Cracked Butterfly

Chapter 9

Pushing his delectable body off the door frame Jensen stood to his full height, towering above Ivy even in her heels.

"Good afternoon Mr. Woods" Ivy said.

"Ms. Glenn do you have any lunch plans? I would like to do a working lunch with you today so we can discuss your thoughts regarding your team."

Lunch? With him? Oh my good gravy! Her stomach flip flopped just like it did all those years ago when Eddie Winters told her he liked her.

Relax you twit! It's a working lunch, not a date! It's not like he's going to confess his undying love for you or ask for your hand in marriage! Just say yes and get on with it!

Ivy really hated when her shrew of a subconscious was right! Smiling brightly and showing complete professionalism, Ivy graciously accepted the invitation; which seemed to make her boss happy.

"Great!" Jensen replied clapping his hands together. "Gather your things. I made a reservation for eleven forty-five."

Ivy nodded making her way back over to Matilda, she told her assistant that she was leaving for a working lunch and could be reached on her cell if they needed anything.

"Also, since you guys are working through lunch, text me a list of what y'all want to eat and I'll get it for you. I can't have my team working on an empty stomach!"

"Sure thing Ms. Glenn! Thank you!" Her whole team responded as she walked out.

As she gathered her things and mentally went over what she wanted to discuss with Jensen about, he perched himself on the corner of her desk and just watched her. It was a little unsettling and Ivy couldn't be positive but it felt like the temperature of her office increased by at least a few degrees.

"You seem to have your team eating out of your hand already" Jensen mused, giving Ivy that oh so sexy lopsided grin.

Scoffing, she just shook her head. "I just talk to them the way I want to be talked to. Speak to them, not at them. You have a pretty amazing art department here Mr. Woods. They just aren't being used to their full potential. For example, Have you seen Matilda's file? Her art renderings and her writings are exceptional; and with your permission, I would like to have her work with Kim and Jamal on the Zeus campaign. She has a brilliant mind just waiting to be tapped."

Running his fingers through his hair, Ivy could tell he was thinking about what she just proposed. And then he responded, "Let's just see what the three of them can come up with while we're gone and if it blows me away then yes, she can work with the other two. I'm very impressed Ms. Glenn."

Ivy didn't know if he was serious or if he was just yanking her chain. She laughed out loud, grabbed her purse, and turned out the office light.

Ivy couldn't help but to be drawn to him. She enjoyed watching him speak so animatedly about this campaign. His knowledge was vast and she had no doubt that she could learn a thing or two from him.

His ideas were good, very good, and Ivy wanted to take advantage; gleaning the crumbs he was so graciously dropping for her.

At one point he stopped mid sentence and looked at Ivy, who was just grinning at him. He couldn't help but return her infectious smile.

"What?" He asked. "Do I have something on my face?" He rubbed around the corner of his mouth with a long, slender finger causing Ivy to unknowingly bite down on her bottom lip.

God, she had to stop the thoughts she was having about her boss; they were inappropriate and she sure as hell was not going to do anything that would make it seem like she was screwing her way to the top.

Shaking her head and laughing Ivy replied "No sir it's just your excitement and enthusiasm is addicting. I find myself wanting to get back to the office. Silly right?"

Jensen slid his hand across the small table and placed it on top of hers. There was a small moment where they sat and just stared at each other with no words and no movement. Something silent, perhaps, was transpiring. Ivy didn't know what was going on between them, but what she did know is that she liked him touching her, and that it couldn't go any further.

"It's not silly Ivy" Jensen said softly. "I'm glad it affects you that way, that's something that your predecessor was sorely missing. She had no passion, it was just a paycheck, but to you? You can already visualize what the end product is going to look like."

And then just as quickly his hand was gone and for a moment Ivy felt the loss of the warmth his hand provided.

As their conversation picked back up to the job at hand, Jensen's phone rang. He didn't bother getting up so it must not have been too private for him not to excuse himself.

"Woods" he answered professionally. His facial expression seemed to harden a bit as he responded to the person on the other end of the call.

"No sir, I understand what you mean. Yes sir. I said I understand." His teeth were clinched and Ivy could see the muscles doing a stressful dance on his perfect jaw line.

"Is everything okay Mr. Woods?" Ivy asked cautiously when he ended his call . Bringing his smile back online, Jensen nodded. "Everything is fine Ms. Glenn. Now, let's continue, I would like to hear more of your thoughts on Zeus. Mr. Wallace wants an update as to your progress."

Their conversation proceeded as before, the only difference being Jensen didn't try to lean in or touch her hand for the rest of the lunch and she suspected it had something to do with that phone call.

But who had that much power that they could affect a change in someone's demeanor and so quickly? Especially a man like Jensen Woods.