His features relaxed into a smile, as he noted again her surprise.
“I’ve been accused of being an emotionless, uptight bastard by more than one person,” he said in amusement. “Perhaps you draw out another side to me that no one else sees.”
She looked disgruntled by that suggestion.
“You wanted something?” she prompted, obviously anxious for the meeting to be over.
He had no such plans for her to scurry back to the safety of her office where she shut the rest of the world out. He knew she went straight home every day. Didn’t have a social life unless you counted her lunches with Chessy and Joss, her two best friends. In fact, their circle of friends were the only people Kylie had any sort of a connection to.
It had to be a lonely life and he hated that for her. Hated that her past had shaped her future—was still shaping her future—and that she didn’t seem to be able to shake off the bonds of her childhood.
He shuffled the stack of papers in front of him.
“I want you to study up on these profiles. As I said in your office, S&G Oil is downsizing one of their refineries. They need to cut one hundred million in expenses so they’re looking for ways to combine jobs. They want to eliminate at least thirty positions and cut nonessential expenses, and they want us to find those for them.”
She was clearly flabbergasted by his request.
“But Jensen, I know nothing about this sort of thing. I’m an administrative assistant.”
He smiled again, watching her reaction to his expression. She wasn’t indifferent to him and that likely pissed her off all the more.
“I want you to learn,” he said gently. “When Carson was alive, he and Dash were looking to take on a third partner. They certainly had the business. After Carson died it was too much for Dash to handle, and he had to work his ass off to keep the business solvent until he brought me in. There is still a need for a third partner and you have the credentials. All you lack is experience.”
Her mouth dropped open and she was speechless. He felt smug over causing that anomaly. The woman was never short on retorts.
“You want me to be a partner?” she squeaked.
“I can’t promise that,” he said smoothly. “Consider this your trial by fire. It won’t happen today or tomorrow or even over the next few months, but there’s no reason to seek out another partner when we have a perfectly capable person working with us already. You know everything that goes on in this office, Kylie. Every single piece of information is passed through you. You know all our clients. You schedule our meetings. You absolutely know the ins and outs of this business. There is no reason you shouldn’t have the opportunity to be promoted.”
She glanced down at the papers he’d shoved across his desk to her. The information she’d collected and organized for him and Dash. She was certainly acquainted with the process.
He could swear excitement flared in her eyes, but it was gone almost before it fully registered.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked huskily.
“We have a meeting with the CFO of S&G in three days’ time. I want you to accompany me. You have three days to familiarize yourself with their business. The positions, salaries and duties of each employee listed. Their overhead and every single penny they have in expenses. I want you to draw up your own plan and present it to me in two days. I want your ideas and then we’ll discuss before you and I meet with the CFO.”
She gaped incredulously at him. “You’d trust this big of a contract with me?”
“I didn’t say that I’d agree with your ideas,” he said mildly. “Merely that I want to see them. We’ll put our heads together and see what we agree—and disagree—on, and then we’ll put together a plan that incorporates both our ideas before we attend that meeting.”
“I didn’t expect this,” she murmured.
But he could see the spark in her eyes. She loved a challenge every bit as much as he did. He hadn’t been wrong. She was wasted in her position as an administrative assistant. It was too safe. She could do that job in her sleep. She needed this. Something to get her blood pumping and remind her that she was alive.
“I have faith in you, Kylie. Can you say the same about yourself?”
This time fire shone in her eyes and he held back the grin of triumph. Oh yes, she loved a good challenge, and perhaps she hadn’t been challenged in such a way ever. Dash had been far too easy on her. Not that he expected Dash to be a flaming ass**le, but he’d wrapped Kylie in cotton after Carson’s death, and from all Dash had said, Carson had wrapped her in that same cotton when he was alive. Neither man wanting to do anything to hurt this fragile woman.
But her fragility disguised the intelligent, fiery woman underneath that shell and Jensen intended to draw her out. Dash would likely kick his ass if he knew what Jensen was doing, but for the next two weeks, Jensen was in control and Dash would be completely oblivious to anything business related—as he should be. And Jensen intended to make the most of those two weeks.
“I can do it,” she said, resolve tight in her voice. “When do you want to meet to go over my proposal?”
“Wednesday night. Dinner at Capitol Grill. I know you and the girls like the Lux Café, but I want something quieter and more intimate if we’re to discuss something confidential. I can arrange for a table in a quiet corner where we won’t be overheard.”
Kylie’s brow furrowed into a frown and he could literally see the wheels spinning in her head.
“What would be more private than here in the office?” she asked. “Certainly dinner isn’t necessary.”
“No,” he agreed. “But it’s what I want.”
She had nothing to say to that, though he could see she had no liking for the idea of them having dinner together.
“I’ll make a reservation for seven,” he continued, as if he were oblivious to her discomfort. “I’ll read your proposal beforehand and we’ll discuss it over dinner. I’ll prepare the final analysis before our meeting with the CFO. I’ll pick you up at your house at eight Thursday morning and we’ll ride together to meet with S&G’s CFO in his office.”
He could tell she was caught in an epic battle with herself. She did not want to have dinner with him or even meet him outside of work, nor did she want to ride with him to their meeting, but neither did she want to pass up the opportunity he’d presented her with.