Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1) by Kristen Luciani Read Free Book Online Page B

But Jessica was too excited about the upcoming meeting. Screw him, he’s not raining on my parade today.
    “Good morning!” She flashed him a bright smile, imagining her fist connecting with his jaw resulting in a satisfying crack. She’d kick him while he was down, too. Oh, such great imagery to propel her through the day.
    “How did everything go at Stanford? Since I got caught up at Barclay without a car , I didn’t get an opportunity to stop by as planned.”
    Ha, ha! A surprised look flitted across her face. “Wait, your car didn’t show up?”
    Charlie entered the office wearing a tight smile. “I don’t like games, Jessica. I’m your superior, you keep forgetting that.”
    Crossing her arms, she looked him right in the eye. “You know what, Charlie? You are my boss, and I should respect that. My bad. But don’t think for a second I’m going to cower every time you raise your voice. I work very hard for you and I don’t deserve this kind of treatment.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Don’t bully me. I’m not dealing with it anymore.”
    A look of utter shock settled over his face. She smiled to herself. He’s got nothing.
    Dr. Martin warned her about keeping stress levels to a minimum. Nobody at work knew about her condition and she intended to keep it that way. That promotion was hers . No way was she getting passed over because of her illness. She’d never give Charlie that kind of ammunition. No, she let him know she wasn’t afraid. Not anymore.
    “I’m going to Secure Transact this morning to sign them. Anything you need from me can wait until I get back. I’ll get everything finished for the partner meeting next week, but please let me do my job right now.” Her heart pounded, but her voice was unwavering.
    Composing himself, Charlie left without another word. Jessica let out a shaky breath and sank into her chair. Holy shit! Did I just say all that? Oh yeah, this is living for sure.
    Grabbing her phone, she shot off a text to Lisa. Need to talk ASAP!
    A minute later, her phone rang. “What is it? Are you okay? You have me completely freaked out!”
    Jessica giggled. “If only I had a picture to share. You should have seen the look on Charlie’s face when I told him off a few minutes ago.”
    Lisa gasped. “You didn’t !”
    “Oh, I did. He was about to attack me for the car stunt, which would have been expected.” She chewed off a stray cuticle. “I pretty much told him to stay out of my way. Maybe the message was a little more diplomatic, but that was the gist.”
    “Wow, Jess. That’s awesome. It’s about time you stood up to that prick. You’re gonna kick ass at that meeting today, and when you sign them and bring in millions, he’ll be kissing it.”
    “Easy, a lot happens before the millions come rolling in, but at least signing them will be a start. Anyway, thought you’d appreciate the share.”
    “Oh, yes! Hey, quick question, how do you feel about going to a concert tonight? Rochelle called and her PR firm just signed Dezzie. They’re hosting some event at the Oracle Arena and she got us VIP passes for the skybox. You interested?”
    “Not really a fan of Dezzie or Rochelle, but I’m in! Think we’ll see anyone famous?” Jessica’s voice rose in excitement.
    “You never know. Oakland is such a hot spot.” Lisa snickered.
    “Sounds great. I’ll catch up with you later. I’ve got to get to this meeting on time today.”
    Darn it. Where are those pitch presentations? She tore her desk apart, looking in all the drawers and overhead compartments. Could Charlie have taken them? She groaned, not putting it past him. The meeting wasn’t for another hour, but she wanted more prep time. She Googled the nearest Kinko’s since the office color printer was out of commission and bolted to the elevator.
    It was already eighty degrees outside and the adrenaline rush was making her sweat. Great, a brisk jog is all I need now. Fanning herself with her only