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It honestly wasn’t what I was expecting. I’ve worked with Mr. Ramirez a time or two, he’s a decent guy, if not a bit of a flirt. He works out of Columbia though and I didn’t think recommendations traveled that far.
He nodded. “He and Mr. O’Connor have been working together on a few projects and when he heard about our issue, he gave us your information. Is that a problem?”
I was pretty sure my eyes couldn’t get any wider. Liam O’Connor was working with Mateo Ramirez? No wonder he was expanding. Mateo is one of the richest men on the planet and rumor had it he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. It did make me a little nervous that a man who was a known mafia boss had such a big backer. Influential friends indeed.
Jaime tipped his head and I cleared my throat, trying to reacquire the air of professionalism that I was sorely lacking throughout this whole meeting.
“I, um, no, that’s no problem. I just didn’t realize he thought so highly of me. We’ve only worked together a couple of times and I’m still pretty new.”
He lifted his shoulder, nonchalant. “He seems to trust you, new or not.”
My knee started jiggling beneath my desk as anxiety set in. Both times I worked with Mateo, I received the biggest payouts of my career. My car, my nice condo, both were funded by Mateo Ramirez. If I took another job with him involved, I might be able to finally stay out of reach of my father.
When I didn’t move, he lifted an eyebrow, shooting me an expectant look. I launched out of my chair, grabbing my purse. It took longer than I wanted, having to grab my jacket and lock everything back up behind me. I followed him through the building, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. I’d prepared myself to meet with Mr. O’Connor, coached myself on how to act in front of a mafia boss. Remain confident, show no weakness. But Mateo Ramirez was another beast entirely. He’s too easy going and flirtatious and he puts me on edge. I liked that he paid well and didn’t seem to judge my opinion based on the fact that I have ovaries, but he comes on a little strong and I usually liked to prepare myself to deal with him.
As we headed outside, I braced myself against the biting wind and squinted. The offices may be all windows on the inside but there wasn’t a ton to the outside and there was often such a huge difference in lighting that I needed a minute to adjust. When I finally could see, I came up short.
Jaime pulled open the door to a massive SUV that was waiting on the curb in front of the building, the tires already caked in snow. It was warm and running and a younger man in a suit sat in the front seat, watching us curiously.
“Um… If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to take the train… Is it far?”
He looked confused but anxiety slammed into me in waves to the point where I felt a little nauseous. I took a step back, shaking my head and immediately slipped on ice. Letting out a yelp, I felt my feet completely go out from under me. At the last second, Jaime’s arm wrapped around me, pulling me against him.
“Are you okay?”
With the drifting snow and being wrapped in his arms, it almost felt like a hallmark movie moment. I can’t stand those movies. I jerked upright, steadying myself against the side of the SUV, and sucked in a deep breath, shaking my head. “About the train…”
He frowned. “It’d take us a hell of a lot longer to get there if we took the train and Liam isn’t exactly a patient person. Don’t worry about CJ, he’s a decent driver.”
Decent wasn’t really cutting it for me but I felt like I didn’t have a choice. Piss off the mafia boss before I even had a chance to hear the details about the job or face one of my biggest fears head on.
Careful to keep my feet firmly on the ground, I edged into the SUV, pulling on my seatbelt and gripping the oh-shit handle almost immediately. When Jaime slid in the other side he regarded me for a minute before jerking his chin at the driver who pulled slowly away from the curb.
By the time we made it to the meeting spot, I was almost hyperventilating. Sweat gathered at my temples despite the temperature outside and my knuckles were starting to protest how hard I was holding onto the handle. Another man in a suit opened the door for me and I almost leapt from the SUV, catching myself in the seatbelt in my desperation to escape. Luckily, whoever worked here was prepared for the weather because there was salt on the ground and I didn’t make any more of a fool of myself than I already had.
Jaime appeared at my side, looking concerned. He opened his mouth to say something, probably something like what’s wrong with you, so I cut him off.
“Is there a bathroom nearby? I’d like to freshen up before the meeting.”
He pointed at the building. “First door on the left.”
Nodding quickly, I hustled inside. There were a few people at the main reception desk and a few more scattered around the foyer. Mr. O’Connor seemed to have a thing for suits because everyone was wearing one, even a severe latina woman with a pixie cut. All eyes seemed to watch me as I hurried into the bathroom.
I wasn’t entirely sure what was worse, the anxiety or the embarrassment. I should’ve just taken the train. Being late would’ve been better than this. I looked at myself in the mirror, grimacing. Sweat matted my copper colored hair to my forehead, the rest of it completely in disarray from the windy weather. My makeup was smudged, my skin taking on a sheen from the sweat. I grabbed some paper towels, dabbing myself down as I tried to do damage control.
The bathroom door swung open and Jaime loped inside, looking so at ease that I was a little worried I’d run into the men’s room by accident. I looked around with a frown. Not a urinal in sight.
“What are you doing in here?”
He shrugged. “You looked freaked out. I came to check on you.”
Making a face, I turned away from him, focusing on fixing my hair. “I’m fine.”
He leaned his hip against the counter, watching me. “You can say that again.”
When he flashed me a playful grin, I rolled my eyes. “This is the women’s room. You do realize that, right?”
Nodding, he pulled my briefcase out from behind his back. “Figured you might need this.”
