That Makes Two of Us novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Fired

The board room on the forty-first floor had a view of every crane Colton owned.

I was standing at one end of the table at nine o'clock Monday morning with a dozen people looking at me.

Dennis Cobb had a folder open.

Valerie sat at his right, in grey silk, composed as a cat.

Colton sat at the head with his arms crossed and a face I didn't recognize.

"Ms. Finley," Dennis said. "You've been on this matter for thirteen days."

"Yes."

"You presented a candidate who failed to satisfy the chairman."

"I presented a candidate."

"Who then was dismissed on a whim."

"By the client," I said. "Who is the chairman."

A man in a bow tie coughed into his hand.

"Mr. Thayne," Dennis said, with great sorrow. "The executive committee is concerned about the cost. Sixty thousand dollars in a fortnight, and no divorce."

"It was fifteen thousand," Colton said.

"And expenses."

"Which are fair."

"Colton." Dennis folded his hands. "We have a merger in five weeks. This board will not proceed with a vice-chair and chairman at odds over an outside contractor."

He let that settle.

"Either the investigator goes," he said, "or the committee will table the Cobb Marine agreement."

Nobody breathed.

I looked at Colton.

He didn't look at me.

He was looking at Valerie, who had her eyes on the table and a small smile on her mouth.

I understood then.

She had brought him a trade.

My job, or his deal.

"Mr. Thayne," I said. "I'll make it easy."

Colton's eyes came up.

They were hard and grey and empty.

"No," I said. "I'll say it for you."

I picked up my bag from the chair.

"Dennis, I'll send my invoice to your office. The expenses are itemized. The fee stands."

"You're being dismissed," Dennis said.

← Chapter 8 · All chapters · Chapter 10 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend