by Lake, Thalia
This time when she looked at me, she looked at me head on. For a brief moment, we admired each other, although since I’m not one to hide my feelings when it comes to seeing something that I like, my efforts were much bolder. She blessed me with a few cordial words and another beautiful smile before leaving and walking back across the street. It appeared that she worked in the same high rise that Pricewaterhouse was located. Maybe I’ll see her again. Little did I know that I would.
I had other business to tend to before my meeting with Pricewaterhouse, and before 9:30 rolled around I headed back downtown. I took the elevator to the second floor where I was greeted by the receptionist and escorted to a large conference room. When I walked inside the room, there was a pair of familiar beautiful brown eyes I was not expecting to see, but it was a welcomed surprise nonetheless - Sloane. She had on black cat eye glasses that complimented her beautiful almond shaped eyes perfectly, and her thick curly hair stood beautiful, wild and proud on top of her head. She looked very stylish and chic in her black turtleneck sweater dress and white blazer. When she stood up and walked towards me, I couldn’t breathe for a moment. She was sexy, and not the kind of sexy where she was dressed provocatively or tried too hard. Her brand of sexy was effortless and classy. The way she walked in her high heels, the natural sway of her hips, the way she looked at me, the way her curvaceous body peeked out from her blazer with each step she took. Her hair...god I loved her hair.
Getting through this meeting was going to be hard. I tortured myself further by sitting across from her. I wanted to be near her. I tried my best to pay attention to the meeting, and honestly I can’t remember half of what was said. At the end when they asked if I had any questions I was about to say no, but then decided to pose a question directly to Sloane because I wanted to hear her speak and see her perform in her element. I saw a glimmer of irritation in her eyes, but she quickly put it to the side and rose to the occasion like a true professional. I was impressed, very impressed. There was no question I was going to sign with them, but knowing that Sloane not only worked there but would be working on my account sweetened the deal.
After the meeting was over, I saw her slip out, and that bothered me. I wanted to speak with her more. On my way out I asked the receptionist to point me to Sloane’s assistant. I found her and spoke with her briefly before I headed to Sloane’s office. Her assistant looked at me in confusion, but I put a finger to my lips asking her to remain quiet. I didn’t want Sloane to be alerted to my arrival. Her door was closed, and I lightly knocked. “Come in,” she called out. When I opened the door, she was frowning at her laptop as she typed furiously. I closed the door and stood in front of her until she looked up. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she became embarrassed.
“Mr. Santorini, I’m so sorry. I thought you were a colleague. How can I help you?” she asked. She was clearly confused by my sudden appearance in her office. Her office was nice and tastefully decorated. She had a lot of dark, bold colors which was also reflected in her choice of artwork.
“I was disappointed to see you leave without saying goodbye after the meeting. Is this typical of how you treat new clients?”
Sloane took a moment before responding. I could tell I hit a nerve, and she was holding back from saying what she really wanted to say to me. Yes, I was being a jerk, but I was also the new client who was bringing her firm millions of dollars.
“I apologize if you feel that way sir, but that was not my intent. I have another meeting that I have to go to in about two minutes, and I needed to hurry back to my office to take care of a few things beforehand. Is there something I can help you with?”
I watched as shock and anger clouded her eyes. Her voice was calm and professional, but it had a biting undertone to it. I also knew that Sloane was lying. She wanted to get away from me because she felt the attraction between us the same as I did. And when in the hell did I go from Luca to Mr. Santorini, and now sir?
“I’m sir now? I asked you to call me Luca, Sloane. If we’re going to be working together, I’d like for us to get off on a better foot than this. I was very impressed with you in the meeting this morning and appreciated the knowledge you presented in answering my question. That’s what I wanted to tell you after the meeting before you ran off. Good day, Ms. Paris.”
With that, I turned around and walked out, closing the door behind me. I’m Italian. We’re very proud, at times arrogant, extremely passionate, and can have short tempers. It bothered me that this woman, who knew nothing about me other than how much my family’s company was worth, treated me as though I had the plague. Then she insulted my intelligence further with her crock of a story about having to run to another meeting. Sure she had another meeting, but it wasn’t for another two hours. I checked with her assistant when I saw her leave the meeting. None of this should have bothered me, and normally it wouldn’t, but for some reason Sloane Paris got under my skin, and not because of her obvious beauty. There was something else about her that called out to me, something she was hiding that I wanted to know more about. I wanted to unlock the secrets of Sloane.
Chapter Nine - Damage Control
I sat in my office in total disbelief. First of all, the fact that this man whose family owned a multi-million dollar, soon to be billion dollar company, sought me out and came inside of my office surprised and confused me. I’m a number cruncher and analyst who is very low on the corporate totem pole in comparison to him. Never in a million years did I think my presence at a meeting like today’s would matter to someone like Luca Santorini. Maybe I’m in denial about the attraction I feel towards him, and the fact that I was almost sure that the attraction was mutual.
Eva confessed after he stormed out that she told him that my next meeting wasn’t until a few hours later. I couldn’t be mad at her for telling the truth when I’m the one that lied. I insulted our newest client with my lie, and he called me out for it. I was pissed at the arrogant way he did so, but he was right. You can’t argue with the client, even though our particular argument felt more personal than work related. I had to make this right, and I had to make it right quickly.
I called his personal secretary and asked her if he had time on his schedule to see me within the next day or two.
“He has an opening at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning,” Rhonda, his secretary, informed me.
“Wonderful, I’ll take that. Thank you, Rhonda.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow Ms. Paris.”
As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t help but hope that Luca Santorini wouldn’t cancel our meeting. I can’t have him angry with me, and I can’t have this getting back to my bosses.
I got through the rest of the work day worrying about my meeting with Luca tomorrow. When I got home, I called my best friend, Angie. We’ve been friends since childhood, and she is the one person who knew everything about me, including my horrible family life. She came from an equally dysfunctional family; only her father viciously beat her mother on a regular basis. He was a drunk and a crackhead, and one day he beat her mother so severely that he burst her eardrum leaving her deaf in one ear. Then he tried to burn their house down with Angie, her mother and brother inside. Angie hated her father just as much as I hated mine, but at least her father was locked up for the rest of his life. Since we were four years old, we leaned on each other and helped each other get through all the terrible times, and I love her dearly.
“He likes you, Sloane. Even Stevie Wonder can see that,” Angie said, after I told her how we first met at Starbucks to seeing each other again at the meeting and how he came to my office afterward. I could always depend on Angie to deliver the truth along with classic one liners.
“I gathered that much Angie, but right now I have to get our working relationship in order. He caught me in a lie and now he’s pissed with me. I can’t get over how petty all of this is, but I still have to make it right. I made an appointment to see him tomorrow to apologize and hopefully smooth things over. I figured seeing him face
to face would have more impact and be more sincere than over the phone. How should I start it off?”
“Well first be honest. Yes it’s petty, and yes the lie was small, but he’s a brand new client Sloane, and a big client at that. Speak from the heart and try your best to keep things professional. He can do nothing but respect you for that.” Angie replied.
“Yeah, you’re right. That’s exactly what I’ll do. This is why you’re my girl. You’re always honest with me, and you never give me bad advice. Thanks, sweetie.”
“You know I got your back Sloane. I hate to cut this short but Damon is going to be home soon, and I gotta finish getting dinner ready and see what mess the kids made in their playroom.”
“Okay, well I won’t hold you up. Thanks again, and tell Damon I said hello. Kiss those beautiful babies for me too.”
“I will, I love you.”
“I love you more.”
Now I felt confident about tomorrow’s meeting. I just hoped everything would go as smoothly as I’d imagined it would in my head.
***
It is now Tuesday morning, and Eva could tell I was on edge. I told her where I was going but swore her to secrecy to not tell anyone else. I left the office a few minutes early and used the company’s limo—a nice black Lincoln sedan with darkly tinted windows. It was one of the many perks my boss allowed me to have access to. It took about ten minutes to get to the Santorini corporate offices, and the driver let me out in the front of the building. I wore my favorite high heeled boots and was glad that I didn’t have to climb over snow banks or trudge in dirty slush. I chose a black pants suit with a cream turtleneck underneath to wear to this meeting. I pinned my hair up in a cute updo that left curly tendrils hanging in my face. I wore my favorite pearl stud earrings and matching pearl and diamond ring. Pearls are so simple yet classy, and I love them. Instead of wearing my heavy-duty winter coat I wore my black cashmere trench. It wasn’t as warm but definitely more fashionable. I wanted to make a great impression.
I walked up to the reception desk to introduce myself, but the receptionist already knew who I was. “Good morning, you must be Ms. Paris?”
“Good morning, and yes I am Ms. Paris,” I stated, in return to the kind woman.
“Mr. Santorini is waiting for you. His office is this way if you’d follow me.”
We walked around the corner of her reception desk to a long hallway that led to the back of the building. There were other offices and cubicles along the way, but the further we walked, the more secluded the area became. Luca Santorini had his own private fortress that only he and his personal secretary occupied. The area was beautiful with natural wood furnishings and beautiful paintings on the walls. The large crystal chandeliers hanging from the wood beam ceilings gave the space a certain elegance. It had a rustic yet stylish feel to it. When we got to his office, it took my breath away. His door was open, and he was sitting at his desk reading a file. He had on a navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt and a burgundy silk tie with white polka dots.
“Mr. Santorini, Ms. Paris is here to see you,” the receptionist announced. When he looked up, he smiled, but it was obvious that the gesture was meant for his receptionist more than for me. This was not going to be an easy meeting.
“Thank you, Ericka,” he said. He waited until she had exited his office and closed the door behind her before he even looked at me. I took that short time to casually look at his office with my eyes without turning my head and being too obvious. The man had exquisite taste down to the finest detail. Surprisingly, his office was bright with natural lighting from his massive windows and skylight. I expected to see dark cherry wood everywhere to match his dark mood. Instead, there was beautiful bamboo floors which I’m sure were imported from some exotic island. Vibrant pieces of art hung on the walls or were on display in certain areas of his office. Those pops of color that his artwork provided gave his massive office the life it needed. He had a large refurbished wooden table as a conference room table with slate gray leather chairs. In the area closest to his desk was a sitting area that looked more comfortable and homey than my living room at home. A large light brown plush leather couch with two matching chairs with a large glass table with an old tree trunk as its base sat in the middle. His desk area sat on a beautiful oriental rug that had burgundy and gold colors woven throughout. He watched me as I took in his beautiful office. He walked from behind his desk and stood in front of me, still not smiling.
“May I take your coat Ms. Paris?” He asked politely. I liked his charming side better, not this short, pissed off side he was currently showing.
“Yes, thank you,” I said as I looked for a place to put my purse so I could take it off. He reached out and took my purse from me.
“Thank you,” I said appreciatively, as I unbuttoned and took off my coat. He took it from me and handed me back my purse as he walked to a closet in the back of his office and hung up my coat. When he walked back, he finally offered me a seat in front of his desk before sitting down himself.
“What can I do for you this morning?” He asked, with a cordial smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
The damage had been done, and I knew this was a mistake. I could feel it in the way he was treating me, and I could see it in his eyes. I had to make this apology quick and to the point and get the hell out of here. Operation damage control was officially over. Why did I let him hang up my coat? That’s going to slow down my quick exit strategy!
“I’m not going to take up much of your time because I know you’re busy. I wanted to apologize to you face to face for what happened yesterday. That’s not the way I intended to start things off with you, and I apologize for not being more...forthcoming,” I said, nervously. Even as I apologized, I couldn’t believe that I went through all of this trouble over something so small and stupid. This was the one thing I hated about the corporate world. You had to schmooze and kiss client’s butts no matter how ridiculous the circumstance.
He said nothing as he sat staring at me.
“I should have kept my coat. I truly didn’t intend on staying long,” I said, as I started to stand up. My need to be out of this man’s office and presence was now in overdrive.
His dark, brooding blue eyes studied me in the same way he studied me the day before in the meeting. I hated being under his scrutiny this time because he wasn’t being warm and friendly. I couldn’t make out what he was feeling or thinking at that moment. His eyes traveled to my hair, my eyes, lips, and finally my clothes.
Frowning as though he was deeply pondering something, he asked me, “Do I offend you?”
It was now my turn to frown as I wondered what in the world made him draw this conclusion about me. Slowly I sat back down in my chair.
“No, why would you ask that?” I asked, curiously.
“It just seems like every time you’re around me you’re in a hurry to get away. You haven’t even been here five minutes, and you’re already itching to leave.”
“I told you I didn’t want to take up much of your time,” I said, more defensively than I intended, but at this point I no longer cared. If I stayed here a moment longer, I was going to give this man a piece of my mind.
“Wouldn’t a phone call have sufficed if two minutes of my time was all you wanted?”
Now he was being an ass, and I was done with the song and dance. I tried; he's not receptive and it’s time for me to take my leave. I was pissed, and I needed to get out of there before I made things worse than they already were.
I looked him in the eyes and said, “You know what, you’re right. A phone call would have sufficed. I’m sorry for having now wasted three minutes of your time,” I said as I sarcastically looked at my watch and stood up. I walked to his closet and retrieved my coat and left. I prayed to God I’d never have to see that man’s face again. When I got back to the office, I would make sure that was the case.
Chapter Nine - My Name is Luca, and I’m a Jackass
I never thought she’d ge
t up and storm out of my office the way she did, but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t enjoy every second of her sexy exit. Even in anger her walk was sexy and regal like the queen that she is. I didn’t expect her to back down from a fight, but that’s exactly what Sloane did. I kept pushing her and making her feel like shit even though I knew she was there to apologize. I actually looked forward to her visit and couldn’t wait to see this beautiful woman again, and this time on my turf. However, my wounded male pride got in the way, and now I feel like shit. She didn’t deserve that, and I knew I had pissed her off royally. I saw the restraint it took for her not to tell me to piss off. I almost ran after her. I should have run after her, but I didn’t. It only would have caused a scene, and neither one of us needed that.
She looked beautiful in her pants suit, and while I loved the sexy way she pinned up her hair, I wished she had worn it down and let it be wild and free. I liked Sloane’s simple yet classic approach to her style. She didn’t try too hard, and she covered up, leaving much to the imagination. She had class and dignity, and to me those two qualities in a woman are worth more than gold. Now it was my turn to try to make things up to her. I knew it would be a long time before she’d even want to see my face again, let alone accept my apology, and I couldn’t blame her. I took something that could have been easily resolved and made it into something bigger than it needed to be.
In the past during my younger, wilder single days, when I pissed off a woman, which wasn’t often, I’d send the biggest bouquet of flowers, take her out to dinner depending on the severity of my offense, take her home and screw her brains out (if she was hot and worth keeping around) and that would be the end of it. The majority of the time, it didn’t take all of that effort unless I was serious about the woman, and there was only one woman that I was serious about in my past. I didn’t want to treat Sloane like some woman that I messed over. I didn’t want to throw flowers at her and think everything would be okay because I knew that wouldn’t be enough for Sloane. She deserved more, and she deserved better. I just wasn’t sure what to do yet. I needed to think long and hard about this, and I needed some background info on her.