Chapter 4
Her eyes flew open, she knew because she felt them bugg out of her head and if she was in a comic strip they would have stretched out half way across the table. Holy hell she knew how to pick em.
This made him laugh he was going to milk this for a bit and enjoy every minute of it. He smiled, he tried the gangster smile and he leaned back in his chair and threw his arms behind his head.
She squirmed in her seat, she was going to die what the hell was she thinking, walking up to some strange guy, tease him and think she could get away with it.
The look on her face was priceless, her eyes darted looking for an escape, he smiled even more as she squirmed in her seat, he couldn’t do it to her any more.
She looked for other places she could sit she would simply excuse herself and sit elsewhere she spotted a spare seat by the wall she grabbed her tray.
As she grabbed his tray he put his hand on hers and watched her eyes as they flung from their joined hands to his eyes, hers were filled with terror. “I’m not a gangster. I’m a businessman.” He said
Relief washed over her, she let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding. She looked down at his hand that was still on hers. It was big and it entirely swallowed her small hand, it was warm and maybe it was her imagination but it felt like it was tingling and getting hotter.
It was time to come clean. “I work for P.E.H. I do the most of the deals I’m a negotiator.”
She picked up the spoon for her sundae and pointed it at him “Ooh I’ve heard of them, don’t they buy up companies that are in trouble or something.”
That would be a nice way to put it “Yeah something like that.”
She was relatively smart most, no, not most, all of the women he had dated had no idea who P.E.H were, let alone what they did. This woman in front of him not only knew who they were but some of what they did.
“So what has bought you to Melbourne?”
“A deal. I had two meetings this morning but the first fell through.” He ran a hand through his hair “so the second got cancelled and I have to try and fix it before hitting the office on Friday.”
She noticed the way he ran a hand through his hair she thought that it was obviously a gesture he did a lot probably more when stressed. “They’re a company based in Sydney aren’t they, do you live there?”
He laughed at the idea of living anywhere he only just thought of that earlier this morning didn’t he, travelling out of a suitcase the whole time “I have an apartment in Sydney but as I travel so often, I am rarely there.”
“Really? Wow you must see so much.”
The look of excitement in her eyes, he too had felt it when he originally landed the position some eight years ago thinking that it was his way of seeing the world, getting around the world he did, but actually seeing any of it and being a part of it, never happened.
“I travel a lot but I don’t get to see much of the cities or places I go, mainly I see airports hotels and boardrooms I might see a landmark as we drive past but that is about it.”
“But surely you get some time to yourself like now.”
“All well and good but who wants to see something alone and without anyone to share the experience with.”
The sadness in his answer made her heart ache, a man with so much and yet so little and she thought of herself with so little but she had been happy, hadn’t she?
“So what went wrong in the meeting?” she broke the apple pie in half, blew on it to cool it and nibbled into one half of it.
He looked into her eyes, did he tell her, perhaps if he said it out loud he might get an answer himself. He told her about the company how it was turning over a little more than one hundred million a year and his company would be buying from it using their products but wanting a substantial cut in the price, as the company was in financial trouble this would be their ticket to freedom. He told her of his research and what they had planned for the company he even told her how the director called him a ‘damn Sydneysider’.
“Well if the company is in financial trouble and your company wants goods at a cost that is going to seriously undermine their profits why would they?”
“Because our company is willing to buy them out, keep the company running exactly the same only take it global, their products are good, a hell of a lot better than any of its closest competitors they could make a fortune but the owners can’t see it, they don’t have the vision and they don’t know how to take their company to the next level.”
“Perhaps they don’t want to.”
“Who wouldn’t want a lot of money and prestige?”
“Money and prestige aren’t everything in fact most times all it does is buy more problems and usually bigger ones and if I get what you’re saying is, this is a mum and dad operation who have probably put their entire life into it, this would be like their child and you are asking for them to sell their child for what, so that your company can save a few bucks.”
He sat back flawed at her explanation, she should work for him, he gave her insight, he could work on angles that she gave him it would give him the upper hand when it came to dealing, he knew he was good but obviously not good enough, why hadn’t he seen that, he thought he had the answer to their problems all he gave them was another problem.
“What did you say you did for a job?”
“I’m a lab assistant.”
“For who?”
“Does it matter?”
“It might.”
“I don’t think it does.” She thought about changing the subject, she didn’t want to talk about herself because she didn’t wanted to be reminded of who she was before today, she was someone different today even if it was for one day it didn’t make any difference to him he would be gone and that would be that. “What do you like about Melbourne?” she asked
He shrugged his shoulders “It’s like any other city it has an airport, buildings and things to look at.”
She laughed at his answer “So how many times have you visited Melbourne?”
“Countless. Couldn’t say.”
“And you have never visited any of it.”
“Nope, not unless you call the Hilton or the Hyatt a landmark.”
“Have you seen Chloe?”
“Who’s Chloe?”
“You don’t know who Chloe is?”
“I’m supposing she is a female”
“What about the Shrine?”
He shook his head
“Captain cooks cottage? M.C.G? Old Melbourne gaol? The Edge?”
“The What?”
“What about our newest park?”
“Melbourne has a new park?”
“Birrarung Marr.” She smiled when he gave a puzzled look “As you have absolutely no understanding of Melbourne and you are trying to persuade a Melbourne based company to jump into bed with you I suggest you at least taste some of the culture, spend the afternoon with me and we will check out at least some of the sights.”
He picked up his shake and looked at her as he sucked on the straw, he could think of worse ways to spend the day, looking into his computer for the rest of the afternoon and evening would be one of them or he could spend it with the pretty woman who did things to his body that no woman had done for a long time.
“You’re taking a bit of a gamble to be asking a complete stranger to spend the rest of the afternoon with you.”
Prickles and heat ran along her skin the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, he was right and while Becky would wave to the danger and would probably get a thrill from it.
Sensible practical Rebecca headed the warning, she went into her bag and got her phone, took a photo of Lucas typed in some details and sent it to her facebook faster than he knew what had happened “Well I just told my mum, my best friend, my boss and my co-worker that I would be spending the afternoon with you Mr Lucas from PEH” she smiled and tilted her head “so they know who you are.”
“I could have made up my name and the company I work for”
“Ditto Mr Lucas, I could be a spy for that company you are trying to buy.”
“What’s the name of it?”
Damn! He was good. She smiled and slurped on her empty coke making horrible slurping sounds “That would be blowing my cover as a spy now, wouldn’t it?” She said pointing the coke in his direction, she put the coke on the table and looked up at him. “Ready to take a walk?”
She got up and loaded her bags.
He stared at her, it was going to be a fun afternoon “If we’re going to do this, I don’t want to walk around with my laptop lets go back to my hotel room.”
She smiled and raised a questioning eyebrow “Is that an invitation?”
He stood up beside her, at six foot three he was considerably taller than her five foot seven frame he took a step closer to her. With one hand on his laptop-case, his free hand scooted behind her back and pulled her close to him, he felt he body tremble at his touch which pleased him and he smiled slightly, lowering his voice he whispered “it could be if you want” he bent closer to her and watched her part her lips, his smiled widened. “Let’s go.”
Her eyes flew open, she knew because she felt them bugg out of her head and if she was in a comic strip they would have stretched out half way across the table. Holy hell she knew how to pick em.
This made him laugh he was going to milk this for a bit and enjoy every minute of it. He smiled, he tried the gangster smile and he leaned back in his chair and threw his arms behind his head.
She squirmed in her seat, she was going to die what the hell was she thinking, walking up to some strange guy, tease him and think she could get away with it.
The look on her face was priceless, her eyes darted looking for an escape, he smiled even more as she squirmed in her seat, he couldn’t do it to her any more.
She looked for other places she could sit she would simply excuse herself and sit elsewhere she spotted a spare seat by the wall she grabbed her tray.
As she grabbed his tray he put his hand on hers and watched her eyes as they flung from their joined hands to his eyes, hers were filled with terror. “I’m not a gangster. I’m a businessman.” He said
Relief washed over her, she let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding. She looked down at his hand that was still on hers. It was big and it entirely swallowed her small hand, it was warm and maybe it was her imagination but it felt like it was tingling and getting hotter.
It was time to come clean. “I work for P.E.H. I do the most of the deals I’m a negotiator.”
She picked up the spoon for her sundae and pointed it at him “Ooh I’ve heard of them, don’t they buy up companies that are in trouble or something.”
That would be a nice way to put it “Yeah something like that.”
She was relatively smart most, no, not most, all of the women he had dated had no idea who P.E.H were, let alone what they did. This woman in front of him not only knew who they were but some of what they did.
“So what has bought you to Melbourne?”
“A deal. I had two meetings this morning but the first fell through.” He ran a hand through his hair “so the second got cancelled and I have to try and fix it before hitting the office on Friday.”
She noticed the way he ran a hand through his hair she thought that it was obviously a gesture he did a lot probably more when stressed. “They’re a company based in Sydney aren’t they, do you live there?”
He laughed at the idea of living anywhere he only just thought of that earlier this morning didn’t he, travelling out of a suitcase the whole time “I have an apartment in Sydney but as I travel so often, I am rarely there.”
“Really? Wow you must see so much.”
The look of excitement in her eyes, he too had felt it when he originally landed the position some eight years ago thinking that it was his way of seeing the world, getting around the world he did, but actually seeing any of it and being a part of it, never happened.
“I travel a lot but I don’t get to see much of the cities or places I go, mainly I see airports hotels and boardrooms I might see a landmark as we drive past but that is about it.”
“But surely you get some time to yourself like now.”
“All well and good but who wants to see something alone and without anyone to share the experience with.”
The sadness in his answer made her heart ache, a man with so much and yet so little and she thought of herself with so little but she had been happy, hadn’t she?
“So what went wrong in the meeting?” she broke the apple pie in half, blew on it to cool it and nibbled into one half of it.
He looked into her eyes, did he tell her, perhaps if he said it out loud he might get an answer himself. He told her about the company how it was turning over a little more than one hundred million a year and his company would be buying from it using their products but wanting a substantial cut in the price, as the company was in financial trouble this would be their ticket to freedom. He told her of his research and what they had planned for the company he even told her how the director called him a ‘damn Sydneysider’.
“Well if the company is in financial trouble and your company wants goods at a cost that is going to seriously undermine their profits why would they?”
“Because our company is willing to buy them out, keep the company running exactly the same only take it global, their products are good, a hell of a lot better than any of its closest competitors they could make a fortune but the owners can’t see it, they don’t have the vision and they don’t know how to take their company to the next level.”
“Perhaps they don’t want to.”
“Who wouldn’t want a lot of money and prestige?”
“Money and prestige aren’t everything in fact most times all it does is buy more problems and usually bigger ones and if I get what you’re saying is, this is a mum and dad operation who have probably put their entire life into it, this would be like their child and you are asking for them to sell their child for what, so that your company can save a few bucks.”
He sat back flawed at her explanation, she should work for him, he gave her insight, he could work on angles that she gave him it would give him the upper hand when it came to dealing, he knew he was good but obviously not good enough, why hadn’t he seen that, he thought he had the answer to their problems all he gave them was another problem.
“What did you say you did for a job?”
“I’m a lab assistant.”
“For who?”
“Does it matter?”
“It might.”
“I don’t think it does.” She thought about changing the subject, she didn’t want to talk about herself because she didn’t wanted to be reminded of who she was before today, she was someone different today even if it was for one day it didn’t make any difference to him he would be gone and that would be that. “What do you like about Melbourne?” she asked
He shrugged his shoulders “It’s like any other city it has an airport, buildings and things to look at.”
She laughed at his answer “So how many times have you visited Melbourne?”
“Countless. Couldn’t say.”
“And you have never visited any of it.”
“Nope, not unless you call the Hilton or the Hyatt a landmark.”
“Have you seen Chloe?”
“Who’s Chloe?”
“You don’t know who Chloe is?”
“I’m supposing she is a female”
“What about the Shrine?”
He shook his head
“Captain cooks cottage? M.C.G? Old Melbourne gaol? The Edge?”
“The What?”
“What about our newest park?”
“Melbourne has a new park?”
“Birrarung Marr.” She smiled when he gave a puzzled look “As you have absolutely no understanding of Melbourne and you are trying to persuade a Melbourne based company to jump into bed with you I suggest you at least taste some of the culture, spend the afternoon with me and we will check out at least some of the sights.”
He picked up his shake and looked at her as he sucked on the straw, he could think of worse ways to spend the day, looking into his computer for the rest of the afternoon and evening would be one of them or he could spend it with the pretty woman who did things to his body that no woman had done for a long time.
“You’re taking a bit of a gamble to be asking a complete stranger to spend the rest of the afternoon with you.”
Prickles and heat ran along her skin the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, he was right and while Becky would wave to the danger and would probably get a thrill from it.
Sensible practical Rebecca headed the warning, she went into her bag and got her phone, took a photo of Lucas typed in some details and sent it to her facebook faster than he knew what had happened “Well I just told my mum, my best friend, my boss and my co-worker that I would be spending the afternoon with you Mr Lucas from PEH” she smiled and tilted her head “so they know who you are.”
“I could have made up my name and the company I work for”
“Ditto Mr Lucas, I could be a spy for that company you are trying to buy.”
“What’s the name of it?”
Damn! He was good. She smiled and slurped on her empty coke making horrible slurping sounds “That would be blowing my cover as a spy now, wouldn’t it?” She said pointing the coke in his direction, she put the coke on the table and looked up at him. “Ready to take a walk?”
She got up and loaded her bags.
He stared at her, it was going to be a fun afternoon “If we’re going to do this, I don’t want to walk around with my laptop lets go back to my hotel room.”
She smiled and raised a questioning eyebrow “Is that an invitation?”
He stood up beside her, at six foot three he was considerably taller than her five foot seven frame he took a step closer to her. With one hand on his laptop-case, his free hand scooted behind her back and pulled her close to him, he felt he body tremble at his touch which pleased him and he smiled slightly, lowering his voice he whispered “it could be if you want” he bent closer to her and watched her part her lips, his smiled widened. “Let’s go.”
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