Landlady: A New Adult Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 1) (24 page)

“Why weren't you the one to call us?” Lexi asked, frowning.
“Klassen called me to arrange this meeting.”

“Sorry, I had some...personal matters to take care of.” I didn't
really need to lie about that. “My girlfriend broke her leg.”

“Oh,” Lexi said. “I'm sorry. But Asher, what the hell do we do?
There's no way in hell I'm giving up my line or an extra million.”

“Drop the deal. Don't merge.”

“Lachantal offers deeper market penetration across Western Europe.
Their manufacturing operations in Eastern Europe could yield over two
hundred million dollars of profit in the next three years. Without
them, it'll take
—
”

“
—I found a better company. Ripe for a
hostile takeover,” I said. I opened up my computer and pulled up
the file. “Champoix Industries. Marseille. Running in the red for
the past two years. Mismanaged after the death of the former CEO.”

Vanessa interrupted, “I already did a hostile takeover last year.
It did not sit well with the press. I got a lot of shit and bad
publicity because of it.”

“This one will be for the greater good. You'd be doing the public a
service,” I said. “The current CEO is a drunken wreck. He's
running operations to the ground. With a firm hand, you could make
Champoix profitable. Maybe even more so than Lachantal. It may not be
as powerful as Lachantal now, but give it a few years and it should
grow into an invaluable asset.”

“Vee, what do you think?” Lexi asked.

“You're head of marketing Lexi, and VP, and the designer who'll
lose the most if the deal with Lachantal goes through. You're in
charge,” Vanessa said.

“I say we listen to Asher. He's our lawyer, and he's on our side,”
Lexi said, nodding to me.

I smiled ear to ear. “Thank you, Lexi. You won't regret it.”

“So how much money do we need?” Lexi asked.

We spent the next hour hashing out the details of a proxy fight. They
would try to convince the shareholders to oust the current CEO and
replace him with someone who'd approve of the takeover. It would be
fairly easy since everyone hated the current CEO already. By the end
of the meeting, Vanessa and Lexi were appeased and left happy.

Klassen cornered me after they left. “So what was your genius
plan?”

“You'll find out soon.”

Klassen's voice gained a bitter edge. “Do I need to remind you that
you don't work here anymore? I'll need to take over this account, so
I need to know what I'm getting into.”

“Where's my father? I need to speak with him.”

“You know you need an appointment first,” Klassen pointed out.

I shouldered past his office to the adjacent one.

After two knocks, Dad told me to come in.

“Asher. I'm glad you're here. Did you speak to Klassen about—”

“I saved Klassen's ass and the Holdom sister's future. I think I
deserve to have my job back.”

“Close the door and have a seat, son.”

I did and then sank into a leather armchair, legs spread apart.

“I already told you what you needed to do in order to come back to
the firm,” Dad said. “Did you do it?”

“No. That's what I came here to tell you. I plan to make Sierra a
permanent fixture in my life. I'm not going to give her up. Ever. But
I do want to prove to you that my head's in the game, and I can do my
job and have a girlfriend at the same time.”

“Girlfriend? You can't be serious, Asher.”

“I'm very serious, Dad.”

“You were engaged to a Persian supermodel three months ago. A
wealthy, smart, ambitious, and sexy woman you'd known for almost ten
years. Now you turn around and tell me you're serious about this
mouthy country klutz? She's still in school, doesn't know what the
hell she's doing, and she's Adele's age for God's sake. Much too
young for you. Not to mention you've only known her for what, a
month? Honestly, what do you see in her?”

I wanted to punch my father in the fucking
throat. Gripping the armrests hard, I said, “Do not
ever
disrespect Sierra again.”

“She's not good enough for you, Asher. You're just too infatuated
to think clearly. A pretty face and a nice rack doesn't make her a
good girlfriend.”

I stood up and walked over to Dad's desk. “You disappoint me Dad. I
thought you were a better man.”

“I'm looking out for your best interests, son.”

“I love her, Dad,” I shot back. “I fucking love her. More than
any other woman in the world.”

Dad was silent for a while. “You
think
you love her. But once those quirks and charms wear off, you'll get
tired of her. She's not classy like Victoria. I looked into her
family background. Her and her parents are heavily in debt, running a
broken-down farm in the middle of nowhere. If you stay with her,
it'll be only a matter of time before they start asking you for
hand-outs. Are you prepared to support her
and
her hillbilly parents?”

“You're crossing the fucking line, Charles,” I said, calling him
by name. “I've met her parents, and they're very nice people. I'm
going to leave and pretend you never said any of that.” I turned to
leave.

“I know you'd make a great senior partner, son. But you can't do
your job if you're spending all day looking after that woman. She's a
leech. A scheming gold-digger, no doubt about it.”

“She's ambitious and smart and funny. And she
owns
the house that I live in. She's not a
gold-digger.
”
That Dad would even say such a thing made my blood boil. How could he
think so little of Sierra after meeting her only once?

“I can't control your personal life, Asher. But I can control your
future at my company. So goodbye, son. I hope she was worth giving up
senior partner for.”

I wanted to just leave. But I had to say one more thing. With a cold
laugh, I said, “It's fucking ironic how she wants us to patch up
our relationship...all the while you talk shit about her and want me
to give up the one good thing I've had in my life since Mom died.
Fuck you, Dad. And fuck your goddamn prejudice and bigotry.”

Before Dad could say another word, I slammed the door and left.

CHAPTER 23

SIERRA

“CAN I HELP YOU?” I asked the woman leaning against the front
gate.

It'd taken me twenty minutes to hobble down the two blocks back to my
house, and I was exhausted. Sweat clung to all the wrong places, and
I couldn't wait to get inside and strip down.

“Yes, I'm here to see Asher Morgan,” the woman said, pushing her
designer sunglasses up over her head.

“He had to go to the office. But he should be back in the
afternoon,” I said. “Are you a client?”

“No, I'm a friend,” she said. “You...must be Sierra.”

Asher never mentioned anything about a friend
coming over. Let alone a friend who looked like
her.
The woman was immaculate from head
to toe. Her golden skin and onyx hair looked radiant in the sun. Her
almond eyes bore into mine.

“How do you know my name?”

“Didn't Asher tell you he saw me last week? Oh, I'm so sorry, I
forgot to introduce myself. My name is Victoria Amari.”

Vicky? As in the woman he’d pretended to be engaged to? His
decade-long crush? The cheater?

“Vicky,” I said.

What the hell was she doing here?
Words
clogged my throat but refused to come out.

“I guess he's told you about me?” she asked.

“Of course. He's my boyfriend.”

“Can I come in?” Vicky asked, her bright red lips curling into a
saccharine smile.

I wanted to say no. I really did.

But she was Asher's friend. And even though he didn't tell me
anything about seeing her, I felt it would be inhospitable, rude
even, to not invite her inside for something to drink. The
temperature was probably pushing ninety and Vicky was wearing dark
clothing. Wasn't she hot? I needed to be the bigger person and show
her some hospitality. “Of course, come on up,” I said, hobbling
up the steps with my crutches and feeling self-conscious. I felt
feeble and inelegant compared to Vicky's polished demeanor.

Once we were inside, Vicky remarked, “Wow, nothing's changed since
I left.”

I was sure she was referring to the fact that she stayed here during
her pretend engagement. Somehow the words still struck a nerve, and I
felt irrationally jealous. Okay, maybe not so irrational considering
she was a bombshell, and I looked like a rat the cat had dragged in.

When we entered, Max, the stray, bounded towards us. I was surprised
he seemed so excited, especially since he'd been acting aloof since
I’d met him. He ran up to Vicky and began licking her hands. Vicky
bent down on one knee and scratched Max's chin. “Hey boy, how're
you doing buddy?”

“You've met Max?” I asked.

“Not exactly,” Vicky said. “But I was there when Asher took him
to the vet.”

No way.

Why hadn't Asher told me any of this? I suddenly felt as if I'd been
punched in the gut. Asher had ignored my texts all night. Then the
next morning he'd told me he couldn't come see me... Had it been
because he was with her?

“What's going on here?” I asked, sinking into the couch. I put
aside my crutches and squeezed a cushion against my chest. As if that
gesture would somehow dull the pain in my heart.

“Didn't he tell you he spent the night at my place?” Vicky said
as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“No. He didn't.”

“Oh. I thought he would’ve told you,” Vicky said. “Since he's
your
boyfriend,
” she added
with venom. She
feigned surprise but something told me she
wasn't surprised at all that Asher had kept it a secret. “I'm
shocked he'd keep it a secret.”

“Why did he sleep over at your house?” There had to be a rational
explanation. Asher wouldn't just crash at her place for no reason. I
trusted his intentions.

“We went to my friend's party. I got drunk so he drove me home and
took care of me.”

The way Vicky said the words 'took care of me' sent acid through my
veins. They went to a party? What the hell was going on? Why hadn't
Asher told me any of this? Was Vicky just making it up?

I tried to feign indifference. After all, I could ask Asher about all
of this when he got home.

“So what brings you here today, Vicky?” I asked.

Vicky dug through her purse and retrieved a leather wallet. “He
forgot his wallet.”

I snatched the wallet from her. It felt like a brick in my palm. “Is
that all?”

“I was hoping I could talk to him too,” she added.

“About what?” I was acting jealous and nosy, but I didn't care.
If Asher really loved me, he would've told me about her. But he
didn't. I wanted to know why.

“It's private,” Vicky said. “None of your business.”

“His business is my business,” I said. “We're in love, and we
live together. We tell each other everything.”

Vicky laughed. “You
think
he tells you everything. But I think
you and I both know Asher isn't the straightest arrow.”

“You're wrong. He's a great guy.”

“So great that he slept over at my place and never told his
girlfriend about it?” Vicky asked.

To be fair, we weren't boyfriend-girlfriend yet at the time.

I knew she was baiting me, but I couldn't stop myself. “Why did he
sleep over?”

Vicky leaned in, a sinful gleam in her eye. “Why does any man sleep
over at a woman's house?”

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you came here to
say,” I said.

“I came here to tell you to back off,” Vicky said. “Asher wants
to be with me. He's been chasing after me since I was in college for
God's sake. You? You're just a fling. If he liked you so much, he
would've put up way more of a fight when I offered him a blowjob the
next morning. You should've seen the look in his eyes when he saw me
naked. It was the same look he gave me when he came all over my face
a few months ago. Right where you're sitting now.”

“You're lying.”

“Ask him yourself. He won't be able to lie to your face about it.
He wanted me. Bad. He might deny any involvement, but his body—his
erection that morning—it did not lie.”

“Shut up,” I cried, my entire body tensing. “If you came here
just to rile me up, then you're not welcome here. Get out. Now!”

Vicky picked up her purse and smoothed out her dress. “Ask Asher to
call me when he gets back. He knows my number. Goodbye, Sierra.”

After Vicky had slammed the front door, I sat motionless, her words
tearing me up inside. She was lying. She was a conniving bitch, and
she was deliberately trying to hurt me. I wasn't going to let her get
to me. I wasn't going to think anything until I saw Asher and asked
him myself.

I was actually controlling my temper pretty well... until Asher's
father showed up.

Talk about adding jet fuel to the fire.

I'd been licking my wounds and gorging on a tub of mint chocolate Ben
& Jerry's when the doorbell rang. I thought it was Vicky, so I
didn't answer it. But when it rang again, I figured it was Asher.
Turns out, both guesses were wrong.

“Mr. Morgan,” I said, opening the door and inviting him in. “To
what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hi, Sierra. How are you doing?” He stared down at my cast. “What
happened?”

“I broke my leg,” I said. “But I'm doing much better now. Come
in, have a seat. Would you like something to drink? Eat?”

“No. I won't be staying long.” Charles Morgan looked
devastatingly handsome in his bespoke suit. An older version of
Asher. He scanned the house and made a few humming sounds.

“What brings you here today?” I asked. I suddenly realized I
probably looked like shit. After all, I'd been crying a little since
Vicky left and I wasn't even wearing any makeup.