What Deceit Looks Like | ✓

12: Maddox

"Hey, thanks for coming up here," Hayes greets me with a hug, and I pat his shoulder.

"You act like my office is across town. It's just two floors below yours," I joke, sitting on his couch.

He gives me a grin as he turns to pour two glasses of whiskey, "Well, I did specifically say 'coming up here' implying that I do, in fact, know your office is below mine. But if you've made a decision, you could be right down the hall from me. I can't promise the office is as spacious as mine, but it has a pretty good view."

"It's a compelling offer," I admit taking a moment to relax.

Hayes hands the glass to me and sits in one of the chairs on the other side of the coffee table, "I know you've been debating whether to move to Boston or not. I'd be more than happy to talk about setting up a branch there for you to run, but I'd prefer to have someone I trusted on the board with me."

I take a drink of the whiskey, loving the smoothness of it, "Dad mentioned that you're still having problems with Uncle's people."

He grimaces, "Problems is an easy way of putting it. I have swayed some in the past few years, but it's still my dad's board, even though I took over four years ago. They challenge everything I try to do. My goal is to replace them one by one, but it's hard when everyone is in each other's pocket. Loyalty is hard to find at the top. It'd be a big help having you as COO; if the salary increase can be used as an incentive, then think of that perk."

"You know I don't care about the money," I retort, and he shrugs.

"I do know, but you have to admit that it's a perk."

It is a perk, but it's not needed. We got equal amounts and shares of the company when our grandparents passed, and that was enough money to last us a long comfortable life. Hayes has more shares now because his father stepped down, making him the owner of the company. "If I did care about the money, I would have to agree with you." I down the last of the drink, enjoying the spicy hint to it. "How has he been doing?"

Hayes' face softens, "Good, he's in an experimental treatment that seems to be helping. It's given him more time than the original prognosis."

I nod in response because that's good news. His cancer put things pretty up in the air for a while. For being cousins, we're similar in stature and size, but the only thing that makes us look related would be our eyes. His dark hair and skin tone came from his mother, whereas my blonde waves and fair skin came from mine.

"So, what do I have to do to get you to agree?" He asks earnestly, and I look down at the glass in my hand. Boston wasn't a done deal, and there was always time to go there.

I match his smile from earlier, "If you throw in a bottle of this whiskey, consider it a deal."

"A celebratory glass?" Hayes asks, even though it's not a question.

"Hell yeah. How are you and Sephine?" I ask because they've kind of been out of the spotlight lately. Typically, I run into them at the galas and fundraisers, but they haven't been to one in a month. I just haven't seen them in general, but I've been wrapped up with Charlie coming to visit and everything with Cassidy.

He's more generous with this glass than the last one before he relaxes into his chair again. "We're good. She got back from a tour a little bit ago, and I can't say it isn't nice having to fly to see my wife for a few hours."

"Haven't seen you around the party scene lately, everything okay, or will part of my new job be to make appearances for you?" I'm half-joking, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were.