Page 42 of Company Ink

Elliot Wagner chuckles all the way to his chair. Old men are so easy to please, not to mention naive and attention starved. He's acting like I hit on him. It's almost precious.

I walk towards Blake with a prideful smirk on my face. "Well then...crisis averted?"

"That was risky." Blake shakes his head disapprovingly. "I don't like risks, Cassandra."

I roll my eyes then immediately remember that he's my boss's boss.Must learn how to control facial expressions!"It wasn't risky! I saw him add three packs of sugar to his coffee and like four creams, there was no way he'd be able to tell the brand. His drink probably tastes like a melted Frappuccino."

Blake purses his lips, but his body slightly relaxes. "You were just lucky," he says in a low tone. "And luck is something I seldom rely on."

"You say luck, I say skill," I counter lightly. "Plus, luck is just opportunity in disguise."

Blake's eyes flash with amusement as he chuckles. "Did you get that from a fortune cookie?"

"No, I didn't!" I huff. "That was all me. Although...maybe I should trademark it." I playfully swat at Blake's arm. "Oh my God! Maybe Adrian can help me! I could be rich!"

"Adrian?" Blake asks, his eyes ashen. "I wasn't aware that you were on a first-name basis."

Shit."I'm still getting used to using professional titles," I lie, anxious giggles escaping my mouth. "New Vision Press was more uh—casual."

Mr. Pearson hums while studying me intently. "In that case, you can address me as Blake.Ifthat's more comfortable for you."

"Really?" I ask hesitantly. "Are you sure?" Something tells me that no one else in the office does.

"Yes." He pauses. "That is if we're not among colleagues. I'd hate for people to think you're getting preferential treatment."Ah, there it is.

"Right..." I nod my head slowly, unsure of how to react to the sudden shift in energy between us. "Wouldn't want that."

Blake smiles, tilting his head towards the projector screen. "I think it's time to start the meeting."

I reach for theslide advancerthat's in my pocket and hand it to him, our fingers briefly grazing. "The floor is yours—" I look up and meet his surprisingly resolute eyes. "Blake."

Blake clears his throat before walking to the front of the room. I take a seat, pull out my laptop and begin taking minutes. The next three hours pass surprisingly fast. Blake takes command of the room and the discussion is lively and engaging. Every question that comes from the Wagner team is answered promptly and accurately, almost as if Blake's reading off of a teleprompter. I've never seen someone exert so much finesse and confidence during a meeting. I often find myself forgetting to take notes because I'm so engrossed in what he's saying. Who knew mergers and acquisitions could be so enthralling?

When the meeting is over, the Wagner team linger in the boardroom and we make small talk with the five executives, exchanging fishing stories and predictions for the upcoming Seahawks season. It's times like this I'm grateful for my dad pushing all these activities on me.

Pulling myself away from the conversation, I start to tidy up the refreshment table. These men are animals! Not one single pastry is left.

"So, how did you enjoy your first merger meeting?" Blake's calm voice looms from behind me. "You didn't fall asleep which I'll take as a good sign," he jokes while handing me serving plates to stack.

"It was surprisingly interesting," I admit, grabbing the used napkins out of his hand and tossing them on top of the platters. "I think it helped that you're a great public speaker."

Blake raises an eyebrow. "I am?" he laughs. "I don't hear that often. Honestly, public speaking makes me kind of nervous."

"Really? I don't believe you. You looked like you were the President of Toastmasters up there."

Blake chuckles and leans against the table. "What a compliment," he grins. "Are you attempting to butter me up after the whole coffee fiasco?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, exactly. I'm just trying to claw my way back into your good graces," I say sarcastically. "Also—" I tap on the urn. "It's empty and no one complained, so I think thatfiascowas a non-starter."

Blake shakes his head, his eyes lighting up. "Perhaps you were correct, and Imighthave overreacted."

I smirk knowingly. "See? Sometimes people tend to overreact in stressful situations. Maybe you should've cut me some slack on the Stella front."

Blake lets out a defeated sigh then smiles. "You're quite clever, aren't you? How did you manage to turn this around on me?"

"Who knows? Maybe I was born to be a lawyer," I joke, shrugging lightly.

"You might be onto something," Blake says, rubbing his chin. "If you were an attorney, I'd hate to face you on the stands."

---