Pinned

Chapter Four

Nate looked up from his computer screen when his best friend and the company's COO Charles Pine walked into his office. He had an incredibly smug look on his face. "Albert's back on again," he said, falling into the leather couch near the door. "That guy blows hotter and colder than any chick I've slept with."

"He's worried that he's selling out," Nate said. "I don't blame him. If we were going bankrupt and were forced to sell, I'd react the same way."

"No you wouldn't. You'd go down with the ship if it ever sank."

Nate turned his attention back to the screen. "You know Albert will change his mind again before the end of the week."

"He wants to schedule a meeting with us."

"I have a free hour next Thursday. We'll get April to set up a Skype conference."

"He wants to come out here," Charles said. "Meet us face to face. See our company."

Nate sighed. "We'll have to cover it, won't we?"

Charles held his palms up. "We have to do what we can to keep him happy. At least for the next seven weeks until the deal closes."

"Shit.." He had to remind himself that he wanted this. Really, really bad. Even his grandfather hadn't been able to get La Boulange when the old man was alive. Nate would be writing Anderson & Company history if he somehow got Albert to go through with the merger.

His computer pinged, and it wasn't a sound he recognized. It wasn't his email or the company's internal instant messenger. His browser was blinking, and when he clicked on it, he realized that he had a new Facebook message.

"So I'll book the flight for Albert, then?" Charles asked.

Nate glanced up. "What? Oh. Yeah. That's fine."

"What are you working on?"

He clicked on his inbox. It was a message from Sophie Thomas. His heart gave an extra beat. "Something personal."

Charles leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Are you on Facebook?" he asked in an incredulous voice.

Nate cleared his screen. "No." He swiveled in his seat. "Don't you have something to do?"

Charles grinned. "Who was that woman you were looking at? She was hot."

He clenched his fist. "That was Sophie Thomas."

"She sounds familiar." He snapped his fingers. "The woman you met with from Sal's company, right? The marketing exec or something."

"Sales manager." The woman who told him that internet sex was better than the real thing. If Nate had been less tactful, he might have asked her what kind of sex had she been having to make her think that cyber sex could actually be better, Because he would show her how wrong she was--

But he couldn't let his thoughts go there. That was dangerous territory.

"Now you're Facebook friends?" Charles asked with a raised brow. "I didn't know you were on Facebook. Thought you said it was a waste of time."

"I've changed my mind."

"Right." He stood and stretched, glancing at his watch. "Or someone change it for you."

"What do I pay you for? To stand there and talk shit?"

Charles laughed."It's already seven. Technically I'm off the clock."

"You're on salary."

"Whatever. Want to grab a beer?"

Nate shook his head. "I have a couple more contracts I need to look through. And you have a flight to book before you leave."