Her eyes are wide and inquisitive. “What was it like going to college in New York City?”
I contemplate what to say and what I should hold back. “You went to college, Saige. You have to believe those four years were some of the best of your life, right?”
She nods. “Oh yeah.”
I smile at her. “That was the same for me. Only I was in New York City. I was away from my family, having the time of my life, but it was also hard. I took school seriously. I had fun, but I did it in moderation.”
“That’s so you,” she says, twirling the straw in her drink.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
She sighs and looks around before her eyes meet mine. “You’re like this anomaly. You’re serious yet totally fun. You’re handsome yet boyishly cute. You’re controlling yet sweet. You’re a walking contradiction, Holt.”
I laugh. “It’s all about balance, my dear.”
She grins, then cocks her head, looking thoughtful. “I think that’s what makes you so successful.”
I raise one side of my mouth in a smile. “Thank you for the compliment, but I’m hardly successful.”
She scrunches her face and narrows her eyes at me. “What do you mean? You own a private aviation company. You manage a multi-billion-dollar business. What’s not successful about that?”
“You’re wrong. Well, partially wrong. I do own part of a private aviation business. But I’m only as successful as the people that I hire.” I tip my head to her. “I wouldn’t make money if I didn’t have the best sales team, the best finance team, and the top people in this industry working their asses off for me and my company. They are the success in my business, not me.”
Her lips twist into a soft smile.
“What?” I smile back at her.
“I like that answer.”
I study Saige’s face and think to myself that finding Saige was the best thing I ever did. “Good.”
“Oh my God, I’m so full,” Saige groans and rubs her belly. “That was hands down the best soup and bread bowl I’ve ever had.”
I chuckle. “I knew you’d like McKinney’s.”
“Thank you for taking me to lunch,” she says, leaning in and pressing a light kiss to my lips. I love when she kisses me. I know she has hesitations about us, but when she tosses her inhibitions aside, her playfulness comes out.
“I plan to do it often.” I kiss her back. Mr. Jones weaves through the busy Chicago streets, delivering us safely back to the office. “You’re back twenty minutes early for your meeting.”
“Good. I need to freshen up and look at my project file again.”
“Which client is this?” I ask as we step into the open lobby.
“Richards,” she says, and I outwardly cringe.
“Word of advice with that one, Saige. Nothing you do will be right. He’ll haggle over every option and threaten to take his business elsewhere. He won’t, but please don’t let him intimidate you.”
“Who is he?” She asks as we wait for the elevator.
“Jeremy Richards. CEO of MegaMusic entertainment.”
“Aww,” she says, tipping her head back in recognition. “Rowan hates the celebrity clients. Says that for people that have money coming out of their asses, they’re the cheapest—” She stops abruptly.
“What?” I prod, holding back a laugh.
She blinks, trying to look innocent. “Nothing.”
“Saige, say it.”
“No. I shouldn’t repeat what someone else says.”
“Saige.” I raise my eyebrows.
She twists her lips in a pout. “I feel bad. I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t want to get Rowan in trouble.”
“You’re not, and he won’t.”
She mumbles, but I hear her clearly. “He says they’re the cheapest motherfuckers around.”
I toss my head back and bust out laughing because it’s the truth. “He’s right,” I admit. “They will nickel and dime us over every last detail. But you know what? They keep coming back. I’m confident you’ll handle Mr. Richards just fine,” I tell her and squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t let Rowan or anyone tell you anything about our clients that’ll intimidate you. You’re very good at what you do and you’re well respected for it.”
She smiles at me as we step into the elevator. What I don’t tell her is that Jeremy Richards is the biggest asshole I’ve ever met. But when he drops over twenty-five million dollars annually with us, I deal with his bullshit with a smile on my face. Still, I feel guilty knowing that Saige is going to have to deal with him now as well.
When the doors slide open, Saige offers me a tight smile before stepping off the elevator. I can tell she’s focused on this next meeting, as she’s distracted and didn’t even say goodbye.
Three hours later, I hang up from my last conference call and wander out of my office. Most of Jackson-Hamilton has left for the evening, except for a few of the guys in accounting who make it their job to stay late every night. I swear it has something to do with numbers; those guys always work late into the evening, usually leaving around the time I do.
“Mr. Hamilton,” Joyce says as she pulls her purse straps up onto her shoulder. “Everything you asked for has been done.”