Page 70 of Ice Devil

“If that’s what you want yourself to believe then that’s fine. The dress was lovely.” It was, but that wasn’t the point. “Why don’t you get to the point, Matt. I know you have one.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on. I wasn’t born yesterday. You appeared at the airport out of the blue, upgrading us to first class. During the entire flight, you did nothing but talk hockey as if a super fan. Only when we landed and you let me in on a little secret that I was suddenly switched from staying at the Marriott to the Four Seasons did the real reason you appeared on the trip begin to unravel.”

His smile was sly, which went along with his crisp new suit that cost more than I made in two months. The man was going places.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh, you did.”

“All your hard work had been phenomenal. Subscriptions are up both online and even for our paper product. Plus, your on-camera interviews have really hit strong with everyday Americans. You come off as being sincere as someone who thoroughly enjoys the game, knowledgeable enough without using professional jargon all the time so kids can understand what you’re saying. The interview with Beck Kendrick was the icing on the cake.”

Was another shoe about to drop, or an atom bomb?

“Wow. Approval by children. I’ll add that to my resume. Why the dinner? You could have gone alone. Or did you allow the executive team to believe our relationship was entirely different than what it is?”

Ding. Ding. I won the kewpie doll this week. The son of a bitch.

“You didn’t.”

He sat up in his chair, acting as if he was a school principal. “Not in so many words. Of course not. However, I thought killing two birds could potentially help both our careers. They know we work together so I allowed them to see how close we are.”

“What are you getting at?”

His sudden jump to his feet told me one thing. He was nervous as hell. Something significant had been tossed on the line for him. Maybe more power than he’d have at the paper alone. “I’m saying that things are changing within the industry. Every company is facing financial issues based on heavy competition. Our executive team were meeting to try and determine the best path forward for the company and our numbers are extraordinary in comparison to others. Which is all good news.”

“That’s great. That still doesn’t give answers as to why the dog and pony show.”

He chortled and moved to the huge window facing the city below. He had an incredible corner view of Chicago, the skyline spectacular. “Believe it or not, the company founders are very old-fashioned. They believe the best employees are those who are well rounded.”

“Ah, I get it. In order for you to move up on the food chain, they believe you should settle down.”

The slight turn of his head was enough I could tell I was correct in my assumptions. “Don’t get me wrong. They’re not insisting on marriage, but they prefer a family atmosphere.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not playing your housemaid so you obtain a promotion, Matt.” I’d had enough of this. “Now, where are you sending me?”

“You don’t understand, Sloane.”

“We’re not talking about a promotion?”

“We are. For you.” He finally turned to face me. “They love your work and want to see you head another division, one that is not currently doing very well. If I’d found out sooner, I would have warned you, but I knew how you’d react.”

Seeing the slight snarl curled on his lip meant he was serious. “You would have thought right.”

“You don’t want to advance your career?”

“I won’t sell my soul to do so. Let me stretch my guessing powers. If I agree to take the promotion, you’ll have one handed to you as well on a silver platter.”

The man had never been good at lying or with hiding any of his emotions. Not that he’d been gifted with many. “Let’s just say vice president of operations has a nice ring to it.”

“Mmm… I see. But another kicker—we need to appear close. Very close. Right?”

“It’s a win-win for both of us. After we’re in our positions then they won’t pay any attention to our personal lives. We’ll be in different cities if that makes you feel any better.”

The hurt puppy dog look was getting very old.

“What’s the other catch, Matthew? I know there is one. Plus, you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your loyalty. Right?”