“Ms. Alexander owns one of the biggest solar companies in the country. She specializes in green and renewable energy, and I believe Titan is interested in buying her out, but I’m not completely sure. Since Titan is unavailable right now, perhaps I should reschedule.”
This wasn’t as straightforward. I could handle the meeting, but I needed to know exactly what Titan wanted before I acted on her behalf. It would be wrong to take charge of the situation when it wasn’t clear. “Let me call her.”
“Alright.” Jessica walked out.
I called Diesel.
He answered immediately. “Hey, what’s up?”
“How’s she doing today?”
“She’s good. Ate all of her breakfast.”
“Because you made her?” I teased.
Diesel didn’t rise to my humor. As long as she sat in that hospital bed, Diesel wouldn’t be in a good mood. “Maybe. Are you coming by?”
“Actually, I need to talk to her. Can you put her on?”
“Hold on.” Diesel transferred the phone to Titan.
She spoke with her deep and powerful voice. “Hey, Thorn. What’s going on?”
“Long story short, I’ve been taking care of stuff for you at the office.”
“You have?” she asked in surprise.
“I know you’ve been thinking about work the whole time you’ve been in that bed. Let’s not pretend otherwise.”
Her long pause was a confirmation of my accusation. “Well, that’s not all I’ve been thinking about. But you didn’t need to do that, Thorn. I appreciate it more than I can say…but you still didn’t need to worry about it.”
“I don’t mind. You would do the same for me.”
“Of course.” She was obviously touched by what I’d done. When she said very little, her stretches of silence spoke louder than words. “I know you have your own company to take care of. I’ll be back on my feet soon. I always have Diesel too.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can handle it. Diesel shouldn’t have to worry about it either.”
“Well…thank you.”
“No problem. But I do have a question.”
“Fire away.”
“I have a meeting with someone named Alexander in, like, twenty minutes. Apparently, she has a solar company you’re interested in. I know you’re expanding your projects in solar energy, but I’m not sure what you want from this person.”
Titan immediately switched into her executive role. “I want to buy her out. Offer whatever is necessary to acquire it. With her technology and expertise, I know I’ll be able to grow my company exponentially and be the leading solar technology company in the country. I’ll be able to monopolize the market. Ms. Alexander is a brilliant woman who’s not only scientifically inclined, but she has a strong business presence. Don’t underestimate her.”
“She shouldn’t underestimate me either. But are you certain you don’t want to reschedule and handle this yourself?”
She paused as she considered it. “I won’t be out of here for a few more days, and even then, I’ll probably be in bed for a while. I don’t think it’s the best time for me to handle such a big task, but I also don’t want to put it off either. I have no doubt you can handle this. I’ve learned everything from the best—and the best is you.”
I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. “Alright. I’ll bring this home for you.”
“Thank you, Thorn. But remember what I said, don’t underestimate her.”
“Have you met her?”
“No,” Titan answered. “But her reputation precedes her.”
Jessica spoke through the intercom. “Mr. Cutler, Ms. Alexander has arrived.”
“Send her in.” I was familiar with Titan’s projects and goals. She viewed solar energy as the future of all business. By converting to a power source that didn’t cost money, she would cut her business expenses all over the world. All of her buildings were going to run on the new form of energy, which wouldn’t cost her a dime. According to her books, it would save her nearly ten million dollars every year. By making the energy source more affordable, it would be an incentive for other businesses to convert. If she were the only company in power, she would get all the business—from the entire world. She’d even convinced me to change all my offices and factories to solar, and that construction would begin soon.
Jessica opened the glass door and allowed Ms. Alexander inside.
The second she stepped into the office, I couldn’t hide my surprise.
She was not what I pictured—at all.
I’d expected a middle-aged woman, someone who wore glasses to go along with her nerdy appearance. I didn’t expect her to have any confidence or social skills at all. But the woman I saw looked nothing like that.
She was young.
Younger than me.
She had jet-black hair, which was long and thick. It reached just past her perky tits. Her pink blouse fit snugly around her chest, stretching slightly over the womanly curves. The blouse hugged her slender waistline, curving inward until it disappeared under her skirt at her hips. A gold necklace was around her throat, a circular pendant in the center.
Her black skirt reached just above her knee, hinting at her toned legs underneath the fabric. Her heels were sky-high, but she handled them like sandals on the soft sand of some beach. She held a folder in one arm, a rose gold watch sitting around her wrist.
She stopped at my desk, staring at me like she wasn’t nearly as surprised to see me as I was to see her.
I forgot to rise from my chair, thrown off by the gorgeous woman who had just stepped inside the office like she owned it. I got to my feet, straightened my tie, and stared at her face without blinking. In fact, I hadn’t blinked once since she’d walked into the office. There was too much to look at.
She extended her hand and wore a soft smile on her lips. It wasn’t the wide and flirtatious one women sometimes flashed my way, the kind that was so big it compensated for their nervousness. Hers was absolutely confident, indifferent to my opinion of her.
