Arrogant Playboy(24)
Twenty minutes later, we’re strolling down the hallway toward the double mahogany doors that’ll deliver us to my brother. I burst in without so much as a knock, knowing full well how much he hates that.
“Dane,” I say.
He glances up, not startled in the least. He’s used to my tricks I suppose. His gaze lands on Odessa, and he straightens his posture before rising.
“Dane, pleasure to finally meet you.” Odessa goes to him, her hand extended and a radiant smile on her face.
She’s never smiled at me that way.
“Thanks for coming all the way to Utah,” Dane says. He speaks to her but gifts me a curious glance. If I know my brother he’s trying to decide if I’ve fucked her yet. “I hope the flight was at least somewhat enjoyable.”
“It was a lovely flight. Thank you,” she says, though she may as well be curtseying at this point. Apparently Dane’s royalty, and I am the lowly jester.
“Maureen has the conference room set up.” My brother points at the door. We follow.
“This must be new.” I point to an oil painting of Dane that looks more like a caricature than a portrait. “Commissioning art now, are we?”
“You won’t find it as a line item,” he states. “It was a gift.”
“Not good enough to hang next to your Renoir at Golden Oak?” I razz.
He never used to be so goddamn pretentious. Success does something to a man. It’s an unstoppable catalyst.
Odessa spreads her things out at the end of the conference table, taking the chair on Dane’s right.
“Oh, Dane.” Casual excitement colors her tone. “Beckham and I are flying to Vermont next week. He’ll be leading a town hall meeting with Charity Falls and answering questions for an interview that’ll go in their Sunday paper. Front page.”
Her body mirrors his. Apparently I’m made of cellophane.
“You didn’t tell me it was going to be front page,” I interject. Not that it matters. It doesn’t.
“This project is kind of a big deal there.” She turns to me, sticking the end of a capped pen between her pink lips before pointing it at me. “This interview is a huge deal. They’re going to try and use your words against you, analyzing the town hall meeting to come up with pointed questions.”
“No pressure.” Dane tenses his jaw.
“I can handle this.” I take a seat on my brother’s left, but not before removing my jacket and draping it over the back of my chair.
“The last thing we need is negative publicity,” Dane grips a pen between his thumb and forefinger, twisting it back and forth. “We have several major deals in the works. Some just waiting on signatures. It could all change if our image is slaughtered because of Charity Falls.”
“Exactly.” Odessa chimes in, speaking with her hands. “This is the kind of story that goes viral. Today Show picks it up, Facebook sticks it in their sidebar, Reddit gets ahold of it…”
“You act like this is the Keystone Pipeline.” I groan, burying my head in my hands. “They’re wind towers for fuck’s sake.”
“The fact that he doesn’t see the significance of this is what concerns me,” Odessa turns to Dane, cutting me out of the conversation once again.
“Agreed.” Dane furrows his brow as he mirrors her posture. They’re locked in some kind of silent conversation, I’m sure. Communicating telepathically like they share a goddamned brain.
The room is hot. I unbutton my collar, as she tilts her head and smiles at him.
“Don’t worry, Dane. I’ll feed Beckham some handcrafted lines that’ll quell this little story before it picks up any more steam.” Odessa places her hand over his, and he doesn’t flinch.
I’m not sensing a sexual attraction between them. But they click. Genuine, mutual respect filters back and forth between them, taking shape in quiet smiles and easy nods.
Just a couple of fucking pals.
“Anyway.” I clear my throat, rising to grab bottled water from the fridge in the back of the room. “Next order of business?”
Or first order, really.
It’s not like Dane to allow someone else to run the show. Shit, he barely allows me. I have to claw my way up and prove that I’m not some haughty playboy without a care in the world. I give a damn about this company. It’s my “baby” too. I’ve just mastered the art of conducting myself without a giant stick up my ass.
My brother drones on about a couple of clients he’s been wooing on the West Coast, while I’ve been busy romancing the Peterson Corporation. I assure him the Peterson contract is in the bag, and we’re just waiting on the board to meet and take their final vote.