After the drinks were finished, Dan got down to work. "So Jason, I think we're ready to wrap up this deal. I've made only two changes to the contract, underlined in red. I hope you don't mind." He handed a document to Mack.
It's showtime. Mack started looking through the contract, searching for the changes. He could have scanned the document much more quickly if he wasn't constantly glancing at Kay. She looked over at Dan once to see if he was watching her, too. But instead he was looking intently at Mack.
By sitting on the desk and staring just past Mack, Kay had a perfect view of the contract. She watched discretely and waited for Mack to turn to the page with the Mexican discount, underlined in red.
Mack flipped another page and the flash of red caught her eye. Cheesecake time. Kay mashed the tip of her pencil into her pad, and it broke off with a loud snap. "Oh my!" She slapped the useless writing instrument down on the desk and pouted. Mack looked up at her, noticeably glad for another excuse to ogle.
A pile of pencils sat on the desk, directly behind Kay. She twisted around to grab one, slowly, turning away from Mack, letting her skirt ride up and her blouse fall off her shoulder. Then, pencil in hand, she turned back quickly, smiled briefly at Mack, and continued to take notes. She wanted him to enjoy a tiny tease, a little something to put him in a good mood so that the Mexican discount would seem even better. Then, he would be a very happy man when he saw that closing fee.
Mack stared at Kay for a long time, his hand on his chin. The contract slipped off his lap but he made no move to retrieve it. Finally, he cleared his throat. "How much do you want for her, Dan?"
What? That's insane! Did he just offer to purchase her like a rug in a Turkish bazaar? And didn't he care that she was sitting right there, listening to this? Dan and Kay looked at each other, her teeth grinding, his face broadcasting a told-you-so grin.
"Excuse me, Jason?"
"I want her. How much?"
Dan spoke plainly. "Jason, she's a secretary."
"Sure, sure. Fine. We'll talk later." He leaned back and narrowed his eyes.
Kay seethed. Did Jason Mack think she was a slave girl, to be bought and sold to the highest bidder? What planet was he from? She could have punched him in the face, but instead settled for a renewed determination to take his money. I will destroy you, buddy. The last bits of sympathy for the helpless Jason Mack were officially gone.