Taming Xavier – Chapter 1

Did you read the prologue? If not, you can read it here: TAMING XAVIER PROLOGUE

The day after the disastrous rooftop rejection—as social media called it—Frank had reached out to bring her into the Hanover Press family. To avoid any conflict of interest with her previous publishing house, he’d put her in marketing. Over the past five years, she’d learned a lot from Frank and was grateful to head the department now with a solid staff working under her.

Susan, her best friend and head of the editing department, sat next to Ari. She settled in a leather chair and opened her laptop on the table in front of her. Ari saw a message pop up on her own laptop.

Susan: Our new boss seems to like making us wait

Ari glanced at her watch. Whoever this new boss was, they were fifteen minutes late. She tapped her return message, forcing a chuckle even as her stomach churned.

Aribelle: Arrogant? Confident? Can’t tell time?

She’d been with Park Publishing before moving to Hanover. Would the new boss know her story? Know she’d been fired? Unfair as it had been, she still was fired.

She saw a smirk on Susan’s face, but before she could type another message, the door to the boardroom closed with a decisive snap. Grayson Plinth strode in, a storm cloud in a designer suit. His cologne—a mix of cedar and disdain—hit the air first, followed by the sharp click of bespoke shoes against the polished floor.

Conversations died midsentence. Susan straightened her blazer. Janice, head of accounting, found the grain in the wood table fascinating. Only Ari stared straight ahead, her mask fully in place, while she willed her dancing pulse to settle. Her fingers tightened around the pen in her hand as she looked at the man she’d hoped to never see again.

The last time she’d faced Grayson Plinth, he made a spectacle of her on a rooftop and ended her career as an editor. Here he was once again in a position to upend her professional life. She could only hope he didn’t hold a grudge.

Ari recognized the man in his wake as Grayson’s right-hand man, Trevor. He scurried in behind Grayson, his creased khakis protesting each step.

If she’d known Grayson would be her new boss, she might have called in sick. Frustration bloomed in her chest. This was her space, her boardroom—and then he walked in.

With every step he took, it felt like the air was being sucked out of the room, leaving her gasping for composure. Before anyone could greet him, Grayson stood at the head of the long polished table, taking stock of the faces before him, his eyes scanning the room.

His gaze landed on Ari. She groaned internally as a reflexive smile crossed her lips. His lips curled in return, not a smile but something cold, and she wished she could take her smile back.

“Let’s make one thing clear,” he began, his voice clipped, without a hint of warmth. “This isn’t a democracy. I don’t need you to like me, I only need you to do your jobs. Better than you’ve done them thus far. I’m not here to coddle or hold hands. Hanover Press is finally in competent hands, and I intend to make it the best.”

Ari bristled. Competent hands? Frank had been an amazing boss, and Hanover flourished year after year under his leadership.

Grayson’s words demanded attention, and his gaze cut through the room, daring anyone to look away. Ari shivered when it landed on her again.

He let his words sink in as he set his coffee mug on the table and took his seat. Ari watched the subtle shifts in posture—some straightening, others shrinking under his gaze. Susan didn’t squirm. Instead, she lowered her laptop lid and leaned forward, resting her arms on the computer.

Mr. Plinth continued, “You’re all here because, as department heads, you’re supposed to be the best. I expect nothing less than excellence from each of you. But numbers don’t lie, and some of you are not meeting the standard this company deserves. That changes today.”

Ari watched as sipped his coffee, his gaze landing on each person at the table. Trevor stood behind him, a smug expression on his thin face, his arms full of files.

“Hanover Press is no longer a refuge for mediocrity.” Grayson drummed his fingers on the table, his gaze piercing Ari. “This isn’t just a name. It’s a legacy…my legacy, as of the merger. You are now part of Park Publishing, and from this moment forward, every decision you make will reflect on my family name. I won’t have it tarnished by complacency or incompetence. If you’re not ready to keep up with the pace I set, I’ll find someone who is.”

He paused and tapped a thick stack of papers Trevor had set in front of him. “Now let’s talk about why some of you are still here.”

For the next hour, Ari watched the man at the head of the table interrogate every person there. He expected answers to questions they hadn’t known were coming and brokered no excuse. Each word from Grayson’s mouth was a hammer driving a nail into place. Ari could see it in the way her colleagues, her friends, sat up a little straighter, their eyes flitting to him and back to their papers, as if afraid he’d call them out next. He didn’t yell. His calm, cutting tone carried more weight than any raised voice ever could.

“Aribelle Swinton.”

She looked up, meeting his gaze head on, and it took everything in her not to flinch. Grayson Plinth might again be her boss, but he was still the man who thought offering his last name was a favor, not an insult. Something she was sure neither of them had forgotten.

For a moment, he stared at her, making her wonder just how much longer she’d be on the payroll. “You’re in marketing now, I see?” He let the words hang between them.

She opened her mouth to answer but closed it quickly when no words could pass her dry throat.

“Isn’t it customary for your department to plan book tours for our authors?”

Okay. Apparently we’re just going to ignore the elephant in the room. Ari was good with that.

She nodded. “It depends on the contract, but yes, our department customizes the experience for each author.”

“I’m curious…why am I not seeing any tour information for one of our most successful authors?”

Ari paused, running through the dozens of authors her department would work with this year. “Who are you referring to?”

Plinth looked at his papers. “Xavier Titan.”

Ari’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Mr. Titan doesn’t do book tours.”

Grayson looked up again. “He doesn’t do book tours?” he said, his words piercing the air. “Why not?”

She shrugged, trying to keep her tone casual. “I guess Mr. Titan doesn’t like tours.”

“Interesting.” Grayson leaned back in his chair, then without looking, he reached out his hand for a paper from Trevor. “Mr. Titan has a book coming out in a few weeks.” He scanned the paper in front of him. “I expect you to organize a tour for that release.”

Careful, Ari. He’s looking for reasons to get rid of you. Give him none.

“Is there a problem, Ms. Swinton?” Plinth’s eyes were narrowed, his voice as chilly as the ice on the windows.

“We always work to maximize an author’s visibility, and Mr. Titan prefers alternative promotion. I’m happy to share our plan with you.”

Ari wasn’t the only one feeling the tension. Nate, a senior designer sitting directly across from her, shifted in his seat, while Ed, next to him, tugged at his collar, and George tapped his pen rhythmically on the table—too loud in the otherwise silent room. Even Trevor, standing stock-still behind his boss, let out an audible gasp.

Grayson’s gaze didn’t waver. His silence was oppressive, the kind that made everyone hold their breath. When he finally spoke, his quiet tone felt sharp and dangerous.

“I’m not interested in alternative promotion.” His gray eyes locked on hers, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. “I expect a tour to be organized, and Mr. Titan to participate.”

The challenge was unmistakable, and the unspoken or else hung heavy in the air. The room went deathly quiet, the only sound a faint buzz of the overhead lights. Ari could feel every pair of eyes on her as she waited for Grayson’s next move. Susan shot her a wide-eyed glance, her lips pressed in a thin line. Across the table, Nate scribbled furiously in his notebook to avoid being dragged into the fray.

Ari nodded curtly. While Grayson might be trying to make this personal, it wasn’t. At least not for her. This was her job, and if he wanted her department to reach out to Mr. Titan, they’d do so. “I’ll have someone contact Mr. Titan today,” she said, making notes in her computer.

Grayson was silent until her gaze was on him again. “No, Ms. Swinton. You will convince him. Or I’ll find someone who can.” He stood, straightening his jacket, as if brushing off a challenge.

Ari met his gaze, unblinking, clutching her trembling hands in her lap.

She nodded curtly. If she failed with this, she might as well dust off her résumé. No, failure wasn’t an option. She’d figure it out; she always did.

“This is Trevor,” Grayson said, turning from her and nodding toward the thin man. “If you need anything, go through him.” With that, they walked out of the room.

Ari was one of the last to leave, and she walked slowly back to her office. In frustration, she kicked the door shut behind her, then turned, shocked to find her former boss sitting in front of her desk.

“Good meeting?” Frank greeted her.

Ari rushed over and sat in the chair next to him. “Frank, I’m so glad to see you.” She looked at the closed door, then to Frank again. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see how you’re holding up. I knew this…transition would be challenging. I want you to know I’m still around for you.” He patted her hand.

Over the past five years, not only had Frank been her boss, he’d become somewhat of a father figure. Seeing him sitting next to her, as he had every Monday morning for the past five years, it hit Ari just how hard this was going to be.

“How’d it go?” Frank nodded vaguely toward the conference room.

“As well as you’d imagine. I have to arrange a book tour for Xavier Titan.”

“Titan? He doesn’t do tours…heck, he barely answers the phone.” Frank had a puzzled expression on his face.

“I tried to explain that to Plinth, but he wouldn’t listen. I have the feeling my job is dependent on this tour.” She let out a sigh of frustration. The moment Grayson Plinth walked back into her life, she knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“Hang in there, Ari. You’re dang good at what you do.”

Ari’s throat tightened at his words, and she gave him a grateful smile.

“If you want to move on and need a recommendation, let me know.” Frank tossed a book on her desk. “Our next buddy read.”

A couple of years earlier, she and Frank had started a two-person book club. They took turns choosing a book, then shared a meal while discussing it. She looked at the book on her desk, Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.

“This is the original story? The 1740 version?”

Frank nodded. “Have you read it?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Should be interesting.”

“Well, I’ll let you get to it.”

Frank stood, and Ari reached out, her hand resting on his arm. She wanted to ask him to stay but instead squeezed his elbow and nodded.

“Let’s have coffee soon. We can talk about the book…or whatever,” Frank said.

Ari watched him leave her office. She thought back to the meeting with Grayson and swallowed hard, the gravity of her assignment sinking in. He was throwing her into the deep end with no warning and not even the hint of a life preserver. But if she wanted to keep her job, failure was not an option.