Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
AARON
“ T here’s a gorgeous man here who wants to see you.”
Harry was here?
Ignoring my ridiculous train of thought, and the fact that my heart was racing like mad, I glanced up from my desk and gave Patrick a warning look. It had absolutely no effect on my steadfast assistant.
“And who’s that?” I replied as calmly as I could.
Knowing that Harrison might be on the other side of my door had me as jumpy as Endor on a stormy night.
Until the man Patrick was referring to stepped into sight.
“Shane! What are you doing here?” I asked as I got up and rounded my desk.
My best friend was looking comfortable and casual in his outfit of jeans, a leather bomber jacket, and neon green Converse, his hair a wavy mess that hit his shoulders. Long gone were the suits and ties of his legal career. He had fully embraced his artistic personality.
“I had to fly home to see Dad,” he replied as he met me halfway, pulling me in for a quick hug. “Thought maybe you’d have time for lunch?”
“I’ve got a management meeting starting in five. But once that’s done, I’m yours.”
“Great. Until then, I can hang around with Patrick.” Shane turned and smiled at my assistant. “If he doesn’t mind.”
“As long as I can put you to work.” Patrick winked.
Shane chuckled. “I look forward to it.”
Patrick gave a nod and headed out of the office.
“So, what’s up with your dad?” I asked as I motioned for Shane to grab a seat.
“He didn’t get into details on the phone. All he said was that he wanted me here in person, ASAP. I’ve got a feeling it’s not good.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Or, maybe I’m just reading into things. I hate when he gets secretive.”
“Maybe he’s getting married again,” I quipped.
Shane’s father had been married five times in the last twenty years. That’s a lot of rice and wedding cake.
“Oh God, please no. I can’t deal with another stepmother. Most of them were nice and all, but I can’t keep track anymore. And the alimony he’s paying is getting out of hand.”
“When are you meeting him?”
“Tonight. We’re having dinner at Rothcoe. I was hoping?—”
His comment was interrupted by my phone chiming. It was my meeting reminder.
“I’ve got to get going. Walk with me?” I got up and reached for my suit jacket.
“Sure.” Shane stood up and we headed for the door. “How did your trip to Banff go?”
A flush crept up my cheeks. Thankfully, I hadn’t shaved today, and I was hoping my scruff would hide it.
“Good.” I coughed into my fist. “Great, actually. We signed Jonassa as a new partner.”
“Holy shit! That’s amazing, Aaron!”
“It wasn’t just me. These deals require a team effort.”
Shane nudged me as we passed Patrick’s desk. “What’s with the blush. Did you meet someone while you were there? A hot snowboarder? Who is he?”
“No.” I waved him off. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
We wandered towards the elevator, and the flashback hit me. Was it only weeks ago that I was heading for the exact same boardroom to interview Harrison?
“Tell me,” Shane urged as we stepped into the elevator.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I replied, then sighed as the doors closed. I turned to my friend and whispered. “Okay, I had fun while I was there. But it was just that. Sex. Nothing more.”
I didn’t know who I was trying to convince, me or Shane.
“That’s not why you’re blushing. You like this guy.”
“I definitely do not like this guy,” I declared. “He drives me insane.”
Shane rubbed his hands together. “Oh, this is getting good. Who is it? Do I know him? Give me all the filthy details. Leave nothing out.”
“No,” I replied. “Maybe later.”
I needed to confide in someone. Maybe if I spilled my guts to Shane, these intense feelings for Harrison would finally fuck off like they were supposed to.
The elevator pinged and when the doors opened, my heart took off running. Stay calm. Nothing’s changed. Shane and I stepped into the hallway and my eyes immediately locked on Harrison, looking gorgeous in a gray plaid suit. And when he turned and spotted me, when those arctic blue eyes met mine, I swallowed hard.
Everything had changed. Everything and nothing.
I adjusted my tie and took a deep breath, readying myself. For two battles, not just one.
Shane suddenly grabbed my arm, and I turned to my friend.
“What?” I asked, hoping my face wouldn’t give me away.
“Holy fucking shit,” he whispered. “You and that guy? He works for you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered as I reached for my tie again.
“Tall, dark, and insanely hot over there?” Shane waved at Harrison.
Of course, Harry smirked and gave a wave back.
“What about him? I mean, he’s not that.”
“He’s ALL that and he’s eye fucking you right now. Not to mention, he looks like he wants to rip my head off for standing close to you. So, you and him?—”
I made a cutting motion over my throat and Shane started laughing.
“Oh my God, Aaron, you dirty dog. You’ve never?—”
“Zip it,” I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one else was within earshot.
“Can I please sit in on this meeting? Pretty please?” Shane urged, his hands clasped together.
“Since you don’t work for me, and begging isn’t a good look on you, the answer’s no,” I quipped. “Go back and visit with Patrick.”
“Oh, I will be doing that. And trading all the gossip. But first, I want to meet this guy.”
Shane motioned at Harrison to come over and join us.
“What are you doing?” I croaked. “Go away. Please.”
“Relax. I just want to meet the man who’s got you all hot and bothered.”
Jesus. Was I nineteen all over again?
Harrison stalked over with a confident strut and offered his hand to Shane. His hand and a stunning smile. The one that showcased his dimples. He could sell me anything at this moment and stupid me, I’d buy it.
“Hey, I’m Harrison. You’re Shane, right?”
“That’s right.” Shane cocked his head. “You look familiar, have we met before?”
Harrison nodded. “In LA, two years ago. The Evert Jackson art show.”
“Right!” Shane’s grin widened. “Fuck, that was a great party.”
“It was,” Harrison chuckled, and his eyes caught mine.
Well, wasn’t this cozy? My three-day stand and my best friend chatting it up like nothing was wrong. Fuck my life.
“If you two are done reminiscing, we have a meeting to start,” I muttered and shoved my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t be tempted to reach for Harrison.
“I’m going.” Shane held his hands up. “Harrison, Aaron and I are heading for lunch after this, why don’t you join us?”
“He probably has other—” I started.
“That’d be cool,” Harrison replied. “Thanks.”
“Well, I’ll let the two of you…talk,” Shane replied with a smirk. “See you later.”
My friend walked off and while I wanted to chase after him for pulling that stunt, I had a meeting to run.
“Did you sleep okay?” Harrison asked.
That was not what I was expecting him to say. There was no snide remark, no hint of sarcasm. Only those big blue eyes staring at me with what appeared to be concern. Suddenly, my mouth was dry.
“I got a few hours, but I woke up in the middle of the night. Couldn’t fall back asleep so I did some work,” I admitted. “And speaking of that, have you seen my father?”
Harrison rolled his eyes. “He’s already in the boardroom. FYI, he cornered me and asked for details on the promises we made to Ollie. I told him you’d explain in your own time. He pushed but I didn’t give him anything. It’s not my place.”
My father’s meddling was out of hand and my temper sparked. “He doesn’t know how to respect boundaries. I’ll talk to him.”
I made to stalk off, but Harrison grabbed my arm. Without thinking, I stepped closer to him.
“He needs a reminder that the board is in place for oversight, not the day-to-day decision making,” Harrison remarked.
“I could tattoo that statement on my forehead, and he’d still ignore it.”
“How do you work like this?”
“Unfortunately, I’m used to it.”
“What if?—”
“Are you two going to stand there all day yapping or are we going to get this meeting done?” My father’s voice boomed.
I turned to find him standing in the hallway with his usual scowl in place.
“We’ll be right there!” I called out and watched until he strode back into the boardroom.
“Don’t let him goad you,” Harrison urged. “You’re the one in charge.”
“Thank you so much for the reminder,” I snapped.
“Aaron—”
“He’s the chairman of the board. Unless I find a way to remove him, which, by the way, isn’t fucking easy to do, I have to deal with him. It’s just the way it is. Short of resigning and selling my shares in the company, I’ve no choice but to suck it up and keep going,” I paused. “He’s an annoying pest, but I’m adept at handling him.”
“Are you? You’re not even thirty and it looks to me like you’re headed for burnout.”
“What I am is none of your concern,” I retorted and stalked off.
I didn’t need Harry’s advice or sympathy. So what if I was stressed most of the time? That was part and parcel of being a CEO. I could handle it. What I couldn’t handle was Harrison acting like he cared. Cared? We fucked. It’s not like there were feelings involved.
Were there?
When I entered the boardroom, ten of the twelve seats were taken. I noticed my father sitting at the head of the table. In my place. It was the final straw for my patience and instead of sitting down and not causing a scene, I walked right up to him.
“You’re in my seat.”
I didn’t care if I sounded petulant. I was not backing down.
My father gave me a glare and I raised one eyebrow. Slowly, he got up and moved to another seat. When I glanced up, Harrison entered the room and grabbed the last remaining chair at the other end of the table.
I took a deep breath and tapped the mic in front of me. Every executive at the table turned in my direction. This part of the job never got easier. Over the years, and after a lot of hard work, including public speaking training, I’d gotten better at presentations. But there were still nerves in my belly that took flight every time I had eyes on me. More so today, thanks to a set of pale blue ones that seemed to see right through me. With Harrison in the room, I almost forgot that anyone else was here.
“Thank you for adjusting your schedules and joining us this morning. As first order of business, I’m very pleased to confirm that Jonassa has agreed to sign on with us as a partner. This deal is worth over thirty million dollars and will provide Taylor-Ladner a much-needed injection of fresh products and access to new customers.”
The entire management team began to clap and offered congratulations. When things quieted around the table, I continued.
“I’d like to thank our Chief of Sales, Harrison Ducker, for his assistance in helping me close this agreement. Harrison, is there anything you’d like to add?”
Harrison nodded in acknowledgment, tapped his mic, and looked right at me.
“Just that it’s been my absolute pleasure to work one on one with you, Aaron.”
His statement was innocent, but my reaction wasn’t. Harrison and I certainly did a lot of ‘one on one’ in Banff, and the least of it was this deal. I swallowed hard when I met Harry’s knowing gaze. That fucking tease was thinking the exact same thing. To distract myself, I began to recite budget numbers in my head.
“And I’d also like to reassure the team that this is the first of several profitable deals we have in the pipeline for this year,” Harrison explained as he looked around the room. “I’m sure by working closely together, we’ll not only achieve our targets, but exceed them.”
I reached for my glass of water and took a small sip, clearing my throat.
“Thank you, Harrison. A full brief on the terms of the Jonassa deal will be forwarded to the management team this afternoon, for review and discussion at our next meeting,” I paused. “The second order of?—”
“I want details now,” my father interrupted. “What exactly did you promise them?”
“As I said, the management team will receive the brief following this meeting,” I repeated calmly. “The board will be notified in due course.”
I ignored any further attempt by my father to interrupt and kept moving through the other items on the agenda. After I was done, I handed it over to our CFO for an update on the latest revenue numbers. An hour later, I dismissed the meeting, refusing my father’s attempts to waylay me about the discussion with Ollie.
Everyone filed out of the boardroom, but I stayed and sat, alone, gathering my thoughts. Harrison was right, even though I hated to admit it. My father was getting out of hand, and I needed to do something about it. I couldn’t work with him standing over my shoulder anymore. I’d had enough.
“Are you coming?”
I startled, looking up to find Harrison standing in the doorway, watching me intently. He gave me a wicked grin and crooked his finger, beckoning me. Did he even realize what he was doing? The man drove me up a wall and he could pound me into it too; a lethal combination. I had no idea how I was going to survive another eleven months working with him.
“I didn’t realize you were waiting for me,” I admitted, slowly standing up.
“Did you forget about lunch?” he asked.
Right. Shane. Jesus, where was my head today?
Harrison gave me a long once-over and licked his lips. The nerves in my belly fluttered so hard there’d be no way I could eat a damn thing.
“No,” I whispered. “I was just…momentarily distracted.”
“Is that what this is?”