Read Online Thrust: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 2) by Sloan Storm - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sloan Storm
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hesitating, I shook my head. I had no reason to believe Marco was any closer to signing a deal with us than he was when we met with him. Staying in Monaco… It would be a waste of time. But, just when I was about to accept their invitation, I heard my cell phone chime and vibrate inside of my purse.
“Excuse me,” I said, reaching in my bag and removing it. “This will only take a second.”
Just then, the waitress approached and distracted the two of them long enough for me to check my message. It was Marco.
Come to my place. 2nyt. 8. Do u need me 2 send a car?
Hooding my eyes, I glanced up to see if either Bernard or Leopold were paying attention to me. They weren’t. I texted Marco back with a series of quick strikes, clacking my nails on the phone's tiny keyboard.
No. I can get there. C u then.
I slid my phone back in my purse. The waitress walked away and Bernard looked at me.
“Where were we, Dani?”
“New York…”
“Yes,” Bernard responded, snapping his fingers. “Will you be coming with us?
For a split second, I considered telling them about Marco’s invitation but then thought better of it. I’d keep the meeting under wraps. I already knew where they stood on the issue.
I shook my head.
“No, I’m going to stay behind for a day or two. I haven’t had any time off in months. I’ll take a flight back in a couple of days.”
Bernard eased back in the booth and grimaced.
“Dani,” he said, exhaling at the same time. “Leopold and I believe in you. We think that you have a lot to offer the firm and we are looking forward to the opportunity to extend partnership to you.”
I nodded. There was no point getting into a long debate about it and I actually didn’t disagree with them. It was time for me to close the deal and I should have pushed for it the night before.
I had no intention of making the same mistake twice.
Even so, he continued, driving his point home for emphasis. “You’re going to have to make serious progress here. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes.” I replied. “Crystal.”
Not long after, we said our goodbyes, and although they were polite, I was certain that the clock on their offer was ticking. I watched them walk away until both of them disappeared from sight. There had never been a time in my life when I’d had more on my mind than I did at that moment. But even with my concern over the deal with Marco, and even my own future, all of a sudden I found myself thinking about…
Serena.
I couldn’t explain why. I had no idea. Outside of our brief encounter at Marco’s penthouse, I’d forgotten about her, until now. But, knowing I’d see him again, for some strange reason the memory of her breakdown spilled into my awareness. Who was she? And why did she feel the need to warn me about Marco’s inability to love?
The situation I was in with Marco had nothing to do with love, nothing whatsoever . Still, I had a hard time ridding my mind of her grief. At the most basic level, my job required me to be a student of human behavior. Since joining, I’d been in my share of high pressure, high dollar negotiations. As a result, I felt as though I’d become a pretty accurate judge of people. In other words, I had a well-tuned bullshit detector .
And that’s what made Serena’s outburst so memorable. It seemed more than authentic, like it came from the core of her being. It’s hard to fake emotion like that - impossible really. In sharp contrast, Marco’s indifference stood in stark contrast to her despair. Perhaps that was the most troubling aspect of all. Even in our brief time together, I’d already seen that aloof, almost dark part of his personality.
Just then, the waitress appeared.
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked.
Her words snapped me out of my trancelike state. Looking up at her, I shook my head.
“No. No thank you.”
I watched her walk away. I chewed my lip, shifting my thoughts from Serena to my evening ahead with
“Excuse me,” I said, reaching in my bag and removing it. “This will only take a second.”
Just then, the waitress approached and distracted the two of them long enough for me to check my message. It was Marco.
Come to my place. 2nyt. 8. Do u need me 2 send a car?
Hooding my eyes, I glanced up to see if either Bernard or Leopold were paying attention to me. They weren’t. I texted Marco back with a series of quick strikes, clacking my nails on the phone's tiny keyboard.
No. I can get there. C u then.
I slid my phone back in my purse. The waitress walked away and Bernard looked at me.
“Where were we, Dani?”
“New York…”
“Yes,” Bernard responded, snapping his fingers. “Will you be coming with us?
For a split second, I considered telling them about Marco’s invitation but then thought better of it. I’d keep the meeting under wraps. I already knew where they stood on the issue.
I shook my head.
“No, I’m going to stay behind for a day or two. I haven’t had any time off in months. I’ll take a flight back in a couple of days.”
Bernard eased back in the booth and grimaced.
“Dani,” he said, exhaling at the same time. “Leopold and I believe in you. We think that you have a lot to offer the firm and we are looking forward to the opportunity to extend partnership to you.”
I nodded. There was no point getting into a long debate about it and I actually didn’t disagree with them. It was time for me to close the deal and I should have pushed for it the night before.
I had no intention of making the same mistake twice.
Even so, he continued, driving his point home for emphasis. “You’re going to have to make serious progress here. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes.” I replied. “Crystal.”
Not long after, we said our goodbyes, and although they were polite, I was certain that the clock on their offer was ticking. I watched them walk away until both of them disappeared from sight. There had never been a time in my life when I’d had more on my mind than I did at that moment. But even with my concern over the deal with Marco, and even my own future, all of a sudden I found myself thinking about…
Serena.
I couldn’t explain why. I had no idea. Outside of our brief encounter at Marco’s penthouse, I’d forgotten about her, until now. But, knowing I’d see him again, for some strange reason the memory of her breakdown spilled into my awareness. Who was she? And why did she feel the need to warn me about Marco’s inability to love?
The situation I was in with Marco had nothing to do with love, nothing whatsoever . Still, I had a hard time ridding my mind of her grief. At the most basic level, my job required me to be a student of human behavior. Since joining, I’d been in my share of high pressure, high dollar negotiations. As a result, I felt as though I’d become a pretty accurate judge of people. In other words, I had a well-tuned bullshit detector .
And that’s what made Serena’s outburst so memorable. It seemed more than authentic, like it came from the core of her being. It’s hard to fake emotion like that - impossible really. In sharp contrast, Marco’s indifference stood in stark contrast to her despair. Perhaps that was the most troubling aspect of all. Even in our brief time together, I’d already seen that aloof, almost dark part of his personality.
Just then, the waitress appeared.
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked.
Her words snapped me out of my trancelike state. Looking up at her, I shook my head.
“No. No thank you.”
I watched her walk away. I chewed my lip, shifting my thoughts from Serena to my evening ahead with
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