Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(44)

Krista let what he said float over her awareness. It wasn’t why they were here. She was in deep enough; she didn’t need the sweet talking.

She rebutted with, “Okay, why did you play up the sex part? That was a form of sexual harassment as well as disrespectful, discourteous to a fellow associate and completely harmful to my reputation as a statistician. And, in case you were wondering, I don’t need any negative help with my reputation as a statistician.”

Sean had that devilishly handsome grin on his face. “Yes, I realize you don’t need any help with your reputation. Anyone who has worked with your department, or got caught at a Christmas party talking to one of them, knows to steer clear. But, yes, all those things it was, yes. Including a dick move about your reputation. I told you in the beginning, I will use a person for all they’ve got. Those men, save one, weren’t smart enough to follow what you were saying. By being belligerent in our appreciation of your looks, the two idiots could just watch you and feel like one of the boys. That left the smartest of the group to follow along. And he had to sidestep all the land mines you were throwing at him--smiles, sultry voice, feminine movements--to keep focused. ”

Okay, that time it was a little harder to let the appreciative comments float over her head. She went a furious shade of red.

Sean tried to stifle a laugh. “Please believe that if those guys were g*y men or women, I would’ve been giving that presentation right beside you while finding ways to take off my jacket. It isn’t pretty, but neither are sales.”

Her imagination flared at the mention of him taking off his jacket. She groped for the emergency brake as she said, “Fine, but then the smart one showed he could follow along and asked a poignant question.”

Sean’s eyes clouded over as he regarded her, his face losing all trace of humor. “Yes, I didn’t expect that.” She could tell he didn’t like when things happened he wasn’t anticipating. “Your information was solid, your skills as a presenter top notch, and your look distracting--I didn’t think he would pay such close attention. Or at least, I didn’t think he would ask a question until after you’d walked off the platform. Then that question. I’ll be honest, Krista, it blindsided me. It highlighted exactly what I was trying to hide.”

“Then why did you get me to answer it instead of saving the day?”

“Are you questioning my hero antics?” He laughed, humor restored. “I set you up as an independent sector, remember? He asked you. It was a research question. If I jumped in, it would have discredited you. They possibly would’ve looked harder at your material. Maybe punched holes in your presentation. Talk about reputation going down the drain, huh?”

Krista scoffed and he smiled at her, his eyes glittering green.

“But how did you know I wouldn’t ruin everything? I mean, my boss or anyone in my department would’ve agreed with what that guy said, then given a factual rundown on how the information was correct, if not necessarily relevant.”

Sean rolled his eyes, “If you were anyone else in your department, you would not have been left on your own. I already went over that with you. No one outside your department trusts your department--in front of clients, I mean. Information is always solid, of course.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

He sighed. “Well, I was hoping for the best. I was trying to figure out what to say when you f-ed up--excuse my candor. Luckily for me, you had the presence of mind to lie. Thank you for that, by the way. It’s what solidified you on my team. Otherwise I was going to hire in.”

“What, my ability to lie?”

Sean leaned back and laughed. He half-turned to her and she got the impression he wanted to ruffle her hair like a twelve-year-old boy.

“Your ability to go with the flow,” he explained.

Here she was, dwelling on that dang question all weekend, and now she learned it was potentially the doorway to a better career path. Potentially. The verdict was still out if she could work with Sean.

She went on, pressing the point, wanting to know why he wanted her on his team. Looks, or something else? This was his time to prove it. “Okay, you said if I was anyone but me you would’ve acted differently. How’d you know my work? That was my first real presentation.”

“By your presence of mind in your slides and how you went over it before the meeting. Also from the report of yours I looked at a few months ago when you knocked me over like a linebacker.”

“Okay, I think you’re remembering that incorrectly. You knocked me over, remember? Plus you were the reason for a broken lucky mug. And for a near black eye …”

“I’m not apologizing for that lucky mug—that thing was the pits. Very ugly.”

“What? How dare you insult its memory!”

Sean laughed again, resting his forearms on the bar. “And I already apologized for the near black eye. And you barreled into me. It wasn’t my fault you couldn’t stand on your own two stilettos.”

“Well, fine. History of you ambushing me aside, are you saying you made a split-second judgment right before show time? You think you’re that good a judge of talent?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well then, I feel inclined to tell you, I had help with those slides.”

Sean’s brows furrowed. “I thought you said--”