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“I’ve been waiting for your call, honey,” she says, just above a whisper.
My hand lands on the back of my neck, the air growing thick with tension. I’m feeling uncomfortable with this conversation being as though Raven is privy to it.
Yet another reason Marla will never receive that call she’s waiting for. She’s too forward.
Raven clears her throat, pulling Marla’s intense stare off me for a moment.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Marla hums. “I didn’t see you there.”
“Yes, well, it did look like you had something stuck in your eye. Did you get it out,honey?”
I stifle a choked laugh behind my fist at Raven’s condescending tone that she covers up with the brightest, fakest smile I’ve seen her wield to date.
“Could you please let Mr. Ramsey know we’re here?” Raven continues, dismissing Marla expertly.
She glares in Raven’s direction but quickly turns on her heel, stalking toward his office. Within two minutes, his door opens, and Paxton, dressed in his best Armani suit, appears, grinning like a loon.
“It’s wonderful to see you,” he says, walking straight past me and pulling Raven into a tight hug.
She giggles, patting his back awkwardly. “You, too, Paxton. Thank you for allowing us to meet with you.”
He smiles down at her. “It’s the least I could do for my fruit-bearing friend.”
She offers him a toothy grin. “Glad you liked it.”
“Oh, I did. The sunshine balloons were a perfect touch. They reminded me of you immediately.”
“Is that so?” she says, and he nods.
“Of course.” His hand motions to her. “You’re always cheery.”
“Dear God,” I murmur, rolling my eyes at Paxton’s blatant flirting.
They both look at me with varying degrees of interest.
“Glad to see you brought the grump with you,” Paxton says, grinning down at Raven.
“I can’t seem to shake him.”
“Oh, you two are a regular comedy routine. Want me to ring Monty Python to add you to the cast?” I drone. “Can we get on with it, Paxton? I don’t have all damn day.”
His lips press together as he shoots a look of annoyance at me before ushering us toward his open door. “You used to be fun. Take a seat,” he instructs, walking behind his obscenely large mahogany desk in front of a glass wall.
It would be an amazing view if he wasn’t on the seventh floor in a city with skyscrapers. His view is another wall of windows, and I can’t help but wonder what price he paid to get screwed.
“I looked over your proposal, Raven, and I have to say, you’re good. Too good for the likes of him,” he jibes at me.
“Thank you,” she says, lighting up. Her excitement is palpable as I listen to her jump into a pitch that is anything but scripted.
Her passion is contagious, and her knowledge is impressive. She’s a damn force, and I’m spellbound by it.
I’m in a trance, watching her lips move but not hearing a word of it.
“Charles,” Paxton says, his voice dripping with amusement.
My head turns as I laser him with a glare.
“What do you think?” he says, crossing his legs and sitting back cockily.
