Page 8 of Nothing to You
She stopped.Everything went completely on pause.
“Okay,” someone at the table said.“Thank you for your presentation.Someone will get back to you.”
She knew it was someone at that table because it wasn’t that voice.That voice…
Hotshot’s voice.
Spinning on the spot, mouth open, she fixated on him and damn, he was looking right back, right into her.Fuck.
Did he know?Of course he had to know.A guy like him had access to everything.Like everything.Shit.What had she told him?So much more than she’d ever tell a guy in real life.That was what made him different, safe, they’d never have to look each other in the eye.Except they did because… they were doing it right then.
“Thank you very much for your time,” Helena said.“All of you.It’s appreciated and a great pleasure to be before such instrumental players in the Mosaic machine.It’s an honor.”
A few beats of nothing passed.
Someone grabbed her arm to pull her toward the door.
Don’t be a hothead.Stay quiet.Stay calm.Say nothing.Walk out.Just turn and walk out the door.Don’t wreck their chances.
Fuck their chances.
She snatched her arm away from the tugging hand.“You have some nerve,” she said, narrowing her focus on Hotshot.“Some real fucking nerve.”
“Language,” he drawled.“Watch your keywords.”
“Miss Radley…” Table Guy said but was ignored.
“You don’t have any idea what decency is, do you?”she demanded, marching closer to the table, still fixated on Hotshot.“What choice is.What fairness is.”
“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into her,” Helena was saying in the background.“Roux!”
But she couldn’t take her eyes off the smug smirk at the back of the room.“You couldn’t keep away, you just couldn’t even… do you know the damage you’ve caused?”
“Roux!”Helena chastised her as the men from her group hissed too, desperately trying to silence her.It was too late for that.Way too late.“What is the matter with you?”
“He is the matter with me.Him.There…” she said, pointing.“And look, he doesn’t have a damn thing to say for himself.He knows what he’s done.He knows he’s wrecked everything.He knows it.But he stands there smirking, like he’s not the biggest asshole the company’s ever seen!The company?The country!The world!”
“I’m so sorry.So, so sorry.”
“He’s not sorry,” she said, glaring.“No, Mr.Bigshot doesn’t have to be sorry, he owns huge chunks of the world.”
“If I own it, shouldn’t I have the final word on how it’s run?”
“No.No, you shouldn’t.It’s called free will, and it’s not your right to take it away.”
“My right to keep mine.”
“I’m not so sure,” she said, a hand landing on her hip.“It’s clear you can’t be trusted with it.”
“Just as you cannot be trusted with discretion.”
“Oh, I’m discreet, Hotshot.I’m discreet over the whole damn place.”
“Miss Radley…”
Someone stepped into her line of sight, blocking her view.He wasn’t the only one nearby.The panel and her own people surrounded her.
“Okay,” she said, holding up her hands in surrender.“Okay, I’ll take a breather.”Turning around, she started out within the tight cordon formed by her vigilant colleagues.“This isn’t over!”
