My thick, curly red hair was somewhat tamed in a high bun. Thankfully, Jules let me do my make-up which was subtle, allowing my freckles to show their charm. I hated to admit the knee-high black boots did make the outfit look professional, yet sexy. I just hoped I wouldn’t make a fool out of myself in front of our prospective client.
“I’ll turn on all the lights if you grab the energy drinks,” Jules called over her shoulder, heading toward our office.
Jules and I opened our marketing company, Marketing Madams, two years ago and it was getting traction thanks to one of our more successful marketing projects.
We took a small craft business and made it a household name.
Badass boss bitches right here.
That project got us a bid for the Aurora project. Aurora Fox’s goal was to help indie authors, and we wanted to help her.
This project had a special place in my heart, mostly because romance books were my favorite thing in the whole wide world.
I wanted this project not only because it would help Marketing Madams level up in the marketing world, but it would also combine my two loves. We had to win this bid.
“I can hear you thinking from here and you haven’t delivered my caffeine yet!” Jules yelled, pulling me out of my spiral.
I hurried and grabbed the energy drinks out of our tiny breakroom and rushed into the lobby where Jules had turned on our sign.
Jules made grabby hands until I pushed the can into her hand. “Thank you.”
She exhaled after taking her first sip. “I’ll stock the conference room, so they think we’re the coolest company ever, while you get the presentation ready.”
“Okay. Do you want to greet them together?”
“No,” Jules said with so much enthusiasm, if I didn’t know her the way I did, I would have been insulted. “I’ll be the host. You know, get them in the conference room, and get them relaxed, then you’ll come in and together we’ll knock their boxers off.”
I cracked my energy can open. “That is one of the sexiest sounds.”
Jules blew a kiss in my direction before heading off toward the conference room while I went into our office.
In our shared office I took a deep breath, attempting to get myself grounded. While I booted up my laptop and opened all the files I would need for the presentation, I listened as Jules moved around getting everything ready.
After setting up all the technology in the conference room, I hid in our office until I heard the elevator ding, alerting me that Aurora Fox and her crew had arrived. My ass collided with my computer chair, waiting for my turn to meet the clients. I listened to Jules greet them and lead them into the conference room.
Staring at the clock, I waited for the ten minutes we decided on to give Jules time to put them under her spell. When my ten minutes were up, I stood and smoothed down my pencil skirt with shaky hands.
When I walked into the conference room, Jules had two men and one woman eating out of the palm of her hand. As I was walking toward Jules, tragedy struck. My ankle wiggled and then stopped working altogether… sending me and those damn shoes careening down toward the floor. I threw out a fist, colliding with something hard as I continued to fall. Pain lanced through my hand at whatever I hit, causing me to pull it in for protection, making my elbow hit something as well.
“What the hell?” I heard a deep voice ask while I lay on the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow me in its embrace.
“Holy fuck, Rach, are you okay?” Jules attempted to help me up, but the bitch looked me deadass in the face and began laughing.
“I told you I shouldn’t have worn these damn shoes,” I hissed. Utterly humiliated, I climbed to my feet, my knuckles throbbing.
Jules stood next to me, and the twat didn’t even try to hide her laughter.
“Shut up,” I whispered, slinking to the chair in the front of the room. I kept my eyes down, waiting for the sound of chairs scraping the floor to show the mass exodus of Aurora Fox and her entourage.
“Rach, I’d like you to meet Easton, his associate Cole, and his sister, Aurora.” Jules’ voice shook as she stifled her laughter.
I lifted my head, wanting to glare at Jules, but if I was being honest, if I saw her fall I would be cackling just as hard as she was.
“Hi, I’m Rachel, the co-owner of Marketing Madams.” I waved my hand but pulled it back when pain shot through it. I rubbed my rapidly swelling knuckles, wondering what I’d hit.
“I like her. I think we should go with them,” Aurora said, smirking at her brother.
“You just like her because she punched Easton,” Cole responded. Although I’m not convinced that I didn’t see a faint smile on his face.