“Mr Brooker, I assume?” asked Steph.
“Assumption correct, Stephanie.” He smiled a panty dampening smile at her.
“I barely recognised you in day clothes,” she joked, turning his smile into a grin as he cocked his head and winked at herresulting in her stomach doing somersaults. Then as she felt the clenching sensation low in her body she flushed slightly.
“I think you should probably explain our past to Mr Baker and Miss Stewart. I would hate for them to get the wrong idea,” Jon teased.
Steph wasn’t quite sure which version of their past he meant. Their strange encounter at the hen and stag night or the equally strange, but far more pleasant day at the wedding.
“Why so coy?” As he looked across at Jack he explained, “Miss Pryor was a bridesmaid at the same wedding where I was best man on Saturday, for one of your lawyers actually, so our attire was slightly different at our last meeting, although she was unaware of my identity as CEO here.”
“Ah, I see. Charlie.” Jack smiled a tight and ever so slightly forced smile.
“Right, down to business,” said Jon as Steph passed out the duplicate proposals and quickly gave an overview of its contents.
Jack kept interjecting with details on the company background and little grovelling comments about how he would personally take extra good care of Brookers.
Jon looked across at Steph. “I think your proposal is dressed very well, but I think you thought you could take advantage of my company looking at the costs you propose charging.”
“You’d be wrong,” she replied tersely.
“Well, thank you for your time, but I think we may spread our net a little wider, especially as your proposal didn’t arrive until late afternoon on Friday, two days later than I had requested.” Jon stood to dismiss them.
Steph stared at him knowing that the deal she had put together was a good one. What was he playing at?
Jack suddenly turned on her. Her fears that he was looking at her as a potential scapegoat in this were proving horribly accurate. “Miss Pryor, I think you should leave. Mr Brooker,please, I should have ensured that Miss Pryor was up to the job of compiling an appropriate deal for you and complying with your time scale. Please allow me to get a more senior accounting team together and we will be sure to find something to satisfy you.” Jack was virtually begging as he looked back at Steph. “I think we may have been overconfident in your ability when you were promoted so quickly. Be in my office in the morning at half-past-eight to discuss your future with the company,” he said and gestured for her to leave.
She turned towards the door, then quickly turned on her heels to address Jon. “You are full of crap. My proposal is more than fair. I was told to make the deal viable for us, but a good deal for you and it is and if you find another company that offers you more for less then you should run away as quick as you can because they will be circling the drain.”
He smiled at her infuriating her further.
She continued, “That deal on the table is too good. If I was putting together a proper deal, fairest to both parties then you would have ten percent less service for twenty percent more than we propose charging you.”
“You think so?” He turned serious, business like.
“No, I know so,” she spat at him absolutely furious now.
Suddenly, Jack grabbed her arm and proceeded to push her towards the door roughly.
“Take your hands off me,” she barked at Jack who was absolutely seething. She attempted to shake his grip from her but simply squeezed her arm tighter.
“Forget meeting with me in the morning. Go back to the office and clear your desk, Miss Pryor. You’re fired with immediate effect.” He still held her arm tightly.
Five
Steph’s head was still spinning at just how quickly she had become the scapegoat she’d feared and was trying to organise the thoughts in her head and slow the rushing of blood in her ears when Jon spoke again.
“Mr Baker, please unhand Miss Pryor. I disapprove of men manhandling ladies. Maybe we could discuss Miss Pryor’s points further.” He gestured towards the table again making Steph’s head spin the other way at this further change in proceedings.
Jack did now release her arm that was already beginning to ache where he’d gripped it.
“So, Mr Baker, do you normally throw your junior staff under the bus so quickly and then fire them without questioning whether they are in the right?” asked Jon seriously.
Jack shifted uncomfortably as he took his seat.
Jon continued, “Miss Pryor is spot on in her assessment of the deal and I think that although you are this short–” he barely held his thumb and forefinger apart, “of licking my boots, I reckon you told Miss Pryor to send the proposal late. Now, I like to be worshipped, but this is not what I am looking for in a legal team, so stop trying to crawl up my arse and let Miss Pryor talkme through the deal I should have been offered, unless you’re really firing her, in which case I will hire her immediately.”
Jack sat back in his chair and looked at Steph. “Apologies if things got a little heated, but of course you will continue to work for Baker, Ross and Riley.”
