say?"
Her mouth turned upward at the corner in a twist of humor and her eyes laughed at him.
"I'd start by saying that I was tremendously impressed by your knowledge of instrumentation…"
"Knowing I own an aviation instrumentation company would make such a remark superfluous," he pointed out.
"But for the purpose of idle conversation that wouldn't matter, would it?"
"Umm, no," he was forced to agree.
"I would then go on to note that you have a definite flair for grasping the essentials of an acquisition package," she continued silkily.
"Thank you," he returned after a moment's close thought. He seemed to decide it was a compliment.
"And then I might say something about your talent for bargaining." She smiled quite innocently.
"Again, thank you. I think." He was still eyeing her skeptically, she noted, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Let me see," she mused, tipping her head gracefully to one side. "I suppose I would conclude with some appropriate comment about your straightforward way of dealing."
"A man likes to have others find him honest." He smiled crookedly.
"Yes, it's very useful, isn't it?"
Gold gleamed for a moment in the amber-brown eyes and then Slade said interestedly, "Did you often get sarcastic with Lester?"
"Wouldn't have dreamed of it!"
"Are you trying it out on me because I'm not the paternal sort?"
"Are you implying you don't encourage a free and easy exchange of conversation with your staff?" she asked in liquid accents.
"It occurs to me a little deference might be useful in your case. Perhaps I'll insist you go on calling me Mr.
York now that you've reverted to it anyway!"
"You're the boss," she retorted with grave politeness.
"You might try remembering it," he chuckled warmly. "Facing me across a negotiating table has given you ideas, I think."
"Ideas above my station?" She grinned, beginning to regain her courage. After all, there really wasn't anything he could do to her.
"Will it be so hard to go back to the role of employee?" he teased, still holding her eyes with his own.
"I'm very adaptable." But not that adaptable , she added silently.
"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Adaptable employees go far in my organization."
"Even the female ones?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Even the female ones. Now, to get back to our conversation…"
"Oh, yes. The question of what I learned about you during the bargaining process…" She hesitated.
"Would you mind telling me what you learned first?"
"What I learned about you? If you like."
She waited with a curious expectancy. What had he thought of her during the past few weeks? Had he really respected her abilities or had he been toying with her because he fully intended to buy Chapman's firm in the end and was merely testing her as a future manager?
It was only a matter of idle interest. Regardless of whether or not he had been genuinely impressed with her abilities, she knew what he wanted from her. She'd known it almost from the first, although he had done an admirable job of shielding his goal from Lester and herself. If her own experience hadn't made her so astute where the male of the species was concerned, Calla knew she might not have guessed the masculine drive that was chafing Slade York. Yes, she thought grimly, he had done an excellent job of disguising his aims where she was concerned, and that was going to make him all the angrier when he found out she didn't intend to hang around for the endgame.
"I'll be honest with you," Slade said after a moment, as if he had been seriously considering his answers.
"When Lester first introduced us and explained your role it occurred to me he might be trying to…"
"Use a very ancient tactic?" Calla suggested coolly.
"Well, yes. It wouldn't be the first time a woman has been used as a pawn to weaken a man."
Slade shifted as he said the words, giving her a very direct, very hard look that she met with outward poise. He was somehow closer now, having shortened the distance between them
Her mouth turned upward at the corner in a twist of humor and her eyes laughed at him.
"I'd start by saying that I was tremendously impressed by your knowledge of instrumentation…"
"Knowing I own an aviation instrumentation company would make such a remark superfluous," he pointed out.
"But for the purpose of idle conversation that wouldn't matter, would it?"
"Umm, no," he was forced to agree.
"I would then go on to note that you have a definite flair for grasping the essentials of an acquisition package," she continued silkily.
"Thank you," he returned after a moment's close thought. He seemed to decide it was a compliment.
"And then I might say something about your talent for bargaining." She smiled quite innocently.
"Again, thank you. I think." He was still eyeing her skeptically, she noted, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Let me see," she mused, tipping her head gracefully to one side. "I suppose I would conclude with some appropriate comment about your straightforward way of dealing."
"A man likes to have others find him honest." He smiled crookedly.
"Yes, it's very useful, isn't it?"
Gold gleamed for a moment in the amber-brown eyes and then Slade said interestedly, "Did you often get sarcastic with Lester?"
"Wouldn't have dreamed of it!"
"Are you trying it out on me because I'm not the paternal sort?"
"Are you implying you don't encourage a free and easy exchange of conversation with your staff?" she asked in liquid accents.
"It occurs to me a little deference might be useful in your case. Perhaps I'll insist you go on calling me Mr.
York now that you've reverted to it anyway!"
"You're the boss," she retorted with grave politeness.
"You might try remembering it," he chuckled warmly. "Facing me across a negotiating table has given you ideas, I think."
"Ideas above my station?" She grinned, beginning to regain her courage. After all, there really wasn't anything he could do to her.
"Will it be so hard to go back to the role of employee?" he teased, still holding her eyes with his own.
"I'm very adaptable." But not that adaptable , she added silently.
"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Adaptable employees go far in my organization."
"Even the female ones?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Even the female ones. Now, to get back to our conversation…"
"Oh, yes. The question of what I learned about you during the bargaining process…" She hesitated.
"Would you mind telling me what you learned first?"
"What I learned about you? If you like."
She waited with a curious expectancy. What had he thought of her during the past few weeks? Had he really respected her abilities or had he been toying with her because he fully intended to buy Chapman's firm in the end and was merely testing her as a future manager?
It was only a matter of idle interest. Regardless of whether or not he had been genuinely impressed with her abilities, she knew what he wanted from her. She'd known it almost from the first, although he had done an admirable job of shielding his goal from Lester and herself. If her own experience hadn't made her so astute where the male of the species was concerned, Calla knew she might not have guessed the masculine drive that was chafing Slade York. Yes, she thought grimly, he had done an excellent job of disguising his aims where she was concerned, and that was going to make him all the angrier when he found out she didn't intend to hang around for the endgame.
"I'll be honest with you," Slade said after a moment, as if he had been seriously considering his answers.
"When Lester first introduced us and explained your role it occurred to me he might be trying to…"
"Use a very ancient tactic?" Calla suggested coolly.
"Well, yes. It wouldn't be the first time a woman has been used as a pawn to weaken a man."
Slade shifted as he said the words, giving her a very direct, very hard look that she met with outward poise. He was somehow closer now, having shortened the distance between them
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