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Damian pretended not to notice the way Ramir was draped over the back of her chair making eyes at the son of the chairman, but he couldn't hide the little crick of a disapproving frown. Still, though, he stayed quiet through all of her occasionally scandalous asides, low enough to be meant for the chairman's son but loud enough to carry to Damian too.
Just as she knew he would, the young man enjoyed her playful attentions. Erik was his name, she'd learned that right away, and he was 23 years old, oldest of four. It was archaic to assume the company would go to the eldest, but in this case it was true and everyone could see t. He was a sculpted replica of his father — or he tried to be. His armor had a few chinks left to fill in.
——
"A bit of an inappropriate strategy."
"What?"
"Please, there's no need for the innocent act."
"There's no act, I've never done anything wrong in my life."
"Oh, my apologies. I thought I was speaking with the rather infamously headstrong Elisabetta Faraldo."
"Thought wrong. You got Ana Ramir on the line."
"Well then, Miss Ana — "
"No, just Ramir."
"Pardon?"
"No Miss. No Ana either. Just Ramir."
"Well, I suppose it's always goo to cultivate an image. Ramir, then. Don't think I didn't notice your behavior with the heir tonight."
"Oh, that kid, yeah."
"He's no child, he's a few years older than you."
"Just two, and he's an idiot, so he's a kid."
"I see we have this conversation on your terms."
"Who else's?"
"Your grandmother wouldn't have approved of your approach."
"Oh, I didn't hear she'd appointed you as the official Faraldo spokesperson."
"Well, Ramir, someone has to be."
"I wasn't fucking around with him. I was getting him on my side."
"With salacious and uncouth language?"
"He grew up off planet, you know. The kid."
"Is this relevant?"
"In the Sol system. On Earth, actually. Salacious and uncouth to you, that's just a New York accent there. And now when he thinks of me, what's gonna come to mind? Real. Deals honest. The neighborhood plays it straight, and all."
"You've put some thought into this."
"Yeah, surprise, I do that sometimes."
"No one wold guess it from the sight of you. His father, for instance — who I would like to add still heads the corporation."
"Yeah, his dad will see me and think I'm an idiot, no question."
"Then you haven't really gained as much ground as you might have hoped. His father will dissuade him from putting much stock in you."
"You'd think."
"Is there something else you'd like to share?"
"Thought you'd never ask. He's been diverging from his dad a lot lately — not much, but enough to make a pattern. My best guess, he doesn't like the way his old man runs stuff, thinks his way will do it better. So anything or anyone his dad doesn't like ... "
"He'll be inclined to lean toward. Alright, I concede. Your approach may have had some validity."
"Wow, high praise."
"You'll have that when you earn it, Elisabetta."
Just as she knew he would, the young man enjoyed her playful attentions. Erik was his name, she'd learned that right away, and he was 23 years old, oldest of four. It was archaic to assume the company would go to the eldest, but in this case it was true and everyone could see t. He was a sculpted replica of his father — or he tried to be. His armor had a few chinks left to fill in.
——
"A bit of an inappropriate strategy."
"What?"
"Please, there's no need for the innocent act."
"There's no act, I've never done anything wrong in my life."
"Oh, my apologies. I thought I was speaking with the rather infamously headstrong Elisabetta Faraldo."
"Thought wrong. You got Ana Ramir on the line."
"Well then, Miss Ana — "
"No, just Ramir."
"Pardon?"
"No Miss. No Ana either. Just Ramir."
"Well, I suppose it's always goo to cultivate an image. Ramir, then. Don't think I didn't notice your behavior with the heir tonight."
"Oh, that kid, yeah."
"He's no child, he's a few years older than you."
"Just two, and he's an idiot, so he's a kid."
"I see we have this conversation on your terms."
"Who else's?"
"Your grandmother wouldn't have approved of your approach."
"Oh, I didn't hear she'd appointed you as the official Faraldo spokesperson."
"Well, Ramir, someone has to be."
"I wasn't fucking around with him. I was getting him on my side."
"With salacious and uncouth language?"
"He grew up off planet, you know. The kid."
"Is this relevant?"
"In the Sol system. On Earth, actually. Salacious and uncouth to you, that's just a New York accent there. And now when he thinks of me, what's gonna come to mind? Real. Deals honest. The neighborhood plays it straight, and all."
"You've put some thought into this."
"Yeah, surprise, I do that sometimes."
"No one wold guess it from the sight of you. His father, for instance — who I would like to add still heads the corporation."
"Yeah, his dad will see me and think I'm an idiot, no question."
"Then you haven't really gained as much ground as you might have hoped. His father will dissuade him from putting much stock in you."
"You'd think."
"Is there something else you'd like to share?"
"Thought you'd never ask. He's been diverging from his dad a lot lately — not much, but enough to make a pattern. My best guess, he doesn't like the way his old man runs stuff, thinks his way will do it better. So anything or anyone his dad doesn't like ... "
"He'll be inclined to lean toward. Alright, I concede. Your approach may have had some validity."
"Wow, high praise."
"You'll have that when you earn it, Elisabetta."