“Let’s see how this goes,” Cane muttered, sticking his sunglasses in the front of his shirt.
“Thank you for coming,” the redhead announced, effectively hushing our conversation. She identified the project and went through the legal bullshit. Then she opened the box and pulled out the first envelope.
“Lytrell Construction—$8,760,112.05.”
She reached inside and pulled out the second envelope.
“Gooseway Builders—$9,001,287.24.”
Brian Lytrell sat a little taller.
“Alexander Industries—$8,754,020.97.”
Cane and I watched anxiously as the lady dipped her hand into the box a final time. “Chalgon Construction—$8,782,432.10.”
Cane elbowed me in the ribs, a megawatt smile across his face, as Dan dipped his head lower at his defeat.
Instantly, I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders. We won by a few thousand dollars. I blew out a breath and just appreciated not feeling like the pressure of the entire future of Alexander Industries was sitting on me.
I tilted my head to the ceiling and filled my lungs with air.
We did it.
“It appears that Alexander Industries is our lowest bidder. Thank you all for coming.”
Everyone stood to leave, Brian shaking our hands as he walked by. The guy we didn’t know followed him and Dan brought up the rear. He extended his hand to me, shook it firmly, and then shook Cane’s.
“Congrats, guys,” he said a bit nervously. “This will be a good project for you all.”
“Thanks,” Cane said, cocking his head to the side. “We’re excited about it.”
“I saw your name on the Chandler project awhile back and I figured you’d get it. You’d have had it, too, if Grady didn’t send a crazy low number.”
“How’d ya get that number?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. “Have any idea?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “No, they said they didn’t send it but it sure as hell is on my desk. It’s been a fight to get them to honor it, though. Chalgon hadn’t worked with them before and I convinced them to go with it because I knew them from you guys.” He exhaled harshly and looked to the floor.
“Look, I owe you both an apology,” he said. “I know I acted a little crazy when you let me go. I was under a lot of pressure at home and it obviously affected me in a bigger way than I realized. I would have fired me over that bid, too.”
Cane looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Answer me this—did you have anything to do with the asphalt out on the Mesa job? Did you call the City about the thickness? If you did, I just want to know.”
“What are you talking about? Yeah, I bid that for you guys and I remember getting AmEx to do the asphalt part of it. But that’s all I know. What’s going on?” He looked between us, genuinely confused.
“Nothing. It’s fine,” Cane patted his shoulder. “Can you do me a favor though?”
“Sure. I owe you, anyway.”
“See if your company keeps their fax log. See if you can find the fax number that quote from Grady came from, okay?”
He looked confused but said, “I’ll get back to you this afternoon.”
MAX
I tossed my phone on my desk and leaned back in my chair. I stretched my neck and just breathed. Finally things were starting to work themselves out.
I had sent Kari a message, letting her know we won the bid and she had responded with a slew of sexy things she wanted to do to me to celebrate.
I grabbed my work calendar and flipped through, seeing what we had coming up. I wanted to take Kari to Cane’s cabin in Payson to get away as soon as possible.
Cane buzzed in and I hit the speakerphone. “Yeah?”
“Pick up your receiver.”
I lifted the phone to my chin, pressing it against my shoulder. I unrolled the sleeves of my dress shirt as I listened to Cane continue.
“Dan just called. Chalgon doesn’t keep their fax records, so we won’t know who sent that quote. But you know what I’m thinking, right?”
I exhaled roughly, tossing a pencil onto my desk. I knew exactly what he was thinking and the thought had crossed my mind, although I found it hard to believe. The fact that Grady’s number this time had been sent to his house and not our office and didn’t get sent out to our competitors didn’t hurt his case.
I didn’t want to even consider it. But I knew damn good and well what Cane was thinking.
“It can’t be,” I said.
“Explain it to me then. You heard Grady and you heard Dan. Tell me how they got our number or tell me which one of them is a liar.”
I took another deep breath. I saw Cane’s point and thinking Samantha would have faxed the number to Chalgon was the logical answer. It was the simplest choice . . . but one I just couldn’t imagine; I thought he was jumping to conclusions. It could’ve been anyone in our office. It could’ve been Norm or Lucy just as easily as it could’ve been Sam.
Keep tellin’ yourself that.
“Do you really think Sam would do that?” I asked warily.
“I do and I think she did.”