The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe Page A

ended.”
    Jacob turned from where he was doing something at the sink. “The boss went back to his lab.”
    â€œBut there’s a pitcher of ice tea with two glasses on the deck.” They were supposed to talk about the merger.
    Jacob nodded. “Told me to put it there.”
    â€œBut he didn’t come out.”
    â€œNever does. Not once he gets that look in his eyes and goes off to his lab. Be lucky to see him again today. Probably won’t.”
    â€œDo you mean he won’t be coming out of the lab again this afternoon?” It was the experience at Eric’s office all over again. He’d just walked away.
    She had an urge to pound on the door to his lab and insist on him coming out and listening to her, but if she got militant, how receptive would he be to what she had to say?
    â€œNot likely.”
    â€œYou don’t think he’ll come out again today?” she asked, just to clarify.
    â€œThat’s what I said, ain’t it?”
    â€œCouldn’t you knock and remind him I’m here?”
    â€œWouldn’t do no good. He don’t hear when he’s thinking.”
    She had some ideas on how to get Simon’s attention, but since it had never been her goal in life to get arrested, she put them in the back of her mind.
    â€œWhen do you expect him to come out of his lab? Surely he has to eat sometime.”
    â€œHas a kitchen up there, but he comes out to exercise.”
    Remembering Simon’s well-developed muscle tone, she had no problem believing that even if he didn’t put his work aside to eat regular meals, he did in order to work out. No one got muscles like those by default. “When does he exercise?”
    â€œDepends.”
    â€œOn what?”
    â€œOn when he wants to.”
    â€œI see.” What she saw was that Jacob wasn’t going to cooperate with her and her patience was a second away from disappearing altogether. “Will you please give your employer a message from me?”
    â€œThat’s my job.”
    â€œOh, really? Somehow I thought your job was to drive Simon’s visitors crazy enough so that they wouldn’t come back. Then he can live as a total recluse.” The sarcastic words just tripped off her tongue and she wasn’t even slightly apologetic.
    Jacob had the gall to look offended. “My company manners may not be what they once were, but I don’t try to chase off Simon’s friends.”
    â€œMerely irritating business associates he has no desire to talk to in the first place. Does he pay you a bonus for your efforts, or do you consider it one of the perks of the job?”
    â€œThe boss didn’t tell me to try to run you off.”
    She wasn’t buying it. And she wasn’t sticking around for more of Jacob’s annoying half-answers. Eric Brant wanted this merger too. He could convince his cousin to meet her. She spun on her heel and marched out of the kitchen.
    After retrieving her briefcase from the deck, she had her hand on the front door handle when Jacob came into the entry hall. “There’s no need for you to leave all in a huff, Ms. Zachary.”
    â€œI’m not in a huff. I’m cutting my losses.”
    â€œYou wanted to leave the boss a message.”
    â€œThere really isn’t any point, is there? He’ll just ignore it as effectively as he’s managed to ignore me.”
    Only he hadn’t ignored her over lunch, or during Jillian’s show. He’d focused his considerable concentration on her and their discussion, which made his subsequent snub feel personal. She was used to male rejection. It wasn’t something she would probably ever take in stride, but she had learned not to set herself up for more of the same.
    She turned the doorknob. “Good-bye, Jacob.”
    â€œWait.”
    The command shocked her into stopping. Not only in the fact that the irascible man was actually encouraging her to stay, but