Page 6 of Richard

“Honey, everyone needs boosting, and acquiring an account like that is going to ensure that we are in the red for years to come.

Make up a package, come up with some ideas as to how we should handle his account. He has agreed to take half an hour out of his very busy schedule to meet with you–”She consulted the garish watch on her wrist. “An hour.”

It was Collette's time to glare at her. “Excuse me, for a minute, I thought you said an hour. But that could not be because I would need time to familiarize myself with the account and come up with several ideas–”

“Your very efficient assistant has done most of the work for you.” As if by cue, Karen hurried into the office and placed a thick folder on her desk, an apologetic look on her face.

“Everything you need to know about the man and his work and several suggestions on how to go about wooing him.” She hurried back out to answer the constantly ringing phone.

“I will leave you to it then. Oh, you are meeting with him at his office. The address is inside the folder as well.” She left, taking the mug with her and closing the door behind her.

Sitting back in the chair, Collette gave the closed door an angry look and took a deep breath. She hated being ambushed like this, but the truth was that she loved a challenge, and everyone who worked with her knew it. Huffing out a breath, she reached for the folder and opened it.

The first thing that caught her gaze was the man himself. Karen had done her research and included a glossy 8’x10’ photo of the music mogul. He was unsmiling as if he had been forced to take the photo under duress.

There was even a frown marring his brow.

His hair was thick and ruthlessly styled, with not one strand out of place. His eyes were a startling green that reminded her of an emerald stone she had seen in her favorite jewelry store. His lips were stern, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top. He had a slight cleft in his square, determined chin.

Putting away the photo, she studied the rest of the documents and, within minutes, found herself immersed in the material.

He was from a family of lawyers that had been in existence for more than a century, and even though he had a law degree from a prestigious law school, he had chosen to go in another direction altogether. That must have taken courage, Collette thought absently.

Not only had he chosen a career outside of his sphere, but he had made a success of it. The law firm was still in operation and was doing very well, and he was on the board of the firm that still has his name, or rather, the name of his family. He had also widened his holdings to include real estate, among other things.

He had been featured in several magazines and seen with several high-profile women, but he was unmarried. She had the fleeting thought that he was like her, but not really. It also says he was a bachelor by design. She had not chosen spinsterhood. She even hated the term.

Closing the folder way with a snap, she simmered in distress at the limited time she had been given to be prepared and set about doing so.

*****

Inside his office, Richard pulled out the folder his very efficient assistant had placed on his desk and opened the third one. He had discarded the first two with barely a glance at the contents.

He had fired his advertising agency because they lacked creativity and were more concerned about gaining his approval than getting the job done. He did not want ass-kissers, he wanted people who could give him it to him straight.

Rodney, his assistant, had reminded him how intimidating he was, and he had sent the man a baleful look that had him scurrying out.

Her glossy photo stared up at him and had him going still. It was the woman who had caught his attention at the restaurant a few days ago. What were the odds of that happening? He wondered as he continued to stare at the photo.

Close up, there were no flaws on her caramel skin and the photographer had been close enough to capture the texture and tone of her flesh. Her eyes were large and dark and unsmiling. Her lips—he felt a jolt as he stared at the glossy coated lips.

There was an air of haunting sadness about her. He had a gift. He could size up a person in one look. Just like he had an ear for unusual talent, he had an uncanny ability to tell when a person was being genuine or just playing at it.

Tapping his finger on the photo, he continued to give it his attention before leafing through the pages. He believed in being prepared, and in his line of work, he couldn’t afford any surprises. So, he had dug deep, and his investigator had come up with the whole package.

Christ! No wonder she looked so sad. She had been jilted at the altar, the asshole leaving her for her own sister. He felt an unaccountable rage and wanted to find the prick and nail his ass to the wall. Who the hell does that?

And she was single. No surprise there. After going through an ordeal like that, she would be reluctant to trust anyone again. Somehow, that bothered him.

Closing the folder, he picked up the paperweight and rolled it around in his palm. He wasn’t going to base his decision on her looks or what he was feeling, of course. With that in mind, he prepared for the meeting.

*****

Collette was too good at her job to ever show nerves. But then again, this was the first time she had ever been asked to woo anyone of this magnitude.

Babs had eyed her critically and asked if she was sure she could do this, to which she had responded in a cool and forced calm voice if she wanted to appoint someone else.

“Hell, no. You are the most appropriate. At least I know you are not going to go into that man’s office and try and seduce him.”

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