Chapter 10
Karli glanced at herself in the bedroom mirror. Her formfitting classic skirt suit with the bustier top gave her the high-profile professional look she was seeking, and her sky-high Louboutins added just the right touch. She looked like she’d been in the game for years.
“You look . . . wow,” Michael said after Karli walked into the kitchen with her laptop bag on her shoulder and her briefcase in her hand.
“Thank you,” she said, grabbing a banana and a bottle of water. She checked to make sure her purse was in her laptop bag and then grabbed her car keys.
“Big day at work?” he asked, putting his paper down and looking her up and down from his seat at the kitchen table.
“Yes. Major account to close.”
Michael wiped his hand down his face. Karli’s aloofness had turned them into a couple he didn’t even recognize. At moments like this in the past, she would have shared all the details of her work with him. “I didn’t know. That’s great. Do you think that you’ll—”
“Sorry Michael. I have to go. Have a good day at work.” She patted his hand and headed out, leaving him stuck on stupid.
On the ride to work, Karli tried not to think about Michael’s feeble attempts at conversation. She knew he was itching to “talk,” but it bothered her that he expected her to get over what he’d done to her, forgive him, and eagerly engage in conversation with him, even though he had shown no willingness to extend to her the same olive branch. God knows she was trying to will herself past her ill feelings, her resentment, but it was so hard. Every time she looked at him, she was torn between the love she had for him and the anger she harbored. The only way she could process everything with her marriage and make it through the presentation she was about to give was to keep up her old stern, no-nonsense business demeanor.
After she pulled into her parking spot, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes to push back the emotional thoughts threatening to consume her mind. Once she closed this account, she’d have to shift her focus to her marriage. They couldn’t continue this way. She couldn’t continue this way.
“Okay, Karli. It’s showtime,” she said aloud.
She pushed herself and finally got out of the car and walked into the building. Karli’s team had everything set up. Her boss, Jack Caruthers, had already greeted the executives from Lewis Investments, and Karli’s assistant had already led the team of four into the conference room for the preliminary presentation. Karli met up with her boss outside the conference room, and then they entered the room together.
“Carl, Jan, Sue, Paul, this is Karli, the one I was telling you about,” Jack announced, addressing the Lewis Investments executives, who were milling about. “I’m sure you’ll find her work exceedingly impressive. She’s a dynamite wiz, and I completely trust her to show you how McCallan and Associates can benefit you.” He turned to Karli and gave her the floor.
“Why, thank you, Jack,” Karli said to him, then turned to the Lewis Investments executives. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. We’ve prepared a preliminary marketing campaign for you that I’m positive you’ll be impressed with. Shall we get started?”
They all agreed to commence. They took their seats, and Karli and her assistant began. Jack quietly left the conference room. About five minutes into her presentation, Karli could tell by the expressions on the executives’ faces that she had won them over already. Then, about ten minutes into her presentation, the door opened, and Jack walked back in the room.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but we have a special guest,” he announced.
Karli smiled. “Not a problem, Jack. Please show them in.”
A man walked into the conference room, wearing a sharp Tom Ford suit and a gleaming Rolex. He reeked of money. Karli walked over to meet him, and he met her halfway. His eyes landed on Karli, and he smiled as he drank in her features. Karli’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of his piercing ocean-blue eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Hudson Lewis,” he said, introducing himself, and extended his hand.
Karli reached out her hand and gave him a firm handshake. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Lewis. I am Karli—”
“Fitzgerald,” he interrupted. “I’ve followed your work for some time. You helped with a partner company of mine, and their sales skyrocketed. When I heard you were in charge of the presentation for our campaign, I had to clear my schedule.”
Suddenly, it dawned on Karli. He was the Lewis, as in the CEO and the owner of Lewis Investments. “Mr. Lewis, thank you so much for making time for our presentation, and I hope you’ll be impressed with what I’ve put together.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“My apologies. I’ve already begun—”
He waved off her apology. “No need for apologies. I’m the tardy one. I’m a fast study, so I’m sure I can catch on. Please continue from where you left off.”
He took a seat at the head of the table, next to his team. Jack decided to sit in on the meeting, to observe Karli’s wit and professionalism. For the next hour, she explained her vision for fulfilling Lewis Investments’ marketing and research needs and answered all the questions they had with ease.
“Karli, I want to thank you for such a dynamic presentation. It was clear, concise, and highly thought out. You and your team did an excellent job. I’m extremely impressed,” Hudson stated at the end of her presentation.
Carl, the lead executive, spoke up. “Yes, I couldn’t agree with Mr. Lewis more. I’m sure that we will discuss our decision and get back—”
“We’re going with McCallan and Associates,” Hudson said, intervening.
Everyone turned to face Hudson, shocked out of their minds that he’d agreed on the spot.
Carl cleared his throat as the others looked at Hudson in confusion. “Sir, I don’t mean to overstep my boundaries here, but we haven’t agreed on the terms or seen the contract. Wouldn’t it be best to gather that information first?”
Hudson waved him off. “Those things are formalities. . . bullshit, really. I go with my gut. It’s the reason there is a Lewis Investments today. It’s the reason we’re successful,” he said, patting his stomach lightly. “Gut instincts.” He stood and faced Jack. “Get your facts and figures together, and we can settle the particulars later, but you’re the company I want behind my company, and I want Karli on my team.”
Jack smiled and shook Hudson’s hand. “We’ll get the paperwork drawn up and have it to you by tomorrow evening, once legal has reviewed it. How’s that sound?”
Hudson winked. “Like a winner.”
Everyone milled around, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, until Jack invited them to his office for a celebratory drink.
“You guys go ahead. I’d like to speak to Karli for a second,” Hudson told his team. Then he turned his head so that his blue eyes met Karli’s as she packed up her laptop and presentation materials.
Karli instantly froze. His eyes seemed to pierce through her, and she felt her legs begin to tremble. Once everyone had cleared out, Hudson turned and walked a few steps closer to Karli.
“I trust that I can expect more of this from you as part of the team, right?” he said.
Karli smiled and nodded. “Of course. As soon as you admit that you were going to go with us all along.” She eyed him suspiciously yet confidently, daring him to deny it.
He laughed and smiled at her. “You caught me. Karli, I didn’t lie when I said I’d followed your work. McCallan is good, but when I heard you were the lead, I was sold. You were the selling point. The rest of the meeting was just a formality.”
Karli waved him off, trying to hide her blushing. “You are too much. I hope I live up to such great expectations.”
“I have no doubt that you will.” He extended his hand toward her laptop bag. “Allow me.” His intense blue eyes bore deeper into her.
Jesus, the man could stop traffic with those eyes, she thought.
His blond hair, thin beard, and Clinique cologne added to his mystique. By his appearance, she surmised that he was someone with money and a streak of “bad boy.”
He stood hovering over her with his chiseled six-foot frame, waiting for her to hand over the bag. “Allow me to be a gentleman,” he insisted. “Those shoes are far too nice to try to walk with full hands.”
He and Karli shared a laugh, and she handed him the bag. On the way out and down the hall, Karli discussed their next plan of action, once the contracts were signed. They joined the rest of the team in Jack’s office for a drink, and then Hudson followed her to her office to obtain her business card.
“Darn. Looks like I’m fresh out of new business cards,” she said as Hudson sat her laptop bag on her desk. She opened her desk drawer, retrieved an old card, and wrote her new office number on it. “It’s not the latest one, but it’ll serve the purpose.”
Hudson took it and placed it in his card holder before retrieving his own business card. “Anytime you need me for the campaign, call.”
He handed his card to Karli, and their hands touched briefly. Hudson found himself gazing at Karli as the touch sent electricity through him.
Christ. She is beautiful beyond belief, he thought.
“Well, Mr. Lewis—”
“Hudson. Please call me Hudson.”
Karli nodded. “Okay, Hudson. I really hate to cut this short, but I do have other work to do. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to the new venture with your company.”
“Likewise.” He shook her hand and allowed his fingers to linger a tad too long on hers. He let go of her hand before it became uncomfortable. “Good day, Karli.”
“Good day to you, Hudson.”