Page 102 of Return Billionaire to Sender

Was that an insult? I can’t tell; my mind spins way more on what Malcolm said, because, hello?! He’s learning empathy? Is he actually saying that he is learning empathy? From me?

“Theactualwork?” Soren asks. “As opposed to what, exactly?”

“I’m just saying she’s getting results,” Malcolm says. “She’s doing the impossible, with her very innovative methods.” He turns to me. “Maybe you should write a book, too, Elle.”

Oh my god, is Malcolm just completely messing with Soren?

“I would never write a book,” I say, and then I polish off the last of my drink. “And I’m sure Verlaina is bored to tears of this shop talk.”

“Oh come on, now, I can’t wait to hear this,” Soren says, turning to me. “So what are your very innovative methods, exactly?”

“They’re not really that innovative,” I say. “I’m sure they seem that way to Malcolm considering he’s managed to pay off all of his anger management and soft skills coaches up to now.”

“Not innovative? Are you kidding me?” Malcolm says. “For my intro session, she came dressed as a letter carrier. I’m sure that’s not a common approach.”

Soren looks at me, skeptical. “You dress as a letter carrier? To what purpose?”

Needless to say, the diarrhea excuse is looking pretty good right about now. “I-it was the program that I designed,” I say.

“Right. But why?” Soren says. Because apparently that answer doesn’t work as well on him as it did on Malcolm. His new drink is delivered.

“It’s just the program.”

“Seems…odd,” Soren says, giving me a quick, efficient frown.

“It’s complicated,” I say.

“I think I should be able to comprehend it,” Soren says, clearly taking insult. My pulse races. I really want to swig more bubbly now, but my glass is empty.

Malcolm cuts in to tell Soren how I’m forcing him to watch video of people whose building is being torn down. “Hours of footage of the people,” he says. “The best part is her mail-carrier-themed advice. Like the big dog, little dog thing?” He looks over at me. “And that anecdote about the lost dog? It was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant,” he says, going on to explain the way he used it in his negotiation.

Soren stares at me, stunned. “Let me get this straight. You tell your clients mail-carrier-themed anecdotes and force them to watch video of people on the other end of their business operations? What is the thinking there?”

“It’s just…the program—”

“I understand—the program that you designed,” he snaps. “But why design the program in the first place? Is there some protocol or rubric that you are drawing from? Or did you just make it up?”

“That’s…” My pulse races. “That’s proprietary.”

“Excuse me?” he says. “Proprietary vis-a-vis the Bexley Partners? I thought you said you designed it.”

“Yes, I designed it. It’s proprietary vis-a-vis myself.”

24

Malcolm

“Proprietary vis-a-vis yourself,”Soren says.

I bite back a smile. The man is a blowhard.

Which is just one of the many reasons why it’s so hilarious that Elle refuses to explain herself to him.Proprietary. I want to kiss her. I never imagined our cocktail hour would be quite this entertaining.

“Well…” She shrugs apologetically. “Yeah. Vis-a-vis myself.”

“So basically what you’re saying is that you want to keep it a secret from me,” Soren says. “You don’t want me to know. Can I ask you why not?” he demands.

I struggle to keep my face neutral. Usually it’s me upsetting people.

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