Page 32 of Lying Lainey

“Mr. Lewis, Mr. Price, so good to see you,” Jean-Marc greeted with a slight bow. “I just took Mr. Norlund back to the private room I’ve set you up in tonight.”

“Good evening, Jean-Marc. It’s a pleasure as always to be here,” I said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. It had been my mission to break down the barriers this man put up with everyone he interacted with. He was of the mind that a maître d didn’t build personal connections with the guests—he was there to be of service—and that was that.

He gave me a disapproving look but accepted the handshake, albeit a quick half-hearted one. “Please, follow me.”

The Forest House lived up to its name, keeping the interior design of the restaurant a deep emerald green with gold embellishments. Even the chairs were emerald velvet with a gold frame. Tabletops were green, white, and gold marble, setting off the white and gold dishes they used. Soft hanging twinkle lights set the ambiance with illuminating wall sconces showing off the art deco designs on the walls. Decadent—that one word said it all about this place—but it had a charm to it that made you want to linger.

The main restaurant was what had once been the ballroom, with a stunning floral mural painted on the ceiling. Rooms branched off the ballroom that at one time had been small parlors for women and men to relax separately. There were six of these, and Jean-Marc always seemed to find a way to keep us in the same room each time. It was Quintin’s favorite because of all the plants and greenery that decorated the room along with a small water feature. Interestingly enough, though, tonight he brought us to a different room. This one was a soft cream color with gold and green accents, but the crowning feature in this room was the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the backyard, which also happened to look out over the city.

Corzina was a beautiful city, especially at night when the sun had gone down and you could see how large it was. Elaine stood at the window, her hand over her breasts like she was trying to keep her heart in her chest as she took in the sight. I let my eyes take in the bare skin of her back and the curve of her muscles as she moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. With the dress she was wearing and the innate elegance she had, I almost believed she should be the woman living here.

Everything in me wanted to slip the straps of that dress off her shoulders and watch the silk pool at her feet. What would she be wearing underneath? Just underwear? Possibly nothing at all with how smooth the fabric flowed over her ass. Then I’d press her up against the window, letting the cool glass contrast the heat of her body as I finger-fucked her until she came screaming my name.

“Took you two long enough… get stopped by someone?” Halstead questioned.

“No, hot make-out session in the coat closet,” I answered, making Elaine turn to stare at the two of us, heat smoldering in her gaze. So she likes the idea of us together. That’s helpful.

“I’m kidding, guys. We just thought the two of you might have a few moments together before we had to flip to business mode,” I said, taking a seat so I could look out the window. We’ll make the other two joining us put their backs to the view. “Come sit here, Elaine. This way, you can make sure you have a good view.”

To my delight, Quintin sat on the other side of her, making it so Halstead had to sit next to one of us. That shouldn’t have made me smile, but it most certainly did. The man was a giant in the industry and used to getting things his way, so I like to remind him on occasion that that wasn’t reality. He settled next to Quin, running his hand affectionately along our partner’s thigh before pressing a kiss to his cheek. Those two were like that adorable elderly couple who still were madly in love after eighty years.

“Here you are, gentlemen. Your server will be with you shortly,” Jean-Marc said as he ushered in our potential clients.

Solarbyte was owned by two brothers, Angel and Xavier LaCruze, both under the age of thirty, if I’m not mistaken. They both looked equally uncomfortable in their suits, clearly not something they were accustom to wearing. Halstead picked this place because it put us all on the same footing. These men could easily afford this meal and lifestyle, but they acted like they were still living in their mother’s basement where they started their company. If they wanted to play with the big dogs, then they needed to act like they belonged here.

“Hello,” Angel greeted, walking over to Halstead and shaking his hand. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us this way. I know changing plans at the last minute wasn’t the most professional thing to do, but our PR consultant suggested it would be the best plan.”

We knew their public relations expert, Zimina, was a shark who could sniff out the blood in the water better than anyone else. However, she was also a raging bitch and didn’t give two shits about treating her clients like humans, ordering them around and demanding things be done her way. Zimina would get you results, that’s for damn sure, but you had to be willing to deal with the witch.

“I’m sure she did,” Halstead commented. Zimina and H should never be left alone in a room together. If that happened, the fight that would go down would cause buildings to collapse and the earth to split. Just think of any of the Godzilla movies, and that would give you a clue as to what would happen. “Allow me to introduce my business partners, Quintin Price and Kerian Lewis. I felt it was best to have them here to hear you out as well since they would be involved in this whole process too.”

“And who might this vision of a woman be?” Xavier asked, coming around the table to stand near Elaine.

“Ms. Elaine Collins, Mr. Norlund’s executive assistant,” Elaine answered, taking the hand he offered.

My hackles went up as Xavier kissed the back of her hand, letting his lips linger longer than they should have. “It’s a delight to have such a beautiful woman joining us. These meetings can get so boring, so it will be refreshing to have a female perspective.”

“Goodness, that puts a lot of pressure on me now, doesn’t it?” she responded, pulling her hand from his. “Although it worries me that your company is in such a crisis, and yet you find meetings like this boring? Does the future of your company mean so little to you?”

I nearly choked on the water I was sipping, trying to distract myself from the urge to toss this man out of the room. Elaine had, in the most polite way possible, called his ass out, and I don’t think he even realized it yet.

“No, my company means everything to me, which is why we are here. We need the best of the best if we are going to keep this from happening,” Xavier countered.

“Then I suggest you kiss his hand instead of mine,” Elaine quipped, a tight, polite smile on her lips. “He’s the one who will make the final choice on the matter.”

I knew better than to look at Halstead. If I did, there would be no chance of hiding the delight I felt at her smackdown of this man. She’d been right to tell us to back the fuck off and let her prove herself to us because I don’t know of a more elegant way to watch someone being told to fuck off than I was right now.

Xavier’s charm dimmed slightly as he stepped back from her and realized his normal routine wasn’t working. Unable to help myself, I reached out a hand to the man. “Kerian Lewis, head programmer as well as part owner.”

Taking the lifeline, he grasped my hand firmly and shook it, but I held onto it, pulling it close to kiss the back of it. Xavier’s expression went from shock to disgust, telling me all I needed to know about how he felt about men.

“My apologies. I thought that’s how you were greeting everyone,” I said, releasing his grip. “I thought it was a rather daring greeting since it’s a rather intimate gesture. However, I knew your family migrated here from Echana and assumed it was customary there.”

Take the hint, asshole, and don’t touch her again.

Xavier cleared his throat and moved back to the other side of the table to sit next to Halstead, leaving Angel to take the one closer to me. “Our parents did migrate here, but Angel and I are first generation raised in Breona Province.”

“So you are living the dream, creating a company out of your mother’s basement, and now you are here treating us to a meal at The Forest House. That is quite remarkable. I bet your mother is so proud,” Elaine gushed, leaning her elbows on the table to rest her chin on her clasped hands. “Did you ever think you’d make it this far?”