Better Not Love Me Read Online Free Page B
Author: Dan Kolbet
what they were doing.
She had no idea what she was in for.
* * *
At exactly 10:29 a.m. a handsome man in a black suit and maroon tie entered the store toting a leather briefcase. The man had light brown wavy hair slicked back on the sides of his head like some young male model from an Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement. The hair was a bit too hip for Amelia's taste and he was old enough to be that young model's father, for gosh sake. Amelia attributed the fashionable suit and fancy haircut to the man being from some other city where that sort of thing might be trendy.
From the entrance, the man visually swept the store and even smiled as he held the door for a customer who was leaving with her purchases. He was attractive, no question, just a little out of place in that suit and fancy haircut. He made eye contact with Amelia who was leaning against a doorframe near the register. The smile remained, but then it was gone in an instant. It was a curious thing. He was happy and smiling one minute, but upon seeing Amelia, he flipped a switch to serious and disinterested.
He crossed the store and extended his hand to Amelia.
"Hello, Ms. Cook, I'm Nate Rosen. I'll be reviewing your files today," he said in a tone that was all business.
"My files?" Amelia asked. She was expecting something different from the nice man with the smile, but this man's demeanor was anything but nice.
"Yes, the packet we couriered over?"
"I didn’t receive any packet."
"Of course you didn't," he spit the words back at her. "I've prepared for this and brought along the necessary documents out of an abundance of precaution. This isn’t the first time a business owner decided to stall this process, delaying the inevitable."
"I don't understand. I didn’t receive any packet," she said.
"That's what you said. I heard you," he retorted. "I'm only here for a few hours, then I'm headed to Chicago for another appointment."
"Maybe if you had come yesterday, this wouldn't be such a rush. You cancelled on me, remember? And what does your next meeting have to do with our meeting?"
"It means, Ms. Cook, that you'll need to review this documentation quickly so this trip to Spokane was not a complete waste of my time."
Amelia didn’t understand why this man was being so short with her.
"Why are you really here, Nate ?" she emphasized his first name to counter his using the formal, Ms. Cook, to address her.
"There are several documents that you need to approve as the new President of Mr. Z's Corp. and as a member of the Mr. Z's Corp. Board of Directors."
"I'm the what, now?"
"Had you reviewed the packet we sent you, this would be clear," he said, the tone slithering out of his mouth.
"Yes, this magical packet of yours wouldn't have given you a modicum of manners too, would it? What pages refer to not being a jerk? Or is there an addendum on courteous interactions? No? None?"
He took a deep breath, but declined to reply to her crass remarks. He rubbed the crook of his right arm over his suit jacket. Amelia took this action as a nervous tick, which seemed very much out of place for such a well-kept man. He momentarily glanced at his arm, realized he was doing it and abruptly stopped.
He took another breath and Amelia wasn't sure if he was pausing to collect himself and continue his barrage of comments or to apologize. His next comments made it clear.
"Riddell Industries has purchased Mr. Z's Corp., the subsidiary formed from Mr. Z's Toys, previously a sole proprietorship owned by Edwin Klein. You were selected as President and a voting member of the Board. It's a checks-and-balance system set up for the length of the contract. The remaining Board members are officers at Riddell. It's a common practice. And outlined in your packet."
"Yes, the packet," she mimicked sarcastically.
"The documents require your approval for the new franchises in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York," he said.
"I've never even been to those places, how am
She had no idea what she was in for.
* * *
At exactly 10:29 a.m. a handsome man in a black suit and maroon tie entered the store toting a leather briefcase. The man had light brown wavy hair slicked back on the sides of his head like some young male model from an Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement. The hair was a bit too hip for Amelia's taste and he was old enough to be that young model's father, for gosh sake. Amelia attributed the fashionable suit and fancy haircut to the man being from some other city where that sort of thing might be trendy.
From the entrance, the man visually swept the store and even smiled as he held the door for a customer who was leaving with her purchases. He was attractive, no question, just a little out of place in that suit and fancy haircut. He made eye contact with Amelia who was leaning against a doorframe near the register. The smile remained, but then it was gone in an instant. It was a curious thing. He was happy and smiling one minute, but upon seeing Amelia, he flipped a switch to serious and disinterested.
He crossed the store and extended his hand to Amelia.
"Hello, Ms. Cook, I'm Nate Rosen. I'll be reviewing your files today," he said in a tone that was all business.
"My files?" Amelia asked. She was expecting something different from the nice man with the smile, but this man's demeanor was anything but nice.
"Yes, the packet we couriered over?"
"I didn’t receive any packet."
"Of course you didn't," he spit the words back at her. "I've prepared for this and brought along the necessary documents out of an abundance of precaution. This isn’t the first time a business owner decided to stall this process, delaying the inevitable."
"I don't understand. I didn’t receive any packet," she said.
"That's what you said. I heard you," he retorted. "I'm only here for a few hours, then I'm headed to Chicago for another appointment."
"Maybe if you had come yesterday, this wouldn't be such a rush. You cancelled on me, remember? And what does your next meeting have to do with our meeting?"
"It means, Ms. Cook, that you'll need to review this documentation quickly so this trip to Spokane was not a complete waste of my time."
Amelia didn’t understand why this man was being so short with her.
"Why are you really here, Nate ?" she emphasized his first name to counter his using the formal, Ms. Cook, to address her.
"There are several documents that you need to approve as the new President of Mr. Z's Corp. and as a member of the Mr. Z's Corp. Board of Directors."
"I'm the what, now?"
"Had you reviewed the packet we sent you, this would be clear," he said, the tone slithering out of his mouth.
"Yes, this magical packet of yours wouldn't have given you a modicum of manners too, would it? What pages refer to not being a jerk? Or is there an addendum on courteous interactions? No? None?"
He took a deep breath, but declined to reply to her crass remarks. He rubbed the crook of his right arm over his suit jacket. Amelia took this action as a nervous tick, which seemed very much out of place for such a well-kept man. He momentarily glanced at his arm, realized he was doing it and abruptly stopped.
He took another breath and Amelia wasn't sure if he was pausing to collect himself and continue his barrage of comments or to apologize. His next comments made it clear.
"Riddell Industries has purchased Mr. Z's Corp., the subsidiary formed from Mr. Z's Toys, previously a sole proprietorship owned by Edwin Klein. You were selected as President and a voting member of the Board. It's a checks-and-balance system set up for the length of the contract. The remaining Board members are officers at Riddell. It's a common practice. And outlined in your packet."
"Yes, the packet," she mimicked sarcastically.
"The documents require your approval for the new franchises in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York," he said.
"I've never even been to those places, how am
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