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She blinked, staring silently at me. I could see her mind working it out. “They belong to me. I busted my butt for that account. You stole it out from under me on false pretenses,” she said.
“I did not steal anything from anyone. Suffice to say, neither of us has Magnum now. Neither mine, nor your hard work has been rewarded.” This was not a conversation I wanted to have, though I’d known it would most likely come up. Silver was good at her job, but she often underestimated her competition. I didn’t. “So, are you in?”
“I want a cut of the profits. On top of an above average salary. And a professional title for my position. In other words, not assistant or sales rep or anything like that.” She flicked her hand in the air as she spoke.
She was still as shrewd as ever, but I knew Silver well. I was prepared to meet with her demands. “An above average salary, and ten percent. You can make up any title for your position you want. Except mine, of course.”
“And what is your title?”
“CEO.”
She gave a little shrug. “Ten percent is unacceptable. Salary, we will negotiate.”
I felt adrenaline rush through my body. “What type of percentage are you looking for? I do have to pay all the overhead and employees.”
Her lips parted into a smug smile. “It’s a start up, which means your overhead and employee payroll is minimal at this point. How many employees do you have now? The part time receptionist out there. And...” she scrutinized the office, “This is a shell of an office. I bet you rent it by the week. No deal.”
The blood was pumping through my veins. “Fair enough. I’m still searching for the right property for our office. But everything is coming out of my pocket at the moment. Still, I want you, Silver,” I said, assessing the faint blush that hit her cheeks, which gave me a certain satisfaction. How many times had she heard me utter those words in quite another context? I could barely contain my smile. “I’ll go up to fifteen percent.”
“I’m the closer, and you know it. Forty percent plus everything else I asked for.”
I leaned forward, reveling in the fight. “I can close with the best of them. Twenty percent.”
Silver threw me her best Cheshire grin. “No one can do it better than I can. Thirty-five percent.”
Heat infused my veins just thinking about it, which was exactly what she’d intended. I couldn’t think of anyone who could do it better. And I wasn’t talking business either. I’d play her game and raise her to twenty degrees. “Twenty-five percent. And you’ll join me for dinner tonight.”
She gave me a smug smile. “Thirty percent, and I won’t sue you for sexual harassment.”
I laughed. “You aren’t my employee yet, Silver. And I haven’t touched you.”
She lifted her chin with haughty defiance. “I’m in a job interview and making me accept the job on the condition of dinner is sexual harassment.”
“Oh, you misunderstand. It’s a working dinner. If you take this job, we will be working many dinners and late nights together. That will be part of the job. I didn’t say anything about sex. That’s your dirty little mind, Silver.”
Her cheeks pinked, much to her chagrin, I’m sure. “If you say so. Provided we keep it strictly professional, thirty percent is my final offer.”
“You drive a hard bargain,” I said as I leaned back in my leather office chair. It wasn’t comfortable yet, being brand new. But I liked breaking things in. “I’ll take it.”
“Great. I’ll start on Monday,” she said as she packed up her notes. “And the salary should be in the six figures.”
“You’ll start today. We’ll negotiate your salary tonight over dinner.”
Her eyes examined me, slowly taking me in as I sat in the oversized chair over a commanding mahogany desk. Yet, I suddenly felt like a kid with his hand caught in the candy jar. I fantasized about sliding her across this big, bulky desk and...
“Why the hurry?” she finally asked.
I halted the fantasy at the best part. Damn her. “I have a plan to bring in the Magnum account. But time is of the essence. There is a lot to learn about it before starting my plan.”
“We’ll plan together. I still don’t see the rush? Magnum is notorious for not signing contracts with their suppliers.”
“True. But the three partners on the Board, we’ll have to get on board. And there are some specific events we’ll have to attend in the upcoming months. We have our work cut out for us.”
Silver stood up with her briefcase in hand. “I already knew that. But there is probably all sorts of legal crap in the way. At the very least, I’m sure you signed a non-competitive agreement, right?”
“The contract is void, since Telaros didn’t uphold their end of the bargain.”
“Legal entanglements are never good. You know it’s a long shot.”
I stood up and shook her hand, like I’d do with any other interviewee But the shock of her fingers touching mine, the sweet softness of her skin, brought back so many sensations, memories, desires. Long shot? I wondered about the double meaning of her words. “Oh, I won’t concede that. We make a good team, you and I. I think together we can rule the world.”
She gave me a wry grin. “Well, let’s just start with Magnum.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” I said as she walked to the door. “Dress nice.”
She stilled a second before I saw her shoulders straighten. She was a proud woman, a trait that was both her strength and a chink in her armor. “I expect an employment contract by the end of the week or no deal,” she said.
I admit, I stared at the door for more than a few minutes after she left, mesmerized by the memories of her fabulous curves and sassy mouth. I was down for it. I loved a chase. I’d named my company Chase for a reason. And Silver, I knew, was the ultimate chase.
One I could not lose this time.
