Page 2 of Unconventionally, Elle
When Mr. Guidry and Paul arrived, I shook everyone's hands firmly and walked to the front of the room for my presentation. Throughout the hour, I noticed Chris leaning in to speak with Mr. Landry while Mr. Guidry watched me emotionlessly. I was interrupted a few times for questions directed toward Mr. Landry and Chris. I didn't exist, yet Chris was front and center.Where does he get this arrogance?My anxiety started to flutter in my chest, and I shifted my weight from foot to foot. Mr. Landry looked at me and narrowed his eyes, but I smiled back and listened intently to Chris's explanation. I felt humiliated and small. Chris's nasal voice flowed through the room and made my skin crawl with disgust.
I tried to answer a question, but Mr. Guidry looked at me down his crooked nose and then back to the others. The second time I tried to answer a question aboutmyproposal, Mr. Guidry snapped at me with a snarling growl and narrowed eyes. "Young lady, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm not sure an assistant needs to be involved in the conversation." His lip was curled, and I noticed Chris smirking.
Mr. Landry glared at me, his expression daring me to speak again.
Anger boiled in my chest. Sweat gathered at the nape of my neck even though the room was frigid and sterile. This wasn't the first time in my career that men had assumed I was an assistant. Paul knew I was the one who'd put the entire proposal together, but he made no move to stand up for me. He sat there fiddling with his fingers, avoiding the plea in my eyes.
"Excuse me, sir." I glared at Mr. Guidry once he finished talking down to me. "I am not the assistant on this account. I am the broker. I put this entire thing together and have worked with Paul on it for months. If you have any other questions, I wouldbe happy to answer them." I felt my legs start to shake. The adrenaline was coursing through my body, and I could feel every nerve tingling with anticipation of fight or flight.
Mr. Guidry's eyes widened in shock, completely gobsmacked, and Paul went white. Mr. Landry and Chris were silently glaring at me. I could feel the tension in the room, thick and heavy, as it became harder to breathe normally. All eyes were on me. I cleared my throat and finished the presentation without another interruption.
After the meeting concluded, Paul caught my eye before I could walk out and motioned for me to come over to him. He looked sideways to make sure everyone else was out of the room before speaking. "Elle, your proposal was fantastic. Truly, it was," he said with a broad smile.
I snorted and rolled my eyes.Yeah, it went swimmingly.
"I know Mr. Guidry loved the proposal. I..." He trailed off, thinking about what he wanted to say. "Look, I know Mr. Guidry ignored you a little bit. I guess he thought that the other fellow was the broker on the account, and--"
"He thought I was just the assistant. I know!"
Paul grimaced at my sharp tone. "He was obviously wrong. Elle, there's no one like you. Remember, I appreciate you. Please know that." His lips curved into a gentle smile as he touched my shoulder.
"Thank you, Paul." I sighed and picked up my papers from the conference table. "I'll see you later tonight for drinks."
He shook his head absentmindedly. "Yep, sounds good." He looked to the door. "I'll catch you later, Elle."
I followed Paul out the door and turned to shuffle back to my desk. Men were exhausting, and that proposal had gone about as well as trying to swim upstream in the Mississippi River.
"How'd it go?" Anna asked as she approached me in the hallway.
"Chris was there." I shivered at the mention of his name.
Before she could answer, we were interrupted by the man himself, Chris Johnson. "Hey, Elle, nice work on the presentation this morning." He said it with a sarcastic smile. His nose crinkled and his eyes narrowed while he stared at me.
"Thanks, Chris." My lips pressed into a forced smile, and a small throb began in my temple.
"C'mon, Elle. I'm serious. You do a good job making PowerPoints and stuff. It was good." He tilted his head with a sly grin and brushed off imaginary dust from his shoulder.
"Don't you have work to do or something?" My cheeks burned, and the throbbing continued.
He didn't miss a step. "You know that Calloway account is a big deal. Why don't we do it together? I could help you."
"Chris, what makes you think I need your help? I appreciate your offer, but no thank you."
He rolled his eyes and leaned in close to me as if he were going to whisper a secret in my ear. Anna made a little gasp, but he didn't back away.
"All right, your loss." His voice was calm and sent a chill down my spine. "Paul thought it'd be a good idea, considering--well, never mind." He took a step back and looked down at me with a predatory grin. "You look hot when you're mad, Elle. It's all over your face, and I like it."
I almost vomited. My iced coffee was making its way up my throat.
He stood back and snickered at me, ignoring Anna. "Oh, by the way, I'm going out for drinks with Paul later. Ya know, guy time." He winked and turned to walk away, leaving me with my mouth open and shock spread across my face.
After Chris walked away, Anna grabbed my arm and pulled me into the restroom. I'd always wondered why there was a couch in the women's restroom. Now I understood. She pulledme down next to her and grabbed my hands. I was still in shock. Why didn't I say anything to him? Why did my mouth forget how to move?
"Elle, are you okay? You don't look okay. Has he done that before?" Her eyes were soft but her gaze intent. Her concern felt like a hug I didn't realize I needed.
I shook my head and laughed half-heartedly. "I'm fine. No, he hasn't. I'm good, it's no big deal."Um, it is a big deal, and my hatred for that man has no limits.
She sat back and shook her head. "No, Elle, that's a huge deal. You need to report him. He got in your face, Elle!" Her wide eyes and firm grasp made me look away. The last thing I needed was a confrontation or a scene with Chris Johnson. I'd never win.
