Page 1 of Knocked Up By the Silver Fox

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BETH

Poise…Promise…Potential…I replayed the mantra in my head over and over as I made my way toward the conference room. My black, patent leather heels clicked on the floor with each step. I passed open office doors where heads popped up to take me in. I felt confident in this business suit but not in my skills entirely. Yes, I earned this promotion so I should rest on the knowledge that the higher-ups at the firm believed in me, but a woman in a man's world could never get cocky.

I swallowed hard as I pushed open the conference room door and saw the table mostly full of folks already. A few of them I'd been introduced to already this morning, but a few were faces I'd never seen. I had no way of knowing who was a consultant and who the seasoned veterans of Caldwell Investments were, and my tummy felt like I might toss my cookies. It was nerve-wracking walking into a room full of highly skilled people who'd been doing this for a long time.

"Everyone, this is Elizabeth Reid, our newest senior analyst." Jill nodded at me and smiled as the others chimed in with their welcome greetings. She winked at me which gave me a boostof confidence too. She'd been the one who interviewed and subsequently hired me. I never applied for the position. They sought me out, and it made me feel seen.

"Hi," I said meekly, and I waved a hand in the air. I was easily the youngest person in this room by a decade. Most of these people were pushing forty and graying already, and I came in as fresh blood, ready to be devoured. I tried not to make eye contact as I pulled up my chair and tucked my skirt under my lap as I sat.

"Elizabeth comes to us from our very own analyst department, an internal hire. We spotted her unique eye and knack for forecasting and critical data analysis and knew she'd be a great fit." Jill sang my praise while I stole glances around the room. Three women, four men, one of them graying substantially. I felt stupid not having tuned in more over the past few years. I'd have known these people better.

Mostly, I kept to myself. I worked for no pay for one full year as an intern, which turned out to my benefit. The following nine months I worked one-on-one with the other entry-level analysts to make sure things were checked and double-checked, and after saving the company almost three million dollars on a potential bad investment, here I was.

"Let's get started, shall we?" I heard a voice at the back of the room, a warm but stern baritone rumbling toward me. I sat a bit straighter, but I couldn't see past the other people at the table to get a glimpse of who it was. And since I couldn't afford to be distracted on my first day, I brushed it off and focused on Jill.

I was nervous, feeling tense and doubting myself a little as I listened to Jill go over the facts. I'd been over and over these numbers for the potential new acquisition. In my former position our fact checking was crucial. We did the menial work the more advanced analysts didn't have time for to ensure they'd done their work correctly. Since I worked for Jill, this project was near and dear to my heart. I had passed my information tothe man in charge of this project, Kevin, but he ignored me more than once.

Jill laid it all out there, the potential ROI we'd have, the stakes, even some of the critical things that would need to be addressed before we took ownership. I listened intently, rehearsing every detail in my thoughts as she said them. It felt like old hat. I knew all of this like the back of my hand, and I knew Kevin was going to say it was done and dusted. But I wasn't satisfied. And now that I was a senior analyst, I knew they'd take what I had to say more seriously.

Jill smiled at everyone and stood with her arms stretched down, fingers tented on the table as she leaned in slightly. "I think this is a fantastic deal and I'm impressed by Kevin and his team's numbers."

Kevin, who had to be the older balding man, got a few pats on the back but I squirmed a little. This was the first meeting I'd been to, so I wasn't sure how things went. I waited for my chance to stand up for what I thought was right, and Jill offered it to me on a silver platter.

"Have you guys all gone over the numbers? What do you think?" She glanced around at our faces and when no one else spoke up, I knew I had to. I licked my lips and cleared my throat. Then I made my stab at doing the right thing.

"Actually, I've reviewed the numbers, and from a valuation perspective, we're not paying nearly enough for this company." I glanced nervously at the others and straightened in my chair. "If anything, we're undervaluing the target. Our competitors would be willing to pay a premium, and we could be leaving money on the table." My eyes flicked to Kevin who was glaring at me, obviously annoyed by my continued nagging on his failure.

"But we're already offering a strong bid. Isn't that aggressive enough?" One of the other women said her piece, and for a splitsecond, a moment of doubt occurred. I inwardly winced but I knew I was right.

"Not at all. We should be aiming for a larger stake. The market's undervaluing this sector, and if we wait too long, someone else will move in and secure it before us. We could regret this decision if we don't act more aggressively right now." My chest thudded against my ribcage and I felt like gnawing my bottom lip, but I stood my ground. I knew my research was correct and Kevin was going to cost us the sale.

Everyone grew silent, Jill herself even casting a doubtful look in my direction. It was a trying few seconds as I listened to papers rustle and the uncomfortable sighs of people fifteen years older than me and way more experienced. But I didn't get here because I liked to roll over and let people have their way. I got here because I knew what I was doing and I trusted my gut instinct on this, along with the hours of meticulous research I'd done.

"I have to say, that's a bold perspective. I hadn't considered the risk of underpricing the deal. We've been conservative, but maybe you're right. Perhaps we should reevaluate the offer." The voice from the back of the room had my shoulders relaxing again a little. The knot in my belly began to uncoil and my shoulders felt less tense until the voice connected with a face.

The CEO, William Caldwell, stood and strolled closer to the table. As he moved with grace, he buttoned his gray suit coat and locked eyes with me. I felt my throat constrict and my cheeks flush, and suddenly I didn't feel so bold anymore. The man had outright agreed with me, and still I felt like I was wrong. His presence was intimidating enough; even his praise felt too weighty.

But I wasn't here to pussyfoot around and let Kevin and his posse of ancient-minded thinkers win. Yes, we could lowball them and try to get a deal but for the value we were set to take onin the acquisition, we had to be smart. Other people would make better offers. We had to compete.

"Exactly. If we're really going to win this, we need to be more strategic, not just competitive." I thought my heart would explode as I addressed him directly. I'd gone from nobody to senior analyst in a heartbeat, and something told me it wasn't just Jill's opinion that mattered. Why this man had chosen to give me a second glance on my first day was lost on me. He was taking a huge risk. Everyone knew it.

"Sir, with all due respect?—"

"Shh, Kevin," Mr. Caldwell cut him off and continued to eye me with his smoldering blue gaze. "Ms.…?"

"Reid," I offered, feeling my hands shake. I clutched them together in my lap and felt every eye in the room zoom in on me. I felt like I was under a microscope. I hated it.

"Ms. Reid, I'd like to see you in my office please, and do me a favor, bring your things." Mr. Caldwell nodded at Jill whose eyebrows rose in surprise. He started for the door, and I thought the sound of my own heartbeat in my ears was going to deafen me. He clearly wasn't upset with me, so I didn't see why I was being called to his office.

"Oh, and Jill, let's go with whatever Ms. Reid says…" He threw that last comment over his shoulder before stepping out, and I saw the scowl on Kevin's face.

I hadn't meant to upset anyone, but I definitely had.

I had made enemies on my first day. But it felt kind of good to be recognized by the boss. Now to find out what he wanted and why…

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