Page 33 of Mad Rivals
But this? This stupid fucking meeting…yeah. I’m a little nervous.
I don’t want to fuck anything up, and I don’t want to come off looking like I don’t know what I’m doing. But I don’t.
I still have no clue why my dad gave me this project. I guess it sort of just fell into my lap. He’d planned on going to the bid walk, had an emergency and couldn’t attend, and let me handle it.
And here we are. Now the real work begins, and I assume today will be establishing timelines and planning out where and when our two companies will need to collaborate to ensure the smoothest possible build.
I’m out of my element here, and the irony of that strikes me as I walk into Starbucks to pick up two iced coffees. I have no clue if she has her own, but it can’t hurt to walk into a meeting like this with a gift, right?
I pick them up and trek down the block to the VBC offices located up on a high floor in a skyscraper—just like the Bradley Group offices a few blocks the other way.
I take the elevator up, and I’m met with a receptionist when I walk in. I’m carrying two coffees, and the fancy laptop bag I bought two nights ago specifically for this occasion is slung over my shoulder.
“Good morning, I’m Madden Bradley here for a meeting with Kennedy Van Buren,” I say to the attractive woman in her mid-twenties sitting behind the desk and eyeing me like I’m a piece of meat.
“Of course, Mr. Bradley. Right this way.” She stands from her desk, and her sleek dark hair is pulled back in a high ponytail that still falls to the middle of her shoulder blades.
She’s exactly my type, to be honest, but she’s also…
Well, she’s not Kennedy.
I have no idea why, but that’s who I’m interested in right now.
And truthfully, she’snotmy type.
She’s gorgeous, yes. Stunning, really.
Historically I’ve slept with more women with dark hair and dark eyes, but Kennedy has blonde hair and this interesting shade of eye color I still haven’t quite identified. Hazel, maybe. Sometimes they seem to glow green at me, and other times they’re an amber shade. I wonder what shade they turn when she’s being fucked.
I draw in a deep breath as I do my best to ward off the impending hardening of my cock at the mere thought of that.
Jesus, I have got to pull myself together.
Ponytail leads me to a conference room where I immediately spot four people gathered: the CEO of this place, his daughter, her friend, and some dude who already looks bored.
I suppose it slipped my mind that her dad was going to be here. And whoever she was texting about me, which is likely the friend I’ve already met.
I was too focused on the wordhotin that text to comprehend anything else it said.
“My apologies,” I say, entering the room. “I only knew Kennedy’s order.” I set the iced coffee in front of her.
She’s watching my every move like a hawk watches its prey, and she looks…differentas my eyes meet hers.
Something is different with her hair. It’s maybe wavier than usual. Her eye makeup is a little darker today, and she looks professional in a white shirt and skirt.
She looks prepared.
She looks like she put in some extra effort.
Was it for me?
She looks hot as all fuck.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, and those interesting eyes of hers are golden today.
The four of them stand to shake my hand, and I tear my eyes from her as I introduce myself to each of the men. I learn the bored dude is Dave from zoning, and Kennedy thought it would be a good idea to have at least one of the department heads sit in on our initial meeting.
The meeting goes surprisingly well. She’s prepared. I’m prepared. We establish a timeline, and her father, Dave, and Clem pretty much just sit back and listen.
