Business and Pleasure Read Online Free

quickly pop both pills into my
mouth and down the glass of water. He must have left only a little
while ago; the water is still cold. As my senses start to return to
normal, I reread Mark’s note, which reminds me what I have to do
today. My heart races and a sense of dread makes my hands shake. I
am not looking forward to my 9:00 a.m. meeting. Assholes. Yes, I
know this is just business, and I realize these things happen, but
I’ve already decided I hate them.
    I glance at the clock on the side table.
Seven, already. Time to get moving. I jump into the shower, hoping
the hot water will wake me up.
    Fifteen minutes later, I’m back in my room,
feeling moderately refreshed. The aspirins have done their job, and
my head no longer feels as if someone’s beating on it with a
sledgehammer. I throw on my black pantsuit over top of a dark red
shirt, and slip into a pair of matching red Christian Louboutins.
Once dressed, I twist up my hair and pin it to the top of my head,
and then I apply a little makeup, keeping it on the neutral side.
Today, I want to achieve a sophisticated yet powerful business
woman look, and as I study my reflection in the full-length mirror,
I feel satisfied with the end result. Looking good, I’ve
discovered, gives one a sense of self-confidence, no matter how
tough a situation one might face.
    Everything will be fine , I tell
myself as I leave the house and head to work. I stop off and grab
my vanilla latte, requesting an extra shot of espresso because
something tells me I’m going to need the added energy boost, By the
time I reach the office, I’m wide awake, my headache is completely
gone, and my mood has significantly improved. The walk in always
gets my blood going, and today is no exception. In fact, if
anything, I feel better than normal…probably due to the amazing
hour or so I spent in Mark’s embrace the night before.
    I push away all negative thoughts, settle in
at my desk, and read my email as I sip my coffee. The buzzing
intercom makes me jump.
    “Yes?” I press the button and talk into the
speaker.
    “It’s almost nine,” Bob says. “We’re meeting
in the conference room instead of in my office.”
    My gaze goes to the little clock in the
bottom, right-hand corner of my laptop. 8:56. I have four minutes
to gather my nerves.
    “Okay. Thanks. I’ll see you in a few.” I
release the button, disconnecting Bob’s call, and sit back in my
chair.
    For the next sixty seconds, I practice a few
deep breathing exercises…something I learned while watching a yoga
video Becca found online a few weeks ago, when she was having
trouble relaxing before a big exam. This wasn’t the first time the
silly practice helped me get my head together, and it probably
wouldn’t be the last.
    A little calmer, I head for the conference
room, but the closer I get, the more my stomach twists. By the time
I arrive, it’s in knots, and my hands are clammy and shaking.
    “Elizabeth should be here any moment. Can I
get you anything? A cup of coffee? Some water?”
    Standing outside the door, I hear Bob making
smalltalk. He sounds like such a kiss ass…and he’s kissing the wrong ass, that’s for sure. If I did not know better, I
would think Bob was all for selling out. But he has to know I’ll
fire him, if I have to. This company is mine. End. Of. Story.
    I take a final deep, calming breath and step
inside the conference room. Quickly, I size up
my… competition . There are two people—strangers I’ve never
seen—sitting at the table. One, a fairly nice-looking woman who
looks to be in her mid-thirties, glances at me briefly, before
looking away. She has long, wavy blonde hair, she’s wearing bright
red lipstick, and she looks more like some rich guy’s arm-candy
wife than a businesswoman. She remains seated, but the guy she’s
with stands. My gaze travels up…and up…he has to be at least six
feet tall. He has emerald-green eyes and short, dirty-blonde hair
that sweeps to one side in the