More than I should.
I should be listening to Cal, but it’s hard toremember I care. At least the two assignments he outlined so far seem like a piece of cake.
I take a sip of my coffee and force my attention away from her.
Cal’s office has two window walls. The light in here is spectacular. The view is grand.
Not enough to keep my mind occupied.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
When she is not making notes, Roxy’s nails tap the side of her tablet, probably sending a distressed Morse code to the world.
She keeps asking questions. Smart questions. She is clearly more than an office manager. She might not have spent years managing business operations, but she’s a worthy opponent.
For some fucked-up reason, I’m proud of her.
“For the cost-optimization project, each of you should prepare suggestions and a presentation, and I will decide which is better. For the new business opportunity, you will work together and bring the company in.”
“Together? What the hell, Cal? If we’re competing, why would you want us to work together?”
Roxy shoves her pen into her dreadlock bun, right beside a pencil that she might have forgotten was there.
“Because teamwork matters.” Cal smiles.
Are the Merged partners enjoying this littlecompetition? Is this a side of entertainment in their workaholic lives?
Fuckers. The joke is on them, since I care little about the seat at their goddamn table.
But the woman beside me? She deserves better.
And why do you care?the devil on my shoulder chortles.
For reasons I don’t yet understand, she really wants that seat. And it’s just a game to them.
The hypocrisy of my thinking is not lost on me. It’s a game to me, too. And yet the need to defend her…? Unhinged.
I don’t really know her, but I’m pretty sure that jumping to her rescue would get me a well-aimed kick in the nuts.
Beside me, Roxy swallows visibly, gripping the armrests. “Of course, but we can each lead a small team to demonstrate our teamwork skills.”
“And I assigned a small team to each of you already, but acquiring Hearthstone Foods for our largest client isn’t something we can rehearse at home. We have only one shot at it.”
Collaborating with Roxy is what I need, but she will probably poison my coffee.
“I appreciate your trust,” I say dryly, and I wink at Roxy. Teamworkand all.
Her glare hits me like a thrown dagger. If looks could kill, I’d be outlined in chalk.
“Why do you even want this?” It’s not even a question; it’s an accusation she spits at me. “If you want to escape your father, just live off your trust fund.”
Cal leans back, folding his hands behind his head, a smirk on his face. He’s enjoying the show, and the only thing missing is a cup of popcorn in his lap.
How does she know I’m escaping my father?
And that I have a trust fund to lean on? That might be a wild assumption on her part, but she is not wrong.
She glares at me, expecting a rebuttal. I have no interest in feeding into Cal’s unhinged idea of entertainment.
