Page 4 of Lahaina Noon

“I’m gonna kill Jorrie!” Bridget replied with mock fierceness. She never kept anything from Jack.

He smirked and spread his hands out in an innocent pose. “So, are you going out with him? You better, the way you two have been circling each other these last few months, it’s about time! I have to say, that is one delicious piece of man!” He sighed, a lusty sound.

“That’s your boss!” she reminded him.

He laughed. “If I wasn’t solidly in love with Darren or if I didn’t believe he only had eyes for one particular redhead, I would go after him myself. Alas, I’ll just have to live vicariously through you. But first!” He held a hand over her mouth as she tried to protest, and his face took on a serious expression. “Youhave to get in there and deliver a stellar presentation. You know Major Payne is going to pick you apart and be a pain in your ass like always, but I heard she’s really got a bug up her butt about this particular project. I don’t know why, my sources weren’t able to ferret out the actual reason, but she really seems to be gunning for you on this. I wasn’t going to tell you at first, but I want you to be prepared.”

She stared at him for a moment and whispered, “Thank you Jack, I love you. I’m going to go in there and kill it!”

Jack smiled again, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s my girl. Go show them why you came with a warning label.” He pulled her ponytail in an affectionate tug like he had since the day they met.

The gesture warmed her heart and her face as she remembered Vaughn doing a similar thing, although she was starting to wonder, hope, that it was for a different type of affection.

Bridget strode into the conference room with a confidence she didn’t feel. Her insides were wobbly like Jell-O. She proceeded to set up her laptop and turned on the projector. When she reached for the switch to lower the blinds, she noticed a strange shadow wavering just above it. Her stomach clenched and her skin prickled. Her mouth went dry as the long, thin shadow crept closer. She saw nothing that could cause it.

She was about to ask Jack if he saw it too, when she was shocked again; this time before she touched the switch, a bright arc leapt from the metal plate to her fingers. The accompanying loud crack made everyone jump in their seats.

“Oh, my goodness, are you okay, Bridget?” asked a worried-looking Jack.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” she was shaking out her hand. “That’s the third time today, though. I’m starting to wonder if there’s a storm coming, or maybe I should have read my horoscope today; you know, Libra, stay away from all things metal and electrical.” She trailed off as she realized the room was full of people staring at her.

In addition to Jack, she was also receiving concerned looks from those gathered for the presentation. Major Payne just gave her usual eyeroll. Her eyes were drawn to one specific person in the room, Vaughn. What was that look? Like he knew something she didn’t?

He caught her eye again, grinned, then winked.

WINKED.

What is going on here?She thought.She stared at her fingers, still smarting from the shock.

Mentally, Bridget shook herself.Right. Back to it, then. She smiled and waved lightly at everyone. “No harm done, let’s get started, shall we?” She walked to the table to grab the remote for the projector, eyeing it warily. If this thing grew teeth and bit her, she would go home and back to bed. She picked it up tentatively and, when nothing happened, gripped it firmly, letting her corporate smile slide over her face.

She knew it was going well when Jack gave her a small thumbs up. She was sure she had everyone hooked by the way they leaned into the presentation and were nodding along. She could see Vaughn leaning back and smiling at her from the corner of her eye. This was exciting; after six months of work, they were going to make this deal, which would benefit both companies tremendously.

“So, as you can see, by partnering with Chesapeake Industries, we can not only improve our efficiency, but we’ll also reduce our overhead and in the end, make a better profit for both companies. This is a win-win!” she finished triumphantly, noting the grin on Jack’s face letting her know she killed it.

Now to see what Payne was thinking, surely evenshecouldn’t find a way to ruin this.

Chapter 4

“Well, that was certainlyentertaining, to say the least,” started Payne, “Do you really feel this was the best use of your time? Is this what we pay you for?”

Bridget stood rooted to the spot. Confusion washed over her body like a cold wave as she furrowed her brow, trying to understand what had happened. What was going on here? Surely even Major Payne could see the benefit of the partnership.

Payne narrowed her eyes, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Drake, for wasting your time and if you were led to believe this was going to be a finalized deal but collaborating with your company is not what is best for us. In fact, I propose we adjourn. I have a full proposal from Jensen Controls that fully underbids this one here, which I think will be a much better fit for us.” Payne sat back in her chair with a smug smile on her face.

Jack looked on in shock, his jaw hanging open.

Bridget dared a quick glance at Vaughn. How could this have gone so wrong so quickly? How had Payne put together a counterproposal at such short notice? What was going on here?

Vaughn was still leaning back in his chair, seemingly as relaxed as before, but she could see the strain in his body, like he was holding himself rigid. His eyes were smoldering, and his jaw was clenched tightly. If not for the small muscle ticking in his jaw and the smoke from his nostrils, she would have thought he was a statue.

Wait. Smoke?She shook her head and looked again. Nothing; it must have been her overactive imagination again, still reeling from this blow she had been dealt.

She spoke up, “Now Melissa, I’m sure Jensen Controls would love an opportunity to counter, but we evaluated them a few months ago and found their offering… somewhat, lacking. Besides, they couldn’t possibly undercut Chesapeake; they don’t know the details of our proposal. Mr. Drake and I have kept this information extremely confidential, so there was no possibility of a leak to investors!” She struggled to keep her tone light so as not to seem accusatory, but somehow, that villain of a woman must have snooped the files and shared them with someone at Jensen.

Bridget was beginning to panic, her palms sweating, and her heart pounding.This is not happening.

Payne smiled and stood. “Thank you, everyone, for your time, let’s go ahead and adjourn. Bridget, I’d like to see you in your office, please.” She started to walk out.

---