AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s late now and most of the office has already headed home. It’s just me in this enormous building, the deepening evening shadows reflecting back my own inner state of mind.
Oddly, knowing she’s coming makes me scrutinize my surroundings.
The imposing and glossy black desk for meeting clients when only a more formal setting will do. The fake potted plants my receptionist insisted on. Some bullshit about making the place feel more inviting.
It’s a professional setting. Perfect for meeting Juniper Winkley without any more screaming or tears or mutual desire to claw each other to pieces.
After our last meeting, a man needs boundaries.
I won’t have her turning up at my house again, sitting on my sofa, sipping champagne and sassing me like we skipped straight past the fake wedding to being an old married couple.
This is less intimate, yes, but for a business arrangement, it’ll do—and this time there’s no champagne.
Even if sitting and drinking it with her wasn’t total agony.
I shove the thought away and review the notes I’ve just made. The more prepared I am before she arrives, the sooner we can get this over with and the less worry I’ll have about blowing up our progress.
She’s terribly good at unraveling my discipline.
When the door pops open, I glance at the clock. Eight minutes till she’s due.
“You’re early,” I say, turning to look at her and—
“Patton?”
“Who else were you expecting?” He grins a little too widely for his face.
“Fuck off.”
“Don’t tell me it was your sugar baby. Is she meeting you today?” He looks up at the clock and back at me, his head tilted. “Damn. No wonder you look so nervous.”
“I’mnotnervous,” I snarl back, rolling my eyes.
Really, I’m not—I don’t give a flying fuck what she thinks about me as long as we’re both on board with convincing Haute.
“You sure? I can crank up the A/C for you—looks like you’re sweating, Bro.”
“Did you barge in to talk business or what?” I demand, my eyes cutting through him.
“Nah, where’s the fun in that? I came to make sure you aren’t blowing too much smoke up your own ass before you meet the girl.”
“Alright, that’s it—out!” I shove my chair back and he holds out both hands.
“Just kidding. I actually came to talk about the future.”
“Like hell.”
“Look, you might be in charge of the Holy Grail deal to end all deals, but I’ve got some other stuff in the works I thought we could hash out.” He sits across the sofa, stretching his legs out. “I even typed up the plans. I know how much you love long boring reams of paper.”
“Bastard.” I snatch the sheaf of paper he’s holding out to me. And goddamn, color me surprised, because he’s gone and done this properly, including the floor plans of his proposed changes, cost breakdowns, even an index in his report.
Little Pat, actually doing things by the book instead of just jacking off and leaving someone else to clean up the mess.
“Impressed?” He raises his eyebrows and smirks at me. “I can work sometimes, you know.”
“Sometimes,” I bite off, fixing a stare.
“Easy, man.I’mnot the idiot who got engaged to some pretty little baker girl so you could gamble with our biggest project.”
