Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
As I expected, he gives in first, demanding crisply, “What exactly have I been summoned here for today?”
“Summoned?” I echo, mostly hiding my offense and only letting a vague taste of it coat the word. “It’s an invitation at worst, an opportunity at best. Greg has recommended your company as a possible venture for Blue Lake, and now is your chance to wow me.” Letting a serene smile tilt my lips, I add, “That is, if you’d like a fifteen-million-dollar investment in Jessup Enterprises.”
Not liking the role reversal from what he’s used to as the CEO/owner of his business, he flinches as though I’ve slapped him but schools his face quickly. “I was under the impression this meeting was a mere formality. Greg said—”
I interrupt him, testing again, pushing harder. “Totally irrelevant. While Greg is a trusted advisor, he doesn’t have the final say so. I do.” I pause, letting that sink in. When I see the acceptance in his eyes, I throw him a bone. “I would very much like to invest in Jessup Enterprises… if the partnership would be mutually beneficial.”
He huffs out a sound that borders on a laugh, shaking his head like he can’t believe my bluntness, but men much better than him have been shocked by my audacity and said as much in much more forceful and colorful manners than Jessup’s overly expressive eyebrows and noises of distaste. My personal favorite was a potential client who told me I had ‘big, clanging, brass balls’. He meant it as an insult. Luckily for him, I took it as a compliment and made us both a shit-ton of money, because despite his being an asshole, his company had actually been a solid investment.
“Maybe I should talk to Cameron about this? Or Charles? Someone who can see the potential in my company that you seem unable—or unwilling—to see.” He flashes a shark-like grin, as though that was a checkmate and not a rude dismissal.
Does he seriously think he’s the first man to try to bypass me by requesting my father or brother? If that’s all it took, I would’ve been stuck in behind-closed-door analysis for the past decade, not leading investments valued in the billions before breakfast.
“That’s one thing that definitely won’t be happening today. You get me or nothing. Even with me, you might get nothing.” I glance at my Rolex, noting the time. “You should take advantage of my remaining attention because I have another meeting in twenty minutes and the next words out of your mouth will determine your future.”
There’s no meeting, but arguing with him—or anyone—about my right to be in my position has grown tiresome, and I want to light a fire under him to get this deal done.
Not because of David Jessup. In fact, his reputation has preceded him much the same way mine does, and I want his company in spite of him and his misogynistic, old-school ways. I have plans for it. He holds a patented process that I want to scavenge and use for another Blue Lake asset, but not at the expense of my own bottom line. And I’m not only talking about financial. If I walked into this room, with a man like Jessup, and begged for the chance to invest in his company, yes, I’d overpay for the privilege, but more importantly, word would travel fast in an industry like ours and my name would take a hit that I’d have to work for years to recover from.
Hard, bitchy, and cold are my calling cards, and I play them with skilled precision, enjoying it even more when someone underestimates me. Witnessing the moment of realization that they’ve been outplayed by someone they dismissed as a pretty placeholder but actually has more brains than beauty is one of my favorite experiences, as a woman and as a businesswoman.
Jessup’s jaw is clenched tight and for a moment, I think he might actually hold out. I tick my eyes down to my watch once more, and he snarls, “Do you at least have a base understanding of what it is we do?”
Of course I do. I’d bet I understand what his company does even better than he does, because while he might’ve started it, they’ve grown exponentially since the days where Jessup was working in his garage at night, and the staff he’s recruited since are innovative, creative, and forward-thinking. All things the man before me is not.
I smile politely. “Why don’t you explain it to me?”
He sighs in annoyance but steadies himself and launches into a twenty-minute explanation of Jessup Enterprises, from inception to current incarnation. I listen intently, ask questions at the appropriate times, and give him my complete, undivided attention, truly wanting to understand not only his company, but him.
By the end of it, I think he’s even forgotten to be upset with me. He’s passionate about his work, his company, and the processes they’ve patented, and that’s the insight I needed out of this meeting.