Chapter 3
"Mr. Turner, your 10 o'clock meeting is here," Sarah said.
"Finally!," Cole huffed, "she's late! Send her in Sarah".
Sarah gave a satisfied sighed. Cole is in an angry mood. He won't be interested in this... hot chick. "Mr. Turner will see you now"
Phoebe smiles. "Thank you.. Sarah". And walks into Cole Turner's office.
"I'm sorry I'm later, Mr. Turner. Did I kept you waiting?," she said politely though knowing she was late for 2 hours.
"No, not at all," Cole smiles charmingly from the window. "Please have a seat..". His smile wavered as he recognizes Phoebe. "You-"
"My, my, what a coincidence. How nice to see you again, Mr. Turner," Phoebe smile brilliantly. "Actually, I'm lying. I didn't realize I would be seeing the jerk from the coffee house as my business associate"
"The jerk from the-," Cole grinds his teeth, "You were the one who drop coffee all over my shirt, and now I'm the bad guy here?"
They were both debating with each other they didn't realize Mel knocking on the door.
"Ms. Lynn! Welcome, welcome to our humble company," Mel bombed from the door. "Getting acquainted with my partner here?"
Phoebe grins. "Yes, it so happens, I have met Mr. Turner yesterday"
Mel lifted a brow towards Cole. "Oh, really? I didn't realize you knew Ms. Lynn, Turner"
"Oh, it's a funny story between me and Ms. Lynn," Cole smiles charmingly and stared a don't-you-dare-say-a-word towards Phoebe. Phoebe chuckled and shrug's.
"Well, I'll just leave both of you alone. I'll just sent Sarah to bring you some coffee"
"That would be perfect, Mel, thanks," she continued smiling till the door close behind Mel, then she turns to smile at Cole, while he scowls down at her. "So, should we get down to business?"
"Huh, if you think I'll still be conducting any business with you, you're seriously mistaken," Cole said angrily. As he starts to get up, she leans forward and laid both elbows onto his desk and stares at him.
"I didn't realize you have a good sense of humor, Mr. Turner. You and I both know that your company needs this contract badly. So, that means, I'm the one you should be sucking up to, instead of the other way round. So, if anyone is doing the leaving here, it's me". She stood up and turns to walk towards the door, very sure he would call her back.
"Wait".
Phoebe smile. Sucker. She turns around and looks at him questioningly.
"Fine, you win," Cole said in a defeated tone. "My company needs your contract. Please, I'm sorry. Don't go"
Phoebe gave a triumphant smile. "Why should I? Does sorry makes everything go away? You're such a typical male".
"What do you want me to do?," Cole cried out. "You want me begging on my knees? Begging you to stay?"
Phoebe cocked her head to one side, thinking. "That's a very tempting idea, Mr. Turner. But I have a another more tempting idea...which includes you.."
Cole lifted a brow. "What is it?"
Phoebe came back to the table and sat at the corner of his table. "Well, my company is having a fund raising for abuse children benefit.."
Cole stares blankly at her.
"The Abbot foundation fund-raising?"
Blank stare.
"Have you ever hear of a machine called the television? It was all over the news!"
"Sorry, I'm a busy man," Cole folded his arms behind his head. "And your point is...?"
"The Abbot bachelor auction?"
Cole blinks. Blinks another time and uncrosses his arms. "You've got to be kidding me"
Phoebe shook her head. "Nope. One hundred percent not kidding"
"No way in hell I'm going to do this. I can see it now," he quipped. "A group of us guys prancing around like performers in a male strip joint. My turn comes. I strut my stuff until a voice cries out, "Five bucks for the guy in the red briefs""
"Red briefs-you?," Phoebe taunted, raising one eyebrow. For a second, her brain reeled off a picture of Cole in red underwear-dollar bills stuffed in the waistband as he danced before a bunch of screaming, applauding women. Boy, that would be nice.. "It's not a strip show. The participants wear tuxes, not skimpy garb. And you needn't worry about your monetary value being bounced back and forth for all to hear. It's a silent auction."
"I'm not a bit worried, and it doesn't matter what kind of show your company is promoting, because I don't intend to be there." He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "Nope, my answer stands. Nope."
Phoebe traces circles on a particular spot on his desks. "Are you willing to dump our contract in the bin then? Because I can walk out of here anytime..."
Cole stares at her with piercing eyes. "Are you threatening me?"
"Some would call it as such...," Phoebe shrugs. "So.. what do you say?"
"I have to think about it-"
Phoebe tut-tut. "Sorry, no time. The charity is next week. The program sheets go out tomorrow. So, it has to be now, Mr. Turner. Yes or no?"
Cole grits his teeth. "I'm doing this for the company only..."
Phoebe puts out her hand for a hand shake. "Then I guess we have an agreement?"
She watched him come towards her, He stopped, only inches from her. His breath, when he spoke, came with the heat of the devil, fanning her responses till she almost physically recoiled from him. "Do we?"
Phoebe naively opened her mouth to form some sort of insult in retaliation, but her parted lips were given no chance to respond. They were suddenly claimed by his, hot and punishing and so shockingly sexual that all fight she might have summoned if forewarned disappeared.
His arms slid around her, crushing her to him just in case she thought of escape. Hard arms that melded her to him in the prelude to their passion. As he pull back from her, she leans back and looks at him. "What was that for?"
He smiles cheekily. "Well, I wanted to see what was underneath the ice queen, do you mind?"
Phoebe smiles dreamily and leans forward towards him. Taking it as an invitation, he leans forward to kiss her again. She slaps him instead.
"Hey, what the hell was that for!,"he protested while cradling his redden cheek.
"That's for taking advantage of me," Phoebe said frostily. "See you tomorrow, Cole Turner"
