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I take my eyes away from his profile and turn to Anthony. "Mr. Owens is, I am sure, very much aware that I am right. Those amendments must be made, or the deal is off."
Ok, I’m bluffing now, but what’s wrong with that?
I'm just trying to cut a better deal for my spineless client. More money for him is more money for me, after all, and a little less money in the deep pockets of Devon Welton. He would not even feel the difference, so why does he have to be such an asshole about the whole thing?
Anthony smiles at me, his eyes are saying, 'nice try, girl.' "I don't think so, Miss Brent. The proposal of my client still stands as it is. Take it or leave it. A ten million payout and a ten percent share.”
I can feel the panic coming off of Mr. Ashton in waves. He was all on board with the new direction I wanted this deal to take, but that was before he was in the same room with Welton.
Devon stands up before I can open my mouth and stares down at my client, making him shrink further under his height and bulk. "You know what? I feel generous today, and Miss Brent had quite a compelling argument there. I will make one amendment to my offer.”
I’m not going to allow myself to believe I convinced him so easily.
He would never give me the satisfaction. The self-important fucker is hiding something.
He gestures for Anthony and Carl to stand up as well and bends to whisper something into his CFO’s ear.
Carl shrugs his shoulders and nods slightly.
After a whole minute of silence, I finally break. “Well, if you have had a change of heart, let’s hear about it.”
He looks me up and down with his usual obnoxious conceitedness. “I will make that share twelve percent.”
That’s it?
Is he kidding me?
I knew it.
I take a breath to counteract, but I’m once again thwarted in it by my idiot of a client.
"We have a deal, Mr. Welton."
Devon beams complacently. "Of course we do, Mr. Ashton."
"Ashton Corp. is proud to get under the umbrella of your company," my client sticks his eager hand out, and Devon gives it a firm shake, a self-assured smirk on his full lips.
Oh my God, I could kill them both!
One for being a champion and the other for being a coward.
I had the deal in my pocket!
Had it been left to us lawyers, I’m sure I would have gotten a much better outcome, but I knew it would turn out very differently with Devon Welton in the boardroom.
How a weakling like Mr. Ashton could be at the helm of such a big company for all this time without driving it into the ground is beyond me!
But then the little weasel is bowing out of his role as CEO and is selling the company after just a minor crisis that I have to admit a man like Devon could solve in his sleep. Maybe I should not be so surprised that Ashton cannot stand a little tension.
I steal another look at Welton, and I see the glint in his eye. He is perfectly in his element. He has a slightly bored mien, a note of condescension in his voice as he speaks to the little groveling worm. He looks like a lion who just realized he could do better things in his savannah at this time.
He cannot be bothered to keep on chasing a half-dead mouse if the little critter is no longer able to amuse him. So he throws a tiny morsel of food at it, impatient to get going with his life; definitely, far better prey to hunt lies ahead of him. And he won't even go for the kill at this point, no: there would be no excitement in that.
My client concludes the meeting with a spring in his step, looking all starry-eyed. He’s probably already spending his ten million in his head. What a pathetic, grabby wuss.
Anthony smiles at me and shakes my hand. “Well played, Lynn, but you knew we were never going to take that bait.”
I smile back at my best friend. “Well, a girl’s gotta try, right?”
