This week’s theme for What’s the Scenario Wednesday is Words of Wisdom. I decided to find a scene using one of my favorite quotes thought up by yours truly, me.
In my book clowns are just not for entertainment at birthday parties and circuses. Sometimes they’re people who are up to no good. And personally I believe you’re better off ignoring them. So one of my favorite quotes is:
“Don’t entertain clowns, that’s their job.”
Now to find a scene where the heroine/hero take this very advice.
Theme: Words of wisdom!
Scenario: Chloe Walker’s estranged husband has just hired her to broker a deal! But more is on his mind than just real estate. He wants revenge against her for running out on him. So he acts like a jackass/clown and tries to make her jealous.
Setting: Skyscraper in Atlanta, Georgia
Tristan’s tall frame was molded into a blue pinstripe suit accented with a gray shirt that was obviously tailored for it fit him like a second skin. And although he was just as handsome as the day she’d left him, he now bordered on being beautiful for his hair had grown, softening his features.
What game was he playing? Chloe thought as she waited for his first move.
Well, whatever he was playing she was ready. She was the queen of hustle. She hadn’t built a multimillion-dollar-producing real estate firm without it.
Plastering on a superficial smile, she held out her hand to him. But despite her brave front, she was unprepared for the lightning bolt that shot up her arm when he took her hand in his.
“Miss…Walker…isn’t it? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Tristan held her hand for only a brief second before dropping it to take Dina’s.
Although she tried to fight it, Chloe couldn’t suppress the jealousy that ran up from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair as Tristan proceeded to engage Dina in small talk. He even went so far as to compliment the younger woman on her choice of dress and how the color brought out the green in her eyes.
In order to prevent herself from doing anything drastic, like snatching Dina bald-headed, Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. Finally growing fed up with their small talk and needing to stem the urge to vomit, she cleared her throat to gain everyone’s attention.
“If you all would have a seat, we can get started,” she announced cheerily. Almost too cheerily even to her own ears.
Chloe waited for them to take a seat at the conference table. Her eyes almost crossed in anger as she watched Tristan pull out a chair for Dina, before taking his own.
“So, gentlemen, you are looking to buy in the metro Atlanta area, specifically in downtown?” However, she didn’t receive an immediate reply from Tristan because he was continuing his conversation with Dina.
Turning away from their antics, Chloe looked to Simon for an answer. And just in time to catch the angry look that he shot at his brother, before he turned a pleasant smile in her direction.
“Well, I’ve wanted us to invest in the Atlanta area for quite some time. I tried on several occasions in the past to convince Tristan about the economic benefits of your fair city. But the only areas he had an interest in here in the southeast were in Florida, specifically the Miami area. That’s why I was so surprised that he wanted to meet with you about our purchasing several parcels in downtown Atlanta.”
“So it was your brother’s idea to finally invest in Atlanta?” Chloe asked, her brown eyes lighting up triumphantly as she looked over at Tristan, whose full attention was on her now. She silently gloated as his eyes roamed slowly over her face and settled briefly on her lips.
When he finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, for a brief second she thought she saw something akin to regret on his face. However, whatever it was, it was quickly masked by a look of bland detachment.
“Miss Walker, what my brother says is true. In a momentary lapse of judgment, I disregarded his attempts at persuading me into investing in Atlanta. But now that I have discovered that there are, shall we say…” Tristan paused to look at Dina, “very desirable aspects about your lovely city. Therefore I am very interested in purchasing several parcels and develo
ping them. You don’t have to waste your time or ours by going through the rigmarole of a presentation. I want you to handle the transaction for us. I don’t need further convincing that you are the perfect candidate for the job.”
“Are you sure?” Simon asked, a look of utter confusion marring his handsome looks.
“I’m very sure,” Tristan drawled, not bothering to look in his brother’s direction. “I’m confident that Miss Walker can certainly handle everything thrown her way.” His mind obviously made up, he turned his attention back to Dina.
Chloe pursed her lips in consternation as she flipped open the leather portfolio containing the buyer’s agreement.
“Well, I guess it’s a done deal,” she announced tightly. As she shuffled through the paperwork, she couldn’t resist listening to tidbits of Tristan and Dina’s conversation. He was telling the younger woman about a get-together hosted tomorrow evening by some friends to celebrate his and Simon’s arrival into town.
The papers slipped from her hands when she heard him ask Dina to accompany him.
Enough is enough! Chloe thought.
He could flirt in front of her all he wanted but he sure as hell wasn’t going to ask out another woman. Estranged husband or not. Before Dina could accept his invitation, Chloe interrupted her.
“I’m sorry but I think that’s going to be impossible,” she announced, drawing everyone’s attention. However, she didn’t waver as she locked eyes with Tristan.
“I thought you just said a minute ago it was a done deal?” he asked.
“It is, however, I was referring to your invitation to the party tomorrow evening.”
Chloe heard Dina clear her throat. Although she tried to hide the smile behind her hand, Chloe still saw it and wanted to jump up and smack it off the younger woman’s face.
“Chloe…I mean, Miss Walker. I think Mr. Smythe was only inviting me.”
Chloe sat up straighter in her chair, her gaze swinging to her assistant, who now shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Dina, I know perfectly well who Mr. Smythe invited but I think it is rather inappropriate for my employee to be dating my husband.”
“What!” Dina exclaimed. “When and where did you get married?”
“We were married a few months ago during my vacation in Las Vegas.”
Dina looked between Chloe and Tristan who appeared to be having a stare-down. Then she finally spoke. “Miss Walker, will you need me any more this evening?”
Chloe broke her gaze from Tristan’s long enough to answer. “No, that will be all tonight, Dina. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”
Dina rose from her chair, stalked around the table and slammed the conference door behind her.
“Well, I guess that’s my cue as well,” Simon announced, rising from his seat.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, sister-in-law. Welcome to the family, you poor dear.”
Chloe waited for Simon to leave the conference room before she finally lit into Tristan. “Why haven’t you signed the divorce papers?”
“I haven’t signed them because I wanted to come here and patch things over with you.”
“Well, you sure don’t act like you want to ‘patch things up’,” Chloe hissed. “Just a minute ago you were trying to ask one of my employees out on a date!”
“Chloe, I only did that because you were pretending to act like you didn’t know who the hell I was. I did it out of anger. By the way…are you okay?”
Chloe was so flustered by his gentle tone and abrupt change in subject that she sputtered for several moments. How dare he catch her off-guard with his fake attempt at concern? He wasn’t going to sweet-talk her out of what was long overdue.
“I’m not faking my concern for you, Chloe, and if you think this is sweet-talk and it’s working, I will deem to use it all the time when I am around you.”
Chloe’s mouth dropped open, making her look like a fish out of the water.
“Y-y-you know how to read minds,” she stated more than questioned.
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