Chapter Two #2
Lots of white leather furniture and colorful artwork filled the
space. A smiling receptionist sat at a glossy desk, her fuchsia
pixie cut and matching lips a sharp complement to the cool decor.
“Good morning and welcome to Duran Communications. How can I assist
you?” she asked as her big blue eyes roved slowly over both
men.
“Good morning. Wes Stewart and Greyson Ineja
to see Mac Duran,” Grey smoothly replied, sliding his business card
across the desktop along with a returning, albeit cooler,
smile.
“Of course. Can I offer you a beverage while
you’re waiting? Latte? Vitamin Water? My name is Helena, by the
way,” she said.
“Just spring water for the two of us, please
and thanks, Helena,” Wes said with his trademark grin, noting her
sigh as she walked off behind her desk.
Grey turned to him and rolled his eyes.
“Guess she doesn’t read the tabloids and all your adventures with
men. Many, many men,” he joked.
Before Wes could provide a smart-ass
comeback, the door at the end of the hallway opened and Mac
appeared, walking toward them. The dark expression on his sharp
face was so intense that he seemed to suck all the air from the
room. But as he came closer, his icy countenance morphed into a
huge grin. “How the fuck did you two jokers get past building
security?” he asked.
“Mac, great to see you again.” Wes held out
his hand. Mac grabbed it and gave him a quick hug—just a friendly
one. Wes didn’t feel any spark of attraction to Mac, and he
preferred it that way. Separation of business and pleasure was
usually best.
Usually.
“So glad you’re here, Wes.” Mac smiled and
turned to Grey to shake his hand. “Grey, it’s been a long time.” He
paused and his smile faded. “I’m sorry again about Andrea. How have
you been?”
Wes heard Grey’s quick intake of breath and
looked over to see if his friend needed support.
“I’m taking it day by day,” Grey said, then
gave a quick smile and pointed at Wes. “It helps to have good
friends like this charming ass here.” Wes chuckled. “How about you,
Mac? Business good?” Grey asked, deftly changing the subject.
“It’s been a good year. I have other
businesses under my global communications brand, but the publishing
arm is special to me. My grandfather started it, so I want to keep
it going as long as possible. But who knows—the publishing world
gets smaller and smaller every year. Anyway, let’s head on back to
my office.”
Mac led them down the hallway and into a
large corner office with minimal furniture and plenty of natural
light. He gestured to two sleek chairs in front of the desk. There
was a knock at the door and Helena entered, sliding the glasses of
water onto the desk, then silently leaving.
Wes looked around, noticing several pictures
on the wall behind Mac, including many famous authors, celebrities,
and artists. No pictures on his desk, though. No personal touches.
Wes didn’t know much about Mac except that he was a workaholic, had
wicked negotiating skills, and was very well connected in this
city. At his last visit, Wes and Mac had chatted about the best
restaurants and clubs to visit, but there was no talk of a
boyfriend, partner, or family, except for Mac’s grandfather. Wes
was always curious about people and their stories, but decided to
put his nosy inclinations about Mac aside for the time being.
Mac leaned forward, his forearms on his
desk, and his cool green eyes assessed them. “Are we ready to talk
about a potential new book series?” he asked, pointing to his
laptop. “I’ve drafted a sample proposal for a three-book deal, as
well as timelines and the prospective offer for you to review with
Grey. Keep in mind, this is a draft for your review only at the
moment. R.D. has yet to provide his buy-in. And I want to warn you,
this will be a demanding project. That said, I think it means good
things for your respective careers. I’ve invited R.D. to dinner
Saturday so you can meet in a more relaxed environment. I mentioned
the collaboration, but he still isn’t sold on the idea, so don’t be
offended if he seems unreceptive.” Mac gave a small sigh, a
slight grimace on his face.
“What?” Wes blurted out in shock. “Why isn’t
he sold on the idea?” In past, he was the one who rejected requests
from others for work collaborations. What the fuck?
Mac shrugged. “All I can say is R.D. prefers
to work solo. If you want more details, you’ll have to ask him
directly. Taking on a writing partner is a big deal, and you’ll
need to ensure you’re a good match. I’m going on my instinct and
experience and based on both your work and your personalities. I
think there’s some interesting contrasts that will play out very
nicely.”
Wes pondered Mac’s input, and his curiosity
over this book deal—and now R.D. Smith—grew stronger. Wes was used
to getting what he wanted, and this would be no different. No way
would he allow Mr. Reluctant to write him off (pun intended) before
they’d talked it out.
“Well, it looks like this could be a far
more interesting venture than I expected. There’s nothing I like
better than using my charm to convince unreceptive audiences to do
my bidding.” He smirked. Mac sighed and Grey rolled his eyes.
“I thought Canadians were humble,” Mac said
as he pointed at Wes.
“Wes defies stereotypes,” Grey responded
wryly, then turned to Wes. “Someday, Wes, that arrogance is going
to come back and bite you in the ass.”
Wes’s grin grew bigger. “My ass looks
forward to it,” he replied. All three men broke out into
laughter.
Mac and Grey continued to chat about Wes’s
upcoming book tour while Wes thought about this new project. He was
confident that by this time next week, he would have a new book
deal and a new writing partner.
Convince R.D. to work with him? The deal was
as good as signed.