I realize that Carla didn’t give me my coffee as promised.
She really is out of sorts.
“Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, water?—”
“I’m fine.”
I pick up my handset and call her. “Carla, please can you bring me a coffee?”
“Oh sh…oopsie. Sorry! No problem,” she responds.
I put down the phone.
“Please…sit.” I gesture to a chair.
I walk around my desk and sit. He takes the chair opposite, which I have always thought of as a decent-sized chair, and somehow, he shrinks it by half.
“All right,” I say, folding my hands. “Apologies for missing the email. Please can you tell me what you need from me…from my staff,” I quickly add. It feels like everything I say is an innuendo for something dirty.
What do you need from me?
Plug my holes.
I need to stop this. We had a one-time thing, and now it’s strictly business. If I had known he was head of Draig Security and there was even the smallest chance I would run into him again, I would never have slept with him. And that right there is a bald-faced lie.
“I need to be on-site for a full review. I’ll need to see all of your cameras and access points, both shipping and receiving, pharmaceutical stores, personnel files, shift rosters, emergency protocols. I need to talk to your staff. I need to walk every corridor and every back door. I need to see how you handle a delivery and how you handle a shutdown. I need to understand the flow of this place from the moment someone steps out of their vehicle in your parking lot. Then there’s IT as well. I might need to bring in an expert, if necessary.”
“You’re thorough.”
I wince inwardly. I know first-hand how thorough Ridge can be.
Stop!
“I am. I’ll need your full cooperation, Doctor.”
You have it, you totally have it.
I nod. “How long will you be here? Do you have a team, or will it be only you?”
“For now, it’s just me. I’ll bring in specialists as and when needed. I’ll need a week. Possibly longer, depending on my findings. You will more than likely need extra security staff on your detail. I need access to all areas.”
Access to all areas.
My nipples tighten under my shirt, even though he didn’t mean it like that.
I need to stop this, and right now. It’s that, or we need to tell the Council that we can’t work together, and I refuse to take that route. I plain refuse.
“Dr. Keller.”
I snap back to attention.
“Yes. Sorry. You have my full cooperation. I have a staff meeting at three. I was going to raise the security review then, regardless. I’ll fill them in and tell them to give you whatever you need. If you want, I can introduce you officially then?” I lift my brows.
He nods. “That would be helpful.”
“As long as you know that the safety of my staff is my top priority.”
“Good to know. I’ll start working on your IT systems today. I’ll need to meet with you regularly throughout the week. Not only are this building and your staff a priority, butyouare too.”
