Xander smiled at the sound of Emma's voice, though he didn't look up from his tablet as he nodded to the seat across from his. In contrast to his assistant, who almost always looked professional, he was dressed down in a pair of faded jeans that accentuated his long legs, and a soft grey cable-knit sweater with the sleeves pushed up around his forearms. Even though the first day of spring had come and gone, the days were still somewhat chilly. It made Xander long for the heat of the summer months.
"You can't spend all your time cooped up inside your house," he chided as he reached for his coffee and finally looked up at her with a grin. "Or you shouldn't. Even if it is more...convenient." He took another sip of his coffee and shrugged as he looked around. Once a townhouse, the building had been converted into a coffee shop several years ago. The lower level was mostly open, and was a good space for holding their different events. Upstairs, a few walls had been knocked out, and the doorways had been removed and widened so that the rooms didn't feel quite so confining. One of the girls had told him they allowed students to reserve the rooms during midterms and finals to use for study groups, but otherwise, they simply served as a more private area for those who wanted the atmosphere without all of the normal coffee shop noise that tended to go on downstairs. "I like it here," was all Xander offered as an explanation to her "Why here?" question.
Setting his cup back down, he looked her over from head to toe, his gaze turning thoughtful. It hadn't taken him long to realize that Emma didn't quite see herself the way that others did, but she knew how to play the part. Her appearance was above reproach, and that was one reason he'd kept her around this long. She was always 'on' when he needed her to be. That was why she was the natural choice as his representative.
"You'll be flying out tomorrow night. Set it up and make arrangements to use one of the company jets. Don't book a hotel. I've already e-mailed my steward in London and he'll be readying the penthouse for your use. You'll only be there two nights. I've no doubt things will progress smoothly. This is a mere formality."
He seemed to hesitate before continuing. Sitting back in his seat, he exhaled a slow breath and cast his gaze toward the window and down to the street below. "Before you leave, I want you contact a few people tomorrow. I'll e-mail you the names. We've managed to keep control of the story, but I found out this morning that news of Henry's impending resignation has leaked. Luckily, the details are known by only a handful of people, and I have ensured that Henry will be keeping his mouth shut. That being said, this could be an opportunity for us. Henry was getting too old, too complacent." Otherwise, he wouldn't have made the mistakes he had. "I want new talent and fresh vision heading up Kingston Industries' Finance Division. I have a very short list of people whose talent has impressed me. I want you to contact them and find out if any of them would be interested in setting up a meeting."