Page 20 of Under the Mistletoe
“That’s right.”
“Advising him on what, exactly?” His innuendo drops thick like tar.
“What exactly are you alluding to, Mr. Jasper?” As introverted as I am, I’m no pushover, and despite my role or the fact that my boss is here somewhere, I’m not going to let any man imply my role is anything more than it is.
“Not alluding to anything, Miss Johnson… but given Donovan hasn’t stopped looking at you all night, I think I know what’s going on here…” Yep, asshole. I knew it.
“I have no idea. Why don’t you tell me what you think you know.” I fold my arms across my chest, ensuring my body language isn’t welcoming.
He huffs a laugh like I amuse him. “It’s clear you’re sleeping together. But Donovan doesn’t usually bring his fuck buddies to these events.”
I was expecting it, yet his words still take me by complete surprise.
“We’re not… together, nor are we… buddies.” Not yet, I think to myself as Marcus now looks at me, a little unsure.
“You know, you're a pretty girl… You don’t have to pretend you know anything about business. If you want more social media followers, I would be more than happy to leak some photos of the two of us… maybe in a compromising position. Those kinds of images get the most attention.”
My blood boils. I can feel steam coming out of my ears. I take a deep, calming breath before I respond.
“Well, given that the stock market over the past two weeks reflected the fact that Jasper Holdings has moved money into various small enterprises out of Vietnam, all of which combined leave a question mark around market collusion. Not to mention, those businesses your company purchased don’t meet anti-slavery laws nor, dare I guess, workplace safety, workplace ethics, or pay equitable wages to staff, probably even employing minors for cents on the dollar an hour. It seems that perhaps you have your hands full with your own messy situation to worry about whether Donovan or I are ‘fuck buddies.’”
His eyebrows rise as the smarmy smirk he had on his face dips a little.
“I may have underestimated you.”
“Most people do.” My gaze doesn’t move from his. I hold my head high, my jaw tight.
“You better watch yourself, Miss Johnson. This industry can be brutal.” His eyes are not kind as they narrow, and the slight anger I felt moves into fear.
“Is that some kind of threat?” I raise an eyebrow, trying to remain confident, even though I'm dying a little inside.
He grins. “I just want to ensure you have all the facts.”
I swallow hard as my hands grip on to my purse, then I feel a warm hand at my back and a strong arm pull me in. The tension and fear immediately dissipate, and I let go of the breath I was holding.
“You better take a fucking step back,” Donovan growls, keeping his voice low, murder in his eyes.
“Hmmm, coming to her aid just like a knight in shining armor.” Marcus laughs, but I don’t miss that he does exactly what Donovan asks, taking a step back.
“Are you ever not an asshole, Marcus?” Donovan positions himself purposefully between Marcus and me. He isn’t happy, but with a room full of people, there isn’t much he can do.
Marcus looks at him with not an ounce of respect.
“Seems you’ve got yourself a live wire here, Donovan. She’s talking about things she doesn’t understand; plus, she brought the media along for the ride.” Marcus lifts his head to the front of the venue, pointing out the small contingent of media that still sit there, waiting. For what, I’ve got no idea.
Donovan stiffens. “I can assure you, she knows what she’s talking about.”
“You may want to keep her on a leash. Wouldn’t want her smart-talking business tongue to get her into trouble.”
“Just because you treat the women in your life like bitches, Marcus, doesn’t mean the rest of us do. I suggest you muzzle yourself and leave my people alone.”
Whoa… who knew business events had so much bite? I can feel the anger rolling off both these men, and as I stand here, I understand that I’m the cause of it.
“We need to go. We have that other appointment…” I jump in quickly, trying to defuse the situation. When neither of them moves, I step around and grab Donovan’s hand and pull him along as I start walking to the exit. Unprofessional? Yes. But that’s been our theme all night, so I’m just going with it.
Donovan’s eyes remain glued to Marcus, but he steps away from him slowly, coming with me, and our pace quickens as we head out the door, Gordon already scurrying to open the car door for us.
Donovan continues to scowl, his hand firmly in mine as we dodge more flashing cameras. I had no idea it would be like this, and I try to calm my racing heart as I slide into the back of the car and Donovan follows me, the two of us remaining quiet until the door closes and we pull away from the curb.
