Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
When Fred opened the door, Rafe began his usual greetings but something in the older man’s eyes stopped him.
“What is it?”
Fred shook his head, eyes shifty. It put Rafe on edge.
“Ah, there you are.” Roland came around the corner as Fred was taking his coat. “Come in, my boy, I want to introduce you to some friends of mine.”
Okay, had he entered the twilight zone somewhere between Park Avenue and 72nd Street? What the hell was going on? Following Roland into the never-used parlor, Rafe handed the box of wine to Fred. Roland never gave a shit about it anyway.
“Good luck, sir,” Fred whispered before disappearing down the hall.
“Rafe Marson, meet James Baylor and his daughter Rebecca.”
“Hello.” Rafe shook their hands in turn.
“Rafe here is my protégé. He’s got quite a talent for numbers and an eye for good business opportunities.”
Mr. Baylor smiled. “Roland has been singing your praises all evening.”
“I’m sure he’s exaggerating out of pride. He’s taught me everything I know.”
Roland laughed and clapped Rafe on the shoulder.
“Rebecca is a ballerina with New York City Ballet.”
“Wow, you must be talented.” Rafe smiled at her. She tucked her head, a blush rising to her cheeks. She was pretty in that daddy’s-girl kind of way. She had dark brown hair and a fresh face. She looked to be in her early twenties, but she dressed older like many of the girls did in Lockwood circles.
“Thank you,” she said.
“How about drinks before dinner?” Roland asked.
“I could use a whiskey.” Mr. Baylor shuffled behind Roland to the bar near the window. It was an obvious strategic move planned to give him and Rebecca privacy.
“How long have you been in business with the Lockwoods?” Rebecca asked, so plainly Rafe could see the dollar signs in her eyes.
“Since I was fourteen.” He tugged on his collar. “He took a poor chauffeur’s son and treated him like his own child.” Wasn’t that the party line? He was surprised she even had to ask.
“He’s such a great man.”
Keep it together, Marson. “He certainly is one of a kind. Tell me, what does your father do for a living?”
“He used to be in real estate, but now he’s on the city council.”
Ah, so that was how it was. Roland was trying to set him up with a councilman’s daughter. The coldhearted bastard, even marriages were only business deals dressed up in satin and decorated with roses.
He wanted to get the fuck out of there, but no matter what Roland had planned Rebecca had nothing to do with it. Besides, sometimes the best defense was pretending to be defeated by the offense.
The better he played the role of doting suitor tonight, the more surprised Roland would be tomorrow.
He’d apologize to Rebecca later.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“The show will start soon. Until then we’ve prepared a plate of samples from the vendors we’re considering for catering during your event,” Rafe said.
“Tell me there are drinks. The flight to New York was insane. I need a cocktail.” Prince unbuttoned his sequin-lined blazer and handed it to Gigi.
“Of course, I can get a bottle of my favorite premium vodka straight from my private stash or I can make sure you have your own server.”
“Private stash, huh?”
“It’s a little too pricey for our typical clientele.”
“I like expensive, let’s give it a try.”
Rafe waved his hand to call the VIP server to Prince’s table. “You know the code to the liquor cabinet in the primary storage room?”
“I do.”
“Bring up a bottle of the Purity and some chilled glasses.”
“Right away.”
“So, Mr. Marson, I’ve been looking forward to this evening all grueling month. I hope you won’t let us down.”
“I believe you’ll be blown away.”
Because of his hectic schedule, he hadn’t had the chance to see the performances before Prince’s arrival, but he trusted Mark’s judgment.
“And you’ve secured our star dancers?”
“You wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t.”
Prince’s grin was teasing. “Quite right, I’ve had Gigi keeping tabs on things covertly. She’s a good spy.”
“Then she should have told you this is unnecessary. We could go up to my office and get the paperwork over with.”
Prince laughed and Gigi joined him. “I do love a man of conviction.”
Rafe had been serious, but he knew it was a long shot. “Get to know me better and you’ll start calling it bullheaded.”
Rafe’s gaze landed on his general manager as Mark approached the table. “Speaking of bullheaded, Parker Prince, this is my right-hand man, the backbone of Switch, Mark James.”
Mark shook Prince’s hand. “Pleasure to finally meet you.”
Prince scanned Mark from head to toe. “So, you’re the brilliant one who hired the Sassy Boyz.”
Mark actually preened under Prince’s perusal. “I don’t know about that.” His chuckle was part modest, part amusement. “The boss had the final say.”
Prince waved his manicured fingers in Rafe’s direction. “He gives you all the credit. I’d take it if I were you.”