to look at her legal team. Like they can help her somehow. Maybe the reality hasn’t sunk in yet.
Finally, she speaks in a low and raging voice.
“Yes, I know exactly who you are.”
“Good!” I declare and walk away to the head of the table. “We can get started then. I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”
Calvin clears his throat before taking the chair beside me. Blaire still looks suspicious, but she sits back down.
There’s a part of me that’s a little disappointed that she isn’t reacting violently to this revelation. It would have been fun to watch her lose her calm. At the same time, I can’t help but admire the way in which she’s handling herself. After all, she is the only woman in this room full of powerful men, but she’s not letting it impact her in the least.
Blaire is full of surprises.
“Mr. Collins can start by running through the preliminary findings that our research has shown on your company,” I say, and everyone turns to the file in front of each of them. “After that, we can present what we are going to offer.”
Blaire looks up from her file and stares directly at me. Her nostrils are a little flared, her pink lips are pursed angrily. Even though she’s trying to hide it, I can see she is battling the fury that is raging inside her.
“I would like to preface this meeting by saying that I haven’t made a decision yet and I won’t be doing so without thinking about it. There are many factors to take into consideration here,” she says, holding her chin up.
I nod.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Ms. Crawford.”
Blaire snaps her gaze away from me, but she knows I’m looking at her.
The meeting begins, and I wonder if this has all been worth it.
Yes, it has.
She is here. In my building. In my territory. Am I really willing to give anything to have her near me?
The meeting lasts approximately forty-five minutes, and even though Blaire has asked a sufficient number of questions, I can sense she has already made up her mind. She is not going to take the offer.
My legal team makes the official offer, presenting the contract to her team, who will comb through every word in it.
Blaire is the one who stands up abruptly, indicating that the meeting has now come to an end.
We all shake hands again and take courteous leave. Blaire keeps her distance from me, she doesn’t want to come anywhere close and put herself in a position where we have to shake hands too.
We pour out of the boardroom and the others flock in the direction of the elevator. Calvin and I stand back, and I notice the way Blaire stops in her tracks and turns around to me.
Her blue eyes are ablaze. She is clutching the file close to her body and then strides over in my direction. Like a rocket zooming towards its victim.
Calvin, who was right there beside me, abandons ship. I have no idea where he has disappeared to. Blaire’s heels click on the marble floor as she comes to a stop in front of me.
“I don’t know what game you think you’re going to win by pulling this prank on me!” she hisses.
“It’s not a prank of any kind. That was a serious meeting, and I’m hoping to get serious results,” I reply.
She shakes her head like she’s thoroughly disappointed.
“I can’t believe you would stoop so low just to prove a point.”
“And what point do you think I’m trying to prove?”
“That you can win. You can buy me off whenever you want. You can gain control over me just like that,” she rages and snaps her fingers for added effect.
I take in a deep breath and shove my hands into my pockets.
“Make no mistake, Blaire, I do not make substandard decisions as far as my business is concerned. This offer would never be on the table if I didn’t actually want to make it or if I didn’t think I would profit substantially from this deal. This could benefit us both, and it has nothing to do with where you live.”
Blaire takes a step back like she needs to get away from me.
“The deal is off. It never existed in the first place. This whole thing is a joke to you,” she declares.
I stare at her in silence. Yeah, it’s funny. Her reaction was hilarious, and sure it gives me a little boost to play her like