by London Casey
“Then fire me,” I said.
“Don’t tempt me, Maya.”
I grinned. “Where did you send Cody to?”
Cole’s face turned very serious. “Why does that matter?”
“Just curious.”
“It’s not your business.”
“I know it’s not,” I said. “I’m just having a conversation.”
“Not about that.”
“Oh, so we’re only allowed to talk about certain things?”
“Yes,” he said.
“You know, I better write this down. It’s getting confusing. I’m allowed to tell my friends you got me pregnant, but nobody here can know, right? Everyone in the office still thinks I’m some idiot who was drunk and got fucked, right?”
“Maya…”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m used to it.”
“Do you want me to walk out of here right now and announce it?”
“If you want to,” I said.
Cole closed one folder and opened another.
His finger moved down the first page and he nodded.
“I have a meeting with Mr. Pickle in an hour,” he said. “Are we meeting up later?”
“Maybe. My asshole boss is riding me hard today.”
Cole looked at me. “He’s going to ride you hard later too.”
“Now that’s a comment I can take to HR.”
“Do it,” Cole said. “While on your way there, get me something to drink.”
“I don’t feel like walking that far.”
“I didn’t ask. I told you to.”
“Cockhead Cole,” I whispered.
I left his office, not sure how much we were joking or telling the truth.
I went down to the cafe because I was hungry myself.
When I got back to Cole’s office, he was gone again.
I left him a drink and a snack then went back to my office to keep working.
My phone vibrated a short while later, it was Connie.
Talk?
I replied with a thumbs up emoji and she called me.
“How are you doing, preggo?” Connie asked.
“Tell me you’re still fucking your boss,” Jen said.
“Jen?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah, Jen is on the call too,” Connie said. “Sorry.”
“That’s fine. Hey to you both. Um, I’m still pregnant.”
“Still fucking your boss?” Jen asked.
“Yup,” I said.
“Bitch,” Connie said.
“So what’s up?” I asked.
“Go ahead, Jen,” Connie said.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I slowly stood up.
“I just wanted to tell you that Ed got arrested last night.”
“Oh, no,” I said.
“He’s an asshole,” Connie said.
“Connie,” I said.
“No,” Connie said. “I’m sorry, Jen, but this is it. You have to figure this out.”
“I know.” Jen said as her voice crackled. “He’s just… I just wanted Eddie to have a father. I feel like I messed up so bad.”
“You didn’t mess up,” I said. “You couldn’t have known…”
Yes, she could have. Ed was always an asshole.
“This is what I keep saying,” Connie said. “About moving forward in life. You take what life deals you and move on. Right, Maya?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I mean, I didn’t plan on getting pregnant. I don’t regret it, but…”
“You do,” Connie said. “It’s okay. You think I wanted to end up with two kids like this? No. But it’s my life.”
“What did Ed do, Jen?” I asked.
“He was drunk in a car with some other woman,” Jen said. “They were fucking.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Stupid whore,” Connie said.
“When the cops tried to talk to him, he swung.”
“At the cops?” I asked.
“Yup,” Jen said. “So that’s that. I don’t have any money to bail him out.”
“Good,” Connie said.
“I’m really sorry, Jen,” I said. “Thanks for calling me. I wish I could do something.”
“Let me live through you for a second,” Jen said. “Tell me a hot, pregnant sex story about your big dicked boss.”
I laughed. “I don’t know about that.”
“Come on,” Connie said. “You’re living a good life in the city. Share the wealth a little.”
“It’s just…” I saw movement from the corner of my eye. I looked at my office door. “Hey. Listen. I’m at work. I’m in my office and I have to go.”
“I bet the boss is there,” Connie said.
“Is his dick hanging out of his suit pants?” Jen asked. “Please say yes.”
“You two are crazy,” I said. “But I really have to go.”
I ended the call and put my phone on my desk.
“Where is he?”
“He’s not here,” I said. “You should go. I’ll tell him you were here. He’s meeting someone.”
“Mr. Cucumber?”
“Mr. Pickle,” I said. “Please… go…”
“I’m not going to do that, Maya.”
Cody then stepped into my office.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Cole
Mr. Pickle chose a lounge type setting for our next meeting.
He sat with his arms across the top of a leather couch, looking relaxed, maybe even drunk.
I looked around the place and got a strange vibe from it.
It had the feel of a strip club, minus the thumping music and glitter.
This area was more of a VIP section, where it was sectioned off and very private.
It was a lot of space for two people to sit and talk.
But with so much money on the line, secrecy was important.
Mr. Pickle leaned forward and grabbed his drink glass and lifted it into the air.
“Have one with me, Cole,” he said.
“Of course,” I said.
“And have a seat. You standing around is making me nervous. I’m here to relax and celebrate.”
Celebrate?
A waitress approached me carrying a large tray with a single drink on it.
She smiled and I took the drink.
I sipped it and it was very smooth.
Expensive smooth.
I sat down and nodded to Mr. Pickle. “Are we finishing this right now?”
“Possibly,” he said. He waved his now empty glass in the air and slid it across the table between us. He put his elbows to his knees. “Why do you need this deal?”
“Excuse me?”
“Sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me, Cole. Sometimes I rush forward too soon and too fast. But I always know when to stop.”
“Stop?”
“Answer the question. Why do you need this deal?”
You motherfucker…
Rage started to build inside me.
I was not in the mood for games.
I had come too far…
“We both need the deal,” I said. “And I’m not sure need is the correct word. We both can easily walk away and live just fine. Of course, the cost of the lawyer’s fees will eat at us for a while. Not to mention the wasted time. That’s one thing we never get back here. Bank accounts can grow. The amount of time we have doesn’t. That’s always moving in reverse.”
“But why… why this?”
“Why not? I’ve spent years building this company. I worked my ass off to grow the company. There’s a ceiling here for the company. I’m not stupid. There’s always a great opportunity for you to make a lot of money doing nothing but having drinks in a place like this. Last time I checked, I thought you enjoyed money. Maybe I’m wrong.”
Mr. Pickle pointed to me and smiled. “You’re getting defensive, Cole. You’re getting too attached to the company, the deal… maybe me.”
“I disagree. I’m just tired of wasting time. There are
better things to do instead of talking right now.”
“Ah, something we can agree on.”
Mr. Pickle clapped his hands and I looked behind me.
I turned my head and shut my eyes.
A second later, when I opened my eyes, they were still walking toward us.
Who were they?
Two beautiful women… hired for one thing…
She sat down on the arm of the chair and put her right hand on my shoulder and squeezed. She smelled like expensive perfume and I could tell she wore nothing but the black dress that clung tightly to her body . She had jet-black hair and a stare that matched as she smiled at me.
“That’s Danielle,” Mr. Pickle said. “And my girlfriend here is Rachel.”
Mr. Pickle had a type.
Rachel’s chest was so big she looked ready to fall forward. She had almost white-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a giggle that was annoying and innocent at the same time. Of course it was a fake giggle. Everything about these two women were fake.
They were being paid to put on a show. And that show was to make Mr. Pickle and I feel like we were the most important men in the world.
“We should finish our conversation first,” I said.
“What’s there to talk about?” Mr. Pickle asked. “I’m in the last stretch of thinking, Cole. There’s nothing that could be said or done at this point. I just figured between the two of us, it’s been a long road here. We might as well take a second to breathe. Really think it all through. If we come out of this with smiles and a handshake, then we’re good to go. Do you agree?”
“I think…”
Mr. Pickle lifted his eyebrow. “Are you getting soft, Cole? Do you have someplace you’d rather be right now?”
I sucked in a deep breath and shook my head.
I reached for my drink and lifted the glass with a grin.
“Cheers,” I said. “Looks like we’re getting drinks and a show, huh?”
Mr. Pickle laughed. “More than a show, Cole. These beauties are paid through the next few hours. For anything, Cole… anything.”
“Oh.”
“Cole… anything.” Mr. Pickle smiled bigger. “The paperwork’s been signed. They know when to keep their mouths closed. Opened.” He looked at Rachel. “Full… right, baby?”
Rachel groaned and cuddled up on the couch with Mr. Pickle.
She draped her right leg over Mr. Pickle’s legs. Her dress shot all the way up, exposing her ass.
I sighed.
That’s when Danielle touched my chin and turned my head.
She looked down at me. “Don’t cheat on me, Cole. I’m here for you.”
“Why don’t we get more comfortable?” Mr. Pickle offered. “I’ll take Rachel to our private room. Cole, feel free to enjoy Danielle right here. I’ll have the sign flipped on the door, so nobody bothers you.”
I gritted my teeth and nodded. “Good idea. You better get moving fast too. I can’t contain myself much longer here with her.”
How much of an asshole was I?
Mr. Pickle exited the room and I stood up from the chair.
I pulled at my tie to get a little breathing room.
I felt Danielle stand up and approach me.
Her hand touched my back and moved up to my shoulders.
“Tense,” she whispered. “You are so tense. Why don’t we start there. I know just the thing to fix that…”
Her hands stopped touching me.
I stared across the room to a neon-red exit sign.
That’s exactly what I needed here.
A fucking exit.
From a lot of things.
When Danielle remained silent for way too long, I slowly turned.
I wasn’t sure what her next move was going to be, but I did not expect her to be standing there topless.
She had stripped her dress halfway down her body and just stood there.
“We can start here,” she whispered.
She reached for my hands and I pulled away. “Stop.”
“It’s okay, Cole, I know everything,” she said. “I’m here for you. You are my king right now. Enjoy…”
I hurried to take my suit jacket off and did something I never thought I would ever do.
I covered up a topless woman who wanted nothing more than to drop to her knees and take me into her mouth. A topless woman who was hired to do anything I wanted her to do.
When I covered her up, I held her shoulders. “Listen to me, Danielle, we need to have a talk.”
“What is this?”
“This is me doing something insane. Whatever he paid you, I’ll pay you the same to keep… to keep your clothes on. To keep your mouth shut of everything we didn’t do here. Got it?”
“Okay,” Danielle said as she swallowed hard. “So, what do we do then?”
I moved my suit jacket away and held it up. “Please cover yourself. Put your dress back on.”
I could hear Jackson now.
Cole just told a woman to put her clothes back on! He’s in love! Holy fuck, he’s really in love with his secretary!
When Danielle was dressed again, I put my suit jacket around her shoulders the right way and pointed to a chair for her to sit down in..
I sat down in my chair.
There was distance between us.
That was good.
More distance, no temptation, and not even an ounce of regret.
If anything, it was anger.
I was pissed off.
Pissed that Mr. Pickle was dragging his feet on this deal. Pissed off that he thought he could just buy some attention for both of us and that I was the kind of guy that enjoyed that.
Which you were, Cole. It wasn’t all that long ago you were.
I made fists and gritted my teeth.
I grabbed my drink glass and downed what was left in it.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” Danielle asked.
“Have at it,” I said. I stood up. “I have to leave.”
“I know,” she said. “You’re in love with someone. And you don’t want that guy to know about it. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Won’t be the last. We’re all just doing our job, right? You’re trying to close a deal. That guy is trying to relax on it.”
I reached into my pocket and put money on the table. “Not sure what this will get me, but I hope maybe some messy hair, pouty lips, and the need to reapply lipstick. For effect.”
Danielle winked at me. “Send someone in to bring me a drink. I have a few hours to kill on my own.”
I walked by Danielle and she grabbed my arm.
I looked down at her.
“Just one last time, Cole. Three hours. Anything goes. I like it all too. Nothing forced.”
“I appreciate the offer.”
“You love her that much?”
“She’s carrying our child,” I said. “I’ve never loved someone the way I love her.”
Danielle released her grip on my arm and brought her cigarette to her lips.
She kept my suit jacket.
And I felt like I was losing my mind.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Maya
“Cody,” I said.
“You know, I’m not a fan of you knowing my name,” he said as he walked to the window. He slipped his hands into his pockets. “Does it bother you?”
“What? The names you’ve made up? Not really. At first, I thought it was just an unfortunate last name. Then I realized something was going on.”
“No, not that. I meant the view.”
“The view? Why would the view bother me?”
Cody looked at me. He smiled.
He had the same lips and smile as Cole. The same eye shape too. But his eyebrows and cheekbones were different.
“I’m afraid of heights,” he said. “Which is kind of funny for a guy who spends all his time getting high. Right?”
“Yeah. Right.”
Cody laughed. “I mean, think about it. All I want is to feel like
I’m floating, but I need my feet on the ground to enjoy it.” He shook his head. “This view though… it’s actually making my knees wobble a little.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” I said.
My mind raced on what to do next.
I could text or call Cole. Excuse myself from the office.
But Cole was in a meeting with Mr. Pickle.
I didn’t want him to have to leave and have the deal get messed up.
Which meant all I needed to do was keep Cody here. In my office. Talking. Laughing. That way I could keep an eye on him and make sure he didn’t cause trouble.
“Want to do something fun?” Cody asked.
“Sure,” I said.
“Come here. To the window with me.”
I moved from my desk to the window.
“Take your hands,” Cody said, “like this…”
He put his hands up and out.
I did the same.
“Now put them against the glass,” Cody said. “Kind of lean into the glass.”
“Okay,” I said.
My hands gently touched the glass.
I was only able to lean so far because of my stomach.
“Now, with your hands like that, lift up on your toes and look down,” Cody said. “You feel like you’re falling.”
I listened to him, playing his game, all for the sake of Cole.
When I got to my toes and looked down, I had that sudden feeling of falling. It was a balance thing because of being on my toes. And my eyes panicked for a second, telling my brain I was going to fall out of the window.
I gasped, stepped back and tripped.
“Fuck,” Cody said as he pushed from the window.
A second later, he caught me, keeping me from crashing to the floor.
“Whoa,” I said with a weak smile.
“Whoa is right,” he said.
He stared at me for a couple seconds.
Then he leaned closer to me.
I turned and rolled out of his touch and kiss before his lips could touch mine.
My hands hit the desk and I pulled myself behind it.
Heat rushed to my face.
Cole’s brother is here, high, and just tried to kiss me.
Maybe in some other world that would have been okay. The world where I hated Cole enough and had enough guts that I would fool around with his brother just to piss him off.