Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Maverick was glad that Isaac was sharp witted enough to distract Ozen before he could manipulate the conversation. The incubus was a savant at getting the information he wanted. It’s part of what made him a good CEO. He knew exactly what questions to ask to ensure things went well. But Isaac saw right through it and steered the conversation away from the incident between them, and Taron took the distraction and ran with it. He’d never been so grateful that Taron showed up when he did.
The interruption also distracted him from the conversation he’d been having before, which was frustrating. He’d been certain that Isaac used his magic on him. One moment, he was in a foul mood. Then, out of nowhere, it was like the irritation began draining from him like water through a sieve. It’d taken him off guard and made him suspicious. Manipulating someone’s emotions was not only a fireable offense, it was also illegal. Using magic on someone without their consent could put you in jail.
Since the only magic user closest to him was Isaac, he immediately blamed him. He must’ve done something in an attempt to get him to relax. It wasn’t the first time Isaac mentioned not taking his mood out on others. He could be trying to force the issue. But Isaac was adamant that he didn’t know what Maverick was talking about. And it wasn’t like Maverick could punish him without proof. He had no choice but to let it go until they could speak again privately. Just because they had sex didn’t mean he would allow Isaac to control him.
The last-minute meeting was an important one, since Maverick had finally gotten the government approval for Taron’s new project. The project was no longer theoretical, and they needed to get things started. Projects like these took time and research, and the sooner they got started, the faster they could help those who needed it. Maverick had gotten the call that morning that the paperwork had gone through and called Ozen immediately to let him know.
The hardest part for the legal department was done now that they had government clearance, but they still had more to do. Maverick would be writing the contracts up for the volunteers, as well as doing risk management for the sites the research team would conduct their experiments at. He could delegate some of the tasks, but he liked to be hands-on with projects of this size. There were too many ways that things could go poorly. Especially when they started to test the devices while actually having the thunderbirds fly over the cities. But that was far into the future. For now, he needed to focus on getting the contracts set up.
A tap on his shoulder drew his attention and Isaac slid a note in front of him without drawing attention to the rest of the room, alerting him that he had another meeting scheduled in twenty minutes. He took a moment to write back to delay it, since this was more important. Isaac nodded once and quietly rose from his seat, heading for the hallway so he could make the call discreetly. It was good that Maverick had thought to bring him along. He would’ve forgotten entirely about that meeting.
It took another hour before Ozen was satisfied with the plan. The concept was Taron’s idea, but he was the ideas man. Ozen was the one organized enough to bring it to fruition. Maverick’s job was to make sure it was legal to do so.
“Thank you all for coming. I look forward to hearing about your progress,” Ozen said, concluding the meeting. Maverick stood, smoothing down his tie as a habit. Isaac popped up by his side, handing him the files for his next meeting.
“I moved this morning’s meeting like you asked. He wasn’t happy about it, but I made it into a lunch meeting and said we’d buy, which seemed to settle him. Your meeting with Finance is on floor twenty in conference room B. Did you want me to attend that as well, or return to the office?”
This was why he panicked every time someone brought up losing his assistant. Isaac was diligent and dealt with the white noise so Maverick could focus on his job. That level of competence was rare, and he valued it.
“Return to the office. I need you to contact the project management team on their plans for where they’ll be conducting their research. They can be easily swayed by what they consider a perfect area without actually doing any risk analysis.”
Isaac wrinkled his nose distastefully. “I can see how that would be a problem. Okay, I’ll start on that right away. Did you have a preference for your lunch meeting, or would you like me to call around?”
Maverick scowled, mostly to himself. He wasn’t angry at Isaac for his initiative. And knowing Manuel, who he was supposed to meet with this morning, it was definitely necessary to placate the kraken. He could be a real ass if he thought he was being disrespected. But Maverick hated lunch meetings. He was usually so focused on the work, he forgot to have a proper meal and that didn’t help in controlling his temper.
“Do what you think is best,” Maverick growled. No matter where they went, he’d be hungry afterward, so it didn’t really matter to him.
They split up at the elevators since they were going in opposite directions. With back-to-back meetings, Maverick wouldn’t have time to discuss with Isaac what had happened before the meeting until later. If he thought Maverick would just let it go, he’d be sorely mistaken.
The meeting with finance was uneventful, and the lunch meeting with Manuel went well. He had a private security team that was entirely water based. Some of the more recent projects at Spellbound all needed access to the water and there was the potential for trouble whenever they worked in the ocean. After hundreds of years doing only what was best for the community and the planet, you’d think people would accept that Spellbound would always adhere to their rule to do no harm. But there were always protests and a security team was essential to prevent sabotage by so called do-gooders. He was right when he said he’d miss lunch, though. Manuel ate plenty, but because it was Maverick explaining the contract and making notes of changes, he did most of the talking and didn't have time to eat. His stomach was growling by the time he caught the elevator back to his office, and his dragon was none too pleased.
Staff scurried out of the way when he stepped off the elevator. He was used to it by now and ignored it, heading straight for his office. He grumbled to himself, pushing the door open, and came to an abrupt halt when the smell of fresh bread and red sauce filled the room. Isaac looked up from his desk, smiling brightly at him.
“You’re back.”
Irritation swept through him, fueled by his hunger, and he glared at his assistant. “Why would you eat in here? We have a breakroom for that.”
Isaac’s expression flattened for a second before he pushed the annoyance away and stood, gesturing to Maverick’s desk. “I didn’t eat in here. I figured you might not get a lot of chances to truly enjoy a meal if you were working through lunch, so I picked you up something while I was out.”
Surprise overtook him. Isaac bought him lunch? Why?
Striding around his desk, he sat down in front of the meal waiting for him. The sandwich was still warm thanks to a heating spell on the bag, and there was a cold soda sitting beside it on a napkin to prevent the condensation from getting on his desk. Too hungry to argue or ask questions, Maverick ripped open the bag and almost inhaled the sandwich. He ignored Isaac’s snicker, and the mage was smart enough not to disturb him while he was eating, returning to his desk to work.
The sandwich itself was delicious, with melted mozzarella cheese and tender meatballs on fresh bread. The soda hit the spot in ways he hadn’t expected, and the caffeine boost was helpful. By the time he was finished eating, his mood had tempered significantly and his dragon had settled. Shifters ate a lot in general, but dragons ate more. Skipping meals only made his foul temper worse. Isaac may have just spared the entire office from his wrath for at least a few hours.
The thought reminded him of that morning. It felt rude to accuse his assistant after he’d been kind enough to feed him, though. Maverick was torn on what to do and didn’t realize he was staring until Isaac spoke.
“You’re doing it again.”
Scowling, Maverick tossed the empty bag into the trash, feigning innocence. “I don't know what you’re talking about.”
“Mhmm,” Isaac hummed. He hadn’t even looked up. Just how powerful was this mage?
The phone rang before he could figure out how to ask without sounding accusatory about what had happened that morning. It irritated him that he was floundering so hard. He never cared about how the staff felt if he had to reprimand them before.
“Mr. Van Buren’s office, Isaac speaking.”
Thanks to shifter hearing, Maverick could hear who was on the other end of the line without Isaac telling him. He rolled his eyes when he heard Taron’s voice.
“Hello, Isaac. I need to schedule a meeting with our resident grump.”
Ignoring that comment, Isaac clicked something on his computer, frowning at the screen. “Today?”
“Yep. I assume he’ll want to meet me in person for privacy, so factor that into account.”
Maverick made an irritated sound and picked up his phone. Isaac immediately opened the line so Maverick could join the conversation. “What do you want, Taron?”
Taron chuckled. “You promised me an update. Would you prefer to talk about it over the phone?”
Maverick’s spine stiffened, and his gaze shot to his assistant. No, he absolutely did not want to have that discussion with Isaac in the room. Especially while Isaac was on the same line.
“Give me five minutes.”
Isaac made a face but didn’t comment. Maverick probably had things to do, but it was better to deal with Taron right away. He’d continue to pester him until he caved, and Maverick didn’t want the conversation to get back to Isaac.
“I’ll see you in five minutes, then. Have a good afternoon, Isaac.”
“You too,” Isaac murmured politely before hanging up. He turned back to his computer, no doubt rearranging Maverick’s schedule to accommodate this meeting.
Hanging up before Taron could say anything more to piss him off, Maverick pushed to his feet. “This won’t take long.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow at him. “I haven’t spent much time with Mr. Cunningham, but based on what I’ve heard, a meeting with him has no set time frame. It takes as long as it takes. Is that incorrect?”
“No,” Maverick growled. Taron could be really annoying if he didn’t get what he wanted. And considering how much Maverick was going to leave out about the night prior, he got the feeling this might drag out. He was not discussing his sex life with Taron. No matter how much he technically owed the shapeshifter for helping him.