Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
“I’m kind of relieved Ernest showed his hand yesterday,” I say.
“Well, he didn’t as much show it as couldn’t hide it when you started probing.”
I pressed Ernest on keeping indigenous workers, on making sure that Bennett wouldn’t use employees from other countries to cut costs since restoring economic power to the people in developing nations was the whole point. Not just amassing more economic power for ourselves. Ernest’s polite mask fell away, and the ruthless businessman showed the ugly mercenary truth. I know it’s about the bottom line for them, but that just means they may not be the right company to partner with.
“So are we done with Bennett?” Harold tries to hide the disappointment in his voice, but I hear it.
“I’m done with Ernest Baston,” I correct. “I still think Bennett Enterprises could be the right partner.”
“But Ernest—”
“Ernest’s last name is Baston, not Bennett.” I stand and dry off. “Walsh is the future of Bennett Enterprises. Him, I’ll stay at the table with.”
“If he’d been there yesterday like originally planned,” Harold says, “things would have gone differently.”
“Yeah, I think Ernest thought so, too. That’s why he pushed to still meet even though Walsh got held up in Hong Kong.”
“So what do we do, Bishop? We have other offers.”
“I’m not ready to abandon Bennett yet. I think we wait. We made our position perfectly clear. Let’s see what their next move will be.”
“Sounds good.” Harold stands. “I’m gonna shower. You coming?”
“In a little bit. I want to get some steam first.”
Stripped down to just a towel, I lean back against the wall in the steam room. I draw a deep eucalyptus-infused breath, letting the steam soothe the muscles I stretched to the limit. The door opens, and I close my eyes. I’m not in the mood for some near-naked guy who enjoys a good, steamy chat. I hear him settle on the other end of the bench, but just slump my shoulders against the wall, hoping he takes the hint.
“Funny meeting you here.”
My eyes snap open when I recognize that voice. Not much surprises me anymore, so I’m not sure why Walsh Bennett in my steam room should.
“Bennett, you’re quite resourceful, aren’t you?” I lean my head back against the wall, but remain alert. “I know you aren’t a member here, so to what do I owe this dubious honor?”
He grins at me through the scented steam.
“I heard things didn’t go well yesterday with Ernest,” Walsh cuts right through the steam and the small talk.
“If you would say Hiroshima ‘didn’t go well’—I cross my arms over my chest—“then, yes, that’s how I would characterize yesterday’s meeting with Baston.”
“Look, I know he can be a bit of an asshole.”
I open one eye, cock one brow.
“Okay.” Walsh chuckles, settling back against the wall. “He’s a total dick, but what if I can guarantee you deal only with me?”
I lean forward, elbows to my knees, and give him my most candid look.
“Only you can’t make many guarantees right now, can you? Not with things about to become so unstable at Bennett.”
Speculation narrows Walsh’s eyes.
“What have you heard?”
“It’s not what I’ve heard. It’s what’s obvious to anyone paying attention.” I pour a portion of eucalyptus into a small pot against the wall, intensifying the scent. “Your father is at the end of the road, and when he retires, the transition of power won’t go as smoothly as he had hoped. Am I right?”
A muscle ticks in Walsh’s jaw, but his face gives me no other indication that I’m even close.
“I propose that we take a back channel approach,” Walsh finally says.
So he’s going to ignore what I said, only confirming that I’m right.
“Back channel?” I lean into the sweating wall. “What are you thinking?”
“I need it to look like you’re walking away from this deal.” Walsh lifts one brow and one corner of his mouth. “But don’t. Don’t talk to anyone else. Wait for me to get things settled at Bennett, and then once I’m in charge, we resume talks.”
“Where do you expect opposition to come from at Bennett?”
“Everywhere.” Walsh scoots forward, until he’s barely on the bench. “But don’t worry. I’m ready for whatever Ernest and anyone else throws at me.”
“You sure about that?”
“Always.” Walsh leans back, stretching his long legs out in front of him and linking his hands behind his head, his casual posture not fooling me. “So what’ll it take for you to agree to this? We can’t put any of this in writing. It has to stay off the books, but I trust you.”
“Why do you trust me?” He can trust me, but I’m interested to know how he figured that out so quickly.
“Let’s just say I never go into a deal without knowing who I’m dealing with.”
I’ve heard that anyone working with Walsh should expect to have their past and present excavated because he digs so deeply.