Their matching expressions are prepared to call bullshit, and I might agree with them.
I’m about to read over an initial quality report with the Sunny Skies owners when Vannah bursts through the door. A glance at my watch reveals that she’s three minutes early. Even fighting the odds I stacked against her, she arrives as prompt as ever. I might give her credit for that if this goes well.
Her stride stumbles to a halt when she notices us sitting around the small conference table. A blush that matches her hair races up her slender neck. These fair-skinned beauties can never hide their embarrassment. She tries to shake off her shock with a wobbly grin, tucking some stray strands behind a red-tipped ear. “I apologize for just barging in.”
“Nonsense.” I pat the chair beside me. “We’ve been waiting on you.”
Vannah narrows her eyes on me for an instant so brief the others most likely miss it. There’s little doubt that she’s fuming on the inside. Demanding her to attend a meeting on such short notice—especially on a Saturday—is a dick move, but I wouldn’t be me without those signature ploys. She’ll come to understand that what I say goes.
“Hello there, I’m Vannah Simons.” They provide their names after her introduction. She flutters a delicate hand down the front of her basic shirt. The pink cotton is nearly threadbare. “I’m sorry about my disheveled appearance. This meeting wasn’t on my calendar until very recently.”
Betty scoffs. “You look just fine. Don’t give fancy clothes a second thought on our account.”
“We’re causal folks,” Paul adds.
They’re far too forgiving for my standards. Her frayed cutoffs and flip-flop sandals are offensive for a professional setting, regardless of the company we’re keeping. I’m not willing to note how edible she appears with all that bare skin on display.
That familiar confidence straightens her posture as she struts to my side and sits down next to me. “Well, I do feel bad for interrupting. Don’t let me get you too far off track.”
“We just started, actually. I’m glad you could spare an hour from your busy schedule to join us.” I dig deep to find a smirk entirely for her benefit.
“Anything for my favorite client.” She pats my arm, the patronizing touch steeped in needles.
Riley’s face is almost split in half by his wide smile. “I can see why he wants to include you. It’s real nice to see such a comfortable camaraderie between business associates.”
I’m sure it is. The urge to roll my eyes is almost overwhelming. Most would consider this behavior highly suspect, but these three couldn’t care less about my dealings prior to arriving on their doorstep. I sip some coffee from my steaming mug before continuing. “Ms. Simons has proven to be relatively useful as of late.”
Vannah grins at my backhanded compliment. “You’re always so generous with the praise. It makes me work extra hard, just for you.”
I couldn’t have planned a better segue. “Which explains why you managed to arrive so fast. Inviting you was the right choice.”
“That’s one way to put it,” she mutters under her breath.
Ignoring her snark is a newfound hobby. “Well, now that you’re here.”
She seems to gather a hint from my prompt. Her focus veers to Paul, Betty, and Riley. “Do you want to visit the building? I just need to alert the grounds manager.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I interject.
“Oh?”
I wave at the papers in front of me. “We’re just going over some potential maintenance costs that a contractor collected. I thought it would be good to have you close in case there are questions.”
Sifting through data from one source or another is routine procedure in the very early purchasing stages. We could discuss the results for weeks or minutes and probably arrive at the same conclusions. I loathe this process in its overly inefficient entirety, but the regulations aren’t mine to dictate. Meeting in person to discuss these findings is even more pointless, but certain companies prefer gathering as a group as often as possible. I figured we could give it a whirl in this situation for all parties involved.
This is probably the moment Vannah discovers how unnecessary her presence is. A spark glints in her eyes as she catches my stare. If I was a lesser man, that gleam might be cause for concern. I can almost hear a switch being flipped while she shifts to face me. “Sure, of course. I’m well aware you’re uncomfortable making any huge decisions without proper consultation from me.”
I choke on my coffee, nearly spewing across the wall. “There’s no—”
Her palm is still resting on my arm, and she gives me a harsh squeeze. “It’s okay, Mr. Winters. There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing a warehouse. It’s understandable to be intimidated by these statistics. That’s why you hired me.”
A bomb detonates from somewhere inside me, turning the edges of my vision a fiery red. The savvy beauty just lobbed payback into my lap. All I can do is grin at the three people gawking at our display. I imagine we resemble a fucking circus act to those standing on the sidelines. My reputation precedes me. This mockery she’s attempting to pull off would never be tolerated under normal circumstances. I could prove that she’s completely irrelevant in less than twenty seconds. But reprimanding her in front of my partners is bad form. I’m not willing to stoop that low and let her walk away looking innocent. That doesn’t mean she’ll get away with ridiculing me.
“That’s awful generous, Ms. Simons.” It takes great effort not to growl the response. The scowl straining my features bellows the animosity loud enough.
“I’m just doing my job, Mr. Winters. Am I going above and beyond? Perhaps. But you deserve having the most reliable support for these endeavors.”
The way she flips my meaning makes my head spin. I clench my teeth, trying to keep my voice low. “You’re in a clever mood.”
She flutters her lashes at me. “Thank you.”
Paul chuckles while I pay the price of losing my manhood to this ballbuster. If our roles were reversed, I’d probably be laughing too. But, as it sits, this show is being offered at my expense.
The trio across from us exchange a glance. Betty is the one to speak. “Just goes to show that everyone needs reinforcements in their corner. You can’t do it all alone. Right, Landon?”
I will admit no such thing. No one has dared to address me in such an outlandish manner while under the pretense of being professional. That’s the only reason my composure is floundering. “That depends on the situation.”
Riley is studying me like there’s an unsolved puzzle on my forehead. “I didn’t take you for a team player.”
“I’m not,” I retort.
“Oh, who are you kidding?” The dramatic swat Vannah gives my shoulder is almost comical. This woman should be an actress. She missed her calling. There’s a shelf of unclaimed awards with her name on them. Without further delay, she dives back in. “Landon loves getting my opinion. I was surprised at first, since he’s obviously well versed in making money and investing wisely. But who am I to disagree with his methods?”