“And you are?” she prompted when he didn’t introduce himself.
“I was watching you. My name is Brandon and I’m supposed to be here on business but, as I’m sure you’ve discovered, business in Vegas is rather loosely defined.”
Speaking of loose, Marj’s lace panties were feeling a bit loose. Like they might hit the floor any second thanks to the deep burn of his voice that seemed to hit her in the sternum.
“Pardon me, but did you say you had only a sliver of cheese?” he said. “Where did you eat? It sounds like the portions are unforgivably small and I’d like to avoid it.”
“Giorgio’s in the hotel,” she said.
“Ah, I was supposed to be there tonight with you lovely ladies.”
A light bulb went off in her head as recognition struck. “Let me guess. Brandon as in Brandon Cates the COO of the company that just bought out Simpatico Papers?”
“One and the same, I’m afraid.”
“Shit! You’re my boss,” she said.
Chapter 5
Marj swirled the drink around in her glass. “Did you know we worked for your company?”
“Yes,” Brandon said. “I know all my employees. I’ve even met Tina and Della once. But they’re so drunk that I didn’t even ring a bell. I was just coming over to say hello, introduce myself, and buy you a drink. But then I pondered. I wanted you to accept the drink without throwing my title around.”
“Yeah, I would’ve never rejected a drink from my boss.”
“See? That’s my point. I wanted you to like me for me, not for my title.”
Marj looked at him. “Oh, now I get the line you said. The one about seeing us tomorrow. Because you’ll be at the presentation. Wow. That flew right over our heads. I can’t believe you’re my boss.”
Brandon shook his head. “Well, not for long.”
She held out her hand and he shook it.
“Nice to officially meet you,” she said. “I’m one of the employees the Wicked Queen will be letting go in a few weeks.”
“What?” he looked at her in confusion.
“Oh, sorry. I’ve had a bit—well, a lot to drink and my mouth got away from me. Which it does at times even when I’m cold sober, frankly. I was referring to the rumor that your stepmother is about to gain control of your father’s empire.”
“Empire?”
“Isn’t it an empire?”
“A business, a corporation. Although he would have loved the idea of being an emperor. So why did you call her the Wicked Queen? Is she after you too?”
“Because my friend Angie told me about the time Lena Cates fired all the women from some company she ran, so I figured it was like the queen in Snow White that thinks women are just competition and has their hearts cut out and stuff.”
“I’m not aware that she’s actually had anyone’s heart cut out. She did have the personal assistant who flirted with my dad deported back to Honduras though. Rather possessive, that one,” he smirked and downed his drink, motioning for another. “I do love the nickname you gave her. It’s very fitting.” He chuckled.
“Is it true then? Are you being kicked out of the business?’
“Not if I can help it. The—I wasn’t able to make the dinner tonight because I was on a call with my lawyers. We’ve been trying for the last six years to break my father’s will. We were just denied a hearing for the final time. This will is ironclad and every attempt to contest it has failed,” he raked a hand through his black hair.
“So why would the old man give you an expiration date as head of the company? Surely you’re more qualified than the Wicked—than Lena.”
“It’s not an expiration date so much as it’s a condition. To maintain control of the company, I have to be married by my thirtieth birthday. If not, then by Dad’s decree, I have not grown up and gotten my shit together and I’m not fit to lead. It makes no sense. If I was good enough to run things for the last six years, how on earth did I become unqualified by having a birthday? It’s completely stupid. Did he think I wouldn’t find any possible way to overturn or circumvent his terms?”
“I’m guessing he knew the will was ironclad, and you’d have to buckle under and do what he wanted you to do, just to keep Lena from getting her hands on Power Regions. Which is, at the same time, the dullest and dirtiest corporation name I’ve ever heard, by the way. It sounds like an offshoot of the old TVA at first, like it’s an electrical concern. Then when you get to thinking about someone’s power region, it sounds like a euphemism for some Austin Powers style male endowment.”