Page 17 of The Brigadier
But I managed to get off and stood for a few seconds trying to get my bearings. It was so interesting, the difference in LA and New York. I’d been to downtown LA, although there were portions of the city that had been taken over by gangs, my father refusing to allow me inside them. Anyone who was rich stayed around Beverly Hills and a few other high-end communities. In New York, the heart of so much was smack in the middle of a busy downtown.
The energy was insane.
The electric mix of people entirely different.
And I had butterflies in my stomach.
I shored my shoulders and walked the two blocks to the building where I now worked. When I walked inside, the fresh look of marble everywhere was a reminder I was somebody. Somebody important.
Look out, world. I was going to make it big-time.
“I can’t stay on the phone long. I have additional paperwork to fill out,” I said in a hushed voice. My cubicle was in a busy area in the office, but the women around me were like vultures, ready to pick apart the new girl. Especially when they found out I was from LA.
Sonya laughed. “Working girl. I am taking you to lunch today. Period. You do get lunch, right? Or are you working at a sweat shop?”
“Very funny. Yes, I get lunch.”
“I’ll be outside your building at noon. There’s a fabulous deli less than a block away. Okay? My treat.”
“O-kay but we’ll need to hurry.”
She laughed again before ending the call. I checked my watch, a Rolex my father had given me when I’d graduated college. I’d seen the other women staring at it. They were smart enough to know it was costly. Maybe I should have worn my old favorite from when I was a teenager, a colorful Swatch.
The office manager, Betsy, suddenly appeared at the cramped desk. “There is a floor-wide meeting in ten minutes. Trust me, it won’t last long and you can enjoy your lunch. Mr. Davenport is quick to highlight his information on what he calls enemies in the business. That’s just a brazen way to say he refuses to allow our competition to kick our asses.”
She’d been exceptionally nice to me, so much so I wasn’t certain if her saccharin sweet crap was nothing more than a game to get points with the boss.
“Whew. Okay. Where?”
“Believe it or not, there’s a small auditorium-style room on the floor below. You’ll find it.” She smiled and was prepared to walk away when she glanced at the women in close proximity, leaning over. “Don’t allow his gruffness to be too off-putting. But never, ever get in his crosshairs. If you do, he’ll make your life miserable. At least you’re his type.”
“His type?”
She lifted a single eyebrow. “Sadly, I think you’re going to find out.”
I couldn’t catch her before she walked away. What was she getting at? Yes, the man had a rather brutal reputation in the industry, but his type? A cold shiver trickled down my spine. Nope. I wasn’t going to partake in whatever fear she obviously had.
Ten minutes later, I followed the trail of women down to the auditorium. It was really a glorified conference room the size of a high school auditorium, but much better equipped with a beverage station, media works all around the room, and amazing lighting.
However, most of the people sat as far back from the stage as possible. By the time I slid into the space, it was standing room only near the front. Shit. I only hoped he wouldn’t notice me. That wasn’t my intent.
I did my best to be a wall fly and only three minutes later, the lights lowered and a few bars of theRockytheme belted out in the expansive room. Was the man kidding me? I also had heard how arrogant he was, but good God. I did my best not to laugh, covering my mouth.
When the lights shifted back to where they’d been before, I realized I was only fifteen feet from the most arrogant-looking man I’d ever seen in my life. And I was a damn good judge of character. My father had honed my observation skills. He’d grilled me over the years because he’d said that if I knew my opponent cold, I’d never be caught being kidnapped or worse. I sized Davenport up in a dead ass heartbeat.
Tiny cock.
Making up for it with arrogance.
A man who thought his shit didn’t stink.
A man who believed he could have any woman he wanted.
Someone you wouldn’t want to be caught in a darkened space with.
And a big scaredy cat. When push came to shove, he’d back down.
Hmmm…