Chapter III
WORKS FOR US
“Good morning. I’m here to meet with London and Paris. Spencer Jensen.”
“Yes. I’m Beau. I’m the assistant here. It’s my first day.”
Considering the office officially opened for business today, he wasn’t surprised. But they had hired someone quickly.
And the place looked great. All set up and kind of... cozy in a welcoming way rather than a “I’m going to fix all your problems” kind of way.
“Good luck,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
“I hope so,” Beau said. “It’s my third job. It’s kind of hard to live here in Manhattan without having more than one.”
He lifted an eyebrow. He knew that was true, but this woman was overly chatty. “It’s not for everyone.”
“Nope,” Beau said. Her cell phone lit up on her desk, her head glancing, then dismissing it.
He could see it was a text and most likely personal.
“I was lucky enough to get this right away. I’ve purposely not taken any day shifts at the restaurant I serve at so I could find something full time again.
Had to quit my last job because I thought I got an acting gig and then they dropped me. So yeah, my bad.”
This was more than he needed to know. He looked at his watch. “Are London or Paris in?”
“Oh, yes,” Beau said, blowing a small bubble, then snapping her gum. “Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll just go get them?”
“No need,” London said, walking down the hall in some seriously sexy black pumps. Not sure why his eyes went there, but he couldn’t help it.
Then his eyes shifted up her long legs covered in black trousers that hugged every curve of her body, a peach silk shirt tucked into a tiny waist, her arms bare and nicely toned. Someone worked out and didn’t rely on their genetics.
But damn if those genetics weren’t pretty sweet.
“I might be a few minutes early,” he said. “A bad habit.”
“You’re fine,” she said. “I tend to be late. Just warning you now.”
Her dirty blonde hair was down and softly flowing over her shoulders. He knew right away who was who even though they were twins. They weren’t identical in the least, but you knew they had taken up residence in the womb together.
“It won’t change me being early,” he said.
“Don’t you ever get held up on calls? Aren’t attorneys famous for that?”
He didn’t think she was baiting him on purpose. Or maybe it was the smirk on her lips. As if she wanted to see what buttons she could push as a test of sorts.
“Go get another coffee, London,” Paris said, rushing out into the hall. “Excuse my sister. She got up on the wrong side of the bed today. Late on top of it. So she didn’t get her two cups in. Once she does, she’ll be fine. I’m the early one.”
“Except today,” London said, squinting at her sister. “I beat you out here.”
“I was on the phone,” Paris said.
“Yeah, well, so was I,” she said.
His eyes were bouncing back and forth between them. The bickering seemed natural. Almost light-hearted.
“Do you know, do they do this all the time?” Beau whispered to him.
He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Today is the first day of business.”
“Oh yeah,” Beau said, her lips scrunched up. “Thanks for reminding me.”
Paris blew out a breath and rolled her eyes at the assistant’s response, then nudged her sister. It was obvious who was in favor of their new employee and who wasn’t.
“London, why don’t you take Spencer back while I get Beau started on the list we gave her an hour ago?”
“Oh, the list,” Beau said. “I forgot about that.”
“What have you been doing for an hour?” London asked.
“Decorating my desk,” Beau said. “You didn’t even notice it.” Beau popped her bottom lip out.
“Looks nice,” Paris said politely.
All he noticed were a bunch of picture frames and some little statues of cartoon characters as if a five-year-old had set it up.
“Thanks,” Beau said, her lips widening in a smile with the praise.
“Follow me,” London said. “Do you want a coffee? I was on my way up here to get it.”
“I’m good. Go ahead. Point me in the direction you want me.”
“First door on the right,” she said, brushing by him, the scent of citrus a cloud he’d walked into. Pleasant and making him want to suck in more air.
He didn’t. Just moved forward into the conference room. The soft blue was the same shade and tone as the mint in the reception area.
There was art on the wall. Almost a beach feel with sand and water, with a few flowers.
The conference table and chairs were maple colored, not dark and screaming authority, but welcoming to sit your butt down and have a pleasant talk.
Until London strode in and yanked a chair out and plopped down while her coffee was to her lips.
Her eyes closed, she sniffed in the drink's essence in front of her, then popped them open and let out a moan.
Jesus Christ, his body shouldn’t be reacting this way.
Nor once her blue eyes landed on him watching her. “What? Haven’t you seen someone drinking coffee before?”
“Not quite that way.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t sleep well.”
“Nerves?”
She shrugged as if she couldn’t admit something like that.
But he got it. He really did. And after what he’d found out about them, he understood more.
Paris came in and shut the door. “London, there is no way she is going to work out.”
“Beau?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s the only employee we have. She’s a complete airhead.”
That was his thought.
“She was available.”
“Available and competent are two different things,” Paris said. “Right, Spencer?”
He looked between the sisters again. “Are you asking me to pick sides in a fight between siblings? Or my professional legal opinion?”
“Man,” she said, her voice thick with sarcasm. “Are you going to be one of those attorneys?”
He refused to let his back get up over that. “What kind of attorney is that?”
“The one who won’t pick my sister’s side,” Paris said. “I’d like your professional opinion and thoughts on our new employee.”
“Pros,” he said. “She’s friendly. Can carry on a conversation so that there is no tension in the air.”
“She hasn’t shut up,” London complained. “I could hear her talking to herself as she put her little figurines on her desk. Give me cons. I know by the look on your face you’ve got a lot of them.”
Paris leaned back in the chair, a smile on her face, her arms crossed. “Because you see them too and just hate to admit when you’re wrong.”
“Why do I need to admit it when you know it without me saying the words?” she asked. She turned her head to him. “Go on. What are the cons?”
“Well, since you asked so nicely,” he said. Paris let out a soft laugh. If these sisters were identical he’d still be able to tell who was who based on their personalities. “Beau is easily distracted. She likes to talk, but it’s about herself.”
“You got the rundown that she’s got multiple jobs, didn’t you?” Paris asked.
“I did. That’s up to you if you can handle her quitting last minute for an acting gig that might fall through,” he said.
“See,” Paris said. “I told you this was a mistake. We should just let her go today. Just tell her it’s not going to work before it gets too complicated and we need Spencer for different reasons.”
“That’s your decision. My understanding is that Paris is the one with more HR knowledge and expertise. London, more operations?”
“Yes,” Paris said. “I’ve got a softer... touch with people. HR can be delicate, as we know. London, she just marches in and starts issuing orders on what works better. That’s great for operations over personnel... sometimes.”
“It can be,” he said. “Each situation needs to be evaluated to determine a soft or firm hand. And sometimes it changes mid-course.”
“See,” London said. “My sister doesn’t know how to change. When she can’t get people to do what she wants by being nice, I have to come in and be the bad guy.”
Paris shrugged. “Sad but true and works for us.” Paris put the side of her hand up as if she was going to whisper, but she didn’t. “Just the threat of London coming in will work.”
“You both worked for different companies prior,” he said. “Or have you been overlapping?”
“We’ve done some consulting on the side outside of our jobs,” London said, then pointed her finger. “And don’t get all legal on us that it was a conflict. It wasn’t and our bosses knew.”
“Not my job to say what was right or wrong at your last job, but it will be now. And this meeting is to get acquainted before we move forward. Braylon gave me a list of companies that need your services.”
“Carlisle companies,” she said. “But I just got off the phone with someone here. I was going to have Beau send over our information.”
“No,” Paris said. “You do it. I don’t trust her right now and I’m not sure we should continue with her. You don’t want this wrong or messed up. Not the first client we’d be getting here on our own.”
She let out a breath. “Let me guess—you agree with my sister?”
“How you get or maintain your clients is up to you,” he said. “My job is to deal with the contracts and other legal issues for West’s interests at the moment.”
“There you go riding the line of lawyer speak,” she said. The roll of her eyes didn’t help any.
He turned to Paris. “How long before that second cup of coffee hits?”
“Oh, it did,” Paris said, laughing.
“Good to know.”
He finished with the two of them twenty minutes later, then returned to his office.
He wasn’t at his desk five minutes before Braylon came in and took a seat. He wasn’t a fan of these impromptu visits but learned they happened more than he was used to.
Considering the twins he was assigned to as his first major project, he could understand it more now.
“How did it go with London and Paris?” Braylon asked.
“Interesting.”
He had to hedge his words. Not necessarily be all lawyer speak like London threw in his face, but close enough.
“How so?”
“They are completely different personalities.”
“London is intense. Paris is not. They actually complement each other.”
“In business or life?” he asked. Might as well throw it out there.
Braylon smiled. “You know?”
“It’s my job to know who I’m working with and their background. Not just their professional careers either.”
“Good,” Braylon said. “I’d hoped you’d figure it out.”
“Why not tell me yourself?”
“Because we didn’t want you to think you had to treat them differently or walk on eggshells because they are our first cousins.”
Made sense. He still felt he was going to. “Should they know I know?”
“They don’t want anyone to know,” Braylon said.
“They are bent on making a name for themselves. Few know that West’s first name is Westerly.
Or they’ve forgotten. Those that know his history know he was named after our mother’s maiden name.
It will get out at some point and everyone is aware.
Give me your professional assessment, not personal.
Don’t worry about offending me. This is business. West feels the same way.”
He knew West helped family, but he didn’t give anyone a free ride.
From what he’d researched and found, this was a beneficial business for all parties and a good way for Westerly Consulting to get started having The Carlisle Group as their first and biggest client.
“From what I can see, they are both driven but in their own way. Paris comes off as the polite sister, but she’s not afraid to threaten London coming in to get people to do her bidding.”
Braylon laughed. “Paris was like that as a kid too. Don’t let her kindness fool you. She’s just as much of a shark, but she’s wrapped in rainbow and glitter and if she can get her point across that way, it’s her preference.”
“Good description.”
“London on the other hand. She’s a cactus. You know what you’re getting right away. If you keep your distance and follow along, no one gets poked. If you get too close, you might bleed.”
“Not sure how she can be effective that way,” he said.
“She is. She doesn’t get that way at first. Not from what we’ve discovered. And only is that way when she’s pushed back. The thing is, those girls are judged when they walk in the door.”
“I’m sure.”
How could you not with how they looked? Especially when men still dominated senior management positions.
And he hated it crossed his mind, but he was being realistic at the same time.
“London is about making sure that she’s no pushover. She’s not crude. At least I don’t believe so. Or hope not. That will be your job to let us know.”
He opened his mouth, his tongue twisting while he tried to get the words out politely.
Nope. No way to sugarcoat this. “I’m babysitting?”
Braylon angled his head, a smirk filling his face.
“No. I wouldn’t do that to anyone. You’ll travel with her and Paris at times.
You need to be there for other reasons for businesses that are struggling.
But it will let us know what may or may not need work.
If she is leaving too many needles in her wake.
The truth is, some of those people might need to get jabbed some. ”
“Does she know I’m traveling with her? I don’t know if I’m her favorite person after that meeting.”
“Dude,” Braylon said. Again, the guy just got so comfortable when he pulled you in. Nothing Spencer ever felt in his past job. “No one is London’s favorite person. She’s a lot of bark, just remember that.”
He’d have to take his boss’s word for it, because he was already not looking forward to their first trip.
Not because of her attitude, but because he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her and knew that was a big no-no for a man who always followed the rules.