Page 21 of Due Dilligence (Takeover)
Eli focused on Fazil, his grin a little too deep. “I thought I told you to hang a tie on the door.”
What?Todd glanced at Fazil, who looked like he might have swallowed his tongue.
“Eli!” Fazil choked with laughter, but there was also horror written on his face.
Kind of like the terror in Todd’s gut. The finance guy knew about them?
Eli shrugged. “Oh come on. You’ve seen me banter with Sam. And with Justin.”
“Too many times,” Fazil said. “And you’re the one with the damn ties.”
“You can borrow one, if you’d like.” He folded both hands over the top of his cane. “They havelotsof uses.”
“Stop.” Fazil turned an interesting shade of red and met Todd’s gaze. “Um, have you two met?”
“Not officially.” He eyed Eli, who looked every bit the businessman in his three-piece suit.
“Eli, this is Todd Douglas. Todd, Eli Ovadia, Sam’s CFO.”
They shook hands, and Eli’s was both warm and strong. Todd cleared his throat. “You, uh, know.” He gestured between Fazil and him.
“It’s a small company,” Eli said.
“There’s not going to be a problem?” Either the AC didn’t work in this room, or he was really red. He hoped it was the lack of cooling.
“Not from me.” Eli chuckled. “I’m sure Fazil will explain. But if you’ll both excuse me, I should go over my notes and call my boss before he leaves for the day.”
Todd glanced at his watch. Nearly two. Almost five on the East Coast. “Right.” Man, this was weird and awkward. “Stop by when you’re done, Z?”
“Sure. Won’t be until five, since you guys are paying us for a full day’s work.”
Yeah, really weird.“You know where to find me.” With that, Todd fled the conference room.
Back in his cube, he stared at his darkened screen. Fazil definitely wanted him, wanted this weekend, which was good. Eli walking in had been odd. Anyone else and he would have had kittens, but Eli had taken it in stride.
Anderson’s married, gay finance guy. Shit, that was some company Fazil worked for.
He nudged his screen awake and got back to work.
***
Fazil slumped back into the chair in front of his computer. “Really?” He didn’t know whether to choke Eli or give in to the laughter that threatened to burst out of him.
Eli leaned his cane up against a chair and slid into another. “I didn’t want you two to be embarrassed. I take it things are going well?”
He tasted Todd on his tongue. Felt the softness of his hair at his fingertips. “Yeah. They are.”
“Good.” Eli’s hands hovered over his laptop. “‘Z’?”
“His nickname for me. No one else uses it.” He didn’t want anyone else to, either.
Maybe that was apparent when Eli studied him. “I won’t, then.”
“Thanks.” He touched the track pad to wake up his computer. “We ought to call Sam.”
That drove the smile from Eli. “I’m not exactly looking forward to this.” He reached over to the Polycom and punched in Sam’s number.
Two rings and Sam answered.
