“I can’t say that I remember having an appointment with you, Harper. People who want to give me offers usually set up an appointment.”
A faint blush creeped up on her cheeks and I found it rather endearing.
“I will only take a moment of your time.”
I leaned back in my chair and steepled my fingers as she started to speak. I was desperately trying to keep my mind on her words and not what she might look like under her tight pencil skirt and white blouse.
2
Harper
I could not believe that I was in Finn Stark’s office. I couldn’t believe that I actually made it. It almost seemed too easy and yet, there I was desperately trying not to fumble my pitch to him. It was a little surprising actually that he hadn’t kicked me out of the office yet, but maybe luck was on my side that time. He wasn’t the first businessman that I tried to approach. In fact, there had been a multitude of places that I tried to get into but had no luck. I had been to other companies that week and wasn’t even able to make it anywhere near mid-level management, let alone walk into the office of the CEO, so I better not screw that up. It had truly been a miracle that I got this far and I didn’t want to do anything to mess it up. This was my big moment and I needed to see it through. I took a deep breath and rallied my thoughts. I could do this, I could land this deal, I just knew that I could.
I needed to adapt my strategy quickly as I hadn’t expected to be able to talk to the big man himself. I had been fully prepared to manipulate my way past the receptionist but in that case, I didn’t have to. I had arrived at the top floor of the skyscraper and I had been ready to convince the receptionist that I was a courier from a business partner with an important document I needed signed ASAP. I didn’t even need to do that however and lying didn’t even come into play at all. What Mr. Stark didn’t know was that his receptionist must be exhausted from all her overtime because she was currently glued to her cell phone. All I had to do was sneak past. It was so easy that I was sure it was going to blow up in my face, but it didn’t. I made it all the way down to the hallway to his corner office without anyone being the wiser. I had seen Finn Stark behind his desk and I took a deep breath and knocked. This was my moment. It was showtime.
I couldn’t believe that he didn’t immediately toss me out on my behind, but when he didn’t, I instantly launched into my pitch before he had a chance to. I was actually relieved that Stark was the CEO that I got in front of because my idea fit his profile perfectly. We couldn’t be a better fit. All I had to do now was get him to see my vision and that really shouldn’t be that hard. I was sharp and determined, I knew that I could do the job, if I was given the chance.
“I have an opportunity for you Mr. Stark, that you aren’t going to want to pass up.”
He raised an eyebrow in interest and I just kept moving forward.
“Remember when people used to live in neighborhoods, with shops where the owners knew your name? Where you formed a community with the folks that lived near you?”
Stark furrowed his brow at me, but I took it in stride and continued with my speech. This was my only chance; I was going to make sure I made it work.
“While modern life offers many advantages, not everyone wants to give his grocery list to a disembodied voice in a speaker and wait for their toothpaste to show up in their mailbox.”
Stark finally interrupted, “Are you pitching me a time machine back to simpler times?”
I laughed and said, “It’s something like that.”
I stood up and headed to the floor to ceiling window behind his desk and pointed towards the river and the outline of a massive, and outdated, piece of property. Motioning for him to come and see, I said, “The old Sugar Shack Candy Factory is just begging to be reimagined. And I know exactly what to do with it: a multi-use complex with apartments, shops, and entertainment options, all with the feel of a real neighborhood. Just imagine it, Mr. Stark.”
Stark said, “There are already plenty of other multi-use complexes like the one that you are suggesting, Harper.”
“No, they’re not the same at all. In my complex, the owners of the commercial properties would have to live in the complex. It would be like a microcosm in the city, where everyone knows everyone else and looks out for one another. Small Town U.S.A. in the heart of Manhattan. It can’t lose, Mr. Stark. It’s innovative and different, like nothing that has been done before.”
My excitement had got the best of me that I hadn’t realized just how close Finn was standing to me. I looked up suddenly into his intense dark eyes, so dark that they were almost black. A lot of people would find that intensity to be intimidating but I found him to be the most exciting man that I had ever come into contact with. The sexiest man alive. I had to admit that he was even more handsome in person. I swallowed hard as I became a little flustered with him being so near.
“How is it that you got into my office, Harper?”
I deliberately ignored his question, not interested in getting the receptionist into any trouble. Instead I went into the profit projections that I had run on the complex.
He cut me off almost immediately stating, “You have to be a little naive if you think that you can walk into the CEO’s office and pitch me your business school capstone project.”
I winced, wondering just how he knew. I wasn’t about to give up on my one chance however, so I rallied forward. “Look, Mr. Stark, business is 10% inspiration and 90% determination.”
Stark cracked a smile, then shook his head. “I would suggest you start small, maybe try flipping condos before trying to tackle a multi-million-dollar deal.” I was surprised by how cold his voice was, but I could see a heat in his eyes that makes my skin flush. I couldn’t read him at all and that was now becoming a concern to me.
I was minutes away from losing my pitch and that was pretty obvious by the cold tone of his voice. But there was something else there, something that I was missing. He was torn about something, but what was it. Was there something that I could do to make this go my way?
3
Finn
I sighed and turned from the girl, walking back to my desk. It was my intention to sit back down at my desk and call for security. It would look good on Little Miss Sugar Shack to get hauled out of my office and escorted from the building. Maybe then, she would learn that you just don’t go sneaking into the CEO’s office. I would also like to know what Rebecca was doing while Harper was slinking her way down the hallway toward my office. I didn’t do that, however. Instead, I remained frozen. I was still close enough to her to smell the slightly floral scent that she wore. The girl was young, inexperienced but I had to admit that she was bold enough to crash into my office and pitch me a pie-in-the-sky idea. I had to give her some credit for that move. Actually, I was going to give her more than a little credit, it was pretty impressive that she was standing in my office right at that moment, pitching me her idea. Not too many people her age would have the guts to do something like that.
I wasn’t going to tell her that I had already planned on doing something with the old candy factory. My plan was certainly not to rebuild some dream of the 1950’s in Midtown. That was not my goal for the place at all, so she wasn’t winning any points there. It didn’t matter anyway. If I couldn’t get Axel to either sell me the property outright or invest in my venture, then it just did not matter. I had been trying to negotiate a deal on that property for a while now, so it was ludicrous for Harper to think that she had a chance of getting it. The thought of some wet-behind-the-ears, recent business school graduate, pitching me a project in which she had no stake, other than her ‘stellar idea,’ was at best naïve and at worst laughable.
I wasn’t laughing however, not in the slightest. The oddest part about our meeting so far was the strong desire I had to kiss the girl. It’s not like things like that happened to me all the time. I was surrounded by beautiful women all the time and I didn’t get a reaction like that. But the moment that Harper walked in my o
ffice with her ridiculous idea, I had wanted to kiss her. What the f*ck was wrong with me? Maybe I was having an off day. I was working a lot. Maybe it was time that I had a couple of days off to head somewhere and take a breather. I shouldn’t be feeling like this towards a woman I’d never met before. What was it about the girl that I found so intriguing? I couldn’t put my finger on it. True, she was an absolute smoke show, but it wasn’t just her physical appearance that had me taking notice. She had a passion in her that was… just, intoxicating. I could listen to her speak all night, as long as it wasn’t about the sugar shack of course. I was about done with that whole conversation.
I watched as she took a deep breath, there was something there…so much heat that my mouth dropped open. The girl just would not quit or take no for an answer. I was liking her more every minute. Most women and even some men would have walked out of this office with their head held down in shame after some of the nasty things that that I said to Harper, and yet there she was…still fighting for what she wanted. It was remarkable really.
“Look, Mr. Stark, I have a nest egg that I’m ready to put up as my stake to sweeten the deal.”
“Unless it’s more than six figures, I’m going to toss my laptop out the forty-story building.”
She winced again and I was starting to wonder how much more she could take. Apparently more than I thought because I could see her switching gears in her eyes. I might have thought I had her, but she was just regrouping. I was starting to think that I could use a woman like her on my team, she was clearly intelligent. That fire that I saw in her could make for an exceptional employee. But she wasn’t there for a job, she was there to partner up on a project. That was entirely different.
“I might not have experience, but I’m a hard worker and I know my idea will make us both a ton of money. The nostalgia market is huge right now, and plenty of people want to return to a simpler time. You know that’s true. I can’t tell you how many people tell me that they wish they could throw their smartphone in the lake.”
I nodded, I had to agree with her on that one. I had been cocooned in my own state of nostalgia ever since my beautiful wife, Emelia died. She had been the perfect woman, an epitome of grace and elegance. In fact, so perfect, sometimes I thought I didn’t deserve her. Ever since she passed away, she was all I could think about for quite some time. I loved being in this nostalgic state because it brought Emelia back to me. Come to think of it, I was always so preoccupied with Emelia in my mind that I had practically never taken notice of another woman, until today. There was something in this girl, something different, something…sexy.
Was this supposed to mean something? One thing I was certain about - I was definitely taken by Harper and her charm. What did this sexy seductress have in her that no other woman that I had come into contact with possessed? I had ignored plenty of women that wanted to take Emelia’s place and yet, I knew Harper would be a hard girl to get out of my mind.
It’s funny how the girl that caught my attention happened to be someone who was feisty and seemed to have more courage than sense. I wasn’t going to say any of that to her. I just couldn’t help myself from staring at her and fighting the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her to the point of making her breathless. She was absolutely stunning, the combination of her blonde hair and blue eyes was striking. She had a willowy figure that made me want to just pull her into my arms. She had the cutest upturned nose that I’d ever seen but the best part of her features was the smattering of freckles that covered her nose and cheeks. She was stunning and that was putting it plainly. I could look at a face like that every morning easily and it was amazing to me that I could think about a woman like that again after Emelia. What did that mean? I really wanted to know.
I seemed to be mesmerized by Harper. She was looking up at me and blinking with those pretty blue eyes, biting her lip, as if she had no idea of the power that she had over me. My restraint was coming close to breaking. How shocked would she be if I pulled her into my arms for a kiss? I forced myself to move away from her in the hopes that I could restrain myself better. I sighed deeply and looked at her again. I had to remain professional and when it came to that, Harper didn’t have the experience that I was looking for and that was really what it came down to. I wasn’t going to open my wallet for this random girl that came into my office speaking like she had ten years’ experience in the industry when I was confident that she probably had less than one, if that.
“Harper, you don’t have the experience and I’m just not in the habit of sinking millions of dollars into someone who is untested.”
“Then test me.”
It was impossible for me to not think about every dirty image possible at that moment. I am a guy, what could I say? I shook my head to get those dirty thoughts out of it. Get a hold of yourself, I thought. Why did everything sexual come to my head when I looked at Harper? She had me bewitched and I was never like that around other women. I was always professional no matter what and yet with Harper, I wanted to be anything but.
I sighed and said, “I’m not looking for any new business school grads at the moment, sorry. It’s best that you try a different firm and see how that works out for you.”
Her face screwed up and I really hoped that she was not about to cry in my office. I wasn’t sure how I would deal with that sort of thing. That was why I had Rebecca and Bryce; they were supposed to weed out the criers so that I wouldn’t have to deal with them.
“Mr. Stark, I guarantee that if you let me walk out of your office now, you are going to regret it. When that candy factory becomes the hottest selling complex in Manhattan, you will realize that you screwed up. Mark my words.”
I smiled. I had to admire the girl’s fire; she was truly one of a kind in that regard. I had never seen someone so young come into my office with that much passion going through her body and the confidence it must take to continue arguing her point after I had squashed her dreams a few times already. Yes, I could definitely say that I had a lot of respect for her.
She started to march towards the door taking all the fire with her and I was hypnotized by the curves of her willowy frame. Wow, she was something truly spectacular. Her body, her mind, everything rolled into one, made her a force to be reckoned with.
“Wait.” I called out to her and I knew that it was madness the moment the words left my mouth, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
She turned to me looking as surprised as I was. She waited with bated breath to see what I had to say.
“I will give you a chance. You have six months to prove yourself to me. If you can help me to close the deal that I’m working on in that amount of time, then I will consider your deal, with the option to make changes of my own, of course.”
I could see that she was considering my offer, but it was a little shocking that she wasn’t snapping up my deal right away. What more did she have, if she walked out the door? She would have to try again at another firm and probably wouldn’t have half the luck that she did when she snuck into my office. She should be snapping up my offer right away, but she wasn’t and that made me respect her even more.
She approached my desk and stared at me across from it. I could not read her at all and I almost wondered if she was actually going to turn down my offer.
“Can I have that in writing?”
I laughed. “Absolutely. That’s the first appropriate thing that you have said since I’ve met you.”
I opened my desk drawer and pulled out one of my business cards. I snatched a pen from the top of my desk and wrote my cell phone number on the back of the card. I wasn’t sure why I was doing it. I rarely ever gave out my private number to anyone. Bryce would be very disappointed in me right now. But since I was doing all the other things that I would never do with Harper, I might as well go whole hog.
I passed her the card and she read the number on the back with interest. I was betting that she was just as shocked as I was that I gave her my private number. I was rea
lly hoping that I wasn’t going to regret the whole thing.
“Come back on Monday morning, at 8 am and be ready to work.” I motioned her to leave the office. “Now, go, you have already interrupted my work enough for the day.”
She turned to leave and just as she was about to cross the threshold of the door, she looked over her shoulder. “Make sure that my name is on the receptionist’s list for Monday. It’s Harper.”
“How could I possibly forget a name like that?”
She turned to leave without another word and was gone in a flash. I sat in the wake of her disappearance like the aftermath of a storm. The room felt different without her in it and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I shook my head, suddenly filled with mirth for the first time in a long time. I had to admit - the girl had some serious guts.
4
Harper
I walked in the front door of my apartment and Carmen was waiting there patiently with a bottle of wine in her hand. I couldn’t help but laugh. I wondered how long she had been waiting like that. Carmen was 24 years old, almost the same age as me, and probably that’s why, we got along really well.
She had dark hair, dark eyes, and stunning golden skin, the kind of golden skin that meant that you never had to go to the tanning salon. She was a sassy Latina who was used to working hard for the life that she wanted. She was my roommate and my best friend and I couldn’t imagine living with anyone else. We had both finished business school together and she had helped me hone my business idea which was why she was waiting expectantly by the door. It was just as important to her as it was to me. A loyal friend who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is, the best part about Carmen was that she supported me in everything that I did. That was the kind of person that everyone needed in their life. She didn’t support me just because she was my friend, she did it because she genuinely believed in me. That didn’t stop her from calling me out when she thought that I was making a big mistake. That’s how I knew that her support was genuine. She didn’t allow me to get away with just anything and everything.
Sugar Daddy: The Forever Daddies Series Page 2