Page 32 of A Bossy Roommate
“And I shall be delighted to recount it all, my dear. And then you can enlighten me about what it’s like to reside with your employer.”
Whoa.
I almost drop my phone.
How does she know that? Yesterday, I only told her that we knew each other, but not from where or how. “How do you know he’s my boss?”
“Oh, I just joined the dots, my dear. This old bat possesses a keen intuition, you see. Plus, you mentioned you’ve just returned from work and you’re clutching his company’s annual report and brochures under your arm.” She laughs.
I look down and laugh too.Duh. “Good night, Hattie.”
“Good night, love.”
Now it seems both Gretchen and Hattie know more than they should about my living situation with my boss. Hopefully none of this will backfire.
10
EDEN
TWO DAYS LATER, THURSDAY
We board his private jet to Phoenix at about a quarter past six. During the early flight hours, Carter perfects his notes and talks me through his plan of action.
There are two major accounts he’s been fixated on. The first is Granger Estates, a commercial construction firm he had previously brought onboard for Legacy. According to Gretchen, it’s one of the biggest clients Legacy has managed to land, all thanks to Carter’s efforts. The other even bigger one is Harbor View Developments, a massive real estate company Carter wants to get his hands on.
They’re the ones we’ll be meeting at eleven o’clock.
All day yesterday, Carter had involved me in preparing a presentation that’s supposed to knock them off their feet and bring us that much closer to landing the account. I’d helped perfect the slides all day, aside from my normal tasks like scheduling, project coordination, and customer service. In the three days I’ve been there, it almost feels as if I’ve learned more than I did in the last three years at my sister’s firm combined,and it’s super fun doing so, especially when it comes to client relations. Interpersonal skills are a strength of mine, and I enjoy refining them.
When Carterand I enter the imposing Harbor View building, I can’t help but feel nervous, even though, or maybe because, it’s more of an unofficial, intimate pre-meeting between the two CEOs and Carter. Apparently, we represent one of the three construction firms still in the running, and the personal visit is meant to give us a glimpse of their company and get a better feel for their vision before the main presentation at Legacy next week.
“The board thinks we have no chance,” Carter tells me, his voice low.
“Our board? Legacy’s board?”
He nods. “When I first reached out to Harbor View, I didn’t expect anything to come from it, given that they operate on the other side of the country. Turns out, they are looking to expand on the East Coast, and that’s what made the difference and helped us get a foot in. Lesson is, it never hurts to ask. They invited Huxley to today’s meeting too, but he declined.” Carter looks at me darkly, straightening his tie. “Now, let’s prove our board wrong.”
“Challenge accepted. We’ll turn those naysayers into yay-sayers, let’s do it!”
The potential clients, Joe Walsh and Adam Baker, greet us and lead us to a conference room where we settle in around a large black table. Both men are somewhere in their mid-fifties, dressed casually, and I assume it’s to underscore the informal meeting. After the initial note exchange, Adam receives an urgent call and excuses himself, leaving his partner Joe to handle the rest. The conversation shifts to our team’sapproach to project management, and Joe asks some detailed questions. Carter answers all of them with ease, and I interject with additional information. We’re a great team, highlighting Legacy’s focus on communication, organization, and efficient problem-solving.
Joe seems increasingly impressed. “I can see why your company has such a strong reputation in the industry.”
“We’ve worked hard to earn that reputation,” Carter says. “It’s the result of our team’s dedication to consistently delivering top-notch solutions and building meaningful, lasting partnerships.”
From there, Carter dives into the plans he has for Harbor View, showing some of the glossy brochures we brought along. Watching him, I’m in awe at his “No BS” approach. His communication is clear and to the point. His vision ishuge. Carter has a talent for presenting groundbreaking, sophisticated ideas in an exciting manner, and in the relatively short amount of time he’s had, he’s managed to not just whet Joe’s appetite for more but also leave him with his jaw hanging wide open.
As we say our goodbyes and walk out of the conference room, Carter turns to me. “Good job, Eden. You really held your own in there.”
“I think we’re in good shape for the main presentation.” I smile, proud of him, but also of myself for contributing to such a significant meeting.
“We just need to keep up the momentum and reallywowthem with our pitch next week.”
From there wefly to Las Vegas.
I’ve never been to Vegas before, and unfortunately, I don’t really get a chance to enjoy the flight, or to relax. Believe me, I wouldn’t be more nervous if it was a real wedding, not justus playing dress-up for a photoshoot in bride and groom attire. The distraction of work helps my jittery nerves. Carter is on the phone working pretty much the entire time. So am I. Either I’m taking calls on my work cell and forwarding the important ones to him, or busy with other admin tasks.
He’s left me to organize everything for the wedding, and as his assistant, I’m there to make sure everything runs smoothly.