Flawless (A Love, California Series Novel, Book 1) Read online

  “No, I need them now.”

  Her trouble detection meter immediately soared. “My controller is off today and will be back tomorrow.”

  Jimmy Don smirked. “I’ve heard that before. I wouldn’t advise you to change any numbers.”

  “Excuse me? Are you accusing me of altering my financials?” She was incredulous. Why, the nerve of this kid.

  He shrugged. “Like I said, I’ll wait.”

  “You can take these now. Come back tomorrow, and you can pick up the rest of the documents.” She slid a folder of financial documents across the desk to him. “I assure you that you will find everything in order. We have a very competent controller.”

  “Let us be the judge of that.”

  In less than a minute, he’d managed to completely alienate her. Perhaps his rudeness is a reflection of his insecurity. “What else can I help you with?”

  He whipped a piece of paper from his briefcase and tossed it across the desk.

  Verena stared at him. Or maybe he’s just a jerk. She scanned the long list. Jimmy Don had a sneer on his face that she wished she could slap off. But she knew how to handle his type. “This will take quite a bit of time. Derrick said you’re going to assist me with the financials. Why don’t you start with the projections?” She slid the paper back across the desk.

  “I’ll start by interviewing each employee.”

  She glared at him. “No, they’re busy with clients and cannot be interrupted.”

  “It’s necessary.”

  “I assure you we’re all professionals here.”

  He grunted. “Rubbing creams on old ladies’ faces? I don’t think so.”

  “What?”

  “I said, rubbing creams—”

  “I heard you the first time.” Verena narrowed her eyes. “I’m calling Derrick.”

  Another smirk. “Go ahead, call your boyfriend.”

  A burst of anger exploded in her chest and threatened her composure. “I will not be disrespected. Out of my office. Now.” She swiveled around in her chair, putting her back to him.

  Jimmy Don did not move.

  She swiveled around to face him again. “What’s the matter with you?” she snapped.

  “I have my orders. You want the money?”

  Furious, Verena marched past him into Lacey’s office. “Deal with this idiot, please. He wants to interview each employee. I’m imposing a ten minute limit, and do not let him interfere with guest appointments.”

  She saw Lacey’s eyes widen and travel up, and her lips parted. “Well, I never,” Lacey muttered.

  Verena whirled around. Jimmy Don was towering behind her, uncomfortably close. She shoved past him and returned to her office, slamming the door behind her. She grabbed her phone and angrily punched in Derrick’s number.

  When he answered, she blurted out, “Who is that obnoxious cretin you sent here?”

  A long pause. “That would be Jimmy Don. Didn’t he introduce himself?”

  “Get him out of here.”

  “I can’t do that, Verena. He’s in charge of due diligence for Herringbone. He might be a little unpleasant, but if you want to deal with Herringbone, you’ll have to deal with Jimmy Don.”

  Verena couldn’t believe what he was saying. “His behavior is completely unacceptable. I will not tolerate such belligerent, condescending, demeaning treatment in my own company.”

  Another long pause.

  “Did you hear me?”

  Derrick sighed. “Listen, we don’t have to do this deal, Verena. Honestly, we’re only doing it as a favor to you.”

  Verena grew quiet. If Herringbone pulled out, she would have no other options. Panic seeped into her mind like a fog, obscuring her reasoning.

  “What’ll it be, Verena?”

  Three days later, Verena leaned on the edge of Scarlett’s office desk and watched as Scarlett reviewed the Herringbone documents that her corporate attorney, Jack Epstein, had received. Jack had been counsel for Valent Swiss Skincare for many years, and technically represented the company.

  This division was important because the company was a corporation, which existed as a separate legal entity. Verena and her family were shareholders of the company, and as chief executive officer, Verena was also an employee of the company. It was complicated, but it was simply the way corporations were run.

  Scarlett acted as Verena’s personal attorney, and negotiated Verena’s employment contract with the small board. It had always been a friendly, beneficial relationship. But now, after her initial review of the documents, Verena feared that their business was going to become substantially more complex. With a major international launch underway, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

  Scarlett put her pencil down and rocked back in her chair. “If you want the money, you have to agree to their terms.”

  Verena drew her brows together, creasing her forehead. “Can’t we negotiate more?” She slumped into a chair.

  Scarlett punched a line on her phone. “Please hold my calls.” She turned back to Verena. They were in the Century City office of her law firm’s west coast partners, where she worked when she was in Los Angeles.

  “Do you have any other options, Verena? Other banks, investors?”

  “No other options, I’ve checked. Not yet, anyway. A lot of our competitors are laying people off. Some are reducing their staff by as much as fifty percent.” Still, there had to be another answer. Lacey always said that Verena never took ‘no’ for an answer. It was true. Verena had always found a way—mostly through sheer determination and creative thinking. But this time the financial markets were different, and a solution was eluding her.

  “I can advise you, but you have to make the decisions. It’s going to get worse, Verena. The word out of the financial circles in New York say this could be the worst recession since the Great Depression. Can you make some cuts?”

  “I terminated our newest hires, but our core employees are loyal. They’ve been with us for a long time. I know their families, their children. Besides, we’re booked solid.”

  Scarlett leaned across the desk. “Can you halt the Asian launch?”

  “It’s already in motion.” Verena pressed her fingertips to her temples. “The money has already been spent on product, inventories have already shipped. The product won’t sell unless we support it in store. It’s the only way we can recoup the investment.”

  “Then you have no choice. It’s this or bankruptcy. The Asian launch was a big gamble.”

  “And it’s the right one. But we expected to have a line of credit at the bank to handle it. Why is Roper doing this?”

  “They make the terms. They know the financial markets, and they know it’s tough. Some investors—the unscrupulous ones—go in for the kill when you’re at their mercy. Believe me, it could be a lot worse. You must be careful, Verena. You can’t deviate one iota from their restrictive financial covenants. You can be extremely profitable, but if you don’t hit their mark for whatever reason, they can call the shots. They will conduct regular reviews, beginning immediately.”

  A chime sounded on Scarlett’s computer. “Here’s another email.”

  “What does it say?”

  “They want Jimmy Don to run product development; they think the costs are too high in that area.” She swiveled the computer screen. “And here’s his very healthy salary requirement.”

  “Impossible, he has no idea how to do that. That’s my job.” Verena sprang from her chair and began to pace the office. “He was a disaster in the office. He’s creepy, none of the women like him, or the way he looks at them. He’s disrespectful, he’s uncouth, he’s—”

  “Hired, if you want their money.” Scarlett shook her head. “This is terrible, I know.”

  Verena felt as if she’d been punched in the gut. She could hardly breathe. She crossed her arms. “No. I won’t agree to this.”

  Scarlett sighed, tapped out an email reply. Thirty seconds later, the response came back. Scarlett lifted her
eyes, shook her head.

  Verena said nothing. She picked up her purse and stormed from the office.

  “I didn’t even say good-bye to Scarlett,” Verena said. She had just arrived home and found Mia clipping roses in the backyard garden. “This rotten deal isn’t her fault.”

  Mia rested the basket of cut roses on the patio table under the awning. They sat down. “Scarlett understands, Verena. You’ve been under so much pressure since your parents died. I wasn’t well enough to help you with the business then, and I’ve always regretted that. That damned cancer.” Mia shook her head. “You were so competent; I found you didn’t need me much. Maybe I should’ve been there more for you.”

  “No, Mia, you were ill. And everything has been fine until now.”

  Mia placed a hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her eyes. “I have some money set aside in Switzerland, my dear. We can put it into the business.”

  Verena raised her brows. “Absolutely not. Don’t endanger your retirement funds. Besides, it’s probably not enough to make a difference, but thank you for offering.”

  Verena watched as Mia began to methodically strip the excess lower leaves from the roses she had clipped, and then arranged them in a vase of water on the center of the table. She could almost see the wheels whirring in her grandmother’s mind.

  Mia paused and put a hand on her hip. “When do you have to provide an answer to Herringbone?”

  “Ten days.”

  “I spoke to my old friend in Paris, Henri Becaud.”

  “The managing director of Rose Beauté?” When Mia nodded, Verena said, “I spoke to him two years ago. He was interested in buying VSS.”

  “He’s willing to speak to you again.”

  Verena sat up. Rose Beauté was one of the largest beauty conglomerates in the world. This was an incredible opportunity. “When can we call him?”

  “Oh, no, you can’t deal with a matter such as this on the phone. Face to face, Verena, that’s the only way.” She fluffed the flowers.

  “I agree. I’ll pack now.” Verena was accustomed to travelling on a moment’s notice for business.

  “Then I’ll have my travel agent arrange your flight. We can all go together tomorrow.”

  10

  “This fit is magnificent,” Verena said, turning in front of the three-way mirror in Fianna’s Robertson Boulevard boutique. She hadn’t much time to prepare for the trip to Paris, and her best clothes were at the dry cleaners. She’d called Fianna last night, and her friend had come to her rescue.

  Their livelihood and the continuation of the business hinged on this meeting with Henri Becaud, the founder of Rose Beauté. She’d hardly slept worrying about it.

  “I knew that dress would be perfect on you, and the style is just right for Paris.” Fianna finished zipping the black lace and silk sheath dress and fastened the hook. “This black cape with a scarlet lining will go well with it, too.”

  Fianna unfurled the cape and draped it around Verena’s shoulders. She added a vivid print scarf at the neck. “The gold in this scarf captures the highlights in your hair and softens the look. In fact, wear your hair in a French twist. You’ll have to wear your black Louboutin shoes, too, of course. The red soles will be a sexy accent.” Fianna stepped back to admire her work. “It’s very Grace Kelly.”

  Verena wound her blond hair into a makeshift twist and secured it with a few hairpins. “How’s this?”

  “Perfect. It’s an elegant, modern look. For stylish women at the top.” Fianna put a hand on her hip and grinned. “Like you. You’re my muse, Verena, you and Scarlett and Dahlia—and all our other girlfriends in the beauty business. You have to look glamorous on the job.”

  “What I need is a glamorous suit of armor,” Verena said, her voice edged with weary sarcasm. She’d had too much of Jimmy Don, spreadsheets, and legal documents in the past few days. “The beauty business is plenty hostile, believe me.”

  Fianna met Verena’s eyes in the mirror, and they exchanged a silent nod, each of them understanding the tough, challenging realities of their respective businesses.

  “This new line is your best work yet,” Verena said, turning to several garments that hung from a rack. “But you must let me pay you for these outfits.”

  Fianna shook her head, her brilliant red mane swaying around her shoulders. “These are samples, Verena. All I ask is that you wear these when you meet with your buyers at the department stores. I’m finally ready. You know which accounts I want.”

  “Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue,” Verena said, ticking off her best retail chain partners. “I’ll make some introductions for you after I return.” She glanced around Fianna’s boutique, which was brimming with a sumptuous array of unique styles in the finest fabrics. “They’re good accounts, but be ready for them to ask you for an exclusive.”

  Fianna frowned. “Is that good or bad?”

  “Depends on who you ask. Sometimes you have to commit to selling your line to a chain on an exclusive basis, and nowhere else. If the merchant is willing to support you with enough sales and promotion, it can work. But if not, you’ll get locked into a relationship that can’t support you.”

  “Can I limit it, say for a few years?”

  “That’s a good negotiation point. Or require a minimum annual buy. There are lots of ways to create a deal. You should speak to Scarlett; she’s the best dealmaker I know.” Verena picked up another scarf and held it up against her neck. “She’s amazing at brainstorming how deals can be structured.”

  “I’ll do that before she returns to New York. What time did you say your flight is?”

  Verena checked her watch. “It’s at ten o’clock tonight on Air France. “We’ll arrive in the morning in Paris. My meeting is the next day, and then I depart the following day.”

  “Sounds like a busy trip.” Fianna scooped up the clothes. “While you change, I’ll wrap these clothes in tissue paper so they’ll travel well. Might not prevent all the wrinkles, but proper packing can eliminate a lot of them.”

  “Thanks, it is an important trip.” Verena made her way back to the dressing room. As she changed, she thought about how critical this meeting was. If Jimmy Don’s demoralizing meetings with her employees was any indication of the tone of future dealings with Herringbone, then it was imperative to explore alternatives before she committed.

  Verena emerged from the fitting room, smoothing her crisp white shirt and slim eggplant-colored slacks. “Here’s the black dress, Fianna.” She ran her fingers over the exquisite fabric. “I love the way it feels, especially how it conforms to the body.”

  “Nothing like a silk lining—done right, that is. Here, I’ll wrap that up, too.” As she picked up the dress, Verena’s ring caught her eye. “What a stunner. I love that ring. It’s so Derrick,” she said, laughing. “Your style is less ostentatious, more delicate and refined.”

  Verena smiled. “It’s a beautiful stone, but it’s top-heavy.” She twirled it on her finger.

  “Have it put into another setting later,” Fianna said.

  “Maybe later, but I do need to have it sized down. It’s a little too loose.”

  “Doesn’t look safe.” Fianna frowned for a moment, and then brightened. “You should see my friend next door. Elena is a jeweler and she creates the most gorgeous pieces. I’m sure she could size it for you.”

  “I’ll have to see her when I return.”

  “Think you should travel with it like that? It took long enough to get a ring out of him.” Fianna clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

  Verena sighed. “No, you’re right. The time lapse between his proposal and the engagement ring gnawed at Mia. Honestly, I was beginning to wonder, too.”

  “It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it.”

  “A marriage isn’t about the jewelry, it’s about the relationship.” Verena grew quiet, thinking. Was their relationship the best it could be? She felt
guilty for thinking she’d like more romance in their relationship, but she couldn’t get over the feeling that something was missing, and then there was that strange, horrible episode…. But aren’t most marriages compromises?

  “I remember when you were with Joe,” Fianna said. “I couldn’t believe what he did to you, asking you to marry him and then running away after he thought about Anika and Bella. I would have been devastated.”

  “I was, believe me. But see, it was for the best.” Verena removed her hair pins and shook her hair out, finger combing the waves into place. And then, a thought struck her. Had Derrick been changing the subject whenever she began speaking about the twins? She reeled back their conversations in her mind, trying to remember.

  Fianna continued preparing the clothes for travel. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Verena, I mean it with love, but do you think you’re rushing into the marriage?” She spoke with an earnest expression. “You haven’t known him but what, a year?”

  Verena blinked. “We know each other well enough, I think.”

  Fianna lowered her voice. “Are you pregnant?”

  Verena laughed. “No, I’m not, but I hope to be within a few years. I want to start a family once the twins graduate from high school and enter college.”

  “That’s still a few years away. Will they live with Mia after you marry?”

  “That’s the plan, but Mia isn’t entirely well, and at her age, well, they’re awfully active for her. They’ll still spend a lot of time with me and Derrick. They’ll have their own rooms at our home.”

  “Is Derrick okay with that arrangement?”

  Verena hesitated. “I’m sure he is. He certainly understands the situation better than Joe did, don’t you think?”

  “I think you need to make sure,” Fianna said, patting her hand.

  She’s right, Verena realized.

  Fianna slipped a couple of fragrant sachets into the package of clothes. “You’ll like these sachets; they’re from Dahlia’s company. Here, take one for your purse,” Fianna said, handing another one to her. “We’ve watched the girls grow up, haven’t we? They’ll be old enough to wear my designs before long. Maybe I could start a younger line, something fun.”