The Cowboy and The Pencil-pusher

"I must say, it's nice to have someone with style here." Lawrence Blackburn lit a cigar with a raised eyebrow.After a few puffs, he blows three perfect smoke rings.

I laughed. "Fine." He offered a Cuban cigar, but I declined.I like the smell of a good cigar, but I don't smoke.

"This jacket is from Armani?" he asks, scanning me slowly.

I pointed to the lapel of my plaid jacket. "Yes. I need to wear something personal."

"Got it. I have a pair of Armani cashmere trousers for the winter." Lawrence acted as if he could just snap his fingers and everything would be fine.His dark face was smooth and unlined, and his wheat-colored hair was impeccably trimmed to give him a youthful look. "People like you and me love boutiques all their lives."

Kurt moved beside me and let out a long, hearty sigh.

I glanced at him. "I told you that it is enough for me to come alone."

Kurt shrugged and fixed his slightly hostile gaze on Lawrence. "I want to make sure that the company we hire to work with is the best company."

Lawrence smiled smugly. "What's the matter, Kurt? You think I'm so charismatic enough to charm Paul that he'd sign blindly if you weren't there?

Kurt just bit his lip and said nothing.

Lawrence leaned over to me. "I've got an offer for you that will blow your mind, Paul." He picked up the folder and pushed it over. "Blackbond Construction will provide you with the best materials and workmanship."

"If we want to hire you, we have to consider more than price." Kurt didn't even look at the document Lawrence handed me.

I can't help but whistle a bit as I browse through the files. "It's a big difference from the last two offers I received." I met Kurt's exasperated gaze. "This one is much cheaper."

Lawrence grinned. "Yes. Those other places like to raise their prices at every opportunity. We just want to find a job and fix it for people."

"People like to jack up prices? You mean those permits and environmental impact reports that you find trivial?" Kurt said, raising an eyebrow.

Lawrence frowned too. "I don't like it when you spread rumors about my company, Kurt."

"I said it's not a rumor."

"Really? Do you have solid evidence? You just listened to the rumors spread by those companies that are jealous of my family's performance."

Kurt cleared his throat. "Bob Mercer said you never finished a project there. Why are you trying to get work on a project you already have?"

Lawrence's cheeks were liver-colored. "Look. I know you don't like me, Kurt. We've had a grudge for years. But please don't try to tarnish me with Paul just because you're friends with the other two contractors bidding. "

Kurt straightened his back and snorted impatiently. "I'm not trying to do anything." He glanced at me. "In addition, Paul will not be easily influenced by anyone. Especially not by me."

I frown. "Why especially not affected by you?"

He ignored me and continued to ask Lawrence: "Have you completed the project on the Mercer's land?"

Lawrence folded his hands against the back of his leather chair. "finished."

Kurt poked his neck out. "So, you're saying Mercer is lying?"

There was an unpredictable look in Lawrence's green eyes. "We finished the project anyway, so I don't know what else to say."

Kurt obviously didn't believe him.He gripped the arm of the chair, his knuckles turning white.But he still didn't argue, but sat back and took a deep breath.I saw his clenched jaw, and when he met my gaze, I could feel his doubts.With Lawrence watching, I couldn't ask Kurt anything directly, so I kept silent.

As if noticing that I was watching Kurt uneasily, Lawrence cleared his throat. "Let me tell you, I will personally go to the Mercer's land tomorrow to see if we can clarify the misunderstanding."

Kurt didn't respond, but I figured it was a good idea.Since he is willing to personally interview the person who is dissatisfied with him, it means that he can still talk about credibility. "Okay, that's it." I met Kurt's gaze. "Do you think this will work?"

He shrugged.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Lawrence gave a gruff laugh.He has a charming smile and looks genuine. "I don't know what else to do but make it clear to Mercer."

What he said sounded reasonable.I nudged Kurt, impatient with his silence.I don't know why he came here, but he just rolls his eyes because of losing his temper and doesn't say anything. "say."

He glared at me, but at least said: "Okay. Of course. The misunderstanding should be cleared up."

Lawrence nodded, looking relieved. "Great. I just want to make a fair bid. As far as our past issues go, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Are you still doing business with Breve Brothers?" Kurt asked, almost growling.

Lawrence lowered his gaze, hiding his expression. "No. We parted ways years ago."

Kurt doesn't look like he fully trusts the man, but his body relaxes a bit. "Finally something decent."

"I'll talk to Mercer. In the meantime, you look at the offer and let me know what you think." Lawrence rose, and we followed suit.His perfectly manicured nails and baby-soft palm made me jealous when we shook hands.It made me yearn for a beauty bath at home in Los Angeles.

"Call back," I said.After leaving his office, I breathed a sigh of relief.It's great to meet someone in this town who also has the same pursuit of luxury.

We came to the foyer and Turko opened the door for me. "You first," he said.

"Thank you."

He spoke first as we stepped onto the sun-drenched sidewalk. "I've rarely gotten into such a big pile of shit anywhere other than a barn." He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his curly hair. The tingle of excitement unsettled me.

It bothers me that I have such a strong physical reaction to him. "I think he's all right," I blurted out, heading for the walk without waiting for him.

He trotted to keep up with me, looking at me with a strange expression. "Are you alright?" he said out of breath.

"Very good." I continued to avoid his gaze.

He grabbed my elbow, stopped me, squinted and asked, "Are you mad at me?"

No.It's just that I'm always horny when you're around.

But I couldn't say it, so I shook my head and said, "No. I just thought the whole process was too long. Now I just need to get one more offer and we can send the information to my dad and let him make up his mind." "

"Okay." He didn't seem to believe me. "Well, we have one more meeting. Farley Brothers is the last company we'll be talking to." He looked at his watch. "I told them we'd meet them at that Mexican restaurant down the street at noon. We might as well go early so we can have lunch before they come."

I lick my dry lips. "Oh, I don't need to eat." I looked around. "But I can have some coffee."

He snorted, his eyes lingering on me. "I see you're always skipping meals. No wonder you're so skinny."

Feeling a little embarrassed, I pulled on my jacket. "I'm at a healthy weight."

His Adam's apple rolled under his brown skin, and he blinked, "No, you look...you look fine. I'm just saying you're on the thin side." He cleared his throat, blushing.

"I have a fast metabolism."

He glanced at me again, frowned, and said, "Can we stop talking about weight like a girl and go get some lunch?" He strode down the walkway without waiting for my answer.

I gave myself a second to calm down, to relieve the agitation and heat from his focus on my body.Taking a deep breath, I ran to catch up with him who had just arrived at the door of the Mexican restaurant.He held the door open for me, and I dodged in, brushing past his strong body quickly.

The waitress seated us right away, and although I don't often drink alcohol at work, I ordered a margarita.That's all, go to his coffee bar, I need something stronger.Kurt ordered a beer.We sat quietly for a while until the waiter brought us piping hot chips and salsa.I ate more than usual, probably spurred by Kurt saying I was skinny.

Kurt cleared his throat. "So who do you prefer to choose?"

"I'm by far the most bullish on Blackbond Construction."

"I'm really shocked." He smirked.

"They were charging a fair price, and Lawrence looked professional."

Kurt curled his lips in disgust and said, "Because he's a city guy like you, isn't he? I guess you like him."

I picked up a tissue and dabbed it on my lips, and said after a while, "It's not just for this reason."

"you sure?"

I shrugged and said, "I've always liked working with people who understand the business."

"what do you mean?"

"He knows his stuff. He's an accountant like me." When the waiter brought my drink, I literally grabbed it and drank it.Kurt made me nervous again.In Lawrence's presence, I can talk and laugh freely, and I don't feel the nervousness that I have when talking to Kurt.

"We have other businesses in Bender, Paul. Just because they don't wear a trendy plaid jacket or don't get their nails done every day doesn't mean they're bad at business." Stuffed with some chips.

My face flushed from his "checkered jacket". "This is a long and arduous project. It would certainly be better if it could be handed over to someone with local business expertise." I leaned forward.I'm a little annoyed by his comments about clothing. "You don't understand what's on the books, you told me this yourself."

His mouth tightened. "I'm not an accountant, but I'm not stupid. I prefer manual work. So what? Somebody has to do the manual work." He set the bottle heavily on the table. "That Lawrence guy knows money as well as you do. That doesn't mean he's better than the rest of us. You know who else is good at accounts? Bernard Madoff," he growled.

①Bernard Madoff, the largest financial fraud in American history.

I stared at him with wide eyes. "you know-"

"Of course, I know Bernard Madoff," he interrupted angrily. "My God, you're such a snob."

I felt bad, so I shrugged.

"We also have TVs and Internet access here, you know."

I put my chin on my hand. "You make everything worse." I looked at him, seeing all kinds of emotions flash across his face. "real."

"I can't believe you don't see that Blackburn is a villain."

I bit my lower lip for a moment. "I just feel more comfortable dealing with someone like Blackbond."

"Why? He's a scumbag."

"which aspect?"

"He's made a lot of shady deals with some guys in town. He's not as popular as he's trying to make you think."

"Aside from the Mercer case, do you have any other concrete examples of this?" I was troubled by Kurt's distaste for such Lawrence.I'm happy to trust his instincts, because Kurt doesn't seem like the type to talk nonsense.But when it comes to business, I prefer to trust facts rather than personal feelings. "What evidence do you have?"

"Well, I don't have time to sneak into his office on a rope like Cruise and steal his hard drive, if that's the kind of evidence you want." He took a sip of his beer, looking unhappy.

"I think you're biased against him because of his history. You should give him a fair chance. Maybe start over."

He didn't seem to agree with me at all, but he sighed and said, "Do what you want, but I don't like Lawrence Blackburn and never will."

"Maybe the Mercer thing was a misunderstanding all along."

"Deeply suspicious." He peeled the label off the bottle. "However, tomorrow night I will ask Mercer further to make sure that the information we get is comprehensive and reliable."

"Blakebond's offer is much cheaper than others so far. You know your grandfather will have to pay the full construction cost including interest. I thought you'd want us to find the lowest offer." I wasn't sure myself Why are you convincing Kurt here.The final conclusion is that my dad and I have the final say anyway.My dad had made it clear in the contract that he had the final say on which construction company we chose to use.He likes to be in control of the details.

He snorted. "Haven't you heard that you get what you pay for?" He shook his head and drank it down. "But I guess, once you do fall for that bastard, what can I do?" he murmured.

I frown. "You keep saying that. I didn't fall for him."

"Yes." He rolled his beautiful eyes.

"I just don't want me to be the only one overseeing the whole project. Plus, I'd rather work with someone who won't gossip about me all day because I don't belong with a cowboy like you."

"You are too sensitive."

"Listen to this."

"Cut." He shook his head.

"Last time on that job in Texas, the foreman and I couldn't agree on money. And the man in charge was always away. Lawrence seemed like a hands-on guy."

"Save this for later." His tone was full of sarcasm.

"Come on. You know what I mean." I've drained half a margarita, but I'm not drunk.Things about Kurt kept me from being businesslike.When he disagrees with me, I don't know what to do. Normally, I don't care about other people's opinions at all.

He kept staring at the table. "Of course, this is not up to me."

"My dad will make the final decision." I licked the salt off the rim of my glass, then looked up to meet his eyes.

He swallowed hard and looked away, jaw tightening. "Of course. He'll make a fair decision after you've blasted him in the ear for Blackbond." His gaze returned to my face, and I noticed his gaze rest on my lips.

There is definitely a certain attraction between us.Although this situation is embarrassing and troublesome as hell.But it does exist.

I cleared my throat and collected my emotions. "Okay, it'll work out anyway."

The waiter came again, this time she came to pick up the menu we had chosen, and said to me before leaving: "It's a handsome jacket. Is it vintage? I saw my mother wear a similar one when I was young."

My cheeks were burning hot, so I turned my eyes away from her.As soon as she walked away I saw Kurt's mischievous eyes. "She's praising you." He said softly.

"Really? She just told a grown man that he was wearing the same jacket as her mother's."

He grins a wide smile. "Too bad. I'm so sorry for you."

I shrug. "It doesn't matter."

"Most people around here don't dress too fancy. You stand out."

"So I deserve it." A heat rose from my neck and spread to my cheeks. "That's how I dress. Do I have to buy new clothes for America's cow dung country?" I complained.

His smile became more pronounced. "Ouch, you said that I was hurt."

I laughed and sighed again. "I didn't expect Maddy to say yes to it at first, so I didn't bring a lot of clothes."

He bit his lower lip and said, "No?"

I shake my head. "I thought he'd tell me to roll off and rest."

"But he agreed, so now you and your plaid jacket have to stay here," he said with mock sympathy.

"That's pretty much all." I leaned against the back of my seat. "I also brought a really cool red jacket."

His husky laugh gave me goosebumps. "You still have the scarlet jacket?"

I lift my chin up. "It looks great with black wool trousers."

He rubbed his eyes and smiled, "I'm speechless."

I put my arms on the table and squeezed my face. "Maybe I can casually buy something less fancy."

He hesitated for a moment, then said softly. "I can drive you into town tomorrow, to a nicer store. Maybe you can pick up some jeans and casual...you know...regular shirts."

I looked into his earnest eyes and realized he was seriously proposing. "You want to take me shopping for clothes?" My voice couldn't help rising.

He looked around uncomfortably. "Uh, I'll drive you to the store. I'm not saying I'm going to go shopping with you. But you can't keep wearing this stupid outfit for the next three months."

I frown. "silly?"

He said with a smirk: "You complained a second ago because of the attention others paid to you."

"That's right here. Back in L.A. so no one will comment on my taste in clothes."

He shrugged. "As you wish. But the proposal works."

I squinted to see if he was teasing me. "Are you sure you're not embarrassed to be seen with me?" I didn't know how to respond to him and his kind invitation.

"Not at all." He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes were dark and thick.Then he looked up suddenly, and those beautiful blue eyes gave me a shudder. "What do you think? Maybe get you a pair of cowboy boots."

I could hardly breathe under that gaze. "I don't want it."

A pair of charming dimples emerged. "You need a good pair of shoes for your activities on the ranch."

I shook my head. "I don't fit in cowboy boots."

"Some designs are very trendy lately." He smiled mildly. “It would make a statement on a guy like you. But not overly individual like the big red jacket.”

I lift my chin and force a smile. "Impossible, man."

He leaned on the backrest, put his hands behind his head and smiled smugly. "I can also be very persuasive when necessary, Paul."

I like to hear the feeling of my name swirling on the tip of his tongue, and the burning anxiety in my chest came back again. "The question is, am I really that easy to persuade?"

"No. The only question is, do you prefer snakeskin or crocodile?"