Daughter Dearest

by Nikki Bopp

  “Mommy!” Eva calls from inside, making me jump in guilt. I shouldn't be ogling a man when I should be taking care of my daughter. I resolve myself to focus entirely on Eva the rest of the weekend and forget about Daniel Price, Edward Maccini, and Patrick Roswell.

  Chapter 14

  Lovers Aplenty

  The rest of the weekend is pleasantly uneventful, but it doesn't stop me from obsessing about the executive team at PRI. Daniel, dark and mysterious, and sexy as hell. Edward, happy and outgoing, and enough heart to make everyone else feel just as alive. Patrick, kind and thoughtful, and confusing as hell. These men are so very different from any that I’ve encountered, and all they do is tie me up in circles and leave me floundering for some sort of footing.

  I may have been out of the dating game for quite a while by now, but it's hard to imagine that they aren't flirting, that they're not trying to clue me into something that I’ve been too blind to see. The only thing is, they're my bosses. I was hired by them to do a job, to assist in all things business-related. The thoughts going through my head are certainly not business-related.

  Is it just me? Am I making more out of this than there is? Or is there truly something between us? And which one?

  I don't think a girl can be greedy enough to want all three to herself - can you?

  Waking up for work on Monday morning is easier than I expected. I don't know if it's the men that I’ll be seeing soon or the fact that being home for an extended period of time gives me a bit of the jitters. With Jonathan, I wasn't allowed to go anywhere unless he was with me. Perhaps he was worried about me running off, or maybe even running into another man's bed. Either way, staying in for the weekend was like torture, but Washington decided that it wanted to pour rain every second of each day, and the last thing either of us needs is to be getting sick.

  “I'm ready!” Eva calls stepping into my bedroom dressed in a purple paw patrol shirt, yellow jeans, and a blue tutu. Her shark rain boots are already on her feet, and her raincoat is trailing behind her on the ground.

  Giving my carefully styled hair another fluff, I turn towards her, my arms out to showcase the outfit that I painstakingly put together. My baby pink blouse is tucked into my favorite black pencil skirt, a slit on the thigh, showing a dangerous amount of skin. The black sky-high stilettos are already killing my feet, but it's well worth the way they make my legs look. I decided to keep my hair natural today, the waves curling around my face, and drawing attention to the smokey eye I nailed down with the utmost care.

  “Wow, you look so pretty!”

  “Thanks, pumpkin! You got everything you need? Coat, backpack, hat?”

  “Erm, my backpack is out there,” Eva points to the entryway and then starts to pull on her coat and hat.

  “Alright, let’s go! Wyatt is probably waiting.” Hustling her out the door, I just barely remember to grab my cell phone from the charger. Wyatt is waiting outside for us, a Starbucks cup in hand. Why can't I fall for a guy like this? He doesn’t talk a lot, drives me where I need to go, and brings me warm drinks in the morning.

  After dropping Eva off at daycare, I hustle into PRI, eyeing the clock on the wall and cursing my need to overdo my outfit this morning. I have approximately five minutes to drop my purse off at my desk and get to the Monday morning meeting, and knowing Daniel, he will start at precisely eight am on the dot. The elevator is packed, so I have to wait even longer for everyone to get off on their designated floors. To pass the time, and try not to freak out over being late, I pull out my phone and power up the device. I'm honestly the worst at keeping it charged, and actually answering it, so it's no surprise that there are seven missed calls and several messages when it finally turns on.

  Deciding to check the text messages first, I scroll through a few messages from Mia and one from Breezy. As much as I try not to look, I can't help myself, and I open Breezy’s first. There's only one word, and it makes me cringe, a horrible rush of anger and jealousy crashing into me like a tidal wave.

  O.M.G.

  That's seriously the only thing she texted. The timestamp is late Saturday night, like three am late. It's not unusual for Breezy to be up that late, but the comment itself is enough of an answer.

  The ding of the elevator arriving on the executive floor makes me jump. Dashing away the tears that I can feel sitting on my lower lashes, I turn right and head directly to the conference room, hoping that I'm not late. Of course, the moment I open the door, the entire room turns to look at me with displeasure, as though I'm interrupting the best moment of their day.

  “Ms. Ray, you're late,” Daniel scolds from the head of the table, his mouth turned down in annoyance. His eyes take in my appearance, paying particular attention to my face, which only makes me self-conscious that it's obvious what's going through my head. Taking my normal seat, I pull out my ever-present notepad and flip to a clear page while trying to ignore the feeling of being stared at. It’s only once the meeting is in full swing do I dare to raise my eyes. Daniel’s full attention is on the department manager currently going over last month's statistics and their plan to increase profitability next month. Patrick is sitting beside him, but instead of listening to the presentation, his ocean blue eyes are focused on me. His normally open and kind face is pinched in annoyance, his jaw visibly clenched and making me wonder if I’ve done something to piss him off.

  The seat beside him, where Edward usually sits, is empty.

  The Monday morning meeting is by far the most important meeting of the week. Sure, other meetings may have more pressing issues, but Daniel is obsessed with this meeting because it brings together all the heads of PRI. If there is an issue, he wants to know about it. Ever the dominant man that he is, he wants to know every single issue going on within the company, so to miss it. That's a pretty big deal.

  Worry begins to swirl inside of me, unhelpfully tinged by the green-eyed monster who decides to stomp into the room like the goddamn kool-aid guy. Is he with Breezy? Did they spend the whole weekend together?

  Feeling the weight of someone's stare, I sweep my eyes across the room, halting on Nicholas, who is smiling at me from across the room. He dips his head in a ‘are you okay’ kind of nod, his brow furrowed with concern.

  Offering him a small smile, I quickly focus on my notes when Daniel clears his throat, his eagle-like eyes easily taking in the exchange. Not soon enough, the meeting ends, the room is quickly cleared out with Daniel’s glare. When I move to follow the last of the people from the room, I'm stopped by Daniel calling my name.

  “Yes, sir?” I ask, dreading what exactly he wants to talk about. I’d be stupid to think it isn’t about Edward.

  “You've been crying,” he states without preamble, leaning forward to prop his arms on the long conference table. Beside him, Patrick jerks his gaze around to focus on me, his eyes thinning to slits.

  “Sir, I-I don't see how-”

  “Don't lie to me, Jennifer. It was obvious the moment you stepped into the room. What happened?”

  “I'm not lying,” my words come out through clenched teeth, my spine snapping straight in preparation for the coming confrontation. Being interrogated about my mental state is one thing, but being called a liar about it is another. Neither of them is okay, but something I can easily brush aside. Together, they are enough for my anger to rise to a boiling point.

  “Why were you crying?”

  “I don't see how that's any of your business, Mr. Price.” My words are like a shock, forcing the man back in his seat with a blank expression. Looking between the two men, I stand up, running my hands over my skirt to ensure everything is in place. “Is that all?” At his mute nod, I turn on my heel and march out of the room with my head held high. It's only when I take a seat at my desk, does it finally start to sink in that it was worry in Daniel’s voice, not anger.

  I'm so far beyond knowing the difference between the two that it's difficult for me to understand how to react when someone uses any sort of a negative tone.
Just like the first day in my interview, I snapped before I realized what I was doing. Thankfully, as far as I can remember, I didn't say anything overly rude or insulting to get myself fired, but there's no telling how exactly Daniel Price will take my words. Even the fact that we kissed, and seem to have some sort of chemistry between us won't stop the man from taking complete control of his company, and that includes his assistant.

  Deciding that it might be best to get out for lunch, I pull out my phone and send off a quick text to Mia to see if she's free. She replies almost immediately with a smiley face, so I'll take that as a yes.

  The moment I set my cell phone down, it immediately starts to ring, the sound fairly echoing off the marble and glass.

  “Shit, shit shit,” I murmur to myself, my finger jabbing at the red decline button on the screen. The ringing of the phone on my desk nearly sends me to the floor with the suddenness of it.

  “Fucking hell,” finally getting my cellphone to stop ringing, I throw it into a drawer and slam it closed before picking up the handset ringing on top of my desk.

  “Thank you for calling Price Research International, the offices of Mr. Price, Mr. Maccini, and Mr. Roswell. How can I help you?” My customer service voice is firmly in place, a smile unconsciously spreading across my face.

  “Is Daniel available?” A female voice asks, the silky tone to her voice so familiar that it takes me a moment to place it. So focused on figuring out where I've heard it before, I am brought back to present by her annoyed, “Hello?”

  “Oh, um…,” leaning around my computer, I can see that all three offices are currently dark and empty. “He is not available at this moment. Can I give him a message?”

  My pen is poised over a sticky note waiting for her message when she simply scoffs in my ear. “No, just tell him I'll call him later.” The line goes dead, following her words and confusing me even more.

  Scratching a quick reminder on the paper, I stick it to the corner of my computer and boot up the monitor to begin transcribing my notes from the meeting. It's only when I've pulled up my word program does the woman’s voice finally click in my head.

  She was the one who answered his phone on the first day of my interview. I’m sure of it. I don't know her name, hell, I don't know anything about her, but I’m positive that she’s the same girl. Which makes me all the more curious about who she is. Daniel says that he's not in a relationship and yet he has a woman answering his phone and calling to speak to him by his first name. The one thing that I’ve learned in the last week of working for PRI is that everyone we’ve encountered together refers to him as Mr. Price.

  “Jennifer?” Nicholas’ voice startles me, a squeak of surprise slipping free.

  “Shit!” I exclaim, feeling like my heart is about to beat right out of my chest. For some reason, this morning, everyone is trying to give me a heart attack. Between the calls, domineering attitudes, and surprises, I feel worn out, and it's not even noon yet. “Sorry, Nick, I didn't see you there.”

  “Jumpy today, I see,” Nicholas jokes, plopping his ass directly onto my desk. I'm not a prude by any means, but it irks me to no end when people sit on my desk. I don't want your butt on my desk where I work, where I drink and snack. Not to mention, I have the crazy need to polish the butt print left behind when they finally decide to leave.

  Giving him a tight-lipped smile, I can feel my eye start to twitch when he shifts to a more comfortable position on my desktop. “What can I help you with today, Mr. Grant?”

  “So formal,” Nicholas leans forward, his mouth quirked in a way that I'm sure comes off as sexy to other women. My mild appreciation of the man, he's a good-looking man, dive bombs even further when his hand lands on the desk right next to my white chocolate mocha Wyatt so thoughtfully got for me this morning. “I was going to see if you'd like to grab dinner sometime this week?”

  “Oh, well, I have my daughter, so I don't know….,” my words trail off at movement just over Nicholas’ shoulder. Coming down the hall is not only Daniel and Patrick, but Edward is trailing behind them, looking as though he just rolled out of bed. His normally well-styled hair is in disarray, which only highlights the fact that he's wearing jeans, a plain gray t-shirt, and scuffed Nikes. The trio slows upon seeing Nicholas leaning over myself and my desk, but Nicholas is too busy to notice the new company.

  “So is that a no?” His hazel eyes twinkle with his excitement, a teeth-baring smile in full force, and full of excitement.

  “Can I get back to you on that?” Moving my eyes between Nicholas and the men standing behind us, I almost let out a sigh of relief when he finally catches on.

  “Hello gentlemen, I was just having a nice little chat with Jenny, but I’ll be on my way,” without a care in the world, Nicholas saunters past the trio, hands jammed into his pockets. I wouldn't have been surprised if he started singing a jaunty little tune to go with it. Shaking my head in exasperation, I focus on the other men, only to be taken aback by the various expressions aimed at me. From Daniel’s fury to a look of hurt on Patrick’s face and the blank stare on Edward’s face, it's like one extreme to the other.

  “What?” I ask, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “I didn't say yes.” Edward is the first to move, and without a backward glance, he heads to his office, the door clicking quietly behind him. Daniel is the next to go, but rather than acting like an adult about it, he stomps the entire way to his doorway, slamming it closed so hard that I’m surprised the whole thing doesn’t collapse with the force.

  “I-I,” my words trip over themselves, which seems to be commonplace today. I can feel the tears beginning to gather in my eyes, but I’m determined not to cry in front of anyone, let alone one of my bosses, but when I peek at Patrick through my lashes, I can't hold them back any further. Patrick’s face is drawn with lines of sadness, his normally sky-blue eyes are dark and stormy. Even his hair seems deflated. The whole look is enough to make me feel like I've kicked his puppy, and then it got ran over by a car.

  I don't know what I'm expecting to say, but when I open my mouth to apologize, he simply shakes his head before slouching into his own office.

  A couple of minutes go by in the quiet, no sound of movement reaching me from the occupied rooms. After this weekend, and how each of the men opened up to me, I never would have expected to find myself in this situation.

  The clock on my computer only shows it is eleven am, but I don't think I can sit here another minute without breaking down completely. Mia picks up on the second ring, her voice ripe with concern. “What's wrong?”

  “Can you take an early lunch?”

  “Absolutely,” she answers without hesitation, the click of her keyboard audible through the phone. “Do you want to meet in the lobby in five minutes? Or do you need me to come up there?”

  “I'll meet you in the lobby.” We both hang up at the same time, not needing to continue the conversation with niceties. I pull up my outlook email and type up a short email to Daniel, Patrick, and Edward. Only when I have my purse in hand, do I hit send and book it to the elevator.

  I don't know what crawled up their asses, but I don't want to deal with the backlash. I guess they'll have to fend for themselves for lunch.

  It's not just them, I know that. I know that I'm confused as hell about everything going on. One moment I'm having a heart-to-heart with Edward, only to be held in Daniel’s arms while he kisses the living daylights out of me. Then I wake up the next morning, wrapped in Patrick’s embrace. This is so far beyond weird, and I'm not sure how to handle it.

  Coming in this morning and seeing Edward absent after his little run-in with Breezy wasn't my best moment, but damn if a girl can control her jealousy. Not to mention Ms. Velvety's voice that I seem to be encountering everywhere that Daniel is concerned. You don't see me throwing a hissy fit though, stomping and pouting at the mere sight of one of them looking even remotely interested in another woman.

  I do, of course, but I try not to show it. None of us has a cla
im on the other, hell the only interest that any of them has displayed is possibly wanting to get me into their beds. Which, I'm not totally against either, but seeing their pissy attitudes only makes me wish I didn't have to deal with any of it.

  As much as I hate to say it, I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. That's obvious by my previous marriage, and my commitment to kill at this goddamn job.

  The elevator opening to the main lobby floor sends me in for a whole other round of confusion. I was so out of it, I didn't even realize I got onto the elevator, but thankfully, Mia is there waiting for me as soon as I exit the metal box.

  “Hey,” her arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me into her side with a whiff of her oh so familiar Chanel perfume. It's comforting more than anything to smell it on her. “What's wrong?”

  “I don't want to talk about it here,” I wouldn't put it past Daniel Price to install the most advanced cameras in every square inch of his beautiful tower. Thankfully, Mia doesn’t question it and helps guide me outside of the building without any issues. We decided to go to the pancake house that we went to the day of my interview, which is thankfully not packed yet. The waitresses hustling around are preparing for the lunch rush that is sure to come, so we’re seated near the entrance almost immediately.

  “What can I get you ladies today?” A blond waitress with a nearly blinding smile skips over to our table, notepad poised and ready to take our orders.

  I don't even have to think about my order before spitting it all out, the waitress writing like a madwoman to get everything down. “I'll take two eggs, over easy with a side of bacon. I would like the hash browns extra crispy and the toast nearly burnt. And coffee, black.”

  Shifting my eyes to Mia, I can't help the laugh that slips out when she simply stares back at me with a look of horror. “What?”