Page 20 of Strictly Business

“You here to take my coffee order or something? I’ll take an Americano—”

“We are not your errand girls,” I cut him off.

“Then, you must be in the wrong place because I have a meeting with—”

“Michaela!” Nina hustles through the door with Eddie, her assistant, hot on her heels. “Oh Caitlin, I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Michaela asked if I’d accompany her, in case an extra pair of hands were needed,” Caitlin smiles briefly.

“So, who’s running the office?” Nina’s question is directed at me.

“Jamie and Erin are working—”

“Caitlin,” Nina interrupts, “head back over. I want to be sure the place doesn’t burn down and I can’t trust Jamie won’t start a fire. Michaela will be perfectly fine, they’ll have all the help they need right here.”

Caitlin offers me a sympathetic smile and mouths, ‘Good luck,’ before Nina closes the door behind her.

“Sheff, how was the flight?” Nina asks, settling into one of the seats across from him. Eddie falls into a chair next to her, typing away on his phone. I’ve been there, helping Nina take care of things on the back end, but that was when we were still a smaller firm... I can’t imagine what it must be like now.

“Davina, can I talk to you? Privately.” Finn glares at me from the corner of his eye.

"Finn, we need to— Okay, okay. Fine. Michaela, give us a moment, would you?"

She cannot be serious.

“Michaela, please."

With a sigh, I push out of my chair and step out into the hallway leaving the door partially open so I can still hear their conversation.

“You cannot be serious,” Finn hisses. “You want to put her on this project? Nina, she doesn't have any kind of experience with this type of thing."

“She’s one of my best assets, Finn. She’s a hard worker and very detailed, you need someone like her if you’re going to make this work.”

“Josh said you were about to fire her last week.”

Nina sighs. “Michaela is one of my best employees—”

“You mean friends.”

“Employee, she always has been. I truly think she’s the best person to fill in while I’m gone.”

“You came to me, remember? You asked for my advice. My help, I–"

"Exactly, your help! Not some random person from your office. If I wanted someone with no experience, I would’ve picked someone off the street. Instead, I came to you—”

“I have been more than fair to you with my time and resources, Finnley Sheffield.” The bite in her tone leaves a silence in the air. “While running not one, but two companies, I have helped you beyond what I should have without hesitation. I—”

“We’re both benefitting from this, Davina.”

“You want to continue to receive my help? This is me offering that to you and more… Take it or leave it.”

“I can’t believe this.” Second later, the door swings open to reveal an extra pissed-off Finn. He doesn't seem at all shocked to see me standing in the doorway listening to what was meant to be a "private" conversation. His eyes narrow. “Don’t fuck this up," he grumbles and pushes past me.

Nina continues to glare after Finn even though he has turned the corner out of sight. I swallow the lump in my throat when cold green eyes meet mine.

“Well, he’s a real treat,” Eddie whispers without looking up from his phone.

That’s one way to put it.

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