Annihilate Me 2: Vol. 1 by Christina Ross Read Free Book Online Page A

slipped inside where Blackwell
already sat at my right with a look of concern on her face.   I looked ahead of us to make certain that
Alex had gotten safely into his own car.
    “He’s fine,” Blackwell said.   She placed her hand on my knee.   “He’s inside—he’s safe.   And by the way, you both just handled
that beautifully.”
    “I’m flying blind,” I said.   “Alex is the pro.”
    “Don’t undercut yourself, my
dear.   You see very well.”
    I looked at her.   She was wearing a light blue Chanel
suit, dark glasses, and understated daytime jewelry.   Her legs were crossed at the knee, and
in her hand was a large cup of coffee, which she handed to me.
    “Thank you,” I said.
    “Well, you did demand it.”
    “I just—”
    “You probably would have harangued
me if I hadn’t brought the coffee—which, by the way, is black.   No cream.   No sugar.   No calories.”
    “You’re too much.”
    “If I were too little, I wouldn’t
be here.”
    “You have a point there.”   I looked ahead of us as Alex’s car cut
into the traffic on Fifth.   “I worry
about him,” I said.
    “Your husband is going to be fine.   I can tell you with certainty that no
one ever gets used to this kind of circus.   His father may have laid the full weight of Wenn on him when he killed
himself and Alex’s mother, but that young man has done nothing if not risen to
the occasion.   I’m proud of
him.”   She turned to me.   “And I’m also proud of you.”
    I kept my eye on Alex’s car as
Cutter stepped inside to drive us to Barneys.   “I’m just trying to get through this,
Barbara.”
    “And you will.   You are.   So is Alex.   I had my worries before, but I was overreacting.   Wenn will rise from this, Jennifer.   The trick is going to be in how fast it
can right the ship, and whether Alex can keep the majority of the board on his
side.   That’s what’s going to be
critical.   But I think that he
can—especially with you at his side tonight.”
    I told her what I had in mind for
later.
    “Oh my,” she said.   “Waltzing with the enemy—or
potential enemies, in this case.   Very smart.   They know Alex,
but not you.   And with your
charm—and your beauty and your figure—most of them won’t know what
to do with you.”
    “It’s just a dance.”
    “And on that I call bullshit.   We both know that it’s more than
that.   You want to seduce them.   You want to mold them like putty in your
hands.   You already know that if
they come to know and like you, that it will be harder for them to turn on
Alex.”
    “All right,” I said.   “You’re right.   I’m going to do all of that.   I’m also going to talk with them on
their level.”
    “Why waste your time talking?   Here’s the thing, my love—with the
right dress on, it won’t even matter what you say.   You could talk about chimps shitting
bananas at the zoo, and all they’d be thinking is how beautiful you look.”
    “I do have a mind, Barbara.”
    “Your mind is fine, Jennifer.   You’re one of the brightest young women
I know.   But I’m sorry—it’s
not as important as your ass or the twins.   You know that as well as I do.   At their cores, these men are troglodytes.   But I’m behind you on this.   You’re actually being quite strategic
and cunning.   Who cares what takes
place on that dance floor?   Business
is business, and at this level, business is ruthless.   When you go to war, there’s no shame in
using what you have in your arsenal to potentially get what you want.   I think what you have in mind is a
marvelous idea because you won’t take it too far.   You’ll give them just enough body and
personality to tip the balance in Wenn’s favor.”
    “Now I feel as if I’m selling out.”
    “What you’re doing is everything
you can to help your husband, whom you love.   It’s not as if you’re giving free lap
dances for God’s sake, although that isn’t a bad idea