Chapter 9
Chapter 9
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I woke to the birds chirping their cheery song outside my dormitory window. I stretched, reaching my arms above my head and pointing my toes under the covers. My mind skipped around, settling on Team Dunhill’s famous win at the bowling alley last night. We had celebrated, basking in our well-deserved glory, through drinks and dinner. Man, it had felt good—especially beating “Poop Boy”.
And now I’d outed myself to him. He knew I was running against him for the Regional Sales Manager job. Good. It was better to have it out in the open. No need to pretend. We were clear adversaries, and we could treat one another as such.
I threw the bed covers off, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and slipped them into my UGG boots to protect them from the ice-cold hardwood floorboards. I collected my towel and toilet bag and padded down the hall to the communal bathroom. With any luck, I would be the first up and could luxuriate in a long, hot shower.
I put my hand on the bathroom doorknob and pushed the door open. I took a step into the room, stopped, and stood in shock, taking in the naked torso of a man with his back to me, wearing nothing but a towel tied around his waist. His head was down as water poured into the sink before him. I gripped the doorknob, rooted to the spot.
How embarrassing!
I needed to get out of here before he raised his head and saw me in the reflection. Without taking my eyes from his broad, toned back, I took a step back, just as his head rose.
“Cassie?”
Our eyes locked in the mirror.
It was Will ? I gave him a weak smile. “Ah . . . hi.”
He turned to face me, a half smile on his face. “Good morning.”
Don’t look at his chest! Don’t look at his chest! My eyes didn’t listen, skipping over his broad shoulders, his defined pecs, down to his taut belly.
Oh, my.
I bit my lip as my hand darted to my own chest in an attempt to still my heart. I forced myself to drag my eyes up to his face. Will’s half smile had turned into a full grin, his eyebrows raised in question. “Nice pj’s.”
My eyes shot down to the teddy bears on my T-shirt. Self-consciously, I hugged my towel and toilet bag against my body. Like they were being dragged by some sort of magnetic force, my traitorous eyes returned to Will’s chest. “I’m . . . ah . . . sorry to disturb you,” I managed. I took a step back, let go of the doorknob, letting the door fly shut.
I heard a chuckle. “No worries. I’ll be done in a minute,” came Will’s muffled reply from within.
I stared at the door.
Well, that was weird.
I shook my head, breaking the spell. Clutching my towel and toilet bag to my chest, I hurried down the hall, back to the safety of my dormitory, closing the door firmly behind me.
My eyes flicked to my phone. Parker. I’ll call Parker. I picked my phone up and pressed his number.
“Good morning,” Parker’s voice answered after a few rings. “You’re up bright and early.”
“Yes, I . . . I just wanted to say hello.”
“Well, hello then. How was your night?”
I thought of the fun we’d had winning the bowling and the subsequent celebrations. “It was really good, thanks.”
“You managed to get through the bowling all right?”
What does he mean, “get through the bowling”? “Yes. In fact”—I paused for dramatic effect—“my team won!”
“That’s fantastic!”
There was a knock on my door, causing me to levitate off the narrow bed by about two feet. My heart rate kicked up again.
“It’s all yours,” Will called from outside in the hallway.
“Err, thanks,” I replied, my hand over the mouthpiece. “Sorry, Parker.”
“Who was that?” Parker asked.
“Oh, just . . . Marissa, telling me the bathroom’s free.”
Why did I just lie to him?
“You have to share a bathroom? Well, that’s not ideal.”
“I know, right?”
A few moments later I had said goodbye to Parker and snuck down the hallway on light feet to the bathroom. Tentatively, I opened the bathroom door and peered around, eternally grateful there was no sign of anyone—let alone a scantily clad Will Jordan.
Another encounter like that I could do without.
Later that morning, I walked into the conference room. Its walls were wood-paneled, with large dormer windows, and there was a large oak table in the middle of the room, surrounded by about twenty chairs.
I had gone to the bathroom after breakfast to freshen up and was one of the last to arrive in the grand, old room.
“Over here, Cassie!” Marissa called. “I’ve got you a seat.”
Will was standing at the front of the room, checking his presentation. I had two options to get to Marissa: either walk right past him or go the long way around and avoid him completely. I took the second option.
As I plunked my laptop down on the table next to Marissa, Will called out, “Hi, Dunny. Are you all better now?” He had an amused look on his face.
I jutted my chin out and turned to face him as my cheeks burned with embarrassment. Will Jordan was not going to get the better of me. “Yes, thank you, ‘Poop Boy’. I’m doing great.”
Damn him! He probably now thought I was one of those women at AGD who was half in love with him. Like Paige.
I sat down, heavily.
Marissa narrowed her gaze at me. “What’s up with you and Will?”
“Nothing. What?” I snapped. My palms began to sweat.
She studied me for a moment. “You’re a bit . . . uptight.”
I shrugged, trying to appear unfazed, despite the growing holes her eyes bored into my face. There was no way I was going to make mention of any half-naked men in bathrooms. “I told Will I’m in the running for the Regional Sales Manager’s job last night,” I said quietly in her ear.
Why am I lying to one of my best friends?
Marissa’s eyes got big. “You did? Why?”
I glanced over at Will. He had his back to me. It was so much easier when he had his shirt on. “Because then it’s out in the open. I don’t have to pretend. He knows he’s up against me.”
“I guess,” she replied, sounding as sure as a lemming being led to the cliff’s edge.
“Right, everyone. Let’s get down to it. We’ve got a lot to cover today,” Will began, smiling at us all from the front of the room.
I rolled my eyes. Having to listen to Will talk all morning was hardly my idea of a fun way to spend my time. “Here goes nothing,” I said to Marissa.
And it dragged. Oh, how it dragged. We talked about our goals for the year, our strategies and tactics, and new products in the pipeline. I watched with a bad taste in my mouth as half the women in the room flirted their faces off with him and the men joked around with him, enjoying their caveman camaraderie. It was enough to make me vomit.
We finally broke for lunch. We sat down at a long table outside on a brick patio. It was one of those cool, crisp, sunny winter days. The view of the city below and on over the sparkling blue of the bay from our elevated position was breathtaking. We were all bundled up in our warm coats—well, the women anyway, the men were, as ever, seemingly impervious to the cold— with heat lamps dotted around us.
Our first course delivered, Marissa leaned in, and whispered, “Why is there an empty seat next to Will?”
“Perhaps no one wanted to sit next to him?” I smiled at the thought.
“Oh, I get it.” Marissa nodded at Will. Laura had arrived. Will leaped up from his seat to shake her hand, welcoming her.
She addressed us all. “Hello, everyone. It looks like you’ve got a pretty spectacular spot here.”
Will—suck-up that he was—pulled the chair next to him out for her to sit down. Everyone settled into conversation as we ate.
After dessert of a delicious lemon and raspberry cheesecake that could almost meet the Cozy Cottage Café’s high standards, Laura stood up from her seat and clinked her glass. “May I have your attention, please? Thank you, thank you. Well, it’s been quite a year for you all. I wanted to come here personally today to share with you the excellent news. Your team as a whole has achieved target!”
We all applauded. Big Jake and some of the other guys whooped and cheered.
“We have a few outstanding performers I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge. First of all, Will. Not only have you stepped up to the plate as Regional Sales Manager—and done an amazing job, I might add—”
I clenched my jaw.
“—but you are also our top salesperson of the year! Well done, Will.”
The team applauded again, and a grinning Will bowed his head, lapping the attention up.
“But that’s not all. Cassie Dunhill was a close second with her wonderful Nettco Electricity deal. Well done to you, Cassie.”
Marissa squeezed my hand. “Awesome!”
I grinned at her through clenched teeth. Coming second to Will Jordan grated.
“Other stellar performances this year have come from Tamati Southie, Marissa Jones, and Sally Saunders. Well done!”
It was my turn to squeeze my friend’s hand in congratulations. “You’re a total star.”
After the applause had calmed down, Laura raised her glass. “To a wonderful year. Well done, all of you.”
After lunch, Laura called me over to where Will and she were standing at the end of the lawn, overlooking the rows of vines below.
“Cassie. Thanks for joining us. I have a task for you both.”
I looked at Will. He looked back at me and shrugged nonchalantly. Does anything rattle this guy?
I took the lead. “Of course. What can I help you with, Laura?”
“I need two strong leaders to work with Marketing on delivering a new solution they’ve been working on for some time now. We need input from a sales perspective, and to be honest, they need some direction. It will need to be in addition to your day jobs, of course. Are you up for the challenge?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but suck-up Will got in there first. “Of course, Laura. I’m always ready for a fresh challenge.”
“Great. I knew you would. Cassie?”
My muscles tightened. “Absolutely. I’m there for you one hundred percent.”
“Thank you. It will be for a good couple of months, starting the moment you’re back in the city. I’ll have Brian email you both the relevant background information today and schedule a meeting with Dwight Barlow. We need to get this solution packaged up and ready to hit the market yesterday, so time is of the essence.”
This time I got in first. “I won’t let you down, Laura.”
“No, we won’t,” Will added with that smarmy half smile of his, raising his eyebrows at me.
My smile was pinched. Working with Will Jordan? I knew I was going to need all the tolerance I could muster—and leave him for dead.