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My eyes slice to his and I hold the stare long enough to let him know he fucked up. The color starts to drain from his face. “Listen to me, Brian, and listen to me very closely. You’re a chauvinistic dick. You treated her like a piece of shit from the time she walked in the door and I know you did not intend to give her the same respect as the other firms. I had a gut feeling there was something going on when I looked over the RFP list. Several of the companies listed have been trying to claw their way in the door for years. I know what kind of incentives they offered you to give them the business.
“Sullivan PR has a solid plan. The proposal has a grasp on all issues. Watching you dismiss her before she ev
en entered the room had me pissed, but your display of unprofessional behavior makes me question if you are in the right role in this company. You want to see who has bigger balls here? I will knock your fucking ass to the mailroom. It’s my last name on the door and on your paycheck.”
His face pales and sweat breaks out on his forehead.
“I see I have your attention now. Tomorrow you will have your assistant call and let the other contenders know a firm has been chosen.”
He nods reluctantly and turns to leave. Before he gets out the door I feel the need to drive home one last point. “Brian, I’m not sure where you got the impression you could talk to me the way you did, but if it happens again, your ass is on the curb with nothing but the fucking clothes on your back. No severance. No insurance. No bonus. Nothing. Do you understand me?”
He nods again and disappears.
I open the binder and pull out Stella’s business card. With no hesitation, I dial the cell number listed. This may be a business deal, but my thoughts about the brunette bombshell are anything but professional.
“Tell me again, what exactly did he say?” Laci badgers me for the tenth time.
I look at my phone and lower the volume because her high-octave excitement is giving me a headache. Lying back on my couch, I sip my wine and retell the story.
“He called around six and asked if I could free up some time tomorrow afternoon to meet at a lawyer’s office. He has a contract for me to look over and a confidentiality agreement to explain. He suggested I get it to my lawyer as soon as possible so we can get started. He also told me Brian would no longer act as lead on the project, he was stepping in.”
“I’ll call my dad and tell him we’re coming over tomorrow night with the papers for him to review.”
“Thanks, Lace. I appreciate that.”
Laci’s dad is one of the top transactions attorneys in Atlanta. In the business world, he’s feared. But outside of the office, he’s a giant teddy bear. When Laci and I became inseparable, her mom and dad became like a second set of parents to me. Her father helped me set up my small firm a few years ago and even pushed some business my way.
The Hurst & McCoy project is going to make or break me. Mr. Barnes helped me prepare my final RFP with advice on the legal aspects. He’s the one who told me that setting up a non-profit group would not only benefit the local community, but also provide tax relief.
“Do you think we should ask Daddy about getting one of his attorneys on retainer for the non-profit set up?” Laci asks.
“No, I think we should wait. Maxwell McCoy told me today he’s an international attorney. Let me see what kind of resources he provides. I didn’t fully work in the cost of a legal team on the proposal. That was a subject I was going to bring up when we got to the miscellaneous items. But I never got the chance to talk about it.” I sigh.
“You know we could have covered this all at the office if you would have come back today.”
“I just learned I was going to be presenting to the executive team at Hurst & McCoy. What would you have done?”
“Retail therapy.”
“Good guess.”
“Tell me what you got.”
“Nothing really remarkable, but it helped keep my mind occupied.”
We talk a few more minutes and make plans to meet at her parents’ house tomorrow night. I decide to work from home tomorrow morning. When we hang up, I get another glass of wine and turn on the TV. I try to enjoy the lusciousness of Alex O‘Loughlin, but my mind keeps going back to Maxwell McCoy. A tingling sensation runs through me remembering the intensity when our eyes met. The way my heart started racing and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Suddenly, I grow hot. What the hell is wrong with me? He’s practically going to be my boss, which means he’s off limits. Right?
Maxwell is waiting for me in the lobby at his lawyer’s office. The sight of him in the charcoal grey suit makes my mouth water. The jacket practically stretches against his broad, muscular build. His eyes rake over me and a grin spreads on his face. When I look down, I laugh. We match.
“Did you call my housekeeper to see what I was wearing this morning?” he jokes.
“Sure did, Mr. McCoy.” I smile back.
“Max. Please call me Max.” We shake hands and he ushers me to a conference room.
I didn’t notice a receptionist up front, but there’s a lanky blonde setting up drinks when we walk in. She bends over the table so far her dress slips and shows the top of her thigh highs. She licks her lips seductively at Max. He doesn’t even look her way. His hand goes to the small of my back as he pulls out my chair.
Hair rises on the back of my neck, and my stomach flurries from his touch. He sits next to me and slides a folder over.
