The wheels were set in motion by six that night. Marcy was going to meet with the FBI with all the employee files, Beau was meeting with the Secret Service early the next morning while they checked out the building, and Paul Trask was standing by to help in any way he could.
It was chaos at the store the next day, with confidentiality agreements to be signed by everyone and the Secret Service to satisfy. Spencer assigned four of the best sales staff to help the First Lady choose a dress for an event she was going to, and Spencer herself intended to stand by, to help smooth down all the interactions and solve any problems, without intruding on the First Lady.
Spencer was waiting at the front door when the First Lady arrived. The store had been cleared only minutes before, and all the customers had to leave early, but weren’t told why. They were told simply that there was a scheduled private event, which would begin shortly.
In the end, the First Lady’s visit went smoothly, with an enormous entourage around her. She found four dresses that she liked and wanted to purchase. To her credit, she insisted on paying for two, and Spencer made her a gift of the two others. She bought shoes to go with them, and a black satin evening bag. She had gotten everything she came for and was delighted. It all went surprisingly well and there were no mishaps. It was a PR victory for Spencer and the store.
Spencer was exhausted when she got home that night, at ten o’clock, and for once she was grateful that the twins were asleep when she got home. She loved spending time with them and putting them to bed, but not tonight. Their personalities were extremely different. Axel was shy and cuddly. Ben was mischievous and more outgoing. They complemented each other and she loved how individual they were. And they loved spending time with her. She still felt guilty when she didn’t have enough free time with them on weeks like this.
Brooke’s had a security problem of a different kind the next day, when a well-known senator’s wife stole a bracelet from the jewelry department and an alligator clutch bag. They were faced with the choice of having her arrested or not pursuing it. Both items were expensive.
Spencer didn’t want it all over the press, nor did she want to encourage copycat thefts. Spencer met the senator’s wife at the door and had an extremely delicate heart-to-heart conversation with her in a private room they escorted her to. The woman returned the stolen merchandise before she left the store, and Spencer didn’t press charges. The senator came himself to escort his wife home, apologized profusely to Spencer, and attempted to press some bills into her hand, which she delicately refused. She saw Paul Trask, the CFO, standing by looking concerned when they left.
“Don’t look so depressed. She gave it all back,” Spencer said to him with a smile. The senator’s wife had taken a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet after trying it on, but it was already back in the vitrine by then. The senator didn’t want to buy it, or the alligator clutch.
“We had a burst pipe in the warehouse an hour ago, while you were dealing with this mess,” Paul said. “We lost a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of leather goods.” He looked seriously distressed.
“Will our insurance cover it?” she asked him softly, as they walked back to her office.
“Yes, with a five-thousand-dollar deductible. It could have been even worse.”
“I should have read my horoscope this morning,” she said as she sat down at her desk and the receptionist buzzed her to tell her that Francine was on the phone.
“Is everything okay?” she asked when she answered the phone, with a worried expression.
“We’re fine,” Francine said calmly. “We’re at the emergency room at NYU Medical Center. Ben fell off the jungle gym at the park and broke his arm. They just set it, and he has a bright orange cast. He’s okay. We’re going home in a few minutes.” Spencer could tell from Francine’s tone that Ben was next to her, so she sounded upbeat.
“I’ll meet you there,” Spencer said, as she grabbed her handbag from under her desk. She was anxious to get home to Ben quickly to see him for herself.
“Everything okay?” Paul asked her.
“Ben just broke his arm. I’m going home.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll walk you out.” There was something he wanted to tell her, but he hadn’t had time. It was awkward telling her in the elevator, but he had no other choice. Fortunately, they were alone.
“I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but I’ve had some insider information from someone I know in Mike Weston’s office, the big venture capitalist and investor. He was in the store recently and he thought it was fantastic.”
“And he wants a VIP discount?” She looked stressed. “We don’t give them,” she reminded him. “All our customers are VIPs.” Hermès didn’t give them either.
“No, he’s interested in talking to us about some investment money. He’s exactly what we need, Spencer. Will you please meet with him and just listen to him?”
“No. He’ll take half our business and ruin everything. I won’t meet with him. I don’t want investors.” Her voice was sharper than she intended it to be, but she was worried about Ben’s broken arm. “I don’t want investors. Just tell him no!” She raced across the main floor then, hailed a cab outside, and headed home to the small townhouse in Chelsea that she shared with her boys. Francine texted her while she was in the cab that they were on their way home. Spencer would get there first, but it had been a hell of a day, and she wanted to focus on Ben, and not the store. She put Mike Weston right out of her mind and forgot about him.
Mike was talking to Renee in his office, as Spencer settled Ben into his bed and told him what a brave boy he was. He had already had his twin sign his cast, and he was in better spirits than she was. It had been a trying day, and at times like this, she had no one to lean on. She had texted Bart to tell him about Ben’s arm, but she knew he wouldn’t come. He never did. She sat and stroked Ben’s silky blond hair until he fell asleep. Axel was downstairs with Francine.
“What do you mean she won’t see us?” Mike said to Renee with a look of amazement.
“I put some feelers out through a contact I have who knows the CFO at the store. He’s all in favor of an initial meeting. He thinks it could be a good thing for the store. She doesn’t want investors, and she flatly refused to see us, to even discuss what might be possible. The CFO would like to meet us. But the owner doesn’t even want to hear anything we have to say.” Renee couldn’t say it in terms he’d like any better. Spencer Brooke wasn’t interested. No one had ever refused to see Mike Weston, and he looked annoyed for a minute. Then he laughed.
“She must be a very independent woman if she won’t even meet us. That’s pretty ballsy. I have to hand it to her.” Renee was relieved he was taking it so well. That wasn’t always the case. This was a new experience for him. Most people begged him to meet with them. No one had ever slammed the door in his face, or refused to open it at all. “Keep trying. Maybe we should just meet with her CFO.” But he wanted to talk to Spencer too, and he thought he could convince her. He wasn’t trying to take over her business or buy it outright. He wanted to put money into it, have some participation, and leave her in control.
“The CFO won’t talk to us without her permission, and she said a flat no.”
“Try again,” Mike said stubbornly. He wasn’t going to give up that easily. All it did was challenge him. Her flat refusal only enticed him more. This was a new experience for him.
Renee left his office to call her contact again, but a meeting didn’t sound likely to her.