“I swear you chose that aftershave deliberately to get at me,” I blurted.
Shit! What did I say that for?
“What was that?” asked Devon.
“Oh, nothing.” I smiled. “Just saying good luck, but I’m going to get this contract.”
“We’ll see about that,” Grayson said. I’d almost forgotten he was there.
Both father and son might look alike, but their attitudes were polar opposites. Where Devon seemed approachable, Grayson would rather beat you with the stick stuck up his ass then greet you with a proper hello. I would love nothing more than to take him down a peg or two by not only winning Douglas as a client but have him know he lost to an associate.
The elevator arrived, and as the doors opened Devon stood aside to let me go first. “Please. After you.”
“Thank you.”
Hayley looked up and smiled. “You can all go straight in. Mr. Leeson is expecting you.”
I led the two men as we walked into Douglas Leeson’s office.
“Take a seat.” He pointed to three seats in front of his desk. I sat to the left, Devon took the chair to my right, and Grayson sat on the other side of him, as far away from me as possible. “I’ve got good news for you all,” Douglas announced. “I’ve shortlisted the potential law firms down to you two, and I’m planning on making my decision by tomorrow. Since this case is going to require you to think on your feet, I want you both to put together a presentation to deliver later today that covers all the reasons why I should choose you and what you can do for me that your rival can’t. Devon and Grayson, if you could be back here by two, I’ll listen to your proposal then; Rebecca, your turn will come at three thirty.”
“Great. Thanks, Doug.” Grayson smiled, reaching forward to shake his hand.
“Yes, thanks a lot,” I echoed.
“May the best man win.” Devon grinned at me, but I simply looked at him and knew the contract was going to be mine.
#
Back at the hotel, I looked over Miles’ notes. He’d put together a pretty impressive presentation that was slick and professional, everything I needed, but something in my gut was saying I had to look at this from another angle. Should I pick up the phone and dial Miles for advice, or should I go with this on my own and leave him alone? Miles would tell me just to go with what he had given me, but I just wasn’t convinced it was the right thing to do.
“Caesar and Krause have sent in their heavy hitters,” I said to myself, pacing the floor with my fingers pinching my chin. “I’m not on their level. This is not a war of egos. The question is, how can I compete against a legal giant? The prettiest girl in the world can’t make up for my lack of experience. So what can I do that’s different?”
That was when the thought hit me. Why didn’t I think of this before? As I started to write, I became more and more excited. I might’ve been the underdog as far as C&K were concerned, but if they thought I was going to just roll over and die, they certainly had another thing coming.
I scribbled away right up until the last minute, until I had to leave for the meeting. I barely had time to check how I looked; I was focused on getting it right. I arrived at Doug’s office just as Devon and Grayson were leaving.
“I’ll call as soon as I’ve made a decision,” I heard Doug say, and as the three men shook hands I saw a smile on Grayson’s face. The first one I’d seen since I met him.
“Don’t crack your face,” I said under my breath, as I walked into Douglas’ office.
“Rebecca,” he said warmly, as he led me in. “I must say that I’ve been really looking forward to what you have to say. I’ll warn you now, though. Caesar and Krause made a very compelling argument for why I should go with them.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find what I’ve got to say equally, if not more interesting.”
“Well, the floor is yours.” Doug leaned back in his chair, making himself comfortable, placing his arms on the armrests.
“When I saw who I was up against, I have to admit I was nervous. After all, it’s Grayson Caesar from Caesar and Krause, right, a seasoned vet against a rookie—who wouldn’t pick that kind of power over me? So I admit I can’t give you Grayson’s years of experience, but honestly, I don’t think you want that.”
“Is that right?” Doug sat up in his chair, intrigued.
“It is.” I nodded. “What you need is a fresh approach. It’s easy to become jaded after years in the legal profession—so many clients, your life becomes your job, everything is done by numbers, and you’ve seen it all before, but I’m new. I’m excited about the opportunities your business has to offer, and I’ve got the enthusiasm, not to mention stamina, to stay up all night, every night, if need be, to find those little loopholes you need to strengthen your case. I’ve been doing some research, and if you look at these documents, you’ll see that there’s a strong argument to say that you shouldn’t even see the inside of a courtroom, let alone having to defend yourself.”
I passed over some of the documents Miles had prepared, but I supplemented the work with my own. I gave Douglas some time to look over them.
“Let’s say that Grayson had already pointed this out to me,” he said. “If you’re both on a level as far as innovation is concerned, why wouldn’t I just go with the company that values my business enough to send in one of their top guys instead of the firm that thought a pretty face was all I needed?”
I refused to blush, but I was insulted. It wasn’t my decision to come here instead of Miles, and it wasn’t my fault that I was attractive.
“Well, aside from the fact that I brighten up your office with my sparkling wit and personality, do you really think that Grayson will give you the same level of personal attention once he’s got your contract in the bag?” I gave Douglas a moment to let that sink in. “If you’re lucky, you’ll see him at a meeting once in a blue moon as he passes things over to his underlings. Come to us, and you’re assured my individual touch at all times. I might not have Grayson’s standing, but I graduated top of my class and I’ve already built up an impressive number of wins. I haven’t lost a case yet. Besides, I think you’d get a kick out of giving the gossip columns something to talk about. It would lull your opposition into a false sense of security. Imagine what it would be like to have them think that I got the job because of my looks, and then bam! You’ve won the case. Admit it. You’d love getting one over on everyone.”
“I would,” Doug confessed. “However, there is still a lot to be said for having a partner on your side.” He thumbed through the documents I’d given him again. “Okay. I think I’ve made up my mind, but I just want to look into a few things to be sure. Come back in an hour and you’ll have my decision.”
“Thank you.”
“And whatever happens, Rebecca, I want you to know that you’re a phenomenal young woman and a very impressive lawyer. Remember that.”
As I left Doug’s office, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My adrenaline kicked in halfway through my speech. My skin was tingly and the world around me looked weird. I sat down for a moment before I pulled out my phone to give Miles an update.
“Any news?” He didn’t even bother to say hello.
“He’s thinking about it right now. He said he’ll let us know in an hour, so I’ve got to go back in a bit.”
“Did you get the impression that he’s going to give it to us?”
“It’s hard to tell. I think he likes me on a personal level, but you really should have come yourself, Miles, if not one of the partners. It’s between us and Caesar and Krause, and they sent Grayson in to bid. It’s hard to argue why he should go for someone relatively new over him.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ve done your best. I bet he didn’t have private dinner with Grayson on his yacht.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” I thought about what Doug had said to me about deserving better. “Look, when I get back, can we talk? About us, I mean. I really need to know where I stand and where we’r
e going. You said that you’d leave your wife if we won this account, but what if we don’t?”
Miles sighed. “Rebecca, you worry too much. Aren’t we fine as we are?”
I said nothing. Hoping he would get that loud and clear.
“All right, all right. If it matters that much to you, we can go out to dinner and talk.”
“Thanks, Miles. That means a lot to me.”
I hung up and, spotting a coffee shop through the window across the street, I decided to spend the next hour relaxing there. I found a comfortable chair and grabbed one of the papers lying on the table. Flicking through to the business section, I saw that Grayson had once more made the headlines for winning another big client. “How can he look after Doug if he’s dealing with Jeff Bickerstaff?” Another incredibly rich mogul that got his start in materials, he liked to get into trouble, in the papers all the time, except he made Douglas Leeson look like a boy scout.
The day seemed to slow, but at last it was time to go back to Doug’s office. When I arrived, Grayson and Devon were already waiting.
“Good luck, Rebecca,” Devon said, ignoring the dark look his father shot at him. “I know that you gave him a great presentation.”
“And I’m sure you have as well, what with all the inside information you got.”
“All’s fair in love and business.” Devon shrugged as Hayley told us we could go inside, and my nerves kicked up a few notches.
The three of us trooped in and sat in the three chairs, as earlier.
“Thank you all for coming back,” Doug began. “Normally I would take a little longer to make a decision like this, but as you’re all aware, time is of the essence.
“I have to say that you didn’t make it easy for me. Both firms put forward excellent presentations with compelling arguments for choosing you, but at the end of the day, I only need one team of legal experts, and that is the one headed by… Rebecca!”
My breath caught dead in my throat. I looked over to Devon. Ever the professional, he hid his disappointment well, but I saw Grayson’s expression before he got control of himself, and I had a feeling that I’d just made an enemy.
“This is on one condition, Rebecca,” Doug said, snapping me out of my shock. “I want you personally in charge of the case. No going back to the firm and having someone else take over. I don’t care how senior they are. You made an exceptionally good case for why I should choose you, and that’s the kind of attitude I need in the courtroom. Do we have a deal?”
“Deal,” I agreed, shaking his hand.
“I’m sorry, Grayson, Devon.” Doug turned to them.
“No hard feelings, Doug,” Grayson replied. “Are we still on for that game of golf next week?”
“Absolutely! Now if you two gentlemen would excuse me, I need to confer with my lawyer.”
As he stood up, Devon patted me on the shoulder. “Great job,” he whispered so his father wouldn’t hear, and left with Grayson in tow.
“Well done, my dear,” said Douglas once we were alone. “I’ll take passion and enthusiasm over a big name any day, and you’ve got that in spades.”
“Thank you, but I’m not sure Grayson was too happy.”
“Grayson will get over himself.” He shrugged. “Now, as far as the case is concerned, you have free rein to go through all the pertinent files. I like your idea of avoiding the courtroom altogether. Let’s get working on that angle.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “There are a few technicalities I need to look into, but I’m confident we can get the case dismissed from what I’ve seen.”
“Great.” Doug stood up. “I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise.”
I left his office feeling as though I was walking on air. Hayley smiled at me as I passed her. “Congratulations, Ms. Bevan,” she said. “Between you and me, I’m glad you won. Somebody needed to take Grayson Caesar down. He holds his head so high up in the air I heard he gets nosebleeds.”
“Thanks.” I chuckled.
As I was leaving the building, I heard someone calling my name. Looking round, I saw Devon running toward me.
“Yes? Can I help you?”
“Perhaps.” He looked surprised. “I just wanted to tell you congratulations on winning the case. My dad doesn’t lose much, so anyone who can get one up on him is someone truly special. I was wondering whether I could take you out for dinner to celebrate?”
“I don’t know. Are there any other secrets that I should be aware of?”
“I promise. My life’s an open book from now on.” Devon put his hand on his heart. “So what do you say? Can I take you to my favorite restaurant?”
I thought about it, and my first reaction was to say no. After all, he was still the enemy, so to speak, but then I thought about how well we had actually gotten along, and I deserved a night of uncomplicated fun.
“Okay.” He looked surprised, and so was I. If Grayson could see that the two of us were together he’d probably have one of his nosebleeds.
Nine
I took extra care over my appearance. A wicked impulse made me want to rub Devon’s nose in the fact that not only had he lost Douglas Leeson as a client, but any chance of being with me as well. I still hadn’t forgiven him for how he’d almost sabotaged my deal by not being open and honest about who he was from the beginning.
Inspecting myself in the mirror, I’d have to say I was happy with what I saw. I was wearing a long-sleeved, figure-hugging, backless black dress, leaving little to the imagination, and that was by design. Although it was high-necked, it clung to my every curve and stopped mid-thigh, giving the illusion of more length to my legs. I pulled my hair into a French bun and wore the same bright red lipstick I had for my first meeting with Doug—it seemed to work for him, so I doubted someone like Devon could resist.
I picked up my clutch and caught a cab to the address Devon had given me. The car pulled up outside a swanky restaurant with gold around the doors and glass everywhere in between. I was sure you had to make reservations months in advance, so how was Devon able to get us a table?
“How may I help you, madam?” the maître d’ asked as I approached.
“Reservation for two—Devon Caesar, please.”
“Of course, madam.” The maître d’ didn’t bother to look in his book. “He’s waiting for you at the bar.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and followed the man to the bar.
It wasn’t hard to spot Devon, looking suave and debonair with a black slim-fitted suit and open white shirt, his eyes sparkling in the lighting from overhead. He was sitting on a stool at the end of the bar, whiskey in a glass sitting in front of him.
I took more than a moment to admire the view. It had to be said that Devon was an exceptionally attractive man, and in other circumstances, I might have been interested in getting to know him better. Still, an evening of conversation would be fun, even if didn’t lead to ripping each other’s clothes off.
“Rebecca.” He actually looked delighted to see me. But my guard was up and my hormones were checked. Powerful men had their ways. “I’m so glad that you agreed to come out with me. Congratulations once again on the contract, richly deserved. Can I get you a drink to celebrate? How about some champagne?”
“Thank you. Champagne would be great.” Devon motioned over to the bartender to bring him two flutes.
“Here’s to your success,” Devon toasted. “May it simply be one more step on the road to a brilliant legal career.”
I agreed with a nod and clinked our glasses together. He winked at me before taking a drink. The charm was starting already. “Is it me, or does champagne tastes even better on the back of a multimillion deal? No thanks to your attempts at sabotage.”
Devon blushed and ducked his head. “Look, Rebecca, I’m truly sorry about that. One of the reasons why I wanted to take you out tonight, apart from the opportunity to spend the evening with one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, was that I wanted to apologize for l
ying to you. I hadn’t intended to, but when we met, I really enjoyed our conversation. Once I realized that you were the competition, I didn’t want to spoil our connection. It wasn’t that I was hoping to get inside information on your pitch. I knew you were far too professional to let anything important slip. It was just that, for once, here was someone who didn’t know who I was. You didn’t have any idea how much money I had in the bank or who my father was. You were just an attractive woman, needing someone to confide in, and I enjoyed talking to you. You’re witty and funny and smart. Who wouldn’t want to spend time with someone like that?”
“Careful, now,” I warned him. “Keep throwing compliments like that at me and I might start to think that you mean them!”
Devon grinned over his glass as a waiter came over. “Sir… miss, your table is ready.”
He led us to a booth in a secluded corner that offered us privacy from the rest of the restaurant. It wasn’t a room with closed door, but more of a U-shaped nook—specially made for the elite, I would imagine.
“I hope you don’t mind being tucked away like this,” Devon said, as he pulled out my chair. “It’s just that I’m used to the paparazzi trying to get photos of me and whomever I’m with. That’s why I like this place. They understand the need for discretion, and they don’t mind my using the back exit if there are photographers lurking outside. This way, we can relax for the evening without having to worry about being splashed all over the tabloids tomorrow.”
“Yes, I had noticed your habit of appearing in the papers. From what I’ve read, you’re quite the playboy.”
“Well, you don’t want to believe everything you read in the media. Most of those photos are much ado about nothing. Either they were just a friend of mine or the paparazzi snapped a shot when I simply happened to be talking to someone. It’s amazing how easy it is to make it look like there’s some mad, passionate love affair going on with the right shot and headline. ‘Devon Caesar leaves restaurant with mystery woman. Two young professionals head over heels in love.’ We couldn’t possibly be two lawyers simply networking for an evening.”
The Red Eye (The Red Eye Romance Series Book 1) Page 6