The Secret Heiress (3 page)

For too many years, she’d carefully avoided him and his rejection. She needed to banish him from her dreams. After coming face-to-face with him tonight, it would be harder. The excitement from seeing him earlier in the evening eclipsed all other feelings. The excitement continued to heighten her awareness.

Olivia went into the kitchen and came back with a bowl of cherries. “As you know, Alistair is a good friend of Fionn’s. I’m sure Fionn would be willing to approach him for you. In the wine industry, there must be tons of events.”

The last thing she needed was to be thrown into Alistair’s path. The man was unforgiving and intense. “Maybe in the future. I need to find my footing before seeking out such a well-known client.”

Her sister looked at her speculatively. “You’ve always been a little odd around Alistair. It’s almost as if you avoid him at all costs.”

Anna took another sip of wine. “We had an awkward encounter at your wedding and I prefer to keep a safe distance.”

She remembered the passionate kisses almost as if it happened yesterday. It was in the back garden, in her mind she could see the fig tree where she had attempted to seduce him.

Olivia’s hand flew to her chest. “Was he rude to you?”

She shook her head. “No. Actually the opposite. I fancied him, and after sneaking a glass of champagne, I kissed him and he took me in his arms and kissed me back.”

Olivia reached out and touched her arm. “I had no idea. What happened?”

“I don’t think he knew who I was at that point. After a few exploratory kisses in the darkness, Fionn called my name and he stepped back, surprised.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. He couldn’t get away fast enough.”

Olivia looked at her softly. “You may be reading too much into it. It was seven years ago and a few stolen kisses. I doubt he regrets it.”

Anna shook her head. “He did at the time. He lectured me about modesty and not encouraging advances that I wasn’t ready to handle.”

Olivia gave her a searching look and then placed her hand on hers. “I’m sorry, Anna. That does sound awkward. But it was a long time ago. It’s best to forget it even happened.”

“I agree.” She had tried to forget about Alistair Martin but for some odd reason, he fascinated her. Deciding to change the subject, she asked Olivia “Do you have any advice on the start-up?”

Olivia sat back and crossed her legs. “If you are serious about succeeding with this start-up, then you will need to use your contacts to find work. There will be many titans of business there. Go and network. I’ll help you.”

The conversation moved to the fashion business and they chatted for a long while about the upcoming season. Anna helped her sister brainstorm about possible venues for a boutique show until they heard Fionn unlock the door.

Anna hugged her sister. “I’ll call you later in the week.”

“Good luck. Let me know if I can help you.”

Waving to Fionn on her way out, she avoided any mention of Alistair. Anna was sure he had no interest in seeing her get involved with his childhood friend. Fionn was an over-protective brother-in-law and would sometimes treat her as if she were a child. She loved that he cared but she needed her freedom and the space to make her own mistakes.

She walked to the metro and acknowledged to herself that finding out she had two grown siblings was the best thing that could have happened to her. She hadn’t resented them for a second. Her life had been so lonely that she instead embraced them without restraint. Olivia was kind and nurturing. She had taken Anna under her wing and had stayed involved through all of the ups and downs of her life. Her brother, William, was sheer fun. He was the same age and was always encouraging her to let her hair down and add some pleasure to her life. Without them, she might have allowed herself to not fully live. But now with the changes ahead, that wasn’t an option for her. They inspired her to explore her talents and ambitions.

Contemplating the week ahead, Anna realized there was a ton to do. The movers were coming on Sunday and she needed to have everything packed up. She tried to banish thoughts of Alistair from her mind but kept replaying the chance meeting in her head. Why did she care so much? She needed to move on and not think about him.

Anna walked the two blocks to the Gala & More office from her new flat. The neighborhood was mixed commercial and residential and wasn’t considered up-and-coming. A couple of the buildings looked abandoned. Yet exhilaration flowed over her, she was starting a new life today. Her cramped, walk-up second-floor flat needed her attention, but it would have to wait.

Her mobile beeped and she noticed a text from Olivia about attending the fundraising gala at Alistair’s house. It would have been better if she hadn’t told her sister about Alistair. Olivia would relentlessly question it. Tucking the phone back into her handbag, she decided to answer Olivia later.

Frances Casey had given her a key and told her to find her way around the office. The company would need to relocate in the future if they intended to garner any respect. She had to fight with the old key to open the door. Looking around, she saw junk everywhere, along with piles of paper and trash.

Turning the lights on, she noticed water stains on the old carpet. A plumber was needed. The receptionist didn’t start until ten o’clock so Anna answered the phone on the fourth ring. She jotted a message down from an irate client. It couldn’t be a good sign. Going into the conference room, she unpacked her laptop and started picking up rubbish. How could the office be so bloody disorganized?

She needed to find her bearings and throw herself into the chaos. Frances Casey believed in her. She needed to believe it.

A young woman came in well after ten o’clock and explained that she had childcare issues and that the other employee, Elyse, had taken a few days off.

The woman said, “It looks better in here. I’m Katie, by the way.”

“Hello, Katie. I’m Anna but you probably guessed that.” Anna continued removing rubbish. “Did you know that there is a leak?”

Katie looked at the ceiling. “I think it only leaks when the couple in the apartment upstairs gives their dog a bath.”

Anna looked at the young receptionist in bewilderment. Water damage was not a good sign.

She should have worn old clothes instead of a stylish skirt and blouse. Already she could feel a layer of dust and grime on her exposed skin.

“I may need to reach the owner and ask that the ceiling get repaired.” Anna pointed to the wet stack of tablecloths. “How will these get cleaned?”

Katie was looking for something on her desk. “A linen service collects items on Wednesday. It should be fine.”

Anna could feel regret seeping into her pores. “The office doesn’t seem adequate enough to invite in prospective clients. How can Frances bring anyone here?”

Katie looked sheepish. “She normally meets clients at coffee houses. This building is somewhat run-down and she brings her dog to work so it’s not a perfect environment for meetings.”

Anna nodded. That explained the dog hair everywhere. She remembered meeting Frances at a coffee house around the corner. She should have asked to see the office. This place was the complete opposite of Blackly Simonson.

“Right. Well, I took a few messages this morning.”

She handed Katie a few pieces of paper and tried to decide what she should tackle next.

“Is there a lunch area?”

Katie pointed to a corner of the office with an old coffee pot and stacks of recycling. “The coffee pot probably needs to be cleaned. It hasn’t been used recently.”

“Is there a schedule for the week?” Anna had already made list of upcoming events and started filling in the required tasks.

Katie looked puzzled. “Usually Frances decides what to do when she gets here.”

Anna began calculating the cost of a massive renovation along with hiring an experienced assistant. Katie was friendly and upbeat but worked part-time.

“Do you think Elyse is coming in next week? It’s rather odd for her to be taking time off this week.”

“Things are a bit up in the air. In fact, Elyse has mentioned interviewing elsewhere.”

There was no way Anna could keep the company going if the only person who knew anything gave notice. “Can you get her on the phone for me?”

Katie gave her a dazed look. “I’m not sure that it’s a good idea. Elyse needs time to manage the change.”

Elyse was probably worried about someone new coming in and taking over. “I’m sure it will be fine. If she is interviewing elsewhere, I need to know.”

Anna moved her laptop over to a table by the window. There were two important meetings that week and, before she moved forward, she had to come up with a strategy. The financials needed work and it seemed as if there wasn’t a clear process for how each event was being quoted. Accessing the billing software, she could tell that Frances was getting projects by bidding too low.

Katie called out, “Elyse is on line two.”

Anna spoke with Elyse and asked her to come by for coffee that afternoon. The conversation was stilted, but she was careful to stay encouraging and positive. She would promise Elyse anything if she was willing to stay on a minimum of three months.

Next, she called Frances and spoke at length about the business. Frances let her know that she had an emergency doctor’s appointment but hopefully would be in the next day. They discussed the possibility of finding an investor to bring cash into the business.

Anna called each client and insisted on a budget review meeting. By the end of the day, she was discouraged by the lack of structure in the small company and the books told a much different story than Frances had let on. Unless something drastically changed, they would be out of business within a month or two. This was not what she had in mind in terms of a new start. If she wasn’t careful, she would be overseeing the demise of a company.

Anna met with Frances and Katie the next morning. They had to finalize the details for a fundraising event at a community library. She could tell that the creativity part of the business was thriving. They both had amazing ideas and concepts for putting together a memorable event.

Frances had short dark hair and a beautiful look about her. She wore fitted clothing over her belly and Anna worried that the baby was coming any day.

“The midwife warned me that I could go early.”

Anna crossed her arms. “Without you or Elyse here, I don’t know how I’ll be able to do anything.”

Frances swept her hand over the messy space. “We have notes on everything.”

“I’ve never seen a more disorganized office space,” Anna said, glancing around the office. “Client files are not put away, so I have to search through stack after stack.”

Frances sat down slowly, supporting her huge belly. “A start-up is much different than a Financial Services firm. I’ve been tired and, honestly, everything has become too much.”

She looked at Frances. “You may need to consider closing down for now and in the future you can try again.” Anna hated making the suggestion, but the business was not sound.

Frances steadily stroked her belly. “As I mentioned yesterday, we have been invited to a pitch session for an investment group that could potentially offer funding for the company. We need some stability. If you could get together a presentation, then Gala & More Event Planning could be properly funded. That would solve many of the issues.”

“You will have to relinquish control while you are on maternity leave,” Anna said. “I can’t become responsible for everything and not have decision-making powers.”

Frances stood up slowly. “Anna, if you are successful in getting the funding and running the company in my absence for six months, then I’ll give you a fifty percent stake.”

Anna hesitated. Why would Frances give up fifty percent of the ownership? She must have thought that Anna was her only option.

Anna held out her hand and Frances shook it. “I’m a little worried.” But the competitive part of her wanted to dig her heels in and help the company survive.

They spent the remaining part of the day and the next pulling together event information and discussing the pitch.

On Friday morning, Anna received a text that Frances was in labor. Anna had convinced Elyse to stay on, but the weekend had two events. She hoped when she went onsite that the planning was adequate and she wouldn’t be overseeing a disaster. The most important thing on the agenda was the upcoming pitch session. Without funding, she didn’t think the company would survive. She would hate to see Gala & More fail while Frances was home with a new baby.

Five days later, Anna arrived at the five star hotel a few minutes early for the pitch session. She had gone over the financials a dozen times and hoped whoever she was pitching to would be interested in an events management company.

She followed the signs for the meeting to a conference room on the second floor.

Mentally reviewing the list of requirements for the pitch session, she attempted to organize her thoughts. She had emailed the presentation and documents ahead of time and was ready to give the short presentation on Gala & More. She had been told to expect eight to ten investors in the room for her pitch.

A well-dressed man asked for her business card and then said, “You have a few minutes, Ms. Bolles, before you can go in. I have a list of the investors that are here today. Please remember the information is confidential and not to be shared.” He handed her a list of names and when she scanned the list, her heart plummeted.

“Is everything okay, Ms. Bolles?”

Nodding her head, she tried to take in a deep breath. Why would Alistair Martin be on the list? How could she be so unlucky that he would choose her pitch to evaluate? She was doomed. There was no way she could go on with the pitch. He would never take her seriously.

Anna had been at Gala & More for two weeks. She had no real experience with event management. He would rake her over the coals.

Waiting in line to go in, she tried to dispel a feeling of dread. She wanted to whisper an excuse to the assistant organizing the presenters and slip out of the hotel. But she needed to show confidence if she was to have any chance of securing the much-needed funding.

When the assistant nodded to her, Anna pretended a confidence she didn’t feel. She visualized Frances holding her beautiful baby girl and reminded herself that much was riding on this ten-minute session.

She wore a fitted charcoal linen dress with sheer stockings and expensive heels. Her long hair was up in a twist. Her goal was to look professional yet stylish. She had practiced her pitch several times and hoped the words would flow and the investors would be inclined to select Gala & More.

Anna opened the door and avoided eye contact with Alistair. She could see the seven men seated behind a massive wood table and chose a point just above their heads to focus on. The room had been set up with a smart board, laptop, and a pitcher of water and a glass.

The business plan she had created was printed and bound, set neatly in front of each potential investor.

There was a technician off to the side, ready to place a microphone on her. She stood patiently and collected her thoughts while he hooked up the connections and handed her a remote to control the presentation.

The splash screen had Gala & More on it and she pressed the button to advance the slide.

“Hello, gentleman. My name is Anna Bolles and I’m pitching for Gala & More today.”

“Are you set on the name?” Alistair asked, making a notation on his notepad.

She hesitated for a brief moment. “Gala & More requires funding but has already garnered some name recognition so I don’t know that it would be a wise move to change the name.” She could feel her palms getting sweaty. The pitch was off to a bad start.

Alistair twirled a pen in his hand. “Why don’t you give us your five-minute elevator pitch and then we’ll ask questions?”

Why did she feel so on edge in his presence? He had the look of an Irish model combined with a razor-sharp intellect. But she had gone to school and worked with countless men who could have been models and none of them caused this reaction.

If she wasn’t careful, every thought would leave her mind and she would be a bumbling mess.

“Before I start, I didn’t know who I would be pitching to and, given the fact that we have met socially, Mr. Martin, I wonder if that is in any way a conflict of interest. At the very least, I feel it is important to acknowledge the connection.”

She watched the other men glance at Alistair.

“We were expecting Frances Casey. Given the fact that you are Oliver Bolles’s daughter, I bet everyone on the panel has had a connection to you or your father.” He remained silent for a moment before continuing. “I don’t think it is relevant. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it will give you an advantage. We keep the membership of the network confidential so we don’t attract scores of propositions. Now, if you are ready to proceed?”

How was he possibly going to remain neutral? Alistair had been fantasizing about her since their chance encounter at the brewery. He had no idea she had signed onto a start-up company.

There was a physical attraction between them that she had acted on years ago, but she had been too young. Fionn Lynch had warned him off. He had a protective streak towards his sister-in-law and no intention of allowing Alistair to swoop in and seduce her.