Chairman of the Board

    Standing before the predominantly male board members and the newly appointed CEO, Candy caught sight of her reflection in the window and ran a mental check of her appearance.
    Every strand of her blond hair slicked back and tucked into a neat French knot.
    Check.
    Black suit jacket buttoned and hugging her waist just enough to show she kept in shape yet hiding the double D's she'd inherited from her grandmother.
    Check.
    Skirt falling past her knees.
    Check.
    Ankle strap on her pumps hiding the chain tattoos encircling her ankles.
    Check.
    Still, she couldn't help but feel that somehow she'd missed something. She spoke in her usual loud, clear voice and presented a marketing plan that would give Melcom Networks more exposure than Microsoft. Most of the board members appeared impressed. They jotted down notes, nodded in agreement, and listened intently.
    At the far end of the long conference table, Duncan Harding III showed no reaction. He tapped his pencil on the graphs she'd handed out and lowered his eyes every time she looked his way. When all the other men flipped to the next graph, he stood up and cleared his throat.
    Still in the midst of her presentation, Candy faced the easel and continued talking. No one had ever interrupted her before. No one dared. Striking the easel with her pointer, she hesitated long enough for the loud snap to reverberate through the room before rattling off the monetary costs of her plan.
    Again, he cleared his throat.
    It sounded closer than before. Much closer.
    The rustle of movement from the men around the table set her pulse racing. Someone coughed. The low hiss of another whispering told her that she'd lost the attention of the board members. Duncan Harding III was doing something behind her that had stolen the show. Her show.      more >>