“Of course. I have a team meeting to prepare for myself so I really need to go now.”
“Anything exciting?” he asked.
“Sustainability of costings within proposed new accounts,” she told him.
“A no would have been fine.” He laughed. “But call me later and if Simon becomes too much of a pain be careful. In fact, call me, okay?”
“Yes. Bye.” With a content smile and a fuzzy feeling inside she hung up.
Ten
Steph was in the conference room waiting for the last two members of her team to join her and was getting more agitated at their lateness by the second.
She heard the door open and turned to give them a piece of her mind. “When I say eleven o’clock, I mean eleven, not twenty to twelve.” She spun around and found Jack Baker and Jon Brooker staring at her. Jack confused and Jon amused.
“Sorry,” she said and added, “I assumed you were my wayward team members.”
“Alas, no.” Jon grinned.
“No, Steph, Mr Brooker was just passing and popped in to see us in the flesh,” explained Jack making Jon grin even wider now as he winked at her.
“I bet.” She knew full well that he was certainly notjust passing.
“So, what’s going on here then?” Jon sounded entirely convincing.
“When my two stray team members arrive we will be discussing sustainability of costings within proposed new accounts.”
“That sounds very exciting.” He smiled at her despite them both knowing he found the subject anything but exciting.
“I think so.” She smiled back, although hers was a little less amused than his.
“Then maybe I could stay and observe, if you have no objection?”
“No, of course not.” She was in no position to object so after a glare followed by her cutting her eyes at him, he gave her another wink that literally had her clenching her thighs that felt like they had been subjected to hours on an exercise bike or the dreaded leg press courtesy of her night with him.
“Great!” he cried taking the seat opposite her at the conference table. “Jack, I don’t want to keep you from real work and I am sure Miss Pryor will take very good care of me.” There really was no end to his repertoire of double entendres and references to them having had sex, although nobody else would be aware of that besides the two of them.
“If you’re sure because I didn’t even understand what Steph said they were discussing, so I certainly won’t understand the details of it.” Jack laughed as he moved towards the door. “If you need me before you leave I am sure Steph will show you up to my office.”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed as Jack was leaving and her two missing team members appeared, Ashley and Martin.
Martin closed the door behind them. “Sorry we’re late.”
Steph stared at them as they appeared to be taking their seats at the table.
“Sorry,” she said looking at the people around the table. “Will you just give us a moment?” she added and gestured towards Ashley and Martin. “A word, outside, now!”
They followed her and as Jon watched her through the glass wall he smiled at her tearing a strip off them. He found it quite reassuring that she was pissed off with their lateness and pisspoor excuses, or lack of them. He also couldn’t deny that he found it a huge turn on.
Steph was beyond annoyed as she stood looking at Ashley and Martin.
“When I say eleven o’clock that is exactly what I mean and in the event that an emergency crops up I expect the courtesy of a call to advise me of your delay.”
“Sorry,” started Martin.
“Shut up and don’t interrupt!” she told him and continued, “One of the partners of this company is now aware that you are more than half an hour late for our meeting and our newest and biggest multi-million pound contract holder is sitting in as an observer, so, well done both of you for showering yourselves in glory and making me look like an idiot.”
“Sorry,” they both said now.
