Page 2 of Her Prince in Disguise
Everyone waited while Harold shuffled through his papers. He glanced at Andi, lifted his fluffy, grey eyebrows and nodded pointedly.
Andi understood the silent message.
Sitting up straighter, Andi laid a hand over her notes, not needing to check them because she’d already memorized the details.
“The fourteen point eight percent variance in gross contribution is caused by…” Andi went on to explain that the cost of production on five of the current products had been higher than expected because of a better than anticipated launch last month, but that there were also several weather related delays that created higher than anticipated costs. She explained several more points, not going into detail unless the handsome stranger requested clarification.
As she looked into his piercing, dark eyes, Andi had to scramble to keep up with his fast-paced questions and ignore the pounding of her heart. During the spare breaths between questions, Andi reassured herself that she was just excited about the challenging questions and the opportunity to prove herself in front of Harold. But deep down, she knew that the fluttering in her stomach was something more significant. And more dangerous!
However, after several minutes of grilling, and scowls, Andi’s temper flared. Why was the man irritated with her answers? What was up with the angry expression? Her answers were spot on and she could even cite specifics to back up her explanations! The man hadn’t challenged any of the other directors’ responses like this!
Every time she thought that he was finished, that she could finally relax like the others, he snapped another question at her. While the other directors had answered questions for perhaps five or ten minutes, the jerk interrogated her for more than fifteen. She continued to answer, even giving additionalinformation when he asked a follow up question. But with every harsh question, Andi’s anxiety grew. Why was he asking for more information than he’d asked of the others?
Andi’s anger built with every question. Thankfully, she knew the data and was able to answer every question precisely and succinctly.
Finally, there was a longer pause. Andi held her breath as the man eyed her. She glared right back at him, frustrated that he’d interrogated her longer than necessary. Some of those questions had felt like a test, as if the answer wasn’t as important as seeing if she knew the data well.
Andi waited, tense and bristling, for the next round of questions. But the man at the head of the table merely stared at her. Thankfully, the scowl had vanished, but he continued to stare, almost as if he were mentally reviewing her answers. But towards what end?
Finally, those dark eyes moved on to the next person at the conference table.
Slowly, Andi deliberately released the stress from her shoulders. She must have passed the test, because Harold’s hand patted her arm before he leaned back in his chair.
After nearly ninety minutes, the meeting finally ended.
“Thank you, everyone,” the man said, his deep voice sending unwelcome shivers down her spine. He nodded to the group, then stood up.
Andi watched the handsome, arrogant stranger leave the conference room with a rising sense of…? What? This feelingwasn’t anger. Maybe a sense of injustice? Or perhaps…? Was this uncomfortable sensation…disappointment?
Impossible, Andi silently scolded herself. She was just annoyed and had felt singled out during the meeting. Sure, she was roughly twenty years younger than anyone else in the room. But at the age of twenty-eight, she shouldn’t be considered a “young’un” anymore. She’d done the research on the financial data, knew the answers, and had answered every question correctly and professionally. So, what was his problem?
Everyone left, obviously in a hurry to return to their offices and get answers to any unanswered questions.
Harold didn’t look at her, nor did he offer a nod of appreciation for saving his butt. Andi’s boss’s boss simply stood up and hurried from the conference room, leaving his coffee cup and dirty napkin behind.
Alone now, and a bit unsettled, Andi slowly gathered up her notes and stood, pushing the leather chair behind her harder than she’d meant to.
Who the hell was that man and why did he have to be so arrogantly blunt and impatient? Couldn’t he just…relax a little? The morale in this conference room would be much better if the ass wasn’t so…rude! And impatient!
It was equally surprising—and infuriating—that Harold, the chief financial officer, hadn’t even tried to answer the questions. He’d stayed completely silent, waiting for Andi to step in. And yethewas the one earning the big bucks!
Before she could decide her next move, the air seemed to crackle. The large, intimidating man from earlier stepped backinto the room. He was halfway to the chair he’d occupied during the meeting when he noticed her still standing there.
For several long moments, she simply stared. Dark, nearly black hair. Strong eyebrows over piercing, expressive eyes. And his lips—hard and unsmiling. Everything about this man radiated hardness and intimidation.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his tone clipped.
"I’m Andi…uh, Andrea McCormick," she replied, lifting her chin as annoyance and resentment bubbled inside her. Who the hell did he think he was? Obviously, some big shot—but underneath the title, he was still a jerk!
Unexpectedly, his gaze softened, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "You did a good job, Andi-uh-Andrea McCormick," he said, a teasing glimmer lighting his dark eyes. "What’s your role here at Raife Industries?"
A compliment? Thirty seconds ago, she would have sworn this man wasn’t capable of one.
Straightening her shoulders, she met his gaze without flinching. "I’m a financial analyst on Marty’s team. Martin Bloomberg. He’s the director of finance."
The corners of his mouth curved higher. "I’m well aware of Mr. Bloomberg’s position within the company," he said, the hint of humor making him even more insufferable. "But why were you here instead of Marty?"
Fair question. She tamped down her irritation—barely. "He was in a car accident this morning."
