Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you guys like. I had my friend read
this before I posted it and she brought something to my attention. I'd
just like to state that I'm not trying to make Theresa appear to be a bit*h
or make Fox seem like a jerk, I'm just trying to show them as two powerful,
strong people. If I happen to offend anyone, please let me know and I'll
try to change it. And another thing, I know nothing about business
dealings and such so anything relating to business deals or mergers is
complete B.S. on my part. Thanks!!
Chapter 7
"Now are you sure you don't mind watching them today?" Theresa asked early the next morning.
"Yeah, because Pilar already agreed to take care of them for the day, you don't have to watch them if you don't want to," Fox added.
"Are you kidding? And miss the chance to spend the day with my lovely godson and goddaughter? No way, I'm taking them for the day and that's final," Whitney said determinedly.
"If you're sure."
"Of course I'm sure, Resa," Whitney said before taking the baby bag Theresa's grasp. "You two just go to work and I'll take care of these adorable children," she said as she cooed at the twins that were laying comfortably in the arms of their parents.
"All right," Theresa said as she and Fox placed Jessica and Justin Whitney's arms. "You know the drill-everything is in the bag and you have my cell number."
"Of course I know, I baby-sat Jessica and Justin numerous times when I visited you in Paris," Whitney replied. "Don't worry about them."
"Okay, well, we'll call you sometime today to check up on them," Fox said as began to his keys from his pocket. "Be good for your Aunt Whitney," he said gently as he bent down and laid a kiss on the foreheads of Jessica and Justin.
"They'll be angels, they always are," Whitney said as she began to bounce them lightly on her hips.
"All right, Mommy loves you and she'll call you as soon as possible," Theresa said to the twins before kissing their cheeks. "You ready?" she asked Fox as she grabbed her purse.
"Yeah," Fox replied. "We'll talk to you later, Whitney," he said as he began to lead Theresa out of the Crane mansion.
"Bye, Whit."
"See you later, Resa," Whitney called out before closing the door. Bending her head, she looked down at the smiling twins in her arms. "We're going to have fun today, aren't we?" she cooed.
"Fun!" Jessica exclaimed with a large smile.
"Yes, that's right, fun!" Whitney said with a big smile. "Now let's go up to my room and start our day of fun," she said as she headed up the stairs. Not really paying attention, she barely missed bumping into Ethan. "Oh, Ethan!" she exclaimed.
"Whoa, I'm sorry, Whitney," Ethan said apologetically. "I'm kind of in a rush," he added, not yet noticing the twins in her arms.
"Next time, be careful, you could have hurt my godchildren," she said harshly, recalling the way he treat Theresa. Ethan noticed the tone right away. Rather than respond to the tone, he turned his attention to the children in her arms.
"What are they doing here?" he asked, a bit ruder than he intended.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I told Fox and Theresa that I'd watch them for the day while they're at work," she replied with a glare.
"Oh," Ethan said in disgust, looking at the children as if they were the cause of all his problems. Whitney noticed the look right away and hardened her glare.
"Yes, work, you know, where you should already be?" she said with intimation.
"Oh, yeah, work!" Ethan exclaimed, suddenly realizing why he was in a rush when he came down the stairs. "Gwen took a long time to get dressed, so now we're running late," he explained.
"I see," Whitney said. "Not a really good impression to make on first day as vice president, is it?" she asked rhetorically.
"I know, I was just going to go start the car, Gwen should be down any second," he replied just as Gwen made her way downstairs.
"Look who decided to grace us with her presence," Whitney said with a roll of her eyes, sarcasm dripping through her voice.
"What are those two brats doing here?" Gwen asked, not acknowledging Whitney's initial comment.
"First of all, they're not brats," Whitney said with a glare. "And secondly, their reason for being here is none of your damn business."
"Fine, I didn't really care anyway; just keep them away from our room," she replied. Before Whitney could comment, Gwen turned around and focused all of her attention on Ethan. "Did you start the car?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"No, not yet, I was just on my way," Ethan replied. "We better get going, we're already late as it is," he said.
"You're the vice president, you can show up whenever you want," Gwen argued.
"Ha!" Whitney said, before she could stop herself. She had seen Fox and Theresa work together in Paris and if there was one thing they didn't tolerate from their employees, it was tardiness. Whether you were vice president or a simple secretary, you showed up on time and you came prepared. 'Especially when you have a meeting with Alistair Crane,' Whitney thought to herself as she remembered Theresa telling her about an early morning meeting with Alistair.
"What was that for?" Gwen asked with a glare.
"Nothing," Whitney said innocently, not wanting to clue Ethan and Gwen on the fury they would be facing at the hands of Alistair Crane. "You're right, Gwen. As vice president, Ethan should be able to arrive whenever he pleases, he's earned it," she said, barely forcing out the last part of her statement.
"See? There's no reason to worry," Gwen said to Ethan, although she didn't really trust the innocent look on Whitney's face.
"I'd still like to make a good impression; let's hurry up and get out of here, Gwen," he said as he took her hand and led her down the stairs. "We'll, uh, see you later Whitney," he said before dragging Gwen out of the mansion.
"Now that those two are gone, we can really begin to enjoy ourselves," Whitney said to the twins as she happily climbed the stairs and headed to her room.
"You're late," Fox said calmly as Ethan and Gwen strolled into the large meeting room.
"Thanks for the report," Ethan said sardonically. "Care to tell me why I received a memo telling me to come here?" he asked.
"Yes, as soon as you tell us why you're just arriving now when the memo stated that you were to be here almost twenty minutes ago," Theresa said from her seat next to Fox.
"Gwen and I just arrived, we haven't even been here for ten minutes," Ethan explained.
"Our reason for our time of arrival is absolutely none of your business," Gwen said, interrupting Ethan.
"It is when your so-called 'reasons' wastes twenty minutes of our time," Fox replied calmly, with a look that showed he would not tolerate anyone wasting his time. Gwen glared at him and was about to retort when Ethan spoke up.
"Well, we're here now, so why the hell did you guys summon like we're a bunch of servants?" he asked coldly, directing most of the question towards Fox rather than Theresa.
"Just so you know, Ethan," Fox started, pointedly ignoring Ethan's question. "Theresa and I do not tolerate tardiness from any of our employees. I don't give a damn what position you hold, you will arrive on time just like every other employee does, is that clear?" he asked. Ethan and Gwen glared at him, refusing to let go of their pride and respond to Fox.
"I think that's a yes," Theresa said, getting a kick out of the dangerous, almost murderous look, that Gwen sent her way.
"Can we please get to the point?" Gwen asked irritably.
"Gwen, dear, hasn't anyone ever told you that patience is a virtue?" Alistair's voice asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Alistair?" Gwen asked, looking around before her eyes finally took notice of the phone lying on the center of the table.
"Yes, Gwen, it's me," Alistair said calmly.
"Why are you on the phone?" Ethan asked as he and Gwen took a seat across from Fox and Theresa.
"I'm sitting here waiting because two employees decided it'd be nice to waste my time by showing up late," Alistair replied coolly.
"About that." Ethan started.
"Save it," Alistair interrupted harshly. "As Fox stated, tardiness is unacceptable in Crane Industries. If you can't accept that then you should resign now before you waste anymore of our time."
"It won't happen again," Ethan said quickly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Gwen since she was the reason they were late.
"I'm sure it won't," he replied curtly. "Now that that's over, I'd like to get back to the reason of this meeting. I faxed over papers concerning your first job as business associates; they can be found in the folder that you were given, Fox," he explained. Fox opened the folder and began to hand out all the papers that were in it.
"Who's Phillip Anderson?" Gwen asked as she skimmed through the papers.
"He's a very well-esteemed business man; he owns thousands of acres of land," Alistair explained. "For years, I have been trying to get him to sell me a piece of land that he owns, but he has always refused."
"Why?" Theresa questioned as she continued to read the papers.
"He's what you would call a do-gooder," Alistair replied with a sigh. "He constantly donates to charity and he holds various auctions during the year to raise money for orphanages and such. He apparently doesn't approve of the reputation the Crane name has carried, and he refuses to do business with us."
"So what do you expect us to do?" Ethan asked. "Why do you think we can convince him otherwise after you've tried for years?"
"That is the point of this assignment," Alistair replied coolly. "It's your job to convince him to sell you the land."
"And if we can't?" Gwen asked.
"Consider yourself fired," Alistair said coldly, not liking the challenge in Gwen's voice.
"Are you serious?" Ethan asked incredulously. "You'd just fire all four of us, just like that?"
"No, I'd fire you and Gwen," Alistair said calmly. "I have no doubt in my mind that Fox and Theresa could convince Mr. Anderson to sell the land-I've seen them convince even the most stubborn businessmen to do business with them. This assignment is merely to show me that I didn't make a mistake by hiring him," he explained.
"So, this is basically a test for Ethan to prove that he's worthy of this job?" Gwen asked indignantly.
"Not just Ethan, Gwen. Remember, if he leaves, so do you," he replied. "I'm really not trying to set you two up, I'm merely making sure that this so-called partnership between you and Ethan isn't going to be a waste of my time," he explained.
"So, why are Theresa and I here?" Fox asked.
"To make sure that this deal goes through. Incase Ethan and Gwen make any mistakes, then you and Theresa will have to interfere," Alistair replied.
"So, you want us to play babysitters to grownups?" Theresa asked in disbelief, obviously not liking Alistair's explanation. "Ethan is a grown man, he can handle a little business transaction on his own," she said determinedly.
"Look Theresa, I know this isn't exactly the ideal merger that you expected on your first day of work in Harmony, but Mr. Anderson is a very stubborn man and Ethan and Gwen are going to need someone just as stubborn to make sure the deal is made. And there is no one I know that is more stubborn and aggravating than you or Fox."
"You really know how to compliment a woman, Alistair," Theresa said sarcastically.
"Look, Mr. Anderson has already set an appointment this afternoon for lunch. He'll will meet you at the Seascape Restaurant and by the time lunch is over, you will have had him sign the contracts," he said, not leaving room for arguments.
"We'll make sure that happens," Ethan said quickly.
"I know you will-the future of your job requires that you do," Alistair replied.
"Is that it, Grandfather?" Fox asked, wanting to hurry up and leave.
"Yes, Fox, that's it. I'll contact you later this evening to make sure that everything went as planned. Goodbye," he said before hanging up.
"Glad that's over," Fox said with a smile as he turned off the speakerphone. As much as he loved his job, he never could stand the tediousness of meetings; they bored him to no end. He looked up to see Ethan looking at him expectantly. "You do know that you can leave now, right?" he asked.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'd appreciate it if you'd let me do all the talking at the meeting," Ethan said.
"Excuse me," Fox asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I've handled these type of men before and Mr. Anderson won't appreciate it if some arrogant man tries to force him into a transaction," he explained.
"And by 'arrogant man' I suppose you're referring to me?" Fox asked frostily.
"Well, yeah," Ethan said.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Theresa asked, cutting in before Fox could say anything. "How dare you sit here and insult your boss like he's some little child," she said crossly.
"I'm just trying to ensure that nothing goes wrong," Ethan said angrily, not liking the way Theresa always came to Fox's defense.
"Well maybe you should-"
"That's okay Resa," Fox interrupted with a small smile. "If Ethan wants us to stay quiet and sit on the sidelines, we'll do that."
"Excuse me?" Theresa asked, turning her glare to Fox.
"We'll do as Ethan asked-after all, as associates, we have to learn to respect each others wishes," he replied, keeping his attention on Ethan.
"Thank you, Fox," Ethan said warily. "I'm glad that you're learning from me," he said with a self-assured smile as he rose from his chair with Gwen. "We'll meet you two at the Seascape," he said before walking out of the room with a smug Gwen.
"What the hell was that!?" Theresa asked as soon as the left the room. "I don't know if you forgot or something, but I stand down and stay quiet for no one, especially Ethan and Gwen," she said angrily as she pushed herself out of her chair and began to pace in from of Fox.
"Of course I didn't forget," Fox said, barely hiding his smile at Theresa's angry expression. "Look, calm down," he said.
"Calm down!? You want me to calm down after you just told Ethan that you and I would sit down and be quiet like a couple of lap dogs?" she exclaimed angrily. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that Ethan's going to feel pretty stupid once that meeting is over," he said as he grabbed her arm and prevented her from pacing.
"Care to explain why?" Theresa asked as Fox pulled her onto his lap.
"Think about it, Ethan has worked at Crane Industries for years, Alistair knows that he can make simple business transactions," he explained.
"What's your point?"
"If Alistair knows this, then why would he send us 'baby-sit', as you so eloquently put it? Alistair obviously knows that Mr. Anderson won't just easily give into Ethan or Gwen, which is why he sent us along. He knows that they're going to need our help," he explained.
"But if we stay quiet, we might not get the land from Mr. Anderson," Theresa said, still not understanding Fox's explanation.
"Oh, we'll get it. Here's what I'm thinking-eventually Ethan will realize that all of his talking and explanations aren't getting through to Mr. Anderson. So what will he be forced to do? Turn to us for help, that's what," he explained as recognition clouded in Theresa's eyes.
"And after we convince Mr. Anderson, Ethan and Gwen will realize that we're not the inexperienced fools they think we are; they'll realize that we're not to be messed with," she said with as the pieces started to fall together.
"I was thinking more along the lines that Ethan would look like a complete idiot, but yeah, your theory works too," Fox said with a small laugh before placing a sweet kiss on Theresa's lips. "All right babe, how about you and I get back to work," he said as he as Theresa rose from his chair.
"Okay," Theresa said reluctantly, not wanting to leave the comfort of Fox's arms. "Come on, I still have to make a few phone calls to Paris to make sure everything is going okay with the company," she said as she took his hand and led him out of the meeting room.
"I've got to talk to a few of the lawyers, so I'll see you later," Fox said as he leaned down to kiss Theresa's lips lightly.
"Okay, I love you," she said with a smile.
"I love you, too," Fox said before turning and heading down the hall.
A few hours later, Fox and Theresa found themselves outside of the Seascape Restaurant, awaiting the arrival of Ethan and Gwen.
"There they are," Theresa said as she saw them approach.
"Good, let's hurry up and get in-I'm hungry," Fox said.
"When are you never?" Theresa asked with a smile.
"You've got a point," Fox replied with a smile as he leaned down and gave Theresa a light kiss on the corner of her mouth.
"God, couldn't you at least wait until you were alone?" Gwen asked irritably as she and Ethan reached Fox and Theresa.
"Good to see you too, Gwen," Fox said sarcastically.
"Wish I could say the same," Gwen replied.
"Same here," Ethan muttered.
"Well, I guess we should head in; we wouldn't want to keep Mr. Anderson waiting," Theresa said after a moment of silence.
"Theresa's right," Ethan said. "Mr. Anderson is probably already there waiting," he added before walking into the restaurant.
"Hello, we're here to meet a Mr. Phillip Anderson," Fox said as soon as the reached the host's stand.
"Yes, Mr. Anderson, right this way, please," the host said as she began to lead them towards a table.
"Remember, let myself and Gwen handle all the negotiations," Ethan whispered as they made their way over to the table.
"Whatever you say, Ethan," Theresa gritted out, barely refraining from lashing out at Ethan's self-righteous attitude. Fox, noticing Theresa's expressions, laughed before giving her hands a gentle squeeze.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson, it's nice to meet you," Fox said politely as he shook Mr. Anderson's hand.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you too, but please, call me Phillip; Mr. Anderson makes me feel as old as I look" said the kind, old man with a smile.
"Okay, Phillip," Fox said with a charming smile. "I'm Nicolas Crane, and this is my wife, and partner, Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane," he said.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Crane," Phillip said warmly.
"You too, Phillip," Theresa said with a bright smile as she shook Phillip's hand.
"And that is Ethan Winthrop, the vice president of Crane Industries, and his wife and personal assistant, Gwen Winthrop," Fox added.
"Hello, Phillip," Ethan said while shaking his hand.
"Why hello, Ethan, Gwen," Phillip replied with a warm smile. "Please, have a seat," he said as he gestured to the seats around him.
"Thank you," Theresa replied as she took a seat next to Fox and directly across from Phillip.
"What do you say we order before we get down to business," Phillip suggested as he waved over a waiter.
"Sounds good," Fox replied before the waiter came over to take their orders.
A while later, Fox and Theresa sat at the table eating their food as they watched Ethan and Gwen try, in vain, to convince Phillip to see his property. Theresa couldn't help but smile slightly behind her wine glass as she heard Phillip turn down Ethan and Gwen for the fifth time. Gwen, noticing Theresa's smile, glared at her before speaking up.
"Well, Theresa, can you think of any way to convince Mr. Anderson to sell his property?" she asked, her dark glare betraying the sweetness of her voice.
"Yes, Theresa, do you think you can help?" Ethan asked desperately, his eyes pleading for some assistance.
"Actually, Ethan, I don't think so. I think I'll just leave this to you and Gwen-you know, let you do all the talking," Theresa replied with a small smile.
"No, I insist, if you can help, please do," Ethan practically pleaded, surprised that Theresa was purposely leaving him out to dry. "That includes you too, Fox," he reluctantly added.
"With all do respect, Mr. Winthrop," Phillip started. "I really don't think anything Mr. or Mrs. Crane will say can change my mind. I've heard all about the Crane's affairs and I'd rather not associate myself or my company with it, no offense," he said, looking at Fox and Theresa.
"None taken," Fox replied. "I completely understand your point of view."
"I'm sure you are nothing like your grandfather, or father, for that matter, but I'd rather not take the chance," Phillip added, not wanting to accuse Fox of any of the wrong doings that were constantly associated with his family. .
"But, Phillip, I can assure you that we will not use the property for anything that you wouldn't approve of," Ethan tried to explain.
"Can you really ensure that?" Phillip challenged. "Can you sit here and tell me that you know without a doubt that Alistair will not try to use this property to further expand his business at the expense of others? Or that he wouldn't use this merger with me to bring down another company?" Ethan stayed silent, knowing that he couldn't guarantee anything. "I didn't think you could," Phillip said as he began to rise from his seat.
"Wait, Phillip!" Theresa exclaimed, realizing that she and Fox had already proven their point and she could finally interfere. "Please, have a seat and let us talk this through again," she suggested.
"I really don't see what there's to talk about," Phillip replied, taking a seat, nonetheless.
"Look, Phillip," Fox started. "I know that the Crane name isn't the type of publicity you're looking for, and I can't blame you, but I can assure you that things will change. Theresa and I have been running a Crane Industries branch in Europe for almost five years and we have turned the entire company around. We are completely fair, legitimate, and respectful. We would never buy land from a respectable man like yourself only to use it for wrong doings; that's not who we are," he said, surprising both Ethan and Gwen.
"Exactly, sir," Theresa added. "Fox and I have just started running the Harmony division and we would never allow the Crane name to get sucked back into a reputation of dishonesty. If you look at our files, you will see that all of our dealings in Europe were completely fair and successful. We've even donated millions of dollars to various charities all over the world," she said as she handed Phillip the various files that she had brought with her.
"These files are quite impressive," Phillip commented as he continued to browse through the files.
"Yes, it is," Fox said. "I understand your doubts, sir, but you have to know that as a grown man and father, I would never involve myself in a business that I thought would make my wife or children any less proud of me. I'm here because I believe and trust in the Crane name and Crane Empire. I'm telling you right now, I can guarantee that you won't regret selling this large piece of property to Crane Industries. And if you do, I will personally pay you twice the value of the land as a show of apology."
"You'd be willing to do that?" Phillip asked warily. "You have that much faith in this company?"
"Yes, I do, sir," Fox replied. "I have faith in the company, I have faith in the success my wife and I can accomplish together, and I have faith in each of the employees of Crane Industries who help to make it what it is today," he said confidently.
"Well, that's a lot of faith son," Phillip said, clearly impressed by the young couple sitting across from him. "And what about you, Theresa, do you think I should do business with the Cranes?" he asked, knowing Theresa's history with the Cranes.
"No, sir," Theresa said. "I know you should do business with the Cranes, because Fox and I, we're basically the only Cranes running the company, and we'll make it our duty to make sure that no one regrets doing business with us," Theresa replied with confidence. She watched as Phillip looked back and forth between herself and Fox before finally cracking a smile.
"Well, if you say so, hand me the contract," he said kindly.
"Really?" Gwen asked, shocked and angered that Fox and Theresa had accomplished, in less than ten minutes, what she and Ethan couldn't accomplish throughout their entire lunch meeting.
"Yes, Gwen," Phillip replied. "Fox and Theresa seem confident that I won't be making a mistake, so I'm going to trust them; after all, it'll probably only be a few years before they're the top leading business duo in the country, and I'll probably regret not doing business with them when I had the chance," he replied with a smile.
"Why, thank you sir," Theresa said, in reference to the obvious compliment.
"Yes, Phillip, thank you very much," Fox replied.
"Don't mention it," Phillip said as he signed the last paper that Ethan had given him. "I'm sorry, but I must be going; my daughter's got a dance recital and I promised I'd be there before she went on stage," he said as he rose from his chair.
"Of course," Theresa said as she also rose from her chair, along with Fox, Ethan, and Gwen. "Thank you once again, sir."
"It was my pleasure," Phillip said. "I'll will see you four around," he said before shaking hands with all four of them and leaving the restaurant.
"Well, that was pretty easy," Theresa said to Fox, as soon as Phillip left the restaurant.
"Yeah, the way Grandfather described him, you'd have thought that we'd be sitting here for hours trying to convince him," Fox replied as he gathered the files that Theresa brought with her.
"Uh, hello!" Gwen said angrily. "Incase you didn't notice, Ethan and I did just sit hear for an hour and a half trying to convince him to sell the damn property!"
"Oh, and Fox and I got it done in less than ten minutes, isn't that funny," Theresa said with a smile.
"You know, the two of you could have helped if you knew it was going to be that easy," Ethan said sullenly.
"We would have, but someone told us to keep our mouth shuts, and we were just following orders like good little students," Theresa said cynically.
"Yeah, Ethan, that's all we're here for, right?" Fox asked. "We're here specifically to follow your orders. Never mind the fact that we're your bosses-you still have every right to boss us around, right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I wasn't trying to sound like your boss, I was just trying to make sure that nothing went wrong," Ethan explained weakly.
"And Theresa and I would have been the reasons why something could have gone wrong?" Fox asked, restraining from yelling loudly and attracting the attention of the whole restaurant.
"Maybe not Theresa, but you, Fox, we know how impatient you can be," Ethan said, not noticing the angry look that came across Theresa and Fox's face at his statement. "I just didn't want you to get impatient and then make Mr. Anderson feel like you were forcing a decision on him."
"And I suppose you came to this conclusion because you know me so well, right," Fox asked scathingly.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Ethan replied, getting angry at Fox's sarcastic replies. "You're as arrogant as they come, Fox; you always have been, probably always will be."
"Fox is anything but arrogant, Ethan," Theresa said before Fox could reply. "He may be confident, he may be a bit stubborn, but not arrogant. And even if he were, his personality is not the issue here," she said calmly.
"And what is the issue, Theresa?" Gwen asked with a glare.
"The issue is that Ethan thought that he had a right to tell Fox and I how to act during a meeting," Theresa said while glaring at both Ethan and Gwen. "Fox and I may not have been working in this business as long as you, Ethan, but as you saw from this meeting, we are no less skilled than you. And neither one of us appreciated you sitting there and giving us orders like we're a bunch of children."
"Theresa, I-" Ethan started.
"I don't want your explanations," Theresa interrupted coldly. "I want you to remember that I'm not your little naïve ex-girlfriend, and Fox isn't your careless younger brother. We're two grown, responsible adults, and more importantly, we're your bosses. So if anyone is going to be giving orders, it's going to be us, is that clear?"
"That goes for you too, Gwen," Fox said, seeing that Gwen was about to protest.
"Excuse me?" Gwen asked defiantly. "I am Ethan's assistant, therefore he's the only one I listen to. The two of you have no power over me," she said with a smug smile as she laid a hand on her hip.
"Well, then, Ethan, I'll leave it up to you to reiterate to Gwen what Theresa just said," Fox said, smiling as he noticed the smug look disappear from Gwen's face to be replaced with a glare.
"Are you seriously going to be so petty and use your position at Crane Industries to take control of us?" Ethan asked Fox in disgust.
"Take control?" Theresa asked with a laugh. "We don't want control over you two-hell if I had things my way, you two wouldn't even be working with us. I don't want power over you Ethan, or Gwen for that matter. I want respect, and I don't mean respect as a person, because your respect in that matter means nothing to me. I want respect as your boss. I want you to recognize that from this moment on, you and I are not friends and I'm no longer your ex-girlfriend. I'm your boss and fellow associate, and I deserve the same amount of respect that you show to everyone else at Crane Industries. And I won't tolerate you treating Fox or I any differently just because of the history we've shared."
Ethan stared at Theresa, unable to believe the way she was standing in from of him and demanding respect from him and Gwen. This wasn't the Theresa he remembered. His Theresa would never stand there and glare at him like he was the lowest scum on Earth. What the hell happened to her? Almost immediately, Ethan got his answer. 'Fox,' he thought bitterly. 'He got her in his clutches and completely changed her. Leave it to my brother to ruin someone as sweet and kind as Theresa.' Unable to help himself, Ethan threw a murderous glare at Fox. His glare grew harder when Fox simply shrugged his shoulders and turned away from him.
"I don't have time for this," Theresa said, seeing that Ethan was lost in his thoughts and hadn't said anything the last few minutes. "We've got to get back to work," she said turning to Fox.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Fox said as he grabbed Theresa' jacket and put it on her. "When your hubby comes out of his little trance, tell him that he's got fifteen minutes to make it back to work, otherwise he's late," he said to Gwen who just rolled her eyes at him as he and Theresa left the restaurant.
"Ethan? Are you okay?" Gwen asked, shaking Ethan out of his thoughts.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine Gwen," Ethan said feebly. "We better get going before we're late," he said as he took Gwen's hand.
"Ethan?" Gwen called out, stopping Ethan from walking.
"Yes?"
"You're over, Theresa, right?" she asked, almost dreading his answer.
"Why would you ask me that?" Ethan asked nervously.
"I'm not blind, Ethan. I've seen the way you've looked at her. Not only that, but I've seen the glares you've given Fox. It's almost like you resent him for marrying Theresa," she said, barely hiding her jealousy.
"Gwen, you're just being paranoid," Ethan replied unconvincingly. "Theresa and I are over, I have no feelings for her. I love you, and only you. Now, let's hurry up and get out of here," he said as he began to lead her out of the restaurant.
'He's not over her. And despite Theresa's claims of loving Fox, I know she's not over Ethan,' she thought jealously. 'It doesn't matter, I'll make sure that Theresa keeps her slimy paws off of my husband, by all means necessary.' With that, Gwen regained her composure and continued to follow Ethan out of the restaurant.
TBC
Chapter 7
"Now are you sure you don't mind watching them today?" Theresa asked early the next morning.
"Yeah, because Pilar already agreed to take care of them for the day, you don't have to watch them if you don't want to," Fox added.
"Are you kidding? And miss the chance to spend the day with my lovely godson and goddaughter? No way, I'm taking them for the day and that's final," Whitney said determinedly.
"If you're sure."
"Of course I'm sure, Resa," Whitney said before taking the baby bag Theresa's grasp. "You two just go to work and I'll take care of these adorable children," she said as she cooed at the twins that were laying comfortably in the arms of their parents.
"All right," Theresa said as she and Fox placed Jessica and Justin Whitney's arms. "You know the drill-everything is in the bag and you have my cell number."
"Of course I know, I baby-sat Jessica and Justin numerous times when I visited you in Paris," Whitney replied. "Don't worry about them."
"Okay, well, we'll call you sometime today to check up on them," Fox said as began to his keys from his pocket. "Be good for your Aunt Whitney," he said gently as he bent down and laid a kiss on the foreheads of Jessica and Justin.
"They'll be angels, they always are," Whitney said as she began to bounce them lightly on her hips.
"All right, Mommy loves you and she'll call you as soon as possible," Theresa said to the twins before kissing their cheeks. "You ready?" she asked Fox as she grabbed her purse.
"Yeah," Fox replied. "We'll talk to you later, Whitney," he said as he began to lead Theresa out of the Crane mansion.
"Bye, Whit."
"See you later, Resa," Whitney called out before closing the door. Bending her head, she looked down at the smiling twins in her arms. "We're going to have fun today, aren't we?" she cooed.
"Fun!" Jessica exclaimed with a large smile.
"Yes, that's right, fun!" Whitney said with a big smile. "Now let's go up to my room and start our day of fun," she said as she headed up the stairs. Not really paying attention, she barely missed bumping into Ethan. "Oh, Ethan!" she exclaimed.
"Whoa, I'm sorry, Whitney," Ethan said apologetically. "I'm kind of in a rush," he added, not yet noticing the twins in her arms.
"Next time, be careful, you could have hurt my godchildren," she said harshly, recalling the way he treat Theresa. Ethan noticed the tone right away. Rather than respond to the tone, he turned his attention to the children in her arms.
"What are they doing here?" he asked, a bit ruder than he intended.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I told Fox and Theresa that I'd watch them for the day while they're at work," she replied with a glare.
"Oh," Ethan said in disgust, looking at the children as if they were the cause of all his problems. Whitney noticed the look right away and hardened her glare.
"Yes, work, you know, where you should already be?" she said with intimation.
"Oh, yeah, work!" Ethan exclaimed, suddenly realizing why he was in a rush when he came down the stairs. "Gwen took a long time to get dressed, so now we're running late," he explained.
"I see," Whitney said. "Not a really good impression to make on first day as vice president, is it?" she asked rhetorically.
"I know, I was just going to go start the car, Gwen should be down any second," he replied just as Gwen made her way downstairs.
"Look who decided to grace us with her presence," Whitney said with a roll of her eyes, sarcasm dripping through her voice.
"What are those two brats doing here?" Gwen asked, not acknowledging Whitney's initial comment.
"First of all, they're not brats," Whitney said with a glare. "And secondly, their reason for being here is none of your damn business."
"Fine, I didn't really care anyway; just keep them away from our room," she replied. Before Whitney could comment, Gwen turned around and focused all of her attention on Ethan. "Did you start the car?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"No, not yet, I was just on my way," Ethan replied. "We better get going, we're already late as it is," he said.
"You're the vice president, you can show up whenever you want," Gwen argued.
"Ha!" Whitney said, before she could stop herself. She had seen Fox and Theresa work together in Paris and if there was one thing they didn't tolerate from their employees, it was tardiness. Whether you were vice president or a simple secretary, you showed up on time and you came prepared. 'Especially when you have a meeting with Alistair Crane,' Whitney thought to herself as she remembered Theresa telling her about an early morning meeting with Alistair.
"What was that for?" Gwen asked with a glare.
"Nothing," Whitney said innocently, not wanting to clue Ethan and Gwen on the fury they would be facing at the hands of Alistair Crane. "You're right, Gwen. As vice president, Ethan should be able to arrive whenever he pleases, he's earned it," she said, barely forcing out the last part of her statement.
"See? There's no reason to worry," Gwen said to Ethan, although she didn't really trust the innocent look on Whitney's face.
"I'd still like to make a good impression; let's hurry up and get out of here, Gwen," he said as he took her hand and led her down the stairs. "We'll, uh, see you later Whitney," he said before dragging Gwen out of the mansion.
"Now that those two are gone, we can really begin to enjoy ourselves," Whitney said to the twins as she happily climbed the stairs and headed to her room.
"You're late," Fox said calmly as Ethan and Gwen strolled into the large meeting room.
"Thanks for the report," Ethan said sardonically. "Care to tell me why I received a memo telling me to come here?" he asked.
"Yes, as soon as you tell us why you're just arriving now when the memo stated that you were to be here almost twenty minutes ago," Theresa said from her seat next to Fox.
"Gwen and I just arrived, we haven't even been here for ten minutes," Ethan explained.
"Our reason for our time of arrival is absolutely none of your business," Gwen said, interrupting Ethan.
"It is when your so-called 'reasons' wastes twenty minutes of our time," Fox replied calmly, with a look that showed he would not tolerate anyone wasting his time. Gwen glared at him and was about to retort when Ethan spoke up.
"Well, we're here now, so why the hell did you guys summon like we're a bunch of servants?" he asked coldly, directing most of the question towards Fox rather than Theresa.
"Just so you know, Ethan," Fox started, pointedly ignoring Ethan's question. "Theresa and I do not tolerate tardiness from any of our employees. I don't give a damn what position you hold, you will arrive on time just like every other employee does, is that clear?" he asked. Ethan and Gwen glared at him, refusing to let go of their pride and respond to Fox.
"I think that's a yes," Theresa said, getting a kick out of the dangerous, almost murderous look, that Gwen sent her way.
"Can we please get to the point?" Gwen asked irritably.
"Gwen, dear, hasn't anyone ever told you that patience is a virtue?" Alistair's voice asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Alistair?" Gwen asked, looking around before her eyes finally took notice of the phone lying on the center of the table.
"Yes, Gwen, it's me," Alistair said calmly.
"Why are you on the phone?" Ethan asked as he and Gwen took a seat across from Fox and Theresa.
"I'm sitting here waiting because two employees decided it'd be nice to waste my time by showing up late," Alistair replied coolly.
"About that." Ethan started.
"Save it," Alistair interrupted harshly. "As Fox stated, tardiness is unacceptable in Crane Industries. If you can't accept that then you should resign now before you waste anymore of our time."
"It won't happen again," Ethan said quickly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Gwen since she was the reason they were late.
"I'm sure it won't," he replied curtly. "Now that that's over, I'd like to get back to the reason of this meeting. I faxed over papers concerning your first job as business associates; they can be found in the folder that you were given, Fox," he explained. Fox opened the folder and began to hand out all the papers that were in it.
"Who's Phillip Anderson?" Gwen asked as she skimmed through the papers.
"He's a very well-esteemed business man; he owns thousands of acres of land," Alistair explained. "For years, I have been trying to get him to sell me a piece of land that he owns, but he has always refused."
"Why?" Theresa questioned as she continued to read the papers.
"He's what you would call a do-gooder," Alistair replied with a sigh. "He constantly donates to charity and he holds various auctions during the year to raise money for orphanages and such. He apparently doesn't approve of the reputation the Crane name has carried, and he refuses to do business with us."
"So what do you expect us to do?" Ethan asked. "Why do you think we can convince him otherwise after you've tried for years?"
"That is the point of this assignment," Alistair replied coolly. "It's your job to convince him to sell you the land."
"And if we can't?" Gwen asked.
"Consider yourself fired," Alistair said coldly, not liking the challenge in Gwen's voice.
"Are you serious?" Ethan asked incredulously. "You'd just fire all four of us, just like that?"
"No, I'd fire you and Gwen," Alistair said calmly. "I have no doubt in my mind that Fox and Theresa could convince Mr. Anderson to sell the land-I've seen them convince even the most stubborn businessmen to do business with them. This assignment is merely to show me that I didn't make a mistake by hiring him," he explained.
"So, this is basically a test for Ethan to prove that he's worthy of this job?" Gwen asked indignantly.
"Not just Ethan, Gwen. Remember, if he leaves, so do you," he replied. "I'm really not trying to set you two up, I'm merely making sure that this so-called partnership between you and Ethan isn't going to be a waste of my time," he explained.
"So, why are Theresa and I here?" Fox asked.
"To make sure that this deal goes through. Incase Ethan and Gwen make any mistakes, then you and Theresa will have to interfere," Alistair replied.
"So, you want us to play babysitters to grownups?" Theresa asked in disbelief, obviously not liking Alistair's explanation. "Ethan is a grown man, he can handle a little business transaction on his own," she said determinedly.
"Look Theresa, I know this isn't exactly the ideal merger that you expected on your first day of work in Harmony, but Mr. Anderson is a very stubborn man and Ethan and Gwen are going to need someone just as stubborn to make sure the deal is made. And there is no one I know that is more stubborn and aggravating than you or Fox."
"You really know how to compliment a woman, Alistair," Theresa said sarcastically.
"Look, Mr. Anderson has already set an appointment this afternoon for lunch. He'll will meet you at the Seascape Restaurant and by the time lunch is over, you will have had him sign the contracts," he said, not leaving room for arguments.
"We'll make sure that happens," Ethan said quickly.
"I know you will-the future of your job requires that you do," Alistair replied.
"Is that it, Grandfather?" Fox asked, wanting to hurry up and leave.
"Yes, Fox, that's it. I'll contact you later this evening to make sure that everything went as planned. Goodbye," he said before hanging up.
"Glad that's over," Fox said with a smile as he turned off the speakerphone. As much as he loved his job, he never could stand the tediousness of meetings; they bored him to no end. He looked up to see Ethan looking at him expectantly. "You do know that you can leave now, right?" he asked.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'd appreciate it if you'd let me do all the talking at the meeting," Ethan said.
"Excuse me," Fox asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I've handled these type of men before and Mr. Anderson won't appreciate it if some arrogant man tries to force him into a transaction," he explained.
"And by 'arrogant man' I suppose you're referring to me?" Fox asked frostily.
"Well, yeah," Ethan said.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Theresa asked, cutting in before Fox could say anything. "How dare you sit here and insult your boss like he's some little child," she said crossly.
"I'm just trying to ensure that nothing goes wrong," Ethan said angrily, not liking the way Theresa always came to Fox's defense.
"Well maybe you should-"
"That's okay Resa," Fox interrupted with a small smile. "If Ethan wants us to stay quiet and sit on the sidelines, we'll do that."
"Excuse me?" Theresa asked, turning her glare to Fox.
"We'll do as Ethan asked-after all, as associates, we have to learn to respect each others wishes," he replied, keeping his attention on Ethan.
"Thank you, Fox," Ethan said warily. "I'm glad that you're learning from me," he said with a self-assured smile as he rose from his chair with Gwen. "We'll meet you two at the Seascape," he said before walking out of the room with a smug Gwen.
"What the hell was that!?" Theresa asked as soon as the left the room. "I don't know if you forgot or something, but I stand down and stay quiet for no one, especially Ethan and Gwen," she said angrily as she pushed herself out of her chair and began to pace in from of Fox.
"Of course I didn't forget," Fox said, barely hiding his smile at Theresa's angry expression. "Look, calm down," he said.
"Calm down!? You want me to calm down after you just told Ethan that you and I would sit down and be quiet like a couple of lap dogs?" she exclaimed angrily. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that Ethan's going to feel pretty stupid once that meeting is over," he said as he grabbed her arm and prevented her from pacing.
"Care to explain why?" Theresa asked as Fox pulled her onto his lap.
"Think about it, Ethan has worked at Crane Industries for years, Alistair knows that he can make simple business transactions," he explained.
"What's your point?"
"If Alistair knows this, then why would he send us 'baby-sit', as you so eloquently put it? Alistair obviously knows that Mr. Anderson won't just easily give into Ethan or Gwen, which is why he sent us along. He knows that they're going to need our help," he explained.
"But if we stay quiet, we might not get the land from Mr. Anderson," Theresa said, still not understanding Fox's explanation.
"Oh, we'll get it. Here's what I'm thinking-eventually Ethan will realize that all of his talking and explanations aren't getting through to Mr. Anderson. So what will he be forced to do? Turn to us for help, that's what," he explained as recognition clouded in Theresa's eyes.
"And after we convince Mr. Anderson, Ethan and Gwen will realize that we're not the inexperienced fools they think we are; they'll realize that we're not to be messed with," she said with as the pieces started to fall together.
"I was thinking more along the lines that Ethan would look like a complete idiot, but yeah, your theory works too," Fox said with a small laugh before placing a sweet kiss on Theresa's lips. "All right babe, how about you and I get back to work," he said as he as Theresa rose from his chair.
"Okay," Theresa said reluctantly, not wanting to leave the comfort of Fox's arms. "Come on, I still have to make a few phone calls to Paris to make sure everything is going okay with the company," she said as she took his hand and led him out of the meeting room.
"I've got to talk to a few of the lawyers, so I'll see you later," Fox said as he leaned down to kiss Theresa's lips lightly.
"Okay, I love you," she said with a smile.
"I love you, too," Fox said before turning and heading down the hall.
A few hours later, Fox and Theresa found themselves outside of the Seascape Restaurant, awaiting the arrival of Ethan and Gwen.
"There they are," Theresa said as she saw them approach.
"Good, let's hurry up and get in-I'm hungry," Fox said.
"When are you never?" Theresa asked with a smile.
"You've got a point," Fox replied with a smile as he leaned down and gave Theresa a light kiss on the corner of her mouth.
"God, couldn't you at least wait until you were alone?" Gwen asked irritably as she and Ethan reached Fox and Theresa.
"Good to see you too, Gwen," Fox said sarcastically.
"Wish I could say the same," Gwen replied.
"Same here," Ethan muttered.
"Well, I guess we should head in; we wouldn't want to keep Mr. Anderson waiting," Theresa said after a moment of silence.
"Theresa's right," Ethan said. "Mr. Anderson is probably already there waiting," he added before walking into the restaurant.
"Hello, we're here to meet a Mr. Phillip Anderson," Fox said as soon as the reached the host's stand.
"Yes, Mr. Anderson, right this way, please," the host said as she began to lead them towards a table.
"Remember, let myself and Gwen handle all the negotiations," Ethan whispered as they made their way over to the table.
"Whatever you say, Ethan," Theresa gritted out, barely refraining from lashing out at Ethan's self-righteous attitude. Fox, noticing Theresa's expressions, laughed before giving her hands a gentle squeeze.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson, it's nice to meet you," Fox said politely as he shook Mr. Anderson's hand.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you too, but please, call me Phillip; Mr. Anderson makes me feel as old as I look" said the kind, old man with a smile.
"Okay, Phillip," Fox said with a charming smile. "I'm Nicolas Crane, and this is my wife, and partner, Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane," he said.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Crane," Phillip said warmly.
"You too, Phillip," Theresa said with a bright smile as she shook Phillip's hand.
"And that is Ethan Winthrop, the vice president of Crane Industries, and his wife and personal assistant, Gwen Winthrop," Fox added.
"Hello, Phillip," Ethan said while shaking his hand.
"Why hello, Ethan, Gwen," Phillip replied with a warm smile. "Please, have a seat," he said as he gestured to the seats around him.
"Thank you," Theresa replied as she took a seat next to Fox and directly across from Phillip.
"What do you say we order before we get down to business," Phillip suggested as he waved over a waiter.
"Sounds good," Fox replied before the waiter came over to take their orders.
A while later, Fox and Theresa sat at the table eating their food as they watched Ethan and Gwen try, in vain, to convince Phillip to see his property. Theresa couldn't help but smile slightly behind her wine glass as she heard Phillip turn down Ethan and Gwen for the fifth time. Gwen, noticing Theresa's smile, glared at her before speaking up.
"Well, Theresa, can you think of any way to convince Mr. Anderson to sell his property?" she asked, her dark glare betraying the sweetness of her voice.
"Yes, Theresa, do you think you can help?" Ethan asked desperately, his eyes pleading for some assistance.
"Actually, Ethan, I don't think so. I think I'll just leave this to you and Gwen-you know, let you do all the talking," Theresa replied with a small smile.
"No, I insist, if you can help, please do," Ethan practically pleaded, surprised that Theresa was purposely leaving him out to dry. "That includes you too, Fox," he reluctantly added.
"With all do respect, Mr. Winthrop," Phillip started. "I really don't think anything Mr. or Mrs. Crane will say can change my mind. I've heard all about the Crane's affairs and I'd rather not associate myself or my company with it, no offense," he said, looking at Fox and Theresa.
"None taken," Fox replied. "I completely understand your point of view."
"I'm sure you are nothing like your grandfather, or father, for that matter, but I'd rather not take the chance," Phillip added, not wanting to accuse Fox of any of the wrong doings that were constantly associated with his family. .
"But, Phillip, I can assure you that we will not use the property for anything that you wouldn't approve of," Ethan tried to explain.
"Can you really ensure that?" Phillip challenged. "Can you sit here and tell me that you know without a doubt that Alistair will not try to use this property to further expand his business at the expense of others? Or that he wouldn't use this merger with me to bring down another company?" Ethan stayed silent, knowing that he couldn't guarantee anything. "I didn't think you could," Phillip said as he began to rise from his seat.
"Wait, Phillip!" Theresa exclaimed, realizing that she and Fox had already proven their point and she could finally interfere. "Please, have a seat and let us talk this through again," she suggested.
"I really don't see what there's to talk about," Phillip replied, taking a seat, nonetheless.
"Look, Phillip," Fox started. "I know that the Crane name isn't the type of publicity you're looking for, and I can't blame you, but I can assure you that things will change. Theresa and I have been running a Crane Industries branch in Europe for almost five years and we have turned the entire company around. We are completely fair, legitimate, and respectful. We would never buy land from a respectable man like yourself only to use it for wrong doings; that's not who we are," he said, surprising both Ethan and Gwen.
"Exactly, sir," Theresa added. "Fox and I have just started running the Harmony division and we would never allow the Crane name to get sucked back into a reputation of dishonesty. If you look at our files, you will see that all of our dealings in Europe were completely fair and successful. We've even donated millions of dollars to various charities all over the world," she said as she handed Phillip the various files that she had brought with her.
"These files are quite impressive," Phillip commented as he continued to browse through the files.
"Yes, it is," Fox said. "I understand your doubts, sir, but you have to know that as a grown man and father, I would never involve myself in a business that I thought would make my wife or children any less proud of me. I'm here because I believe and trust in the Crane name and Crane Empire. I'm telling you right now, I can guarantee that you won't regret selling this large piece of property to Crane Industries. And if you do, I will personally pay you twice the value of the land as a show of apology."
"You'd be willing to do that?" Phillip asked warily. "You have that much faith in this company?"
"Yes, I do, sir," Fox replied. "I have faith in the company, I have faith in the success my wife and I can accomplish together, and I have faith in each of the employees of Crane Industries who help to make it what it is today," he said confidently.
"Well, that's a lot of faith son," Phillip said, clearly impressed by the young couple sitting across from him. "And what about you, Theresa, do you think I should do business with the Cranes?" he asked, knowing Theresa's history with the Cranes.
"No, sir," Theresa said. "I know you should do business with the Cranes, because Fox and I, we're basically the only Cranes running the company, and we'll make it our duty to make sure that no one regrets doing business with us," Theresa replied with confidence. She watched as Phillip looked back and forth between herself and Fox before finally cracking a smile.
"Well, if you say so, hand me the contract," he said kindly.
"Really?" Gwen asked, shocked and angered that Fox and Theresa had accomplished, in less than ten minutes, what she and Ethan couldn't accomplish throughout their entire lunch meeting.
"Yes, Gwen," Phillip replied. "Fox and Theresa seem confident that I won't be making a mistake, so I'm going to trust them; after all, it'll probably only be a few years before they're the top leading business duo in the country, and I'll probably regret not doing business with them when I had the chance," he replied with a smile.
"Why, thank you sir," Theresa said, in reference to the obvious compliment.
"Yes, Phillip, thank you very much," Fox replied.
"Don't mention it," Phillip said as he signed the last paper that Ethan had given him. "I'm sorry, but I must be going; my daughter's got a dance recital and I promised I'd be there before she went on stage," he said as he rose from his chair.
"Of course," Theresa said as she also rose from her chair, along with Fox, Ethan, and Gwen. "Thank you once again, sir."
"It was my pleasure," Phillip said. "I'll will see you four around," he said before shaking hands with all four of them and leaving the restaurant.
"Well, that was pretty easy," Theresa said to Fox, as soon as Phillip left the restaurant.
"Yeah, the way Grandfather described him, you'd have thought that we'd be sitting here for hours trying to convince him," Fox replied as he gathered the files that Theresa brought with her.
"Uh, hello!" Gwen said angrily. "Incase you didn't notice, Ethan and I did just sit hear for an hour and a half trying to convince him to sell the damn property!"
"Oh, and Fox and I got it done in less than ten minutes, isn't that funny," Theresa said with a smile.
"You know, the two of you could have helped if you knew it was going to be that easy," Ethan said sullenly.
"We would have, but someone told us to keep our mouth shuts, and we were just following orders like good little students," Theresa said cynically.
"Yeah, Ethan, that's all we're here for, right?" Fox asked. "We're here specifically to follow your orders. Never mind the fact that we're your bosses-you still have every right to boss us around, right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I wasn't trying to sound like your boss, I was just trying to make sure that nothing went wrong," Ethan explained weakly.
"And Theresa and I would have been the reasons why something could have gone wrong?" Fox asked, restraining from yelling loudly and attracting the attention of the whole restaurant.
"Maybe not Theresa, but you, Fox, we know how impatient you can be," Ethan said, not noticing the angry look that came across Theresa and Fox's face at his statement. "I just didn't want you to get impatient and then make Mr. Anderson feel like you were forcing a decision on him."
"And I suppose you came to this conclusion because you know me so well, right," Fox asked scathingly.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Ethan replied, getting angry at Fox's sarcastic replies. "You're as arrogant as they come, Fox; you always have been, probably always will be."
"Fox is anything but arrogant, Ethan," Theresa said before Fox could reply. "He may be confident, he may be a bit stubborn, but not arrogant. And even if he were, his personality is not the issue here," she said calmly.
"And what is the issue, Theresa?" Gwen asked with a glare.
"The issue is that Ethan thought that he had a right to tell Fox and I how to act during a meeting," Theresa said while glaring at both Ethan and Gwen. "Fox and I may not have been working in this business as long as you, Ethan, but as you saw from this meeting, we are no less skilled than you. And neither one of us appreciated you sitting there and giving us orders like we're a bunch of children."
"Theresa, I-" Ethan started.
"I don't want your explanations," Theresa interrupted coldly. "I want you to remember that I'm not your little naïve ex-girlfriend, and Fox isn't your careless younger brother. We're two grown, responsible adults, and more importantly, we're your bosses. So if anyone is going to be giving orders, it's going to be us, is that clear?"
"That goes for you too, Gwen," Fox said, seeing that Gwen was about to protest.
"Excuse me?" Gwen asked defiantly. "I am Ethan's assistant, therefore he's the only one I listen to. The two of you have no power over me," she said with a smug smile as she laid a hand on her hip.
"Well, then, Ethan, I'll leave it up to you to reiterate to Gwen what Theresa just said," Fox said, smiling as he noticed the smug look disappear from Gwen's face to be replaced with a glare.
"Are you seriously going to be so petty and use your position at Crane Industries to take control of us?" Ethan asked Fox in disgust.
"Take control?" Theresa asked with a laugh. "We don't want control over you two-hell if I had things my way, you two wouldn't even be working with us. I don't want power over you Ethan, or Gwen for that matter. I want respect, and I don't mean respect as a person, because your respect in that matter means nothing to me. I want respect as your boss. I want you to recognize that from this moment on, you and I are not friends and I'm no longer your ex-girlfriend. I'm your boss and fellow associate, and I deserve the same amount of respect that you show to everyone else at Crane Industries. And I won't tolerate you treating Fox or I any differently just because of the history we've shared."
Ethan stared at Theresa, unable to believe the way she was standing in from of him and demanding respect from him and Gwen. This wasn't the Theresa he remembered. His Theresa would never stand there and glare at him like he was the lowest scum on Earth. What the hell happened to her? Almost immediately, Ethan got his answer. 'Fox,' he thought bitterly. 'He got her in his clutches and completely changed her. Leave it to my brother to ruin someone as sweet and kind as Theresa.' Unable to help himself, Ethan threw a murderous glare at Fox. His glare grew harder when Fox simply shrugged his shoulders and turned away from him.
"I don't have time for this," Theresa said, seeing that Ethan was lost in his thoughts and hadn't said anything the last few minutes. "We've got to get back to work," she said turning to Fox.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Fox said as he grabbed Theresa' jacket and put it on her. "When your hubby comes out of his little trance, tell him that he's got fifteen minutes to make it back to work, otherwise he's late," he said to Gwen who just rolled her eyes at him as he and Theresa left the restaurant.
"Ethan? Are you okay?" Gwen asked, shaking Ethan out of his thoughts.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine Gwen," Ethan said feebly. "We better get going before we're late," he said as he took Gwen's hand.
"Ethan?" Gwen called out, stopping Ethan from walking.
"Yes?"
"You're over, Theresa, right?" she asked, almost dreading his answer.
"Why would you ask me that?" Ethan asked nervously.
"I'm not blind, Ethan. I've seen the way you've looked at her. Not only that, but I've seen the glares you've given Fox. It's almost like you resent him for marrying Theresa," she said, barely hiding her jealousy.
"Gwen, you're just being paranoid," Ethan replied unconvincingly. "Theresa and I are over, I have no feelings for her. I love you, and only you. Now, let's hurry up and get out of here," he said as he began to lead her out of the restaurant.
'He's not over her. And despite Theresa's claims of loving Fox, I know she's not over Ethan,' she thought jealously. 'It doesn't matter, I'll make sure that Theresa keeps her slimy paws off of my husband, by all means necessary.' With that, Gwen regained her composure and continued to follow Ethan out of the restaurant.
TBC