Page 116 of Savage Suit
“Bien,” he assured me. “Je m’appelleGuy Amage.” He nodded to the man next to him. “Il s’appelleSacha.” With each introduction, he nodded. “Il s’appelleHugo.Il s’appelleLeo.”
“Enchanté!” I responded each time, smiling politely.
“Je vous présente Ryan Hagen,” Noah said.
“Mon français est mauvais,” I offered, concerned we’d get to a point where I wouldn’t know what was being said. I took a deep breath and repeated what I said in English. “My French is bad. Can we speak en anglais?”
“Ton français est bon,” Noah complimented.
“Very good,” Boyd Andrews agreed. We hadn’t been introduced, but he was one of two board members with no family connections.
“Merci beaucoup,MonsieurAndrews,” I told him.
“Tu parles français comme une vache espagnole,” Claude spat, glaring at me.
Did he say I looked like a Spanish cow? While I tried to pick my brain and make sense of his words, Noah turned a thunderous expression to the man.
“Ferme ta gueule.”
Shut the fuck up? I wanted to ask, but I followed Noah’s order thanks to the supercharged atmosphere.
“The lady wishes to speak English, Claude,” Boyd said with disapproval. “Let’s oblige her, since she will be at a distinct disadvantage.”
“Let’s,” Noah agreed, making no attempt to hide his contempt for Claude. “This is Ryan Hagen, my new project manager for Amage.”
Claude waved a dismissive hand in my direction. “I only see a secretary with you.”
Dick.
Bristling, I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t curse his ass out and earn Noah’s displeasure. I intended to make one hell of a presentation to aid my plea to keep my job.
“Ms. Hagen is the woman I’ve chosen to be my project manager, Claude. Deal with it.”
His unnecessary gasp resounded in the room. God, I wanted this over. Each introduction elicited the same shock, revealing their workplace practices as much as Keegan Enterprises’.
I met every man’s gaze with a steady one of my own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
“Keegan, is this a joke?” Claude, the dickhole, stood from his seat and gestured to me. “She is unacceptable if you want a chance at the contract. We do not need such an infamous woman,” he said, proving he knew my identity. “She would overshadow our marketing campaign.”
“Settle down,” Noah warned, his glare bone-chilling. “I am uninterested in your bullshit. You requested an introduction to my chosen project manager. Here we are. Back off and allow her to make her presentation.”
“Associating our brand with yours will be detrimental,” Claude said. “Considering the recent article.”
“You’re baiting me,” Noah said evenly. “When Boyd called with the day and time of the meeting, the article was old news.”
“We were all shocked when we discovered her identity,” Sacha said. He offered me an uncomfortable smile. “We’re very familiar with the rules of your company.”
Noah sidled a glance my way, then scowled at Sacha. “There are no rules.”
“Unspoken, not written,” Claude retorted.
“Obviously, that isn’t the case,” Noah said. “Let’s proceed.” He nodded to me.
“Is she qualified?” Claude demanded before I could say a word. “Dans la salle de conference. Not in the bedroom.”
Audible gasps resounded from everyone, including Noah and me. Mortification and anger rose in me, yet the frightening fury on Noah’s face silenced me.
“Careful,” he warned, in a voice I barely recognized. “I do not take kindly to any insults thrown Ms. Hagen’s way. She’s in my employ and I demand you respect her. Or else.”
