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Chase was no trust fund baby. He learned everything he could about business and making money so he could secure a future for himself. How can you feel anything other than admiration for someone with that kind of dedication?
We walk into the conference room, and I stand back so I can observe Chase as he works the room. He shakes hand after hand, as people acknowledge him with warmth. An attractive blonde woman looks up, her face lighting up when she realizes who it is. My stomach clenches as I pretend not to listen to their conversation.
“You were supposed to call me,” she murmurs, a playful frown on her face.
“No, you suggested I call you. I never said I would,” he replies, his lips twitching into a grin. “On the other hand, I never said I wouldn’t…”
“You still have my number,” she says lightly. “And I still have those handcuffs if you’re interested.”
Chase looks up, his eyes meeting mine. I gasp when I realize that I was staring at them. He raises his eyebrows slightly, making me blush furiously. I drop my gaze, my heart racing.
“Are you going to stand over there the whole meeting or sit down?” he asks, patting the seat next to him.
I nod and walk over to the table, smiling at his friend as I slide onto my seat. She nods back, but it’s cold and forced. Before she can say anything, the door opens, and a man walks in wearing an expensive, yet very flamboyant, suit. I immediately recognize him as Phillip Trung from the numerous television interviews he’d done over the last few weeks.
“Mr. Winston,” he says, sounding shocked to see Chase. “This is a nice surprise. Unless you’re here with a problem? In which case, I’d wish you death.”
Chase chuckles. “Wonderful to see you, too, Phillip. Everything is going according to plan. I’m just here to ensure things stay that way,” Chase assures him. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re acquiring a strong company with a solid work ethic.”
“Lovely.” Phillip nods. He glances at me, intrigued. “Though you know I only care about the numbers. And I see you brought company.”
“My assistant, Alana Morrison. Alana, this is one of the most powerful men you’ll ever meet, Phillip Trung,” Chase says.
“Oh, stop schmoozing me, Mr. Winston,” Phillip chuckles. “And if you want to kiss my ass, get in line behind all of these lovely people.”
He sits down so the meeting can begin. I watch with interest, a flutter of excitement racing through me as the contracts are exchanged and signed. It’s all over in a matter of minutes, leaving me wondering once again why he brought me all the way over here. I get to my feet, along with Chase and everyone else.
Phillip walks over to Chases and enthusiastically lifts him into a hug. I cover my mouth to hide my amusement because poor Chase looks lost in Phillip’s overzealous embrace.
“Thanks again for coming out, even though it clearly wasn’t necessary,” Phillip says.
“A true businessman stays ahead of the problem; he doesn’t chase it,” Chase replies, a twinkle in his eye. “I’d much rather waste my day and know that my biggest client is happy than to sit back and wait for something to go wrong.” He puts out his hand, which Phillip takes in a firm handshake. “I’ll be in touch.”
I follow Chase out the door, listening to him whistle as he saunters down the hallway. As we walk outside and into the bright sunshine, I ponder over his words, half believing what he said in there.
Maybe this wasn’t about me at all, and he really does just care about his clients.
“You really do go above and beyond for your clients, don’t you?” I say, eyeing him thoughtfully.
“You mean what I said in there?” Chase laughs as he glances back at me. “I told him what he wanted to hear. I had that merger sewn so tight that there was no way anything was going to go wrong.”
“Then why are we here?” I ask, confused.
Nearly the whole day is gone and I’m struggling to comprehend what the point was, if not to keep Phillip happy.
“I just wanted to prove that I'm in control,” he says simply. “And that if I want something, I get it.” He glances at his phone and curses. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Alana, but I didn’t realize it was so late. I have a meeting to get to. Would you mind catching a cab back to the office?” He reaches into his pocket for his wallet and retrieves a credit card. “I’ll pay, of course.”
“Sure,” I say, shocked and slightly relieved that I don’t have to travel back with him.
“Thanks,” he mutters. “I owe you one.”Chapter Five
Alana
It’s way after five when I get back to the office, and not surprisingly, everyone else has already left. All I want to do is head home and relax, but I feel bad, because it’s Friday, and I haven’t been to the gym all week. Besides, burning off some of this tension that seems to be clinging to me isn’t the worst idea in the world.
