NOVGO.NET Chapter 69: YOUR WIN IS MINE
Chapter 69: YOUR WIN IS MINE
TRISTAN
I was having a pretty good morning, reminiscing about how the previous day had gone, spent in Laura’s company.
When the lawsuit from the influencer got to my notice.
Some bigshot influencer in New York with massive influence within the state and outside it, was making a scene and a ridiculous claim to have purchased a counterfeit jean outfit from one of our fashion retail brands.
It was the situation I needed Laura’s help with containing. It was just a space of a few hours, and I couldn’t believe how much it had escalated.
Now the influencer had filed a lawsuit against us, demanding to be compensated for breach and counterfeited theft of their money.
It was agitating because I was supposed to spend today going over the preparations for the milan shoot. I couldn’t deny my excitement of a trip with Laura, where I would have her with me at all times for a couple of days. I would get to look at her face and catch all the expressions I often reminisced about.
I was just managing to keep it together until the lawyer made a suggestion that set flames ablaze in my head. "You might want to consider settling before this escalates any further. The wildfire is starting to spread to the stocks already, if you’re observant."
"You can’t tell me to settle for a crime I did not commit, Mr. Sawyer!" I yelled into the phone, and at the same moment, Laura walked into my office. Her hair was done up in a ponytail that revealed the sexy nape of her neck, today.
I stared at her in surprise before I turned away. Did she tell me she was coming this morning?
"Counterfeit jeans? Really?" I continued, veins throbbing in my forehead. "And how do we know that this really traces back to us?" I held for a minute, panting hard as Sawyer went on and on about how a mix-up might have happened and we got tangled in the shit.
All the while, I was hyper aware of Laura’s quiet presence in the room, her heavy gaze penetrating the back of my neck, trying to see past my mess.
"Well this is what I pay you for," I said after he was done rambling. "We’re not settling, and I’m not attending even one meeting regarding that. Fix this, Sawyer."
I ended the call on the lawyer’s argument and stood with my back turned to Laura for a long moment, trying to catch my breath.
"You seem pretty worked up." Her voice was like ice against the heat burning inside me, melting me softly and quickly. I heard her walk all the way to my desk and pause on the other side. "Everything okay?"
Was that...sympathy I heard in her voice?
It was something...but why did it twist up knots inside my chest?
I turned to her with rigid shoulders , setting my phone down the desk with a thud. "Morning, Ms. Hayes. Please have a seat."
She did so watching me with suspicion. I pressed my knuckles flat against the table and leaned forward. "I didn’t realize you were coming this morning."
She arched a finely shaped brow at me. "I left you a text." Her tone bordered on irritation. "Did you not get it? I called but I couldn’t reach you."
I lifted my hand to the space between my eyes and rubbed vigorously. Fuck, I needed to go easy on her.
My lines had been busy all morning, anyway—both office and private—so her calls might have gotten stalled or lost in the traffic.
"Is something going on?" She pressed, watching me with wary, green eyes.
My cock stirred and I had to berate it very roughly in my mind. This was not the time to get any ideas.
"One of my fashion retail brands is currently facing a crisis." My jaw twitched as I stared at her lips for a full moment. "Influencer saga. They claim to have purchased a counterfeit product for millions of dollars."
Her brows furrowed into a frown. "Was this what you needed my help with?"
I gave her a small nod, snatching up my phone again and pocketing it. "Yep."
"Why did you not say something yesterday?" She suddenly bolted to her feet, snatching up her purse. "This could have been handled before it got out of hand."
I eyed her carefully as she lingered in the door. "You going somewhere?"
She fixed me with a flabbergasted glare. "Are you going to take me to the retail store or what?"
"What does going over there have to do with anything?"
"I’m the fashion expert here, Tristan. And I’ll explain on the way. Come on," she added with a note of finality and walked out the door.
°°°
On the way to the retail store, Laura explained the easiest way to settle the misunderstanding.
Trace the item’s serial number and run it through Pierce’s fashion supply chain. Then New York’s general fashion market. Whatever comes up that does not have to do with Pierce, the influencer would have to be the one paying for damages.
"You seem really in your element when you talk about fashion," I observed as we walked into the store.
She tossed me a glance that said I just asked a stupid question. "I had to get into my element, Mr. Pierce. It was either that, or I stayed down after your company kicked me to the curb."
I rolled my eyes and whipped my gaze away from her. The fact that she kept mentioning that one incident at every given chance told me enough that she would never let it go. And I had no right...no right at all, to complain. Neither had I earned any so far...even though I hoped otherwise.
As soon as we walked into the store and people recognized us, the air inside changed. Customers and staff kept at their business, but they all kept tossing glances our way.
"You sure are popular," Laura murmured in a sarcastic tone.
I scoffed, sliding her a glance. "Look who’s talking. Phoenix herself, hiding under the cloak of—"
"I’m not hiding," she snapped. Then her brows pinched in deep thought the next second. "Now can I see the influencer that made said claim?"
I pulled my phone from my pocket and did as she asked because really...she was the boss here.
"Here," I handed her the phone as I pulled up the picture of Cara Montero, the Spanish influencer who was taking the social media space with over five million followers.
Five million people who watch her fucking lifestyle and are influenced by it.
Five million people who would see that video she made and choose to not buy the trending jeans from Pierce fashion, because they are loyal to her and her opinions.
Fuck.
I badly needed a save from this one, because it would do too much damage if not pruned.
A question popped into my mind and I tabled it to Laura without hesitation. "Why are you helping me?"
I could not understand it. Our partnership aside, she seemed like she really cared about my brand which she did not even know too much about yet.
After what my company did to her...
Was she easily forgiving or was this purely my good looks at work?
Laura dragged her gaze away from the phone and pinned me with a look that tightened my balls in my pants. A look that made me believe she cared.
"Because your win is mine, Tristan."