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“Yeah,” I admit. “I might have met someone.”
“Yeah?” Alicia asks, perking up in interest; she knows how hard it is for me to date. “Who was she?”
“We only exchanged first names,” I explain, and Alicia nods in understanding; I never give out my last name until I know a little more about someone. “Her name was Amanda. She was amazing. She was so much fun to be with.”
“Are you going to see her again?” Alicia asks, grinning.
I beam.
“She gave me her number,” I say. “I definitely want to see her again. I want to find out more about her.”
“Just be careful,” Alicia cautions. “Remember Fiona?”
I wince. Fiona was a girl that I dated for three months last year. She begged me to buy things for her, and to pay for expensive trips. Eventually, I figured out that she was just using me as a cash cow, and that she had two other guys on the side. It was an unpleasant experience and told me just how dangerous the dating world now was to me.
“I haven’t forgotten,” I assure Alicia. It was impossible to forget. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good,” Alicia says with a nod. “Now, not to burst your bubble, but the representative from Tech Square Inc. is on their way.”
My mood instantly plummets. Damn it, I’d forgotten about that.
“What would you like to do?” Alicia asks.
“Send Brandon to my office,” I say, making a snap decision.
Alicia nods and picks up the phone. I sigh and enter my large office. So much for my great morning. Being thrown back into the politics of my rivalry with Tech Square Inc. is one way to ruin everything.
Brandon Waters doesn’t take long to arrive. He’s a tall man with broad shoulders and a rough beard. He’s the head of my management team and he’s very good at both keeping everyone in line and making sure everyone knows what they need to know. His organization skills are second only to Alicia’s.
He’s the perfect man for the job.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Brandon asks, frowning in confusion at being summoned.
“The representative from Tech Square Inc. will be arriving soon,” I explain. “Since Alan Simmons cannot be bothered to meet me himself, I do not see that I have to meet the representative in person. Would you be comfortable representing us for this deal?”
Brandon’s expression clears and he nods. We both know that this is the only way to remain on equal footing with Tech Square Inc. right now.
“I’ve looked over the current documents and plans with the management, so I know what we’re aiming for,” he says. “I’d be more than happy to represent us.”
“Great, thank you,” I say with a nod. “Please keep me updated, and I expect a full report at the end of the day.”
“Of course,” Brandon says.
He leaves the office and I lean back in my chair. I know I’ve done the right thing by sending a representative on my behalf, just as Alan has done, but it makes me twitchy to have to sit back in the shadows on the biggest possible alliance I’ve ever tried to make. Making a working alliance with Tech Square Inc. is something my father never managed; if I can do it, I can truly say I’ve earned ownership of his company.
If I can do it.
My phone rings and I jump. I’m on high alert now, especially knowing what’s about to happen within this building at any moment.
“Yeah?” I say as I press a button.
“Alan Simmon’s representative is here,” says Alicia. “Brandon would like to know if there’s anywhere in particular that you’d like them to go.”
“Wherever they can find a place,” I say.
“I’ll let him know.”
She hangs up. Now that the representative is here, I have to fight the urge to go down there myself. This isn’t right; Alan and I should have been the ones talking this out and hashing out the deal. Try as I might, I just can’t figure out why Alan hasn’t come himself or invited me over there if he was worried about being in enemy territory. I know it’s common to send representatives at the beginning of dealings like these, but surely it would be better to go straight to the top for something so damn important?
