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“Now, onto business.” She smiled and tilted her head to the side. “You look good. You like you’ve just been fucked, actually.”
I spit out my water, laughing. “I haven’t been.”
“That’s too bad, then.” She picked up her coffee. “How are things here in Seattle?”
“They’re um…” I couldn’t help but blurt out my thoughts. “Have mom and dad said anything about me lately? Like, anything at all?”
She shook her head. “No, Kate.”
“When people ask about me, do they tell the truth?”
“No.” She looked as hurt as I felt. “They still say that you chose to perform at private events and closed tours after you finished graduate school.”
“People believe that?”
“Why wouldn’t they? They can afford to make things look however they want.” She sipped from her cup. “Mom paid the admissions department at your school to make it look like you have a master’s so…Maybe you can put that on your resume after all.”
I knew that already, and I’d never use it.
“Seattle is great so far,” I said, needing to change the subject. “I’m convinced everything her had been a sign, especially since I’m dealing with a certain blast from the past at work.”
“Ugh. Please don’t tell me it’s ‘he who shall never be named.’”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s James. James Garrett.”
She dropped her coffee cup to the floor, sending a team of wait staff rushing in her direction. Keeping her eyes on mine, she waited until the shards were swept away. Until our waiter poured her a fresh cup and moved away.
“Is he client or a coworker?” she asked, her eyes lighting up with the news of fresh drama.
“Neither.” I shook my head. “He’s my boss.”
She smiled as she sipped her coffee, batting her eyelashes in search of her next words.
“Nothing is going on between us, Sarah Kay.” I beat her to it. “And nothing ever will. There’s too much to figure out and I don’t think it’s worth opening wounds from almost a decade ago.”
“Um, okay, so …I wasn’t thinking about that at all.” She shrugged. “I think you two should get it over with and fuck, though.”
The woman at the table across from us scoffed at Sarah Kay and moved away.
“Well, that part of you clearly hasn’t changed.” I held back a laugh, thinking about how close we’d come today. “Sleeping with him is out of the question though. I would never.”
“I don’t see why not.” She smiled. “You already have…”
I STOOD AT THE FRONT of the boardroom at four o’clock, my body still buzzing from James’s kiss earlier. He was staring right at me from the center of the table, turning me on with ease, but I still had to use this next hour to tell his board the truth.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ll make this analysis quick,” I said, dimming the lights. “I’ve passed out the preview shots of the commercials we’ll be shooting soon, and we now have a functioning department. However, after analyzing all of the issues that we may potentially face, I’ve decided there’s only one.”
I clicked the slide and James’s picture appeared in the screen with “Our CEO” in bright bold letters.
A few of the members gasped, but the room quickly became pin-drop silent.
“True leadership starts at the top,” I said. “And if we are being led by a CEO who doesn’t function as a team player, we can’t work toward the same vision.”
James glared at me, his lips slowly parting as he sat up in his seat.
“If I’m going to be asked to report to our CEO, I expect him to stop interrupting our department’s private meetings and I expect him to participate during mockup sessions like he’s a part of this billion-dollar business. Not just watching it from afar.” I clicked my slide again and my team brought in flights of coffee for each member.
Mr. Jewell picked up his water and chugged it. Carol started coughing.
“This is the main thing that needs to be addressed to strengthen our core marketing. I believe that working on that relationship will help everything else. Now, onto—”
“Miss Kennedy.” James held up his hand, silencing me with the stern sound of his voice. “Thank you for your presentation.”
“I’m not finished yet.”
“Yes, you are.” He clenched his jaw. “Take your team and get the hell out of my boardroom.”
I swallowed, and the lights in the room came on. I looked to Joseph and Carol, hoping they would intervene, but they only looked down.
“Now, Miss Kennedy,” he said, even harsher than the first time.
My team members rushed to the door and I closed my folder.
“I would start packing away your desk if I were you,” he said as I opened the door. The passion and lust in his eyes from earlier was long gone.
I slammed the door on my way out and rushed to my office. I tossed my folder into the trash and slumped in my chair. My phone buzzed in my pocket.
