“Well, he’s not now.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, Kayla realized how juvenile she must have sounded. Shane and Courtney were both looking at her strangely.
“What do you have against Ethan?” Shane asked. “He’s a brilliant businessman.”
“Oh, leave her alone,” Courtney said, seeing how flushed Kayla’s mahogany skin was becoming. She may have been a few years younger, but even she had seen the monumental crush Kayla had had on Ethan back in the day. Trust her brother, being a man, not to notice.
“Have you thought about how many shares you’re all going to put on the market?” Michael inquired, breaking into the sibling conversation.
“What do you mean you all?” Kayla inquired. “I imagined the shares would be minimal.” She wanted to keep as many as possible.
“The shares have to be significant in order to get an investor interested. I spoke with your father this morning and he and your mother, Shane and Courtney will sell 12.5 shares each and you would retain 25 percent as president.”
Why hadn’t her father told her about this decision at breakfast? “What about you two?” Kayla looked at Shane. “This hardly seems fair.”
“We know how much Adams Cosmetics means to you,” Shane responded. “And we’re fine with the arrangement.”
Kayla pondered Shane’s words. “Okay, I can accept that, but that would potentially give a single investor 37.5 percent interest of Adams Cosmetics.”
“True, but think of the reward,” Michael responded. “Or the shares could be divided among several investors.”
“Money isn’t everything,” Kayla returned.
“Since when?” Courtney asked. She’d seen the financials. Now was not the time to play it safe.
“Fine.” Kayla’s mouth went into a grim line. She hated this, but she didn’t have much choice; she was in the minority.
“How are you coming with raising funds?” Ethan asked Daniel later that afternoon.
“Slowly,” Daniel replied. “Because Adams Cosmetics is a private company, their financial statements aren’t public record, so the bank is hesitant to lend funds.”
“Continue to work on it. If necessary, I’ll place a call to the head of finance. If they want to keep Graham International as a customer, they will back this venture.”
“Sure thing,” Daniel said on his way out.
It left Ethan time alone to peruse a dossier on the Adams family. Over the past several years Graham International had expanded into several overseas markets, which had taken Ethan out of the country. He needed to catch up on what the Adamses were up to.
The youngest, Courtney Adams, was spokeswoman for the Adams Cosmetics line. But she was also a force to be reckoned with. She had a degree in marketing and finance. Yet there was an impetuous streak in her. When she’d run off with her boyfriend to Vegas for a quickie marriage when she was eighteen, Byron had reined in his hotheaded daughter and had the marriage annulled.
Shane Adams might be the middle child, but he was by no means overshadowed by the eldest or youngest. Shane was a brilliant chemist—he had been classically trained in Paris and was now vice president. He’d revolutionized Adams Cosmetics with the development of the skincare line when he was only twenty-five. Ethan was sure that with proper funding, the new fragrance line he was developing would be a success.
And finally there was Kayla Adams, CEO. Gone was the awkward young girl with long gangly legs. The Kayla he saw in the photo was breathtakingly beautiful. Kayla had matured into a cool, sophisticated businesswoman.
He turned the page and focused on her accomplishments. Poised and driven to succeed at all costs, Kayla had started working at Adams Cosmetics when she was fifteen and never left. She became CEO of Adams Cosmetics at twenty-nine when Byron stepped down. Her decision-making skills were said to be exemplary, which would be both an asset and a curse.
Kayla wasn’t going to give up control of Adams Cosmetics easily. That’s why Ethan had to be ruthless and insist they sign over additional shares. Right now they were only offering 37.5 percent to investors, but that was not going to do. Graham International must have controlling interest in Adams Cosmetics. It was the only way.
Chapter 2
“Are we attending the Tyler Perry movie premiere this evening?” Courtney asked her big sister Saturday morning as they prepared to square off in a game of tennis on the family estate. The Adams family estate was equipped with a pool, basketball and tennis court as well as a stable for the horses that Kayla used to ride during championships.
The sisters had dressed for battle, Kayla in a pink-and-gray tennis dress that hit her thigh while Courtney wore a purple tank top and tennis skirt. Both wore their hair in unsophisticated ponytails.
“Of course,” Kayla returned, stretching her arms behind her. “We have to present a united front to the world. Just because word is out that Adams Cosmetics is in trouble doesn’t mean we are going to slink off into a corner somewhere.”
“I never thought we were,” Courtney responded. “We’re fighters. So when is the limo picking us up?” As spokes-woman for Adams Cosmetics, Courtney attended every public function.
“Six p.m.” Kayla picked up her racket from the ground and headed to her side of the court.
“Oh, I’ll be ready.”
“Are you ready to lose, little sis?” Kayla yelled over the court. “Because I’m about to give you a spanking.”
“Those are big words for someone who’s five years older than me.” Courtney laughed as she removed her jacket and tossed it on the green.
“Oh, I’m going to make you eat those words.” Kayla chuckled. She gave an overhead serve and sent the tennis ball flying in the air.
They played a hearty game before coming to a deuce.
“You realize once I serve, I have the advantage?” Courtney yelled over the net.
“Enough talk, Courtney. Let’s get on with it,” Kayla responded. Courtney served the ball and Kayla hit it with such force that Courtney had to go flying to reach it. But she still missed the point. “Whatcha gotta say about that?” Kayla teased as she did a victory dance.
“Oh, shut up,” Courtney said. “Can we just agree to disagree?” she asked, walking toward the net.
“Sure.” Kayla smiled back at her sister. “If you’ll agree I’m the better player.”
“Like hell I will.”
“Then we’ll have to have a rematch.” Kayla ruffled Courtney’s hair with her hands. “Now come on, I’m starved and it looks like Victor put out a great spread.” As a longtime employee, Victor was like a member of the Adams family and always took care of them. He’d put out a platter of sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit and a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade in the gazebo next to the tennis court.
“And I’m ready for it,” Courtney said as they strolled toward the gazebo.
Once there, they piled up their crystal plates with sandwiches, salad and fruit and sat down to the table.
“You’re very quiet,” Courtney remarked.
“I’m not happy about having to bring outside investors into Adams Cosmetics,” Kayla said, and then put up her hand. “And before you start enumerating the reasons why this is the right thing to do, don’t. I know what’s at stake, but I’m still disappointed that I couldn’t prevent this from happening.”
“You’ve done everything in your power, Kayla, to preserve Daddy’s vision, but even you aren’t Superwoman.”
Kayla