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Poppy's jaw dropped. She quickly clamped it shut again. She kept her legs crossed, but held onto her knee to prevent it from jogging uncontrollably. She had wondered if a presentation might be involved in today's meeting, but she had never expected it to be about her.
"Poppy, even before I met you, I knew you were a formidable individual. Strong. Intelligent." William had his back to her as he spoke. He was looking at the presentation, but didn't appear to be reading off it. There wasn't much to read, anyway. He had bullet points listed, sure, but these were accompanied by photos: her professional headshot, the photographs taken of her as Rhett Butler… and candids. Poppy hadn't expected that. There were pictures of her smiling; pictures of her laughing; pictures where her green eyes appeared to be flaming (and William was often featured in these). But she was the focus of the presentation's media, and of the presentation itself.
"William…" She couldn't not say something, but she didn't know how to continue.
William carried on as if uninterrupted. "In the first draft of this presentation I included a slide about your beauty: your effortlessness, your radiance, your complete charm and natural magnetism."
Poppy wiped her eyes. William turned to her, and even in the shadowy glow of the presentation, she could see his expression clearly. It wasn't the imperious man behind the desk who was speaking to her now. It was the man she had come to know and love: private, sensitive, and powerful in the moments he let himself be so. "I won't deny that these traits are wonderful strengths, and intrinsic to you. But I decided that they can't be encompassed in a presentation. You can't be encompassed in a presentation, and don't think for a second I don't know that. But I need you to see what I see, Poppy. I need you to see what the world sees."
He seemed to be asking for permission to continue. Poppy nodded. The slides clicked by, one after the other, each highlighting a perceived strength of her character: her fiery temper, her supportiveness of others, her innovation and audacity and utter fearlessness of things new and untried. As William continued, Poppy realized it was no use wiping her face anymore. The tears flowed freely under cover of darkness in his office. William pitched to her the portrait of a woman who sounded invincible. She sounded like a storybook queen and knight and ad magic enchantress rolled all into one. When he began to wrap it all up with graphs comparing and contrasting their talents, and showing how they complemented one another in every sector, Poppy started to laugh. She couldn't help it. The feeling he had instilled her with was too wonderful for words.
"In conclusion, I identified that something was missing in all this," William stated. "You were missing something, Poppy. And that was your own Poppy. What you need is someone in your own court to act as cheerleader. A CEO of your talent and ambition and insight can't operate almost solely in support of others. Your good nature allows you to see potential everywhere you look, and to act on it… but the humility you carry with you, the same thing that allows you to put ego aside for the betterment of the project, is holding back your own potential. In order to achieve all that you were meant for, you need someone who is equally supportive of you and your ideas. I would like to be that person for you, Poppy."
The slideshow clicked to an end. The lights came back up. At the conclusion of the presentation, Poppy rose. She crossed to the window to gaze out at the city below. She swallowed audibly, trying to evict her heart from her throat.
"Miss Hanniford," William said. "Would you care for a glass of water? Coffee?"
"Scotch," she replied. She heard William chuckle appreciatively. She watched in the reflection off the glass as he crossed to his cabinet and pulled the little door open. He fished down two glasses and the most expensive-looking bottle in his collection.
"That was quite a presentation, Mr. Jameson," she said.
"Thank you, Miss Hanniford. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say it's the most important one I've ever given."
She watched him pour their drinks in the window's mirror world. When hers was ready, she drew in a deep breath, and turned to face him. She accepted the glass, but she didn't drink immediately. They didn't toast. Even the ice cubes in her scotch seemed to be holding back on cracking. The air in the room was charged with anticipation.
"I want to propose a merger of sorts," William said.
Poppy's heart gave a hard thump! in her chest. She was surprised the throb didn't knock her completely off her feet. "A merger. Of sorts." What are you, an echo? Say something else, Poppy! "I must say that sounds intriguing, Mr. Jameson. I would love to know the terms of the merger you are proposing."
William gestured for her to sit—not in the chair reserved for his appointments, but against his desk. Beside him. Poppy crossed to join him. They both still held their untouched glasses aloft. William seemed to have forgotten he had poured them drinks at all.
"What I'm proposing," he said, "is that we merge our companies. Jameson and Wildflower. It's become more than apparent to me over the last few months that we are stronger together. That being said, I will happily continue to take on Wildflower as a rival—there are no other challengers out there that force us to put out our best work quite like you do."
"I agree," Poppy said. "Every fire requires a little friction to get started."
"But those forces don't have to be opposing to be effective," William continued quietly. "In fact, I think it's obvious that the combination has the potential to be harnessed. What we could build to
gether, Poppy…we could lead the industry. You and I."
"Together," she repeated. "As partners?"
"As more," William said. He raised his glass. "Effective immediately I also suggest we create a focus group for an in-depth exploration of how you and I can merge most fully, with the greatest possible satisfaction given to both lovers."
The word on his lips…his tongue…she had to taste it. She clinked her glass against William's, then swooped in before he could take even a single sip of scotch. She caught his mouth with hers, plucking his surprised lower lip out of the air with her teeth, teasing it into position until she was kissing him fully. She heard the distant tinkle of ice as William set his drink down. Her hand came up to cup his cheek, to cement him in place; his alcohol may have been expensive, but she could drink him forever. Her lips roved, and he returned the pressure of her kiss with the heat and need she had been looking for. He took the liberty of removing the glass of scotch from her hand and setting it aside.
"Fuck. I'll take that as a 'yes'," William groaned against her.
"But how many times can you make me say the word?" Poppy asked with teasing innocence. She batted her eyes at him; their faces were pressed so closely together that her lashes swept against his cheek. "I'd be curious to know the sort of prowess that goes into your negotiations."
"I'd be happy to show you as many times as you like," William replied. He cast a hand out across his desk, scattering pens and papers and even his own nameplate; all office supplies toppled to the floor. This leg of the meeting wouldn't require any paperwork. Poppy lifted herself up to meet him, capturing him by the hair, pulling him down with her onto the desk. She was determined to make him love this piece of furniture, and she would be willing to meet as many times as he liked until he was satisfied.
Now this was how you sealed a deal.
Chapter Fourteen
William
So this is what it felt like to be nervous.
