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I resisted the temptation to lash out at him. “Thank you.”
He scooted up to the table. “I have a proposal for you. It’ll take you just a minute to hear it.”
I leaned forward. “And I have one for you: Leave now, and I won’t start screaming.”
“How would that sound to the World Foods lady across the hall?” he asked.
Screaming was obviously off the table if I wanted to land the account. I composed myself. “Make it quick… And how did you know she’s with World Foods?”
He smirked. “I recognized her. We go way back.” He took his fork and speared a shrimp from the plate. “Delicious. You should try one,” he said.
“Please, Liam, I’m expecting someone any minute.”
Another knock at the door stopped my heart. It only started again when it turned out to be Marvin with the prosecco.
Liam was quiet until the waiter retreated after opening the bubbly and pouring us each a glass.
Liam took a sip. “I understand you’re nervous. I’ll be quick. I think you’ll like this. Our last deal worked out pretty well for you, didn’t it? A twenty-million-dollar investment with you getting the proxy for the voting rights.”
It had been an exceptional deal for the company, one we couldn’t have replicated with anyone else.
I smiled demurely. “Quickly?”
He was going at a snail’s pace, probably just to anger me.
He smiled. “Here’s the offer. You agree to spend the next two hours with me——”
“I can’t,” I pleaded, cutting him off.
“Patience. You haven’t heard my offer yet.”
I put up my hand, stopping him. “I won’t go back to being your girlfriend.”
“Not asking you to,” he continued. “You have dinner with me now, agree to talk with me…”
I rolled my eyes.
“Honestly talk with me, and I’ll ensure World Foods accepts you as a vendor.”
My mouth must have dropped to the floor. The audacity of this man was off the charts, believing I would fall for such a lie.
“You want me to believe you could do that?”
“I already have. Joanna is an old family friend, and she has already agreed to add you if I suggest it.”
“They wouldn’t. It’s so…”
He pulled a paper from his jacket and unfolded it. “She already has.” He handed it to me.
It was a letter from World Foods, accepting us as a supplier and setting next month as our start date. My mouth went dry. It certainly looked real. Celeste had arranged this evening’s meeting, and we knew she was a real World Foods person… It was too much to process.
“You can keep that, if you agree to my terms,” he said.
“And Sam?”
He forked another shrimp. “You really should try these. She’s having dinner with my sister, Katie, right now.”
I speared a shrimp and checked my watch. “Okay.”
