by LP Lovell
I tried to research the two of them on a personal level. It seems that Angus runs the company, whereas Landon seems to spend his time managing his many other businesses all around the world. From bars to transport companies to clothing lines—the guy seems to be into everything. I guess he’s more of a silent partner
The lift doors open on the top floor. Despite the fluttering in my stomach, I force myself to walk with purpose. I step into what doesn’t even feel like a room. The floor under my feet is marble, but the walls are made entirely of glass, with the exception of the wall directly opposite me, which houses the double doors that I guess lead to the main office. In the middle of the space is another secretary sat at a desk.
“Miss Roberts.” The middle-aged woman greets me, moving out from behind her desk and stopping in front of me.
“Yes.” I respond.
She flashes me a wide genuine smile. “I’ll just let him know you’re here.” I stand there while she picks up the phone, muttering a few words before hanging up.
“He’s ready for you.” She says, moving around the desk and leading me to the doors. “Don’t look so nervous dear. He doesn’t bite.” She laughs and knocks on the door once before pushing it open.
“Miss Roberts for you, sir.” She opens the door wider, allowing me to step inside. Oh wow. This room is amazing, the glass walls meeting in a V shape, giving the office a panoramic view of London. It’s pretty impressive.
I focus on the man sat in front of me. At the back of the room are two massive desks, but closer to the door is a coffee table with two sofas either side facing each other. It’s here that he sits, his elbows propped on his knees as he studies a piece of paper on the coffee table in front of him.
He slowly rises to his feet, dragging his eyes away from his reading. He buttons his suit jacket as he approaches, his long legs eating up the space between us. I don’t know how I expected Angus Redford to look. I guess, old, with a paunch. I know he’s in his early forties, and the streaks of grey at his temples give that away, but other than that he looks barely a notch over thirty.
He holds his hand out to me, a warm smile on his face. “Ms Roberts. I’m Angus Redford.” He introduces himself, the slightest hint of a Scottish accent in his voice.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I say, shaking his hand. His blue eyes are sincere as he smiles, the lines around his eyes sinking into his face from what looks like years of laughter. Some people have the ability to put you at ease with a look. Angus Redford is one of those people.
“Come. Sit.” He resumes his position on the sofa, turning the piece of paper he was reading over. I sit opposite him, crossing one leg over the other and resting my hands on my knee
“You have a beautiful office.” I comment.
He laughs. “Over the top isn’t it? Landon likes ‘space’, he says it helps him think. It took me about a month just to get over the vertigo every time I came in here.”
I smile at the sound of his deep laughter booming around the room. He picks up a jug of water that’s on the coffee table and pours himself a glass before pouring another and pushing it in front of me. He leans back and props his ankle on his knee, picking some lint off his trouser leg. I can see a flash of pink and green stripey socks, and I try not to laugh. “Now, I’m sure you have some questions, Ms. Roberts.”
“I’ll admit that this all seems rather mysterious.”
“Yes, sorry about that. Long story short, Giles is a good friend of mine.” I pause, scraping my teeth over my bottom lip. I adore Giles, but he’s always put an undeserved amount of faith in me. He’s probably made me out to be some sort of bloody gold mine. I know I’m good, but these guys don’t want good, they want exceptional. And no matter how much confidence I might have, I think anyone would struggle to have that much faith in their own ability. Especially in a business where luck has as much to do with success as anything else. “He’s very good with numbers and an extremely good judge of character.” He continues, lifting his glass of water to his lips and taking a sip. “He says you’re the best there is.”
I take a deep breath. “Giles has been very supportive of my career. I’m grateful to him. He’s a very loyal client.”
A small smile pulls at his lips. “And one that would follow you wherever you go.” Finally. I hate not knowing the ulterior motives behind a person's actions because without that you’re blind. But there it is, the real reason they’ve offered me a job. Business is all about what one person can do for another and I have no doubt that my skills are in demand, but not unique. Giles though, my portfolio, the revenue I can command…that’s something any investment firm worth their salt would want.
“As I said, he’s very loyal.”
He claps his hands together and stands up. “Excellent. Well, then I see no need to discuss any further. You have the proposed contract. If you’re happy with it then you’re welcome to start tomorrow.”
He stands and holds his hand out to me. I climb to my feet and shake it, not entirely sure what I’m shaking on, but I guess I have a new job.
“Something tells me you, and I can make a lot of money together.” He says, a grin spreading over his face.
I’ve been at Banks and Redford for two weeks, and I’m killing it. I thought when I walked in here that I’d probably be working fourteen hour days and reaching for impossible figures with a list of fifty clients. That’s not the case at all. I managed to bring fifteen clients with me from Elite, totalling twenty-five million pounds worth of existing investments. Those are my clients; that’s it. I really wish I could have seen Collins’ face when he realised that his dick lost him that much money. Needless to say, Angus is pleased. He wants me to meet him for drinks tonight and introduce me to the ever illusive Landon Banks. Apparently he’s in London for a few weeks. Angus and I have a good dynamic going; he knows which side his bread is buttered and that I make him good money. As long as I do that, and he keeps the bonuses coming, we’re good. Banks has very little to do with the company and therefore my life, so I don’t see our meeting as anything more than a formality.
I have to admit, though, I’m curious. Information is hard to come by when it comes to Landon Banks. A Google search brings up a list of his companies as well as a few images of him at various charity benefits. Not that that means shit. The rich and powerful must always keep up appearances by donating to the latest fashionable charity.
The whispers around the office suggest that Banks is a cut-throat businessman, but popular with the ladies. I had to listen to one of the secretaries this morning simpering over how amazing he is. I just about managed to keep a straight face in front of her and not roll my eyes. I’ve seen images, and I won’t deny he’s a good looking guy. He looks like something out of GQ magazine. But he’s my boss, which is an instant turn off. I might as well be into pussy for all the effect he’ll have on me. I’m a professional. Once someone is off the table, they’re off the table, and in this city, that’s pretty much everyone I meet.
The cab draws to a stop outside Rouge, and I hand the driver some money before climbing out. I pull my coat tighter around me as a cool breeze whips across my face.
As soon as I step inside, I spot Angus leaning against the bar, laughing with the girl serving him. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that there’s something about Angus Redford that’s very different to the usual banker types. There’s an easiness to his demeanour that I rarely see in men with his kind of power. He smiles easily and doesn’t take himself too seriously.
He turns to face me as I approach, a wide smile on his face. “Georgia! The woman of the moment.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. “What can I get you to drink?”
“A martini please.” I glance around the bar as he orders. It’s exactly what you expect of London bars. Clean, modern, bare.
He takes the drinks from the stainless steel bar and moves over to a table in the corner of the room. I slide my coat off and sit down.
“You look lovely, Georgia.”
I fight the smile trying to make its way onto my face. If I could describe Angus in one word it would be cute, the guy that every girlfriend zones when she should really marry him. “Landon will be here at some point, though he’s rarely on time for anything social. A business meeting and he’s there fifteen minutes early, social occasion and he avoids it like the plague.”
“Oh?” I pick up my drink and take a sip.
“Don’t take it personally. He’s a funny bastard.” He shrugs one shoulder, and I don’t ask him to elaborate.
“How long have you two known each other?” I ask.
He drags a hand through his curly hair and leans back against the seat. “We weren’t unlike you and Samson. I was his broker. He had a lot of money, and I made him more.” He picks up his glass, swilling the whisky around. “I’d never met him in person until one day he invited me to a meeting with him, away from the bank.” He smiles as his eyes focus on a spot on the table. “He just put it all on the table, no bullshit. He thought the bank was fucking him over, and he wanted a private broker. Offered to double my wage and have me handle all his investments, so I did. Of course, then his friends wanted me and his friend’s friends. He worked out that he could take a cut from it and before you know it we were official brokers.”
“So you work for him?”
His eyes lift to mine. “No, he offered me a fifty-fifty stake as soon as we got big enough to need offices.” He frowns slightly. “Some might say it’s because he doesn’t want to run it, but I’ll tell you this, Georgia, I’ve never come across a fairer man than Landon Banks.”
Well, now I’m really intrigued.
“Hmm, a nice guy whose also successful. Rare.”
He chuckles. “I’m not sure ‘nice’ is the first word I’d use to describe him. Landon is…an anomaly. You’ll see what I mean.”
I pick up my drink and open my mouth to respond when something shifts in the air. A slight hush falls over the room. My skin prickles with awareness. I pause with my glass halfway to my lips and glance over my shoulder. People try to maintain their conversations, but every eye has subtly shifted to the man standing in the doorway. He moves through the room, easily parting the crowd without saying a word.
When I first came to this city I thought that all the ‘suits’ looked the same. But the longer you stay here, the easier it is to see the differences between a two-grand watch and a twenty-grand watch, a thousand-pound suit and a ten-thousand-pound suit. And this guy is wearing a fifty-grand Rolex and a silk suit that I wouldn’t even like to put a value on. The navy material fits him perfectly, clinging to his narrow hips and broad shoulders. The way he moves is almost graceful, but every single fibre of his being bristles with power. So much so that he seems to suck all the oxygen out of the room. His dark hair falls slightly over his forehead. He looks like he literally woke up and dragged his hand through it. He has a face that belongs on a runway in Milan, and a jawline that would make Brad Pitt envious. But honestly, his draw isn’t in his looks, his body, or even the fact that I can practically smell the money on him- It’s the power that surrounds him like an aura. He lives and breathes it as though it’s a part of him and he was born to wield it. I can’t decide whether I’m unnerved by him or in awe of him. Both I think.
I can’t look away from him as he approaches the table. He narrows his eyes at me before slowly flicking them over my body in a way that’s nothing short of pure righteousness, as though he has a right to everything that I am. Hell, maybe he does. I feel like he just stripped me naked and exposed me in the worst kind of way. The way he looks at me, it’s like he can see every weakness, every desire, every sordid secret. I don’t even know the man, and yet he’s unhinging me with each passing second. Heat creeps up my neck and into my cheeks. As quickly as it started, it stops. He flicks his eyes away, quickly dismissing me before he lowers himself into the seat next to Angus, unbuttoning his jacket with a deft flick of his wrist. I slowly release the breath I was holding and focus my gaze on Angus. No man has ever done that to me. Ever. I clench my fists beneath my table until my nails bite into my palm, the sharp pain clearing the last of the foggy haze he seems to have my mind in.
“The wanderer returns.” Angus says with his usual easy smile.
A waitress bustles over, placing a glass of whisky in front of my boss—the new one—the hot one. He picks it up and takes a sip, and even the way he does that has me clenching my thighs together. The way he holds the glass, his throat working as he swallows. Jesus. Why am I fucking looking? Do not look at him.
“Dubai was getting too hot.” He says, his lips slightly pulling up at one corner.
Angus leans forward, gesturing towards me. “Well, Georgia Roberts, meet Landon Banks, my business partner.”
Banks turns his attention on me, his eyes colliding with mine. I’m ready for him this time. “A pleasure.” He says, his deep voice caressing the word elegantly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr Banks.” Still his eyes hold mine, even as he lifts the glass of whisky to his lips and takes a sip. I steel myself and refuse to look away. Because I’m Georgia Roberts and the day I bow to a man is the day I’m fucking done, even if he is my boss. The air suddenly feels heavy with an unspoken challenge, the weight of it pressing in on me. Something passes between us, like two predators sizing each other up, and even though I know I’m out-leagued, I stand my ground, refusing to admit defeat. A lamb baring its teeth at a lion. Not many men can inspire an instant respect from me, but this one does. A very healthy respect.
“Ah, Giles is here.” Angus says, bursting the weird bubble that Landon has me in. I turn my gaze in the direction of the door, and still I can feel Landon’s eyes on the side of my face.
Giles approaches the table and shakes hands with Angus. “Angus.” He smiles before repeating the gesture with Landon. Then he turns to me, his face breaking into a wide grin. “Georgia.” Giles and I have an odd relationship that just steps the other side of professional. I’ve never thought much of it before, until now, with Landon Banks studying me like prey. I stand up, and Giles kisses my cheek. “Looking as glamorous as ever my dear.”
I laugh. “Well, you got me a job with these guys. I had to up my game.”
He scoffs as he takes the seat next to me. “Don’t listen to her. She always makes me feel positively shabby, though not my bank account.” He laughs in that infectious way of his and I find myself laughing with him.
I glance across the table at Landon and find him watching me stoically; his head tilted slightly. I don’t do nervous or flustered, or even self-conscious, but this guy has me feeling all of the above. And I hate it.
Angus gestures the bar maid over, and she places a glass in front of Giles, leaving an entire bottle of whisky this time. Giles pours himself a glass.
“A toast.” Angus says, lifting his glass. “To Georgia.”
I roll my eyes. “To money.” I correct, focusing my attention on Angus and Giles so as to avoid Landon’s intense gaze. Until we clink glasses that is, at which point I accidentally neck my entire martini. Giles and Angus don’t seem to notice, but Landon’s attention is fixed firmly on me, and his lips pull into just a hint of a smirk, amusement flashing in his eyes. I glare at him, which makes the ghost of a smile turn into a real one. I’ve decided I don’t like him.
My phone rings in my bag, and I take it out, glancing at the screen. Quinn. I almost want to sigh in relief. I must thank that girl for having incredible timing.
“Will you excuse me, gentleman? This is important.”
Giles and Angus nod offering an ‘of course’, while Landon says nothing. I stand and make my way to the hallway by the bathrooms.
When I call Quinn back, she picks up on the first ring. “Hey. What are you up to?” She asks.
“Meeting the other boss, the Banks in Banks and Redford.” I should take this as an opportunity to leave, go and meet Quinn and stay away. Landon is not a guy I need to spend any amount of time around. He has me flustered, because ho
nestly if he weren’t my boss, if I didn’t have my rules, he’s exactly the kind of guy I would fuck. The simple fact that I’m attracted to him is reason enough to give him a very wide berth.
“Oh, what’s he like?”
“Uh, hard to say at this stage.”
“Okay. Well, message me if you get done early.” She says.
“Sure.”
“Have fun!” She offers as a parting.
I hang up and tuck my phone inside my clutch before heading back into the small bar. When I approach the table Giles is animatedly telling one of his stories, and Angus is laughing. Landon is…looking bored.
“I think I’m going to call it a night.”
Giles checks his watch and shakes his head. “I thought these young ones were supposed to be able to party all night and still make it into the office by eight.” He says to Angus.
“You’re not supposed to encourage such things, Giles.” I smile.
He stands up and kisses my cheek. “Fine. Breakfast. Monday?”
“Of course.”
“We’ll have a meeting tomorrow, Georgia.” Angus adds. He glances at his glass of whisky, frowning slightly. “Best make it at ten.” He grins.
I smile. “I’ll be there.” I turn on my heel when that deep voice halts me.
“I’ll walk you out.” Landon’s deep voice halts me.
I take a deep breath and turn to face him, a smile plastered on my face. “That’s kind of you, but unnecessary.” I say through my gritted teeth.
He stands and falls into step beside me with barely a goodbye to Giles or Angus. “I’m leaving anyway.” He explains, fastening his jacket as he walks, smoothing his hand over his matching navy tie. He looks like he just stepped right out of the pages of a magazine. Perfect, unruffled, completely in control of everything around him.
