Page 8 of Savage Suit

The next morning, I awakened alone and chalked my erotic recollections to whisky-induced hallucinations. The lacy black panties tangled in the sheets proved the previous night a reality, not an alcohol-fueled fantasy.

Chapter One

One month later

I glanced at my watch, impatient for my guest to arrive. My vantage point from table eighty-five afforded me an excellent view of the restaurant, so I turned toward the entrance. A small party of six crowded the space, awaiting a table at Camille’s Bistro, a French restaurant attracting Manhattan’s upper echelon.

Graham Morgan’s unusual lateness annoyed me. Another few minutes chugged by, and I clenched my jaw, glaring at my Rolex again. The next time I looked toward the hostess station, Graham had arrived, strolling past the would-be diners. Pausing, he surveyed his surroundings. For the most part, he was one of the most punctual people I knew. I’d learned my fair share of what it meant to be a savvy businessman from my father. Still, Graham had whipped me into shape by advising me and setting an example on how to stay at the top of my game, though he was only two years older.

Catching sight of me, Graham brushed past the maître d with a nod of acknowledgment. My attempt to push back my annoyance at his tardiness met little success. This evening, of all evenings, he was late. But he had a lovely wife and a young child, who were first in his life.

Perhaps, my aversion to settling down—due to damn good reasons in my estimation—increased my aggravation.Isaw Graham Morgan as a businessman who understood time equaled money.

“Noah! What can I do for you?” Graham asked by way of greeting as he pulled the burgundy upholstered chair from under the table and seated himself.

His abruptness stemmed from wanting to get to Soraya, his wife. We shared many similarities, Graham and me. We’d both lost our mothers early in our lives. Their deaths had shaped,defined, our lives. Yet, Graham had been willing to put his heart on the line again to find the love of a good woman.

Eventually, I hoped to marry, but I’d never risk the devastation I felt after my mother’s death. Not even when my father died had I felt so broken and lost. My criteria for a would-be wife were hard to find—I had no desire for children, and I didn’t want a working woman.

My mother’s plane had gone down as she’d returned home early from an unsuccessful business trip over a project she’d been working on for months. She’d been the head of Keegan Media Group, and her pet project had acquired advertising and publicity contracts for certain perfume houses. Mother’s brilliance and shrewd business acumen convinced my father to go public with Keegan Enterprises.

Shehad catapulted the Keegans to billionaires. I was Barron Trump before therewasa Barron Trump. My mother had loved me as fiercely as his adored and protected him.

I lived my entire life in luxury with servants, private schools, limos, exclusive vacations, and custom-made wardrobes.

In my estimation, the facts of my mother’s death made the tragedy much more pointless. Had she been a billionaire’s wife on do-good committees and the mother who had loved me unconditionally, she would still be alive.

“Noah, do you care to let me know why you asked for this meeting?” Graham didn’t sound amused.

“Amage is launching their new perfume in eighteen months,” I said, not wanting to waste time on what could’ve been. My voice remained even, just short of cold.Hehad the family; I didn’t.

Graham’s eyebrows rose, and he studied me. “Your company is always a shoo-in for the deal. Amage has awarded Keegan Media Group their last several contracts, so I wasn’t aware you had concerns.”

Of all Keegan Enterprises’ subsidiaries, I kept a particular watch over KMG. Or I thought I had. Until betrayal undermined a pet project to honor my mother and jeopardized the Amage contract. “I wanted to check in with you, ensure everything is going smoothly, so I can set my plan of action accordingly.” In my determination to best Sauncier, I didn’t want an overbid hurting Keegan Enterprises. One falling domino created a chain effect. “Market volatility continues to concern me.”

The arrival of our waiter prevented Graham’s response.

“Mr. Morgan, sir, a pleasure to see you.”

“Thank you, Alf,” Graham said.

Alf was a pleasant man with round cheeks and a white beard. During the holidays, he worked as Santa at a local mall. He’d been part of the bistro’s staff for several years. The first time he introduced himself as Alf, I thought he was shitting me. It sounded awfully close toelf,and damned if he didn’t remind me of the jolliest one. Not to mentionAlf,the alien life form from Melmac. Later, I discoveredmyAlf’s name was Alphonse, who’d been called Alf for as long as he remembered.

Alf turned to me and gestured to my empty glass. I missed him taking Graham’s order. “Would you like to order anything from the bar, sir? Another highball? A Vodka Martini like Mr. Morgan?”

Two highballs were my quota. “I’m fine at the moment, Alf, thanks.”

It didn’t take long for the waiter to serve Graham’s drink. Once he tasted the martini and nodded in approval, Alf set menus in front of us and walked away.

Graham tasted his drink again. “You’re in a good position right now. If market volatility is your concern, you insult me.” Judging by his grin, he wasn’t the least bit offended. “Every several years, Amage releases a limited-edition fragrance. You make a perfunctory bid but always win the contract. Keegan Media Group’s previous digital media campaign garnered widespread praise, acclaim, and several awards. I still don’t understand your need to meet two weeks earlier than usual.”

A dear friend, Graham, was also the man I entrusted with managing my finances and investments, the reason for the meeting this evening. My negotiations with Amage had become complicated and fraught with legal breaches. If I sued, I risked exposing family secrets. “Sauncier Marketing is presenting stiff competition.” Understatement.

I refrained from admitting my complacency toward Amage led to the betrayal of several employees. While I did feel a modicum of regret at how much I’d let my guard down, Sauncier’s bid had removed my boredom, fully engaging my competitive nature. I couldn’t back away now. If Sauncier won the profitable deal,mycompany would lose.

“If I’m correct, you lost a department head to them, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. Dorset was one of my top managers.” The messy situation caused heads to roll. In the intervening months, KMG had gotten entirely new upper management. I hadn’t built enough rapport with the men to trust them to do what I wanted with Amage. “Dorset was with us so long, I took his honesty for granted. When I turned my attention to Kee-Tel, he stabbed me in the back.”