Page 49 of Bachelor CEO

“I agree,” Chase said.

Mike had clearly given the matter somethought. “We need slick brochures on why Chenille is a great place to live,raise a family and locate your company. Who better to answer those questionsthan McDaniel employees?”

“So we’d be a two-horse town.” Chase laughed.“We contract all our four-color press printing and binding with a plant inKansas City. I’d be more than happy to transfer our business to Rhodes Printingprovided they give us a comparable bid.”

Chase named the figure they’d spent last yearon annual reports and other company brochures. “We’re a pretty large accountand lately I haven’t been that satisfied. It seems sort of like we’re beingtaken for granted, as if we’ll always be a client. Rhodes could definitely winour business.”

“I appreciate your willingness to help,” Mikesaid. “Chenille is McDaniel’s town.”

“We can be good neighbors,” Chase replied.“I’d be happy to meet with representatives of their company if that will dosome good. We’ve kept all our manufacturing here for a reason, instead ofhaving multiple plants across the country. What tax abatements do they want?”

Miranda listened as Chase and Mike talked taxincentives. While the conversation went on without her, she found the entirediscussion fascinating. She’d watched Walter and Leroy conduct business, butsince they’d only had a week’s transition, she’d never seen Chase interact withanyone outside of McDaniel.

He’d known the amount of their printing costsoff the top of his head. He could remember business expenses from the lastplant expansion, five years ago.

He also understood the ramifications of threehundred new jobs. While not all the employees would live in Chenille, enoughwould that the school system would have an influx of new families, which mightmake for overcrowding.

What was supposed to be an hour lunch for thefall festival became a brainstorming session for the best way to entice RhodesPrinting without sacrificing Chenille and Iowa values.

Considering Miranda hadn’t lived in Chenilleor Iowa that long, she had little to add. Which might be exactlywhat Chase was trying to prove, she realized as lunch wound down.

On one hand, he was showing her how competenthe really was. The guy knew his stuff. He was sharp and savvy. He didn’t justspout figures, he lived them. Chenille and McDaniel Manufacturing were in hisblood.

The flip side was that his expertise made herappear incompetent. He’d taken over her meeting without any effort at all. Whathe’d done had been designed to prove she was in over her head and not asqualified as he was for Leroy’s job.

In fact, as the waitress came by and offeredcoffee and dessert, Chase committed several thousand dollars to get the fallfestival off the ground. He didn’t even ask to see the proposal, just gave Mikehis word that McDaniel would help out financially, and stated his maximummonetary figure.

“You’ve been more than generous,” Mike said,obviously moved as Chase even brushed off his offer to pick up the tab forlunch. “Thank you.”

“As you say, McDaniel and Chenille aresynonymous. We love this town. Anything you can do at the chamber to provide abetter quality of life for our employees and local residents is worthsupporting.”

Mike glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to getgoing. I’ve got a conference call with the governor’s office in an hour.”

“Don’t let us keep you. Miranda and I are finefinishing dessert on our own.”

“Thanks again, Chase. Miranda.” With that, heleft.

Miranda looked at her barely touched slice ofstrawberry-covered pound cake. Mike had polished off his dessert in recordtime. Chase was halfway through his apple pie.

The room had emptied andthey were the last diners seated, although a few people remained in anothersection, visible through an archway. She should make her excuses, get up andleave.

“You’ve been quiet all day.” As if sensing herimpending flight, Chase broke the ice before she could set her napkin on thetable.

She shrugged. “You pretty much took over andsaid everything. I didn’t really have anything to add.”

“Hmm.” Chase’s lips wrapped around the tinesof his fork as he ate another morsel. The man could make eating dessert sexy.“Your being speechless is not normal.”

She rose to the bait. “You showing upuninvited at my lunch is rude.”

He chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction.“There’s the spitfire. I knew she couldn’t have died. Actually, I did getinvited.”

The man was infuriating. “Then it was rude notto tell me.”

He shrugged and took another bite. “How couldI? You were already here.”

“Okay, you’d better explain. This is making nosense.” He’d already made her feel incompetent. She refused to feel stupid, aswell, no matter how his smile warmed her insides.

“I came in for lunch. Mike saw me and invitedme to join him, as he’d just heard this great news. End of story.”

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