The Dealmaker (Sex & Bonds 1)

She hangs up. I see red. “Why’d you do that? Hang up?”

“Because I’m not going to let you blow up my best client, that’s why.” She turns to push out her chair from under her desk with the side of her knee. “I’m going to talk to Aiden.”

“I am too.” I stalk after her.

“Ian’s still on the line!” Nicky calls.

I ignore him and follow Nora into Aiden’s office. He’s on the phone, receiver tucked between his ear and shoulder, but the second his gaze lands on us, he straightens his head and politely but quickly hangs up the call.

“This doesn’t look good,” he says grimly.

Chapter Eleven

Nora

No shit, Sherlock.

I’m so angry and upset I’m about to cry, and we all know the rules about crying on the trading floor. I swallow hard, do my best to steady the tremble in my voice, and say, “I sold some of Morgan’s bonds to Brian at BamCo. All three of us agreed on both the bond price and the treasury spot, but after I put the ticket in, we realized we priced the bond off the incorrect treasury.”

“We?” Theo stares at me incredulously. “You’re the one who messed this up.”

More anger. I welcome it, because it’s so much easier to be angry rather than scared. And I am very scared. This is the kind of mistake that ends client relationships and, potentially, careers. I don’t want Theo to lose a hundred grand any more than he does. I may be jaded from my decade-plus in the business, but I still recognize that’s an enormous amount of money.

I also don’t want to lose BamCo. It’s a huge account with tens of billions of assets under management, and a relationship I’ve spent years developing. I hate flying, but I can’t tell you how many red-eyes I’ve booked to the West Coast just so I could take Brian and his team golfing, or to dinner, or to go see a band I have absolutely no interest in but I know Brian loves (I’m looking at you, Bon Jovi). The business I’ve done with him has been integral to my career. I know I wouldn’t have gotten promoted to director three years ago if it hadn’t been for the massive trades I’ve done with BamCo.

Brian’s trust in me also gave my confidence a much-needed boost over the years. Like any self-respecting millennial, I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome. Not as much since I hit my thirties, but every once in a while I still wonder if I’m too pushy. Too ambitious. Too much to ever deserve the things I want. Doesn’t help being surrounded by a bunch of men who appear to have no such qualms about their abilities. Sometimes I think it’s less about how qualified you are, and more about how qualified you think you are. Appearances mean a lot in this world.

It’s bullshit. But it pays well, so it’s a game I have to play.

“How am I the one who messed up when you didn’t specify a treasury on your axe sheet?” I reply hotly. I turn to Aiden. “Brian is asking us to honor the trade. I sent him a ticket via Bloomberg and he accepted it.”

Aiden winces. I feel like I’m going to throw up. “How much do we stand to lose?”

“Close to a hundred grand,” Theo says.

“Christ.”

“I’m doing my best to iron it out,” I say quickly. “But Theo won’t budge—”

“I shouldn’t have to take the hit.”

“Neither should I!”

Aiden looks between us, gaze lingering on mine for an extra beat. “Let’s get BamCo on the line, shall we? I used to cover Brian. Maybe I can work some magic.”

I let out a breath. “Thank you.”

“I’m not taking this hit,” Theo repeats.

“You might have to. Customer’s always right, Morgan.” Aiden hits the speakerphone button on his turret, and the blare of a dial tone fills the office. He moves his hand to his mouse—he’s going to pull up Brian on Bloomberg and grab his number there—but I say it from memory. Aiden punches the numbers into his turret.

Brian doesn’t sound enthused when he picks up. “Hello?”

“Brian! Good morning to you.”

“Aiden. Hey.”

“I hear we have a little misunderstanding about a trade you just did with Nora and Theo. I’m very sorry about the confusion.”

“Look, I get this is a mistake. But I do a huge amount of business with Atlas & Teton. Just ask Nora.”

“You’re a VIP client, certainly,” Aiden replies. “We recognize that, which is why I’m personally reaching out to you. I don’t want a mix-up over a bloody treasury to ruin our relationship. BamCo means too much to this platform.”

“Exactly. So honor the trade.”

Aiden hesitates, and Theo takes the opportunity to jump in. “But that makes no sense. I guarantee every other dealer is quoting this bond off the ten-year. The price we gave you isn’t fair.”