to put the pieces together. Alec wasn’t meeting about some other contract. He’d gone over my head and finalized the Ultimate contract with my boss. Turning back to the bar, I took a long drink of the wine Alec had ordered for me, trying not to think about what all the control freak managed to change without my knowledge.
“Wait until you hear the good news, Izzy,” Tim said, barely able to contain his excitement. “We’re going on a cruise.”
“Who’s going?”
“You and Tim,” Alec chimed in. “You’re coming on the maiden voyage of Ultimate’s newest ship.”
“The Ultimate Fantasy,” I muttered, unable to believe what I was hearing. I’d declined the trip two weeks ago when Lily invited me. Going away would involve rescheduling dozens of meetings and that would put me even further behind than I already was.
“Yes, that’s the one,” Tim said.
“But that cruise departs Friday, as in two days from today.”
“Actually, you’re flying over tomorrow,” he said. “It’ll give you an opportunity to observe the crew’s processes before the passengers arrive.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out who came up with that bright idea. Control freak!
“Mr. Payne is sending his corporate jet to pick you up tomorrow night.”
I shook my head. “Of course he is,” I snapped, my nerve strengthened once again by the wine.
“That isn’t a problem for you, is it?” Alec asked.
Of course it’s a problem you control freak! I wanted to scream and yell and maybe even throw things, but I doubted Tim would appreciate any of those things so I opted for deep breathing instead.
“Izzy, this isn’t a problem, is it?” Tim asked in that ‘you better not ruin this for me’ kind of tone.
“Not at all,” I said finally. When I looked over at Alec, that wicked grin crossed his face and I blushed. Damn it.
“It’s settled then,” Tim said. “Alec, I’m sorry about how things went with your morning meeting but I’m glad it gave us the opportunity to finalize your contract with Dimarco.”
Alec shook his hand. “I’m happy we got that finalized too. It’s nice to meet someone who appreciates client expectations as much as I do.” Alec looked right at me. “And strives to meet them.”
“I’m afraid I have to get back to the office, but Izzy will email you the finalized contract later today.” Tim nodded at me then walked away, leaving us alone.
I took another drink from the wine glass I was now clutching. “I should go too. Apparently I have a contract that needs to be edited and emailed to a client today, along with all the other shit on my to-do list.”
“Maybe your client will give you until morning.”
“Doubtful. He’s a real control freak.”
“Maybe he just knows what he wants.”
I took another drink. “Maybe he needs to realize he can’t always get what he wants.”
“Says who?”
“The Rolling Stones for starters. They have a whole song about it.”
Alec laughed. “Fair point, Isabella, but I’m afraid I don’t subscribe to every belief someone has written a song about.”
I rolled my eyes. “So, what, you just expect people to give you what you want simply because you want it?”
“I expect a lot of things, but I never expect them to be given to me.”
“Then you don’t expect to always get what you want?”
“That’s not what I said. I work very hard to secure the things I want, Isabella.” Alec leaned toward me and pushed my hair off my shoulder. Goosebumps covered my neck then ran down my arm. “And what I want right now is for you to stop rolling your eyes at me.”
My insides quickened. I took another drink to strength my nerve. “Well, you’re going to have to work extra hard to make that one happen.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from rolling my eyes at him now.
He reached over and pulled on my chin, simultaneously freeing my trapped lip and making me squirm. “I guess I could learn to live with that,” he
“Wait until you hear the good news, Izzy,” Tim said, barely able to contain his excitement. “We’re going on a cruise.”
“Who’s going?”
“You and Tim,” Alec chimed in. “You’re coming on the maiden voyage of Ultimate’s newest ship.”
“The Ultimate Fantasy,” I muttered, unable to believe what I was hearing. I’d declined the trip two weeks ago when Lily invited me. Going away would involve rescheduling dozens of meetings and that would put me even further behind than I already was.
“Yes, that’s the one,” Tim said.
“But that cruise departs Friday, as in two days from today.”
“Actually, you’re flying over tomorrow,” he said. “It’ll give you an opportunity to observe the crew’s processes before the passengers arrive.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out who came up with that bright idea. Control freak!
“Mr. Payne is sending his corporate jet to pick you up tomorrow night.”
I shook my head. “Of course he is,” I snapped, my nerve strengthened once again by the wine.
“That isn’t a problem for you, is it?” Alec asked.
Of course it’s a problem you control freak! I wanted to scream and yell and maybe even throw things, but I doubted Tim would appreciate any of those things so I opted for deep breathing instead.
“Izzy, this isn’t a problem, is it?” Tim asked in that ‘you better not ruin this for me’ kind of tone.
“Not at all,” I said finally. When I looked over at Alec, that wicked grin crossed his face and I blushed. Damn it.
“It’s settled then,” Tim said. “Alec, I’m sorry about how things went with your morning meeting but I’m glad it gave us the opportunity to finalize your contract with Dimarco.”
Alec shook his hand. “I’m happy we got that finalized too. It’s nice to meet someone who appreciates client expectations as much as I do.” Alec looked right at me. “And strives to meet them.”
“I’m afraid I have to get back to the office, but Izzy will email you the finalized contract later today.” Tim nodded at me then walked away, leaving us alone.
I took another drink from the wine glass I was now clutching. “I should go too. Apparently I have a contract that needs to be edited and emailed to a client today, along with all the other shit on my to-do list.”
“Maybe your client will give you until morning.”
“Doubtful. He’s a real control freak.”
“Maybe he just knows what he wants.”
I took another drink. “Maybe he needs to realize he can’t always get what he wants.”
“Says who?”
“The Rolling Stones for starters. They have a whole song about it.”
Alec laughed. “Fair point, Isabella, but I’m afraid I don’t subscribe to every belief someone has written a song about.”
I rolled my eyes. “So, what, you just expect people to give you what you want simply because you want it?”
“I expect a lot of things, but I never expect them to be given to me.”
“Then you don’t expect to always get what you want?”
“That’s not what I said. I work very hard to secure the things I want, Isabella.” Alec leaned toward me and pushed my hair off my shoulder. Goosebumps covered my neck then ran down my arm. “And what I want right now is for you to stop rolling your eyes at me.”
My insides quickened. I took another drink to strength my nerve. “Well, you’re going to have to work extra hard to make that one happen.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from rolling my eyes at him now.
He reached over and pulled on my chin, simultaneously freeing my trapped lip and making me squirm. “I guess I could learn to live with that,” he
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