The Pretense

Chapter 7

                Callum tipped his Akubra hat from his forehead and rocked forward on his chair and Harper knew the presentation she and Frank had just delivered hadn't gone well.

"Harper, you're a talented woman, no doubt about it," he drawled in a condensing tone that set Harper's teeth on the edge. "But I told Gunthers International I'd give their show another shot."

What? No, no, no.

Harper narrowed her eyes, sensing Frank's surprise without having to look at him.

The reason Callum had even approached Oracle was because he was disgruntled with the service he'd been receiving from Gunthers International.

"I was thinking about it all last night and it doesn't seem right to trash our relationship after so many years. One of their boys is going to show me what they've got Monday morning. In the meantime, why don't you fix the concerns I have with your current proposal and get back to me ASAP?"

Harper was thankful for the years of practice she'd had at pretending she was perfectly fine when she wasn't, and schooled her features into an expression of professional blandness. Was this because she'd rejected his advances in the restaurant the week before? He might be ruthless and without morals but he didn't strike her as the vindictive type. But he did know Oracle was desperate for his business, so he had them over a barrel in that regard.

She had started to hate this aspect of business. The 'anything goes' mantra that Oracle had adopted as the global economic crisis had deepened. In some ways, she supposed it had always been there but she hadn't noticed it in her single-minded climb to the top.

Now that she was almost there, so close she could see her name on a corner office overlooking the famed Harbour Bridge and the soaring white waves of the Opera House, she felt unsettled. Nerves, she supposed. But also the acknowledgement in the upper echelons of big business. Harper cared too much about business practice and sometimes that didn't play out very well.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have guests waiting to play croquet on the south lawn."

You could have heard a snail move as Callum pushed back his chair and ambled over the door. "By the way, Harper." He stopped and held her unwavering gaze. "Tell Marcus to quit stalling on taking the Tru Sports sponsorhip deal, would you? My people don't seem to be able to pin him down but I'm sure you can."

And there it was. The real reason Gunthers International were supposedly being given a second chance.

Harper heard the door snick quietly closed but hadn't realized she was staring at it until Frank muttered a four-letter word under his breath.

Harper swung her stunned gaze towards him.

"You didn't know?" He raised an eyebrow.

Harper felt her face heat up, not wanting to add to her cache of lies. "No," she admitted reluctantly. She'd had no idea one of Callum's subsidiary companies was professionally courting Matteo. Why would she?

Frank swore again. "Some relationship you've got there. Does lover boy have any idea he's put a multi-million-dollar contract in jeopardy?"

"Matteo didn't do that." Although she was silently spitting chips that he hadn't had the decency to inform her of Callum's overtures so she could have been more prepared. "Callum did."

"Callum's just doing business."

"Unethically," I hissed under my breath.

"Stop being so precious, Harper. Business is business. Getting this account will boost Oracle's reputation – not to mention yours and mine."

Harper's stomach felt as if it had a rock in it and she methodically stuffed her notes back into her satchel.

"So, do you think you'll be able to convince De Luca to do it?"

Harper strove for calm. "I wouldn't even try."

"Why not?"

"Because courting favors is not the way I do business."

"Callum Denver's is the biggest account in the country and you want it as much as I do. Maybe more. Why wouldn't you use your influence? It's not like it's any skin off De Luca's nose. In fact, I'm quite sure Callum is offering him a pretty penny for the use of his pretty face."

Harper tried not to let her distaste show. This was a side of Frank she hadn't experienced before.

"Maybe you could give him a little more of what you gave him on the beach this morning to sweeten the deal," he said snidely.

Harper felt her whole body go rigid and knew she wouldn't be able to hide her reaction from his this time.

"You know, Harper," he continued softly, "I expected more from you than seeing you romping on the beach with your lover in full view of the house."

Ignoring Frank, she slammed the lid of her laptop to a close and fervently hoped she hadn't broken it.

She didn't have to explain herself to Frank but she knew if he repeated any of this back at the office, it would jeopardize her promotion. It was hard enough being taken seriously at this level, despite the pains she took to always appear confident and professional.

Frank tapped his pen on Callum's antique desk. "It won't last, you know. You and Matt."

"Whether it does or not is none of your fucking concern," Harper fumed, barely keeping a lid on her anger. "And while we may have known each other at university, that doesn't give you the right to comment on my personal life. I'm here to do a job. That's all you need to think about."

Frank looked disgusted. "Then do your job and remember that this isn't school camp. And another thing," he put his hand on her arm as she turned to leave. "If we lose this campaign because of your lover, it will be your reputation that suffers, not mine."

Glaring at him, Harper shook her head. "You know, Frank, earlier this week I could have sworn we were working on the same team. Oops, my mistake," she finished coolly.

She heard something skitter across Callum's desk as she let herself out of the study – presumably the pen he'd been madly tapping the whole time.

"Harper! Dammit, we need to talk!"

Harper didn't stop. She had no idea what had gotten into Frank but she needed time and space to figure out what do next.