“Yeah, for major business decisions, nothing more,” he said and stepped towards me. I jerked my head around to look at him again. Our gazes were locked. I was squinting at him with a sour look on my face.
“I am not going to work for you,” I said through gritted teeth, and I was surprised to find that his face broke into a smile.
“I didn’t expect you to
agree to it so easily. You’re as egotistical as ever,” he said and my mouth fell open.
“Egotistical? You think I have an issue with my ego? How can you even pass a judgement like that? What makes you think like that? We weren’t even friends in college. We were just classmates,” I said with a snarl and Grant slowly nodded his head.
“You’re right. I don’t know you. We weren’t friends…but I wish I knew you,” he said and I stared up at him. I was in shock again. What he was saying didn’t make sense. Why did he wish he knew me? I was the geeky nerdy classmate who his friends jeered at. I was competitive and unfashionable and kept my distance from him on purpose. Why on Earth would he want to know me?
“See, you look surprised. It seems like you have been quick to judge me too. You don’t know me either,” he said and I gulped. He was right. I didn’t know him, but I didn’t want to know him. Grant, for years, had been my ideal man. I knew that if I got close to him, I would never be able to get over him. No other man would be good enough if we even so much as became friends.
“You’re judging me again,” he said in a softer voice. I watched, frozen in my place as he brought his face towards me. I couldn’t do anything, my limbs didn’t move. Grant did it slowly, allowing me the chance to push him away, but I couldn’t. I knew he was going to kiss me and I wanted it to happen.
Our lips met and I gasped. I had fantasized about kissing Grant for so long, that I didn’t think this could actually be happening. I felt my skin sizzling as he kissed me and my hands flew up to his chest. I grabbed fistfuls of his t-shirt and his hands found my waist. Our lips were pressed together and I closed my eyes shut. I could feel the roughness of his beard on my cheeks. I could feel him pulling me closer to him. My hip bones pressed against his belly. I heard a moan escape my lips.
Then something snapped. What was he doing? Was he actually trying to seduce me into selling my company to him? I let go of his t-shirt and pushed him away from me. My breath was ragged and hard and Grant licked his lips. He was smiling.
“What do you think you’re doing!” I shrieked at him and Grant remained silently standing where he was.
“I told you, I’m glad to see you,” he said casually. My mind was swinging and I couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Chapter 6
Grant
Beverley looked like she had been struck. Her cheeks had flushed to a firetruck red, her green eyes were wide and in shock. She was holding herself, with her arms wrapped around her torso like she was trying to hide her breasts. I couldn’t help but laugh at her. It was like she was trying to defend herself against my attack. But her body didn’t lie. I had felt her pulling me close to herself. She did kiss me back, pressing her lips to me as we remained wrapped together. I had heard her moaning and gasping. She wanted that kiss just as much as I did.
“This is how you greet all your old college acquaintances?” she said. That dignified prideful tone of her voice was gone now and she seemed more embarrassed than anything else.
“Not really, just you,” I said shrugging my shoulders. I’d wanted to do that for a very long time. Kiss Beverley. And she tasted even more delicious than I’d imagined. I should have done this a long time ago, I thought.
I walked away from her, deciding to put some distance between us. I didn’t want her to think that I was forcing myself on her. She was quiet for some time as I walked back to my chair.
“Will you think about my offer, Beverley?” I said, and sat back down.
She remained standing near the door, glaring at me with her mouth slightly open. Her arms had fallen back into place and I could see that she had her fists curled up. I could sense that she wanted to break something. Was she mad because her body had given away and how turned on she was by that kiss?
“There is nothing to think about, Grant. I do not want to work for you,” she snarled.
“Not for me Beverley but work with me,” I replied calmly.
Beverley took in a sharp breath and straightened her shoulders. I could see that she was trying to calm herself and even her breath.
“It’s the same thing. I don’t want to be professionally associated with you,” she said and I arched an eyebrow at her.
“Or personally. I don’t want to be associated with you at all,” she said quickly and I allowed a small laugh to escape my lips.
“Alright, Beverley. I’m only trying to help you and your product. For old times’ sake and also because I genuinely believe you’re brilliant and I want to work with you,” I said and swiveled my chair away from her to face the desk again. I could sense her eyes on me, watching me like a hawk. She was thinking.
“Well, I don’t want to work with you,” she snapped and I nodded my head and flipped open the file in front of me.
“You mentioned that already, but in case you change your mind; I’m still open to the idea,” I said while reading the papers and not looking at her. She was still standing there and I could sense her fuming. The one skill I had developed in the corporate world was to keep my calm and allow the negotiation to take time. There was no rush. If anyone should have been in a hurry, it would have to be Beverley. But I knew her too, as much as she thought I didn’t, I knew that I need to give her time. She was in shock and I was aware that I shouldn’t be pressing her too much at that moment. So, I decided to be calm instead and give her time to think about what had just happened.
As much as I wanted to turn back to her, look at her, watch her body move…I didn’t. While she on the other hand; remained standing where she was and after some time turned around in a huff. I didn’t raise my head to look at her as she opened the door, but a smile lingered on my face. Beverley hadn’t changed at all.
Only when she had slammed the door shut behind her and I heard her heels clicking the marble floor outside as she walked away, did I look up. Her perfume was still lingering in the air in the room and I took in a deep breath of it.