“A shame. You know, you both should come to one of our games. It would be great if the company would make an appearance.”
“Of course, branding is everything.” I try to divert his attention, but the guy is fixated onmyassistant. Maybe she notices or maybe not.
He lifts his head and tilts to the side as Savannah busies herself with unpacking the lunch.
I clear my throat and hope to regain his focus. “Shall we get into the finer details of what a contract would entail?”
“Yeah, sure.” He refocuses when Savannah leaves my office and closes the door behind her. “I’m hoping we can reduce the fee, considering we go way back.”
That isn’t happening, and we don’t go way back. “I’m sorry, but we stick to fixed rates, otherwise the compliance auditors have a field day,” I lie. Our loyal and longstanding customers get a discount; new clients like him have no chance.
“That’s a shame. However, I would like to wrap the contract up as soon as possible to prepare for next season.”
I stand and grin tightly. “Of course. Now, if I understand correctly, our assistants have talked, and this is one of your favorite spots for sandwiches.”
He follows me to the table. “It is. I met a yoga instructor, and she insisted on breakfast there once after a night together. I ended up ditching her a few dates later, but I was hooked on the menu. I send my assistant there on my behalf.”
One thing I hate during meetings is when clients decide that we’re in a locker room to discuss things I reserve for drinks with the guys. “Interesting. Well, it looks delicious.”
“My assistant looks like a librarian.” He hitches his thumb over his shoulder toward the closed door. “Not like her. You’re lucky. She’s young, and I didn’t notice a wedding ring. Is she seeing anybody?”
One of my hands grips the armrest of my chair, while my entire body begins to boil with a fury that I shouldn’t be feeling.I grit my teeth and take a second to remind myself that I’m the bigger man and I have class.
“I don’t believe that is either of our concern.”
He bites into a kale chip and settles into his chair. “You’re right. If my assistant looked like that, I wouldn’t care if she didn’t even know how to type.” He grins sleazily.
Now protectiveness is coming over me; there’s nodenying it. “Actually, she’s astute and capable of many things. She’s worked here for a while and is loyal. So yes, I am lucky.”
I unfold the paper of my sandwich, and it isn’t the glimpse of sprouts that has me untucking the paper with aggression.
“You’re extra lucky. She’s the whole package.”
Nothing inside of me is simmering down. “That’s what my company provides, the whole package. What it doesn’t provide is my assistant in any shape or form.”
His eyes enlarge, and he crosses his arms with a cunning smirk. “Ah, I see. She really isyourassistant.”
As much as I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of goading me, he has successfully tipped me over the edge. Because there is a possessive side of me that is reserved only for Savannah, and it is blatantly apparent.
“You know what?” My tone is curt. “You clearly can’t focus on the business side of your little hobby, and I only take on clients who are serious about running a tight ship when it comes to their teams or company.”
Clark’s mood changes really quickly. “Excuse me? I’m not sure you should be talking to your potential client that way.”
I stand, causing my chair to scrape against the floor. “That’s fine because you are no longer a potential client.”
“I can’t believe you would want to lose my business so easily.”
“Our views don’t align, and I own the company, which means I can decide how we run the business.” I point at the door. “You know where the door is.”
He scoffs and stands, with complete disapproval written all over his face. “People will hear about this.”
“And? Do I seem like somebody who cares?” I remain resigned and confident with my choice.
Clark shakes his head in disgust and walks out, causing the door to swing open with so much force that it hits the wall with a bang. His pace is fast, and he doesn’t even glance at Savannah sitting at her desk, completely lost about what’s happening. I stride slowly, satisfied, and pause at my doorway to watch him go. When he reaches the elevator, he pokes the button several times because he’s scurrying away from a man who holds the upper hand.
He grows frustrated that the elevator doesn’t move faster, but when it arrives with a ding, he huffs and barges straight in.
The moment the door closes, I drive my eyes to Savannah, who is standing behind her desk, trying to grasp what’s going on.
