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“I prefer to negotiate from a position of strength and to always be prepared.”
I opened the folder and skimmed through the document she’d prepared. Detailed, precise, with none of the usual bloated language lawyers add to pad their billable hours. She’d drafted this herself. Another point in her favor.
“Your father agrees to this?” I asked, glancing up.
A flash of anger crossed her face before she got it under control. “My father is no longer relevant to my career decisions.”
“The executive committee meets monthly,” I said, closing the folder. “It requires significant preparation and travel.”
“I’m aware of the commitment.”
I let her words hang in the air while I stared at her for a few beats. “I’ll agree to most of this,” I finally said. “Your leadership role, direct reporting structure, staff retention. But the executive committee seat will be provisional for the first year. You’ll attend as a non-voting member until you’ve proven your value at that level.”
Her gaze narrowed at me. “Six months, not a year. And I want it in writing that the transition to full voting rights is automatic, not subject to further approval.”
I smiled. She knew how to negotiate, I’d give her that. “Nine months. And you’ll need to be in New York City more frequently. The executive committee doesn’t usually do Zoom calls.”
She didn’t immediately respond, and I could see her calculating the implications of partial relocation. She ran a quick hand through her blonde hair and said, “I’ll need a corporate apartment,” she finally said. “And a travel allowance.”
“Done.”
Her suspicion at how quickly I agreed to this was all over her face. “You seem pleased with yourself.”
“I appreciate efficiency, Sutton. You’ve saved us both the tedious dance of offer and counter-offer by starting with terms you knew I’d find acceptable with minor adjustments.”
“So we have a deal?”
“Almost. There’s one more condition. Mine, not yours.”
She tilted her head slightly before she responded. “Which is?”
“You’ll accompany me to my mother’s charity gala tomorrow night in New York.”
The request clearly caught her off guard. “That’s… not a professional request.”
“Consider it your first unofficial duty as a member of Ashcroft Group’s leadership team. These events are as much about business as philanthropy.”
“Fine,” she said after considering it for a moment. “But this doesn’t become a regular expectation.”
I stood again, satisfied with how this had played out. “My car will pick you up at seven tomorrow morning to fly on my plane to New York. I’ll have Nancy send Erica the details. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Ms. Prescott.”
“That you will, unfortunately.”
11
SUTTON
I stood on the sidewalk outside my building at six twenty-seven on a Saturday morning, staring at my phone like it might give me the winning lottery numbers for a huge jackpot prize. My overnight bag sat at my feet, packed relatively quickly, a skill that came from having many last-minute business trips. The difference was that those trips had always been my decision.
This one wasn’t.
The street was still quiet in Dupont Circle which wasn’t all that surprising for this time of morning. It was the calm before people traveled to their brunch spots and before tourists emerged from their hotels. Yet here I was, waiting for a driver hired by Cain Ashcroft to pick me up to whisk me off to NYC as his plus one for a gala event hosted by his mother. I’d told myself three times already that this was purely professional. It was a networking obligation, the first of many I’d face being a part of the Ashcroft Group now.
I almost believed the lie I was telling myself. A shiver ran down my spine as I looked around to make sure no one was nearby, watching me. I was still paranoid after Cain sent a message to my personal email account and wondering what exactly he was trying to prove by doing so. That he could have access to me at any time? Scaring the living shit out of me? Make me more paranoid than I already was? He’d succeeded in the latter and I made a mental note to myself to ask him how he found out that information.
I debated walking back into the lobby where at least I would be inside when my phone buzzed with a text from Cassie. What the hell was she doing up this early?
Please tell me you packed something very sexy for this gala.
