Provocative Territory

Eli applied a quick tug to his earlobe and then brushed his fingers along the edge of the legal-sized manila folder. When he’d brought his best friends into his father’s business, it was with the understanding that they’d have an equal say in the operations. Unanimous approval was needed before any project was green-lighted.

“The prelim work shows that the project is sound,” Linus chimed in. “The pertinent departments have reviewed the various aspects of the deal and everyone’s in agreement.”

“We can set up new meetings with everyone involved if you’d rather hear it from them,” Tigo offered.

“You don’t need to do that.” Eli’s voice was quiet.

“We know, given the history, that you might be hesitant here, man,” Linus chimed in again as he expected the worst with good reasons. “If you could just try blocking all that out. Think about the money on the table with another nationwide project in hand....”

Eli looked up from the desk. A smirk triggered the dimples slightly shaded by the goatee he wore. “You’ve sold me.”

Tigo and Linus expelled twin sighs of relief.

“What’s the catch?” Linus was first to recover from the easy feelings floating around the room.

“I’ll sign on two conditions.” Elias reared back again in the desk chair.

Tigo dismissed some of his easy feelings then, as well. “Conditions.”

“You two continue to work with Jazmina Beaumont and her people—” he shrugged “—I don’t want to find myself spending time with her while this thing’s in progress.”

Linus and Tigo tried to mimic their partner’s shrug. Blatant uncertainty slowed their movements even though working with Jaz and her people was pretty much the manner in which things were going anyway.

“What’s the second condition?” Linus asked.

Elias pushed back the Jazzy B’s folder across the desktop. “I deal exclusively with Clarissa David.”

Chapter 3

“How do you know about her?” Santigo blurted, his easy persona completely vanished. “Why do you get the best part of the deal?”

Elias pushed away from his desk, saying, “Because my name’s on the door.”

“And wouldn’t Mr. Evan be rollin’ in his grave if he knew that was only because you had a lucky night at cards?” Linus accused, his slanting amber eyes appearing thin as slits as they narrowed.

The partners had gone back and forth for weeks about changing the company name. They then went back and forth about what to change the name to. Elias apparently had no allegiance to keeping his family name prominently displayed on the building’s masthead. Linus and Tigo were no strangers to the tense relationship Elias shared with his father. Nevertheless, it didn’t sit altogether right with them to completely strip away every trace of Evan Joss’s existence.

When Eli suggested they settle the matter by a game of poker, Linus and Tigo figured it’d be the only resolution that would be agreed upon. Linus and Santigo often wondered who had been more perturbed when Elias won—them or Elias.

“Clarissa David lives in California, you know?” Linus folded his arms over his chest and moved closer to the desk. “She only comes back here a few times a year to check in on her aunt’s East Coast clients. She’s not even heavily involved in the construction end...”

“Yet you two have met with her, or am I mistaken?” Eli focused on the bridge he made with his fingers. He knew both men well. They’d have certainly made a point of meeting with Clarissa David during one of the few times a year that she visited Philadelphia.

“Is this about business or somethin’ more personal?” Tigo challenged, leaning against the desk.

“What difference does it make?” Eli countered.

Playful accusation brought a sparkle to Linus’s exotic stare. “You met her, didn’t you? ’Course you have.” He rolled his eyes.

“When?” Tigo finally moved off the desk.

“How?” Linus tacked on.

By then, Eli was rolling up his sleeves in an attempt to ignore the gradual mounting of his frustration. “When and how I met her is my business.” His tone was soft, yet cold.

Linus was undaunted. “It’s our business, El. We can’t afford for you to let a personal...”

“Ancient,” Tigo interrupted.

“...beef with the woman’s aunt to cause us to miss out on this deal,” Linus preached.

“I take offense to that.” Elias’s voice remained low but not quite as chilly. “I already okayed the project. Last thing I’d try to do is sabotage it.”

Linus and Santigo couldn’t argue the truth of Elias’s words. Despite the dramatics that made up their partner’s relationship with his father, they knew Eli was of a mind to see the business remain among the top construction companies in the country.

“At least tell us why you want her all to yourself.”

Tigo groaned over Linus’s question. “Idiot—he just told you that he met her. That’s all it’d take.”

Elias lost his battle against smiling and shook his head. “I met her while Stan was fitting me for a new suit.”

“Humph,” Tigo grunted.

Linus nodded and eased his hands into his trouser pockets. “She’s a real sweetheart, El—nothin’ like what we’ve heard and what you know about her aunt.”

“Apple doesn’t always fall far,” Eli muttered.

“Well, in this case, it fell and rolled right out of the yard,” Tigo championed.

“But don’t take our words for it.” Linus waved his hands. “Could you at least tell us what your plan is?”

Elias laughed. “What the hell, fellas? You think I’d hurt her?”

“I just don’t think it’d be good for anyone involved for you to hold Clarissa David responsible for what went down back in the day between your dad and her aunt.”

“That’s what I’m trying to prevent.” Eli’s words were genuine. “You guys went behind my back to put this deal together and had the chance to get to know her in the process.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I only want the same chance.”

Linus and Tigo didn’t appear totally convinced. At any rate, they eventually gave their consent with a round of slow nods.

“You wanna keep that?” Linus looked toward the Jazzy B’s folder.

“Leave it with Des.” Eli massaged the side of his nose. “He’ll tell me if there’s anything I need to know, and I’ll sign whatever crosses my desk.”

Left with nothing further to argue, Tigo and Linus slowly retreated from the office. Alone, Elias’s relaxed expression was replaced by pensiveness.

* * *

“Do you really need to be doing this now? Mr. Cole already told us what happened.” Rayelle Keats’s round café-au-lait-toned face was a portrait of bewilderment.