Page 7 of Thiago (Family Ties #6)

Chapter Seven

S omething was wrong.

Thiago sat at the head of the large table in the main conference room with executives from various departments.

His father had been more hands-off, but he had implemented the meetings when he took over, using them to stay abreast of what was going on in the various departments and encourage inter-departmental connections and solutions.

Today, he could hardly concentrate, and the reason was India.

His eyes casually swept her form as Sam updated the group on technological advances in the logistics department.

It wasn’t her hair. She’d had a haircut over the weekend, but he was accustomed to seeing her regularly cut her hair in a neat style and brush her curls flat to frame her face.

It wasn’t her clothes. She was sharply dressed as usual, this time in burgundy pants and a matching jacket buttoned to the neck, with a burgundy belt tied around her waist. She looked as put together as she always did, but the difference wasn’t her appearance. It was her interaction with him.

He knew her personality as well as he knew her luscious body, and her behavior with him was off.

Granted, they were careful at work, and at the moment, they were in a room full of people, but she had been cooler than usual in her greeting this afternoon.

She also hadn’t looked at him once since the meeting started. Not even when he spoke.

What could possibly have happened between Friday night and today?

Thiago shifted in his chair, forcing his attention back to the vice president of logistics. After Sam finished, a few of the other executives complimented him on the rollout of the new software, which promised to save them significant time in the coming months. In business, every second counted.

One by one, the group went around the table, taking turns to give updates, and anyone with a problem received feedback and suggestions.

Only one of three women in the room, when it was India’s turn, she told the group about her marketing plan, which she said would be in Thiago’s inbox by the end of the day.

After they finished, Thiago gave everyone an update on the company’s health and the strides they were making as they expanded at breakneck speed.

“Our success is all thanks to you and the hard work you do. This company is nothing without its people. You’re the heart and soul of this organization, and at the end of this quarter, your bonuses will reflect your contributions.”

Soft, appreciative laughter rippled around the table. Only a faint smile from India. She finally looked at him, and he felt her stare pierce the depths of his soul.

“In a couple of weeks, about twenty members of the teams from our Argentina and Brazil offices will arrive for the executive coaching I mentioned a while back. After a discussion with HR, we decided it would be a good idea to include the teams from South America. The consultants we hired are expensive. Everyone is expected to be here the entire week for the coaching sessions. You should not have plans because you have known about this for months, but if you somehow forgot and made plans, cancel them. No one is excused. Understood?”

Head nods all around. One man pulled out his phone and started typing.

Thiago continued, “There is something I need to tell you all, but it must stay in this room.”

A hush fell over the group, and all eyes turned to him.

“I have made a decision, and I’m taking the company public.”

Soft gasps fell from the lips of most of the executives, while others looked around the room at each other, as if searching for understanding about this latest development.

“Why?” asked Helen, an older woman. Concern was carved into her features.

“For the benefits. First, let me explain that I did not make this decision lightly. I made it after extensive research and consultation with the few people in the world who are smarter than I am.”

Some of them smiled at his joke. What they didn’t know, but India did, was that his father disagreed with his plans, one of the few issues they had clashed over.

He and his father held the majority of the shares in the company, but his siblings and other family members also had a minor stake. He could convince them easily enough, but his father was more difficult to persuade that the IPO was the right move.

Thiago understood his hesitation. He had built Santana International using the income from his movie career but was not as motivated by profit as Thiago.

His father had expressed concern about the short-term thinking that often came with the pressure to show quarterly earnings.

Thiago saw the big picture and understood that, through an IPO, they could achieve much more than they were currently doing.

“What are the benefits?” Sam wanted to know.

Thiago was prepared to answer the question. “Access to capital is a big one. Selling shares will help us generate more cash, which means we can expand into new markets, develop new products and income streams, and potentially acquire our competitors.”

“Running a public company comes with a whole different set of pressures. Quarterly pressures, for one, and more regulations that we’d have to adhere to,” another executive said.

“You’re quality control, and you’re concerned about regulations?” Sam asked.

A few people laughed.

“I don’t have a problem with quality control,” the man said, shooting an annoyed look at his colleague. “I’m concerned about regulatory requirements, such as SEC filings and audits. I worked for a publicly traded company before coming here, and believe me, it was a nightmare.”

“I’m aware of all the requirements,” Thiago said.

“I weighed the public scrutiny against the potential benefits of increased capital and market visibility. The reason I am telling you this now is because I have already started working with a consultant to handle the change. Our meetings have been offsite, but we’re moving to the part of the process where they will have to come onsite and inspect our records to get us up to speed.

Staff may have questions, and I expect you all to allay their fears and keep the IPO quiet until we are further along in the process, with a set date for going public. ”

“How long does the process take?” Helen asked.

“Approximately two years in our case, but we’re hoping to go public in a shorter timeframe.

I have been working with the consultant for six months, and at most there are 18 more months to go.

If we are lucky, it will be no more than a year.

” It was an aggressive timeline, but one he strongly believed they could meet.

“Is this something we have to do?” Helen asked, sounding less than enthusiastic.

“No, we do not have to do this, but it is in the company’s best interest,” Thiago replied.

He saw genuine fear and concern on the faces of Helen and some of the other executives around the table.

In an effort to put their minds at ease, he said, “Becoming a publicly traded company will be good for us. We will ensure the transition is done right and benefits everyone in the company, from my position all the way down to the janitor. Any more questions?”

There were two more questions, but surprisingly, no more afterward.

“Thank you for your time, and I will keep you updated on our progress. Please remember that what I shared with you stays in this room for now.”

There were nods all around.

As the executives rose from their seats, Thiago didn’t move. “India, could you stay behind for a few minutes? I have questions about the marketing plan.”

She appeared to be startled by his request but sat back down as the others filed out of the room.

When the door closed behind the last person, he let his gaze rest on her face. “Is everything okay?” Thiago asked.

“Yes, everything is fine,” she replied. Her voice was extra cool. No, not cool. Guarded.

“You don’t seem to be yourself today.”

“It’s a busy week so far.” She smiled, but the expression appeared less than genuine.

“Do you need more help?—”

“Everything is fine, Thiago. Really. This is business as usual for us, isn’t it? There’s nothing for you to be concerned about.”

Her answer seemed reasonable. She was trying to placate him, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.

“Are you upset I canceled on Friday night?”

She shot him a look, halfway between surprise and a glare. Then her face slipped into another fake smile. “It’s not the first time you’ve canceled. If there’s nothing else, I have a million tasks to complete.”

Thiago wanted to demand she stay put and answer his questions—truthfully this time—because she was obviously hiding something.

Instead, he said, “You may leave.”

India stood, but as she walked past, his hand whipped out and grabbed her wrist. The sudden, automatic movement took her by surprise.

She stared at him in shock. They were both shocked because he had made a rule about not touching in the office.

Forbidding contact made sense, but right now, he wanted to pull her onto his lap and demand to know what was wrong.

Something was definitely wrong, whether she admitted it or not.

He released her. “I should not have done that,” he said.

“It’s fine,” she murmured, rubbing her wrist. After a moment’s hesitation, she left without another word.

Thiago remained seated.

She was not the woman he had slept with Friday night. She was not the woman whose legs had been wrapped around his thighs and whose pillowy lips had been stretched around the girth of his hard dick, draining him of energy with the same expertise with which she did her daily work.

He scrubbed his fingers across his bearded jaw.

What the hell was wrong? Was she simply in a bad mood, or had he done something to upset her?