with?
She caught him glancing at her blouse again and she followed his look, horrified to discover the reason. One of her buttons had come undone. The nude lace of her bra was peeking out. “Excuse me,” she blushed. Quickly fastening it closed, she yanked her briefcase off the clean tile floor and laid it on her lap. “I’ve put together a Power Point presentation, which I have on my laptop, if you’ll just give me a second to turn it on.”
He stopped her. “Show that to one of my partners.”
“Um…okay.” She kept the briefcase on her lap and watched him walk to the door. “And where are they?” Please, have him not be the only one at the office!
He opened his door and peered outside like he was hiding from someone, then oddly jerked his chin for her to follow him, vanishing before her widened brown eyes. She rose slowly from the chair and picked up her things, wondering if she should make a run for it now or later. But she was too curious at the way he tiptoed down the hall not to follow him.
He rapped on the second door on the left. A deep, angry voice called through it, “Come in!”
Darik held open the door. “After you.”
She looked inside. This office was very different from the other one. Its walls were wood and the desk black. There were two huge, framed black and white photographs of buildings she recognized, on either wall to her right and left. The curtains here were drawn as well, but were violet. Behind a long black desk sat a handsome man who looked kind of like the blonde guy on The Mentalist, only far more imposing. He glared at her as she stepped into the room, followed by lecherous Darik who stood by the wall, gazing at her like he wondered what she was about to do.
Strangest. Interview. Ever.
Half rising out of his chair, the blonde motioned for her to sit opposite him and when she did, he sat back down. It was a gentlemanly thing to do, but he looked like he hated her so the contrast was extreme and unnerving. “I’m Dontae.”
“Michelle.” She set her briefcase on her lap and her purse on top of it as shields.
“I hear you can help us master modern technology’s ability to reach new clients.”
Relieved he was talking about something appropriate, she relaxed. “I can. I was about to show a presentation of ideas I have, but I hear you’re the one to impress, so let me just show you…”
With a succinct raise of his fingers he stopped her from opening the briefcase. “In a minute. I want to ask you a few questions first.”
She braced herself. “Okay…”
Dontae stared at her for seven long seconds that felt like an hour, during which she doubted her abilities entirely, and that made her angry. Finally, he deemed her worthy of the first question. “Have you ever stolen anything?”
She blinked, her temper bubbling. “Sorry? What? No.”
“Never?”
She returned his cold glare. “No, never.”
“Cheated?”
“Dontae,” Darik muttered from the sidelines.
Dontae threw him a glance. “Let her answer the question.”
Michelle glanced back and forth between them, offering sarcastically, “You mean like on a bet or on a guy?”
“Either one.”
“The answer is no.”
He nodded, seeming to believe her despite himself. What was even stranger was that he looked disappointed. “This is your own business, this marketing thing?”
Marking thing? A sense of pride pulled her spine taut. “Yes. Completely mine.”
“What made you do such a thing?”
She shot back, “Meaning?”
He rapped on the desk with his fingers. “Work for yourself. Why would you do that? Don’t work well with others? Not a good teammate? I’m curious.”
Her crossed leg bounced as she considered how not to punch his smug face. “I do very well with teams, it’s why I’m able to fit in with so many. That’s necessary for someone who is self-employed and reliant on being hired by clients of differing backgrounds and needs. But, since I’m feeling irritated, let me also
She caught him glancing at her blouse again and she followed his look, horrified to discover the reason. One of her buttons had come undone. The nude lace of her bra was peeking out. “Excuse me,” she blushed. Quickly fastening it closed, she yanked her briefcase off the clean tile floor and laid it on her lap. “I’ve put together a Power Point presentation, which I have on my laptop, if you’ll just give me a second to turn it on.”
He stopped her. “Show that to one of my partners.”
“Um…okay.” She kept the briefcase on her lap and watched him walk to the door. “And where are they?” Please, have him not be the only one at the office!
He opened his door and peered outside like he was hiding from someone, then oddly jerked his chin for her to follow him, vanishing before her widened brown eyes. She rose slowly from the chair and picked up her things, wondering if she should make a run for it now or later. But she was too curious at the way he tiptoed down the hall not to follow him.
He rapped on the second door on the left. A deep, angry voice called through it, “Come in!”
Darik held open the door. “After you.”
She looked inside. This office was very different from the other one. Its walls were wood and the desk black. There were two huge, framed black and white photographs of buildings she recognized, on either wall to her right and left. The curtains here were drawn as well, but were violet. Behind a long black desk sat a handsome man who looked kind of like the blonde guy on The Mentalist, only far more imposing. He glared at her as she stepped into the room, followed by lecherous Darik who stood by the wall, gazing at her like he wondered what she was about to do.
Strangest. Interview. Ever.
Half rising out of his chair, the blonde motioned for her to sit opposite him and when she did, he sat back down. It was a gentlemanly thing to do, but he looked like he hated her so the contrast was extreme and unnerving. “I’m Dontae.”
“Michelle.” She set her briefcase on her lap and her purse on top of it as shields.
“I hear you can help us master modern technology’s ability to reach new clients.”
Relieved he was talking about something appropriate, she relaxed. “I can. I was about to show a presentation of ideas I have, but I hear you’re the one to impress, so let me just show you…”
With a succinct raise of his fingers he stopped her from opening the briefcase. “In a minute. I want to ask you a few questions first.”
She braced herself. “Okay…”
Dontae stared at her for seven long seconds that felt like an hour, during which she doubted her abilities entirely, and that made her angry. Finally, he deemed her worthy of the first question. “Have you ever stolen anything?”
She blinked, her temper bubbling. “Sorry? What? No.”
“Never?”
She returned his cold glare. “No, never.”
“Cheated?”
“Dontae,” Darik muttered from the sidelines.
Dontae threw him a glance. “Let her answer the question.”
Michelle glanced back and forth between them, offering sarcastically, “You mean like on a bet or on a guy?”
“Either one.”
“The answer is no.”
He nodded, seeming to believe her despite himself. What was even stranger was that he looked disappointed. “This is your own business, this marketing thing?”
Marking thing? A sense of pride pulled her spine taut. “Yes. Completely mine.”
“What made you do such a thing?”
She shot back, “Meaning?”
He rapped on the desk with his fingers. “Work for yourself. Why would you do that? Don’t work well with others? Not a good teammate? I’m curious.”
Her crossed leg bounced as she considered how not to punch his smug face. “I do very well with teams, it’s why I’m able to fit in with so many. That’s necessary for someone who is self-employed and reliant on being hired by clients of differing backgrounds and needs. But, since I’m feeling irritated, let me also
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