2.8 | Miles Away

03 | A Stone's Throw Away (II)

A / N

The co-CEO of Hale & Co. is Nate Johnson, who is the older brother of Noah Johnson, who is the protagonist of Here To Stay, which was one of the books posted way back when on audreyed. That's how connected Universe #2 is.

(Two to go.)

x Noelle

  

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0 3

A   S T O N E ' S   T H R O W   A W A Y

(part two)

HALE & CO.'S new headquarters was located in one of the busiest districts. Its original headquarters was in Switzerland and it had another branch in Taiwan. But here, in the intersection between Caverly and the neighboring city, was where Hale & Co. would build its empire.

I couldn't help comparing Sereinn to Hale & Co. from the moment I stepped into the building. Sereinn felt like a home more than anything else-which was fitting, because it was a beach resort. Lounge chairs and coffee tables made up pseudo-meeting rooms, thank-you cards from guests who enjoyed their stay were scattered across the walls, and there was a café and bar to meet potential clients on the ground floor.

In contrast, Hale & Co. was entirely professional and spotless. Marble floors that were barely walked on and luxurious chairs that hadn't been sat on. The building was designed with bare concrete ceilings and rough walls, and everywhere smelled like fresh paint. It was new, of course, but I couldn't shake how cold the whole place felt.

"Interesting place," I said at last, to the receptionist who was leading me in.

"Isn't it? We've only just bought this over from La Cour, who agreed to sell it to us at seventy-five percent of its original price. They were going bust anyway, and we have the money," she added, in a conspiratorial whisper.

I blinked. "I'm sorry, did you just say La Cour?"

"Not anymore. We've had talks about acquiring the business for sometime now, and they've only recently signed over. You didn't think the name Hale & Company was just a formality, did you?"

I forced a smile on my face, suddenly feeling quite ill. What was happening? Hale & Co. was turning out to be a behemoth of a company. In comparison, Sereinn was like David facing Goliath. How had everything unravelled so quickly within a few days? Or had everything already unravelled long before, and Sereinn been too slow to the uptake? What with the wedding and the influx of tourists during holiday season...

The receptionist stopped in front of an office and opened the door. "Go right in, Ms Evers."

Focus, Darcy. I'd dealt with adolescent angst and stupid boys while growing up, surely I could deal with some competition. I took a deep breath to steel myself, and stepped into the room. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Mr Johnson."

Nate Johnson looked every bit like a quarterback in a suit. Bright blue eyes and cropped blond hair, with broad shoulders and muscles that his jacket couldn't quite conceal. No surprise there, since his brother actually was a quarterback.

He stood up and came around his desk to shake my hand. "Ms Evers," he greeted pleasantly, with none of the vitriol I'd expected to hear from a rival. "Good to see you. It's not everyday I get to meet someone from my old hometown."

"Nice to meet you too."

He must've sensed the knife's edge behind my smile, because his own smile faltered and he took a step back. "Coffee?"

I nodded and waited as he rang his receptionist for two cups. When he was done, I took a resolute breath and met his gaze squarely. "Mr Johnson, I just wanted to speak with you about Caverly-"

"Ah, yes, Caverly. You know, I had a great childhood there before I left. I have fond memories of playing basketball with the kids who lived at Blue Haven. Good times. Tulden, Valmont-you know any of them? Do they still live there?"

My eyes narrowed. I did know one of them. Caverly was a small town, after all, where everyone knew anyone. But... I stared at him with suspicion. "Why the sudden interest in Blue Haven?"

"Just curious."

"Hale & Co. is not trying to buy out Blue Haven, is it?"

"And what if we are?"

My palms suddenly began to feel clammy. I was way out of my depth in this. Among the other places that Brielle had set her eye on, Blue Haven was one of them. Surely, Hale & Co. wasn't trying to compete with us for both plots of land, was it?

"I don't understand," I said stiffly. "If you had such a good childhood there, why're you trying to buy out Blue Haven?"

His lips twitched in what seemed like amusement. "Correction-I want Blue Haven because I had a good childhood there. But then, my motivations are hardly any of your concern now, are they?" he added smoothly, before gesturing to the nearby chair. "Won't you have a seat?"

Jaw set mutinously, I sat down, feeling like a teenager all over again. The truth was that I couldn't outtalk or outsmart a businessman. I'd come to Hale & Co. with good, albeit ignorant, intentions. If this were a chess game, I had lost the upper-hand from the beginning.

As I mulled over my next words, the receptionist entered with our coffee. I thanked her and reached for my cup, then gave it a suspicious sniff.

Nate chuckled. "Relax, I wouldn't drug a woman to get my way."

"That's what they say before they do," I muttered under my breath, which seemed to further amuse him because he laughed again. I rolled my eyes and took a reluctant, tiny sip.

As soon as the coffee hit my tongue, I froze.

I blinked down at it for a second, then my head snapped up and my eyes went wide. "How do you know?"

"What?"

"How do you know the way I take my coffee?" I demanded, my heart racing. It was the perfect blend-milk, two sugars, strong. My throat tightened; a sudden surge of hope sprang to my chest. "Did...did someone tell you?"

He took a lengthy sip of his own coffee, then set the mug down. "No one told me, or my receptionist. It must be a coincidence. I'm sure many people take their coffee the way you do."

Many people don't take their coffee the way I do, either. "But-"

"Yes?"

I stared at him, feeling terribly out of my depth. Something nagged at the back of my mind. This taste, this familiarity. But for the life of me, I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. The sudden hope that had filled me left just as swiftly, and the disappointment turned my coffee bitter.

"Nothing," I said quietly. "Let's go back to our discussion."