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I fight the urge to push back and push back hard, but I’m not sure that would be about him, and this moment, or me and those that I’ve known before him. For this reason, I choose to discreetly share my view on his role versus my own role here at Hawk Legal.
“I know that I work for you, Tyler, but I need direction.”
His eyes glint with what I believe to be amusement, and to my surprise, what I believe to be just a hint of respect, but his reply is no less demanding. “And I’ll be happy to give you all the direction you need, Ms. Wright. Me, not him.”
This is where I should probably tell Tyler that Dash told me to go back to New York, but somehow that doesn’t seem a vote for me to keep my job. Maybe Dash is testing me. Maybe he just wants to know I won’t buckle and run. No. No, I’m not going to run or tell Tyler about my confrontation with Dash.
“I expect to know what’s going on,” he adds.
To which I say, “All right then. The venue is a fail. I think we should ask for a refund. It’s cold and plain, and cold and plain doesn’t do justice to the Hawk Legal name. And it lacks a vault system. Dash suggested we hold it on the rooftop here and use your vaults. In my opinion, an exclusive intimate event works.”
“I’d rather hear your opinion,” he says, in a clear rebuff of all things Dash Black. “Have you seen the rooftop?”
“I haven’t yet. No.”
“Then get back to me when you make the same suggestion. What else?”
“Can we use the vaults here?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll need armed guards on hand,” I add.
“Make it happen. What else?”
“We need a few high-profile auction items and we need them quickly. I’m working on donations but if you can get me a few items to tease the event that would help.”
“You’ll get what you need,” he says simply.
I don’t know what that means but he’s proven to be a man of his word. “How much are we going to charge Riptide to sponsor the event?”
“What do you suggest I should charge them?”
“I suggest we should pay them to authenticate the items. I believe I can get them to discount that service if they’re the official sponsors at no charge. That’s a win for both parties.”
He just looks at me, his stare hard and flat, unreadable. Unbidden, it rattles me, and I am forced to recognize how much I actually want to please this man. But I’m not sure that need is really as much about Tyler and it is a broader view of my life, and the men I’ve encountered along my way. Powerful and demanding men. Men like Tyler. It’s a problem for me and I know it.
And because I’m suffocating in my own head, I choose to do exactly his bidding. I take the bait of the silence and end it myself. “Do we have a deal?” I press.
“Yes, Ms. Wright,” he says, his voice transforming to a softer tone, his eyes sharper now on my face. “We have a deal. What else?”
It’s the third time he’s asked that, but I hesitate with where I want to go which is to Allison, again. I want to know about the house, and what happens if I move in and she comes back. I want to ask who would send her a necklace. I want to ask so many things, but bringing up Allison when he’s still chewing on Dash doesn’t seem smart. Instead, I say, “Thank you for taking my need for help seriously. I like Katie and I think she’ll be helpful.”
The crowd on the television feed blows up with excitement over something his client has done but his focus stays on me. “I’ve emailed you a budget for the event that I expect you to manage and a schedule of events you’ll be attending.”
“I’ll look it all over right away,” I say. “I need to call the clients of the firm and ask for donations. Am I allowed to do so?”
“I’ve already introduced you to the firm by email. The attorneys are talking to their clients. They’ll connect you. At that point, yes, you may talk to the clients.”
“Time matters,” I argue. “And your attorneys are busy with other things.”
“Everyone here has clients who need tax write-offs,” he assures me, effectively tying my hands on communication. “You will have that need,” he says, “my voice on the matter, and the party, on the side of progress.”
I’d argue that I need all those things and a voice of my own, but I obviously need to earn his trust. Therefore, I simply say, “What else do you need from me?”
That’s when he sideswipes me. “I trust you’ve accepted the offer to live in my rental house?”
