The fact that she sprinted here explains her flushed cheeks and the tangle of hair around her face.
I hone in on Max because I’ve met Dale. “Max is an old friend?”
“They met when they were children,” Ivan says before my assistant has a chance to reply. “Max told me all about it at the holiday party. He’s like a brother to Isabella.”
Isabella glances over at me. “Max is my best friend.”
She took her best friend to meet Dale tonight. That seems like a step up the relationship ladder. Whatever’s going on between them is full throttle.
I swallow what’s left of my whiskey to tame the jealous knot in my gut.
“Back to business.” Ivan eyes me before he shifts his attention to Isabella. “Barrett and I were discussing the proposed acquisition of Rusten’s Reads. You’re up to speed on the company, aren’t you?”
“I’m at full speed.” She laughs. “I was there the other day, and last week, and…”
Ivan can’t contain a smile. “You were there?”
“At the store,” she clarifies. “I buy all my books there. I’ve been going there since I was a kid.”
Judging from the sales figures I’ve seen, I wouldn’t be shocked to discover that Isabella is their only customer. The business is bleeding money. It doesn’t need Garent Industries to take it over. It needs to call it a day and shut the doors for good.
“Do you view it as a worthwhile acquisition, Isabella?”
I expected he’d ask her opinion, but I have no idea how much value he’s going to put in that. Ivan is as frustrated with the current financial state of Garent as I am. I admit that I was mildly surprised that he upped her salary as much as he did, but I sense that he did that to keep her behind her desk.
Isabella’s adjusting to the fact that Duke is gone and I’m taking his place permanently. The extra money Ivan offered her is a guarantee that she’ll remain at her post.
“Honestly?” she asks, looking at me before she glances back to Ivan.
“Of course,” he answers without hesitation. “Give it to us straight. If you were in charge of the acquisition of Rusten’s Reads would it be a go or a no?”
She drops her gaze to the glass of water the waitress just placed in front of her. “It’s a special little shop with the best selection of used books, but…”
“But?” I interrupt. “But what, Isabella?”
She grabs hold of the water glass and brings it to her ruby red lips. She swallows a mouthful, her lipstick leaving behind an imprint on the glass.
It’s sexy as hell, but I shake away the thought of those crimson lips wrapped around my dick. I can’t go there. I won’t go there.
“If Garent Industries invested in it at this time, I
think it might lose its charm.” She looks at Ivan. “It needs a careful and committed hand to help it flourish. Duke had that. He saw the vision that Rusten and his wife, Misty, have for their store.”
I read Duke’s notes on his most recent acquisitions. He ran Garent with his heart. He’d pick up failing small businesses left and right just to keep their owners happy. It’s virtuous but reckless.
“Do you think with your help, Barrett can breathe new life into it?” Ivan leans closer to her. “Duke saw something in that bookstore. I don’t want to overlook any potential that’s hidden behind the low revenue.”
“Duke had some ideas for it including changing the name to something more whimsical that would fit the feel of the store.” She circles a fingertip on the table in front of her. “He had plans for book signings but not with well-known authors. Duke wanted to showcase up and comers. He even considered having an author in residence program at the bookstore and a community corner where the people who live in the neighborhood could gather and talk books.”
I watch the expression on Ivan’s face morph from stoic concern to joy.
Well, shit.
Duke and his penchant for saving the underdog are about to win this battle, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
Chapter 15
Bella