Bride 2 Be

Chapter 20 - Tables Turned

Chapter 20
Tables Turned


"What's your game, Edward?" Calvin's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Be at the board meeting in an hour, and you'll find out, just like everyone else," Edward replied, his voice thick with anticipation.

Edward sat behind his desk, a smug smile playing on his lips, hinting at a secret plan. He had managed to move up the board meeting by an entire day. Calvin had yet to learn what was to come, what Edward was planning for all of them, or who else knew about it. He bet that at least one of his siblings was aware and helping Edward do whatever this would be.

Thoughts of being undermined invaded his mind at an alarming pace, though he believed no one else was aware of what his proposal entailed outside of a select few in Endurance. He'd kept it closely guarded, at least the thought he had. What if Edward knew what Calvin intended and devised a counteroffer to throw all of Cal's hard work out the door?

"I wouldn't be so smug if I were you. Don't be surprised if you don't get the votes for whatever you're planning."

Edward sat back in his chair and laughed.

Calvin stormed out of Edward's office, headed down the hall, and called Lisa for the third time. She needed to know that something was brewing here and get some information from her sister. Cal didn't doubt that Penny knew precisely what Edward was planning. As more information about their secret two-year relationship came to light, he realized those two were as thick as thieves, especially learning that Edward had recently purchased a store in New York.

Lisa's phone went to voice mail again. "Lisa, you need to call me as soon as you get this. It's urgent."

Stewing in his office, Calvin started sending his proposal to the printer. He was ready; he knew it was a solid plan, and his parents wouldn't be hard to convince. His siblings were going to be the hard sell. After ten minutes, when he hadn't heard back from Lisa, he called his mother to relay a message about the meeting change. He needed Anna there, too. If anyone could sell Endurance as a growth opportunity, it would be Anna and Lisa.

Now that he knew Lisa would get his message, it was time to set up a Zoom meeting place, get the computer online in the boardroom, and ensure everything would be smooth in getting Anna ready. He created the space, sent Anna a link, went into the board room to ensure they could see Anna and that the link was valid, and then returned to his office.

Calvin put packets into folders for each board member, two for Lisa so Anna would have a hard copy, and he stacked them when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said, his back to the door, double-checking his work.

"Good thing we came a day early," Lisa said.

Relief washed over him at the sound of her voice, though he could tell there was a hint of lingering anger. He turned and saw her standing in his doorway. Looking at her pushed his animosity for Edward to the back of his mind. Edward may be able to complicate things at work, but Calvin wouldn't let any of his siblings ruin this relationship for him. He moved to her, took her hand, tugged her into his office, and closed the door. "You have no idea how much I needed to see you," he said, kissing her lightly.

"The world feels like it's crashing all around me," she whispered.

Cal stood back and stared at Lisa. "What happened with Penny?"

Lisa sighed and shook her head, averting her eyes. "I don't even know. She resents me and claims I changed and neglected her once I brought Anna and your company in."

Calvin pulled her into his arms and held her. "I'm sorry, love." Just being able to physically hold her when his world was spinning or comfort her when she was upset made everything seem not so bad.

"Me too."

"Did she happen to say anything about the meeting being moved?"

Lisa pulled back and shook her head. "No. But she's definitely up to something. I managed to reach Anna and relay your message. She's at the Boutique and will be ready."

"Good. Edward is smug this morning, and the vibe he's giving me cannot be good. Would anyone in Endurance have given him a heads-up on my proposal?"

"Piper and Penny are close, but even Piper hasn't heard from my sister since she ran off."

Cal sighed. "Either way, this will make for one interesting meeting."

Lisa smiled. "Speaking of interesting. "

Calvin raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid to ask."

"Your mother seems to think you're a scoundrel and warned me about you."

Cal grasped her hips and pulled her close. "Did she now?" Their eyes locked, and he saw the mischief dancing in her hazel orbs. His mouth hovered over hers, and all he could think about doing was kissing her—long, hard, and thoroughly—until she melted into him. He inched forward, his ability to contain his desire a losing battle as their lips met. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him closer as their bodies pressed together, and his tongue delved into her mouth.

"A-hem."

Lisa stepped back and blushed as Cal turned toward his mother.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Carol said, "but your father is looking for you."

"Where is he?" he asked.

"In the boardroom."

Cal turned to his desk, grabbing the folders to pass out at the meeting. "We were just heading there ourselves," he said.

"Then we're only waiting on Grace. Everyone else is here."

"I'll text Anna and let her know we are about ready to start," Lisa said.


She left his office, and he couldn't help but smile, watching her walk away.

"I will take this as there's something to tell," his mom said.

Calvin tried to suppress the smile but couldn't. He nodded. "Definitely."

His mom moved in front of him and smiled. "Good. I think the two of you are a good match. In all honestly, I'm surprised it took this long to happen."

Calvin gaped at her, her words penetrating his brain as he tried to process what she'd just said. "What?" He shook his head. He couldn't have heard what he thought he did.

"Don't look so shocked; it's unbecoming," she said. "I think it was our first meeting after signing Lisa and Anna. You and Lisa were butting heads right from the start. Your father and I knew you were a good match right then."

Cal realized there was no point in discussing any of this further. For now, anyway. "Well, I suppose there's no need to deny or hide it."

"I realize your brother called this meeting, but I want you to know we are looking forward to hearing your proposal." She threaded her arm through his. "Shall we?"

He escorted his mother down the hall; Lisa was standing just outside the boardroom, pacing, still speaking with Anna. When she saw him, she blushed and turned away. He loved knowing he could cause her face to turn the prettiest shade of pink with just a glance.

They entered the room, and Calvin set his folders on the table before his seat. He looked around the room and nodded to his siblings before moving to the screen and computer, opening the Zoom meeting for Anna.

"Good morning, everyone," Lisa said, making her entrance.

His father stood and approached her, shaking her hand and making small talk while Calvin waited for Anna's face to come on the screen. He smiled when she appeared.

"Good morning, Anna. I apologize for the short notice, but we're glad you could join us," he said.

"Good morning. There's no need to apologize," Anna said.

Edward came through the door with Penny, carrying a stack of folders.

"Now we're just waiting on Grace," John said.

"Actually," Edward began.

A prickling sensation crawled up Calvin's neck, and he knew without a doubt that Grace was involved in this. He turned to face his brother, waiting. He was no longer interested in a meeting; he just wanted answers as soon as possible.

"Grace flew to Paris late last night," Edward said.

"Without telling anyone?" Carol asked. "Why? What's going on?"

Anger shot up Calvin's spine. "And let me guess, you have her proxy?" Calvin accused.

Edward, still with the annoying smirk on his face, shook his head. "No. Penny has it."

Calvin laughed. He couldn't help himself. Giving Penny the proxy still had the said outcome, Edward would exercise that vote. "That's rich. Come on, Edward, we all know Penny will align with you."

"Look," Penny began. "I know we don't know one another well, but if you just give Edward a chance, you will see that he has more to offer than what he's been getting credit for." Penny started passing out the folders, moving around the table. "And as for my vote, I promised Grace I would vote for her best interests, not Edward's."

"We are getting off track here," John interrupted. "Please, everyone, take your seats." He sat at the head of the enormous table and looked around the room before looking up at the screen. "Anna, I know your time is valuable, and I apologize for moving the meeting. I know that Calvin has a proposal and that Edward has been working on something. I propose that Edward go first, followed by Calvin, and then we can discuss both options."

"I second that," Carol said, sitting beside her husband.

Calvin had always admired his parents, how his father doled out punishments fairly, and how he comported himself when it came to business. He ensured they all played a role in his grandfather's company and built it up over the decades, especially when they all started working before graduating high school.

Cal swallowed his anger and took his seat directly across from Lisa. It was the place she always sat at these meetings and more than anything; he wished that she were beside him, where she belonged. He wanted to rely on her strength, to be able to hold her hand for some reassurance if he needed it.

Edward took his place at the opposite end from their father. He turned to Anna. "By now, Anna, you should've received an email outlining the next steps in our partnership."

Anna nodded. "Yes, I saw your email come through a few moments ago."

"With AO's growth and the sales figures steadily climbing at the Boutique, Grace and I see this as an opportunity to keep the momentum going. We knew more had to be done with the exclusive website launching next week. In making AO a household name, we decided that the time was now, and we recently acquired two stores: one in Paris and one in New York. We have scouted three other locations--Milan, Los Angeles, and Miami."

Calvin closed his eyes and opened them. He grabbed the folder and flipped through it to see the cost of two purchased stores and what they projected for the three additional outlets.

"Lisa," Edward said, directing himself solely at her. "We would like to buy you out of the Boutique and change the name to The Perfect Fit, which would be the sole name of all of our retail stores."

Lisa glared at Penny and then directed her attention to Edward.

"Excuse me?" Anna interrupted. "Did you say The Perfect Fit?"

Edward turned to face her and nodded. "Yes, I did."

Anna shook her head. "Out of curiosity, how did you come up with the name?"

Edward smiled and turned back to his wife. "Actually, it was Penny's idea."

"Really?" Anna asked.

"In reality, it is Anna's idea," Lisa interjected.

Edward placed his hands on the wooden table and leaned toward Lisa. "I don't understand."

Lisa looked at Penny for a quick moment before turning her full attention to Edward. "I'm sorry that Penny misled you, but Anna wanted to buy into the Boutique two years ago and offered the name The Perfect Fit for the store. At the time, I wasn't ready to move forward."

Edward gazed at Penny and snapped his focus back to Lisa. "I'm sorry you decided to wait. Anna doesn't own the name, so it's still on the table. It would be best to let Grayburg Corp. purchase the Boutique, and then we can sign Anna up for a new exclusive deal."

"That's inaccurate information," Anna said.

Cal glanced across the table and noticed the gleam in Lisa's eyes. She must have spoken to Anna about this last night after Penny dropped her little bomb. He was so damn proud he almost jumped to his feet, rushed over, and kissed her soundly.

"Lisa? Do you want to tell them, or should I?" Anna asked.

"I own forty-nine percent of AO," Lisa announced.

"I own forty-nine percent of the Boutique," Anna admitted, " as well as the franchise name of The Perfect Fit."

The collective gasp in the board room sent shock throughout the room, followed by silent tension. He could almost hear the wheels back peddling in Edward's brain. While Calvin had an inkling that Anna and Lisa had done something, he had no idea of the scale of their partnership.

"Then we can buy you both out of the Boutique and the name," Edward said, standing taller and trying to exert authority.

"You can't just buy whatever you want and expect the rest of us to fall in line," Kurt piped up.

Isabel nodded. "Last I heard, we all had a stake in what our company acquired."

"Because we all do," Carol said.

John cleared his throat. "Do you have anything else to add, Edward?"

Stunned, Edward stood at the head of the table and shook his head before moving to sit in his chair.

"Calvin? Do you still intend to make your proposal?"

Cal stood, grabbed his stack of folders, and went around the table, handing one to each of them.

"I, too, have been watching the numbers, and I see that it's time for expansion. Once the website launches, things will pick up, and if the numbers are accurate, we will need help filling orders and will outgrow our current warehouse. They have raised the rent on the warehouse every year for the past six years." He handed the last file to Lisa, smiled, and moved to the front of the table to address everyone.

"What I'm proposing is simple. Endurance is growing. It may not be by leaps and bounds, but the projection for growth is there. It makes perfect sense for us to be a part of that. That being said, two empty properties could provide the storage and production capabilities we are looking for and enough office space to cement our company in the industry. First, we would be buying them outright without a rental obligation."

"Brady Construction?" John asked.

"Yes, I met with Nolan and his architect, Taylor Allen. We toured the properties, and Taylor did some mock-ups, as you can see if you turn to page ten. Nolan gave me figures on what renovations would cost and how quickly we could get the warehouse up and running," Calvin stated.

"And here I thought his interest in Endurance was Lisa," Edward muttered, the bitterness thick in his voice.

All eyes turned to Calvin. He wouldn't let that dig slide, and tamping down his anger toward his brother proved difficult.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, Lisa is part of the reason. We are together, and I love her."