“Sage?”
I looked up to see Max standing there, looking down in concern from the edge of the open-air dining area, his long legs thrown over the rope barrier before he landed before me.
“Did you lose your way? We didn’t check if you’d ever been to Darling Harbour before or if you knew where to go. We’re just up there.”
He pointed to farther up the outdoor area, where I saw a familiar couple of bodies sitting and chatting with a group of other men.
“I’m fine,” I said, plastering on a smile.
“You don’t smell fine.”
Any shaky attempt to regain control was quickly demolished at that comment. I surreptitiously drew my nose down, holding my jacket out from my body, trying to remember if I put deodorant on.
“Not like that,” he said with a shake of his head, then came closer. “Is this OK?” He put a hand on my shoulder, keeping his body at arm’s length, but the weight of it was somehow comforting. I nodded. “Some betas, when they’re scared or happy or turned on, we can smell their scent shift. Yours is…”
His blue eyes seemed to go slightly out of focus for a second, his nostrils flaring as he sucked a breath in. The effect was dramatic. I was dragged closer, then behind him as he scanned the whole area.
“Someone threatened you. Who did it, Sage? Who?”
“I’m fine.”
When I pulled myself away from him, I was. God knew I had enough experience with it, putting on my social mask, pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t. Swallowing the impact of people’s careless words, not wanting to make a fuss, because making a fuss was the other person winning. I told myself that over and over until it felt true.
It had to be, right?
“I’m sorry.” His silver eyes faded back to blue, then blinked. “It smelled like… Your scent…” He turned around, drifting closer, sucking in one big lungful, then another as he got closer. “Why do you—?”
“Everything OK?” We both looked up to see Lucien standing there, casting a curious look over the both of us.
“Everything’s fine,” I said brightly, then held up my phone. “I’ve got the name of several companies. I’ll do some research while you finish your meeting, if that’s OK. Gardener had a lot to say, but he’s just one person. Unless you need me for something?”
He sucked in a breath, his lips parting, ready to say something, but he ended up just shaking his head.
“Coffee, white with one, right?”
I nodded, amazed he remembered, though I guessed that was alphas for you. Their attention to detail was incredible. So I settled down at a nearby table, coffee steaming in front of me as I pulled out a notebook and started taking notes.
15
“So I’ve set up meetings with each one of the event management companies that seem the most promising,” I said. “It’s up to you if all or any of you attend, though I’d feel happier if at least one of the CEOs was there. I’ve fitted each meeting in around your existing schedules.”
“I’ll be there,” Lucien said, looking at me across the car as we travelled to the hotel. “I’m at your disposal for this trip.”
“I’m impressed,” Beau said, which frankly surprised me. Their company was massive. They were a huge presence in the business community, and I was just acting in a competent manner, barely. “Where did you find Sage again?”
His focus shifted to Lucien, who studiously ignored his brother, his attention still on me.
“I saw the job advertised and applied,” I replied for him. “Seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.”
“Tell me if you’re still thinking that at the end of the week,” Beau said with a snort.
“Can you organise for me to meet with each company’s tech crew separately?” Max asked me, leaning forward. “If I don’t get a good feel for their teams, it’s going to make it difficult to proceed.”
“But if Sage—” Beau started to say, but I shook my head.
“Of course,” I replied. Max smiled when I nodded at him, and the effect was dazzling. There was something almost…blank about him sometimes, but not now. “And I agree. With an event that is so focussed on technology and its uses, having problems with the PA is going to reflect very badly on the company. I’ll make a note that any successful tender must demonstrate sufficient capability when it comes to use of technology, and then we’ll nut out what the line in the sand is for you, Max.”
“We can do that when we get to the hotel.” His eyes shone now. “The others have a meeting with a supplier, but I don’t really care about that.”