Page 26 of Unwrapping Spring Break

I launch into the quick explanation and the presentation I prepared earlier. But first, he has to understand I’m not looking to poach business from my dad, nor am I an extension of his business. When Mr. Jones makes no indication of reluctance, I move to the contract I have in mind.

Internet sales. Drop-shipping. Mobile storefronts.

This sets me apart from my dad. As I’d hoped, these new additions appeal to Mr. Jones. He sounds pleasantly surprised by my ideas, and my heart backflips. By the end of the conversation, I have a solid deal with him.

Go me!

We hang up with a promise to send over the contract soon, and I spend the next few minutes entering all the information into my laptop and preparing an email to my lawyer. Once all that is done, I pick my phone back up to make the next call.

The van den Bergs aren’t as happy to hear from me as Mr. Jones, but they entertain my idea. They ask more in-depth questions, and thankfully, I did have my answers prepared. They’re reluctant but agree to a tenable deal with a probationary contract and some other stipulations. It’s understandable, considering I was recently with them in person with my dad. I thank them for the chance to prove myself.

It’s not quite the win I’d hoped for, but I’ll take it. I am ready for this.

Once again, I enter all the information into a file and then send both off to Mr. Walters. Now that I have clients for when all the licenses and registrations are official, he will have the contracts ready for me. From there, it’ll be a simple matter of launching the website and placing orders for minimal on-hand stock.

By the time I’m done, I’m so tired I leave everything sitting out on the table. I’ll clean it up tomorrow. I crawl into bed feeling proud of myself.

I set out to accomplish a specific goal, and I’ve done it, without the help of my dad or Jax. Not that Ineedeither of them to do this, but IwantJax on board. I can’t wait to see his reaction tomorrow morning. No more hiding.

Chapter Twenty

Jax

8:52a.m.Iwalkinto the hotel early and head straight for the concierge desk. “Good morning. I’m meeting someone—Mrs. Summers. Can you tell me where she might be?”

He nods. “Good morning, sir. Yes, you’re expected in the bar. They should be with you momentarily.”

They?“Thank you.” It’s a little early to meet at the bar, but then again, we are on the outskirts of Crimson—far enough away from the town’s prying eyes. Their lounge never closes. Too many guests come in from neighboring states. Ruby Sky Hotel caters to anyone at any time. One person’s breakfast is another man’s dinner. Besides, an early drink will help settle my nerves. I still have no idea what or whom I’m facing.

The lounge is practically empty, which isn’t much of a surprise. Give it another hour or so and more people will arrive for their own meetings for pleasure or business. However, I have my choice of tables. I pick one with a clear view of the main entrance so whoever joins me can see me immediately. Once I settle in at the table, I order an old-fashioned, then wait as patiently as possible.

I check my watch for the second time. 9:05 a.m. They’re late, but not unforgivably so. I haven’t taken more than a sip of my drink. I have a decent tolerance, but it’s still morning, and Gretchen said this meeting is important. I don’t want to give the wrong impression.

“Care to buy a girl a drink?”

That voice has me up and out of my chair before I realize it. I turn in place to see Lily behind me with a lovely smile. My jaw falls open, leaving me speechless. She’s the last person I expected to see this morning. Logic tells me she’s who I’m meeting with, but my mind locks in on how beautiful she looks.

She’s wearing the same sundress she had when we met Mr. Jones and the van den Bergs, but instead of a hat, her hair is swept up and pinned into a loose bun. Lily looks more stunning now than she did in the Bahamas. Perhaps it’s because I thought I’d never see her again. The why doesn’t matter. Not for that, anyway. The real question is why she’s here.

“. . . Lily,” I manage to say.

“Hello, Jax.” She sounds so casual, as if the fight with Alexander didn’t happen. Once more, she leaves me speechless.

A folder thick with paperwork drops onto the table, then she sits across from me. None of this does anything to ease the confusion inside me. There’s only one way to find out, so, without a word, I take my seat again.

“First, thank you for meeting with me.” Lily’s smile hasn’t gone away. I’d say she looks smug if I didn’t know any better. “And I apologize for tricking you into meeting with me this morning and getting my mother involved. I wasn’t sure you’d come otherwise.” She pulls out a notebook that looks old and well-used.

The waitress arrives, snapping me out of my stupor. “May I get the young woman anything to drink?” She addresses me and doesn’t bother looking toward Lily.

“Yes, a raspberry mimosa . . .” I glance at Lily with a brow lifted. “Wasn’t it?”

“Yes, please.”God, she sounds so chipper.What’s she up to?

Once the waitress leaves, Lily pushes the folder and notebook toward me. I set the notebook beside the folder while I thumb through the paperwork. “What’s this?” It looks like legal forms, applications for import permits, and licenses to sell. My brows come down in a perplexed frown. “I don’t understand.”

“I learned something in the Bahamas.” Lily crosses her arms on the table and leans toward me. “I am damn good at landing business deals with vendors. All those years of quietly following along with the business you two had going apparently sunk in.”

Slowly, her words penetrate the fog in my mind. I lift my eyes from the paperwork to her smiling face. “You’re starting your own cigar import business?”Is she nuts? Her father . . .

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