while she shook his hand.

Elle smiled at the blue-eyed man with floppy blond hair who couldn’t be more than twenty-five. While David Bell appeared to be the same age as Josh, he was more muscled with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He also wasn’t practically crawling over the table to get to Drake.

“Hi, David. It’s nice of you to have dinner with us tonight.”

“It’s our pleasure,” David said quietly, but with a sincere smile on his face as he shook her hand and then Drake’s.

Elle took her seat between David and Drake, but was quickly shut out of Drake’s discussion as Josh started in on binary coding and a bunch of other words that were foreign to her.

“I tried to warn that nice secretary of yours, but Josh was a software engineer before we made it as designers. He still likes to mess around with it. In fact, he wants to build an app that lets people upload their picture to show how our clothes will look on them. He somehow wants to make it so the clothes fit the person’s body shape. It’s above me. I was a business major with a fashion minor. What about you?”

“Business and economics all the way. I knew from the moment I walked into my dad’s little hole-in-the-wall office that I wanted nothing more than to run his company someday. We’re family and there’s nothing better than working with your family everyday.” Elle smiled and thanked the waiter who poured her a glass of wine. Drake and Josh had pulled out their cell phones and were doing who knows what.

“That’s nice. It’s how we run Bellerose. Of course, with family there are always fights, too. They’re not afraid to tell you when they think you’re messing up.” David’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.

“My sisters love it when I mess up. They tease me relentlessly. But, they always have my back too.”

“It’s actually one of the reasons I agreed to meet. I met Allegra last year at a runway show. She was so carefree and full of life I immediately wanted to get to know her, because sometimes it’s that easy to know someone is a good person. And she is. We’ve become acquaintances over the year. When I ran into her the other week and asked about you and Drake, she defended you before I’d even finished my question. It’s obvious you’re well-loved and respected by your family.”

Elle held up her wine glass. “To families.”

Drake and Josh looked up from their cell phones as if they were caught by the teacher for not paying attention in class. They raised their glasses and the whole table toasted.

*     *     *

Elle skipped into her apartment with her heels dangling from her fingers. Drake laughed as she twirled around. She had kept her cool all through dinner. She hadn’t even overreacted as David and Josh looked at each other, and with a nod, asked if Elle had the paperwork to officially become part of Simpson Global.

But as soon as Finn safely tucked away the signed contracts and closed the door to the limo, Elle had lost it. She’d squealed, stomped her feet, and did a little dance in her seat. David and Josh enjoyed dinner so much with no pressure that they said they knew it was the perfect place for Bellerose.

“Thank you so much for being my tech nerd tonight.” Elle threw herself into his arms and squeezed.

“It was no problem. Josh and I had a good time geeking out, as you call it. Plus I remembered what was waiting for me when we got back home.”

“Well, you do deserve a reward for helping land this contract.” Elle stepped away and headed for the bedroom as she dropped her shoes and slid the zipper down the side of her dress.

Drake’s mouth went dry as her dress slipped from her shoulders. She stopped at the door and with the sexiest little butt wiggle slid the dress off. God, he loved this woman. A woman who could close a multimillion-dollar deal and an hour later have him harder than steel with one little wiggle.

*     *     *

Elle ran her hand over Drake’s chest. She played with the light sprinkling of hair before trailing her fingers along the smooth ridges of his abdomen. It was late, but after drinking all that caffeine and the high from dinner, she wasn’t ready to go to sleep. As she felt the warmth of his muscles, she was actually thinking of a repeat performance.