I don’t say anything else, standing when she does. She holds her hand out for me to shake, like we’re colleagues or acquaintances. I take her small hand in mine and use it to tug her toward me, smiling at the stunned gasp that falls from her mouth. When she’s close enough, I lean down and press a lingering kiss to her cheek, savoring her sharp intake of breath and the way she sways toward me.
“I know who you are, Lynne,” I murmur into her ear. “And soon, you’ll know what I know too.”
She stares up at me, mouth parted and bemusement stamped across her features. But then, with a blink, she shakes it off. “Thank you for lunch,” she says tersely. “Goodbye, Grafton.” The words are dripping with permanence, like she never plans to see me again. I bite back the smirk tugging at my mouth, watching as she walks out the door.
I’m nothing if not stubborn, but Lynley doesn’t know that about me yet. She doesn’t know that I’ve never been able to resist a challenge, and she just set one—wrapped in a pretty blue bow, right at my feet.
Chapter 12
Christopher
“This meeting is just a formality,” I tell my team as Gail sets a stack of folders in front of me before taking her usual seat against the wall, pen poised over her notepad. “Everything has gone according to plan with this account, so just let me do the talking unless you’re directly asked a question.”
Daisy and Ivan frown at my words, sharing a look, but my attention is drawn to the boardroom door as it opens and Vivian Alhurt, CMO of Oceanic Capital, sweeps in, her people close on her heels. I trail my eyes over her appreciatively, from the dark red hair, pulled back with a brown clip, to the form-fitting dove-gray blazer. She’s not my usual type, her personality domineering and sharp, but she’s attractive enough for an older woman.
“Vivian,” I greet cordially, straightening my shoulders as she approaches.
“Christopher,” she returns, taking my proffered hand in a too-firm shake, her hand dry against mine. I flick one brow up at the challenge in her eyes as they lock with mine.
“It’s good to see you again.” I wait until she takes a seaton the left side of the table, her team members sitting alongside her. Once they’re settled, I introduce everyone on my side.
“You’ll remember Daisy, our strategic creative lead. But this is Lucille, a junior account manager, and Ivan, our team’s data analyst. My assistant, Gail, is also here.” I wave a dismissive hand in her direction.
Vivian nods at each person, but doesn’t bother introducing anyone from her team, and I ignore the uneasy feeling that gathers at the deliberate snub.
I smooth out my expression, giving them a charismatic smile. “I want to start off by thanking you all for coming down. We?—”
The door opens again, and my head snaps up, a puzzled frown tugging at my mouth when Reynolds strolls in, his smile just a little too cutting to be considered polite.
“Good morning,” he says silkily, icy eyes roving around the room. After a beat, they land on me, the corners of his mouth twitching, like he’s amused by my shock. “I’m just here as an observer this morning,” he answers the unasked question, arching an arrogant brow. “Pretend I’m not here.”
Something that would be easier to do if he didn’t seat himself at the other end of the table, directly in my line of sight. My heart thumps erratically in my chest, easily able to see the truth he’s not saying.
There is no good reason that the CEO of the company needs to sit in on a senior executive’s meeting, especially with a well-established client.
I surreptitiously tug at my collar, feeling sweat gathering on my hairline. Vivian’s speculative eyes are bouncing between the two of us, but I forcibly shake the disquiet off, clearing my throat. “As I was saying,” I start again, voice as steady as I can make it. “This meeting today is just aformality, a way for us to get together to evaluate the performance from Q1, as well as to review the metrics from the current engagement campaign.” I pause a beat, long enough for my words to sink in, but not long enough for anyone to ask questions.
“According to the data our team has compiled”—I tap the folders, carefully keeping my eyes averted from Reynolds—“we’ve seen an amazing 31 percent increase in engagement compared to Q1 of last year. Projections suggest that growth is on track to hold steady through the remainder of the fiscal year.” I pass a confident smile around the table, ignoring the mounting tension. “Daisy has come up with some adjustments to our current strategy that will further the improvements that Oceanic Capital has seen?—”
Just as I turn toward my strategic lead to give her the signal to take over, there’s a shift in the air. The small hairs on the nape of my neck prickle with unease as Vivian leans forward, a thoughtful stare pinned on me.
“31 percent,” she repeats, almost like she’s testing the words on her tongue, her sculpted brows rising high on her forehead. “Impressive number.” Her eyes cool dramatically, mouth pinching. “But it doesn’t match the number on our end.”
No one from her side of the table looks surprised at the announcement. In fact, the guy next to her—some asshole barely out of school—shifts in his seat with a smirk.
I wet my lips, brain misfiring as I process her words, trying to make sense of them. “Can you explain that to me?” I ask stiffly. “Our analyst—” Ivan shoots me a wide-eyed look, scrambling to pull his laptop out of the bag at his feet.
Vivian doesn’t look at him, her focus fixed on me,her mouth flattening into an unimpressed line. “That’s why we’re here, Christopher. Our relationship with Reynolds & Media has been a collaborative one for the last two years, beneficial to us both. So I was…pushedinto giving you the benefit of the doubt. I’m here today to give you a chance to explain why we’re seeing such vast discrepancies. According to our own analytics, engagement peaked halfway through the quarter and then dropped dramatically. And yet”—she tilts her head to the side, not blinking as she holds my stare—“your numbers don’t seem to reflect the truth of that at all.”
Every eye in the room swings to me. I can feel Reynolds burning a hole in my forehead. They’re all waiting for my response, my own team frowning in confusion. Ivan’s tapping away at his laptop, his expression becoming more and more alarmed.
Movement catches my eye, and I look up just in time to see Reynolds casually rest his elbow on the armrest of his leather chair, cupping his chin in his palm. He looks relaxed and completely unsurprised at the turn this meeting has quickly taken. Something about his slumped posture grates against my nerves. I battle my irritation down, knowing I’m walking a knife’s edge.
Vivian grows impatient with my lack of response, tapping a sharp nail against the tabletop. “The numbers I’m seeing…” She shakes her head. “The correct ones are concerning enough, but coupled with your lack of awareness, I’m not optimistic about the integrity of this business relationship.”
I blink once. Twice. “I understand your concern, and I take full responsibility for the inconsistency. This isn’t a reflection of how we operate at Reynolds & Media.” I clench my hands into tight fists, trying to contain thesudden tremble in my fingertips. When I feel like I’m back in control, I flip open the top folder, scanning the numbers I was given before the meeting. “We’ll reverify the data immediately, run comparisons against your own analytics, and?—”
She shakes her head, unmoved. “This should have all happened before I ever set foot in this room. It’s too late for those kinds of steps now, especially when it’s affecting my company’s bottom line.”
