The meeting continued. Angel took notes because he wasn’t listening and he would need to know what to do later. He kept thinking about Taryn and how he’d failed her. He wanted what she offered, but at the same time, he knew the danger of going there. Better for both of them if he didn’t mess up her life, too. If he didn’t let her think he would take care of her.
In his head he knew that the storm and single-car accident that had claimed his wife and son weren’t anything he could have prevented, but his gut told him otherwise. His gut warned him that giving in, leading with his heart would end with the destruction of the one person he most wanted to keep safe.
CHAPTER TWENTY
TARYN NODDED AND the head designer clicked on the next slide. “Market projections make it clear that the trend is going to continue for at least the next five years. While consumers can be fickle, the market research firm we used has a ninety percent accuracy rate. By staging the campaign, we’ll be able to judge success at predetermined points and make any adjustments necessary.”
The presentation for Living Life at a Run had started early. Or maybe the problem was she still wasn’t sleeping, she thought as she smiled at Cole, then took her seat at the conference table. Jude turned on the overhead lights.
Jack rose. “You can see why we keep Taryn around,” he said with a wink. “She could easily moonlight as a field general.”
Cole, a short guy with broad shoulders and a stocky build, nodded. “I see where you’re going and I like it.”
That was something, Taryn thought, careful to keep her expression pleasant. Cole was one of those people who rubbed her the wrong way. She hadn’t liked him from the second he’d walked into Score that morning. But she had worked with clients she didn’t like before. She and Cole didn’t have to be friends.
The thought of an “outdoor weekend” with him in a couple of weeks made her skin crawl, but she’d survived worse. The boys would be there as a buffer. And thanks to Angel, she would be able to hold her own whether kayaking or hiking. As long as there wasn’t another flash flood, she would be fine.
As soon as those thoughts formed, she pushed them away. Thinking about Angel was a mistake. She could get lost in the memories for hours at a time, and right now LL@R was her primary focus.
Cole looked at her, then back at Jack. “Okay, great. You’ve shown me you’re all about equal opportunity and all that nonsense. Now can we lose the eye candy and get on with the presentation?”
The words were delivered so casually, at first Taryn was sure she’d misunderstood what he’d said. Kenny, Jack and Sam seemed equally stunned. But when Cole flicked his finger from her to the door, she knew she’d heard exactly what he’d said.
She started to stand. Before she could do much more than get the thought formed, Sam, Jack and Kenny rose as one. Each of them leaned toward Cole.
“You didn’t just say that,” Kenny told him.
Cole leaned back in his chair. “Come on, guys, seriously?”
Sam smiled. But it was the smile of a wolf about to take down a rabbit. “Over her, over any woman, anywhere.” He looked at Kenny and Jack. “I know you had high hopes for this campaign, but we don’t work with ass**les.”
“Damn straight,” Jack said. “Cole, you’re going to apologize to Taryn and then you’re leaving.”
Cole sat up straight. “What? Are you kidding me? Do you know what my account is worth? We had an afternoon planned. What about playing golf with Josh Golden and Raoul Moreno?”
“Not happening,” Kenny told him. “Now apologize to the lady.”
Cole bristled. “I was just calling a spade a spade. A woman dressed like that, who looks like that, what could she be here for?”
“She’s here because she’s smart and capable and because she wears the pants around here, figuratively speaking,” Jack said without missing a beat.
Cole seemed to realize he was seriously outgunned. He swallowed, then turned to Taryn. “No offense, ma’am.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” she told him. “You did mean to offend because you’re a misogynistic jerk.” She stood. “You have five seconds to leave this building or I turn them loose on you.”
Cole blinked, then scrambled to his feet and literally ran from the room. A second or two later, they heard him yelling, “Where the hell is the exit in this place?”
And then he was gone and she was alone with her boys.
“Well, that sucks,” she said. “Do you know how much time and effort we put into that presentation? Face it, gentlemen. We’re not meant to have retail clients. We’ll make do with our niche markets. Frankly, I can’t go through this again.”
Sam walked over to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Then he put his arms around her and squeezed. She hung on until he released her. Kenny followed. He, too, kissed her, then hugged her. Jack was last. Only he didn’t let her go.
“He was a jerk,” Jack told her. “You okay?”
She stared into his brown eyes. “I will be.”