Risky Negotiations (24 page)

With shaking fingers, she dialed up his office line, knowing the best approach was to just get it over with.

His secretary answered the phone on the first ring. “Hi, Norma. This is Laci Anderson with Massey and Mehan. I was hoping I could come over and get some documents signed by Mr. Attracelli if he has a few minutes today.”

“
I’ll see,” Norma said briskly.

Laci pulled the phone away from her ear, wondering if she was just imagining the strict woman’s almost hostile tone.

A moment later, Norma came back on the line. “I’m sorry Ms. Anderson, Mr. Attracelli is booked up for the week. I’ll call you if he has any time.” And the line went dead.

Laci was shocked. Sal didn’t have five minutes to sign some contracts? Contracts he had changed at the last minute? What was going on?

But Laci didn’t have the courage to figure it out right now. She had braved the phone call and that was all she could deal with at the moment. She went back to her work and tried to get the conversation out of her mind.

It was seven o’clock that night and Laci was still at the office, avoiding going home to her silent apartment where she would probably sulk about Sal again. She almost jumped out of her seat when the phone at her elbow rang. Who could be calling her this late at night, she wondered.

“
Laci Anderson,” she answered.

“
What are you doing working this late?” Sal’s voice demanded.

“
I…I…”

“
Never mind,” he said impatiently. “If you want those documents signed, get over here now. Otherwise, I’ll be out of town for the next two weeks.”

“
But the union contract expires next week,” she exclaimed. She remembered Jim’s comment about how the union representatives were already nervous and that just created more pressure to get the document signed immediately.

“
Well then you’d better get the documents over here now,” he said in a quietly deadly voice. “I’ll be leaving in less than thirty minutes.”

Laci thought about it for all of three seconds. “Fine,” she said, reminding herself of the picture in the paper from Saturday morning. “I’ll see you in twenty.” The line went dead a moment later.

Laci pulled on her coat and grabbed the contract. She intended to just get his signature and leave. There was no need for chit chat, she told herself, just be a professional and get the job finished.

She drove over to the ATI building, giving herself a mental shake down and bracing herself for the confrontation. She parked her car and glanced at her watch. It had only taken ten minutes to get here. For some reason, time moved slowly at the most inopportune periods.

The elevator opened up to a completely empty executive floor. It was almost eerie. Laci made her way towards Sal’s office, her mind concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. Norma was pulling on her coat and pursed her lips when Laci came into the outer office. “I’ll tell Mr. Attracelli you have arrived,” she said and immediately turned her back on Laci.

Laci didn’t understand the hostility and didn’t care. Norma didn’t know Laci’s side of this issue so it was no wonder the elderly woman was favoring her boss instead of an unknown woman. Laci wondered if Norma was this angry with all the women Sal dated when things went sour. Of course, it was probably Sal who broke up with the woman, if Colorado was any indication. Those two women didn’t seem like they had been in favor of the breakup with Sal.

She was sitting in a comfortable chair by the window, watching the cars as they made white and red lights on the highway. She was mentally bracing herself to see Sal again and all her concentration was focused on getting through this ordeal without breaking down in tears or, worse, begging him to take her back for as long as he would have her.

Norma came back out of Sal’s office before Laci was ready. “He’ll see you now,” she said and finished pulling on her coat.

Laci carefully walked over to the open door and peered in. Sal was sitting behind his desk, his shirt sleeves rolled up but his tie still perfectly in place. Squaring her shoulders, she knocked on the door and plastered what she hoped was a cheerful smile on her face. “Ready to sign the documents?”

Sal didn’t even look up. He just waived her into a chair and continued reading the file, making notes in the margin.

Laci endured it for all of five minutes before she lost her temper. She stood up and dropped the heavy document on his desk. “When you’ve signed these, just send them back to our office via courier,” she said and turned to leave.

“
Sit down,” Sal said, his voice ringing with authority.

Laci turned around, startled by the angry tone. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was arrogantly reading his file as if his simple order was enough.

“
No.” Laci again turned to leave, intending to slam the door on her departure.

But with a quiet voice, he said, “If you want these documents signed, you will sit down immediately. Otherwise, we can start the negotiations at the beginning.” There was a pause before he added, “And Max takes off the gloves.” He was looking at her, his arms crossed over his chest, challenging her to leave now that he’d issued that threat.

But Laci had had enough. His words just flamed her fury. “Who do you think you are? You can just go to hell!”

He leaned over his desk, placing his hands flat on the polished wood. “What’s this?” he snarled. “Not willing to sell that beautiful body anymore?”

Laci gasped. “What are you implying?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing on his face.

Sal stood up and came around the desk, walking towards her. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You offered up your delectable little body, in exchange, you wanted concessions for all the workers. What’s wrong? Not for sale anymore?”

Laci’s hand reached out to slap his face but her palm never reached its goal. Her wrist was captured in a vise-like grip while the rest of her was slammed against his body.

“
Never been called a spade before?” he asked.

“
I didn’t sell myself to you. And if that’s what you think, all those other women can have you!”

“
What other women?” he demanded, pulling her closer to him when she tried wriggling away.

“
Who knows? I’m just one in a long line. Why are you mad? Because I broke it off? Are you used to calling the shots? Well, sorry mister. But I can’t play in your league.”

“
What in the world are you talking about?” he demanded.

Laci was ashamed of the tear that slipped out of her eye. “I saw the picture in the paper. Last Friday night?” she said when he still looked confused.

“
You mean Mandy?”

“
I don’t want to know her name!” she said and yanked futily at her arm, desperately trying put some space between their bodies.

“
Mandy is the head of my public relations department.”

“
I don’t care!” she said, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes.

Sal reached up and touched her cheek, taking one of her tears onto his finger. “Crocodile tears? You really need those papers signed, don’t you?”

“
Burn them for all I care. Just let me go!”

His grip loosened slightly but he still wouldn’t’ release her. “I wish I could.”

Her eyes flew open. His softer tone made her start to tremble.

“
If you don’t care about the documents, why did you….”

“
Don’t you dare say that I sold myself for my career!”

“
Then why did you make love with me? Why did you go away with me?”

Laci took a deep, shuddering breath. “We had a good time. Let’s just leave it at that and move on. You already have a new love in your life so let’s just drop the subject.”

“
I’ve only been in love with one woman.”

Laci turned her head away, the pain of his words was too intense. “I’m very glad for you.”

“
But she pushed me away.”

Laci’s control faded and the tears fell down her cheeks in a steady stream now. She tried to hide her face, but he was holding her so closely, she had no where to hide. “I’m sure she’s a very stupid woman. Pleas stop telling me this. I promise I won’t bother you the way the other women seem to. We can just go our separate ways. We don’t run in the same circles so there probably isn’t any reason we might run into each other.”

“
Don’t you know how I feel about you?”

“
Sal, I can’t take this. Please let me go,” she whispered.

“
Not if what I’m suspecting is true.”

Laci didn’t respond.

“
Did you push me away because of those other women?”

“
No.”

“
Then why?”

“
It doesn’t matter.”

“
It does to me,” he said softly.

“
I pushed you away because I didn’t want to become one of those women! I didn’t want to be next in line. I can’t watch you go on to the next woman.”

“
Why?”

She was already making a fool of herself with her silly tears so she didn’t care what he thought of her anymore. She had no more pride. Laci decided to let it all out and admit her folly. “Because I love you!” she said and hit him in the chest with her fists. It didn’t do much damage though since he was still holding her still. “There! I’ve said it. Are you happy now? I’m just another one of your adoring fans.” Laci sagged against him, utterly defeated now that she had said the words out loud.

Sal wrapped his arms around her, gently enfolding her in his warm embrace. “I see.”

Laci pushed against his chest. “No, you don’t see. Look, I can’t handle this kind of casual relationship. I got emotionally involved. I knew the rules and I got burned. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to leave with the shred of dignity I have left.”

She turned to leave but before she could take her second step, she heard him say, “I did too.”

With her hand on the doorknob, she wiped her cheek and asked, “You did too, what?”

“
I got emotionally involved.”

The words just hung in the air for a moment.

“
And if you’ll marry me, I guarantee the women will stop challenging you for possession.”

“
What?” she said, slowly turning, afraid to accept the words she was hearing.

“
I’m saying I’d like you to put your stamp of ownership on me. Marry me. Don’t leave me to the Debra’s of this world,” he pleaded.

He didn’t have to say another word. By the time he’d finished his sentence, she had already thrown herself into his arms and was openly weeping and kissing him at the same time.

Chapter 10

It was eight o’clock in the morning and the phone rang again. Laci pulled her hair out of her face and looked up. “Are you going to answer it this time?”

Sal growled and pulled her body higher against his. “No way. It’s probably one of my brothers calling to give me some information I’ve asked them about this week.”

Laci laughed, delighted, but gasping as he took her nipple in his mouth. “So they get a break and I have to work all morning, huh?”

“
Absolutely,” he said and took her other nipple, sucking and teasin. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask your boss to give you the day off,”

Laci wanted to laugh, but her thoughts were centered on what he was doing. The phone rang and in the distance, she heard Thomas on the answering machine spouting out some numbers.

“
Victoria mentioned something about you being an ogre.”

“
Not anymore. They can take the day off for all I care,” he said and rolled her beneath him. “I’m certainly planning on it.”

Sal announced their engagement the following Sunday during lunch. No one even blinked an eye when he said the news. Laci laughed at Sal’s expression but she’d already told her sister, who had probably mentioned it to Thomas. Thomas might have mentioned it to one of the other brothers and the news had just traveled through the siblings.

“
The joys of living with a large family,” Laci said and took Sal’s hand under the table.

“
Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“
Do I have a choice?”

“
No!” Sal replied and bent over to kiss her. That received several cheers from her future brothers in law. The whole family stopped their talking and cheered as Sal and Laci ignored each and every one of them.