The Billionaire's Marriage Contract(21)

“Actually, I’ve kept my maiden name,” Amy replied, “but please, call me Amy, and I suppose that is as much of a mystery to me as why you want to sell the company.”

“Well, Amy, I’ll make you a deal. You tell me about how you and Ethan met and I’ll tell you about why I’m selling my company. You know despite my gruff appearance and leathery skin, I’m a bit of a sucker for a good love story. I think part of being a family man is understanding what really matters in this world. It isn’t the money or the power or the fame or anything like that.” Hank tapped his finger against his temple, “It’s about what’s in here.” Then he tapped two fingers against his sternum, “and in here. It’s a lesson I’m afraid my own son hasn’t learned yet.

“I met my Joanie when I was fifteen years old, and we had fifty-two beautiful years together. My heart is full, but up here,” he said, pointing to his head again, “up here knows I need to do more to preserve her memory. I love my company, but she loved nature. It was her idea to build this ranch, her idea to buy up tracts of forest to set aside as conservation land, and her idea that maybe, just maybe, the man she loved could do as much to help the environment as his company had done over the years to harm it. So, now it’s your turn, how did you two meet?”

Amy smiled at Hank. She hadn’t expected the big oilman to have such a soft spot. “We were colleagues. I’m sure, if you’re considering selling to Ethan, that you’re aware of his reputation.”

“I am,” Hank replied, “which is why I’m so interested to hear what you have to say. I know you have your own life, and I can tell you’re a straight shooter. So, tell me a story.”

“I’m afraid it isn’t as interesting as you’d have hoped, at least the part where we met. We were much younger then. Ethan’s company had run into a bit of a branding problem, and they came to me to help fix it.”

“What was the problem?” Hank asked.

“Sex appeal. Or rather, lack of it. They were getting killed by flashier competitors, and they needed something to put them into the spotlight. I remember how fresh Ethan seemed in that first meeting. I mean, I remember how pale he was from sitting in front of a computer screen all day, and how idealistic he seemed about his company. He was against the idea from the start.”

“And what idea would that be?” Hank asked.

“I wanted to make him into a bad boy. If he raised his public profile, he could completely change the image of his company. All he needed was the initial push, and well, after so many years, you can tell how well it’s worked.”

Amy didn’t mention the first handshake with Ethan, the way she had felt a special rush of excitement as he made eye contact with her as they shook hands. Maybe this one’s different, she had thought.

“I see,” Hank replied. “So you want me to believe that the whole wild child act was just that, an act?”

“At first, yes, but then he began to really savor it. The more the tabloids covered him, the more he embraced the role, and his company’s stock took off accordingly. The image fueled the success, and the success fueled the image. It was a cycle, one that made him very rich and very famous.” Amy lost herself for a moment as she stared out the window. “I can see how this view lends itself to contemplation.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but this doesn’t sound much like a love story,” Hank said. “It sounds more like a sales pitch. So, let’s cut to the chase as they say.”

“Believe me, at that point, for a long while, it wasn’t a love story.” As she spoke Amy thought, It’s not really lying if I just leave out that it still isn’t one. But Amy knew she’d have to say something. “I guess it all started in Chicago.” She thought back to that trip, when Ethan had both seduced her and stood her up on the same night.#p#分页标题#e#

“Chicago?” Hank asked. “Ok, I’ll bite. What happened in Chicago?”

“All hell broke loose,” Amy replied. “And I was the only person in the world who could fix it. At least that’s what Ethan told me when he urged me to get my ass on a plane as soon as possible.”

“What happened?”

“Well, he said he had a bit of a crisis with a girl, so I jumped on a plane and headed to Chicago. I arrived at four thirty in the afternoon. I still remember because it was late fall, and the sun was setting as the plane landed. Ethan had sent for a car to bring me to his hotel. I had started to suspect something was up by the time I got to the hotel. Ethan wasn’t there, but someone from the front desk was waiting to show me upstairs for my fitting. By the time I got up to his suite, I realized it had been a set up.