Page 19 of A Hard Sell

Thomas shrugged one shoulder and picked up his mug. “No reason to be. Our work is solid.” He took a thoughtful sip. “Are you nervous?”

Luka laughed. “Yes! Was it not obvious?”

“You don’t need to be. Aleandro is a good guy, and if he doesn’t like anything, we change it.”

Luka took a deep breath. “Okay. Thanks.” Heart-pounding beauty aside, there was something about Thomas that was very…soothing. “Still, can we go over it a few more times?”

Thomas gave him a small smile. “Sure.”

Luka had been paying careful attention, and so far from Thomas he had seen only amused mouth twitches and the odd glimpse of a tiny smile like this one. He wondered what he could do to get a bigger one.

* * * *

Aleandro Sartini had an old-fashioned, dignified air to him. His black hair was heavily streaked with gray. It was swept back off of his forehead, emphasizing his widow’s peak and mutton chops. Luka had seen pictures of Aleandro before, but they had not captured the man’s elegant authority. A three-piece suit and a pocket watch completed the look.

Seated next to him was his wife and CFO, Penelope. She was in a crisp suit, petite and beautiful, although in a severe way, with her hair pulled back into a stern twist, mouth unsmiling. She looked like someone who didn’t suffer fools. A woman with long, wavy strawberry blonde hair who Luka didn’t know was sitting with them.

The team gathered in the conference room, a nervous energy palpable as they settled. Ilona smoothed her hair and straightened her dress. Luka wracked his memory and decided he had never seen her so nervous before. It would have been cute, if it didn’t also send his stomach swirling again.

Ilona stood and the room hushed. “Welcome to Breakpoint,” she said to the guests. “Allow me to introduce you all to our team. Aleandro Sartini, CEO of Sartini Wines.”

Aleandro inclined his head gracefully. “Pleasure to be here.”

“Penelope Sartini, CFO.”

Penelope bobbed her head but didn’t speak.

“And Georgia Black, head of marketing for Sartini Wines. She’ll be our main liaison,” Ilona continued.

Georgia smiled and waved.

“Our team is thrilled to share their work with you. Let’s get started, shall we?” Ilona lifted her chin at Luka and Thomas.

They rose, their gazes meeting. Thomas gave him a tiny nod.You’ve got this.

Luka stumbled over a few lines at the beginning, but his confidence grew as he spoke, Thomas’ presence a steadying force. Penelope was hard to read, but Aleandro and Georgia looked happy, smiling and nodding. Aleandro made a few quick notes on his notepad.

As they sat back into their chairs, Thomas squeezed his arm. It was only for half a second, but he was sure the whole office would notice the heat flaring in his cheeks. Luka stared at his blazer where Thomas’ hand had been, feeling the imprint on his skin. It was a pleasant distraction as Morgan began speaking.

Morgan played the music he had shared last time that was, in fact, mostly Luka’s work. But there were some new pieces, too. Passable, but not as good. Apparently, Aleandro didn’t like them either. His mouth turned down in the slightest frown as he scribbled at his notepad. Luka risked a glance at Morgan. He was already sulking. Luka wasn’t sure whether he should feel smug or embarrassed for the firm.

Finn and the print campaign team spoke, and Rory shared some preliminary marketing analysis. When everyone was done, Aleandro stood to address them. “Great work, team. You’re off to a wonderful start. The three of us will meet with Ilona and Thomas and we will talk about the next steps. I look forward to seeing where you go from here.”

“Thanks, everyone,” Ilona said. “Thomas or I will touch base soon.”

Luka snaked out of the conference room with the rest of them. Morgan pushed past him and disappeared into his office.

“Great job, bud.” Rory clapped Luka on the back.

“Thanks, you too.” Luka looked down as his phone buzzed. It was a text from Thomas. “See you guys later.” He waved, then headed to his office and shut the door.

Great job. You can start on the scripts. I’ll be there soon.

Luka smiled as he sat at his computer.

It indeed wasn’t long before Thomas came in. “Aleandro loved your work,” he said, adding a few files to the stack on his desk.

“Our work,” Luka corrected him.

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