Lucas Handler

Damn. That's good. I set down the half-eaten Doritos burrito and wipe my mouth with a paper thin napkin that disintegrates in my palm.

I need to get back to the office but I also need to eat some lunch after that dizzying conversation. The most confusing part about it was...dare I say, fun? A smile tugs at my lips as I recall the little huffs of annoyance Talia made.

After the run-in at the golf course, that was the longest conversation we've had in years. I forgot just how fun it is to get a rise out of her. Yet, one thing I didn't anticipate was the discussion about us showering together. I chuckle thinking about how I acted like a thirteen-year-old kid who stumbled across a racy photo.

I quickly shake the thought from my mind. Okay, so what if I find her physically attractive? Big deal. Any man with a pair of eyes can see how beautiful she is. Yet I know the truth. That woman is out for blood and my name is at the top of her list.

I wipe my mouth again with what's left of the napkin after finishing off the burrito. I wave the server down for the check before thinking through my next move. So, Talia wants us to stay out of each other's ways? That's just fine by me. I'm more than happy to take charge and start leading both companies through this merger. She basically gave her blessing and who am I to deny a beautiful woman of anything?

As I start thinking through the logistics of how I'm going to get this merger to go as smoothly as possible, a buzz in my pocket interrupts my thoughts. I glance down and smile as soon as I see who the text is from. Speaking of beautiful women...

Tiffany: Hey! Are we still on for Wednesday night?

I quickly text back an affirmative and tuck my phone back into my pocket.

After settling the bill, I make my way out of the restaurant. I need to be ready for tomorrow's meeting with the newly combined board. War is on the horizon and Talia isn't the only one that's out for blood.

The new board members are mingling in the unfamiliar conference room. There are a few faces I recognize from my own board and a few faces I don't. The man my dad is talking to is probably McAvoy's CEO, Bill. We're all meeting in a conference room booked at The Hilton, aka neutral ground, aka Sweden in this war.

Talia stands out in the sea of old and white. Her auburn hair is slicked back into a high ponytail and her tanned skin looks as if it's been moisturized recently. Most likely with children's tears. My gaze shifts from her tall heels, aka her combat boots, up over her form-fitting red dress, aka her uniform, up to her red lips and light eyeshadow, aka war paint.

She clears her throat and my gaze darts up to focus on her chestnut irises. "Lucas, it's so good to see you, my dear friend," she says loud enough for chatting board members to hear.

She's good.

I throw her a forced smile reserved for my challenging clients. "Talia." I approach her. Her eyes grow wide as I lean in and land two cheek-to-cheek kisses. "It's so good to see you. How long has it been? Ten? Fifteen years?" A faint scent of floral and citrus hits my nostrils as I lean back away from her. I'm grateful I don't accidentally boomerang back in to take another whiff. It's the poisonous vapors, a discreet but effective weapon.

She squints while still maintaining the quirk of her lips. "Funny, how time flies. It feels like we spoke just yesterday," she responds as she moves to take her seat.

My smile turns genuine, and I move across from her at the conference table next to my dad. He looks between us and beams. "Oh great, good to see you two already are well acquainted with each other. That should make this whole process a lot easier." He turns to Bill who's talking to another board member. "Bill, are you ready to get started?"

The man nods firmly and dives right into the agenda for the meeting. After the round of introductions, everything shared is exactly the same as what's in the packet I received yesterday. Bill and Charles go over why the merger is going to mean success for the company and share details like the newly formed company name, which will be Legacy Wealth.

Every so often, my gaze wanders over to Talia who sits rod straight and is listening intently to everything being said. Maybe the reason she's so unpleasant to be around is because she wears her ponytail so tight and it's constricting the blood flow?

For a moment, our eye lines connect and something weird happens in my stomach. The corner of my lip tilts up in a way I hope is communicating, "Are you ready for this?"

Talia squints challengingly and she quickly looks away, back at my dad who is leading us through the rest of the presentation. I nearly chuckle out loud. I'm under her skin already. This is going to be so easy.

Finally, as we're nearing the end of our time with the board, Dad brings up the piece of news that is definitely the most exciting thing about this merger. "So, now that we've gone over the details, there is one last thing we wanted to discuss with you both." He looks between Talia and I before continuing. "As you both know we're going to have you running this merger as Co-Presidents. In about four months, Bill and I will both be retiring, which will leave the CEO position open. While we'll need to interview different candidates, we both agreed that it'd be best to promote from within."

I smile so wide I almost pull a muscle in my cheek. Dad gives me a look to tone it down before continuing. "While you both need to work together for this merger to go smoothly, we'd also like for you both to share a tailored strategy on how you'll be taking the newly formed company to the next level. The strategy that impresses us the most will be used after the merger finishes and will be run by the one who created it."

"Wow, what an amazing opportunity. I had no idea, thank you so much for trusting us with that." I lean back in my seat and let my smile take its full reign.

Talia subtly rolls her eyes at me and then quickly clears her throat before nodding. "That's amazing. Thank you for sharing the news with us."

"But don't think of it like a competition," Bill adds. "We still want you both to work together on this merger. This will just be an extra credit opportunity that's separate."

"Of course," Talia responds. "I look forward to working with Lucas and doing whatever it takes to see that this merger goes on without a hitch."

She says without any disdain, whatsoever. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Excellent. I'm so glad to hear it," Dad responds. "That'll be all then for today. We look forward to hearing the updates and please let us know if any questions come up as you both venture forth." And with that, the meeting is adjourned.

A couple of board members come up to me to congratulate me on the opportunity. My eyes briefly stray over to Talia who's in a discussion with the only other female in the room. I can't put my finger on it, but that woman Talia's talking to is giving off bad vibes. She was mostly quiet for the meeting, but right now, she has a lot to say to Talia. Based on Talia's crossed arms and subtle shifts, it probably isn't a very pleasant conversation. But maybe I'm reading too much into it. They're probably bonding or something being the only two women in the room.

After mindless chit-chat with a couple of board members, I make my way to Talia who's saying bye to Cora. I stretch out my hand and Talia glances around briefly before resigning to shake it. "Good to see you again, Talia. My assistant will be in touch." A small surge of heat zips through my palm when she places her hand in mine. For a moment, we just stay here, staring at each other, and bobbing our hands together up and down for a few counts.

"Likewise," Talia responds before letting go of my hand.

Without another word, I leave the conference room and head back to my office. I already spent yesterday combing through the packet and formulating a detailed email to Charles and Bill to kick the merger off. Now that the meeting is over, I plan to send it and show my employers who's really in charge.