Page 6 of Bargaining

Lucas rested a hand on the banister, catching his breath. “You’re trying to get him to sell you that hotel in Rome again? The one Mum liked?”

Fuck you.I kept my voice level despite my irritation with his prying. “Which part of ‘mind your own business’ don’t you understand?”

“You won’t get anywhere with Gabe Rivers. I heard he thinks you’re an arsehole. Don’t worry about it. Everyone does. It’s even on your Wikipedia page.One of England’s richest men and most notorious arseholes.”

I stormed up the stairs, my brogues echoing through the silence. “Why do you know what’s on my Wikipedia? There isn’t a single citation on that page.”

“Consider this conversation your verification. People with integrity don’t want to do deals with verified arseholes.”

I turned, just enough to meet his eyes. “Gabe Rivers doesn’t have integrity. He’s been all over the tabloids for years.”

“Everyone says he’s changed. He’s settled down. Got himself a wife and kids.” Lucas pushed his glasses up his nose. “Listen, Gabe Rivers is the least of your problems. The shareholders aren’t happy. There has been talk ofleadership more aligned with the brand.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your flagship is a chain of family-friendly resorts where kids go to splash in waterparks and make their parents question theirlife choices. The brand is treehouses and toasted marshmallows. Wholesome. Authentic. Notarsehole-ish.”

“Arsehole-ishisn’t a word.”

“I got it from your Wikipedia page.”

We hit the landing. London stretched out in the floor-to-ceiling glass. “The shareholders can go fuck themselves.”

Lucas pressed his lips together. “Right, or they could club together and fuckyou.You need to tread carefully.”

“Isn’t this what I pay you for? You’re the Head of Social Impact. You’re supposed to make us look good. Can’t you plant more trees or write another sustainability manifesto?”

He chuffed out a humorless laugh. “You can’t just outsource your conscience. The shareholders are still looking at their CEO.”

“What would you have me do? Magic up a wife and kids from somewhere? Toast some fucking marshmallows?”

His brow flickered with amusement. “It wouldn’t hurt. You just need to tone it down. Be more reflective of the brand. Remember the names of your staff. Ask if people have plans for the weekends. Bring in donuts. You’re not ... nice.”

This was my company. I didn’t need to explain myself. And not nice? I could take that, but not authentic? That was unfair. I authentically didn’t give a fuck about people’s names or what they did at the weekend. I was the most authentic person in this building. Lucas should have backed off, but he followed and stood next to me at my office window.

I cut him mygo fuck yourselfglare. “Why are you still here? I’m staring broodingly out of the window. It loses impact with company.”

“The kids keep asking after you. They want to see their favorite uncle.”

Here we go.How I’d made it into the favorite-uncle spot was anybody’s guess. Although with Theo as the other option, the barwasn’t high. It was probably because I’d brought them back that VR game console from Tokyo. My nephews were more mercenary than any cutthroat business mogul I’d ever had to deal with.

“You know how it’s been,” I said.

“Yeah, I know how it’s been.” Lucas rocked back on his trainers. Trainers in the office, and I was the one the shareholders were moaning about. “Thirty. How does it feel to be old?”

“You tell me. I take it that midlife-crisis beard is what I have to look forward to?”

Amusement shadowed his expression. “Time is flying.”

“Mr. Thorner?”

I turned to see the back-stabbing assistant who’d dragged me off to the party. “Didn’t I just sack you?”

Lucas rolled his eyes and gave me a pointed look. “Ignore him. You’re not sacked. Sacking your entire office is too much paperwork.”

The assistant darted a nervous glance at me. “You’ve had a call. It was ...”

Jesus.Did people think I had nothing to do all day? “Spit it out.”