“That is good,” he said and leaned back on the chair he was sitting on. “But the fact is my goods are not like what your company gets to ship on a regular, no offense to you Mr. Preston…”
“None taken.”
“...but I would appreciate a lot more than your company’s regular care when handling my treasures.”
“And I will see to it personally, Mr. Donovan.”
"I'm choosing to trust you because of my lady," Mr. Donovan smiled, he placed a hand on Laura's exposed lap and squeezed a little as he looked at her for a second before bringing his attention back to Keith, "I will have my lawyer will draft up a contract and deliver it to you in two days. I'm counting that by the end of the week, we would have officially reached an agreement."
"I am counting on that too," Keith said. He glanced briefly at Donna who didn't smile, he understood what was going on in her head and he smiled, "Donna will look out for that."
She blinked once and her mind came back, she looked at Keith, not sure what he had said to her before smiling at Mr. Donovan.
"Thank you," She said.
Donovan smacked his lips and chuckled, "Now that business is done, how about we eat," He said and signaled to one of the men standing close.
"We appreciate your hospitality, but we have other business to attend to," Donna was quick to say. She didn't know if Keith wanted to stay a while to speak to Laura, and frankly, she didn't care much about that, she wanted to leave, "Please understand Mr. Donovan."
James Donovan looked preplexed at first as he watched Donna rise slowly from her seat, then he looked to Keith who had his attention on her too.
Keith looked at Donna with an eyebrow raised, but he didn't say anything. He smiled and turned to Mr. Donovan then bowed slightly, Donna had already gotten up from her seat, it would be awkward to tell her to sit back, plus, he didn't really want to stay either.
"Don't be so rude Mr. Preston," Laura said. Her original smile had already vanished and it was clear to see that she wanted Keith to stay. She glanced over at Donna, "If you have more work, your secretary is more than capable to handle it, isn't she? I've heard of how wonderful she is."
Keith chuckled, he didn't reply to Laura but only gave her a half smile. He moved his attention to Mr. Donovan, "I'll be waiting to hear from your lawyer, Mr. Donovan."
"Well, I understand that you are business minded, though it would have been never to share a meal with Keith Preston of the Ortho Speare."
"Surely we can arrange for that next time Mr. Donovan," Donna chipped in, still wearing a smile, "possibly after the business has been done."
James Donovan smiled and nodded his head severally, "That would be much better," He smiled, allowing the two to leave.
Laura watched them in anger as they walked out of the restaurant. She kept her eyes bored into Donna's back and gritted her teeth, it has only just started and she would not be backing down. If Keith would not come to her, then she would make sure to ruin him. And that secretary of his!
* * * * * * *
"Will you he going through with this?" Donna asked Keith as soon as he joined her in the car. He faced her with a half smile that spoke of his calmness, and Donna found that weird.
"You will," She replied her question with a sign and faced forward, "why?"
Keith chuckled and put on the seat belt, "what do you mean why? It's a business and I love businesses."
"This doesn't feel like a business," She said to him and put on the seat belt, "feels more like a set up."
Keith laughed lightly, "why? Because of Laura?"
Donna nodded her head and faced him, her facial expression carried her sense of worry and unease, but Keith just maintained his smile, turned to face the driver and said, "take us back to the company."
The man nodded and then started the car.
"Why are you taking this deal?" Donna asked again, she was not convinced with what he had given earlier as his answer, "Mr. Donovan said he considered presenting this deal also to The Aviary but Laura convinced him otherwise, you trust that she's not up to something? It's all too planned, all too suspicious."
"I know she is up to something. Something sinister and suspicious," He said more rationally now and brought his hand to his chin as he stroked gently, "But should I back out because she is involved?"
Donna considered that, that would be unwise maybe. She really didn't understand the relationship between Keith and Laura, but from the look of things, it seems like it had ended, and it had ended badly.
She chuckled as she realized Laura might be trying to make Keith jealous or something. She tried to imagine her boss being in love and she just could not really picture it.
"What is it?" He asked her. His voice was cool and calm and he didn't look at her when he asked.
"Oh?" She said and looked at him, then shook her head and looked away, "it's nothing really, just a thought."
"Wondering what exactly the relationship is between myself and Laura, aren't you?" He asked her, still not looking at her.
Donna got serious and looked at him. Yes, she had been wondering that but she would not ask him because she felt it was a personal and private matter between them.
"I was," She answered honestly.
"We were once..." He hesitated, trying to find a right word to describe what they had, "...lovers. We were once that."
"I'm guessing you ended it between you two then."
Keith faced her now with a half smile, "what made you think that?"
"In the restaurant, she was trying to make you jealous, it was too obvious. Plus, you're too proud to allow someone dump you."
Keith laughed now, "too proud? Really?"
She chuckled, "aren't you?"
He nodded and faced forward, the smile on his face remained, "Well, maybe. Maybe I am."