Chapter 5 Plans

Chapter Five

Nathan had made coffee and toast by the time she had woken up. He had initially thought of serving it to her in bed but it felt too cheesy. So he waited till she woke up, and it took quite a while.

"I feel like I slept for a decade," Tamara said when she walked into the living room.

"That's because you did." Nathan replied with a smile, "Oh, I wanted to watch TV and all you have is this Telemundo stuff."

"You don't watch Telemundo?" Tamara said jokingly as she walked into the kitchen.

"Of course, I don't watch Telemundo. What about Netflix?"

"Forgot to pay a subscription." She replied loudly from the kitchen. "Oh, you made me coffee, an."

"It's probably a bit cold by now, you know you sleeping for decades and all."

"You made toasts too. A bit burnt but it's okay."

"You're welcome." He yelled.

She walked into the living room and sat on the couch opposite him. "So who's this woman I'm to meet today?" He asked.

"She's on her way, she comes Tuesday and Thursday mornings."

"I took a shower and air-dried my clothes from yesterday"

"I slept for that long?"

"Yes, you did. Didn't want to wake you. Felt like you needed it."

Tamara gave him a smile of appreciation and took a huge bite of her toast. "You know this is kinda good."

"Mhm hmm." Nathan eyed her. The doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be her, wear a shirt. I don't want her seeing all..." she demonstrated with her hands "..that." Nathan put on his shirt and waistcoat and waited in the dining.

"Hey Malia," Tamara greeted as she opened the door.

"Tamara," Malia greeted with a warm smile, "Did he see you in the gala?"

"Yes, he did" Tamara replied, "you're not even seated here what's the rush."

"I'm sorry I'm sorry." she facepalmed.

"I wanna introduce you to someone," Tamara said casually. Malia inquisitively looked at her, "Who?"

"C'mon." Tamara motioned for her to follow her to the dining.

"Is Randal here? Do you have him tied up?"

"You sick bitch." Tamara said with a laugh. They walked into the dining and Nathan was standing as casual and as normal as he could.

"Malia this is -"

"Nathan Benett," Malia said, shaking his hand. She was very flustered and surprised to see him, "What is he doing here."

"Nathan is uhm...he's...my friend." She said and sipped her coffee. Malia looked at both of them, confused. "Friend?" She asked.

"Mhm hmm." Tamara nodded her head as she and Nathan took a peek at each other before turning back to Malia. "Oh and Nathan, this is Malia Goldman, she's a model."

"Nice to meet you, Malia." Nathan greeted.

"You're quite taller in person." She told him, squinting her eyes. Then she turned to Tamara, "Why is he in your house? You haven't explained that."

"Oh c'mon, Malia. You know exactly why he is in my house." She said as she poured a cup of coffee for Malia.

"Yes, but it's like past nine isn't it. Shouldn't he be gone since we have like something to talk about?"

"You guys know I'm like still here, right?" They both looked at him. "Well, he's still here because we all have something to talk about."

"Tamara?"

"Mhm."

"Can we talk for a moment? Privately." Malia asked, eyeing Nathan.

"Okay." She followed Malia and as she left she turned and shrugged at Nathan. He turned and banged his head on the fridge thrice then sighed.

Malia closed the door behind them, " Okay, I understand that he is a good-looking snack of a man but why is he still here."

"I need his help," Tamara said with her eyes widened.

"I know you do, I know there's sexual frustration and you have your sexual needs but your boy toy can't be here when we're having this conversation."

Tamara rolled her eyes, "Malia that's not what I'm talking about."

She raised an eyebrow, "So you're not fucking him? Cause if you're not I..."

"I didn't say that either," she grabbed Malia on the shoulders "You know how he's the CEO of his father's wine company now, Lemont?"

"Yeah?"

"You know he's going to have transport agencies for export and stuff of that nature?"

"I am waiting for the point, Tamara."

"Randal's transport company works for him. He's a client."

Malia looked stunned, "No way."

"Yes, way."

"Tamara you are a fucking genius," Malia exclaimed almost jumping.

"Well I know I am, but it was coincidental," Tamara replied rolling her eyes.

"Did he tell you this?" Malia asked.

"Yes, he knows about my revenge and all that stuff, now." Malia looked at her a bit disappointed. " I wanna be mad, but I understand. But you gotta be careful, we don't fully know if we can trust him."

"Yeah, that's why I have you. Pull me out of the water when you see in falling too deep okay?" Malia smiled. They both walked out of the room and reunited with Nathan in the dining.

"I take it the meeting is over now?" Nathan asked when he saw them.

"Okay, Nathaniel Benett," Malia said as she sat opposite him, "what are you planning to do with Randal's company"

"What am I planning? Well, the plan is to cancel my contract with him, that's firing him but with more formality."

"How would firing him help anything?" She asked.

"Well, my company is his biggest client and his advertisement as well. When other companies see that he has me as a client, they trust him more. But when I fire him, they'll begin to wonder why, he'll lose many other clients and others won't be allured to hire him."

Malia smiled, "Well I like the sound of that."

"We have to strategize other moves too, not just this." Tamara said, "I want him to be hit with so much bad news he wouldn't know which to respond to at a time."

"We should take things slowly too, so nothing backfires too quickly," Nathan suggested.

"I'm not sure I wanna take things slow, Nathan."

"Okay," Malia chipped in, "your boyfriend is kinda right though. We will attack fast but smart, we don't wanna get caught up in the mess when things blow up."

"So we start by reducing his finances?" Tamara asked.

"Sounds like a smart baseline attack."

Nathan nodded. "Okay." Tamara concurred, "but I also have the issues I'd like to address too."

"How was it when you returned, yeah I forgot," Malia asked her.

"The Floridan Dolimares are trying to take control of my company because they think that I'm not fit to oversee it anymore."

"They can't do that, can they?

"Yes, they can. But they've given me a week to get the financial aid to back myself up to run my company."

"I can help with some money if you want?"

"That's nice of you, Malia but Nathan and I had already come up with a plan for that."

"Oh really, without me?" She said with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry," Tamara replied, biting her lip. "So Nathan and I have decided to make a partnership between companies."

"Lemont and Valentines? A wine company and makeup company? How's that supposed to work?"

"I came up with an idea, but that's business stuff. I just wanted to let you know."

"Okay, well. So the plan for today is to make Randal lose his contracts." Malia said, "that sounds tasty enough."

"I'm also planning for a but we'll see about that on the next fill-in-meeting," Tamara said.

"Alright, I got a plane to catch by twelve, so tell me how it goes okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, Canada."

"Canada?"

"Yes, this modeling agency won't stop buzzing me, I have a few photos to shoot so I'm sure I won't stay long." She walked to the door, "now you and your boyfriend have a great time okay."

"He's not my boyfriend," Tamara said quietly.

"Whatever you say cupcake." Malia closed the door. Tamara turned to Nathan with a nervous smile, "Sorry about her."

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Randal was very anxious at the strange and abrupt arrival of Nathan Benett, the CEO of Lemont Wine, his client, and the same man who he has seen dancing with Tamara Valentine the other night. Of course, this was no coincidence.

He offered his hand for a shake and Nathan accepted it, they sat. "Your visit was unexpected but still very much welcomed, Mr. Bennett. How is it I may help you today."

"I became aware recently that you and my father had a contract signed yes?"

"Uhm yes, that is how he was as you are now my client."

"But now my father's dead."

"Yes." Randal replied nervously, "but the contract holds, we are a transporting agency not just for your father but for the company as well."

"And you export my wine too?"

"Asia sir."

"I see, yes." Nathan nodded, "well I'm here to relieve you of those duties. We wouldn't be needing your services anymore."

"You won't be transporting your product to Asia?"

"No I will, I will" Nathan replied nodding his head. "Just not with your agency."

"Excuse me, sir?" Randal's voice cracked, "we didn't do anything wrong, did we? If you are not satisfied with our services surely we can..."

"You didn't do anything wrong particularly. I'm just taking out everything my father put. Out with the old and in with the new. I am releasing the contract and yes I'll be paying the four million cancellation clause too, that won't be a problem." He stood up to leave.

"Sir, there has to be something we can do to change your mind. We have worked honestly and diligently for your company, you can't just throw us under the bus with any reason why."

"I have given you a reason, Mr. Meyers. I just don't want to associate myself with people my father associated himself with." He tapped him on his shoulder, "It is nothing personal, I promise. Thank you for your services, but we won't be needing it anymore." He buttoned his blazer and walked out of the office.

Randal stood there shaking, he wanted to scream, he wanted to break something. It was her, he knew it was. It can't be a coincidence, no way! They must be involved with each other, there was no other explanation for it. She was coming for him. That bitch. That BITCH! She just wouldn't let it go. She would stay down.

His phone rang, it was Paige.

"What is it?" He paced around arouythe room, scratching his head.

"Turn on the TV, Randal. The news."

He cut the line, picked up his remote, and switched on the TV.

'Breaking news as it was just announced by the congresswoman of Valentines Makeup brand, Hailey Hartman that they have just struck a multi-million dollar deal with Lemont, the most popular wine company in California. It is suggested that this is a sponsorship deal to help the controversial makeup brand get back into the limelight, we have Janet Hopper here with us with more details on the...'

Randal hit the off button on the remote. Now he was completely fuming, this was her along. She had been scheming all this while, to take him down and climb back to the top.

He dug his hand into his hair and pulled, then sat on his chair, tapping his pen on his desk. His mind racing fast, thinking, I have to retaliate, I must. They must be in some sort of relationship. He thought of it for a moment.

"Sigrid! Sigrid get in here!" He called on his secretary. "I have an important job for you."

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Tamara had done a great job avoiding most of the press that day, it was a hectic one and she just wanted to get home and take a nice long nap. As she got out of her car, she saw a woman approach her, she looked like she was in her late twenties. "Ms. Valentine please can I talk to you?" The woman asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm not talking to the press, especially not at my home."

"I'm not the press, I just wanna talk." Buck motioned for her to step back and not come closer.

"I can't talk to you I'm sorry." She continued to walk.

"It's about Nathan. Nathan Benett."

Tamara paused and turned to the lady, "Let her pass, Buck." The woman adjusted her glasses as she walked toward Tamara. "What about Mr. Bennett?"

"I know you're seeing him now."

"You don't know anything and it's none of your business young ladies."

"Please listen to me, for your good you have to stay away from him. He ruined me and he would do the same to you, he did it to me."

Tamara squinted her face in shock, "What are you talking about?"

"Just stay away from that man. He seems so calm and nice from the outside but that's all a lie. He'll do to you what he did to me and what he did to me was awful."

"Alright that's enough now, you need to leave," Buck told her. Tamara just stood and watched the lady in shock.

"He's not a good man." The lady said sobbing as she walked away. Tamara hurried into her house and shut her door, she sat on the floor, back to her door. Her heart was beating fast, she almost started to cry. She was afraid. Was it happening to her again? Was she once again, falling in love with a man who is only going to ruin and break her as the others did? Her heart beat faster, she started taking deep breaths to calm down.

A tear rolled down her right cheek.