Page 88 of All That Glitters
“None taken.”
“You said you were planning to call Helen,” Ashton said, pulling Darien's attention briefly back toward him. “If it wasn't to drive, then why?”
“Ashton,” I whispered. I didn’t want any attention, but I wanted him to drop it. “We’re not here to discuss me. This is a meeting about you.”
“There’s no reason it can’t be about the both of us. Two birds, same stone.”
“I was planning to contact her about heading up my marketing department.”
“Did you buy her work contract, too?”
“No.” Darien’s smile was tight, but his eyes spoke volumes about his irritation with Ashton’s tone. “But her name is the one that continues to come up every time I ask about who I should talk to for motorsports marketing.”
“Really?” I hadn’t meant to say it quite that way but there were plenty of people in my position at other race teams all across motorsports that were just as good as me. And that was saying something because I knew how good I was.
It wasn’t ego, per se. But it was definitely confidence. I knew what I brought to the table as the VP of Marketing at Troye, Ltd.
“You used to race.”
“I did. I’m surprised you know that.”
“I know a lot of things people be surprised to learn. I didn’t know you were still interested in racing,” Darien added, his eyes moving between me and Ashton. I wondered if he was regretting any of this.
“I’m not, thank you.”
“Bullshit.”
“Ashton!” I couldn’t believe he said that. “Stop.” The one word was ground out through clenched teeth.
“I’ll sign with you right now if you agree to put her in one of the open seats.”
“Ashton.” I gripped his arm again, this time digging my nails into his skin. I didn’t care what it looked like, what Darien thought.
“Or… Open a second team that’s all women.”
I was on my feet so fast, Darien and Amber must’ve wondered what was wrong with me. I did my best to school my face into something more than frustration and anger, maybe something passive, but the slight smirk on Ashton’s face told me I’d failed spectacularly. “Would you excuse us, please?” I didn’t give anyone a chance to object. “Ashton.” I walked from the room, death grip on my purse, head held high. I wouldn’t make more of a scene than I already had.
I only had to wait a few seconds before Ashton joined me outside the conference room. I stalked down the hallway a bit until we were out of hearing distance. Hopefully.
I rounded on him. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Seems perfectly clear to me. What are you doing?”
“Trying not to strangle you.”
“How’s that working out for you?”
“Well, you’re still breathing. Please stop. Please just let it go about me driving.”
“No. Unless you can tell me you really don’t want to drive again, that you really don’t want to get in a car at Daytona… Daytona, Helen. C’mon…”
“What about you?”
“We’re not out here in the hallway breathing in construction dust to discuss me.”
“We’re here in this building to discuss you.”
“Until he mentioned you were on a list of names too.”
