Playing Pretend

The next morning, I walked into the office expecting Brennan to already be there. He’d booked a meeting first thing, before I was even due in. However, when I arrived, he wasn’t there and his client was waiting.

“Mr. Reed!” I exclaimed as I walked around my desk. I put my bag down and picked up the phone, hastily dialing Brennan’s cell number. Mr. Reed nodded, looking unimpressed.

It wasn’t like Brennan to let something like this happen. The call went to voicemail.

I bit my lip and looked into Brennan’s office. I had his passwords and the knowledge base to hold the meeting myself as long as I could access the files.

I looked at Mr. Reed and held out my hand.

“Welcome, Mr. Reed. Mr. Wolf has unfortunately had a last-minute emergency. I’d be happy to run you through the meeting to avoid wasting your time?”

Mr. Reed tilted his head, as if he didn’t know whether to believe I was capable of running him through the meeting. He looked at his watch and sighed then placed his hand in mine and shook it.

“All right, Miss…?”

“Reynolds.” I smiled and walked to Brennan’s office. “Please follow me.”

I walked to Brennan’s desk and signed into his computer, bringing up all of the information regarding the Reed account.

I’d sat through enough meetings to know how Brennan got his potential clients to sign on the dotted line, so I spoke like he would.

Mr. Reed asked questions and I answered them seamlessly. Half an hour passed, and just as I finished taking Mr. Reed through the proposal, Brennan barged into his office.

He looked at me first and then Mr. Reed. I could see the tension rise in his neck. The Reed account was a multimillion-dollar account, one that Brennan had been trying to get for some time.

Hence my surprise at his tardiness.

“Mr. Reed, I must apologize for my lateness.”

“Mr. Wolf, I have already let Mr. Reed know of your emergency and he agreed to let me run through the proposal with him.”

Brennan started to speak, but Mr. Reed turned and smiled up at Brennan. He stood up and held out his hand.

“You’ll need to give your PA a raise, Brennan. She’s just secured our business with Wolf Technologies.”

Brennan’s jaw clenched. He shook Mr. Reed’s hand, then walked to his desk. I stood up and moved away, allowing Brennan his domain back.

“I’ll have the contracts drawn up and sent out to you by the end of the day,” Brennan exclaimed. “You’ve made the right decision, Mr. Reed. Miss Reynolds, can you see Mr. Reed out.”

Mr. Reed and I walked out of the office. I could tell that Mr. Reed was sensing the tension, but he didn’t say anything.

Once he was gone, I walked back to my desk and sat down. I was there less than a minute before my IM pinged.

I stood up and walked back into Brennan’s office, sitting down across from him. I could see right away he was seething. He chewed on his lip and sighed before swallowing hard.

“What did you think you were doing?” he asked, his tone clipped. “Running a meeting worth millions on your own without clearance.”

I sighed. Brennan was pissed.

“You were late, you did not answer your phone, and Mr. Reed was already waiting when I arrived, Brennan.”

Brennan’s jaw twitched. He shook his head and placed his palms flat on his desk as if to steady himself, even though he was sitting.

“That was a mistake,” he replied. “It still doesn’t give you the right to run a meeting without my go-ahead.”

I frowned and shook my head. Taking a meeting on Brennan’s behalf wasn’t something I’d done before, but I’d been afforded more responsibility over my time as Brennan’s PA.

Taking a meeting wasn’t so far out of the scope of tasks I’d taken on in the past.

“What should I have done, Brennan? Made him wait until you arrived half an hour later? Fact is, I was well aware of the size of Mr. Reed’s organization, and I knew this deal was worth millions.

“I felt more than comfortable with running the meeting using your proposal and notes, so I took the initiative and did it.”

Brennan sat back and looked down. “Do I need to remind you of the clause in your contract prohibiting you from starting or working in a similar industry for at least six months?”

I scoffed and stood up. “Brennan, I’d hope you know me better by now. I have no plans for when I leave, least of all plans to start my own business or work in something similar.

“I clearly made the wrong decision by running the meeting. I am sorry. I’m going to go back to work now.”

I stalked to the door and pushed it open angrily. I’d have slammed it for good measure if I could, but the hydraulics on the hinges prevented that.

I walked back to my desk and sat down, struggling to control my breathing and the high level of frustration that suddenly filled me.

What the hell was his problem? I’d secured him a contract that would add millions to the coffers. It was probably a little much to expect him to be grateful, but angry?

I stood up and walked out of the office with anger coursing through my veins.

I took the lift down to the foyer and found myself at the coffee shop. I ordered myself a grande chai latte and a cappuccino for Brennan out of habit.

By the time I made it back up to the office, my rage had somewhat eased. I opened Brennan’s door and stood in the doorway with the coffee.

“Come in,” he said. “Take a seat.”

I walked in and placed the coffee cup down on the desk in front of Brennan, then sat down. I sipped on my chai latte before lifting my gaze to meet Brennan’s.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I appreciate you taking the meeting. Mr. Reed would not have accepted the deal had you not done so. He’s a busy man and he would have left.”

I tried to hide my surprise at Brennan’s about-turn. I bit back the smile that danced on the edge of my lips.

“You must know I value what Wolf Technologies does. I would only ever work in the best interests of the company,” I offered.

“I know,” Brennan replied. “Which brings me to the topic of your resignation.”

“Yes?”

“I’m prepared to shorten your notice period,” he explained, picking up his coffee. He fumbled with the lid for a moment before placing it down.

“Really? B, that would be amazing.” The smile I’d barely been hiding turned into a full-blown grin.

Brennan watched me. He was smiling back at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Wait. G, I have one condition.”