Royal Flush

by Ella Goode

  “She’ll love that.” He looks over at me and his eyes go soft. I lean over, kissing him.

  It might be bold to say this but I do it anyways. “She’ll be my sister one day. Two against one. That’s a fight you’ll never win.” He smiles against my mouth.

  “I look forward to losing.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Brad

  “This is the proxy transfer and this is the agreement that you will be disgorging any profits that are earned during your tenure as a board member.”

  “Is that really necessary?” Mel cuts in as the papers are shoved in front of me. “He’s going to be working and should be paid.” She wraps her hand around the top of the pen so I can’t move it. “Don’t sign this. I thought you were working for us.” She glares at the lawyer.

  Kevin Bailey is exactly what I thought a lawyer would look like--slightly fat from being rich with white hair and sharp eyes. He directs a pointed gaze at her over his glasses. “Ms. James. I work for you. I cannot represent two people with competing interests.”

  “Well then since we’re on the same side, you shouldn’t be putting in clauses like that. Brad needs to be paid.”

  “I really don’t.”

  “You really do,” she insists. “Watching you fight is hot, but one of these days, you’re going to meet an opponent who is bigger and meaner than you are.”

  “Bigger, possibly. Meaner? Doubtful.”

  “What’s this about fighting?” the lawyer breaks in.

  “Nothing,” Mel and I say at the same time.

  She dissolves into light giggles. I pick up her hand and press it to my lips. “It’s all good, babe. I don’t want your money. Never did.”

  “You still need to be paid. Everyone who sits on the board is paid and it would look sketchy if you didn’t. Right, Mr. Bailey?”

  His white helmet hair doesn’t move as he nods. “That’s right, which is why the contract specifies that only the profits need to be returned. Mr. Hayes may keep his salary.”

  He also sounds like a lawyer--stuffy and pretentious. I squeeze Mel’s hand again. “It’s fine, Mel.” I scrawl my signature on the line and date it before she can voice another objection. She sighs and slumps back in her chair. It takes me ten minutes to get through all the paperwork. At the end, my hand is cramped. “This is harder work than the ring,” I joke.

  “You still look sexy,” Mel replies, running her sparkling eyes over my frame. I guess the suit and tie thing is a turn-on because when I came out of the bathroom this morning, she jumped me. Literally. She raced over, threw herself into my arms and told me that we had ten minutes before we needed to be at the lawyer’s office and that I should use it wisely. It’s hard fucking a girl wearing a suit and tie. I thought the tie was going to strangle my airways, but in some ways, it was a real trip. Ten out of ten would definitely do it again.

  There’s a small buzzing noise and then a light voice filters through a speakerphone on the desk. “All the board members have arrived.”

  Mr. Bailey shuffles all the papers together and then taps the stack into a neat pile. “I’m ready if you two are.”

  Ignoring the churning in my gut, I get to my feet and reach down to help Mel stand. In the plate glass windows, I catch a glimpse of us. She’s wearing some designer suit with small fringe, a chain belt around the edges and pearl buttons. It looks like it cost a million bucks. When I mentioned that to her this morning, she flushed and said that it was a bit more than her Cartier bracelets. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the kind of money Mel has in her bank account. The suit I’m wearing isn’t super expensive. Mr. Bailey told me a good life tip which was to buy any decent suit and have it tailored, which is why I look okay standing next to Mel without having had to sell a kidney to get geared up. The point is, we look good together--like we match, but I don’t know if it’s necessarily the clothes or the fact that I think we belong together. We’re meant to be a unit, not separate individuals. She’s fun and kind and softens my hard edges. I’m not sure what I bring to the table other than the ability to knock someone out, hack into a few accounts, and give her good orgasms, but it is enough for her, which is all that matters.

  I straighten my shoulders and give a nod to the lawyer. “Let’s get this dog and pony show over with.”

  “Am I the dog or the pony?” Mel whispers in amusement.

  “Definitely the pony--pretty and something everyone wants.”

  She’s still snickering as we walk into the boardroom to face her dad. Everyone stands as we enter. I feel like tugging on my collar but know that any fidgeting will be taken as a sign of weakness.

  “Who the hell are you?” Senator James demands. He’s standing at the head of the table as if he owns everything. Around the table are the older aunts and uncles who look frail and ready for the grave. No wonder they didn’t fight when the Senator came in. At their age, I’d want to be lying on the beach with Mel’s ass in one hand and a drink in the other. I’m guessing James was born later in life for Mel’s grandparents.

  “I’m the new board member,” I announce. “You’re in my seat.”

  There’s a swift, collective inhale of breath in the room. Senator James opens his mouth to release some boring diatribe but I flip out the papers I just signed and shove them in his face. “You never belonged here. These are Mel’s shares.”

  “Th-th-they are not,” he sputters.

  “They are, actually. The will deeded the shares to Miss James and while she was a minor, it was within your power to control those but she is now of age and may dispose of them as she likes.”

  “She can’t sell a single share without agreement of at least two of the other shareholders,” Senator James declares.

  There’s another gasp at his admission. His chin goes up. “I was taking care of my daughter’s assets.”

  “You told us that they were your shares,” one of Mel’s aunts points out. “We repeatedly asked you for a copy of the will and you assured us you were abiding by its terms.”

  “I was abiding by them. Every decision I made was to increase the profitability of this company.”

  “You used this company and its profits to fund your senatorial campaign,” another gray-haired person pipes up.

  Senator James huffs. “And in return, I was able to secure projects for this company that increased its profitability.”

  “You got us involved in a huge lawsuit over insider trading last year,” says the aunt.

  “We had to lay off ten percent of the staff due to a downturn in sales,” adds another.

  I step forward, pull the chair from behind Senator James’s ass and plant myself in the seat. Mel stands next to the chair and glares at her father. I’m in a weird James sandwich. I roll it forward to the table and pretend like I know what I’m doing. “Per the terms of the will, Melody did not sell her shares. She signed a proxy to me. I’ll be voting her shares and running this company with all of your assistance while Mel and I go to college. Obviously, I will be relying on you all for good advice. Once college is over, I will take full control of the company at that time. I’ve agreed to a nominal--”

  “Big--” interjects Melody.

  “--nominal,” I repeat, “salary with full benefits. When I graduate, I’ll expect a raise which reflects the increase in profits.” I hope there’s some. “What do you say? All in favor, raise your hands and say aye.”

  Every single person’s hand goes up, except for Senator James.

  “This is ridiculous. A whole circus!” he blusters. “I’ll be calling my lawyer.”

  “Please do,” says Mr. Bailey. He steps forward and holds out a card. “I’ll be expecting your phone call.”

  Mel’s dad looks furious. Time for him to go. “If you don’t leave, we’ll get security up here.”

  The family nods their heads vigorously. Senator James angrily adjusts his tie, lifts his chin high enough that I can see the moles below his collar and marches to the door. “This isn’t the end of
it,” he warns. “You’ll see.”

  “It is, though,” the lawyer murmurs, winking at Mel and me.

  I keep my hands folded and eyes straight ahead. From my fighting days, I learned that half the battle to winning is ignoring the opposition once you’ve landed the right blow. They’ll fold in on themselves from fear. I don’t know if it will work with Senator James, but I try it. Seconds later, I hear a slamming of the door. The tension drops dramatically. We can all finally breathe. I give the room a smile. “I promise you that everything I do will be for the sake of Melody and her family so if you’ll help me, I think we can get this company back on its feet.”

  The group of gray-hairs all converge on me, pulling me to my feet, slapping me on the back with some serious and surprising power, kissing Melody’s cheeks and generally doing a lot for people who I didn’t think had that much energy in them. After many promises to visit, the room empties out until it’s just Mel and me.

  She saunters over and pushes me against the table. “You looked hot in that chair.”

  “My palms were sweating.”

  She whips my tie off. “I wanted to throw the papers on the floor and climb into your lap.”

  “Your dad was watching.”

  She pops my top button. “Maybe during the next board meeting, I’ll hide under the table and suck your cock while you conduct business.”

  “I have only two brain cells and when you’re anywhere near my dick, it lowers to one.”

  “It’s amazing what you can do with one,” she whispers. Her fingers busily undo my shirt. When her hand reaches my crotch, my eyes roll back in my head. “I think I could get into this boardroom bullshit,” I murmur and then that’s the last conscious thought I have in my head as she lowers herself to her knees. Yeah, maybe a suit and tie isn’t all that fucking bad at all.

  Chapter Twenty

  Melody

  I smile out the window as we make our drive back toward my old home. Brad and I spent the day unpacking into our new condo. We found a place that was halfway between our college and his mom and sister’s place. I am tired but looking forward to the plans my mom is making. It is my mom, after all. Sarah and I asked her five million times if this is really what she wants to do. She has never been so insistent. I’m going with it. She seems happy and these days that’s all that matters to me. She and I have gotten so much closer over the past few months without my father having control over her. For once she has the power and it truly did free her.

  Their divorce was signed off yesterday. Not that there was a ton to fight over. Everything is mine. In fact, I was informed I could go after my father for some of the stuff he did when he had control over my shares. Along with my father’s lawyer. Pretty sure that man is going to be disbarred by the time Mr. Bailey is done with them. As for my father, I am wiping my hands clean of him. He can keep his condo in the city. I’m sure the mistress won’t be staying without the money rolling in from my shares. A senator's salary will never allow my father the lifestyle he once had.

  “Crazy how fast life can change.” Brad's hand slips into mine. I turn my head to look at him. We only graduated a month ago but we’ve been itching to get a place together. It helps that now Brad’s mom doesn’t have to work as much. Brad got a little bit pissed when he realized just how much his salary actually was. His mom no longer has to focus on anything other than Belle and starting her new interior design company. My mom was her first client. When I’d suggested that my mom use her to redecorate a room, I had no idea that she would end up having a whole new house done. Oh, let’s not forget the office that she’s also having done downtown. She decided to start her own magazine. Everyone’s life is changing but for the better. Okay, maybe not my father’s but fuck him.

  “Yeah.” He gives me one of those smirks.

  “Still can’t believe you got a full ride. Who aces their SATS?” I roll my eyes at my genius of a man. The one that a few months ago thought that he couldn’t run a company. I internally laugh that my hacker boyfriend thought he had nothing to offer a technology company! He’s been there months and has already given them a butt load of ideas. New ideas which the company needs if it wants to keep thriving. He is enjoying it and I know it. Unlike school, you don't have to drag him to do the work.

  “You got a full ride too,” he reminds me.

  “Not because of my scores.” I laugh. He offered to change them for me. I was good with them. I got my ride because I have killer grades and my last name didn't hurt. What is great is that I get to major in art history. No more crazy math and science classes I’ll never understand.

  “I don’t care what your scores are. You four girls are going to take over the freaking world.” I know he’s talking about my mom, his mom and Belle. We all have an eye just for something different. My mom came up with the idea of a magazine. It was actually really smart. We all have something to bring to the table. I am as excited about it as everyone else. I’m not sure where I’ll fit in but Belle is already writing up mock columns and making storyboards to show my mom.

  “I don’t want to take over anything. I just want us to be a family and everyone have what they want.”

  “You’ve already done that, babe.”

  “We’ve done that,” I correct.

  “I think your grandparents did some too?” I laugh. Mom too. She started the ball rolling.

  “Yeah, but I have no doubt we would have found our way. Nothing stops you when you want it.” He puts the car into park. I lean over, kissing him. My grandpa made things easier but I’ll never doubt for one second the lengths that Brad would have gone to in order to make every woman in his life that he loved happy. He would have sacrificed everything to make sure that we got what he thought we needed. It’s who he is down to his core. He’s the definition of what a true man should be. As a matter of fact, he’s what every human being should be that has loved ones.

  I get out of the car and look up at the place that I’ve lived in for all of my life. One would think that I’d be sad but I don’t have any of those emotions. I never truly felt as though this was my home so it doesn’t bother me that we’re leaving it behind. Well, I guess we aren't truly leaving it behind. We’re rebuilding. That’s what you do. You rebuild together from the mess that was left behind. I’ll take a life full of love in a small place over an empty life in a big house like this. Brad reaches over, grabbing my hand. I look over at him and smile because he’s my home.

  “Want to fool around one last time in this mansion?” I don’t have to ask him twice before he’s dragging me into the almost empty house. Everything could be split once my mom filed for divorce from my dad. She’d donated most of her stuff. She was starting a new life. No one has really heard from Dad after his initial threats. He didn't have much ground to stand on and I think he knows I could go after him if I truly wanted to. The last thing I heard was that he was trying to run for re-election but was having a hard time finding funds without sucking from ITM.

  “Maybe I should pretend to be the tech billionaire and you could be my maid that’s doing everything wrong.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me, causing me to burst into laughter. “I’ll have to show you how to do it the way that I like.” I know that Brad is trying to make my last memory in this house a good one.

  He lifts me, pinning me to the wall while kissing me deeply. “We had our first kiss here,” I remind him.

  “It won’t be the last one you’ll have here.” My mom comes strolling in with her new boyfriend in tow. I like him actually. Retired cop who’s now a PI. He’s utterly in love with my mom and that’s all that I care about. “I’m sure we’ll be having a wedding here once construction is done.” She looks around at the house as Brad puts me back down onto my feet. “Out, you two. The demolition team is here.”

  “You really going to level this place?” I laugh.

  “Of course. We will rebuild anew.” I smile, walking over to my mom, who has the biggest smile on her face. I pull her in for a hug.

&nb
sp; “I never thought in my whole life I’d say this.” I pull back to look up at her. She towers over me in her heels. “I want a giant ass wedding.” My mom throws back her head and laughs. It echoes into the empty house.

  “I think the new house is going to be filled with that sound.” I step back. Brad puts his arm around me, kissing me on top of the head as we all head out of the house.

  We stand together outside. Belle and Brad’s mom pull up just in time. “This is going to be awesome!” Belle shouts as she runs over toward us, her eyes on the giant crane that is about to murder the house.

  “Jim!” My mom shouts to the man inside the giant machine. “Belle would like to help.”

  “Oh shit? Really?” Belle's eyes go wide.

  “Why not?” My mom shrugs.

  “Mouth,” Brad’s mom, Helen, reminds Belle before she nods for her to have at it. Belle takes off toward the crane. Helen gives us all hugs. She and my mom are pretty much best friends now as much as they work together. I smile, resting my head on Brad’s chest as Belle climbs up into the crane. Moments later she’s knocking the house down. I think Brad is right. The four of us women might be able to take over the world but I have a feeling it’s Belle who will lead the way.

  Epilogue

  Brad

  “Excuse me, sir. I know you’ve said that you don’t want to be disturbed but I have a contract that needs your signature.”

  I look up to see a pastel colored head peek around the massive steel door into my office and frown. “This is the third interruption today.”

  “Oh, is it the third? I haven’t been counting.” The owner of that head smirks and sashays inside. Her full skirt swishes around her knees as she approaches. Red-bottomed heels click across the hardwood floor. I wheel my chair away from my desk and watch her dance toward me.