Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(29)

“Fifteen percent, huh? Wait—over?”

“Exactly. With just me sitting in a room, I could have sold it for our original price. That Research girl came in, though, and threw them numbers and figures and spreadsheets—she had them eating out of her hand. There was no negotiation.”

“No shit, huh? Krista, you mean? The hot little blond?”

“Yes.” Sean didn’t like the look in John’s eye when he talked about Krista. John was exactly the man Krista thought Sean was. He was sleazy and nasty and talked about women like they were animals. He disgusted Sean at every juncture, but he also thought Sean was the same caliber. He thought they were bosom buddies—the “hit it and quit it” type of guys who would never settle down. They’d live life free and go down on a motorcycle somewhere in Tucson, or some other stupid cliché John saw in a movie. Sean sold the image because…well, he needed John on his side to get that Junior VP title. He sold it, but he didn’t like to hear it.

“You’re sure they’ll be bought out?” Sean asked, easily changing direction. It wasn’t hard—John had the attention span of a moth.

“Oh, yeah. They’re starting now. You need to get in position to jump in. We’ve gotta get your team assembled. Who’ve you got in mind?”

“Ray, Judy, Marcus and Krista.”

“Just three staffers and a Sales?”

“That’s all we need so far. I have faith that those four will get the job done to get us in position. After that, we’ll see.”

John grabbed a chair, pulled it two feet to the left so he was sitting directly in front of Sean on the other side of the desk, and sat down in a whoosh. “Judy is a yes. We’ll pull her off Dell. She’s exactly the experience level you need.”

Sean nodded.

“Marcus, though… He has one bad idea for every good idea. No, I’m not buyin’ it—what about Rachelle?”

Sean shook his head and leaned back. Negotiations had begun. Sean would get his way, though. Of that he had no doubt.

“Rachelle is obsessed with me. I can’t have that distraction with a team member. Marcus has one mediocre idea for every five brilliant ideas. We just can’t find a way to get numbers on those ideas—yet. But he’s gold. He’s what I need.”

“A brilliant idea unexplored might as well be a bad idea. What about Tommy?”

Sean shook his head again. “Tommy is great with color and design, but we have Judy for that, who is better. We need an idea man. We need someone who gives us something unique. Our big fish will want something no one else can give them. That’s the only way they’ll look at someone as small as us.”

“Okay, but Marcus will need someone in Research to get info on those unique ideas. And Krista is a definite no. She’s hot, don’t get me wrong. Sexy as all hell. I’ve been trying to figure out where she hangs out so I can meet up with her, but she is brand new. She has absolutely no experience. None with our company, and none from anywhere else. She’s small potatoes. Plus, she’s a chick that likes dick—you’d have the same problem as Rachelle.”

Sean steepled his fingers, ignoring the language. “She is good at what she does. Based on today, I’d even say great at what she does. She’s smarter than the rest of her department, a harder worker, more insightful, and she can charm any client, man or woman. You should have seen how those men watched her; she had them hypnotized.”

“You’ve never met Tory, but let me assure you, he won’t be transfixed by a nymph, no matter how pretty, and he won’t go starry-eyed, no matter how sexy. Plus, she won’t work all that hard when you get tired of screwing her.”

Sean shifted position. “She won’t let me anywhere near her. I throw her a line, she runs the other direction. I guarantee she won’t let her job suffer because of a man. Much as it pains me to say.”

John leaned back with a sly grin. “So, you can’t get in her pants, huh? She’s too hot for you—that’s obvious—but you have a way. I thought if anyone could close the deal, you could. But she’s outta your reach, huh? How’s that taste?”

Not great. She was out of his reach. Out of his reach and out of his league, but for all that, he was a man. Men didn’t give up, their egos wouldn’t allow it. He should know, he was all kinds of proof. Plus, he still made her nervous. In a good way, though she didn’t agree. She liked him. Or at least was affected by him. One day she’d let her guard slip and give him a chance. He just had to keep close to make sure that happened.

To John though, he still had to play the game. “No one is out of my league.”

John laughed and stood up. “Well, bring Marcus on, but have someone pulling back up just in case his ideas don’t pan out. Make sure someone can step in immediately, if needed.”

“Not many people are going to want to do the extra work.”

“To work with you they will. I’m sure you already have someone in mind.”

“Two people. I’ll just have to smile a little more.”

“Then do it.”

“But I want Krista.”

“So do I. Under me butt-assed naked. But this is work and we need someone who knows the job.”

“Look, I’ll tell ya what …” Sean was about to gamble. He hated gambling. It was too unpredictable. He liked to be sure of the outcome before he put his neck out. It was why he hadn’t asked Krista out yet. He didn’t like when people said no. “I pissed her off today. She’s going to take it all kinds of wrong—“