I Want You Back (Want You #1)(19)
I could tell Nolan was impressed with her answer.
“Plus,” Simone said, looking at me, “no matter what this space becomes, I don’t see Jax as a hands-on owner. He won’t fill in pulling taps when a bartender gets sick. If we end up installing food service, he won’t hop in as a line cook if we’re short staffed. He’ll be in the background as the silent partner. Checking the P&L, looking to maximize profit, and that’s the type of partner I always expected he’d be. I’m good with that . . . with some stipulations, of course.”
“Jax. Is that true?” Ash asked.
“Absolutely. No matter what direction we opt to go, this place will still be a bar, geared toward building an evening clientele. I didn’t move back here to raise my daughter only to be gone every night.”
Dallas and Nolan both nodded.
“My concern now is how and when this news of you not working for LI will be revealed,” Nolan said. “Obviously we’ll bring it up as a private family matter first, and then once that’s settled, we’ll have to take it to the board.” He cocked his head and locked his gaze to mine. “You are planning on staying on the LI board of directors?”
“Yes. I care about the company. I care that it’s being run right, which is why I’m happy to concede that my little brother is better qualified—is the better man—to do that.”
Ash said, “I agree. The balance of power will remain as is with the three familial descendants of Jackson Lund—with me as COO and Brady as CFO and Nolan eventually CEO.”
“Is that truly balanced?” Dallas asked. “Annika heads up the PR department. So Ward’s family has two department heads, while your dad”—she pointed between Nolan and me—“and our dad each have one kid running a department.”
“Without being cocky, the positions of COO and CEO are larger entities than the Finance division that Brady controls, and the PR arm that Annika runs.” Ash paused. “You have a position at LI if you want it, sis. But we are covered too, if you’re still figuring things out.”
Dallas smiled at the phone. “Thanks, big brother.”
“That still doesn’t give me a timeline for when we’re telling the family, Jax. It’ll be obvious something is up if you stop coming into LI this week. Sooner is preferable to later for sharing this,” Ash pointed out.
“Aren’t the Vikings playing at home on Sunday?” I asked. “We could do it then, as long as corporate clients haven’t been invited into the Lund family skybox.”
“Great idea. I’ll get the details sorted out and request family only at this game and keep you all in the loop,” Nolan said.
“Excellent. Now, Nolan, get your ass to the office. Acquisitions has called my admin twice this morning,” Ash said.
Nolan pushed to his feet. “On my way.” He picked up his phone and ended the call. Then he moved to stand in front of me. He kept his voice low. “You and me. Tomorrow morning at Brady’s gym. Six A.M. Bring your sparring gear because I’m gonna kick your ass for keeping all of this shit from me.”
“I’ll bring it, bro. And a little tiny towel for you to wipe away your tears when I beat you.”
He gave me his most evil grin. “Can’t wait.” He waved to Simone and scooted out the door.
I turned around to see Dallas and Simone both staring at me. “What?”
“How, during that revealing conversation, could you have forgotten to mention that in addition to owning this building, you now own the entire block?” Simone asked.
Damn. “Not kidding when I say it slipped my mind.”
“Dallas, doll, keep an eye on the front while I make some calls from the office,” Simone said as she sauntered over to stand in front of me.” She poked me in the chest. “You and I will talk later.”
“I look forward to it,” I lied. Simone would press me on specific plans, and I hadn’t made any. I hadn’t shown up today intending to share any of what’d been churning in my mind, but the timing had seemed right, so I went with my gut and I wasn’t sorry.
Then Simone leaned closer and murmured, “Talk to Dallas first. She has been working on a totally new, fresh concept for this building, and it’s pretty damn impressive.”
“I will. Thanks.” I’d taken a rash of crap from my brother and my cousins for impulsively going into business with Simone, a woman I’d slept with a few times during my stopovers in Minneapolis. They believed she was just another puck bunny, but they couldn’t have been further from the truth. While a sexual relationship between us had fizzled pretty fast, we’d become good friends. When the opportunity arose to buy this building, she was the first person I’d contacted about forming a partnership. I could claim altruism, helping her escape a shitty career situation—which was true—but she’d also been the first woman since Lucy who didn’t pull any punches with me. She was smart and driven, yet she needed to reconfigure her life, and running a run-down bar gave her a few years to sort herself out. Simone also recognized my issues with booze early on, and she’d been the first person to push me into getting help. Ours was an odd relationship, but I trusted her without question.
“She’s gonna bust your balls about this,” Dallas said.