Page 6 of Possessing Paisley
Irritation settles itself right on top of my shoulders, and after a few minutes of sitting here being pissed off, I get to work. I won’t get the job if I don’t prove I’m capable and driven, and dammit, after that little meeting, I’m even more driven.
Not even an hour passes when there’s a knock at my door, and Adam pokes his head inside, wearing that same eerie, cat-caught-the-mouse smile. “Hey, Paisley.”
Before I respond, he steps into my office and promptly settles in one of the chairs.
“Good morning, Adam,” I reply slowly.
Am I about to get railroaded for the second time today?
“Dad, uh, I mean, Chuck just told me the good news.”
My skin prickles as I stare across the desk at my coworker. “What good news would that be?”
I start to reach for the stapler but stop myself. Throwing office supplies at my coworker is definitely not the way to get a promotion. Then again, if I throw it hard enough and it hits him in the head, he might not be alive to try for the promotion.Huh. Something to consider for sure.
“He told me we’ll be working together on the Callahan portfolio. Isn’t that great? It will give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
I swallow. Once. Twice. Three times. Each time, it gets harder because the sand that has somehow found its way into my throat is getting worse and worse.
Setting my hands flat on my desk, I rise and narrow my gaze at Adam. “I’m not sure what Chuck told you, but we will not be working together on the Callahan portfolio. I own that account, and I will work with them by myself as I already have told your father this morning. I am under no obligation to share any account with another employee, and I worked on my own to sign them with the firm.”
Pink blotches bloom on his pale cheeks. If I weren’t struggling so hard right now not to totally freak out on this dude, I might feel bad for him. It’s obvious from the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face that he sincerely thought I had agreed to share the account with him. Fucking Chuck. The guy is a snake in the grass.
“Chuck thinks it’s in the firm’s best interest to have both of us assigned to the Callahans. I have to agree with him, Paisley. People like the Callahans tend to trust men more with decision-making around their money, so having me work with you could be beneficial.”
Did I just hear him right? Did he just bring up the man card and think I’d turn into a puddle at his feet? Too bad for him, it went the other direction, and now I’m a raging fire.
“Get the hell out of my office, Adam. And don’t ever,” I raise my voice, “disrespect me like that again. Just because I have a vagina does not make me weak or less intelligent.”
Adam blusters as he stands, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean it like that, Paisley. There’s no need to get emotional.”
“Emotional? Why would I get emotional over the fact that your asshole father is trying to help your career along by taking accounts away from me that I busted my ass to get? Or that you insinuated that because I’m a female, I can’t handle such a large account by myself? Get the fuck out of my office before I get Human Resources on the line and report you.”
He stares at me for a long moment then rises to his feet, his eyebrows pinched. I do my best to stand as tall as possible and not let his towering height intimidate me. Up until now, Adam has always been professional around me, but now I’m starting to think I’ve been fooled. He might be a snake, just like his father.
“I really think you should reconsider this, Paisley.”
I stand at my open door, don’t say a word, and point out toward the hallway. As soon as he steps over the threshold, shaking his head, I slam the door behind him. Well, sort of slam. Not loud enough to create a scene for the entire firm but hard enough to give me a sliver of satisfaction.
These assholes want to doubt me because I’m a woman. Well, that’s their biggest mistake because I will work myself to death to prove them wrong. So fucking wrong.
It’s nearly one in the afternoon when my phone buzzes with a text message. When I pick up the device and look at the screen, I scrunch my nose. Kieran. Why the heck is he texting me? The fact that he has my number is annoying enough, but Bash insisted on giving it to all the top men. Then he took my phoneand programmed their numbers for me. Controlling bastard. All of them.
Kieran: I hope you’ve been eating throughout the day. I won’t be happy if you’re not.
Rolling my eyes, I huff as I type out a response.
Paisley: I didn’t think you were ever happy.
A sense of satisfaction rolls over me when three dots immediately appear on the screen. I don’t know why, but getting under his skin is fun.
Kieran: Paisley. Just eat the fucking snacks.
My stomach growls. I haven’t eaten anything all day or even taken a break. Maybe a walk outside would be good for my mood.
I dig through the brown paper bag and choose a few of the goodies to take with me.
As soon as I step out into the fresh air, I take a deep breath and smile as I rip open the granola bar. I should thank Kieran for his thoughtfulness because otherwise, I’d probably have gone without eating until tonight when I got home.