Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
" W here are we at with acquiring that gallery?"
Cooper refrained from glaring at his father, especially with a conference table full of developers, wishing his dad didn't keep pushing so hard. He said he'd handle it.
Yeah, like you handled it last night?
Silently cursing, he shuffled the papers in front of him and faced the curious looks of the men who'd invested millions in the project so far. He'd give them what they wanted to hear before settling the deal one way or another.
"As you all know, Ariel Wallace isn't keen on selling. However, I've met with her the last two days and I'm optimistic she'll change her mind."
She had to. He needed to escape this company and his father's overbearing presence, like yesterday.
"What makes you think you'll succeed where I didn't?"
This time, Cooper couldn't stop his swift glare of condemnation at his dad. Eric had taken professional jealousy to extremes in the past, but did he have to air his feelings in this forum?
Quelling his anger, Cooper addressed the table at large. "Eric, everyone here knows you're a top negotiator, but I've established a rapport with Miss Wallace."
Yeah, they'd grown real close if her shoving him out the door constituted camaraderie. "I'm confident that with a few more meetings, she'll come to the party."
His farewell party, that is.
The day she signed on the dotted line is the day he would be free. Free of his contract, free of Vance Corp , free of seeing the cold calculating edge in his father's eyes every time he walked into the room.
"Good." Eric barely inclined his head in Cooper's direction before continuing. "I've sealed the deal on several properties around the block from the gallery and we need that piece of land ASAP."
Eric tapped at a key on his computer and a giant screen lit up with a presentation behind him. "These are the preliminary plans, but once we secure the gallery, we can demolish it, along with the old houses behind, and create a six storey apartment block. With property prices continuing to increase in suburbs surrounding the CBD, that's a killing for all of us."
Eric stared at Cooper with contempt, as if saying, ‘and you want to leave all this behind? You think you can match me? Beat me at my own game?'
"Any questions?"
Cooper met his father's gaze directly, knowing now wasn't the time or place to ask ‘why did you change? Why the competitive jealousy? Will I ever make you proud?'
Instead, he settled for keeping the peace just like he had every day for the last eleven months since he'd graduated and signed on the dotted line with dear old Dad. Back then, he'd been full of ideals, full of enthusiasm, and his father's lousy attitude had whittled it away to this: some stupid deal so he could back out of his legally binding contract.
"The plans look good," Cooper said, his tone well-modulated despite the anger coursing through him courtesy of his father belittling him as usual. "I'm just as eager to get this deal done as all of you, so perhaps we can reconvene next week?"
That should give him enough time to talk sense into the bohemian harridan who'd tossed him out of her gallery like yesterday's garbage. He'd make sure of it.
"Fine. Meeting adjourned." Eric headed straight for the built-in bar in the corner of the conference room and Cooper knew he'd swap shop talk with his cronies over a bourbon or two, boasting about his latest acquisitions and his plans for the future.
Schmoozing wasn't for Cooper. He had more important things to do with his time, like getting Ariel to listen to his pitch.
He assumed she wouldn't open her door to him again let alone hear what he had to say, but he planned to change all that.
Starting now.