4: Jack - In The Pack Read Online Free Page B
want me to mention the stats on his company? Or what I’d learned about the way they do business once I’d arrived? Now, there was some homework.
Hood dropped his arm. I watched his jaw tighten and he asked, “We’d like you to join our team because you want to do business with us.”
Honestly, I said, “I know that you pride yourselves in good public policy, that you’re environmentally friendly--” That was important to me. I climb mountains. I run outdoors. I swim straits. I need the world to be a cleaner, safer place.
“We want our children’s children to have a good world.”
He was dead serious about that. I nodded. “That’s good. I think we all want that.”
I noticed, then, that Hood’s eyes were black, like the pupil had taken over the whole iris--which I could have sworn from commercials were gold. Maybe contact lenses? Not that it mattered. I thought, he’s too handsome to be a doctor of research. Visions of nerd scientists and all that. He looked like he had a fitness routine, too, and he was tall, like I was. Lean, as well.
He hit the button by the door. Giselle was there, smiling. “Ah. Good timing, eh?”
“Mr. Barton was just leaving.” Hood and Giselle exchanged a look. His gravity must’ve transferred itself directly to her.
Her smile faltered. She looked worried, bit her bottom lip, and asked, “Mind if I walk you out?”
“That would be nice,” Hood said.
And I wondered, what was the rest of his name? But I didn’t ask, because Giselle said, “I could show you what’s behind door number three, if you like.”
I turned to shake Hood’s hand. “You don’t mind if I take a look around, do you, before I head out?”
“By all means, let Giselle give you the full tour.” His teeth flashed. “Have another shake.”
That made me chuckle. “Thanks, but one is plenty.”
“Ah,” Giselle said, “I thought you might like to try the other flavors.”
“Right,” I said. Not on your life. My brain was working with all its oars again, and I knew I had to get out of that place.
She led me from Suite One, and the doors behind us closed swiftly.
I told her, “I thought you’d abandoned me.”
Giggling, she shook her head, “Not on your life.” She pressed the button for door number three.
“Now I’m curious to what’s in two.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are hard to please.”
“Not really. Just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
“I’ve heard that.”
Number three was nothing like the first suite. No greens. No jungles, trees, or half-naked women on the walls. No wolves, either. There was an alcove with several pieces of gym equipment, the higher end body-building machines, and a mini-bar.
Giselle pointed to that first. “I can mix you another shake there, if you’d like. Or something else. Juice smoothie, snack bar. We have a whole line of health and fitness products.”
“I know.” I had tried a few before I came, just to test the quality. None of the things on the market already had the punch of the new shake.
She walked me through a small foyer, pointed down a hall, and said, there’s an office, of sorts, behind that door. A bathroom in there.
I pointed to another door. “And that?”
Ms. Racini fluttered her lashes at me. “Oh, that’s a bedroom. Want to see?”
I laughed. “Are we still on for dinner?”
“If you like. Your call.”
The living room of three was sunken, had leather furniture, and impressionist art on the walls.
“Who decorated this room?”
Giselle laughed. “It’s not really decorated. Just made livable as a guest suite until we take on a new team member. It could be done to your tastes.”
“That’s nice.”
She
Hood dropped his arm. I watched his jaw tighten and he asked, “We’d like you to join our team because you want to do business with us.”
Honestly, I said, “I know that you pride yourselves in good public policy, that you’re environmentally friendly--” That was important to me. I climb mountains. I run outdoors. I swim straits. I need the world to be a cleaner, safer place.
“We want our children’s children to have a good world.”
He was dead serious about that. I nodded. “That’s good. I think we all want that.”
I noticed, then, that Hood’s eyes were black, like the pupil had taken over the whole iris--which I could have sworn from commercials were gold. Maybe contact lenses? Not that it mattered. I thought, he’s too handsome to be a doctor of research. Visions of nerd scientists and all that. He looked like he had a fitness routine, too, and he was tall, like I was. Lean, as well.
He hit the button by the door. Giselle was there, smiling. “Ah. Good timing, eh?”
“Mr. Barton was just leaving.” Hood and Giselle exchanged a look. His gravity must’ve transferred itself directly to her.
Her smile faltered. She looked worried, bit her bottom lip, and asked, “Mind if I walk you out?”
“That would be nice,” Hood said.
And I wondered, what was the rest of his name? But I didn’t ask, because Giselle said, “I could show you what’s behind door number three, if you like.”
I turned to shake Hood’s hand. “You don’t mind if I take a look around, do you, before I head out?”
“By all means, let Giselle give you the full tour.” His teeth flashed. “Have another shake.”
That made me chuckle. “Thanks, but one is plenty.”
“Ah,” Giselle said, “I thought you might like to try the other flavors.”
“Right,” I said. Not on your life. My brain was working with all its oars again, and I knew I had to get out of that place.
She led me from Suite One, and the doors behind us closed swiftly.
I told her, “I thought you’d abandoned me.”
Giggling, she shook her head, “Not on your life.” She pressed the button for door number three.
“Now I’m curious to what’s in two.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are hard to please.”
“Not really. Just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
“I’ve heard that.”
Number three was nothing like the first suite. No greens. No jungles, trees, or half-naked women on the walls. No wolves, either. There was an alcove with several pieces of gym equipment, the higher end body-building machines, and a mini-bar.
Giselle pointed to that first. “I can mix you another shake there, if you’d like. Or something else. Juice smoothie, snack bar. We have a whole line of health and fitness products.”
“I know.” I had tried a few before I came, just to test the quality. None of the things on the market already had the punch of the new shake.
She walked me through a small foyer, pointed down a hall, and said, there’s an office, of sorts, behind that door. A bathroom in there.
I pointed to another door. “And that?”
Ms. Racini fluttered her lashes at me. “Oh, that’s a bedroom. Want to see?”
I laughed. “Are we still on for dinner?”
“If you like. Your call.”
The living room of three was sunken, had leather furniture, and impressionist art on the walls.
“Who decorated this room?”
Giselle laughed. “It’s not really decorated. Just made livable as a guest suite until we take on a new team member. It could be done to your tastes.”
“That’s nice.”
She
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