"Yes, sir?" she answers.
"Quit calling me sir," I say, exasperated. "All I did was fuck a beautiful woman."
"Yes, sir," she says blandly.
I roll my eyes.
"Listen, I need you to gather up the research team. Emergency meeting at three this afternoon. The Stately Oak Room." God, whoever named our conference rooms really needs to be hauled outside and shot. I make a mental note to change them all tomorrow. No more Splashing Waterfalls – which just makes me want to go take a leak – or Crystal Rivers.
But that’s tomorrow. Today, I finally have a challenge.
"Yes, sir. And—" she says before I can hang up, "golfing. You should pick up golfing."
"Yeah, but there aren’t that many beautiful blondes who play golf," I say and hang up before she can give a witty reply.
Don’t worry, I’ll hear it later. For now though, she’s stymied. I grin in triumph.
Okay Brittney Bartlett, let’s see what you’ve got…
Kaden
I stand in front of my research team and take a deep breath. I know they all think that I’m here to ask them to research a new company acquisition or stock gamble, so I’m a little…hesitant to tell them the real reason they’re sitting around the Stately Oak conference table, laptops in front of them.
"Uhhhh…"
We’re off to a strong start.
"I’ve called this emergency meeting today so we can do some research," I finally spit out. Everyone just stares at me. I might as well have said, "I would like to make a critical announcement – you must breathe in order to live!"
Plunging on, I say, "Brittney Bartlett. We need to research her." Well, I at least got the words out. I mentally pat myself on the back.
"The investment analyst from Carter Jeffries?" Tom asks, looking confused.
"What?" I say reflexively.
"She’s an investment analyst over at Carter," Tom repeats, looking at me quizzically. He fears me enough – at least someone does around here, Gweny – not to ask the question on everyone’s mind: Why am I asking to research someone I know so little about?
All right, fine. Truth time.
"Truth is, I just met her and I need to impress her."
First, it was just a twitch of the lips, which quickly escalated into a full-blown belly laugh. "You want to pick up on this chick?" Hansen yells, and doubles over laughing again.
"Hell yes," I admit with a chagrined smile. "Have you seen her legs?"
"Not close enough," Tom says with a huge grin. I send him the death glare. He withers down in his seat, suddenly quiet. I mean, I’ll laugh with the best of them, but Brittney is my girl. No making jokes about fucking her.
When did she become your girl?
I brush the thought away. Soon. She’ll be my girl soon.
"I need to know everything about her," I say, striding around the room. "Favorite color. Where she graduated from high school. Favorite restaurant. Favorite book."
"She reads?" Hansen pipes up, surprised.
"Yes, she reads. Like most literate human beings," I say drily. Everyone laughs. "I need to know what author she’s obsessed with. I need to know if she’d rather go skydiving or snorkeling on a date. If she sneezed last week, I need to know about it."
Finally realizing that I’m serious about this, my crack research team bends over their laptops and start their searches. I know that soon, I’ll know everything I ever wanted to know about Brittney. I’ll know if she slept with a teddy bear at night as a child...