Better Off by Tanya Chris

Author:Tanya Chris
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Tanya Chris Publishing
Published: 2020-06-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Mac managed to stay away from Hailey for two whole days after Declan accused him of being pussy-whipped.

“Or whatever the equivalent is when there aren’t any pussies involved. What were you hoping to achieve, Mac? Did you expect him to realize the error of his ways and fall into your arms with a relieved sob?” Declan’s voice rang over the speakerphone on Mac’s desk. He should’ve refused to take his call. He’d known Declan was calling with the sole purpose of giving him grief.

“Something like that, I suppose. I told you I liked the guy, and you said you’d get on board with it.”

“That was before I realized how unsuitable he was. You made him sound like a waif, an adorable little poppet you could coddle into compliance, but that’s no waif you’ve got there, Mac. What you’ve got is an activist.”

Mac winced at the word. Activists weren’t bad, exactly, but they always seemed to be tying themselves to trees C&G needed to chop down or circulating petitions to limit how many stories high they could build. Activists had certainly done some amazingly good things in the world. Mac just wished they’d go do them somewhere farther away from his own projects. But it wasn’t like Declan was telling him something he didn’t already know.

He stopped pacing in front of his desk and sat down heavily in one of his own guest chairs.

“I’m well aware,” he told the speakerphone. “Hailey gives me grief on pretty much everything.”

“And then you cave in to it?”

“Not to all of it.”

“Then why do I have an email in my inbox telling me to hold off on the purchase contract for the church? A lot of strings got pulled to expedite the sale before the planning committee could meet again.”

“Because maybe we shouldn’t be trying to sneak it through without a hearing. I’m not saying we won’t turn the lot into a parking structure. I’m saying it should go through due process. Is it really so horrible if Hailey checks my ethics?”

“I’m withholding judgment until I see how far you’re going to go. Really, Mac”—and Mac could hear the exasperation in his voice—“where’s the end state on this? You going to marry him? Tote an underdressed hippie along to berate investors while you wine and dine them?”

Lauren had made an excellent companion for those wine-and-dine events—impeccably dressed, smoothly mannered, comfortable talking shop but knowing when to stay out of it too. Lauren was the sort of partner everyone had expected him to end up with, and not just because she was a woman. She was his people.

“He doesn’t have to come on sales calls,” Mac hedged. He hated those dinners anyway. They were a necessary part of his job, but one of his least favorite. If he had Hailey at home, he’d like going out with business associates even less. Maybe he could delegate? No, probably not. The MacPherson name was an important part of the financing process.

“When you said he was magic, I thought you were kidding,” Declan said.

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