Connexion

Part 60

When Sophie vanished, Caleb leaned past Jena, reached for the doorknob, opened the door and all but backed Jena into the room. 

Caleb basically advanced, and Jena essentially stepped backwards. The door opened and she marched inside. Caleb closed the door behind them.

Jena turned around and folded her arms. She tilted her chin and glared but said nothing. She was furious.

Caleb folded his arms, angled his head to one side and took a second to re-establish his self-control. He could see in her eyes, she was furious. Like him. But the fact that she had reined in her fury, he thought he should find his own equanimity. He licked his lips, took a breath before he reminded her, "Ms Silva, you agreed to make this wedding cake." 

He knew, Sophie was delighted to have By Design make her wedding cake. She hadn't stopped talking about Jena for the entire week. Every conversation he had with his sister seemed to return to the topic of Jena. With Sophie described Jena's beauty, her business acumen, her nature. 

"We agreed to it because you dragooned me! Unfortunately I caved at that time." Jena snapped.

He stepped closer to her. He was far from pleased with Jena's antics. His eyes narrowed at her tone. He came closer. She did not budge. So that meant that he was standing within her personal space. Their breaths mingled. Her chest mirroring her agitation. Her pulse was racing.

"But I will not be ordered around by you or your family to suit your whims." Jena was fed up with this family and their behaviour. Perhaps they were used to people cowing to them.

"My whims?" If she thought she could simply toss the contract out of the window, and assume that everyone would be fine, he was going to ensure that she recognised it was a massive miscalculation. 

"Yes!" Jena snapped, but noted the pulse at his jaw was throbbing. She closed her eyes, took a breath, clearly like her, were battling to maintain their composure. He did not move. Just waited for her to open her eyes. Under any other circumstances, given the distance between their body, given her eyes were closed, that they were both breathing hard, would be viewed as a drill to initiate primal responses.  She licked her dry lips, and opened her eyes and said quietly, "My company, 'By Design' has a contract for us to make your sister's wedding cake."

"Exactly." Caleb snapped when her coy actions ignited the fuse he had hidden from her. Or at least he thought he had doused his reaction to her. He did not move away, but he had reestablished his control over his reaction to her. "Good to see you understand that. We have a contract. And that contract clearly states that you will produce a wedding cake."

"Not me personally. Read the contract!" She countered as she stood her ground. The man seemed to think that whatever he wanted he could get.

"Same difference. You are the owner of the business. The contract says you will produce a cake for my sister's wedding."

"Not me personally" She repeated. "There is a big difference." Jena countered flatly. "My company is contracted to make this wedding cake, not me, per se. My team will created the cake, in this case, Sally will make it, and Matt will probably help her with icing."

He held up a hand, "Fine. So what is the problem?"

"The problem? I suggest you read the contract." She muttered. "See the agreement, read the fine print, it states we can pull out." She told him coolly, knowing that she was going to have to stand her ground and make sure that this man and his sister did not treat her and her company like play things. Tension laced her words, "We have had enough! We are pulling out!"

He narrowed his eyes, and his tone was laced with threat, "I've read the fine print."

"Good." She took a step away and reached for the door's knob. "Given the matter has been  settled, I am leaving, Mr Harland!"

His palm hit the door and kept the door shut. "Ms Silva, you can't just bail when it suits you!"

"Yes, I can, Mr Harland!" She took a step away from him and away from the door because the exit was blocked by an irate giant. 

"As I told you, I have read the fine print..."

"Great. Good to hear you can read. Perfect." Jena snapped and glared. "Now. Move!"

He ignored her order. Caleb said calmly, "And I said, I read the contract. I also read it out to our lawyers." He qualified her statement, "It states clearly under what circumstances the agreement can be terminated." He had indeed gone over the agreement with a fine tooth-comb. He'd also got his lawyers to look at the document just in case he had missed something crucial.

Jena refused to be intimidated by Caleb's tactics. Irritate beyond exasperate, and her temper was rising. "While your sister might believe that when you throw your weight around, you will change this situation. But let me tell you, your arrogance is a turn off." She told him when he was but a few inches from her.

"The only person exhibiting arrogance, throwing their weight around, is you, Ms Silva!" Caleb contradicted her view.  He continued with annoyance, saying "I, obviously made a mistake when I changed my mind about your disordered temperament!"

"My temperament?" She threw her hands in the air. "Really?"

"Yes. Last week, when we had a discussion about this wedding cake, and yes, albeit, I dragooned you into this." Caleb thought their discussion last week had changed his mind about her. For two reasons. One, that he had nearly kissed her. And two, she was firm, but kind. She showed she could compromise if needed. And her conduct revealed she was a romantic: It was the chemistry between Isaac and Sophie that changed Jena's decision. Subsequently she found a way to take on this cake. So, today, when Sophie told him that 'By Design' was threatening to tear up the contract, he was not happy at all. "You are demonstrating instability! Your temperament does not instil confidence!"

Jena nearly shouted. Instead she squared her shoulders and asked, "My temperament?" She was sure the steam from her ears could be seen but her tone was calm. "Instability?"

"Yes. Instability. Volatile!"

Her hold on her fury vanished in a puff as she shrieked, "I have had enough of you and your offensive statements." She could not help the mutter, "Volatile?"

The article featuring her again resurfaced in his mind. "Your temperament and attitude is what I find unpleasant. Impulsive. Erratic. Fickle. Lack of integrity. No moral compass."

She squared her shoulders. Enough. She shoved at his shoulder, "Move! This conversation is over." She muttered under her breath, "Fool!"

He heard her mutter. Caleb's reply was laced with frost when he said, "Clearly my original view was perfect and correct. Self-importance. Clearly you have an exaggerated estimate of your own importance. You came to my office, attempted to throw your weight around, and again, here, you are throwing your weight around. Like a paper clown! You honestly believe people will kowtow to you because you think your moral compass is set correctly. You might consider humility, Ms Silva."

Jena bit her lip before she said firmly, "Mr Harland, as I said, this conversation is over." She was tempted to stamp her foot. But she was sure that might add to his option about her. How dare he? Calling me impulsive, erratic, she thought. Her fury escalated when his statements,  questioning her integrity and suggesting she had no moral compass registered in her brain again.

"Believe me, this conversation is not over. Your concept of professional conduct, include  reneging two days after the agreement is signed. You have the gall to accuse me of arrogance, because I do not concede or subscribe to your concept of professional conduct. So believe me, this conversation is not over. And I certainly have not finished with you!" He stepped up, closer, practically toe-to-toe, he shook his head revealing his exasperation, "Your antics suggests you and your company are unreliable, amateurs masquerading as professionals."

Jena refused to back away. She ensured her feet remained firmly planted even as he all but towered over her. She tipped her head back, glared at him, and snapped at him, "My company and I are reliable. Well-earned reputation."

Caleb snorted. "Found it in the cereal box, Ms Silva?"