“It’s not what you’re thinking.”
He lifts his gaze to me. “Hey, I’m a judgment-free zone.” His lips kick up. “But Anderson is going to flip his shit when he sees her. Hope you’ve got big balls, Charlie boy, because you’re going to need them.”
CHAPTER 9
Demi
“Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Reed, and apologies again that Mr. Barron couldn’t be here.” I shake the man’s hand as we wait for the elevator to arrive.
“Emergencies happen, and if he hadn’t been called away, I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of your lovely company.”
The elevator pings, and the door opens. “I’ll be sure to update Mr. Barron, and I’ll be in touch.”
He nods affably. “I look forward to hearing from you. Please reiterate my eagerness to work with Barron Banking and Financial Investment Services.”
“I will pass the message on.”
I wait until the doors have closed before returning to my desk.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Margaret Ann whispers as she leans over my desk.
I glance around quickly, but no one is in earshot. “I know Mr. Fleming is keen to review Simon Reed’s proposal. Charlie had an emergency,” I lie. “So, I covered for him. It’s no biggie.”
“You could get fired for this!” She shakes her head. “It’s not your place to conduct meetings in place of the president.”
“I’ll only get fired if someone rats me out.” I drill her with a pointed look.
“You know I won’t say anything, but anyone could’ve spotted you with him in the conference room.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Truth is, the man showed up an hour early for the meeting, narrowly missing Charlie, and I didn’t have it in my heart to turn him away.
To be honest, I was also grateful for the distraction. I’ve been a basket case since the appointment this morning.
Dad’s physician isn’t very optimistic about his chances of survival. Without the experimental drug, he said Dad has three to six months left to live.
Pain stabs me in the heart as I recall his words and his confirmation that we need two hundred K to participate in the drug trial. Our fundraising plans seem pitiful now. There is no way I can raise that kind of money in time. I’ve been wracking my brains all day to come up with a solution, but short of robbing a bank—pun intended—we’re all out of options.
I somehow managed to hold my tears at bay this morning, but as soon as I’d dropped Dad off at home, I drove to the office and broke down in my car in the parking lot.
I know I looked a mess when I rocked up to work, and maybe, I should’ve taken Charlie up on his offer to go home, but I can’t face Dad. Can’t face what I know he’s going to say. He will put me first, like he always does, and I can’t let him console me when he’s the one who is dying.
Subconsciously, I think I took that meeting, in part, because it will delay the inevitable. Danny is visiting Dad tonight, so I can stay late and type up a post-meeting report. Charlie will probably freak when he finds out what I’ve done. Until he calms down and realizes I’ve done him a favor.
“Be careful, Demi,” she murmurs. “I know how much you need this job, and people are already gossiping about you and the boss man.”
“They are? Why?” That’s news to me.
“He’s different with you.”
“He hates me.”
“There’s a fine line between love and hate.” Her eyes twinkle with mirth. “Besides, someone who hates you doesn’t notice, and indulge, your weakness for chocolate muffins.” She squeezes my shoulder before walking back to her workstation.
Charlie handing me that did surprise me even if I didn’t show it because I was numb at the time. But it was a thoughtful gesture.
I dig into the muffin as I review my notes from the meeting, along with the materials Simon Reed brought with him. He’s also emailed me his presentation, and I print a copy to give to Charlie tomorrow along with my report and recommendations.
I’m immersed in my work, putting my finishing touches to the file I’ve prepared, long after everyone has left the office, so I don’t notice Charlie returning. It’s well after seven, and I presumed he’d called it a night. He always leaves early on a Monday to attend to some regular appointment.
“Demi. What are you still doing here?” he asks, stopping by my desk. He’s lost his jacket and tie, and the sleeves of his pristine white dress shirt are rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his tan, muscular arms.
“I stayed late to finish a report,” I say, scurrying to put the printed material into the folder before he sees. But it’s too late, because his gaze lands on the presentation, and his brow instantly puckers.
“What is this?” he demands.
I bite on the inside of my cheek as pressure settles on my chest. “Mr. Reed arrived early, a couple of minutes after you left, actually. It felt rude to turn him away. And I’m aware of how eager the board is to hear the details of his proposal.” Charlie knows I type up the minutes from the board meetings. My throat is parched, and I wet my dry lips. “So, I met with him, took notes, and asked questions, and I’ve just typed up a proposal. I was planning on giving it to you tomorrow.”
He stares at me, wearing that nonchalant mask, and as the seconds tick by, my heart rate accelerates, blood pounds in my ears, and I’m scarcely breathing.
He’s going to fire me for insubordination. For overstepping the mark.
After what feels like eternity, he finally speaks. “Do you need to leave? Or could you talk me through it now?”
“You’re not mad?” I stupidly blurt.
His lips thin. “I didn’t say that. I’ll reserve judgment for now.”
“I just need to print this last document. I’ll follow you in.”
He bobs his head before entering his office. I print the report with shaking hands, urging myself to calm down. I need to keep a cool head to talk him through this and pray he doesn’t can my cheeky ass.
I double-check I have everything I need before stepping into the lion’s den.
Charlie is quiet and attentive as I talk him through it, outlining the benefits of the system and how I believe it will cut regulatory processing times in half, thereby adding to the bottom line. I provide the quick cost assessment I’ve prepared along with a list of references Simon emailed to me after the meeting. While his current clients are smaller in size and scope, it seems he has the capacity to scale, provided we assign the appropriate IT and business management resources to work on the implementation.
Silence filters through the air when I finish. Charlie drums his fingers on the desk, looking pensive as he stares at me. I wait with bated breath for him to say something. When he does speak, I’m completely caught off guard.
“Have you eaten?”
I blink repeatedly as I stare at him. He arches a brow when I don’t reply. “Ah, does the muffin count?”
He stands, swiping his keys. “No. I’m taking you to dinner.”
My brows knit together and I stay rooted in my seat. “What about my report?”