smart people think twice."
"Thank you. I think. You know, I honestly don't believe that Sloan wants to sell
or merge." Olivia recalled the look of unwavering determination she had seen in
Jasper's eyes. He was a man with a goal, and as far as she could tell, that goal was
to make Glow work.
She understood goal-directed behavior. She would not go so far as to say that she
therefore understood Jasper Sloan, but she thought she had a handle on him. The
two of them had a few things in common, she thought.
"There's another factor to take into consideration here," she added slowly. "Glow
was vitally important to Uncle Rollie. He wouldn't have taken a risk with its future.
He would not have done business with a man he did not trust.''
Todd reflected briefly on that. "You've got a point."
A good one, Olivia assured herself. Her natural optimism kicked in as she
warmed to her own logic. "Uncle Rollie was obsessive about acquiring information
before he acted. He would have researched Jasper Sloan very thoroughly before he
did a deal with him."
"I suppose so."
"If Rollie trusted him, it's probably safe to say that we can trust him."
She broke off to help herself to a handful of chips from a bowl that sat on a
nearby counter. She suddenly realized she was ravenous. She loved good food.
Mealtimes however had been hit-and-miss lately. She enjoyed cooking, but she had
not been able to spend any time in her own kitchen for days.
She dunked the chips in the bowl of salsa, and put a large number of them into
her mouth. Munching enthusiastically, she glanced through the window into the
outer room. The campaign workers, mostly young and practically vibrating with
eagerness, were still grouped around Eleanor.
Outside, the street was still lit with the long light of the late evening summer sun.
The sidewalk teemed with a mix that included the young and the restless, the
terminally trendy, and others who, like Olivia, lived in the nearby condominiums
and apartment buildings.
Some of those ambling along the street were on their way to the tiny fringe
theaters that filled many of the nooks and crannies of Belltown. Others were headed
toward the taverns and restaurants that were scattered liberally in the vicinity. The
rest were engaged in stylish loitering, their only aim to see and be seen. Green hair
and nose rings gleamed in the late light.
Sometime during the past three years downtown Seattle had come to feel like
home, she thought. This was her neighborhood, and she thrived on its energy. She
rarely even thought about the small, gloomy apartment she and Logan had shared
for such a short time.
"I hope you're right about Sloan," Todd said.
"Don't worry." Olivia realized she was feeling more confident by the minute. "I'll
keep an eye on him."
Todd cocked a brow as he helped himself to the chips. "What good will that do?"
She smiled. "I realize, dear brother, that Jasper Sloan looks like Godzilla in this
partnership. But I'm not exactly Winnie the Pooh. If I don't like the way he operates
at Glow, I can make life a living hell for him."
"Hmm." Todd grinned, looking slightly abashed. "I probably shouldn't tell you
this, but that's more or less what I told Eleanor."
Olivia frowned. "What's Eleanor got to do with this?"
Todd shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that she knew that I was worried about what
was going to happen at Glow. We talked. When I told her that if anyone in the
family could handle Sloan, it would be you, she laughed and said I was right.
Eleanor has a lot of respect for your flair for business."
Olivia chuckled, pleased in spite of herself. "Nice to know that the future
governor of this state admires me. Speaking of which, how goes the campaign?"
"Brilliantly, if I do say so myself." Todd's gaze lit with fervent enthusiasm.
"Eleanor is right on message. She's got incredible energy. The response at the rally
in Spokane yesterday was amazing. Donations poured in this morning. The
"Thank you. I think. You know, I honestly don't believe that Sloan wants to sell
or merge." Olivia recalled the look of unwavering determination she had seen in
Jasper's eyes. He was a man with a goal, and as far as she could tell, that goal was
to make Glow work.
She understood goal-directed behavior. She would not go so far as to say that she
therefore understood Jasper Sloan, but she thought she had a handle on him. The
two of them had a few things in common, she thought.
"There's another factor to take into consideration here," she added slowly. "Glow
was vitally important to Uncle Rollie. He wouldn't have taken a risk with its future.
He would not have done business with a man he did not trust.''
Todd reflected briefly on that. "You've got a point."
A good one, Olivia assured herself. Her natural optimism kicked in as she
warmed to her own logic. "Uncle Rollie was obsessive about acquiring information
before he acted. He would have researched Jasper Sloan very thoroughly before he
did a deal with him."
"I suppose so."
"If Rollie trusted him, it's probably safe to say that we can trust him."
She broke off to help herself to a handful of chips from a bowl that sat on a
nearby counter. She suddenly realized she was ravenous. She loved good food.
Mealtimes however had been hit-and-miss lately. She enjoyed cooking, but she had
not been able to spend any time in her own kitchen for days.
She dunked the chips in the bowl of salsa, and put a large number of them into
her mouth. Munching enthusiastically, she glanced through the window into the
outer room. The campaign workers, mostly young and practically vibrating with
eagerness, were still grouped around Eleanor.
Outside, the street was still lit with the long light of the late evening summer sun.
The sidewalk teemed with a mix that included the young and the restless, the
terminally trendy, and others who, like Olivia, lived in the nearby condominiums
and apartment buildings.
Some of those ambling along the street were on their way to the tiny fringe
theaters that filled many of the nooks and crannies of Belltown. Others were headed
toward the taverns and restaurants that were scattered liberally in the vicinity. The
rest were engaged in stylish loitering, their only aim to see and be seen. Green hair
and nose rings gleamed in the late light.
Sometime during the past three years downtown Seattle had come to feel like
home, she thought. This was her neighborhood, and she thrived on its energy. She
rarely even thought about the small, gloomy apartment she and Logan had shared
for such a short time.
"I hope you're right about Sloan," Todd said.
"Don't worry." Olivia realized she was feeling more confident by the minute. "I'll
keep an eye on him."
Todd cocked a brow as he helped himself to the chips. "What good will that do?"
She smiled. "I realize, dear brother, that Jasper Sloan looks like Godzilla in this
partnership. But I'm not exactly Winnie the Pooh. If I don't like the way he operates
at Glow, I can make life a living hell for him."
"Hmm." Todd grinned, looking slightly abashed. "I probably shouldn't tell you
this, but that's more or less what I told Eleanor."
Olivia frowned. "What's Eleanor got to do with this?"
Todd shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that she knew that I was worried about what
was going to happen at Glow. We talked. When I told her that if anyone in the
family could handle Sloan, it would be you, she laughed and said I was right.
Eleanor has a lot of respect for your flair for business."
Olivia chuckled, pleased in spite of herself. "Nice to know that the future
governor of this state admires me. Speaking of which, how goes the campaign?"
"Brilliantly, if I do say so myself." Todd's gaze lit with fervent enthusiasm.
"Eleanor is right on message. She's got incredible energy. The response at the rally
in Spokane yesterday was amazing. Donations poured in this morning. The
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