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“Funny,” said Jamie, “because youare thekeynote speaker.”
“That’s true,” I said. “But, hey, at least if I’m talking, I don’t have to listen.”
“Do you find it hard to listen to other people?” said Jamie.
There was tension in the circle of people now. Around us, laughter and glasses were chinking as people chatted and networked in the grand ballroom of the Hotel St. Martin. But in the middle of the group of people, me, Alan and Jamie, and their friends, things had gone eerily silent. But actually, I was pleased that Jamie had asked me something interesting for once. I’d been surrounded by people all evening who’d wanted to do nothing but suck up to me and tell me how great I was.
“That’s an interesting question, Miss Reed,” I said, fixing her with an icy glare. If Jamie wanted to play with me, that was all right. I understood that she might feel resentful of me for never calling her all those years ago. But perhaps she was just asking me to make things … interesting. “A lot of people in positions of power have trouble listening to other’s suggestions. That’s why more companies in our industry fail in their first year than in any other.”
“I suppose,” said Jamie, “that once you get to a certain point, you don’t need to worry.”
“Well, yes,” I said. “But you’d need to be pretty lucky to survive that long in our industry without listening to others.”
“So, how did you do it?” Jamie said.
I thought I heard someone to my right make a sharp intake of breath. No one could have predicted that she’d turn on me so quickly. I felt angry and more than a little offended. But I kept my cool. I wasn’t going to allow myself to get rattled by Jamie Reed, of course.
“Jamie,” I said, “I think there’s been more than a little listening on my side. After all, didn’t you come through my door once telling me all about how I needed to redesign my whole PR team?”
Jamie blushed, and I knew immediately that I’d gone too far. Bringing up the day we’d slept together was too much, especially with her dad fifty feet away. But I was furious, and I knew I had to stop her now before she embarrassed both of us.
“Well, you liked the suggestions at the time,” she said.
“I did,” I said. “Of course, since your dad set up the interview, I didn’t have much choice.”
Jamie blushed even harder. But I couldn’t stop, not now.
“It’s a shame you didn’t hire me, Eric,” Jamie said and I could see Alan Morgan practically wilting inside his pretentious linen suit. “After all, I haven’t seen any positive changes in your company’s social media over the last few years.”
Someone laughed and giggled to my right. “I think,” said Alan, “we’re probably all a little tired from traveling—”
“And I haven’t heard anything about that company you were working for,ConnectSolutions,” I said. “Are they still in administration?”
“JAMIE!” called Tom from behind me.
But she was gone.
Jamie had stalked off, leaving me there on my own. As I turned, I saw her disappearing from the reception room, and Tom was looking at me.
“What have you saidnow?” he croaked, and my heart sank. It wasn’t what I’d just said. It was what I’d done, and now it was all too far in the past to make right again.
Chapter Seven
Jamie
Backinmyroom,I couldn’t help it. I was almost tearing up.
I knew I shouldn’t have done it, shouldn’t have provoked the wrath of Eric Slade. But I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t like the way he wandered around this place as though it were just another one of his fancy skyscrapers, another one of his impressive pieces of equipment. He might be the keynote speaker and one of the most important and influential people in the room, but let’s face it. Eric Slade was a jerk.
He couldn’t communicate, for one thing. Eric had stalked around the party, doing his best to smile. I was impressed with him, and so was everyone. But he’d made me feel awful. And I knew it was because, deep down, he’d only felt jealous of the attention Alan was paying me.
But even though Alan was a little over-familiar, it wasn’t exactly like we’d slept together. What was his problem?
There was a knock at the door, and I spun around. I went to it and took a deep breath. Although I already knew who it was.
As I opened the door, I felt a shudder of something, maybe fear, maybe desire, at his hulking frame in the doorway. In shadow, his head was lowered a bit.
“I’ve come to apologize,” he said.
