Axe’s Fall(19)
She was early. A smug smile whispered across her lips. How’s that, Logan? He was probably still stuffing his face with a ton of carbs. The man could eat. The first time they went out for lunch, she’d been amazed how much he could pack away. He was lean, so she figured he worked out a lot. Baylee didn’t know too much about Logan, and she wanted to keep it that way. Since they were on the same career path, it wasn’t a good idea to become too friendly, especially when it came to promotions and the like. Logan was very competitive, as was she, and they often clashed.
Baylee just didn’t trust Logan, and she presumed he didn’t trust her, either. The next few months in Pinewood Springs would prove to be more than challenging for her. She had to watch Logan, make sure he couldn’t sabotage her efforts. Claudia, who kept begging her to arrange a “meeting” with Logan, thought she was paranoid, but Baylee knew how cutthroat the corporate world could be, and Logan gave off slimier-than-average vibes.
“May I help you?” a pleasant-looking woman in her mid-fifties asked as she walked through the door.
“I’m Baylee Peters. I’m the architect from Denver, and I’m having a meeting with Stanley Danesk.”
“Yes, Ms. Peters. You are expected. You’re the only one here so far. Let me show you to the conference room.”
Baylee followed the secretary down a long hall lined with generic paintings of mountain scenes, boats, and ocean landscapes. The woman opened a door and invited Baylee into a medium-sized room with a long table and eight plush chairs covered in a burnt orange, geometric pattern.
“Would you like something to drink? Water, coffee, tea, or a soft drink?”
Baylee smiled warmly at the woman. “A cup of black coffee sounds great.”
“I’ll be right back with your coffee, Ms. Peters.”
After she left the room, Baylee took in the spectacular views outside. Pinches of green, purple, indigo, yellow, and pink carpeted the base of the sky-piercing mountains. Below the rock skyscrapers, the town thrived. Iron streetlights and elm trees dotted the sidewalks on the streets around the firm. A small park with a white-wood gazebo lent a nostalgic feel, and Baylee half-expected a brass band to start playing.
“Here you are.”
Baylee turned around and saw the secretary placing her coffee down on a coaster on the table.
“Thank you. What is your name?” she asked.
The woman smiled. “Tina Lambert. Is there anything else I can get you?”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks, Tina.”
At a couple of minutes to nine, Logan entered the conference room with three gentlemen. “That’s a good one, Stan.” Logan’s loud laugh grated her nerves.
Can always count on Logan to be the first one with lips puckered to kiss ass. Baylee grinned to herself, standing as the men entered the room. Logan gave her a quick glance, disappointment registering on his face.
“Good morning, Logan.” She smiled sweetly. That’s right. I’m not late, jerk.
“So, you made it okay.”
“Of course.” Baylee turned away from Logan and greeted the three gentlemen who were at various stages of checking her out. She extended her hand. “I’m Baylee Peters, an architect with Derry, Decker, and Vale.”
A man in his late thirties with short, blond hair and brown eyes grasped her hand and shook it. “I’m Stan Danesk. I’m a partner with Machol, Greenberg, Norton, & Danesk Engineering Firm. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His eyes scanned back down to her bust.
“I’m James, lead engineer,” a bearded man with twinkling blue eyes said as he shook her hand.
“And I’m Fred. I’ll be working with Stan and James. I’m a newer addition to the firm.” A man about twenty-eight with red hair and big, brown eyes smiled and took her hand.
After a few minutes of small conversation, Stan said, “Everyone, take a seat. The client should be here shortly.”
Baylee chose the seat facing the magnificent view, her back to the door. She opened her briefcase, spread out her notebooks, pens, bottle water, and laptop, and took a sip of her still-hot coffee. As she turned on the laptop, she heard the jingle of chains behind her.
Stan stood up and cleared his throat. “Ah. Here he is. Come on in and have a seat, sir.”
From the corner of her eye, Baylee observed black biker boots and denim pass by her, and the glimmers from dangling chains pricked her field of vision.
“Good, everyone is here. Since we’ll be working on the strip mall project as a team, I’d like to go around the room and have everyone say something about themselves. It’s important that we have a human aspect to all the metal and steel.” He laughed as though he’d said something clever. Logan practically guffawed while James and Fred chuckled.