Chapter Nineteen

Max took a breath before striding into his office. Richard stood at the window, looking out. If he looked down, the trash bin would be in clear sight. Aggie would appear there in no time. If the guy liked her, he’d be upset with Max for asking her to dig through trash even if she did utilize a long stick in the process. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”

Richard turned.

Max chose a seat at the conference table, and Richard joined him. “Tell me about this new project on your radar?”

Richard looked at him speculatively. “Actually, it’s my partner, David Long, who’s taking the lead on finding the right property for the venture.”

Was she out there? “I haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with David.” He glanced at the window. Damn it. What in the hell had gotten into him? He’d behaved like a fucking coward.

“We’ll see if you still see it as pleasure once you’ve met the man. He can be disagreeable.”

“I’ve been told I can be disagreeable, too.” Max stood. “I’m going to grab a bottle of water. I’ve had a tickle in my throat all morning.” Not waiting for a response, he hurried toward the outer office. As soon as he was out of view of Richard, he sent Aggie a text telling her to abort her mission. Then he grabbed two bottles of water from the mini-fridge and went back to his office.

“You were saying?” He handed a bottle of water to Richard.

“If things go well with the current project you’re working on for us, I’ll have Aggie set up a meeting between you two.”

Had his lateness to this meeting caused Richard to worry he wasn’t up for a bigger task? Or was he pulling back, handing him off to his partner, because he wanted to date Aggie and didn’t want to mix business with pleasure?

“Things are going to go better than well with this project. No sense in waiting.”

Richard opened his briefcase and pulled out a file. “As great as you are, it will probably be out of your league. In fact, I’m considering your father’s corporation for this project.”

Max grimaced. “Our styles are nothing alike.” Father hired out the diminutive details. Max, on the other hand, bought commercial property, designed a blueprint to best make it shine, and then flipped it.

“I’m well aware of that fact.”

“I can assure you, there’s nothing Father can do that I can’t.”

“That’s what Aggie told me when I floated the idea by her. She said you’re the most brilliant man she has ever known.” Richard smiled as if talking about her made him happy.

“She said that?”

“Among other things.”

He could only imagine. “Shall we get down to business?”

Their meeting lasted only fifteen minutes. As soon as Richard left, Max walked to his desk to grab a file. When he picked it up, a single sheet of paper lay underneath. The missing document.

Thank God he’d told Aggie to abort the mission.