Page 27 of The American

As soon as the door shut, Thad laid into her. “I need you to listen to their ideas. They spent all morning on that.”

“That’s not my problem. You have no business going back and altering plans that were put in place by experts.”

“I’m not the clueless upstart you think I am.”

“Thad, you’re putting words in my mouth. But surely you recognize the difference in our experience levels. We were hired for different things, Thad. It’s best if we just stick with our personal expertise.”

“I have ideas, goals, things I’d like to try while I’m here. Zachary made it clear I’d be able to act as a true CEO.”

“In exchange for what? Just what’s in it for you?”

“What are you talking about? I’ve been researching and I have a theory…”

“This company is not the guinea pig, nor this the testing ground, for your theories. We will stick with the tried and true for now and we can discuss these theories at another time. But Thad perhaps experience would teach you, you don’t go before a committee and initiate change without discussing your plan with someone else.”

“Zachary is in support.”

Her blood boiled, but she kept her tone even. “He is not the someone else I had in mind.” She whirled around and walked down the hall toward her office. She needed a breather. And she needed to think through this whole mess. A CEO who might be getting the company some good deals in exchange for a cut of the profit. She herself being offered a cut of the same profit pile. This same CEO making changes to her carefully laid out, time tested and experienced proven production plan. And they had a date tonight which she had spent hours planning while she thought she was falling for this same CEO.

But Thad followed. “Sage. We need to talk about this.”

“I need to be alone, Thad.”

He caught up to her just as she approached her office. “Can your alone time be postponed for one conversation?”

She whirled around to face him and was struck by his earnest, handsome face, very close to her own. She stepped back. “It’s always advisable to be in control of your emotions when having important conversations. I need a moment before I can discuss this rationally.”

“Is something else going on, because you seem more upset than I think the situation merits?”

“Look Thad, I’ll see you tonight. The driver will pick you up at 8.”

“What, so I’m being dismissed?”

“Goodbye, Thad. You have another marketing meeting in ten minutes. I have some real work to do.”

His eyes turned cold. Then he nodded.

She closed the door and leaned against its comforting solid support. Everything was falling apart. Her career was on the brink of disaster no matter what she chose to do, and now she had to work with a man who made rash, rogue decisions. She closed her eyes. And she had to date and pretend to fall in love with him while not really falling in love. She dreaded their date tonight even more.

Chapter 15

Zachary called Thad into his office. “What went down in this infamous meeting I have now heard about five times?”

Thad paced at the back of the room. “Sage is unhappy we were brainstorming ideas without her. But we started on time and the paparazzi had delayed her so the activity was meant to be a time filler.” He stopped and approached Zachary. “But some of their ideas were very clever and might cut production costs and time. I thought they were worth pursuing.”

“You don’t do something like that without Sage Parker feeling invested in the plan at the get-go.”

“My mistakes were innocent. Circumstantial. How was I to know she would be late and their brainstorming would prove so fruitful?”

Zachary raised an eyebrow. “And I suspect you have long been wishing to make similar changes yourself.”

Thad sat in the nearest seat. “I admit to being anxious to explore the business side to our arrangement.”

“We do value your expertise, your genius. The theories you sent over have merit. You will have time to explore those ideas, but let’s get through everything else that’s going on and get Sage onboard.”

“Marketing is going great. Our plan is working. What else is there to explore?”

“Well, now, about that. I still think you would benefit by a wedding.”

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