Forbidden Kiss (Carson Cove Scandals 1)

“Mary wants me to sell it…” he exhaled sharply.

“Wait, what?” My eyes opened wide, and I nearly spilled his drink when I tried to put it down on my desk. “That’s your father’s company!”

“It’s an asset—according to my divorce attorney—and assets can be liquidated in a divorce if the compensation package requires it.” John grabbed his drink and took a huge gulp.

“That’s ridiculous.” I sat down behind my desk with a thud. “Mary wouldn’t do that to you—would she?”

“I don’t even know anymore.” He shrugged and a long sigh passed across his lips. “We originally agreed to use the same attorney and make things amicable. Yesterday, she mentioned that she didn’t know if our assets could be split fairly unless I sold Alcott Inc.—that caused a huge fight, as you can probably imagine. She packed a bag and left—two hours later, I got a call from my attorney—Mary fired him and hired Drake Barnes.”

“Fuck man, he’s a damn snake.” I gritted my teeth. “He’s unethical as hell—he almost got disbarred a few years ago.”

“That’s what worries me.” Jon took another drink of his whiskey. “I can’t help but wonder if Mary had already talked to him before we had our fight—she’s never been involved in the company at all. The package that our attorney was putting together was very fair in my opinion with alimony that would hurt every month, but I was willing to pay it. Drake Barnes sent something to my attorney earlier today officially withdrawing from that agreement—on the grounds that the future earnings of Alcott Inc. weren’t properly estimated. It’s bullshit.”

“Yes, it is.” I nodded in agreement. “There won’t be any future earning if you have to sell Alcott Inc.”

“That’s his point.” Jon shook his head angrily. “I could tank the company and screw Mary out of what she’s owed—selling it now avoids that.”

“It sounds like you may have to go to trial just sort out the bullshit.” I sighed and leaned forward. “Now, I need a drink.”

“You were lucky, Bryant. Your divorce was smooth—I thought mine would be too.” Jon downed the rest of his whiskey and held out his glass for more.

I never considered myself lucky when I watched the love of my life walk out of it—but at least I kept Benson Enterprises.

“We may need to reschedule this meeting.” I filled his glass and poured a drink for myself. “I based everything on the old agreement you sent me—this will change things.”

“Yeah, I know.” He nodded. “I just needed someone to talk to.”

“Then maybe we should find somewhere to drink with a better atmosphere than an office building…” I put my drink down on the edge of my desk.

“Chateau Prime?” Jon raised an eyebrow. “Good memories at that place—I could use a few.”

“Sure,” I chuckled under my breath. “I’ll drive.”

Chateau Prime was an upscale den for gentlemanly debauchery. It was the kind of place fathers took their sons when they were old enough to be considered men—and not just because of their age—it was a rite of passage that was as old as Carson Cove itself. I never got that experience with my own father—he promised to take me the day that I became an officer in the company, but I had to skip that stage of my career entirely when I was forced to take over as CEO. Instead, I went with Jon—because if losing my father didn’t make me a man, nothing else ever would.

Truthfully, I didn’t have any fond memories of Chateau Prime. It was generally just a place for the happily married to congregate at the behest of their wives who scolded them when they got home with cigar smoke on their clothes and liquor on their breath—or any combination of the two. The waitresses always paraded around in skimpy little upscale dresses that were enough to draw a few eyes while maintaining a slight semblance of class. There were rumors that some real debauchery went on behind the scenes if you were willing to pay, but I sure as hell didn’t want any of that—even when I was at my lowest point.

“Are you still dodging Alexis like the plague?” Jon looked over at me once we were seated in my car.

“Absolutely.” I nodded quickly.

“I guess I would be too—if I had a hot new girlfriend. You going to tell me about her?” He narrowed his eyes.

“You saw that, huh?” I chuckled under my breath.

“I saw her send Alexis running for the door—Mary actually cracked a smile at that—probably the last one I’ll ever see,” he sighed. “So, what’s her name—and does she have a sister?”

“Her name is Taylor and she’s not my girlfriend—just a friend.” I shook my head back and forth. “I believe her sister would be a little too young for you.”

“Damn…” He shrugged. “Oh well, I guess I should wait until I actually sign my divorce papers before I start planning my next one.”

“You’ve still got a few more to go before you’re in Alexis Devereaux territory. Maybe you’ll find the right woman next time.” I nodded—and realized I was actually giving him advice I never took myself—until Taylor unexpectedly walked into my life.

We arrived at Chateau Prime, and the atmosphere was the same as I remembered—but that was better than drinking at my office, and I had a feeling that Jon needed to tie one on. We found a corner booth, and I let him rant while I provided a friendly ear—he finished three drinks before I was halfway through my first, so it was clear that he was going to be blackout drunk before we left. I had a few of those nights when I got divorced, so I understood—thankfully, I had so many responsibilities that I didn’t get to linger in the bottle for long. I had no idea what I would have done if I lost Benson Enterprises when my wife decided to leave me—that would have turned the darkest point in my life into a literal nightmare.

“I just don’t get it man,” he sighed. “Alcott Inc. isn’t going under. The company is in great shape. It’s a cash-out-now option that just hurts everyone—god, what if Sawyer King tries to buy the company? What the fuck would I do then? How would I look all of my employees in the eye and tell them they’re on the short route to an early retirement—without financial security.”

“Yeah, it’s a shitty situation.” I nodded. “The only good thing is that Sawyer King seems to have left Carson Cove—so maybe someone will buy it that has the company’s best interest in mind…”