Once Upon a Dare (Risky Business)(16)
“From our kitchen to yours, Mama’s Muffins are baked with love.”
“Fresh from Mama’s oven, you’ve never had a muffin this good.”
“Mama’s Muffins: because even mamas need a break sometimes.”
“Got muffins?”
“Nothing says lovin’ like Mama’s Muffins.”
“Who’s your Mama?”
The ideas just kept coming, flowing like word-vomit, each one worse than the last. Cole shook his head in disgust. He couldn’t believe his ears. These were some of the most experienced and sought after agents in the city, the finest Pritchard, Bennett, & Associates had to offer, and this was the best they could do? Any minute now they would break out singing Kumbaya and indulge in one big, happy, f*cking love fest. It was nauseating.
“Keep them coming, people,” Olivia encouraged, although Jack and his not-so-magic marker were struggling to keep up. She scanned the room, passing Cole over once again. He cleared his throat, refusing to be shut out any longer. He had a job to do, after all, one that he suspected wasn’t going to earn him any friends, and would surely make him a few enemies. It wouldn’t be the first time, but he hadn’t gotten where he was by worrying about what other people thought.
“If I may,” he offered, rising from his chair and approaching Jack. He held out his hand for the marker and the kid froze, his gaze swinging wildly from Cole to Olivia. If this was all it took to rattle the guy, he had no business representing PBA. The kid looked like he wanted to curl up under the table in the fetal position. “Olivia?”
With a look of annoyance, she nodded her head, signaling Jack to relinquish the pen. He returned to his seat at the table and Cole uncapped the marker, ceremoniously crossing out every suggestion the team had made. And damn if it didn’t feel good.
“Excuse me, what exactly are you doing?” Olivia asked, stalking to the front of the room where she stood toe-to-toe with him. Her blue eyes flashed, and he could feel the tension emanating from her body. Mission accomplished. He had her undivided attention now.
“We’re starting fresh,” he explained, a smirk hitching up the right corner of his mouth. “Pritchard, Bennett, & Associates owes the client our very best, and this isn’t it.”
“With all due respect, my team and I have been working the Mama’s Muffins account for years,” she returned, a tight, fake smile plastered on her face, “and we understand their needs quite well.”
“You’re kidding, right?” He knew he was treading in dangerous territory, but he couldn’t help himself. Seeing Olivia flushed and excited? He wanted more and he knew just how to get it. If she didn’t want to talk about their night together, they could talk about her other favorite subject: work. “‘Nothing says lovin’ like Mama’s Muffins?’ If this is the best we can do, we should all pack our bags and get the hell out of New York.”
The room fell silent. No one spoke. No one moved. He wasn’t even sure they were still breathing. So be it. He could wait them out. Besides, it was the most fun he’d had all day.
“All right, then.” Olivia turned on her heel and retreated to the table where she perched on the end, legs crossed. “You’ve been on the account now for what, twenty minutes? Dazzle us with your insights.”
Cole pocketed the marker, stripped off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, taking his sweet-ass time as he collected his thoughts. “Mama’s is a New York icon and like New York, Mama’s should be edgy, slick, and sexy.”
“Those muffins are about as sexy as my Nana riding bareback,” Olivia quipped, drawing a few snickers from her team.
So they were still alive after all. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking pleased with herself.
“Maybe that’s the problem,” he returned, feigning confusion. She was going to take the hard road, he realized. It didn’t matter what he suggested, she was predisposed to disagreeing.
So much for starting fresh.
Well, if she wanted to do things the hard way that was fine by him. He’d never backed down from a fight in his life. Not even when facing a pissed-off blonde with a vendetta. “How many New Yorkers do you know that aspire to a frumpy, muffin-induced carb coma?”
Olivia shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. Mama will never go for it.”
“We’ll never know if we don’t try.” He reached around Olivia and grabbed a file off the table. She flinched instinctively, leaning away as he invaded her space. It didn’t matter. The scent of her perfume, a light floral blend, filled his nostrils and nearly derailed his focus as he recalled the last time he’d been this close to her. “According to the notes I have, her family is moving into position to take control of the company. It may not be Mama making the decision this time.”
“Regardless, it’s extremely risky. You’re talking about sexing up their family business.” She emphasized the word “family” as if a jackass like him couldn’t possibly grasp the concept. “We need to stick with what works.”
Doing his best to let the sting of her potshot roll off his back, he stretched and yawned. She really didn’t know anything about him and now wasn’t the time to let his personal feelings get the best of him.
“Bor-ing! The last time I checked, this was a city thriving with young working professionals, not the muffin-loving families of suburbanites. It’s time for Mama’s to get with the millennium.”