We hold eye contact from across the table and I feel my own expression morph to mirror his. Hard. Angry. Disappointed.
No, we aren’t allies, and we sure as hell aren’t friends.
“There we have it.” Scott is far too chipper for my mood right now. “We’re not trading Kaiser.”
“Great.” Standing abruptly, I grab the handles from my bag, slinging them over my shoulder. “Thanks for the meeting.”
I’m pushing open the conference room when I hear someone at the table mutter behind me, “She’s not cut out for this position.”
Just make it to your office. Just hold it together until you can get to your office.
I’m used to being undermined and brushed off, so that’s not what has me upset.
I thought, I really thought that after that press conference, Emmett and I could get on the same page. Maybe not privately—I know we’re going to disagree on things along the way—but publicly, I hoped he’d have my back.
I pride myself on rarely getting rattled when it comes to work, but I feel it right now.
I move with quick strides, thankful as ever that I’m a pro in heels, when I hear someone jogging behind me.
“Reese!” Emmett calls out, anger clear in his tone.
No. Hell no, I’m not talking to him. And he doesn’t get to be the angry one right now.
I turn into the open doorway, pass the empty receptionist desk and dart into my office, slamming the door behind me.
Only for that door to fly open a second later.
“What the hell was that about?”
I turn on him. “You can’t just barge in here!”
“What would you have me do? Make an appointment with your receptionist?”
He gestures that way, showcasing the empty desk.
I really need to find a replacement for Denise.
Emmett closes my office door, harder than necessary, leaving us alone inside.
I slip behind my desk, standing while he takes the other side, looming over me.
Ready for battle.
“What are you thinking? Harrison Kaiser. Really, Reese?”
“You already voted against my decision. You didn’t have a word to say while we were in the meeting, butnowyou want to argue with me about it?”
“Yes, I want to argue with you!” He lifts his hat, running an aggravated hand through his hair before replacing it. “And no, I’m not going to argue with you in front ofthem. But privately, if I think you’re making a huge fucking mistake, then yes, I’m going to tell you.”
“Have you ever chased after my grandfather to tell him he’s making a mistake?”
Emmett pauses for a moment, his voice a bit more even. “I don’t have to tell you that you have way more eyes on you than your grandfather ever did. Every decision you make is going to be plastered across headlines, Reese. Every mistake you make is going to be put under a microscope.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s a mistake. I think it’s the right decision.”
He laughs in disbelief. “Of course you do. And let me guess, you’re going to do it, regardless that no one agrees with that decision. History already tells me that you don’t give a shit about what I want anyway. Why even have me in that meeting?”
It feels a touch too vulnerable to admit that I thought maybe, just maybe, he’d see my vision. That he’d have my back. That we could make a good team together.
