Кролики и удавы. Фазиль Искандер
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rock and roll and get a jump on that tour?”
“Sounds great,” Autumn replied. “You can show me the cafeteria and we can finally get that cup of coffee you missed out on this morning.”
Isaac tried to swallow back another yawn. When it escaped, they both laughed.
“Yeah, you can tell I really need it, can’t you?”
His eyes caught hers again. God, she was even prettier when she laughed. Thank goodness, the analysts occupied a space on another floor in the building.
His phone beeped, bringing his attention back to business. He pulled it out of his pocket, looked at it and groaned.
“Unfortunately, the tour is going to have to be a quick one. I’ve got another meeting in ten minutes and I think I’ve used up all my Get to a Meeting Late cards for the day.”
“How do I snag one of those?” Autumn joked.
“Trust me, you do not want to be in Late Club,” he said, in all seriousness.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m the one and only member.” His gut did a little flip when she pursed her lips at him. “I didn’t used to be,” he backtracked. “I mean, it was only when I—”
He stopped abruptly at the winsome look on her face and realized he was rambling. Something that was completely out of character for him. Worst of all, he’d almost told her about his kids. No one at Paxton knew about them and he wanted to keep it that way for now.
“Just do your best to never be late to a meeting, especially one with Felicia or Sterling,” he said curtly.
“I appreciate the heads-up,” Autumn affirmed. “By the way, is there always that much tension between them? My neck was beginning to hurt watching their verbal ping-pong match.”
“Yeah,” Isaac snorted. “But you’ll get used to it. We all have. Felicia plays the Daddy’s-girl role around here to the hilt, but she’s very capable.”
And lately very dangerous.
Isaac had heard rumors of people getting terminated, supposedly because Felicia didn’t like them, but those were typically lower-level employees. They were the unfortunate ones she liked to trample on the most.
Hopefully, Felicia knew better than to mess with him. Isaac had too much stake and longevity in the company to throw it all away just because of her passive-aggressive antics.
If only he could figure out why Sterling was giving him the cold shoulder all of a sudden, then he’d be able to come clean about his kids. They meant more to him than anything in the world, and being made a partner at Paxton would secure his new family’s financial future.
He wouldn’t let anything or anyone stand in his way.
Not a bitch like Felicia.
Nor a beauty like Autumn.
Isaac felt her eyes examining his face, as if it would reveal all his secrets, so he got up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The snarl of people far below seemed to belong to another world. He always liked to remind himself that he was one of them, especially during those times he was afraid of losing everything.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Isaac turned away and faced her. “Sure, anything.”
“What do you like best about working here?”
Isaac took a few steps and leaned against an empty console.
“That’s easy,” he replied. “I get to play with other people’s money, and make a bundle of my own. What about you? What attracted to you Paxton Investment Securities?”
She folded her arms. “The reputation of the company in the industry. Plus, the fact that I love to analyze every investment to insure we are maximizing profits and shareholder value while maintaining the highest ethical standards in every transaction.”
He was surprised that her bold confidence excited him, making him stir in all the wrong places. When a woman’s strong work ethic was a major turn-on, that’s a sign that one was severely undersexed.
“You sound like Sterling,” he said with hidden admiration. “No wonder he hired you.”
Although he truly meant it as a compliment, she brushed his comment aside.
“I just try to do the right thing, in any and all situations.”
“That’s wonderful. That’s the way it should be,” he asserted. “You are reporting to Sterling, right?”
Something flashed in her eyes. “Wh-what do you mean?”
He gave her a strange look. “He’s your boss. You’re his direct report, not mine, right?”
Autumn nodded. “Yes. Sorry, I blanked out for a bit.”
Isaac was relieved. At the moment, he worked solo and that’s the way he liked it. Having to manage Autumn would be a major distraction, one he couldn’t afford to risk right now.
“It’s kind of an odd arrangement, isn’t it? That analysts report directly to the president of a firm. Especially one of this size.”
Isaac shook his head. “Not at Paxton. Sterling wants there to be a clear division between the investment bankers and the analysts. He feels it’s easier for the analysts to remain objective and impartial, in order to avoid any conflict of interest.
“Have there ever been any issues?”
Isaac clenched his jaw. While he appreciated her curiosity, she needed to know that there were some questions that were off-limits at Paxton. But it wasn’t his place to tell her that. All he was supposed to do was give her a tour of the building and that was it.
Ignoring the question, he eyed the stack of paperwork on the table. “We’d better get a move on it. You’ll want to get those forms filled out and turned in quickly. Paxton has one of the best employee benefits package in the industry, especially if you have—” He choked back his secret. “I mean, if you’re married or have a significant other.”
Not reporting a life change, namely the adoption of his children, was another rung Felicia could hang him by. But if he reported it to her, she’d run to Sterling and tell him right away, and that would be the beginning of the end of his career at Paxton.
Even though Sterling had a daughter of his own, he was well-known for being antifamily. His priorities began and ended with Paxton, and he expected his employees to have the same love and dedication for his company that he did.
Isaac was certain that if Sterling found out about his children, he could pretty much kiss the partnership goodbye.
Needless to say, he was praying his children wouldn’t get seriously ill. Although he was already very wealthy and had private insurance coverage, depending on the injury or severity of illness, he could end up in a financial bind. After growing up poor, that was something he never wanted to experience again.
Isaac pushed himself away from the table and rose. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
He strode to the door and leaned against the wall, waiting while Autumn gathered the rest of her things. Everything she did—straightening the papers, stowing her pen in her purse and then hitching it over her thin shoulder—seemed larger than normal in his eyes.
But of course it wasn’t.
It was only him, without understanding his need, trying to soak in as much detail about her as he could, as mundane as it might be. Before he had to turn her loose and go on about his business.
Although he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering all over her slender body, from tip to toe, as she walked over to him, clasping the thick wad of paperwork in her arms like an innocent schoolgirl. Her curly mane beckoned