Triplets Make Five

The box popped open and I see a giant diamond sparkling inside.

“Yes!” I squealed. He slid the ring onto my finger, and I threw my arms around his neck, and as much as I’d like to sneak back to the bathroom for round two, I know we have a gala to host first.

Our first gala as the future Mr. and Mrs. Preston.

Sinful Daddy

Her Billionaire’s Baby Book 4

Ellie Wild

1

Brady

I glued the phone to my ear and didn’t even try to keep my voice calm. “That’s not the deal we had, and you’re not changing it now unless you want to wind up in court.”

Roger’s voice crackled through the airwaves. “Come on, man. We’ve done enough of these deals together to know the drill. He got cold feet. Anybody can understand that on a deal this size.”

“He got cold feet, but he’s also got an iron-clad contract,” I shot back. “If you think I’m gonna let a multi-billion-dollar deal fall through ‘cuz he couldn’t stand the heat, you don’t know me very well.”

“I know you, man,” he replied. “I know you. I’m just saying....”

“Well, don’t say,” I shot back. “If you know me, you should have told your client I don’t play that way. Now do you want to tell me the deal’s back on at full price, or do you want to tell him he’ll be hearing from my legal team?”

Roger tried to play hardball, just the way he always does when his back was against the wall. These candy-ass chumps couldn’t swim with the sharks. “Just keep your shorts on, Brady. You don’t have to get nasty.”

“Signing a huge industrial real estate contract and then backing out on the price at the last minute? Now that’s what I call nasty. Do you think I got where I am by playing tea party with the little girls? I’m hanging up now, Roger. I’m hanging up until I see the bank transfer notification pop up on my phone. Until that happens, I don’t even want to hear your client’s name. Have a nice lunch break now. See ya later.”

“Just hold on, man.”

His voice rose to a strident pitch. What a pussy. “He can’t pay, man. That’s the whole truth. Okay? He can’t pay. He thought he could get financing, but it fell through at the last second.”

“Well, what does that have to do with me? What was he doing signing a contract like that if his financing wasn’t secure? What do you think a judge is going to say?”

Roger’s voice quivered. He hung by a thread, and I enjoyed making him dance. “He’ll have to declare bankruptcy, man. You couldn’t do that to somebody, could you?”

“I most certainly could, and I most certainly would. Do you see anybody crying over my finances? Do you see my fucking real estate agent calling anybody up at ten o’clock in the morning, whining about how I can’t pay? Of course not. I couldn’t show my face on the street if I did that. You should be ashamed of yourself, and your client shouldn’t be paddling in the big pool without his water wings on.”

Roger had to chuckle. “Come on, man. Have a heart.”

“Good-bye, Roger. Have a nice call with your client.”

I hit the hang-up button before he could reply. I set the phone on my desk where I could reach it in an instant. I flipped through my schedule while I waited for the call-back. These inexperienced patsies get into the cutthroat world of industrial, commercial real estate. They see a big fat price tag and their eyes pop out of their heads. Then when the hammer comes down, they want to wring their hands and cry me a river.

My office phone rang again. I let it ring for a minute before I answered. A moment later, I picked up.

It was Roger’s secretary. “Good morning, Mr. Townsend. I’d like to send you over the bank transfer details we made this morning.”

Of course. “Sure thing, Sarah. Send them right over.”

“You should be receiving a call from Roger in about ten minutes to confirm.”

“Thank you, Sarah, but I’ll be out of the office until two o’clock this afternoon. Please give Roger my regards. If he has anything to say to me, he can leave a message.”

“Thank you, Mr. Townsend. Always a pleasure doing business with you.”

“You, too, Sarah.”