I walked towards the reception area, with Sasha trailing behind and the woman behind the desk looked up at me with a friendly smile.
“We’re here to see Mr. Jennings,” I said abruptly, without any formal greetings.
“Good afternoon,
you must be Ms. Wade,” the woman said, the wide smile was still on her face.
I could see everyone around here just looked exceedingly happy and carefree. When did they even work?
“Yes, I am. Is he expecting us?” I said, and the sour look on my face didn’t seem to dissuade her.
“He is, indeed,” she said and I caught her looking past me, her cheeks were turning to a bright red. I could sense him behind me, and then I heard his voice.
“Beverley, how are you?” his voice was deep and it scorched my skin the moment I heard it. His voice had always thrown me off, and even after five years I didn’t seem to have recovered from that effect. I whipped around to find him standing in front of me, with his hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans.
I had seen photographs of Grant online and in newspapers, shaking hands with business partners and investors, giving speeches and holding meetings. He was always dressed in sharp suits and yet today, he looked quite different. Very much like I remembered him from college. It was like he hadn’t aged a single day.
The only difference was that he had grown a beard. A neat dark beard that was perfectly trimmed and shaped. His eyes were a painfully bright blue and his features were sharp and chiseled. He hadn’t lost his athletic body, and he towered over me with his wide shoulders and broad chest. Even through the gray t-shirt and jeans combo he had on, I could tell he was hiding bulging muscles and washboard abs. His hair was dark, like his beard and slightly shaggy. Not exactly the look of a ruthless billionaire.
“Hello, Grant,” I found myself saying blankly, while he smiled at me. He had a knowing brilliance in his eyes, like he was somehow glad to see me. And why wouldn’t he be? He was about to buy my company, or at least make me an offer. It was his biggest victory against me to date. I could feel my knees buckling, and I tried to keep my back straight and my chin jut out.
“Mr. Jennings, I’m Sasha Winnings. I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Sasha was gushing beside me and he thrust out his hand to Grant.
“Hello Sasha and please call me Grant,” he said, turning to him for a brief moment before looking back at me again.
“It’s been such a long time!” he said, the smile still stretching across his face. I couldn’t smile, I could barely breathe. Just being near him again had a destabilizing effect on me. I wanted to hate him so much!
“I haven’t been counting the days,” I said and he laughed. The same laugh. He threw his head back and his shoulders shook as he laughed at what I’d said and I could feel the back of my neck beginning to burn up.
“I wasn’t expecting you too. It’s been though, four and a half years!” he said and I shrugged my shoulders. I despised him more now, because he looked so calm and casual given the circumstances under which we were meeting. As we looked at each other, I noticed the way his eyes looked in my body. If he was surprised to see me, or had noticed some change in me…he jus wasn’t showing it. He simply studied me with curiosity and I felt like I was burning up under his gaze.
“Shall we go upstairs so we can have a chat?” he asked, like it was just an ordinary date in a coffee shop.
“Lead the way,” Sasha interrupted us and Grant threw him a friendly look before turning back to me.
“Beverley?” he said in a smooth self-sufficient voice and I clenched my jaw.
“Of course,” I replied and he turned to start walking. Sasha walked beside him, enthusiastic to make conversation while I remained behind. I felt like I was losing my voice. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to conduct a serious meeting feeling like this.
Grant was leading us towards a capsule elevator with clear walls. He pressed a button and the doors opened instantly and the three of us went in.
In the closed confines of the elevator, I felt claustrophobic to be so close to him. Grant was smiling and making polite small talk with Sasha, while I lingered on the side trying to keep as much distance between us as possible. I tried to steal glances at him, but Grant wasn’t looking at me anymore. Thankfully!
Chapter 4
Grant
Beverley looked different now, but in lots of ways she was still the same. Her blonde hair was longer and reached beyond her shoulders. She kept it open these days, and it fell like a sleek shining curtain around her face. Her eyes were still the same though, green and large and she looked defiantly at me. She was dressed differently as well now. She’d traded in her old college clothes for a pair of straight gray pants and a red silk blouse. Her shoes were gray pumps and she was carrying a large leather bag with her. There were no glasses on her face either.
She followed me out of the elevator, and I had to turn occasionally to make sure that she was still there. She was avoiding my eyes, while I was constantly aware of her presence. It was like five years apart had made me more desperate for her. The moment I laid my eyes on her, I’d felt a movement in my pants. I had to do everything in my power to not take her into my arms.
“After you,” I said and stretched my arm towards the board room I’d ordered to be ready for the meeting. I was slightly disappointed that we couldn’t be alone, and that she’d brought one of her employees with her. I’d just have to work around it.
I noticed the way she walked as she went past me and into the room. She looked around her for a few moments and then took a chair, without me asking her to. Sasha sat down beside her and I took a chair across them. Other than the three of us there was nobody else in the room, since it wasn’t my intention to intimidate them.
After there had been some silence between us, I cleared my throat. Beverley shot her eyes up to look at me, and I saw the rage in them. Just as I’d predicted, she was mad at me for what was happening to her.
“I wish I didn’t have to discuss business when we haven’t seen each other for so long,” I said, directing my attention only to her. Just as I remembered her doing in college, she rolled her eyes at me.