Chapter Twenty-Five: For Love's Sake-3

Even more puzzled at whatever's got the whole building squirming in their toes, I made my way down the hallway to the private conference room exclusively used for high-level executive meetings. I ran into Bryce in the hallway, clutching an armful of folders. The usually unruffled man looked well, a bit ruffled. "Mr. Hedenby's is going to be here anytime soon," he said when I asked just what the hell was going on. "The presentation's been moved from next week to one this afternoon." I frowned. "What do you mean Mr. Hedenby—oh. The other Mr. Hedenby." Bryce gave me a sideways glance. "Your future father-in-law from what I've been hearing. Congratulations by the way, Max." I grinned sheepishly. "You're not mad at me?" "Why would I be mad at you?" I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because of the whole dating the boss thing. I'll be the first to admit it's not professional." The man rolled his eyes. I never thought I'd be having this personal a conversation with my director but he brought it up first. "Anyone with eyes could see how hard and fast Luke Hedenby was falling for you," Bryce muttered. "I think everyone in the company who saw him single you out that day of the meet and greet started to have an idea." I stared at him in surprise. "Then why did you still pick me to be part of your team, knowing how closely Luke was going to work with me?" Bryce looked at me as if I'd just asked a silly question. "He was going to show up wherever you happened to be present anyway so I figured I might as well throw you into the team and make good use out of your brain." I laughed. "Ruthless but I still appreciate the opportunity. Thank you, Bryce." The man sighed. "Don't thank me quite yet. We still have to survive this presentation with our jobs and heads still intact." "You make Charles Hedenby sound terrifying." "In all the years I've worked for the man, Max, I've seen a few good and brilliant people cry and nearly wet themselves in a meeting with him," Bryce said with a wry shake of his head. "He expects everyone to work as hard as he does and create the same kind of business magic he has. He's quite formidable." I swallowed hard. "I'm starting to get scared just a little bit." Bryce smiled. "Steel that spine, Max. To most of us, he's just the big boss. To you, he's future family." The smile I returned might have been a little strained. "No offense, Bryce, but this isn't the best pep talk I've heard from you." This time, the director laughed out loud. "I can give good work pep talks—not sage advice about in-laws. God knows I probably have the worst ones in the world." A flurry of different activities was happening all at the same time when we arrived at the conference room. Jillian, along with another person from IT, was fussing over the projector and the computer controlling it. A handful of marketing people were busy laying down folders on each of the twelve-seats around the conference table. A couple of admin people were putting together plate sets full of sandwiches and other appetizers. I went to help where I could, wondering where Luke was, and about ten minutes later, he walked in. "Everyone, out please. I need to get my head together so I know what the hell I'll be talking about in the presentation," he grumbled, raking a hand through his hair as he made his way to the end of the table and set down his laptop. I was going to slip out along with everyone else, knowing that this was not the time and place for me to be adding to his stress, but just as I reached the doorway, he caught me by the wrist. "Max, where do you think you're going?" he asked, not bothering to close the door behind the last person to leave. I wanted to kiss him but since we were at work, I settled with smiling at him. "Hello to you, too. And I was just leaving you alone as you'd requested." "That didn't include you," he answered grumpily, pulling at his tie. He glanced down and kept tugging at it unhappily. "I should've picked a different tie. He'll think this one's too gimmicky." Considering that it was a silky but plain navy blue, I didn't exactly agree. "The tie looks fine and I don't think your Dad is going to waste his time on it." He looked back up at me, his mouth curved up in one corner in bemusement. "So you've heard, huh? Just like Dad to send me an email in the middle of a business meeting telling me he was touching down in two hours or so and that he wanted the presentation today instead of next week. Everyone will just have to drop whatever they're doing to put this whole thing together with superhuman speed." "Maybe he just likes to keep everyone on their toes," I said, nudging his hand away so he would quit messing up his tie. "It obviously works." "For now," he muttered, trying to keep still as he let me tighten the knot of the tie back into place. While I was doing that, he surveyed the room with a frown. "And what kind of food did they bring up here? Who organized this? Peggy has a menu for all the specific things Dad and the other VPs like and—"