“I’m sorry?” Alan asked, striding closer to her. “What do you mean by that? Have you been using company resources for private work?”
Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “In my head. It’s what I do. I assess our clients’ challenges and come up withmyversion of how to address them. Sometimes it aligns with McPherson’s plans, but usually I’m an outlier.” She shrugged. “In this scenario, we’re not even in the same zip code.”
“Good,” I said with a nod. “So you could put your plan to work immediately?”
“Sure,” she replied, still wary, like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Okay, then,” I said. “Come work for me.”
A murmur went up around us because by now the entire office was eavesdropping on what was probably the juiciest meeting in company history.
“What?”
Alan and Gwen shouted the word in unison, with totally different inflections.
“I want you,” I said to Gwen, ignoring the potential double meaning. “You have a grasp on what the Rushies want, and you pointed out the flaws in the McPherson concept. Not to mention,I need help yesterday, and you’re ready to go. So quit this place, come to work for me, and help me sort out this nightmare.”
Everyone stared at Gwen, waiting for her to say something.
“She’s not qualified,” Alan said in a cutting voice. “Not even close. That’s why she’s not on our team. Gwen’s essentially a step above an intern. There’s no way she’s ready to lead a campaign as important as yours.”
“I’m sorry, what did you just call me? Anintern? Do you know who I used to work for, and how long I’ve been at this?”
“Yes, and nothing you’ve done so far for us has amounted to anything,” Alan replied snidely.
Gwen stormed closer to him, and for a moment I thought she was going to punch him. “That’s because you never give me a chance todoanything. You treat me like a glorified secretary.” She paused and craned her neck. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being a secretary, Connie. But it’s not the job I chose, and it’s not the job I was hired to do.”
“Let me sweeten the deal,” I said. I threw out a salary, and someone behind me let out a low whistle at the number.
“That’s ridiculous,” Alan scoffed. “She’s not worth that much.”
Gwen’s face went red, and she narrowed her eyes at Alan, then turned to me.
“Double it, and I’m yours.”
The words hung loaded between us. Her cheeks were flushed, chin lifted defiantly, and she looked fucking amazing.
Alan threw his head back and laughed, and his gang of bros echoed it, sounding distinctly like a pack of hyenas. I gritted myteeth to keep from saying something I’d regret. My mouth had already gotten me in enough trouble, so I focused on Gwen.
Our eyes locked, and all I wanted to do was get her out of the place. She was asking for an insane salary, but I was desperate. And she was worth it. She was absolutely worth it.
“Done,” I said. “Let’s go.”
I turned so abruptly I nearly ran into Alan, who’d crept up behind me.
“Harrison, wait, hold on for a minute!”
“We’re through here,” I said to him over my shoulder as I walked away.
I pressed the elevator button feeling every set of eyes trained on me. It wasn’t a foreign sensation given my position, but I wasn’t used to being looked atquitelike this.
The entire office thought I was making a mistake.
But I knew in my gut I was right. And Ialwayslistened to my gut.
Sure, things would be bumpy with Gwen at first. The woman made me see red every time we interacted, but she knew what the hell she was doing, unlike the jokers on floor thirty-two. Eventually, I’d get past my attraction to her.
I had to.
