Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
CHARLOTTE
Tension radiated off Gabriel from the moment I’d stopped him from pulling out my chair. I hadn’t meant to be rude. I had my reasons even if he couldn’t see them. Still, the stiffness in his jaw lingered through the small talk and while the meal was being served.
When the conversation shifted, William cut through the surface chatter like a seasoned CEO could.
“Tell me, Gabriel, how’s the merger between Juniper and Arrow been going so far?”
I glanced at him, curious how blunt he would be.
“Smoothly,” Gabriel responded, his tone confident. “Arrow has always had a strong hold on telecommunication infrastructure, and with Juniper’s specialty in Internet and cloud services, it ensures customers get the best of both worlds.”
Impressive. Not that I should’ve expected anything less. But hearing my new COO handle the question with ease gave me a glimpse into how he might navigate client relations with a steady, credible, confident air.
William nodded in approval. “Change is tough, but I’m happy to hear it. We’d like to expand our platform. It’s time to modernize, or so they tell me. We’d like to set up some exploratory meetings about moving some of our services to the cloud.”
“We’d be happy to set up those meetings,” Gabriel replied.
It was exactly the result we were hoping for in this meeting. “How does Aaron feel about the migration?” I asked, referring to William’s most senior database administrator.
William chuckled. “About what you’d expect. The man’s either retiring by next year or his wife is divorcing him and taking another man on vacation. Her words, not mine.”
“How about we have Bobby, our CIO, reach out directly?” I suggested. “Make sure Aaron understands he still has some important keys to the kingdom, even if the kingdom moves to the cloud.”
“Why bother when he’s retiring?” Jean Luc cut in.
William glared at his nephew. In his expression, I saw a man as invested in his people as I was.
“We bother because it matters. Because Aaron’s been the backbone of this organization for thirty years.
” He relaxed when he turned his attention back on me.
“Thank you, Charlotte. Having Bobby reach out would go a long way.”
The meeting wound down with promises to follow up. By the time we stepped out into the cool air, our car was already waiting at the curb. The sleek, black Mercedes sedan gleamed beneath the London drizzle. Charles popped out to open the door with a smile.
The drive to the hotel passed in silence, broken only by the muted hum of the city through rain-slick streets. I tapped out a message to Bobby about contacting William’s database administrator before moving on to emails. Anything to avoid Gabriel’s presence beside me.
The hotel loomed into view at last. The Stansbury Court was an elegant boutique property of limestone covered in ivy, tucked between older brick buildings.
Once we arrived, Charles unloaded Gabriel’s suitcase, and accepted the tip I pressed into his palm with a grateful nod.
The interior was elegant but understated with its velvet armchairs in jewel tones, marble floors softened by Persian rugs, and a large chandelier giving off a romantic glow.
Once we were a few steps inside, I turned to Gabriel. “Listen. About the chair thing—”
“I should’ve known better. I apologize,” he cut in, stunning me completely.
“I appreciate it. I realize etiquette can be strange in business situations.”
“Yes, it is,” he relented. Then, after a beat, “Why bring me to the client meeting at all? Everything tonight could’ve been handled without me.”
I tilted my head, finally understanding the source of his frustration.
“Because mergers make people nervous, and tonight was about assuring them we were aligned as a leadership team. You might not have the history with them that I do, but your answers were exactly what they needed to hear. We’re a team. ”
His jaw worked, but all I got was, “Fine. Have a good night, Charlotte.”
He turned toward the check-in desk without another glance while I angled toward the elevator bank. The friction between us shouldn’t have bothered me, but the pounding at my temples said otherwise.
As the elevator doors slid shut, I caught one last glimpse of him at the counter, broad shoulders tense, and I knew I’d need more than sleep to shake this off.
What I really needed was a distraction poured into a martini glass.