Joshua opens my door. “I’ll be here at six to take you home, unless you need me earlier.”
“Six is great. Thank you, Joshua.”
“My pleasure, Remy.”
The executive conference room is already occupied when I arrive at nine for a meeting they scheduled. Ansel sits at the head of the table, like always. Enzo slouches in a chair to his left, scrolling through his tablet with a scowl. Breck stands near the windows, coffee cup in hand.
Damon sits across from Enzo, arms crossed, jaw tight.
Great.Nothing like starting Monday morning with my ex-boyfriend glaring at me across a conference table.
“Good morning.” I take a seat near the middle of the table and set my laptop down carefully. “You wanted to see me?”
“Good morning, Remy.” Breck’s smile is genuine and warm. “Coffee?”
“Joshua already supplied me.” I pull up the files I’ll need for this meeting. “But thank you.”
Ansel looks up from his laptop. His eyes meet mine. “The Chicago client signed this morning.”
My heart does a small, triumphant leap. “That’s amazing!”
Dial it back, Remy. Professional. Be professional.
“It is.” Ansel leans back slightly. “They specifically mentioned your presentation as a deciding factor. They loved your approach to phased implementation and yourunderstanding of their compliance requirements. They were impressed.”
Pride surges through me, which is inconvenient because I’ve been trying really hard not to care what they think. Add that to the list of things I’m failing at, right alongside ignoring my ex and not being attracted to my three ridiculously hot bosses.
“I’m glad I could help close the deal.”
“Help?” Breck says. “Their chief technology officer practically begged Ansel to keep you on the account.”
My cheeks heat. “Smart man.”
Ansel doesn’t even crack a smile. I’m losing hope that he will ever find me funny. “Right, well, you really went above and beyond what was expected. I want to recognize that.” His face remains neutral, but his eyes linger on mine a second longer than necessary.
Damon shifts in his seat. “The relationship-building helped, too. I’ve been cultivating that client for months. Remy’s presentation was good, but the foundation was already there.”
The temperature in the room drops several degrees.
Breck sets his coffee cup down. “Yes, Damon. Good job.”
His tone is patronizing, and I have to cough to suppress a laugh.
“I’m not saying she didn’t contribute.” Damon tries to defend himself.
“You’re diminishing her contribution,” Enzo responds.
The tension between Enzo and Damon is impossible to miss. After what happened Friday night, something fundamental must have broken between them.
Damon’s jaw clenches. He stays silent.
Ansel clears his throat. “Both of you played important roles. Remy’s technical expertise and Damon’s relationship management worked together to close the deal. That’s how it should be.”
It’s diplomatic, fair, even. But I notice how Ansel looks at me when he mentions technical expertise. And I notice how he looks at Damon when he mentions relationship management, as if he’s choosing his words to avoid conflict rather than speaking freely.
His fingers drum once against the table before going still. Enzo slouches in his chair like he couldn’t care less, but his eyes haven’t left Damon’s face. Breck’s easy smile has gone tight at the edges.
Three men who share a face but couldn’t be more different.
