I laughed. Persistence was something I liked in my employees,so to see it in a company I might be working with was actually a good thing. “She must be something if she got you to react.”
“It’s not just that. I did some research, and the agency could be a good fit. How’s Charlotte?”
“Good, but neither of us slept last night. My grandmothers and Bella are with her now.”
“Great, because I haven’t made much headway looking for a nanny. They’re hard to find.”
“You know what? You’ve done enough. I’ve got a lead from my brother anyway, which may work out for the best.”
Hillary looked relieved.
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Jesus, I need ten coffees.”
She smiled broadly. “Can I just say how proud I am of you?”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes glassy. “Watching you step up and bring your daughter home without a second’s hesitation is wonderful.”
“Right.”
Did she or anyone else ever think I’d act differently?
Jesus. I wasn’t a jackass.
Oh, fuck, who was I kidding? Charlotte was conceived from a one-night stand. Obviously people didn’t think I was father material.
I turned toward the door. “I’m going to the meeting room. Please hold my calls unless it’s my family.”
I skipped coffee since I was already late. When I stepped into the meeting room, I cleared my throat. A woman was pacing around in front of a presentation screen. She already had her pitch ready to go, and I was very late.
I blinked a few times, taking her in: red suit, matching her bright red lips, and dark brown hair pulled to one side.
Only forty-eight hours ago, I would’ve checked her out thoroughly. But right now, I wasn’t in the mood. She was an attractive woman for sure, but it didn’t matter. I had a hunch thatthings like that wouldn’t matter for a long time. I had a very important responsibility now, and Charlotte came first.
“Good morning.”
“Mr. LeBlanc, hello! I’m Piper Dawson.” She frowned as she gave me a once-over. Clearly she wasn’t happy with what she was seeing. What the hell was up with that? I’d intended to apologize for being late when she added, “We should start. Can’t waste more time than I already have.”
“You’rescoldingme?” I asked, already irritating my potentially worsening mood. I didn’t even want this fucking meeting. If I was smart, I’d end it right now.
She cleared her throat, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “No, not at all. Sorry if it came across that way. Thank you in advance for accepting this appointment.”
“From what I’ve been told, you were very persistent. My assistant felt like she didn’t have any choice.”
I wasn’t sure why I was antagonizing her. Probably because I was so damn sleep-deprived.
“That’s true. I’d been reaching out for weeks via email before coming across her phone number,” she said.
“And our lack of reply wasn’t an answer in itself? I’ve heard far too many pitches, so this better be good because I’ve got one foot out the door.”
She licked those thick, gorgeous red lips. “If I may start, I’m sure I can convince you why this is worth your time and why MarketingPros is the best resource for you.”
I pulled up a chair and sat down. “All right, begin.”
I kept my eyes fixed on her slides as she started. She was competent, I’d give her that. I glanced in the corner of the screen to see the number of slides.
Holy fuck! Twenty-one of them!
