Bad Influencer by Kenzie Reed

Chapter Thirty-Two

Elliott

I didn’t even go home before the event. After our confrontation with Cameron, I went back to the office, tried to call Jillian again, got her voicemail, left a message, tried to call again, left another message… then I had a potted herb garden delivered to her house because I know she doesn’t like cut flowers. Then I left two more messages. All of them involved a lot of groveling and pleading.

I took a long hot shower in the office, wanting to burn away the terrible feeling in my gut. Then I tried calling her again. Still no answer.

But life has to go on, and the company still needs me. So Trevor and I changed into formal wear, and my limo driver took us to the place where it all started 125 years ago. Our Washington park is fifteen miles east of Seattle, on a sprawling tract of land that used to be my great-great-grandfather’s farm and carpentry shop.

Now it’s evening, and I’m in the back seat of the limo as we idle in front of the special events center at the back of the park. I feel like a hive of bees has taken up residence in my stomach. I thought about messaging the investors to tell them about Cameron and his likely involvement with Park City Properties, but I wasn’t sure whether it would have helped or hurt at this point. Trevor is compiling evidence against him, but it’s going to take a little time, so all I’ve got at this point is accusations without proof.

Trevor twists in his seat to look at me. “Before we go in, there’s something I need to say,” he tells me.

“You’ve decided you do want to punch me in the face after all?”

“Nah, not right before we meet up with the investors. If the CEO walks in with two black eyes and no teeth, it’s hardly going to inspire confidence.”

“Well, that’s heart-warming.”

He shakes his head. “I wanted to say that this whole thing was partly my fault. I didn’t specifically tell Jillian to lie about the fact that her main job was to get you to grin like a clown for the cameras, but I manipulated her into thinking it would be a bad idea to mention it to you. Because I knew if I’d been totally upfront about it, you’d have run for your life. Or fired her. Or both.”

I heave a sigh, adjusting my amusement-park-themed bow tie for the millionth time. “You were not wrong. But you did it with the best of intentions.”

“I just didn’t know what else to do.”

“We both messed up, I guess.” I chew my lower lip. “But I screwed up worse.”

“Yeah, kind of.”

I snort. “Screw you. Learn to take an apology.” I give him a good-natured punch on the shoulder.

“Learn not to be an asshole.” He punches me in the arm, and I wince a little. His fist is like a freight train. And I know he was pulling his punch.

Rubbing my arm, I look at myself in the reflection of the window and flex the muscles of my face. I turn to look at him. “How’s my smile?” I ask.

He winces. “It’s very… uh, you.”

“That bad, huh?”

He stares at me for a moment, then shrugs. “Honestly, it’s not terrible. I’ve seen worse.”

“Well, not to get all sappy, but the fact that you came back after I was a real ass to you, the fact that you still have my back, means a lot to me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” But his normally serious face moves into something resembling a smile.

The limo driver opens the door for me. Edith and Wisteria are waiting for us, and dressed for the occasion. Edith’s wearing a blue crêpe gown adorned with a huge opal brooch on the chest, and Wisteria’s wearing a tie-dyed ankle-length gown and a circlet of flowers. She’s dressed low key for tonight, in other words.

“No sage?” I call out.

Wisteria holds up a small purse and waves it at me. “I always come prepared.”

As I climb out, Jillian steps out from behind them, and my heart hangs suspended in my chest between beats. God, I’ve missed her so much. She blinks up at me, her expression wary. Her dark hair is swept up into an updo with artful tendrils curling around her face, and her gray chiffon cocktail dress hugs her curves and sends a pulse of desire through my body.

“You got my messages!”

She shakes her head.

“You got the herb garden I sent you?” I say hopefully.

Another head-shake. “I told Bronwyn and Ari that if you ever sent anything to me, they have to either throw it away or give it away without telling me.”

“Then… you just spontaneously decided to forgive me?”

She snorts. “I spontaneously decided to come here tonight to help out the company and the people I’ve come to care about. As for you, I’m still mad as hell.”

“You should be. I hope I can earn your forgiveness someday. Thank you for sending Amber to warn me about Cameron.”

“Whatever.” She sniffs, but she lets me loop my arm through hers, and the huge smile on my face isn’t forced at all.

“You’re incredibly awesome to do this for us,” I murmur to her as we move towards the entrance. “And I missed you every minute of every day. I should have just sat down and talked to you instead of accusing you.”

“Yes, you should have. Now keep smiling and look happy and confident.” She glares up at me. “You barf-bag jerk-faced weasel-dick Rumpelforeskin. I got that last one from Amber. You broke my heart. I’d like to push you off one of your roller coasters.” Then she turns and flashes a huge smile at the photographers.

“Getting kind of mixed messages here, babe.” I grin at her.

She flutters her lashes at me and her smile turns faintly murderous. “Feeling kind of stabby here, babe. And my hairpins are pretty sharp. So don’t push your luck.”

“Aren’t you a pacifist?”

“No, that’s Bronwyn, and she’s only a part-time pacifist.”

I burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, she’s a what?”

As we walk up the steps, I spot another group of photographers who are clustered around someone by the front door. And as I get closer, I see that it’s my parents, smiling like movie stars and waving happily. My father’s wearing a tux with a red orchid boutonniere, and my mother glitters in a crystal-studded black evening gown. A twist of worry clenches inside me.

I keep smiling, though, as Jillian and I join them for photographs. Several of the investors walk past us, waving. Trevor, Edith and Wisteria stand to the side waiting for us.

Once the paparazzi have had their fill, we head inside. The banquet room has a stage and we’ve got jugglers, fire eaters and contortionists on stage, and circus music piped in through invisible speakers.

“Dad,” I protest as we make our way towards our table. “Your heart. You shouldn’t be here.”

“The hell with it,” he says. “Edith was right, your mother and I have been letting far too much of this rest on your shoulders. And the doctor says I’m fine to resume my position.”

I want to shout at him, I want to grab him and drag him out to his car and send him back home immediately, but I can’t do it with Seattle’s finest streaming past us.

“Hey, Quinton!” I wave as our investor Quinton and his wife sweep by us, and they wave back. When they spot my father, Quinton’s face lights up with delight and his wave grows more vigorous.

“Stewart! Looking good! So great you could make it!” he calls out.

Once we’re out of earshot, I turn to flash my father a quick, fierce scowl. “Hell, no. It’s too soon! Seriously, you need to go home. We can revisit this in a few months.”

“I’ll be fine,” he says. “Hey, this is the part of the job that I loved. Besides, how long can one man hang out by himself in a greenhouse and talk to plants? They were starting to answer me back, I’m not even kidding.”

My father and mother split off from us and move ahead, greeting people with handshakes and kisses as we pass the security guards and enter the banquet room.

“Dear God,” I murmur to Jillian. “They answered back? Have you seen his orchids?”

“Yes, remember when I came to your house that time? And he insisted that I tour his greenhouse? Why do they all look like multi-colored hoo-has, or is that just me? And yes, the idea of them talking adds a whole ‘nother layer to the weirdness.” She grins, and just like that, we’re ‘Jillian + Elliott’ again. Laughing at the world’s ridiculousness, together. I feel buoyant and loved and complete.

Until she remembers that she sort of hates me, and drops my hand and turns away from me to smile and wave. That’s okay. We’re in a much better place than we were before. We’ll get there. I have to believe that.

We reach our table, which is adorned with a tablecloth striped like a circus tent and a little Ferris wheel centerpiece. Trevor, Edith and Wisteria sit facing us. Jillian sits down and scootches her chair a few inches away from mine.

I waggle my eyebrows. “Too late. You don’t despise me.”

“Tell the voices in your head I say hi, will you?” she scoffs.

The waitress who comes to take our drink order flutters her eyes at me, and I immediately put my hand over Jillian’s. “What would you like, babe?” I make a big show of asking Jillian.

“A boyfriend who’s not insane?” She shoots me a scowl.

“Oh, honey, you and me both,” the waitress says. “What can I get you to drink?” and Jillian orders mineral water and I order a gin and tonic.

As soon as the waitress leaves, Jillian slides her hand out from under mine.

“Still mad,” she informs me, angling her body away from me.

“That’s right, make him work for it,” Edith says, nodding approvingly.

I flick her an irritated glance. “Sometimes having you on my side makes me wonder what it would be like to have you as an enemy.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” Her face breaks into a sweet, grandmotherly smile. Gah. Edith is genuinely scary.

“I’ve been talking to Trevor.” I lean in closer to Jillian. “You felt so strongly about the safari park that you scaled a billboard to deface it, even though you’re afraid of heights? Mad respect for that.”

She turns to look me in the eyes. “Wouldn’t you scale a billboard for something you were passionate about?”

I consider her question and realize she’s right. Maybe not about defacing property but doing things that are a bit crazy for something you care deeply about. Sometimes it takes a grand gesture to show your commitment.

My mother and father have plopped themselves down at one of the other tables, chatting with a few of the investors who were most in favor of going with Park City Properties. Now the investors are smiling and nodding. Even laughing.

“You can see them coming around,” Edith points out. “This is the shot of confidence they needed. Sorry, Elliott.”

“No, I understand. Believe me, I’ve always known that he’s the people person. It’s just…we can’t have him come back to work,” I protest. “I know he loves this part, but he hates just about everything else about it. And we can’t just roll him out at parties. That’s not the job.”

“Says who?” Jillian says.

I shake my head. “I mean… the CEO job is more than just the glad-handing and posing for the cameras. Somebody has to actually run the company and make the big decisions too.” I frown. “Are you saying that I should go back to being CFO, do the actual work of CEO, and let Dad just be the face of the company? I could do that…” And never sleep. But at least my dad’s heart wouldn’t explode from stress.

“Lord, no. I am not saying that.” Jillian shakes her head.

Wisteria looks up and flicks a gaze at Edith. “If only you could just stop living within the confines you have created for yourself, and expand your cosmic horizons.”

“I’m listening,” I say.

“Why?” Trevor snorts. “Do you want to brainstorm actual solutions, or ride a rainbow to la-la land?”

“Trevor,” I warn.

“What? It’s true.” Trevor frowns and folds his arms across his broad chest.

Wisteria shoots him an icy look. Then she returns her attention to me. “It sounds to me like you’ve got three different jobs that need to be done, and you are trying to make two people do them.” With that, she pushes back her chair, stands up, and lasers Trevor with a scowl unlike anything I’ve seen Wisteria wield. “As for you… well… I don’t need to darken my aura to suit you.” She stalks off.

“Too far,” Jillian says icily to Trevor.

She leaps up, catches up with Wisteria, and murmurs in her ear.

“That was a little too far.” I frown at Trevor, and he has the good sense to appear remorseful.

After a minute, they return, and Wisteria plops back down in her chair, looking sulky.

“This is my fault,” Jillian says. “I apologize. I teased you guys about getting a room and all that. I’ve created tension that wasn’t there before. Ever since then, Trevor, you’ve gone out of your way to be rude to her. Are you trying to prove something? If so, we get it… you’re not compatible. No need to continue being a dick. Apologize.”

His eyebrows lift in surprise. Nobody gives Trevor orders, but Jillian can be a force of nature when she wants to be, and it’s proven when Trevor lowers his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he says to Wisteria in a stiff, formal voice.

“Whatever.” She sniffs and looks away.

“No, I mean it. Sometimes, among all the…” Trevor hesitates, appearing to search for the right words. “… among all the things that you say that come from a different perspective then I am used to… sometimes there are some real nuggets of wisdom.”

Jillian rolls her eyes, but Wisteria replies with a small smile. “Thank you. You have always had a very clear aura, by the way.”

“Hmm, getting back to the topic at hand,” Jillian suggests. “Wisteria’s right. Three positions. Like, say, Elliott would be perfect for a Chief Operating Officer type of position. He’s great at planning, and with big picture stuff. The COO is practically the mastermind of everything, while the CEO is the visionary and face of the company. But there’s always room to adjust the roles. What if that CEO position was split to make room for a brand ambassador? His dad is great at being that public figure Bradford Family Amusement Parks and Resorts so badly needs . He’d be the perfect spokesman-slash-brand ambassador.”

“I think you’re onto something,” Trevor muses. “Continue.”

Jillian scowls at him, but pushes forward. “That leaves room for a CEO. If only we had someone who knows everything about the company, someone who’s already established, someone who’s extremely popular and well liked, but who’s no pushover.” She stares at Edith, who’s been studying the menu.

Edith looks up. Now we’re all staring at her.

“What?” she says. “Something in my teeth?”

“Jillian, you’re brilliant,” I beam. She’s offered the perfect scenario. One in which we all win. I want to scoop her up and carry her off to have my way with her, but now isn’t the time.

There’s another personnel change I want to discuss, though.

“While we’re making some major personnel changes, I have an idea. We could use someone full-time in our social media department who focuses specifically on highlighting our work in sustainability and animal welfare. Do you know anyone who cares about that?”

“Seriously?” Jillian’s eyes widen. “Are you just throwing me a bone to try to get back in my good graces?”

“I would throw you an entire skeleton if I thought that would get me back in your good graces. But no. You would be kick-ass in that kind of position, and you know it.”

“Well…heck. I’ll think about it.” She nods in thought. Then she glances over at Edith.

“I was temporarily distracted by dessert choices. What exactly is happening?” Edith asks.

“I think we have an announcement to make to the investors,” Jillian says. “Something that will turn it all around. Don’t we, Elliott?”

“We do.” I’m grinning wider than the Joker. She has no idea what she’s just said, but it means everything to me.

Jillian shoots me a puzzled look. “What is that expression on your face, Elliott? Specifically, why the demented grin?”

I smile triumphantly. “Because, babe, you said ‘We.’ “