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We hung up, and I slumped in my chair. I wanted to see Austin tonight, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. My life was no longer just mine; it was part of his, and I would need to make time for him.
I spent most of my day dealing with a negotiation for a lead actor in a biopic. His demands were frustrating. Who wants a daily fruit basket and a dish of yellow M&M’s in their trailer each day? I wouldn’t agree since the first part of filming would be out in the Mojave Desert. I wasn’t sure if we could accommodate the requests.
Chapter 7
Hassan met me at Fusion before Jameson Wentworth arrived. We got a table near the back of the restaurant, and I ordered a glass of white wine while Hassan stuck to water.
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m not.”
“You normally don’t drink during these dinners.”
“I had a rough day, and I need something to take the edge off. Don’t read into it.”
“Just want you as sharp as always. Jameson is a tough customer, and he told me earlier he was bringing his son JJ, who serves as his Vice President.”
I sipped at my wine. “He’s already bringing in reinforcements? That can’t be good.”
“I’m not sure what his angle is since he approached us.”
I frowned. “I thought Spotlight was looking to get into animation?”
“We were, but not immediately. Jameson presented us with this offer.”
“You should’ve told me before we got here.”
“Why? We’ve done our due diligence.”
I sat up straight and focused my eyes on Hassan’s dark ones. “I worry when a company approaches another. Who else has he approached, and will this turn into a battle?”
Hassan waved his hand. “You worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry enough.”
A minute later, Jameson Wentworth walked in with his son JJ. He was a tall, handsome man of about sixty with salt and pepper hair and light blue eyes. His son was slightly shorter with the same color eyes and chestnut hair. He was handsome and held my hand firmly for a little too long when we were introduced.
We discussed business, but it seemed JJ was more interested in me than Spotlight purchasing Sunny Sky. His constant gaze disturbed me. I excused myself after our meal was finished and went to the bathroom. We’d been here over two hours, and it was past 9:00 PM. I wanted to leave and get to Austin’s, but first I would need to extricate myself from this dinner. Hassan didn’t need me. He was handling it just fine on his own.
When I came out of the bathroom, JJ was waiting against the wall in the vestibule to the lounge, chewing on a toothpick. He quickly approached me, removing the slice of wood from his mouth.
“You’re quite a negotiator. I bet you scare men into submission.”
“It’s my job to negotiate, and if a man is scared by how I am at the bargaining table, then he has no business being there.”
JJ placed his arm against the wall above me. I felt crowded. “What about in other places besides the bargaining table? Do you submit to men or they submit to you?”
“This is highly inappropriate. Would your father appreciate this kind of behavior from you?”
He smirked, dropping the toothpick into the pocket of his black suit jacket. “What kind of behavior? We’re having a conversation.”
I stood up as tall as my petite frame would allow, narrowing my eyes at him. “Mr. Wentworth, you might be able to charm women with your money and your position, but I rank higher than you. I’m not impressed. Now get out of my way so I can finish this meeting.”
I went to push by him, and he grabbed my wrist. “You’re gorgeous, do you know that?”
I gritted my teeth, trying to dislodge my arm. “Let me go.”
JJ leaned his face close to mine. “Have lunch or dinner with me and whatever happens after.”
