Read Online An Executive Decision by Grace Marshall - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Grace Marshall
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‘Marston’s not easy to work with, and who can really blame him. I mean the man’s in a real bind, isn’t he? He knows, as we all do, that anything Pneuma Inc. can offer him now would, sadly, be little more than a stop-gap. The man runs paper mills. He clearly needs trees, not environmental woo-woo.’ He shrugged. ‘And I can get the man what he needs at a good price.’ He offered her an embarrassed grin, like he’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. ‘Do forgive me, Tally, it’s very unprofessional of me to be speaking to you about such things. Conflict of interest and all, but I figured you would overhear enough to suspect who I was talking to, and I’m sure –’ he leaned closer ‘– I can count on this to be our little secret. Can’t I? No harm done.’
She chuckled softly and leaned forward into his gaze. ‘We’re not on the clock now, are we, Mr Jamison? Besides, I’ll be turning Marston over to Dee Henning, so it really doesn’t matter to me. I mean, I’d like to see Marston get what he needs, of course I would. He’s a bit of a tyrant, but ultimately he’s a good man, and lots of jobs depend on the choices he makes for his paper mills, people’s livelihoods, you know?’ Oh, she had learned to talk the talk quite well after Beverly died; fat lot of good it had done her. ‘The man’s got to do what he’s got to do, doesn’t he?’
‘Precisely, Tally, precisely. I’m glad we’re on the same page here. I had heard you’re noted for your practicality. No small gift in the business world, as you know, and it must be even more important, if unappreciated, when you work in the realm of such dreamers as Thorne and Crittenden.’ He motioned the bartender to bring her another champagne, then leaned still closer, so close he could have almost kissed her, and she was just drunk enough to have let him. But what happened next was even better than a kiss. ‘Tally, we’d both like to see Marston get what he needs, to offer him a way to protect all of those jobs, and I think we both know what Ellis has to offer isn’t going to cut it, don’t we?’ He touched her hand very gently. ‘You don’t have to answer that.’ His breath against her cheek smelled of expensive whiskey, which blended nicely with the scent of wealth he exuded, and her pulse somersaulted in her throat. Whatever it was he was playing at, she couldn’t say she didn’t like it.
‘What would you say to working together, the two of us?’ His lips were almost brushing her ear, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Her stomach did a dangerous flip-flop, a flip-flop that quickly migrated to her already racing pulse. She sat up straight on her stool, the fizz making her slightly dizzy, that alcohol-steeped feeling of suddenly being in a box of cotton wool leaving her in need of a reality check. ‘You want me to work for you?’
He held her in a gaze that made her feel exposed – not naked. There was nothing sexual about it, but it was like he could somehow see inside her head, through the alcohol buzz threatening to escalate beyond the limits of even feigned sobriety. Just when she was feeling like the better part of wisdom might be a quick escape, he offered her a boyish smile that made him look considerably younger than he was, and considerably less threatening. ‘Actually, what I had in mind was something along the lines of one of Thorne’s famous win-win deals, Tally; something that would give us both exactly what we want. If you’ll give me the chance, if you’ll trust me and work with me, we can not only get Marston what he needs, but we can make sure when the dust settles, you are happily ensconced in that huge corner office that used to belong to Beverly Neumann.’ His smile broadened and morphed until it was only slightly less than dangerous. ‘Or quite possibly something even better, if you like.’
Chapter Eight
Dee’s first day on the job, Ellis cleared his calendar and spent the time
She chuckled softly and leaned forward into his gaze. ‘We’re not on the clock now, are we, Mr Jamison? Besides, I’ll be turning Marston over to Dee Henning, so it really doesn’t matter to me. I mean, I’d like to see Marston get what he needs, of course I would. He’s a bit of a tyrant, but ultimately he’s a good man, and lots of jobs depend on the choices he makes for his paper mills, people’s livelihoods, you know?’ Oh, she had learned to talk the talk quite well after Beverly died; fat lot of good it had done her. ‘The man’s got to do what he’s got to do, doesn’t he?’
‘Precisely, Tally, precisely. I’m glad we’re on the same page here. I had heard you’re noted for your practicality. No small gift in the business world, as you know, and it must be even more important, if unappreciated, when you work in the realm of such dreamers as Thorne and Crittenden.’ He motioned the bartender to bring her another champagne, then leaned still closer, so close he could have almost kissed her, and she was just drunk enough to have let him. But what happened next was even better than a kiss. ‘Tally, we’d both like to see Marston get what he needs, to offer him a way to protect all of those jobs, and I think we both know what Ellis has to offer isn’t going to cut it, don’t we?’ He touched her hand very gently. ‘You don’t have to answer that.’ His breath against her cheek smelled of expensive whiskey, which blended nicely with the scent of wealth he exuded, and her pulse somersaulted in her throat. Whatever it was he was playing at, she couldn’t say she didn’t like it.
‘What would you say to working together, the two of us?’ His lips were almost brushing her ear, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Her stomach did a dangerous flip-flop, a flip-flop that quickly migrated to her already racing pulse. She sat up straight on her stool, the fizz making her slightly dizzy, that alcohol-steeped feeling of suddenly being in a box of cotton wool leaving her in need of a reality check. ‘You want me to work for you?’
He held her in a gaze that made her feel exposed – not naked. There was nothing sexual about it, but it was like he could somehow see inside her head, through the alcohol buzz threatening to escalate beyond the limits of even feigned sobriety. Just when she was feeling like the better part of wisdom might be a quick escape, he offered her a boyish smile that made him look considerably younger than he was, and considerably less threatening. ‘Actually, what I had in mind was something along the lines of one of Thorne’s famous win-win deals, Tally; something that would give us both exactly what we want. If you’ll give me the chance, if you’ll trust me and work with me, we can not only get Marston what he needs, but we can make sure when the dust settles, you are happily ensconced in that huge corner office that used to belong to Beverly Neumann.’ His smile broadened and morphed until it was only slightly less than dangerous. ‘Or quite possibly something even better, if you like.’
Chapter Eight
Dee’s first day on the job, Ellis cleared his calendar and spent the time
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