Page 27 of My Boss's Sons

“This is Sophia Bennett.” She took another bite of cake and nodded. “Mr. Vance, I’m so glad you’re getting back to me. You’re a hard man to get a hold of.”

I watched as she laughed easily at whatever the man said and then shook hands with another man passing her. All the while, she still had my cake in her hand.

“I’m not at my desk right now, so please forgive me if I have to ask you for exact numbers again, but I can’t miss a chance to talk with you. I’ve been so enamored with your business for years now, as you know. What you’ve done in your market has been beyond impressive. I think we can make something special together if you decide to work with Anderson Inc., Mr. Vance.” She took a bite of cake and then grunted. “Don’t you dare downplay what you’ve managed to do. You’ve grown your company year after year, despite an overall downturn in the market. I see the worth in your company. If you’re going to go into a meeting with our higher ups, you have to know your worth as well. I don’t send companies in to be taken advantage of.”

I found myself smiling as I listened to her and I ended up following her around the party as she sold a man on selling his company to ours while making a friend in the process. She cleaned as she went, multi-tasking like no one I’d ever seen before. Watching her work was like watching a magician. She was somehow the best salesperson and the most genuine person I’d ever met and that was a dangerous combination, but a priceless one for the company. It made me question how she’d been denied promotions.

When the party ended, I watched as everyone left without picking up a single thing to throw away. I would’ve done the same at any other time in my life. I never would’ve thought about who had to clean up the mess. Sophia zipped around the room while on the phone with someone else and finished cleaning everything while I was still gathering cups from my one corner of the room. I was both amazed by and terrified of her. She was powerful and I never wanted to find myself on her bad side.

23

***Sophia***

The end of the work day was dragging to a close and I’d kept the guys in public spaces with me for so long that I was exhausted from all the socializing and standing. My feet ached and my cheeks hurt from all the smiling I’d been doing. That was the only reason I gave up at the end and retreated to my office. I had dozens of emails to return and I just wanted to sit.

I hadn’t had time to think about the bathroom incident with Alex until the four of us were alone in my office and then it was all my brain was able to hone in on. Every time I glanced over at him, my cheeks burned and I felt a throb that I had no business feeling at work.

Randal came into the office with a flourish and handed me a bottle of water and a few pain relievers. “You killed it today with Mr. Vance.”

I took the pills and smiled. “He’s a really nice guy. You should’ve heard him talking about his wife.”

“Hold that thought.” He left and then came right back in with a giant bouquet of flowers. “Look what he sent you!”

I clapped my hands excitedly. I loved flowers. A bouquet of flowers went a long way with me, something that Davis had never learned. “Oh, my god. They’re beautiful!”

Randal plucked the card out of the arrangement and handed it to me. “And another one falls for the charms of our Sophia Bennett.”

“What’s the card say?” Noah walked over and stood beside me. “I watched that phone call and I could tell he was smitten. You did a great job.”

The compliment felt almost as nice as the flowers. I smiled at him and held the card up so he could read it with me. “If you’re ever in Pennsylvania, you have a place to stay. Thank you for your kindness.”

“I’m proud of you, Soph. You better celebrate tonight.” Randal beamed at me. “Make Ava and Milo take Lily out and have the house to yourself for the night.”

I scoffed. “We can’t send Milo out at night. He gets lost every time. It doesn’t matter if he’s with us or not, he gets lost. We always end up spending most of the night trying to find him.”

“Who’s Milo?” Ethan gently touched one of the hydrangeas. “Mr. Vance has good taste.”

“Milo is my sister’s boyfriend. He’s a local artist.” I brought up a picture of one of his most popular pieces that sat large and proud in the middle of the art district. “This is his work.”

Alex came over and looked at my phone. His eyebrows rose immediately and he glanced up at me with a surprised expression. “I’ve seen this before and I’ve always been inspired by it. He’s really talented.”

I nodded. “He’s great. I mean, I don’t love the constant scream of a chainsaw outside of my bedroom window, but when he produces art like that, I can’t really complain. My sister’s anartist, too, but she can’t decide on a medium, so she’s constantly in the exploring stage. She’s talented, too, though. As soon as she picks one medium to work in, she’s going to blow up.”

Randal glanced at the clock. “It’s my day to get the kids from daycare so I’m heading out. Do you need anything before I go?”

I shook my head and then glanced at the bouquet again. “Hey, take these to Rita. Say they’re from you.”

“I’m not taking your flowers, Sophia.”

“Take them. I love them but I won’t get to enjoy them as much as you’ll enjoy giving them to Rita.” I saw him hesitate and crossed my arms under my chest. “Take them or I’ll just have to order different ones to send to Rita.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! Now, go. If you’re late picking up the boys, the flowers won’t make a difference. Rita will ring your neck, no matter what.” I laughed when he came around my desk and hugged me. “Tell everyone I say hi.”

Randal picked up the flowers and shook his head at me. “Thank you. You’re amazing, Sophia.”

He closed the door behind him, once again leaving me alone in my office with the guys. I sank into my chair again and tried to discreetly slip out of my shoes.

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