Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Sean cleared his throat and turned to the men who had just spent an hour selling this to us. He smiled apologetically and looked at me. There was a sharp warning in that look, and I knew this had pushed him over the edge. He had me; I couldn’t risk him making a complaint about me to our parents, or worse, to the board. This was a step too far, and I had to resolve it.
“This is aspirational, sure, but that’s not a bad thing. And it is certainly something that we want to look at more in-depth.” I gave them my brightest smile and didn’t dare to look at Sean, hoping against hope that I had gone some way towards placating him. He clearly wanted this, and what did I care? He would have to go through the board, and they could point out the obvious problem with the pricing.
“Let’s meet again soon, get the board interested in this, and maybe get you guys in to demo it for them?” Sean was saying, and the hipsters were smiling and nodding, hopefully having dismissed Effie’s remarks. Even if she was right in what she said.
“Effie,” I asked politely. “Could you bring us all some coffee, and after that, you can get back to the filing.”
“Of course,” she nodded and left the room.
The rest of the meeting went well. I seemed to have escaped Sean’s wrath, for now. Effie was her usual composed self, perhaps even quieter than usual, if that was possible. She stayed out of my way for the rest of the day, but the looks I got from Taylor and Frank as I passed the Design team were as cold as ice. I felt guilty. Of course I did. I had asked for her help and then purposely dismissed her very valid point by making her feel beneath our consideration. It was a dick move. I tried to catch her eye as I passed, but she ignored me. I thought about calling her into the office, but to say what? Sorry I treated you like crap but I don’t want my brother to tell my ma and da on me? God, that would make me seem even more pathetic.
Chapter 12
FREYA
I WAS STARTING TO see why Taylor couldn’t stand Keegan. I had finally figured him out. He was a user. He used people to get what he wanted. It was probably how he had done so well at the company. I had seen how he had implemented new strategies and improved customer relations, boosted revenue streams, and increased sales. It was all in black and white on the endless spreadsheets and company reports that I had been wading through. I’d felt a bit guilty the first time I snooped properly. It had been easy really; he had handed me his laptop to read up on stuff for a meeting he had forgotten about. He was desperate not to look like a fool, but he was clearly unprepared and wanted me to bail him out. I used the time to trawl through the files, looking for anything untoward. I didn’t find anything, but then there was just so much. But at least I knew now where to look, and there was sure to be a next time. Any feelings of guilt had quickly disappeared when he put me in my place at the same meeting. He went out of his way to make me look small and silly in front of people.
I was glad, really. Glad that I got to see this shitty side of him. I’d been feeling quite neutral towards him; if anything, I pitied him. I thought he didn’t seem to have much of a life. Except he had surprised me one lunchtime. I was sketching in a coffee shop – I’d made a promise to myself that I would fill the empty pages in the sketchbook that Drew had returned to me, and it had been the push I’d needed to get drawing again. I looked up and there he was, this dark guy in full motorcycle leathers, molded perfectly to his body, the zipper of his jacket undone just a little. For a second I thought I was being approached by some god-like biker dude, and I cursed the corporate look that Effie Hancock had to wear. I wished I had been Freya Hamilton at that moment. And then I realized it was Keegan, and it was all I could do to shove my things into my bag and get out of there. I barely even spoke to him. It was excruciating back at the office when I had to apologize like I’d been a frightened little mouse and he was the cat. It was even more annoying now that I had seen what an absolute dick he could be when it suited him.