Miss Match (9 page)

Luke scowled, then wandered into his master bath and shut the door with a click. Steam from the hot water already filled the room. Luke quickly undressed and stepped under the spray. He doused his head, relishing the warmth returning to his body.

This had to be about the gala. Had Nathan decided to press charges after all? That was the only disaster that could necessitate an emergency meeting. The company stock was still not great, but it hadn’t dropped significantly since the initial dip. They weren’t struggling with the release of any new products. Luke seriously doubted this was about a product recall.

It had to be the gala. It was the only explanation that made sense.

Luke frowned, vigorously shampooing his hair. He shouldn’t have to explain his personal business to a stodgy board of directors. What had happened between him and Nathan had nothing to do with Ryder Communications.
Bunch of old geezers.

Mitch pounded on the bathroom door. “Time to get out, Luke.”

“Can it,” Luke said.

“I’ll tell Talia to shut it off if you don’t hurry.”

Luke sighed. He could turn the water back on, of course, but he didn’t want to engage. “Off, Talia,” he said. The spray instantly disappeared. He toweled dry, then slipped into a clean pair of boxers.

Luke wandered back into his bedroom. A suit lay across his bed, with a matching shirt, tie, and shoes. A crisply folded pocket square even waited to be placed in the front breast pocket of the jacket.

“You picked out my clothes?”

“You need to look like a professional today, not a frat boy with a hangover. Besides, we’re in a hurry. We’re leaving in five.” Mitch stalked out of the room and slammed the door.

A pit of worry congealed in Luke’s stomach, and he quickly dressed. He opened the bedroom door four minutes later to see Mitch leaning against the hallway wall, still scowling. “Let’s go,” Mitch said.

Luke followed Mitch to the penthouse’s foyer, where the private elevator waited for them. “You want to tell me what this is about?”

The elevator door pinged opened, and the attendant greeted them with a smile. They rode to the lobby in complete silence. Luke nodded to the doorman, and they exited the building and climbed into a waiting car.

“I really wish you would’ve held it together at the gala, man,” Mitch said.

“I’ve already explained myself.”

“I know.” Mitch rubbed his head. “There are some things I need to tell you before we get to the meeting.”

“Out with it, Mitch.”

“There’s been a lot of talk the last few months, especially since Rick . . . They’re talking about replacing you as CEO.”

Luke’s eyes widened, and he swore. “How could you keep this from me?”

“It was just talk, and you were going through stuff.” Mitch sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “It was mostly the newer guys blowing off steam because they’re pissed about picking up the slack. ‘Can Luke hack it as CEO?’ That sort of thing. They all think you’re too young and inexperienced, but the board only brought up generalities. You were in such a bad place, so I didn’t mention it to you. Your chi’s already out of whack.”

Luke clenched his hand into a fist, resting it on his knee. “This is
my
company.”
And Dad’s.
“Who do they think they are?”

“The freakin’ board of directors! They control fifty-five percent of the company. I’ve already been placed on a verbal warning for not keeping you in line. They
can
replace you, if they feel it’s justified. They already took on a lot when Rick refused to appoint an interim CEO and worked through his illness. Now that Rick is gone, they want a CEO who is focused on the job. And after Saturday . . .” Mitch let out a long breath. “If you go, I’m out, too.”

“So you’re telling me this meeting is to fire us?”

“I don’t think they’ll outright fire
us. Not today. But I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Luke sank back against the upholstered seat of the limo. “Well thanks to you, so do I.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay? Act penitent. Contrite. Promise to do better.
Something.
It’s not just your butt on the line anymore.”

“If you’d told me about this earlier, it never would’ve gotten to this point.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you to do your job.”

The limo pulled up to Ryder Communications’ corporate office—a fifteen story monstrosity in downtown Los Angeles.
Put on your game face, Luke.
Maybe this meeting had nothing to do with the gala.

Maybe hell would freeze over, too.

I can fix this. I will do anything
to fix this.

Luke straightened his tie, then stepped out of the limo and followed Mitch. He squinted as sunlight glared off the reflective surface of the building. They passed tall palm trees and a modern art sculpture that Luke had never understood. A fountain gurgled softly right outside the entrance, but it did nothing to soothe Luke’s nerves.

“Mr. Ryder,” the receptionist said, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Luke scowled. It wasn’t like he never showed up at the office. He’d spent fourteen hour days at this place until a few weeks before his father’s death. Taken on a lot of CEO responsibilities while his dad grew sicker and sicker. Every long weekend and school break during college had been spent here. He’d been one of the first to arrive and last to leave the office every day until his father’s cancer progressed to the final stages.

“We’re heading up to the conference room on the fifteenth floor,” Mitch told the receptionist.

“I’ll let them know you’re on your way.” She picked up the phone and dialed.

Luke followed Mitch to the elevator. The sensors detected their presence as soon as they were in range and the doors opened automatically. When they arrived on the fifteenth floor, the secretary there was hanging up the phone. “The last of the board members just arrived,” she said.

“Thanks,” Mitch replied. The conference room doors swung open as they approached, and Mitch waited for Luke to enter first.
Trying to keep me from running away?
With the board threatening to oust him, there wasn’t a force in the world that would keep Luke from this meeting.
Whatever it takes.
Saving his father’s legacy was worth whatever promises, half-truths, and outright lies he had to tell.

They weren’t taking Ryder Communications from him. He wouldn’t let them.

Fifteen of Los Angeles’ stodgiest men and women sat around the mahogany conference table, chatting amiably with each other. Floor to ceiling windows flooded the room with light and a view of the Los Angeles skyline. None of the board members seemed to notice Luke and Mitch’s arrival.
That’s because they’re all half blind and mostly deaf.

“My daughter just announced she’s expecting a baby,” Walter said to Harold.

“Congratulations.” Harold pushed his glasses up his nose. “How many does this make?”

“Five grandchildren.” Walter chuckled. “The missus is tickled pink.”

Luke rolled his eyes, but kept his mouth shut. He took a seat next to Mitch at the end of the table—closest to the door.

“Luke, nice of you to join us,” Walter said.

Luke almost grunted, then remember his resolve. “Feels good to be here, Walter.”

“Can I get you some coffee, Mr. Ryder? Or maybe some tea?” A girl in a smart business suit gave Luke a timid smile. An intern, maybe? She couldn’t be more than eighteen. He used to know everyone in this place by sight, if not by name. Had so much really changed in two months?

“Coffee is fine. Black.”

The girl nodded and turned to Mitch for his order.

“It’s good to see you.” Emma, in the chair next to Luke’s, patted his arm. “We’ve missed you around the office.”

“Nice to see you, too,” Luke lied.

A large hand fell on his shoulder. Luke looked up into the solemn eyes of Darius.

“Lucas,” Darius said. “So glad you could join us. I wasn’t sure if you’d come.”

“Why wouldn’t I be here?” Luke asked.

“I thought maybe you were neglecting your email again. Since everyone is here, we’ll start.”

Luke glowered. Darius may be the chairman of the board, but Luke was CEO.
He
should call the meeting to order. He should call the meeting, period.

“Your coffee, Mr. Ryder.”

Luke took the cup from the intern with a mumbled, “Thanks.”

Darius sat at the head of the table. “I think we’re ready to start,” he said. Fifteen pairs of eyes shot toward Luke. “Where’s Andrea? Someone needs to take minutes.”

“Here,” said a small voice. A woman scurried over to sit at the back of the room, behind Darius.

“Good,” Darius said. He sank into his chair, then placed his arms on top of the mahogany table and steepled his fingers. “Luke, we’re here to discuss the future of Ryder Communications. I’ll come right out and say it—we’re not sure you’re the CEO for the job. We were uncertain from the moment your father suggested the idea, and your behavior since his death has confirmed our worst fears. We think it might be time to reevaluate your position with the company.”

Luke’s heart thudded. He hadn’t disbelieved Mitch, but he hadn’t expected Darius to be so blunt, either. “I didn’t realize things were this bad.” He knew he’d been acting mainly as a figurehead the last two months, and the board had been the ones running things. But he was still working through his grief.

Harold snorted. “You’re in the tabloids constantly. You’re drunk more than you’re sober. You’ve got a new woman every night. The investors are concerned about the stability of the company. We need a capable, strong CEO to reassure stockholders that even though our founder is gone, the company is still thriving.”

“You could at least have the decency to fake
a stable relationship for appearance’s sake,” Silvia piped in. “The gala was a disaster. I don’t care who Nathan Kendall is sleeping with, that was over the line.” She let out a harrumph. “It made it look like our CEO cared more about his latest booty call than keeping the company afloat. I’ve received half a dozen calls this morning from concerned shareholders, and four times that many emails, not to mention all the calls I got over the weekend.”

“This isn’t you,” Emma said. “We need the Luke who had an MBA by twenty-two and practically lived at the office. And frankly, we haven’t seen any evidence he still exists the last two months.”

A general murmur of agreement circulated around the room.

Luke took a deep, calming breath.
You can rage in the privacy of your own house later. For now, be the CEO.
He struggled to slip into the persona that used to come so naturally. “I’ll admit the gala wasn’t my finest moment. But that wasn’t about Candi—it was about Talia. Kendall said their new product will destroy us.”

“It very well might,” Darius said. “Talia is a disaster. You have to stop being stubborn on that matter. She needs a complete overhaul or another company will steal our spot in the automation world.”

Luke opened his mouth to protest, but Harold spoke up. “It’s not just Talia. Stock is down, and people are getting nervous.”

Luke was losing his cool. He couldn’t keep this up much longer. “We knew stock would dip after Dad’s death. You can’t possibly blame that on me.”

“You’re the CEO,” Harold said.

Darius held up a hand, and the room quieted. “We know this has been tough on you. We all miss Rick, but it’s time to move past his death and focus on his legacy—
Ryder
Communications. We understand you need time to grieve, but we won’t allow it to affect the company any longer. We don’t want to replace you. But something has to change.”

The boardroom started spinning. Luke gripped the arms of his chair.
This can’t be happening. They can’t take the company from me. They can’t!

“We had our misgivings about you taking over at such a young age,” Darius said. “In fact, I suggested to Rick that we appoint an interim CEO while you learned a bit more. But Rick assured me you were up for the task.”

“I am,” Luke said. “I was doing half Dad’s job before his death.”

“Which is why we agreed to appoint you,” Darius said. “But your behavior the last two months has made us question whether or not you can do this without your father’s guidance.”

“We’re all worried about you,” Emma said. “We’ve watched you grow from a gangly teenager into a man. We want to see you succeed.”

“But we aren’t willing to continue to put the company at risk,” Darius said.

“Or to continue working weekends to pick up your slack,” Walter added.

Luke wanted to scream. He wanted to fight back and curse and storm out of the room after flipping them the bird.

But he wanted to remain CEO more. They could fire him, and Mitch. They would, if things didn’t change.

“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay? Act penitent. Contrite. Promise to do better. Something.”
Had it really been less than an hour ago that Mitch told Luke that? Luke glanced over at Mitch, who slowly nodded his head as if to say,
Give them what they want.