Read Online A Sweet Deal (Crimson Romance) by Monica Tillery - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Monica Tillery
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reviewing our strategy to strengthen our position. It doesn’t seem likely to pass if Richard has anything to say about it.”
“Have you made contact with anyone at Morgan since your meeting with Richard?”
Yvette hesitated. Not only had she agreed that she and Richard would keep their distance, but after hearing him speak so passionately of his devotion to the company, she wasn’t as inclined to absorb it into Saffron. He cared for Morgan Confectioners in a way nobody else ever could. It was part of his history, a tie to both his childhood and his mother, something knitted into the fabric of his soul. Trying to convince him to give it up now felt wrong and ugly—almost predatory.
“I sent brief notes to both Michael and Richard to thank them for meeting with me and to keep the door open for future discussion.” She scanned her calendar. “Let’s see, that was a little over three weeks ago, and I haven’t heard from either of them. It’s my opinion that we need to revisit our game plan. Any further attempts to engage them will likely be seen as intrusive. They have our complete offer. If I contact them again before they respond, I’ll just be repeating myself.”
Her boss’s eyes narrowed. “So what you’re telling me is that it’s been almost a month since you’ve made any kind of progress on this account?”
Yvette shifted uncomfortably, but spoke firmly. “I felt that until we have something new to discuss, continuing to contact the Morgans would not be well-received. I think it would be wise for me to meet with the mergers and acquisitions team to freshen our strategy before approaching them again.”
“Very well. I’d like to see something on the calendar immediately. The longer this drags out, the less likely we are to come to an agreement.”
“I also think we should have a tentative list of alternative companies ready for research, should the Morgans ultimately turn us down.” Yvette would do her job, would approach this assignment with the same professionalism as any other account, but she knew more about the players than usual. How much could she reveal about Richard’s motivations without compromising herself?
The department head looked irritated, but agreed. “Fine. Compile it and send it to my office. I’ll keep it until our attempts with Morgan Confectioners are exhausted.”
Grateful to be out of the hot seat, Yvette gathered her files and calendar, ready to disappear into her office. The hint of a nagging thought persisted, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Tate, her assistant, met her in the hallway as she left the meeting, pressing message slips into her hand and briefing her on new developments. She listened with half of her attention, searching her brain for the source of the nagging thought as they strode down the hall towards her office. He continued to talk and set a stack of folders on her desk as she sat down.
“Would you bring me a coffee? I’m never going to make it through the afternoon at this rate.” She smiled up at Tate from her desk chair, determined to focus. He nodded and disappeared from the doorway, leaving her alone in the silent office.
Soft sunlight filtered in between the slats of her blinds, and the muted chatter and bustling of a busy workday beyond her walls floated through the room. Yvette had created her office space with such care, wanting to project an image that was both professional and welcoming. Some of her male colleagues decorated their offices as though they were reliving their college days, with basketball nets attached to doors and toys littering their shelves. She wondered how something similar would go over in her office, if she hung posters reflecting her teen interests or had dolls perched on her shelves. The playing field would never be level, and she had to make her peace with that, had to protect her professional image in a way her male colleagues didn’t. Her office space urged people to come in, to sit and stay
“Have you made contact with anyone at Morgan since your meeting with Richard?”
Yvette hesitated. Not only had she agreed that she and Richard would keep their distance, but after hearing him speak so passionately of his devotion to the company, she wasn’t as inclined to absorb it into Saffron. He cared for Morgan Confectioners in a way nobody else ever could. It was part of his history, a tie to both his childhood and his mother, something knitted into the fabric of his soul. Trying to convince him to give it up now felt wrong and ugly—almost predatory.
“I sent brief notes to both Michael and Richard to thank them for meeting with me and to keep the door open for future discussion.” She scanned her calendar. “Let’s see, that was a little over three weeks ago, and I haven’t heard from either of them. It’s my opinion that we need to revisit our game plan. Any further attempts to engage them will likely be seen as intrusive. They have our complete offer. If I contact them again before they respond, I’ll just be repeating myself.”
Her boss’s eyes narrowed. “So what you’re telling me is that it’s been almost a month since you’ve made any kind of progress on this account?”
Yvette shifted uncomfortably, but spoke firmly. “I felt that until we have something new to discuss, continuing to contact the Morgans would not be well-received. I think it would be wise for me to meet with the mergers and acquisitions team to freshen our strategy before approaching them again.”
“Very well. I’d like to see something on the calendar immediately. The longer this drags out, the less likely we are to come to an agreement.”
“I also think we should have a tentative list of alternative companies ready for research, should the Morgans ultimately turn us down.” Yvette would do her job, would approach this assignment with the same professionalism as any other account, but she knew more about the players than usual. How much could she reveal about Richard’s motivations without compromising herself?
The department head looked irritated, but agreed. “Fine. Compile it and send it to my office. I’ll keep it until our attempts with Morgan Confectioners are exhausted.”
Grateful to be out of the hot seat, Yvette gathered her files and calendar, ready to disappear into her office. The hint of a nagging thought persisted, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Tate, her assistant, met her in the hallway as she left the meeting, pressing message slips into her hand and briefing her on new developments. She listened with half of her attention, searching her brain for the source of the nagging thought as they strode down the hall towards her office. He continued to talk and set a stack of folders on her desk as she sat down.
“Would you bring me a coffee? I’m never going to make it through the afternoon at this rate.” She smiled up at Tate from her desk chair, determined to focus. He nodded and disappeared from the doorway, leaving her alone in the silent office.
Soft sunlight filtered in between the slats of her blinds, and the muted chatter and bustling of a busy workday beyond her walls floated through the room. Yvette had created her office space with such care, wanting to project an image that was both professional and welcoming. Some of her male colleagues decorated their offices as though they were reliving their college days, with basketball nets attached to doors and toys littering their shelves. She wondered how something similar would go over in her office, if she hung posters reflecting her teen interests or had dolls perched on her shelves. The playing field would never be level, and she had to make her peace with that, had to protect her professional image in a way her male colleagues didn’t. Her office space urged people to come in, to sit and stay
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