Velvet Kisses(16)

I nod across the table at Ryder as the last meeting of the day wraps up. Another boring-as-shit war session that ends in nominal threats that single out anyone looking to break one of the Capwell commandments, the most important of which is thou shalt not covet working for any other Forbes 500 conglomerate. Although, it’s pretty clear the corporate gods are about to roll heads. Everyone has been on pins and needles just waiting for the ax to fall. Shares have tumbled, investors have trotted off toward higher ground, and, according to my salary, there is indeed a glass ceiling for men, and I’ve somehow managed to slam against it.

I glance around at the bevy of gray suits lining the table, not one happens to be sporting the double X chromosome, and about three look ready to drop dead from fatigue. Is this what I want to be doing for the rest of my days? Living on a moderate salary, wearing my suit like an armor against the rest of the world while I try not to take a permanent nap in my oatmeal? There has to be a better way.

The meeting disbands with bodies flying out of the boardroom faster than you can say bomb threat. Ryder walks alongside me in the hall keeping up with my brisk pace as I head to my office—corner suite, uninterrupted windows that span east to west. Seventeenth floor, nothing but God and mountaintops to greet me. That’s the one perk I’m not so anxious to lose.

Ryder leans in. “Laney told me about your brother and Annie. Did you know one of her brothers is an intern here? Bryson. I’d describe him but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them both.”

“Right, twins.” Fraternal. I remember the slight difference in their features that first night they stood side by side looking as if they were about to storm the stage and kill Blake. A huff of a laugh dispels from me.

Ryder sticks his head into a nearby cubicle. “Bry, get your ass out here.”

A moment later, there he is. There’s something in his eyes that reminds me of his sister. Sweet girl. I’m shocked as hell Blake managed to land himself someone who seems both kind and beautiful—a feat I’ve been trying to master for years.

“Bryson, this is Wyatt James, Blake’s brother.”

“I’ve seen you. Think we met.” He gives my hand a quick shake.

“We may have. Everything seems a little fuzzy at the Black Bear. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“Wyatt, here, is thinking about jumping ship.” Ryder slaps me on the back, and I pause just steps from my office.

“Says who?” Unless he’s become a mind reader, says no one. He’s right though.

“Says me.” Ryder’s chin moves up and down like a bobble head. “You’re smart, and you have potential that can shoot right past the barriers my father and his motley crew have set in place. You like advertising, but you see the bigger picture, technology, social media beyond a few popular apps. Face it, this is 1950s thinking in a 21st century world. And”—he bears his serious-as-shit gaze into mine—“if you haven’t thought of jumping ship—you should. With me.”

I glance to Bryson a moment then back to Ryder.

“What is this? Let me guess. Bryson, you’d like a job. Ryder, you need an employment opportunity to crop up, and what better way to achieve this than giving me the rope to hang myself with. Or, better yet, a boat to float me off to unemployment seas.” Not that I needed the shove. He’s right. I’m one foot out the door already.

“You won’t be unemployed.” Ryder nods toward my office, and I follow him in. Or, if I’m even remotely right, we’ve just stepped into Bryson’s new office. “I’m the one bailing. I’ve been meaning to for a while now.”

“Branching out on your own?” I take a seat behind my desk, intrigued by the shift of events. I’m liking this plot twist a hell of a lot better than the one in which I pack my desk up in a box. “What gives?”

“Same thing that has the masses headed for the exit. I think I can build a better boat. So are you two in?”

“Me?” Bryson raises a brow.

“Yeah, you. I know you’ve got the bars, but I also know you want to extend your reach. And”—he looks to me—“you’ve got the ranch, but it was never your baby to begin with. What better time to get into a new startup than now? I think if the three of us put our heads together, we can expand past branding services and offer something more comprehensive to the technology savvy consumer. I’m not talking mom and pop type stuff. I’m talking the heavy hitters. Those old school companies need someone to step in and hold their hand while ushering them into the new millennium.”