As subtly as possible, she flipped off her monitor and hid the stack of papers she had been working on. She felt Tony’s beady eyes following her every movement. “Do you have an appointment?” she asked, making sure she sounded as unenthused as she felt.
“When are you going to get it through that thick head of yours that I don’t need an appointment?” He angrily held up the boards in his hand. “These are my appointment card with him whenever I feel like it. You better remember that, or else.”
“Or else what?” Lexi rose to her feet and planted her hand on her hip. “Are you threatening me? What exactly are you going to do?”
Tony glanced down at the file she had tried to hide. “What’s that? Were you doodling my cousin’s name in a heart? Everyone knows you have the hots for him.” He looked her up and down, his lips pulled into a lecherous sneer. “You’ve got a great body, I’ll give you that, and the whole Girl Friday thing is probably really hot for Vincent, but Jade’s some stiff competition. She is a supermodel.”
“So I’ve heard,” Lexi said through gritted teeth.
“I’m just saying she fights dirty. Wonder what she’d do if she knew you were going after her man.”
“Jade’s paranoia is nothing new. She isn’t a very rational individual.”
Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Look at you, openly talking trash about Jade. My, you must really feel comfortable in your position here to talk
so freely against Vincent’s girlfriend. That, or you’re already screwing him.”
“How I feel about Jade has nothing to do with my work at Hunter, which is all Vincent’s interested in, and he’s given me an assignment which I need to work on, so this conversation is over.”
Tony tucked the presentation boards under his arm and leaned over her desk. “Watch yourself, Lexi. That pretty little mouth of yours just might get you into a whole world of trouble.”
She grabbed the phone to buzz Vincent, but Tony was faster. As Vincent’s phone rang, Tony knocked on the door. “Vincent, it’s me.”
“Tony,” Lexi hissed into the phone, hoping Vincent heard and would hide any confidential information, then hung up.
“What?” Tony swung around hearing his name.
“Um, would you like some coffee?” Lexi asked, quickly trying to cover.
“As if I’d drink anything you made for me. I’m not looking to be poisoned.”
Lexi shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She glanced at her desk, hoping enough time had passed. “Vincent will see you now.”
Five minutes after Tony went inside Vincent’s office, he left without another word to Lexi. Vincent stepped out not long after and made another cup of coffee. “So, Tony was exceptionally snippy just now.”
“Good.” Lexi shuffled the papers around on her desk, and then looked up and found Vincent standing over her, smiling. “What? I piss off Tony somehow and that cheers you up?”
“It’s the little things you do that mean the most.”
Lexi stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. “Thank you, Mr. Hallmark.”
“Are you in the middle of something important, or can I grab you for a few minutes?”
“Mr. Drake, I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Lexi laughed.
He rolled his eyes. “Get in my office, now.”
“Yes, boss.” Lexi saluted and turned off her computer. She slipped any important files into her drawer and locked them up tight, then followed him into his office.
Vincent sat down behind his desk, Lexi taking her usual spot on the couch. “Did you have a chance to look at anything Tony brought up or did you just spend your time verbally abusing him?”
“Are you serious? Do you know what he said to me?” Lexi jumped to her feet, furious that he would accuse her of that until she saw his satisfied grin. She stalked over to his desk and snatched up the boards. “Don’t make me have to hurt you today, pal. What am I looking at? Oh God, more pictures of me? I bet my face is on the dart board down in productions.”
“If it wasn’t before, I’m sure it is now,” Vincent teased.
“Shut it. Okay, what do you want me to see here?”
“I need to begin scripting the presentation with some inspiration from this picture. So, look at it and tell me what you see.”
“My hair is stringy, I hate the blouse I’m wearing, and, wow, Hope’s breasts look spectacular!”
“Really?” Vincent craned his neck to look at the picture, and Lexi smacked him on the head with the board.
“Such a man.”
“One hundred percent testosterone, baby.” Vincent grinned wickedly at her, his darkened eyes lingering on her lips just long enough to make her blush. “Now that we’ve established my manliness, back to the picture.”
“Your hair looks nice.”
“Again, stay away from the obvious and look deeper. What’s there in the background of it all?”
“A really pissed off Jade.”
Vincent gave her a droll stare. “I need emotions. What does it evoke, what do you see?”
“A really pissed off Jade.”
“Okay, let’s start there. The woman in the background is pissed off. Why?” Vincent started taking notes on his paper, watching Lexi’s head cock to the side as she examined the photo.
“Um, because she’s perfect yet isn’t the center of attention.” Lexi heard his pen scribble across the paper.
“Keep going. Who would you say is the center of attention in the picture?”
“Well, Ho—I mean, the two women in the foreground seem to be getting the most attention.
Vincent’s head popped up. “Really? Is that what you see?”
“Sure, look how they are the focus of the picture, front and center, shoulder to shoulder.” Lexi pointed to the two of them so Vincent could understand what she was talking about.
He thoughtfully ran his hand over his chin, then went over to the couch and sat down beside Lexi, taking the picture from her. She held her breath as she felt his arm slide around the back of the couch behind her. He leaned closer and held the picture between the two of them. “When I look at it, i only see one person as the center of attention in this photograph.” His voice was low, his warm breath caressing her cheek.
His body was everywhere, the warmth he generated blanketing her as she sat beside him. She felt strangely protected. “Well, you’re pretty central in the picture too, I’ll give you that, but I think—” She stopped speaking when she felt his free hand wrap around her shoulder and brush up and down her arm.