Page 20 of Fallen Roses

“Sir.”

David says with his usual kiss ass grin and the entire room sits up and turns to face me.

The entire room except for Annabelle Starling, that is, who pointedly ignores me and carries on scribbling something on her notes.

The tense set to her jaw and her rising chest tell me everything because outwardly she is ignoring me but inwardly she is focused on every breath I take. I sense it, I feel it and I reciprocate it because our business may have paused when I left her apartment this morning, but our story is far from over.

CHAPTER 11

ANA

He’s here. He didn’t need to announce it either. It’s as if a demon is sitting on my shoulder. James Warner and oxygen mean the same to my body and when he’s around, it’s as if I can’t breathe unless he provides the air. I ignore him to prevent the blush creeping across my features, a written declaration of how much this man affects me.

I don’t want him to. Last night was meant to put paid to that, but even as he prowls to his seat out of my line of vision, I’m aware of every single move he takes.

He makes no announcement, no form of greeting and just rasps, “Who wants to start?”

We all look to our immediate boss who is overrun with self importance as he opens the meeting.

“Sir, my team has worked extremely hard over the past week and the donations logged are at a new high for the month. The fundraiser Adele Kenricky hostedbrought in an extra one million dollars from a–” He glances at his notes. “Arman Romanov.”

At the sound of my brother’s name, I do everything I can not to react and the appreciative murmurs around me tell me how unusual that is. I stare at David as if I find him fascinating, but inside my attention is focused on one man and the thoughts in my head have nothing to do with business.

David carries on and says pompously, “I would also like to welcome Annabelle Starling to the department.”

I glance up in shock as applause breaks out around me and Eric nudges me, causing me to smile. Of all the people in the office, he is the only one I genuinely like because he is fun and doesn’t suck up to David, who believes his shit doesn’t stink.

Before I can say anything, James says irritably, “Can somebody please explain why Parker Monroe withdrew his funding and we are five hundred thousand dollars adrift for the next quarter?”

David looks as if he is chewing a wasp and from what Eric told me, he is right to be worried. Evidently, David made a mistake by not giving credit to Parker Monroe on the company’s website. This is important because Parker Monroe’s company relies on the association with a child’s charity for invaluable advertising.

This led to Kidzwear missing out on being listed as a major sponsor on the website, media campaign, and television ads for the entire financial year, which meant they couldn’t incorporate it into their advertising.Parker got angry and pulled his funding because, in his own words, it didn’t bring him any benefit.

James is staring at David, who tucks his finger under his collar and lifts it away from his sweaty neck and stutters, “An unfortunate oversight. I have apologized to Parker Monroe personally and reprimanded the person responsible.”

James snaps, “Who was it?”

David says snakily, “Rachel, who must have been hormonal at the time given she was about to give birth. I’m certain Ana wouldn’t make the same mistake, at least I hope she doesn’t.”

I glare at David because what the actual fuck? He is seriously blaming a woman who isn’t here to defend herself and for being pregnant, for Christ’s sake.

A hush falls over the room and as I open my mouth to deliver the real reason Parker withdrew his funding, that incidentally had everything to do with David, James says roughly, “Get out.”

I stare at him in shock along with everyone else in the room and David stutters, “I’m sorry–”

“I said, get out and clear your desk.”

He stares at David as if he wishes he was wielding a knife right now and would be happy to aim it straight at his head.

David pales and says weakly, “I don’t–”

“I will not employ managers who blame their own mistakes on people who don’t have a voice to defend themselves. You–” He jabs his finger at David, “Were theperson who signed this off, nobody else and if you were doing your job in the first place, you would have picked up on the fact that one of our most valued donors was missing from the list. This is your fault, David. Nobody else’s and a man who blames his tools rather than the man wielding them cuts off his own head. Get out. You have ten minutes to clear your desk before security escorts you out personally.”

There is silence in the room as David leaves, shaking with anger as he slams the door behind him.

Then James says with an angry frown, “Let that be a lesson to you all. Own up to your mistakes, or even better, don’t make any. Now get back to work. Meeting over.”

I swear it’s as if the aircraft crashed and we have one minute to get out as everyone scrambles to their feet and heads to the exit and I almost make it before a tense, “Not you, Miss Starling. Stay right where you are.”

---