“Reminds me of someone else I know.”
Paxton grinned, not bothering to deny it. “I’m here for the ride. EVP of a Fortune 500 company before the age of thirty-five? Not bad for a kid from Nebraska. CEO would be nice, but I’m not banking on it. That being said…” He nodded at where Tobias was holding court with Richard and two other voting committee members. “I have a low tolerance for that particular brand of bullshit. If it can’t be me, I’d much rather it be you.”
I examined him over my glass. “You want an alliance.”
“An agreement,” he corrected. “Alliance sounds so formal. But I’ll be straight with you. Two electors are leaning my way right now. It might not sound like a lot, but in the event of a tie, every additional vote counts. I can convince them to swing their vote to you.”
“You’ll do this out of the goodness of your heart, I presume,” I said dryly.
“That, and the promise of a promotion,” Paxton said without missing a beat. “President of Advertising Sales when Sullivan retires. He already has one foot out the door, and you know I have the chops for it.”
“Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? Sullivan has a good five years left in the company.”
Paxton gave me a droll look.
Fair enough. Sullivan was more checked out than a bag of groceries at Citarella. Our advertisers loved him, but I gave him two years tops before he left.
“We’ve talked enough shop this past week,” I said. “Enjoy the drinks and food tonight. We’ll discuss any business matters later.”
I left my response purposely vague. I liked Paxton as a person, but I trusted him as far as I could throw him.
“Of course.” He raised his glass, seemingly unfazed by my lukewarm reception to his proposal.
“Looking forward to it.”
The festivities wound down around nine. The company’s leadership trickled out one by one until only a handful were left.
Finally. I could make my excuses and leave without seeming rude. I’d had enough networking to last me for the next year.
“Kai.” My mother stopped me on my way out. “A word.”
I suppressed a sigh. So close.
I followed her to a quiet corner of the bar, out of the direct eyesight of the remaining executives.
The professional smile she’d worn all evening had melted away, leaving lines of tension in its wake.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “The Black Bear deal will be nothing compared to DigiStream when it goes through. The board knows that.”
She arched an elegant dark brow. With her smooth skin and rich black hair, courtesy of London’s top esthetician and colorist, she could pass for someone in her late thirties instead of late fifties. “Will it go through?”
“Of course,” I said, insulted she’d even ask. “When have I ever failed?”
“Word has it Mishra isn’t budging and Whidby is at risk of being permanently removed as CEO. If I hear these things, so does the board. They aren’t pleased.”
My shoulders tensed. “I know. I have contingencies for all of those scenarios.”
“I’m sure you do, but that’s not enough.” My mother pursed her lips. “This isn’t just about deals, Kai. CEO elections aren’t as clear-cut as profit and loss statements.”
“I’m aware.”
“I don’t think you are.” Her voice lowered. “Getting voted in isn’t about merit. It’s about politics.
Your last name is both an advantage and a detriment. Some board members favor you because you’re a Young and they value stability. But others resent you for that very reason. They’re using the DigiStream delay and your…modern views regarding the future of the company to advocate for fresh blood. That faction is growing louder by the day.”
A chill swept through the air and sank into my bones. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying you need to stop coasting on your name and record and start placating some of your naysayers, or you could very well lose the vote.”
The word lose tore through me like a fanged beast.
History remembered the winners. The losers faded into obscurity, their names lost over time like statues rubbed smooth by too many hands. Dead in every way, as if they’d never existed.
Pressure suffocated my chest.
“I’m not going to lose,” I said, my voice colder than intended. “I never do.”
“Make sure you don’t.” My mother didn’t look entirely convinced. “I’ve already said more than I should. I’m supposed to be neutral, but this is our family name on the line. Imagine what people will say if a Young loses the CEO position of Young Corporation. We’ll never recover from the shame.”
She fixed me with the same no-bullshit stare that had enemies and allies alike trembling before her.
“Campaign for the job, Kai. Do what it takes to make them happy. I know you think it’s beneath you, but don’t let your pride get in the way of winning. Not unless you want Tobias giving you orders from the corner office.”
My stomach revolted.
I hated the word campaign almost as much as the word lose. It was so…undignified. The fake smiles, the ass-kissing, the platitudes both parties knew but didn’t acknowledge as lies.
But my mother knew exactly which buttons to push; I would rather swallow a vial of poison than take a single order from Tobias Foster.
The frigid night air cooled my anger when I stepped outside. Still, unease roiled beneath my skin, and returning home to my apartment didn’t hold the same appeal it usually did.
I took out my phone and opened my latest message thread.
Me: Are you still at Valhalla?
I should’ve been tapped out on socializing, but talking to Isabella never drained me the way talking to other people did.
Isabella: Nope, I just got home
Isabella: I don’t have a shift tonight…
The implied invitation was clear.
Me: I’ll be there in twenty minutes
CHAPTER 20
Isabella
The doorbell rang at five to ten, exactly twenty minutes after I texted Kai my address.
My heart flipped when I opened the door and found him standing in the hall, hair tousled and cheeks ruddy from the wind. Seeing him in person for the first time in almost a week was like taking the first gasp of air after holding my breath for too long.
Cool euphoria flooded my lungs.
“Hi,” I said breathlessly.
A smile curved his lips. “Hi.”
“Did anyone ever tell you your punctuality is terrifying?”
“Not in so many words, no.” He gave a casual shrug. “If it’s an issue, I can leave and come back —”
“Don’t you dare.” I grabbed his wrist and dragged him, laughing, into the apartment. “And don’t look so pleased with yourself. I just didn’t want my apartment cleanup to go to waste.”
Kai looked even more pleased. “You cleaned up for me? I’m flattered.”
Blood rose to my neck and chest. If he touched me right now, he’d probably burn himself. It would serve him right. “I didn’t say that. It was due for some tidying up anyway. The timing is pure coincidence.”
“I see.”