When no one said anything else, I eyed each of them in the camera, and said, “I have given you my terms and I have agreed to become the punching bag for the Henderson project, but these are my conditions.”
“Punching bag?” Chantel’s head tipped to the side in question.
There was no holding back my eye roll this time. “We all know that should anything go wrong, there will be negative press, or there is a dumpster fire somewhere along the lines of this project, it will be thrown at my feet. You can’t tell me I won’t be the one who takes the heat.” I took a deep breath to settle myself, and said, “I understand the responsibility, clout, and income this project will bring to the company. I also know that I’m one of the best at what I do, and therefore the best person for the job. Are we in agreement?”
“We agree to your terms, Ms. Baker.” Mr. Kolvinal said.
I let the corner of my mouth lift. “Now, is there anything else I can do for you this morning?”
“Will you be extending your stay to look for new accommodations?” Mr. Kolvinal said.
“I already have a few vacation days at the end of this trip.” I took a deep breath. “After that, I’m scheduled for Houston.”
He at least was polite about it, and just nodded before saying, “Hold onto your vacation days. Consider this weekend paid overtime for the purpose of securing your new living accommodations. We will reschedule the Houston meeting for later in the month. That should allow you time to pack and move, assuming Henderson signs the contract today.”
“He will.” I said firmly, shooting a pointed look at Sam.
Chapter twelve
Twentyminuteslater,Samand I had gone over every aspect of the preliminary sketches and drawings that we had done to prove that we were the right company for this contract with Henderson and Sons. When there was a knock on the door, I straightened and waited for Sam to open it.
Ray Henderson walked in, greeted Sam, and then his son, Malk, and Jason, the Henderson’s Project Manager walked in. I almost didn’t recognize Malk in a suit and tie. In all the pictures he had been in with Rylie, he had always been in a t-shirt, jeans, and a ballcap. He was usually muddy from head to toe since he and Rylie often went four-wheeling. We had spoken on the phone a couple of times, but I didn’t really know him.
Neither looked at me until Sam said, “Ray, Malcom, I’d like to introduce you to your personal representative, Luci Baker. I know Jason has been working with her, but I don’t believe you two have formally met.”
I looked at Jason, who smiled at the looks on Ray Henderson and Malk’s faces. Jason had obviously put it together overnight and not warned them. “Nice to see you again, Jason.”
“I’m going to fucking smack Rylie so fucking hard.” Raising an eyebrow at him, I tried to hold back a laugh, which came out more like a huffed snort. “I’m sorry, Luci.”
“Hi, Malk.” I turned to his father and said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Henderson.”
He reached out his hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you too, Ms. Baker.” He looked at Malk and I noticed his eyes widen just the slightest amount.
Sam looked at me and smiled as he turned back to Mr. Henderson. “It is clear from the look on your faces that you have seen the abundance of social media that broke overnight.”
“The media can be a bit dramatic.” Mr. Henderson said, carefully.
“But Rylie could have at least given me a fucking heads up. I’ve been texting him all morning.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out as I said with a small smile, “I’m aware.”
He froze as my words sank in.
I looked at the three of them, and when Sam stood at my side, he nodded. He was letting me run this show. If I was going to be their personal fall girl, then I was going to show them where the boundaries were. “As I’ve told Kolvinal, I have agreed to be your personal rep here in Chicago, not because of Rylie Allen, but because I am damn good at my job. That and you have personally requested me,” I said, looking at Mr. Henderson.
“At Jason’s insistence. He has done nothing but boast about your abilities to handle anything that we have thrown at you.” He looked at Jason and asked, “And you didn’t know of Mr. Allen’s association with Ms. Baker?”
“Not until I saw the media this morning. Wasn’t exactly sure how to mention it, since, as you said, the media can be dramatic.” Jason said cautiously.
I maintained my power stance at the end of the table. “As I was saying, since you have personally requested that I handle your account, I have chosen to accept the offer.” I indicated the drawings on the table and said, “Now, would you like to go over the preliminary drawings? Since you received the contract two weeks ago from our Legal Department, I’m assuming you have had your lawyers look through it.”
“We have, and we are agreeable to the terms. I’m going to assume that you want to ensure that any association with Webster Enterprises is kept completely separate from those of Kolvinal’s?”
“That would be correct. I will not call in special favors for any security tech or any other supplies that would be purchased from Webster Enterprises.”
He smiled and said, “Well, since I’m already invested in Webster Enterprises, it would make sense that I continue to support their business ventures. That was already something lined up, long before we walked into this meeting today.”
I looked at Malk and sighed. “I realize that since you and Rylie are friends, we are going to see a lot of each other outside of professional situations. This goes without saying, but with some of the conversations I’ve already had to have today, I’m going to mention how much I would appreciate your confidentiality and attempt at keeping our private lives private.” My attention shifted to Sam and then to Mr. Henderson. “This is, assuming Mr. Henderson signs the contract.”
