Boardroom Benefits

By Kate Stone

When will this nightmare be over?

All Ellie wanted was to get through the next 36 hours working with Nash without killing him first.

 

In the ten years she'd known him, he'd been insufferable – entitled, rich, too handsome for his own good, and talented. In fact, if she were being honest, he was as good as she was even though she had to fight tooth and nail for everything he had handed to him on a silver platter.

 

She hated him and everything his family stood for.

 

So why did her heart leap when he looked at her?

 

Could she let her guard down enough to see his true feelings for her?

 

You'll love this enemies to lovers novella because we can all use to lower our defenses to let love in.

 

Get it now!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Stone
• Release date: Jun 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201988203

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Ellie

T hank you for your time. Everyone has been given a copy of my presentation, so most of your questions should be addressed in your packets. But please, if you have any further questions, feel free to reach out. You all have my contact information.

Everyone has their element. Their zone. The place they feel comfortable and in control. Where they feel like a badass.

For some, it's in front of a camera, putting on a show for the world to see. For others, it's behind a computer, needing the screen between them and the outside world to feel their true power.

For me? It's right here. Presenting my ideas to a room full of executives who are hanging on to my every word. Listening to how I'm going to make their product a success. In a boardroom, with my advertising presentation on a monitor and my ideas being presented, I'm the master of my universe.

Despite being only 29 years old, I'm one of the leading account managers at Nelsen, Thomas, and Crawford, one of the biggest advertising agencies in Detroit. I was at the top of my class at Michigan State. I was one of two students who earned an internship here as a sophomore, which later led to a job right out of college. Every account I have taken on has met goals or surpassed them. I'm on a one-way train to the top of this company, hoping that one day the name Simon will be added to the marquee outside our downtown building.

I can't be stopped. I'm a woman. Hear me roar.

As always, you were very thorough in your presentation, Ellie. Your ideas are new, but yet tie in everything you know we like in an advertising campaign. That's what we love about you.

Thank you, Mr. Weekly. You know how much I love working with your company. And I hope that I will have the pleasure of doing so again. I have presented, and had, John Weekly as a client before. John Weekly's craft beer line was one of the first in Michigan before craft beer became a thing every bro thought they could make in his basement. Weekenders Brews were smart and got ahead of the game, hiring our company—specifically me—to make sure their products stood out from the others as the craft beer boom continued to grow.

I might not like craft beer, give me a dirty vodka martini any day of the week, but I sure can sell it.

Despite having a successful history with Weekenders Brews, Mr. Weekly always likes hearing every presentation he can. He says it's to make sure he's not missing out on anything, but I'm pretty sure he just likes agents vying for his business.

I don't care. I'll play the game. Because I always win.

We have one more presentation to hear today from one of your colleagues then we will be making our decision. You don't mind waiting in your office do you?

I blink a few times and hope that my surprise didn't show on my face. He might go hear other presentations, but when it comes to our firm, I'm the only one who presents to Mr. Weekly. I'm the only one he's worked with here. He loves me. My campaigns have made him money. A lot of money. He's the number one craft beer distributor in the Great Lake region. How could he think about working with someone else!? Who else would—

Fuck a duck.

Just as I realize what is happening, HE walks in. Him, in all his cocky glory, practically carrying the silver spoon that he's gripped since birth.

My arch-nemesis.

Nash Griffin.

I don't know if there was ever a time when I didn't hate him. okay, there was one minute during our freshman year of college. But I don't like to admit it. The memory makes me want to vomit.

MY FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE is off to an amazing start.

I woke up in time and didn't get lost on campus. I'm wearing a cute outfit and had time to straighten my hair. I'm sitting in the exact spot I wanted to be in, middle of the room, center seat, for my first college class.

As I get situated I can't help but notice every college girl's fantasy walk into the lecture hall.

Dark brown hair to match his chocolate eyes, which complement his perfectly sunkissed skin, like he spent every weekend at the beach this summer. He walks across this lecture hall like he owns the room.

And he sits right in front of me.

I couldn't tell you a word that was said over the next hour. Something about class expectations. When the midterm and the final would be. All I could do was stare at the boy in front of me.

No, he wasn't a boy. He's a man.

I only realize class is over when I see my classmates starting to gather up their things. I hurry to catch up, frantically packing my notebook and pens into my bag, when I overhear a conversation in front of me.

Dude, this class is going to fucking suck. A quiz every Friday? Who the hell does that?

I have to hold in my chuckle because from what I hear, many professors have quizzes on Fridays. But it's the next words that I overhear that make my heart drop out.

Apparently this professor is hard as hell. But I'm not worried. He's friends with my Dad. They were in the same frat. I'm sure if I start failing he can make a call for me.

THAT KILLED ANY WOULD-be crush I had on Nash Griffin. I had busted my ass all through high school and knew one too many kids who got into the schools of their choice simply because of who they were related to, or how much money they had in their bank accounts.

But unfortunately, that economics class wasn't the last time I'd have to deal with his attitude. Nash Griffin has been the one constant I've had in my life for the past 10 years. And that isn't a good thing.

Besides