nevertheless~

part 52

TESSA''S POV

We are all heading to the restaurant and en-route, enjoying the beautiful scene's France is delivering to us and I can't help but imagine what must be in Hardin's head. Is he thinking about me? Does he care if I'm okay? Has he thought of me the whole day?

"Tessa, how was work today?", A voice that isn't Hardin asks and god knows, if he wasn't the one driving this 6 seater, I would absolutely knock the daylights out of him. The thing is, this was the only big enough car available to take, and with a damn old style stick drive, which Ichor knows how to drive, so he is busy with it.

"Absolute garbage. Maybe if Jonathan didn't sign with them, and waited for a few more days we'd have some other company to work with. I don't exactly see anything in Simon and Schuster.", I say, making my point so clear, It's true. They are a leading company, but it's not like they'll bring anything to the table when we work. What are we going to do, with both American companies, in a French market? We needed a French company, not another American one. Maybe Jonathan didn't do any economics in his time while studying. Because market study seems to be out of proportion here!

"Why?", he asks.

"Because, 1. They are our competitors when we are in the American market. But they are our partners or let's say, co-contributors now in the French market? It doesn't take a baby to know that if we needed to stand in the French market, and if amalgamation was the route, we'd need a French company for that, instead of Simon and Schuster, an American company. I mean, it doesn't make sense to me, if we see the market and the forecasts for the region our amalgamation is going to hold in the market, but alright I guess. Why does it matter, if the shareholder's don't care, and if the higher-ups so called, don't have a problem.", I say and make it clear to Ichor, that he might ask me any question to shut me down, but my excellence will not dim down because he has the upperhand, literally and figuratively.

"Right. We're here.", he says, pulling into the driveway of the restaurant. I knew he'd not have any words to continue the debate with me. It's not like he has anything to say, does he? Maybe Hardin was right, he is deserving of a coffee boy place in the company, but it's Daddy's money he has, and an Uncle like Jonathan.

"Thanks Ichor", I throw a smize to him as we all enter the place, Landon and Nora, help each other off with their coats, and If Hardin and I weren't in a tricky place, we'd be doing the very same, but I'm getting there. I haven't let Ichor off the hook yet.

Nora knows about this lunch battle I have going on. She knows what's going to happen and how this will go down, other than us two, nobody has a clue what's happening, and while this is dirty of me. While it's extremely unprofessional, it's not like we are on the clock. And nobody is taking notes of what I do, off clocks.

"Oh, I guess those lovebirds there need that privacy. How about we grab the booths there?", I pointed out into the distance, and the corners of the room. As I also point out, how Landon and Nora have disappeared into the crowd of swimming love birds. It's all going as planned. I had told Nora to take away Landon from us, so Hardin and I and the 2 dumbfucks who think they can outdo us, can have a conversation.

"Right, uhm, I was thinking we could grab a more private place for us too, Tessa.", my loverboy says.

"I mean, we have the whole night for that right, baby?"I hold his arm, looking into his eyes, I beg him to just sit down.

"Right.", he gives me a nod, an understanding nod and sits down inside the booth, letting me sit outside.

"So, Tessa, why the treat to us today?", Ichor asks, that nosy fucker!

"I was thinking of a last hurrah together, as we head into competition mode, right?", I say, raising my hand to catch a server's attention.

"I...What do you mean?", he says, as he looks between me and Hardin, surreptitiously trying to get the answer out of him or me.