A sizzle skates across my skin as I deflect her atrocities. What the fuck is she trying to accomplish? “You’re overstepping, Savannah.”
“Are you finally ready to take the lead on this? I’m so proud of you.” Her wink is the icing on this shit sundae.
Three matching smiles are aiming at Vannah. They’re eating the trash she’s serving by the mouthful. Fury seeps under my defenses with every labored inhale. Investing in their solar panels might’ve been a grave mistake, extremely profitable or not. This is backfiring faster than I can salvage the wreckage.
The tie around my neck suddenly feels too constricting. I reach to loosen the knot, but falter at the last moment. Showing weakness to this woman is an error I won’t make again. She can’t know how her behavior—her sheer proximity—affects me.
At our ongoing silence, Vannah takes the opportunity to plow full steam ahead. “I keep telling him to have more confidence, and not rely so heavily on me. But alas, here I am. Maybe I should take it as a compliment that Mr. Winters refuses to accept any info as fact without me approving it first.”
And that’s the last straw.
I need to end this charade before she gains more momentum from her captivated audience. With a definitive slap, I slam my folder shut. “I need to speak with Ms. Simons in private.”
Vannah cups a palm around her mouth, stage-whispering to them. “Mr. Winters probably wants to compare notes before moving forward. His shortcomings can be somewhat of a touchy subject and I’ve revealed too many secrets. He’s super private about his strategies.”
“Enough,” I bark.
“See?” She nods at me as if they require a visual to connect the dots.
I seethe quietly while pretending she doesn’t exist. “We’ve seen enough numbers for one morning. Any concerns can be discussed over email. We can reconvene later next week. Feel free to show yourselves out.”
Betty, Paul, and Riley just gape at me. I’m too far gone to consider how this will impact our working relationship.
Vannah waves at them with the exuberance of a child hyped up on cotton candy. “Bye for now. It was wonderful to meet you.”
I grip her elbow and stalk from the room. “You’re coming with me.”
“Someone’s in a hurry,” she coos.
I haul us into my office, slamming the door behind me. “What the fuck was that?”
She crosses her arms and leans against the wall opposite me. “I could ask you the same question.”
“This is my investment you’re fucking with. They probably think I’m an idiot.” I wonder if there’s steam pouring from my ears. It sure feels like it, based on the heat spouting off my head.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I spoil your fun?”
“You fucking steamrolled me,” I spew.
Vannah snorts. “Hello, Pot. Can I introduce you to Kettle?”
“What you just did is worse than me forcing you to attend a meeting.”
“Do I look like a rug to you?”
I scowl at the nonsense continuing to drop from her forked tongue. “No.”
“Then why are you trying to walk all over me? I’m not a doormat, so you don’t get to treat me as such. There’s carpet beneath your shoes to wipe that shitty attitude on.” Her eyes are spitting fire hot enough to send the entire city up in flames.
“I was only proving a point.”
“Ditto, dude. I’ve sat in countless meetings for the exact purpose you claimed. Most people in your position request counsel from the specialized professionals they hire. This was meant as a complete waste of my time, though. Your ego can’t handle having anyone else involved.”
I can’t concentrate with the rattling in my brain. Focusing on her main offense is the extent of my current ability. “You just made me look like an incompetent ass in front of my partners.”
“That’s all on you.” She gestures toward the conference room we just vacated. “And you really need to stop giving me so much credit. I’m fully capable of turning the tables, but you do a fine job of being an asshole all on your own. All I did was speed the process along. You’ve met your match, Lannie.”
“We’re not equals.” The reminder spews from me in a raging surge.
Vannah holds up a finger. “Don’t even bother threatening to replace me with another firm. We both know you’re not going to. The crying wolf ploy loses authenticity after a while.”
She’s right, and I hate that. The simmering in my gut begins to boil. “There’s nothing stopping me, certainly not you.”
“How about your inflated obsession with putting me in my place or whatever the hell you’re trying to prove? There’s no way I believe you’ll just walk away. You’re committed for some reason.” The way she scrutinizes me grates on my final nerve.
This is unraveling faster than I can process. I rake a hand through my hair. When did I become so transparent? I do need her to stick around. Otherwise, this is all for nothing. “I only want the best, and that happens to be you. Tolerating insubordination isn’t on the list, though. Clean up your act or I will find someone better.”
I can almost hear her molars grinding. “As a self-respecting woman, I have to defend myself. Did you honestly expect me to fall in line like a docile duckling?”
How much worse can this get if I confirm her suspicions? “You’re in deep shit after pulling that stunt.”
Vannah shrugs. “What’re you going to do? Go ahead and call Vince. Tell him how you demanded that I show up with zero notice. You’re not innocent in this.”
Calling her bluff would be the simplest solution. The plan formulating in my muddled mind is much better.
Monday morning rarely puts a smile on my face. I mean, there’s usually no reason to cheese while dragging my ass into work after a weekend of freedom. Two large mugs of coffee never give me this much bounce. Besting Landon seems to have a positive impact on my mood. I should really try it more often. But that might not be necessary.
He’s been radio silent after booting me—big shocker—from his building on Saturday. The lack of constant annoyance from him is pleasant, albeit a tad alarming. I’m choosing to brush off the prickling tingles of internal warnings as mere products of my own personal paranoia. Landon has far more important people to pester on a daily basis. That doesn’t stop me from doing another quick scroll through my emails. Thankfully, there still aren’t any freshly squeezed demands waiting in my inbox.
A strange tension descends once the elevator doors open on my floor. Before stepping out, I take a cursory scan and find nothing. That silence is a cause for concern all on its own. The large room is typically thrumming with activity by now. My giddy spirits falter as I study the unfamiliar scene. There’s no one rushing to finalize a contract, or seeking advice with a legal snag, or even bragging about landing a new client. The pressure threatens to envelop me as I move with caution toward my desk. That’s when the cause for this odd disturbance presents itself.
When I turn the corner, a major bottleneck appears to be jamming the flow of traffic. People have to turn sideways to pass through the normally spacious walkway. The impacted area happens to be where I sit. It isn’t until I’m a few feet from the stockpile that what’s blocking the path finally comes into view.