Page 15 of Broken Headboards
I’ve just had to fight and struggle for everything, you know?
You gotta know what it’s like being a woman in America. If you’re not at home with the kids then you’re somehow not the perfect mom and thereby not the perfect woman. If you do end up working, there’s a chance that guys will walk all over you. But if you act forceful and assert yourself, people will call you a bitch. But when a guy acts forceful, he’s a player and a rock star.
Well, I’m done with that.
I’m going to destroy everyone here in this competition.
We start walking out of the conference room together, but I stop as something catches my attention.
“What the hell is he doing?” I ask, watching as Willis goes down on all fours on the corner of the room, his head just a few inches away from the wall. Judging from the incessant shutter sound coming from his phone ever since the meeting ended, the guy hasn’t stopped snapping pictures.
“Probably trying to figure out the best way to sell himself as a human chair,” Austin replies, turning around to glance at Willis and cocking one eyebrow at the poor guy. “Seriously, I don’t even know why they bother. This isn’t a competition.”
“No, it isn’t,” I agree, making my way toward the elevator with him. Once we’re inside, I immediately regret being alone in a closed space with Austin. There’s something about him that’s...suffocating. And I’m not even sure if I mean that in a bad way.
“It’s just between the two of us, if you really get down to it.” Tapping the number to what I assume is his floor, he leans back against one of the walls and gives me a smile. Not a grin or a smirk, but a smile.
I hate to agree with him, but he has a point there. From everyone in that room, only the two of us have a real shot at nailing that contract.
Not that I’ll ever let him know that.
“Do you really think you stand a chance against me?” he asks again, as if not believing that I’m ready for him. “I’mtheAustin, of Oakmont,” he says. I swear, it takes every single nerve in my body to stop me from just yelling at him.
“Do you think you stand a chance againsttheTess, ofDomina?” I say back, giving him my most dismissive look at his ‘don’t you know who I am’ bullshit.
Neither of us reply. We just stare into each other’s eyes for a long second, electricity crackling in the air around us, and that’s when the elevator stops with its usualding. The doors slide open, and I wait for Austin to walk out. Instead, he just waves at me, performing a mocking bow.
“Ladies first,” he announces, straightening his back. “I thought we could do with a drink before we go our separate ways.”
“I thought this was your floor.”
“Nope,” he shrugs. “I just wanted to come to the bar and invite you for a drink.”
Jesus Christ. The balls on this one are huge. I’m impressed.
“Very well. But you’re buying.”
“Don’t worry. My company is doing well enough to cover your expenses.”
Bastard.
By the time we finally settle in by the counter, I can’t help but feel slightly intrigued by him. I had heard stories about him, and although I believe them to be true...I just had no idea that he is as interesting as he is arrogant. I thought he was a buffoon, one more asshole to add to the long list of idiots I have to deal with it on a daily basis. But, surprisingly, his charm is actually quite polished.
“Your company has never handled a project this big, right?” Austin asks.
As he nurses his whisky, he waves one hand at the expansive area of the bar. Sitting on the 40th floor, this one is actually reserved for the exclusive use of the residents, unlike the one on the ground floor. The glass panels that replace the outer walls stretch outward, diagonal to the ground floor, and give the impression that the room is about to take flight.
“No. But size isn’t everything,” I reply, my words like a whip. Smiling, I take a sip out of my vodka, the sting of it going down from my tongue to my stomach. “There are other things to be considered.”
“I agree. But you’ve got me curious now. Aside from size, what else is important to you?”
“Many things,” I glance at him sideways, dragging my thumb along the rim of the glass. “I like to have the whole package.”
“You’d be a demanding client, I can already tell.”
“Oh, no doubt about it,” I laugh, raising my glass in his direction. “I’d be the worst.”
“I’ve never failed a client before.” He doesn’t miss a heartbeat as the words rush out from his mouth. “I’m sure I wouldn’t let that happen with you.”
