Bachelor Unleashed - Brenda Jackson [23]
Other than a roll of her eyes, Kerrie Shaw didn’t say anything, although it was evident she was angry at what Rudolph Byers had said.
When the parties had entered the room, Farrah’s keen sense of observation had picked up on several points. Even with all this legal mess going on, it was plain to see that the two women had shared a very close friendship at one time, and if given the chance, without any outside interference, that friendship could be restored.
It was also quite obvious they still cared for each other. That was probably the reason Kerrie Shaw had refrained from speaking her mind a few moments ago when Mr. Byers had spoken out of line. Farrah figured she’d kept her mouth closed to spare Lori Byers’s feelings. That meant during the time they’d been friends, Kerrie had had the role of protector, and Lori had been the one more vulnerable and easily swayed and misled.
Farrah glanced over at Rudolph and quickly decided that was exactly what was taking place now. Lori allowed the man she had fallen in love with to come between her and her friend. Their close relationship had started in high school and continued in college and through Lori’s first marriage and birth of her two little girls. Lori had even named Kerrie as godmother for her two girls.
Both women were now thirty-four. Kerrie was engaged to be married and Lori’s first husband had been killed in a car accident a few years ago. She had met Rudolph on the internet, which didn’t say a whole lot to some, but definitely spoke volumes to Farrah. Not that all pickups from cyberspace were bad, but the one Farrah had landed a couple of years ago, Alvin Cornell, had made her want to toss him right back. He’d been such a jerk. She could only wonder if Alvin had an older brother by the name of Rudolph.
How two women who had been such good friends could let a man come between them was beyond Farrah. She couldn’t imagine any man or woman coming in and destroying her and Natalie’s friendship, which had been in existence since high school as well. After her breakup with Dustin, it had been Natalie who’d been there for her, to help her get through the worst time in her life. Natalie had known she would wallow in self-pity her first Christmas as a divorced woman and had flown into Charlotte from New Jersey to spend time with her so she wouldn’t be alone, and to make her see there was life after divorce.
“Yes, let’s continue,” Farrah said in an authoritative voice, more so for Rudolph Byers’s benefit than for the two women. “As I was saying, my goal is to resolve the complaint and conflict informally. I’m impartial. I don’t know either of you, and have no ties, previous or present, to your company.”
Farrah paused and then looked back and forth at the women. “My concern is not who is right. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m here to work you through this, and in doing that you need to talk to me about why you think you were wronged and how we can resolve things and move forward. Are there any questions?”
“No,” both women said simultaneously.
Farrah noted Rudolph had clenched down on his lips to keep from answering, but the glare he gave her let her know he wanted to say something. Probably something he had no business saying.
“I hope we can work things out,” Lori said softly. “I don’t want anger between me and Kerrie.”
“Who cares if there’s anger between the two of you?” Rudolph butted in to say, evidently not able to keep quiet any longer. “I won’t let her sell that company without giving you every penny you deserve.”
Farrah drew in a deep breath and shifted her gaze to Kerrie. She could tell it was taking all Kerrie’s control to not lash out against Rudolph, and she knew why Kerrie was remaining silent. It was her way of protecting Lori’s feelings. These two women still cared for each other, and if Rudolph dropped off the face of the earth, Farrah had a feeling there would be no need for her services here today.
But Rudolph was alive and well and sitting across from her being a total jerk. Was greed the only factor motivating him? Farrah thought.