Page 4 of Power
I walk into my room and throw my briefcase up on the small table between the two sofas. Sitting, I take my tie off and open my briefcase. I put my glasses on and begin looking through all the files. One catches my eye, and I slide it out. Placing all the paperwork down, I open it to find a comprehensive report on everything about Reece Maxwell.
“Wow,” I say as I look at her latest tax returns. The knock on my door irritates me, because I have to close Reece’s file. “Come in.”
Liam opens the door and stands at the entrance. “Mr. President.”
“Why are you still here?”
“I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Um.” He looks at the file in my hand and pulls his shoulders back. “I’m actually here for that reason.” He pointedly glances at Reece’s file.
“What is it?”
Liam lets out a small chuckle. “The thing is, Mr. President, she said no.”
“What?” I sit straighter and tighten my hand around the edge of the file. “What do you mean she said no?” Another knock disrupts us, and Liam stands straighter. “Come in.”
The door opens and my food is delivered by one of the waitstaff. “Sir, your meal.” He walks in with a silver tray and places it on the table beside my briefcase.
“Thank you,” I say. The waiter smiles and walks out, closing the door behind him. “What do you mean she said no?”
“She said she’s unable to work tomorrow night.”
“She knows I asked for her?”
“Yes, I made it perfectly clear.” Liam smiles. “She’s adamant, that’s for sure.” There’s a collective moment of disbelief. “What do you want me to do?”
I stand and pace back and forth. “I’ve never been rejected by a woman, Liam.”
“Oh, I know. You could’ve had any of them in high school, and in college. But you saw Kathryn, and that was it for you. She was the only one you wanted.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Remember how many times she shot me down?”
“Do I ever!” Liam relaxes and steps backward, leaning against the wall. “She refused to go on a date with you, and after she finally did, you two were inseparable.”
Suddenly, the joy of the memory is overtaken by the pain of my loss. I pick Reece’s file up and flick through it. “She’s quite a thrifty woman.”
“Did you see what’s in her savings account?”
I shake my head and flick to her financials. I look up to Liam surprised. “Why has she got that much in the bank?”
“She also has several investment properties too. And, look at her donations for last year.”
I skim the numbers and shake my head. So many parts of me are confused by Reece Maxwell. “What was her reasoning for not being able to join me tomorrow night?”
“She didn’t give me one. She simply said no.”
I stop skimming the information and look up at Liam. “She said no?”
Liam slowly nods. “What do you want me to do? I threw the weight of the office at her, and she wasn’t fazed by it.”
“If she’s not coming tomorrow, then set up a meeting for Monday night. Check my schedule with Jamie and Esther, and block out anything from eight p.m.”
Liam nods, then mumbles, “Hopefully she won’t say no.”
“What was that?” I ask, playfully challenging him to speak up.
Liam smirks and shakes his head. “I’ll set that up for Monday night. Is there anything else, Mr. President?”
Yeah, thought so.“No, thank you.”
“Thank you and have a good night.” He backs out of my bedroom and closes the door behind him.
I look at my food, and the file on Reece Maxwell.
As I pick at my dinner, I thoroughly examine the file, which completely impresses me. For someone who’s only twenty-five, she’s amassed a small fortune. I’m looking forward to Monday night.
