Chapter 4
Itake a sharp breath as the petite twenty-something brunette walks into my office. She’s prettier than the pictures—and shorter than I imagined. I’m easily a foot taller than her. Be professional, I have to remind myself.
“Thanks for hopping in today.” I gesture for her to take the seat across from my desk. “I have to be honest with you. I’m not into PR.”
“Clearly,” she replies teasingly.
Her hazel eyes radiate confidence. Most people don’t feel this casual when speaking with me. Intrigued, I loosen the clench of my jaw.
“Why do you think it’s necessary?”
“You’ve made the business decision to take on outside capital,” she starts, relaxed and in her element. Everything about her face looks natural, and I like that. I’m so sick of all the Botox and fillers.
She continues, placing her elbows on her knees, leaning in. “It will be easier for you to raise money if people not only know your name but get an immediate association with your name.”
Her phone buzzes, and she leans over, reaching for it in her purse.
I glance at her body and remind myself this is a meeting, but fuck, even though I think she’s intentionally hiding her body with her outfit, her curves are perfection.
My jaw clenches again, pushing down every inappropriate thought.
“Sorry,” she says, putting her phone away and pulling me back to the conversation. “Right now, people may have heard Real-ity raised some VC money, but your name isn’t synonymous with the company.” Dani looks directly into my eyes. “So, who is Gideon Stone?”
I can’t tell if this is a rhetorical question, so I hesitate to answer. “No idea,” she replies. “I had to google you.”
A smile tugs at my lips. For guys who have built their lives around their egos, this pitch would crush every time. However, I don’t need people to know who I am. We do need more people to know about Real-ity, though.
“You’re clearly not an ego guy,” she says as if she read my mind. “But you cannot undervalue the media and investor environment we live in.”
She is poised, assertive, and articulate. I can see how she got into Adam’s orbit.
“I know this isn’t a professional question,” I say, hesitating whether to continue, “but I saw a photo of you and Adam Harris together.” I let that hang to gauge her reaction. She’s unfazed; I love a good poker face. “I’m sure you know he’s an investor since he made the intro.”
“I do,” she states. Again, I hope she gives me something here, but she doesn’t take the bait.
“Real estate is known for its nepotism, and that’s not how we operate.” I stare, maybe a little too intensely. “I only work with the best and don’t care about who their dad is or who their whoever is.”
Finally, she flashes a knockout smile.
“I used to date Adam, but that’s none of your business,” she says, and I push down the feeling that she said it in a flirty manner. “I think what you should be focused on is that he vouches for me, even after I broke up with him.”
She broke up with him. Now, she has my full attention. Adam Harris, dumped by a younger rebound—that’s something. I want to know more. And I want to know more about Dani Sommer.
“Fair,” I state, letting my eyes drift over her, noting her closed-toed shoes. Good. She can handle a visit to the construction site. “Let’s take a field trip. There’s one messaging issue we’re struggling with. If you can provide assistance with that, we’ll work together.”