The Negotiation

Ricky stared at her, ignoring the hand she extended. For all he knew she would be twenty two! Wasn't she supposed to be a college student or anything other than what she had come to mean to his company; a terror? How could she manage to pull the stunt that had kept him awake at night thinking about? He felt ashamed for grovelling all those while to personally write and send those mails to her. For all he knew, J. K. Raymonds was only a woman, regardless of the business look she had, and he was going to get her to partner with his corporation, using everything possible.

Everything...

* * *

"So, what is it you want exactly, Mr. Mears?" Jade asked as soon as she strode with the confidence of a peacock into her office, where  Ricky had been directed to wait till she was through with her meetings. Now, amusement made her twitch her lips as she watched his fingers twitch in anger and obvious impatience. The wine he had been offered was left untouched, his stubborn jaw set in annoyance.

    "What do I want? You've kept me away from my office for twenty minutes and you..."

   "Twenty-two actually" Jade cut in, removing her navy blue jacket and arranging it in a hanger beside her office bathroom.

   "What?" Ricky asked, confusion and anger were reflected in his narrowed deep sea blue eyes. What the fuck did she mean after keeping him waiting?

   "You said I have kept you away from your office for twenty minutes. I calculated the time by my watch. It's twenty-two. A CEO should at least be able to calculate properly, or does he leave that to his lowly employees?"

   Ricky frowned, the power of speech completely eluding him. He was dumbstruck as he silently watched her make herself comfortable on her desk without a hint of regard to his presence.  Never had he been this insulted, especially by a woman. No one had succeeded in infuriating and yet turning him on at the same time, and not once had he been made to wait for anything. The day seemed to open his mind to possibilities he had never considered real in his life time. Here was a female who not only had the upper hand while dealing with him, but whose hostility and lack of acknowledgment of his maleness surprised him.

   Deciding that he'd taken enough of her ignoring him, he stood and slammed his both palms on the table, making a loud noise which sent her eyes flying up to his. Now he had her attention. Trying to control his breathing, he began, in a clearly unprofessional loud voice.

   "I've had enough of this."

   "Of what?" Her voice was cool, nothing warm that made one feel comfortable, and yet nothing cold that sent people running. She showed no emotion in her voice, as though she were merely robotic and didn't consider him worthy to be in her office. It infuriated him more, that well controlled attitude that made the person on the receiving end feel like an immature kid acting out of impulse.

   "Wow. So now we are playing dumb, aren't we?" He smirked sardonically, a slight upturning of lips that didn't meet his eyes. Jade waved the thought that quickly crossed her mind away; she didn't want to imagine how beautiful his eyes would be if his smile were sincere.

Jade walked from her desk to stand in front of him, leaning against the desk with her arms crossed under her breasts. All the while unconsciously making him wonder what it would feel like to have those heels click calculatingly towards him. He hated that she affected him strongly both emotionally and sexually; he hadn't wanted to wring a neck and also make wild love to its owner at the same time. All of this, coupled with his inward impression that the brain behind the whole work was female infuriated him. He made a mental note to get a woman that night, he needed a release from the frustration which came from one woman he had only met minutes before.

  Being this close to him, Jade was making him aware of the intoxicating feminine perfume she wore and the fact that her height on heels was almost to his level. Her presence for some reason made him feel nervous, which was quite all  new to him. Perhaps he had drunk too much wine the night before, he thought, which was the only logical explanation he could give to the way he suddenly wished to avoid and yet drown in her soft brown orbs.

   "Mr. Mears." Her voice was low now, drawing him back to the pressing issue that had driven him here.

   Sighing, she continued. "I am tired. I have a meeting with investors in five minutes. Therefore, I have no ounce of strength to argue with you. I clearly asked you what you wanted as soon as I came in, you just didn't want to reply. What then is the complaint for?" Heaving another sigh, she concluded before Ricky could get an opportunity to reply. "Fix an appointment with my secretary, you can have one employee come by when I have time within this week. My secretary will see you out."

   Before he could get the chance to say "To hell with you," which was exactly what was in his mind, she gathered her jacket and walked out, leaving him standing like a fool in her office. Cold sweat poured from his face, and irritation claimed his thoughts. The urge to punch the first thing he could get his hands on drove him strongly, and dark angry thoughts kept swimming in his head without sinking deep. He didn't know how much time passed with him simply standing and thinking of a strategy he would employ to get back at her and steal the deal from her, but he was surprised when his personal Assistant strode into the office, her expression baffled.

   "Erhm, Sir. You have a meeting with the investors from Hungary. They are threatening to go back if you are not in the conference hall in twenty minutes."

    "So? They're threatening me now?" Ricky's frustration ran through every word he spoke, his teeth clenching in evident anger.

  Ginger had no idea of what to say in answer to his question. It wasn't as though she hadn't informed him beforehand of the meeting. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly had transpired in the office they were currently in to piss him off, but whatever it was had gotten to him deeply. Although he had never been the polite cheerful boss in the months she had worked for him, she had never seen this enraged before either. Perhaps it had to do with the woman wearing a smug expression who had walked past her just as she was about to find her boss herself, full of worry that he had spent more time than required.

  "What the hell are you waiting for? Move it then." Ginger blinked at the high level of anger in Ricky's voice, suddenly wondering if he hadn't been the one wasting time all along. But instead of snapping back at him as she wished to, she planted a professional smile on her lips and followed him out.