132 Dinner With A Perv
Preston saw me hesitate and shoved down on my shoulder again.
I gripped the edge of the table, ready to throw a plate at him, but then he bent low beside my ear.
‘Relax,‘ he whispered. ‘Maxwell can’t get it up. He can’t do anything. Just sit still and look pretty.”
I stared at him.
He stepped back.
I turned slowly and looked at Maxwell again.
His lips were parted in a sticky grin.
His skin looked waxy. His eyelids drooped. He blinked slow.
The man probably couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without collapsing.
I sat
Preston’s hand lifted from my shoulder.
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He moved around the table, filled a glass for Maxwell, poured a second for himself, then said, “This is Mr Gary Maxwell, Senior VP of Corporate Procurement. This is my cousin, Mirabelle Vance.
Franklin chuckled. ‘Come on, Mirabelle. Say hello. Give Mr Maxwell a toast.‘
I stared straight ahead and kept my mouth shut.
Franklin’s smile twitched. ‘She’s, uh… shy. Not much of a talker. Let’s eat.‘
Still blocking the door, he waved for the waiter.
Plates started arriving
Prawns, roast duck, asparagus spears glazed in something thick and amber.
No drinks yet, but the food alone could’ve fed twenty people.
I counted the plates The total bill would land deep in four figures
Maxwell must’ve been holding something they wanted A project contract
Something big enough for the Vances to pull out all the stops and their dignity along with mine.
I dropped my pase, lell eyes crawling up my arm
Maxwell was still staring he hadu‘ slogged since I came
His rath came put thick. His elle brushed mine again
Jshoved my chair sideways with a sharp scrape. The legs dogged the ule, local enough to startle a busbuy.
Franklin snapped, ‘What the hell is wong with you w
He leaned in close and hissed, ‘It thus deal. I’ll wie wine cah buat shut up and behave.”
I rolled my eyes straight into the back of sy skull
He tried to laugh it off. ‘Let’s eat, then Mr Maxwell, how’s the spread it there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll order something
else.‘
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Chapter 132 Dinner With A Rerv
+15 BONUS
Maxwell’s eyes stayed locked on me. ‘It’s fine‘
He wasn’t talking about the food.
Still, he didn’t touch me.
Eventually, he started chatting with Preston and Franklin, something about procurement cycles and contract clauses.
His attention shifted off me, which meant I could finally stop holding my breath.
I stayed put. Back stiff. Fork untouched. I didn’t drink the water.
Preston broke first. ‘Mr Maxwell, about that project, any update?‘
Maxwell’s cheeks pulled tight with a grin. His eyes disappeared into the fleshy folds. ‘Almost at the tender stage.‘
You must be swamped. Appreciate you making the time.‘
Franklin jumped in, lifting his glass. ‘Yes, thank you for squeezingus in. Cheers.‘
He took a sip, then leaned sideways, dropping his voice. ‘You know if the contract lands with us, we’ll be… very grateful.‘
He raised two fingers behind the glass and flicked them once.
I caught it.
What did that mean? Twenty thousand? Twenty million? Or twenty per cent?
Maxwell didn’t blink. He reached for his fork. ‘There’s a process. Let’s stick to that. Food looks great.‘
Franklin nodded. ‘Of course, of course. Let’s eat.‘
They’d just started moving their cutlery when I cleared my throat
‘Mr Maxwell, just a heads–up, you should steer clear of Vance Overland. The place is tiny, outdated, and they’ve got a pile of violations stacked higher than their forklifts. Total shitshow.‘
I clucked my tongue and shook my head slowly.
They tricked me into this dinner. They locked the door, played dumb, shoved me at this perv.
Fine: If they wanted drama, I’d give them the full set list.
Last I heard, tax investigators showed up at their warehouse unaounced. If you sign with them and they vanish in a month, you’ll be chasing ghosts Just saying–it’s a risk.‘
All three of them stared
Franklin slammed his palm on the table ‘What the hell is wrong with you? Just shut up and eat!
Preston’s voice was strained ‘Mr Maxwell, she doesn’t know whshe’s saying. She’s just a kid. Ignore it. Hell, she doesn’t even work at the company I’m the C, and I can speak with cous that our books are clean, our permits are infact, no incidents un record Everything’s also board
Maxwell looked ansuryed for half a second, then shoved it down grined like nothing bad happened. No harm done. I guess Miss Vance was just riding you Cousins, eh?!
He shifted in his seat and leaned my way
His fingers, thick and greasy, crept towards my thigh
I smacked the back of his hand, hard
‘Ow! Bloody hell,‘ he yelped, jerking back like I’d burned him
