Page 21 of Rival Desires

THIRTEEN

Cory

Saturday was my own personal oasis, holed up in my apartment and dodging humans like the plague. But by Sunday, there was no running from reality. Fury had rolled back into town and was hungry to get up to speed on everything, so we agreed to have lunch at my humble abode.

Fury made his entrance just as the food came. As we scooped up noodles, we shot the breeze about the usual suspects - the weather and his flights to and from Colorado. But I couldn’t resist bringing up Rose once we plopped down at the table.

“She’ll be alright,” Fury reassured me. “Just had to help with a few things, but she’s holding it together.”

“So, no need for a full-blown family ambush to scare the living daylights out of some poor schmuck at her ranch?” I said, trying to inject a little levity into the situation.

He let out a hearty chuckle. “Nah, nothing like that. Just needed a good old heart-to-heart.”

I extended my usual invitation. “If she needs anything, you know I’m here for her.”

Fury nodded, and then he hit me with a curveball. “I really appreciate you taking the reins while I was gone. It’s good to know our company is in safe hands with family I can count on.”

Getting acknowledgment from a Gracen guy is like hitting the emotional jackpot. They’re not exactly known for their touchy-feely side. But Fury went beyond mere words; he recognized our solid partnership.

Considering my recent blunders, I decided not to read too much into it.

“So, I bet you’re dying to know how the Nadine Seaworth lunch went?” I asked, shifting the conversation. Fury nodded, and I launched into the story. “It was a hot mess from the start. We’d barely walked into the restaurant when Nadine spotted her son Bennett already there.”

“Wait, you didn’t invite Bennett, did you?” Fury asked, looking surprised.

“Nah, no way.” I shook my head. “I figured it’d be wiser to meet with Nadine one-on-one and show her we respect her as our client, not just an extension of her son.”

Fury quirked an eyebrow. “Nice strategy. Guess she’d had it with her previous team treating her like a second fiddle to her son.”

I bobbed my head in agreement. “You got that right. Fed up to the gills with folks thinking Bennett’s the one running the show.”

Fury snorted. “So much for Bennett squashing that notion, showing up uninvited to the meeting.”

I heaved a sigh. “But here’s the kicker: it’s more complicated than that. Bennett didn’t just materialize out of thin air. Rylee Palmer invited him for a meeting.”

Mentioning her name made my jaw clench. I had to remind myself to unwind my face.

Fury’s expression was unreadable. “The Rylee you hooked up with? Twice?”

I glared at him. “Yeah, that Rylee. The one whoplayedme all along. Twice.”

He shrugged, all nonchalant. “Just making sure. So, Palmer’s setting her sights on Nadine Seaworth now? Using Bennett as her pawn? Damn, she’s sneaky.”

I bobbed my head up and down, emphatic. “Oh, that’s her go-to strategy, alright. She’s cozying up to Bennett, the golden son of a loaded client. She used me like a puppet to keep me distracted and glean some insights, and now she’s pulling the same stunt with him.”

Fury leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “You sure this isn’t just one of those bizarre coincidences?”

I waved off his idea with a dismissive hand. “It’s a clear pattern, Fury. She’s playing the long game, treating these relationships like a chessboard. She got one over on me and is now trying to pull the same move on Bennett.”

He squinted at me, his expression dubious. “You really think that’s her whole schtick? Using her ‘attributes’ to get ahead?”

Frustration bubbled up, spilling over. “Yep, that’s exactly what I think. And her little dance with Bennett just confirms it. She’s up to her old tricks.”

Fury raised a skeptical eyebrow. “It’s just strange, don’t you think? We haven’t heard a peep about Palmer pulling these shenanigans. I mean, she’s new in town, but she’s been keeping a low profile. You’d think someone would’ve spilled the beans by now.”

I grimaced. “Trust me, buddy, as the guy who got taken for a ride, it’s not exactly the kind of thing you share during coffee breaks. I only said something because I was worried about her next play against our company.”

Fury nodded, looking thoughtful as he pushed away his empty plate. “I get it, but still, not everybody is like you. I mean, she’s young and attractive, right? Some of those old-timers would probably be bragging about it.”

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