Page 58 of Billion Dollar Dispute

“Let’s go, boss lady.”

He leads me into a limestone building with arched windows. Inside, it’s painted gray with a frosted glass roof and light wood flooring that brightens the space. The arrangement of the art is elegant, not too crowded or sparse.

We wander to the offices in the back and hear Oliver’s voice as we approach.

Entering Oliver’s spacious office, I notice the sofas, paintings, and large desk.

He waves us in, and I take a seat on the sofa, setting up my file on the coffee table while Oliver finishes his call. Harvey leans in close to my ear, and I bite the inside of my cheek to suppress a shiver from his proximity.

“What would you like to drink?” Harvey asks.

“I don’t—”

“You do,” he says, cutting me off, his face inches from mine. To get him to back off, I say, “Gin.”

He nods and steps away. I breathe easier and concentrate on setting up my proposal. I can’t help overhearing Oliver's tense voice.

“Why is it taking this long to find him? Impossible. Keep digging until you do.”

I sit in silence, shocked at hearing Oliver raise his voice. My face remains blank to maintain my professionalism, but inside I’m wondering what that was about.

Harvey returns with a glass tumbler, and I take a sip before setting it down as Oliver joins us.

“Thanks,” Oliver mutters as Harvey hands him a drink, taking a seat across from me, his eyes on my setup.

He whistles, looking over the documents I put together. “Nice. I thought only my brothers were this anal.”

I laugh, meeting Oliver’s gaze. He has a similar look to Harvey, but his eyes carry more mystery. Harvey, on the other hand, is cocky yet annoyingly charming. I never thought I’d be attracted to someone like him.

Harvey sits beside me, but I ignore the warmth that naturally radiates from him, focusing on my job.

“Glad to see you’re doing better, Jem. You gave us a scare the other night” Oliver says.

“Thanks and I appreciate you giving me this opportunity.” I try to ignore that he’s talking about my fainting spell and stick to business.

“So, show me your concept.”

Oliver shuffles forward in his chair. His enthusiasm calms me down for the first time in twenty-four hours.

I start with the timeline, colors, lighting, music, layout, food and drink list, and security plans.

“This is impressive.” Oliver whistles once more.

“Is there anything you don’t like?” I ask as butterflies swarm my stomach.Is he being polite to appease me?

“No, it’s exactly what I wanted,” Oliver replies.

Reading his soft expression, I nod, hoping he’s being truthful. “I need the guest list and any other details you have.”

Oliver smiles boyishly. “Sure, I’ll email them over.”

“Can I walk through and take some photos and measurements?” I ask.

Oliver raises an eyebrow at my full glass of gin and tonic. “Let's have a drink first. You work too much, like my brothers. Your energy is making me nervous.”

A giggle bubbles out of me. “I’m not that organized.”

“Not like these freaks.” Oliver inclines his head toward Harvey.

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