Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
11
Noah
Bancroft’s fingers are steepled.
His eyes analyze me like I’m trying to sell him a used car.
I don’t like the look on his face. It’s one that captures hardened businessman and disdain equally.
He slaps his desktop and then grins. “You get one shot, Noah. Don’t blow it.”
“I appreciate the opportunity. I won’t let you down, sir.”
When I reach my office, Leanna jumps from her chair and follows me inside. Shutting the door behind her, she asks, “Well?”
“Fucking Chip Lowe. The jealous little rat bastard. He convinced Bancroft that I shouldn’t be trusted to run this meeting with the Torres’s.”
“Oh no.” She drops into a chair and watches as I wear a path into the carpet along the windows. “He’s awful.”
“He’s a fucking asshole is what he is.” Glaring out the window, I try to calm the anger raging inside me. Chip’s smug smirk when he decided he’d act like a big guy and speak to Olivia like she was nothing to him. Jealousy from even the thought of Olivia moving on after him must eat him alive. I’ve tried to stay out of office drama. It’s only my first week here, but Chip had to go and talk to her like shit. No way can I let that go. “He tried to be buddy-buddy with me the other day.”
When I look back at her, Leanna’s eyes are locked on the e-pad on her lap and she’s shaking her head. Looking up again, she asks, “I take it that didn’t go well?”
“I get along with almost everyone, including some assholes to everyone else I’ve known over the years. But this guy, the fucking weasel. I wasn’t playing along with his little game because of how he was speaking to Liv like she’s—”
“Liv?”
“Olivia.”
“Ah. Liv. I see.” She’s not laying a judgment on me, but the all-knowing grin on Leanna’s face has me realizing she caught that slip. Although we’ve become friends, my past with Liv is not something I can get into with her.
I continue, “So I guess he went to his dad to launch a complaint.”
“So frustrating. Do you know what he said about you?”
“Something about me being more worried about hitting on women in the office than saving the account that he lost the company. Make it make sense.”
“You can’t, Noah. You’re rational. He’s not. He planted the seed to get you out of the picture, which means you threaten him. You need to watch your back.”
Flexing my hands, I know myself well enough to be aware that my stubborn ass will always fight to get to the top. “The moment he opened his mouth, he started a war, Leanna. He’s a chest-beating Neanderthal, challenging me as if he can compete.”
“Don’t be drawn into his nonsense, Noah. It’s easy to get sucked into a bad situation, but he’s the boss’s son and will always use that leverage to take out his competitors.”
“Too late. He set the stage for this battle when he said Olivia Bancroft was acting like a bitch. Fucking disrespectful, and it’s bullshit to call her the problem. Now I’m on an account he fucked up, and he wants to know the details. I’m letting him back on again. So the war was waged when he came in treating everyone like they’re beneath him, but I’ll end it the next time he opens his fucking mouth.”
Coming to stand near me, she keeps her eyes forward on the bustling city on the other side of the glass. She turns, keeping her chin down. “I’ve only known you a few days, but I knew instantly that you were a man of integrity. It’s also your first job. Getting fired might not be the best idea.”
I steady my breathing. “I guess I didn’t realize that integrity and this job were mutually exclusive.”
“Me either.” Her soft smile matches her eyes. “But maybe we should have. It’s called Bancroft & Lowe. Mr. Lowe will never do anything about Chip. He gets away with everything, and the office is left to pick up the pieces.” She returns to the chair, leaving me with that nugget of reality to think about. “Your reaction is normal, but something tells me this isn’t a normal situation.”
Resting against the windowsill, I start weighing the repercussions if his behavior continues. And by repercussions, I mean punch his fucking face or if I’ll be able to walk away twice. He’s crossed me this time. I won’t sit by and allow it again. “No, it’s not. I can’t control him or the lies he spreads. I can tell you now that I won’t sacrifice my integrity to play along.”
“I have no doubt, Noah.” She shifts along with the conversation. “So back to Mr. Bancroft. He’s coming to the client’s dinner?”
I stop pacing. “No, because I talked him out of it. I don’t need another chef in the kitchen while I work.”