Page 8 of Merging with the Billionaire

With an irritated sigh, she took the offering from him. “I don’t even know why I’m doing this,” she mumbled under her breath.

“I’m thinking the temptation to prove me wrong is too great,” he jested with a lopsided grin.

Tiffany took a dainty sip of the drink, and he could tell she was resisting the urge to smile. She shrugged. “It’s decent.”

Conrad started pulling out the files he brought with him, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tiffany take several more sips from the cup.

“Are you wondering where I got the coffee?” Conrad probed.

She took a seat in a chair beside him and let her manicured cream nails tap on the edge of the table. “I suppose you’re going to tell me.”

“I brewed it myself.”

A look of surprise crossed her face. “You did? Wouldn’t you just have your personal chef do it for you?”

“I don’t have one of those.”

“How do you eat?” Tiffany squeaked out in confusion.

Conrad forgot that she was born into wealth, unlike himself. She didn’t understand that personal chefs weren’t the norm for most people. “I eat out mostly, but I keep a few items on hand like bread for toast, a couple of salads, and of course, espresso beans for this.” He lifted his own cup of java and took a swig.

“I have to admit, your coffee is good. As good as any I’ve had at a coffee shop. If I didn’t know any better, I would think it was from The Brew House.”

“That’s because it basically is,” he explained. “I bought the exact machine they use along with the same beans and milk. Then I asked one of their baristas to show me how they make the drink. It took me a few times, but Carrie was patient with me.”

“Carrie?” Tiffany inquired with an arched eyebrow and a smug look on her face. “Let me guess, she came over to your place to do the teaching?”

Instantly, Conrad realized she thought he had a relationship with the barista. Wanting to clarify, he shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I came into the shop after hours and paid her for her time.”

Tiffany seemed to relax a bit and her face softened. “I think—”

The door opened to the conference room and the rest of the men Boswell Senior hand-picked for the solar division came into the room. Every one of them annoyed Conrad. He despised men who wore pretentiousness and entitlement like a badge of honor.

“Did you start without us?” Tony Wilson inquired with a dirty look. “We were told to be here at 9:30 sharp.”

“No, I wanted to give myself a few minutes with Mr. Gaines to make sure we were on the same page when presenting the information to all of you,” Tiffany explained. Gesturing to the empty seats, she added, “Why don’t all of you take a seat?”

The men did as instructed; though they didn’t seem happy about the situation. Conrad watched Tiffany shift from a somewhat relaxed attitude to a tense one in mere seconds.

Tiffany pulled out a stack of papers, handing one out to each of the men at the table. Conrad skimmed the one in his hands, confirming it was all of the details they had worked out over the past couple of days.

“What’s this part about incentives? I don’t understand why they are modified according to production,” Tony grumbled. “We’re going to need all the help we can get to find salesmen ready to promote this ridiculous endeavor. We’re a blasted oil company after all.”

“That’s right, Tony, we are an oil company that’s in the business of supplying energy for a profit. Why should we settle for only a piece of the energy industry when we can find a way into other divisions?”

“Next you’ll be wanting us to get into windmills,” a second man next to Tony complained.

“Or water turbines,” a third man across from them added snidely.

This caused the whole table to chuckle except Tiffany and Conrad. Her eyes narrowed as she snapped, “So what if I decide to do that? I’m in charge of this company, and if I think any of those options will turn a profit, I’m going to make it happen.”

“I wouldn’t get too big for your britches, or should I say, skirt,” Tony mocked with a smirk.

“That’s enough,” Conrad thundered, his eyes narrowing into angry slits, irked that the men thought it acceptable to behave in such a way. “This is a solid plan for the solar energy division. Miss Boswell has spent an extensive amount of time going over all the details, leaving nothing to chance. Either you need to fall in line, or you need to ask to be transferred to another division. Let me assure you, when Boswell Senior is informed of that choice, you won’t be finding yourself in his favor. He personally wants to see this new division thrive.”

Conrad’s speech sobered up every man at the table, each of them burying their faces in the piece of paper in front of them. The rest of the meeting, the men listened to Tiffany without interruption, allowing her to get through her presentation. By the end of it, they were in a position to move into the next phase of the plan for the roll out of the solar energy division.

After the meeting ended, the men filed out of the room, leaving Conrad and Tiffany alone once again.

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