“Tess, we have sixty-five points we want to discuss. I don’t see how we can reach an agreement.”
I was tempted to just reject the deal, because these negotiations would likely take time, and we didn’t have any to spare.
“Okay, I’ll send him an email with our comments, asking for an appointment,” I said.
I sent the email right away, keeping my fingers crossed that he would want to meet soon.
“Come on, girls. Let’s go out to dinner. My treat. You two need something to cheer you up,” Ryker said.
“Have I told you I love you recently?” I teased, getting up from the couch and kissing his cheek.
“Only a couple of times.”
“We planned on ordering a cheese platter,” Skye said.
I vehemently shook my head. “No, that’s for celebrating. Let’s not spoil that by turning it into comfort food.”
Needless to say, we hadn’t opened the champagne.
To my astonishment, Liam emailed before we left the apartment.
Liam: I can see you and Skye tomorrow at eight and discuss your worries.
“Perfect,” Skye said when I read her the content. “Works for me.”
I emailed him back right away.
Tess: We’ll be there.
I tucked the phone in my bag, determined not to be swayed tomorrow by those baby-blue eyes or his sexy-as-hell ass. I planned to keep it all business.
“Okay, it’s all set. We’re meeting him tomorrow.”
“Let’s take our dear brother up on his offer, then,” Skye said.
“Yes. Hey, here’s a thought. Why don’t we go to the same place Heather took Avery? Think they’re still there?”
“For sure,” Ryker replied.
“Perfect. That way I get to see Avery too and give her the gift myself. I need extra cuddles tonight.”
Chapter Eight
Liam
The first thing I did upon arriving at my office the next morning was download the document Tess had sent me on my computer. I’d only read her email last evening, asking for a face-to-face meeting. I stared at the PDF, scrolling to the end of it. Sixty-five comments. They were roasting our ass worse than anyone we’d done business with.
I tapped my fingers over my desk. I had a bad feeling about this. Mentees who wanted to negotiate every line of the contract were a time-suck. But I wasn’t prepared to let go of Tess without a fight.
“Not of Tess, of Soho Lingerie,” I corrected myself. This was about bringing in another solid company for our portfolio.
There was no time to go through all the comments, but I started reading them anyway. At five to eight, Dexter poked his head inside the office. I hadn’t even heard him come in. The brownstone had been empty when I arrived at seven.
“Liam, Tess is here.”
“Just Tess?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, show her in. Thanks.”
I stood up, pacing around my desk.
When Tess stepped into my office, I couldn’t help drinking her in. Her body was just perfection. She was wearing a black skirt and white shirt that were snug around her generous curves. Is she wearing one of their sexy-as-hell designs? I couldn’t ignore the way her curves looked in her pencil skirt or how damn attracted I was to her.
This was one of the reasons why I kept my personal life separate from business. Yes, personal chemistry was necessary for a good business relationship. But when I said chemistry, I meant being on the same page, not wanting to kiss her until she moaned every time I saw her.
But I wasn’t going to fight my attraction to her any longer. I already knew I wanted her. “Good morning, Tess. Is Skye joining us too?”
“No. She was supposed to, but her son wasn’t feeling well this morning, so she went to the doctor with him.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“She doesn’t think so.”
“Let’s sit. Do you want any coffee? Water?”
“I’m good, thank you. Let’s get straight to it.”
She’d barely sat down when she took a stack of papers out of her bag. A second later, I realized it was the agreement with all sixty-five comments. She wanted to go through every point in person.
This woman was killing me.
“I want us to clarify the points I marked,” she said the second I sat down.
“Tess, going through all those comments will take hours. I only have forty minutes.”
She stared at me, pressing her lips together. “Then why did you agree to this meeting?”
“I hadn’t opened the document when I replied. I assumed there were a few big things you wanted to negotiate. I like discussing delicate issues in person. I told you we don’t invest in companies; we invest in people. We believe in interpersonal relationships, in building trust and having the right chemistry.”
I was sure that would earn me points, even charm her a little. It didn’t. She glanced down at the stack of papers.
“Well, personal chemistry or not, a contract is what dictates the terms of a collaboration.” She tapped her pen against the papers, looking back up at me. Her eyes were full of fire and determination. She wasn’t going to ease into this.
I pinned her with my gaze, letting her know I could play just as tough.
“Those are standard terms in this industry but also negotiable.”
“That’s exactly what I’m here to do. Negotiate.”
“Tess, I’ve read the first twenty comments. Your position isn’t that of someone who wants to negotiate. It’s of someone who doesn’t want an investor at all.”
She straightened up, rolling her shoulders. “I just want a fair deal,” she said after a beat.
“You think I’m out here to scam you?”
Her determination faltered for the first time, vulnerability replacing it. I was on to something that explained her overly defensive behavior. I wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Every instinct in me wanted to move to the other side of the table and sit next to her, to touch her and reassure her in every way possible, but I didn’t want this to turn personal. Not yet, anyway.
“No, I don’t think that,” she replied softly.
“Talk to me, Tess. Did someone try to scam you before?”
She sighed, crossing her fingers in her lap. “In the early days, yes. And then a few years ago, an investor was interested in us. He pulled out at the last moment, and we’d already promised our suppliers that we were growing our business, and as such, they prepared for more orders. Needless to say, it gave us headaches.”
And no doubt it left them with a sour taste too.
“Tess, I’m not here to make false promises or scam you.”
“I think you’re out to maximize your profits.”
“Everyone who pursues business is. Profit maximization does not come at the expense of the entrepreneurs.” I looked her in the eyes. “Tess, why don’t we schedule another meeting, one where I can allot a few hours and where Skye can attend as well?”
“Okay.”
“Also, I’ve noticed that some of your comments are about legal lingo. I can give you the number of our lawyers, or you can ask one you trust. That way, we save time and focus on the important points.”