Chapter 3: Mr. and Miss.

When I walked into the office the next morning, I was expecting Brennan to be there already. He had a meeting scheduled before I was even supposed to be in. But when I got there, he was nowhere to be found and his client was waiting.

“Mr. Reed!” I said, surprised, as I rounded my desk. I dropped my bag, grabbed the phone, and quickly dialed Brennan’s cell. Mr. Reed just nodded, looking less than pleased.

This wasn’t like Brennan. He was always on top of things. But the call went straight to voicemail.

I bit my lip, glancing into Brennan’s office. I knew his passwords and I had enough knowledge to run the meeting myself, as long as I could get to the files.

I turned to Mr. Reed and extended my hand.

“Welcome, Mr. Reed. Mr. Wolf had an unexpected emergency. I can run the meeting to save you some time?”

Mr. Reed tilted his head, as if he wasn’t sure whether to trust me with the meeting. He checked his watch, sighed, and then shook my hand.

“Okay, Miss…?”

“Reynolds.” I smiled and gestured towards Brennan’s office. “Please, follow me.”

I sat at Brennan’s desk and logged into his computer, pulling up all the information on the Reed account.

I’d been in enough meetings to know how Brennan persuaded potential clients to sign on the dotted line, so I tried to mimic his style.

Mr. Reed asked questions and I answered them smoothly. Half an hour flew by, and just as I was wrapping up the proposal, Brennan burst into his office.

His eyes darted from me to Mr. Reed. I could see the tension in his neck. The Reed account was worth millions, and Brennan had been trying to land it for a while.

That’s why his tardiness was so surprising.

“Mr. Reed, I apologize for my lateness.”

“Mr. Wolf, I’ve already informed Mr. Reed about your emergency and he agreed to let me run through the proposal with him.”

Brennan opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Reed turned and smiled at him. He stood up and extended his hand.

“Brennan, you should give your PA a raise. She just secured our business with Wolf Technologies.”

Brennan’s jaw tightened. He shook Mr. Reed’s hand, then walked to his desk. I stood up and moved aside, giving Brennan his space back.

“I’ll have the contracts ready and sent to you by the end of the day,” Brennan said. “You’ve made a wise decision, Mr. Reed. Miss Reynolds, could you please show Mr. Reed out?”

Mr. Reed and I left the office. I could tell he sensed the tension, but he didn’t say anything.

Once he was gone, I returned to my desk and sat down. I hadn’t been there for a minute before my IM pinged.

Brennan Wolf

Can you come into my office.

Grace Reynolds

Sure. Can I bring you anything?

Brennan Wolf

No.

I got up and went back into Brennan’s office, sitting across from him. I could tell right away he was furious. He chewed on his lip and sighed before swallowing hard.

“What were you thinking?” he asked, his voice sharp. “Running a million-dollar meeting on your own without my approval.”

I sighed. Brennan was mad.

“You were late, you didn’t answer your phone, and Mr. Reed was already here when I got in, Brennan.”

Brennan’s jaw twitched. He shook his head and placed his hands flat on his desk, as if trying to steady himself, even though he was sitting.

“That was a mistake,” he said. “But that doesn’t give you the right to run a meeting without my say-so.”

I frowned and shook my head. I’d never taken a meeting on Brennan’s behalf before, but I’d been given more responsibility over time as Brennan’s PA.

Taking a meeting wasn’t that far out of the realm of tasks I’d done before.

“What should I have done, Brennan? Made him wait until you showed up half an hour later? I knew how big Mr. Reed’s company is, and I knew this deal was worth millions.

“I felt confident enough to run the meeting using your proposal and notes, so I took the initiative and did it.”

Brennan leaned back and looked down. “Do I need to remind you of the clause in your contract that says you can’t start or work in a similar industry for at least six months?”

I scoffed and stood up. “Brennan, I thought you knew me better than that. I have no plans for when I leave, especially not to start my own business or work in a similar field.

“I clearly made a mistake by running the meeting. I’m sorry. I’m going back to work now.”

I stormed to the door and pushed it open. I would have slammed it if I could, but the door hinges wouldn’t allow it.

I returned to my desk and sat down, trying to control my breathing and the wave of frustration that had washed over me.

What was his problem? I’d just secured a contract that would bring in millions. I didn’t expect him to be grateful, but angry?

I got up and left the office, anger pulsing through me.

I took the elevator down to the lobby and found myself at the coffee shop. I ordered a grande chai latte for myself and a cappuccino for Brennan out of habit.

By the time I got back to the office, my anger had cooled off a bit. I opened Brennan’s door and stood in the doorway with the coffee.

“Come in,” he said. “Sit down.”

I walked in and set the coffee cup down in front of Brennan, then sat down. I took a sip of my chai latte before looking up to meet Brennan’s gaze.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I appreciate you taking the meeting. Mr. Reed wouldn’t have accepted the deal if you hadn’t. He’s a busy man and he would have left.”

I tried to hide my surprise at Brennan’s change of heart. I fought back the smile that was threatening to spread across my lips.

“I’m aware of how much you respect Wolf Technologies. I know you’d only act in the company’s best interest,” I assured him.

“I believe you,” Brennan responded. “That brings us to the matter of your resignation.”

“Go on?”

“I’m considering letting you off your notice period early,” he revealed, reaching for his coffee. He fiddled with the lid for a bit before setting it back down.

“Seriously? B, that would be incredible.” The smile I’d been barely containing spread across my face.

Brennan observed me. He was returning my smile, but his eyes didn’t share the sentiment.

“Hold on. G, there’s a catch.”