“Is that a problem?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “So chivalrous,” I said sarcastically.
“Some people like that,” he said.
“You’re right,” I replied. “I’m just kidding.”
When we got to my door, I thanked him again for the ride and walking me to my door, no matter how unnecessary it might have been. I wished him goodnight and expected him to leave, but he didn’t.
“I want to thank you again for all the help you’ve given me this week,” he said seriously. “You’ve been absolutely invaluable, and I mean that.”
“You’ve helped me out, too, remember? We can call it even.”
He leaned in and kissed me hard on the mouth, his hands finding their way to my hips. I leaned into him, never realizing how desperate I was for his touch. Luckily, no one was around, because before I even unlocked the front door, his hands were up my skirt. I moaned softly in his ear as he kissed my neck, his hands in all the right places.
“Can I come in?” he muttered in my ear. His warm breath sent shivers down my spine.
“Please do,” I practically begged.
By the time we got to my bed, my stockings and panties lay in a pile on the floor and his pants were around his ankles. He pulled my skirt up to my waist and put his mouth on me, teasing me with his tongue. I squirmed and moaned in pleasure as he touched me in just the way I wanted to be touched. When it all became too much, I begged for him to enter me, and he obliged with much enthusiasm.
When it was all said and done, we lay back on the bed, just as we had a week prior. While I knew we couldn’t continue to go on like this, there was not a worry in my mind. Whatever happy chemicals he released into my bloodstream made me feel at peace.
“You don’t have to wait until I fall asleep,” I joked, slipping an oversized T-shirt on.
“What if I don’t want to go?” he asked, kissing my collarbone.
“I won’t make you,” I said, butterflies storming my stomach. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Not until later,” he said. “You?”
“Same.”
“Good.” He yawned, wrapping his arms around me. “Can I take you to breakfast in the morning?”
“Only if you really want to,” I replied. “Remember, we’re even.”
“I know that. I’d just like to hang out with you in a setting that’s not a bar or your apartment.”
“Is it a date?” I asked.
“Only if you want it to be,” he replied.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms, still high from the amazing sex. We were compatible in so many ways, but it really showed in the bed. There was no bumbling around, no awkwardness. I know it sounds strange, but it was like we were meant to be together.
When I awoke in the morning, I was glad to see his face. I knew that must have meant something because I couldn’t say the same thing about any of my other flings. I had no idea where things were going with Alexander, but I was willing to stick around to find out.
6
Mia
Alexander took me to a beautiful brunch spot that charged more for a meal than I paid for a month’s worth of utilities. The table was covered in little plates of food, everything too beautiful to eat. I felt underdressed in my sundress that I found at a secondhand shop when everyone else was wearing designers I could hardly pronounce. However, Alexander had a way of making me feel at ease in a world that was nothing like my own.
“What time are you scheduled to work today?” he asked.
“Eight,” I replied through bites of a pastry.
He looked at his plate and sighed. Something was clearly bothering him.
“What is it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can say.”
My stomach dropped. Was he having second thoughts about our relationship? I knew that we couldn’t officially be together, but I really didn’t mind sneaking around. It was almost more fun that way.
“You’re worrying me,” I said.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. Okay,” he said after a beat. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone this, but because it will affect you, I’m going to let you in on a secret.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Go on.”
Alexander leaned in a little closer. “When I bought half the bar, there was a clause in my contract that stated that an owner could be kicked out of the agreement if they were caught participating in illegal activity that harmed the business. The FBI will be coming to the bar today to investigate their case against Maximo. If they find something interesting, and I suspect they will, there’s a good chance the bar will be shut down for a little while.”
“What?” I gasped. “What does this mean for me? What does this mean for you?”
“If we are shut down, I plan on redoing the place anyway. I think we could bring in new customers if we retool a few things. Of course, I will be compensating all employees during that time. You can think of it as an extra paid vacation.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”
“As for me, this could be very good. I’m getting one hundred percent equity of a bar for a reasonable price, and I have reason to believe it can be a real money maker. As an added bonus, I won’t have to work with Maximo anymore.”
“What’s going to happen to him?”
“If the investigation goes the way I think it will, he’ll go to prison for some time and he’ll lose The Little Black Dress.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “How did he sign a contract like that if he knew that he would end up losing the bar?”
“Ignorance,” Alexander scoffed. “He was so focused on getting his hands on extra cash that he didn’t read the fine print. Or he did and didn’t realize that I wouldn’t catch on to his crap. People like Maximo think they’re so smart and powerful and that they’ll never get caught. He thought he could walk all over me. I’m proving him wrong.”
I grinned. Maximo was awful, and I was glad he was getting what he deserved. But at the same time, I didn’t like the idea of being away from the bar. It was hard work, but I didn’t know what to do with time off.
“How long will the bar be closed down?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s hard to say,” he responded. “I’m estimating two to three weeks for the renovation. If Maximo has to give up his half to me, then I’m using the money I would have had to pay him to do this right.”
“That’s such a long time,” I moaned.
“Go on vacation,” he suggested.
I shrugged. I didn’t want to tell him that I couldn’t really afford to go on vacation. Even if I was being compensated the same as I would have earned working, it didn’t leave me with enough disposable income for travel.
“What, exactly, is he being accused of?” I asked.
Alexander pursed his lips. “Embezzlement, for one. Again, Maximo thought he was so clever for asking for a ton of money for a bar that wasn’t bringing in that much revenue. He sold the place with no intention of taking a pay cut from the profits. He continued to skim from the top, thinking that I wouldn’t notice. He stole from the business and cut corners wherever possible. The records clearly showed that the money wasn’t properly accounted for. That’s something I noticed almost immediately, but it’s hard to prove.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
“I know. Imagine if I had continued to allow it to happen. I would have lost everything I put into the place. And thanks to your reports about our sales, I realized that he was fudging the numbers to show that we sold more drinks than we actually did. I’m interested to see where that investigation goes. But perhaps the one thing that set this whole thing off was the drug delivery to Maximo’s office.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Exactly. Maximo was arrogant enough to think he could get away with using company money to pay his drug dealer. It wasn’t just a few grams of coke or anything like that. I’m talking a big box of various items. The DA’s office was psyched
when they heard about it. But because of everything else going on, the FBI took over the investigation. That’s why they’re coming to the bar sometime today. If it happens during your shift, I feel like it’s best if someone has a heads-up. I don’t want people to panic.”
“Are you going to be around to answer questions?” I asked.
He nodded. “There’s really no way to do this, so I’ll just have to play it by ear. I know the other girls listen to you, so if you can reassure them, that would be great. I don’t want to lose any staff over this.”
I smiled wryly. “You invited me to brunch so you could use me as your minion in all of this mess?”
He laughed. “I invited you to brunch because I like you. I filled you in on my secret because I trust you. I’m asking for your help because there’s no one better to keep things calm. You don’t have to do anything to help me, but it would be nice if you did.”
“Of course I’ll help you,” I replied. “But you need to know that none of these girls will settle for anything less than their normal wages during this time. They can leave and bartend at any joint in the city. If you want to keep them around, you have to make it worth their time.”
“Got it. Any other demands?”
“Can we have an employee-only bathroom?” I asked sheepishly. “We’d really prefer to use a toilet that isn’t filled with drunk girls.”
“I can do that.” He grinned. “That was easy.”
We ate the rest of our meal while talking about Maximo’s crimes and how things were going to change around the bar. It was a lot to wrap my head around, but I was glad that I was kept in the loop. My job had always been a place to kill time until something better came around, but now I was partially invested in what happened to the place. I didn’t want to work at a bar forever, but at least I could make some suggestions to improve my time there.
After he paid the bill, Alexander drove me back home and walked me to the front door of my building. This time, he left me there with a quick peck on the lips. He then retreated to his car so he could arrive at the hotel and watch the bar go up in smoke, just to rebuild it.
I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around my place, daydreaming of what it would be like to date Alexander for real. Everything about him was just too perfect. We were from two completely different places in life, but we still seemed to have so much in common. I could talk to him for hours about nothing, seamlessly transitioning between topics without any awkward pauses. I felt as though I had known him for years. In fact, I frequently had to remind myself that he was not just some guy I met at the bar. He was my boss, and a very rich and powerful man.
When I arrived for my shift, I noticed that the front door to the bar was closed and there was a sign on the door, informing customers that the bar was temporarily closed for renovations. I wanted to talk to Alexander and see how he was doing, but there were bartenders and men in suits milling around.
“What’s up?” I asked one of my coworkers, trying to act natural.
“Maximo’s under arrest. Alexander gave us two weeks of paid vacation and travel vouchers. I’m going to New York for the week.” She grinned. “This is the best day ever.”
I caught a glimpse of Alexander from the corner of my eye and couldn’t help but smile. I was truly happy for him. I knew that after my few weeks of vacation were up, everything would go back to normal for me. But for Alexander, things were just getting good. He was basically being handed a bar with tons of potential for half the price. He worked hard to get to where he was, and it was paying off. A truly good person managed to take down a corrupt and horrible boss. In a world of injustices, it felt good that I could be part of a positive change, even if it was just within the corporate world.
“Mia,” Alexander said professionally, holding a stack of envelopes in his hand.
“Yes, Boss?” I teased.
He cracked a small smile and handed me a white envelope with my name printed on the front. “Here’s your pay stub and travel vouchers. Enjoy yourself, will you?”
“Thanks,” I said, waiting around to see if he had anything else to say.
“Go home,” he said softly. “Have a few glasses of wine and enjoy the night off. I’ll give you a call when things quiet down around here.”
“Okay,” I said, a little disappointed that I couldn’t stick around with him.
When I got home, I opened the envelope. Along with the pay stub for two weeks’ worth of wages, there was a $500 bonus for “consulting work”. In addition to the pay, he included one free round-trip flight and several nights in one of his father’s hotels. I debated whether I should go on a trip or sell the vouchers and lounge around in my underwear for the two weeks. But I remembered that I had been wanting to visit my college friend in New Jersey for months, and I booked a flight to Newark for the next day.
My friend screamed when I told her about my sudden visit. She was so eager to catch up on everything we had missed since graduation.
“I can’t wait to tell you about this guy I met,” I said. “We’re not serious, but he’s got a lot going for him. I’ll give you the details when I see you tomorrow.”
When I got off the plane the next day, I turned my phone on to see a missed call from Alexander. I would call him back eventually, but for now, I wanted him to think about me for a few hours before I returned his call.
7
Mia
When I finally called Alexander back, I expected it to be some sort of booty call, where he’d put me on the next flight home to hook up. Instead, I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to discover that he had found me a lead on a new job.
“What about the LBD?” I asked.
“Screw the bar,” he replied. “You told me that you’d rather work in the hotel, isn’t that right?”
“Yeah,” I said meekly.
“So?”
I didn’t have a quick response. “That’s really kind of you.”
He laughed. “You know you’re good enough. I’m not just doing it because I like you. I want you to work in management at the hotel.”
“Why?” I asked.
He paused for a minute. “There’s something I didn’t tell you. I feel bad about not keeping you in the loop on everything, but the timing just wasn’t right. I didn’t just buy the LBD—I bought the whole Millennium.”
I gasped. “You own the hotel?”
“Yeah, pretty crazy, right? The deal just went through early this morning. I noticed that there was a vacancy in one of the management positions. It pays better than your old job, and you’ll get the experience you need to work your way up. It’s not anything spectacular, but I think it’s the right job for you right now. There’s a lot of room for growth. Anyway, I went ahead and gave your name to HR and they want you to come in on Wednesday at ten o’clock to talk to them and tell them a little bit about your current experience in the bar.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I muttered. I was still so shocked that he had gotten me this interview. I’d applied for jobs all over the city and wasn’t even contacted for a phone interview. I knew that I had the smarts and skills to be great at the job, but I just needed a way to get my foot in the door. I thought working at the LBD would help. In a way, I guess it did.
“Say you’ll show up to the HR office.”
“I will.” I grinned. “Thanks again.”
“Enjoy your time off,” he said.
“I will,” I said, though my vacation hadn’t really started and I was already freaking out about my interview.
By the time I returned home, I had already composed answers to just about every interview question imaginable. Alexander’s recommendation would be helpful, but I still needed to bring it in my interview. I used my bonus money to go to a department store and buy a new suit for my interview. I looked awesome in it, and I hoped that it gave the impression that I knew exactly what I was doing.
I was also nervous about using Alexander’s name to get ahead. For months, I’d wished I ha
d more connections so I could land a decent job. Now, I had the connections, but it made me feel like I hadn’t landed the interview on merit alone. Plus, the type of relationship I had with Alexander complicated these feelings even further. It wasn’t as if we had really worked alongside each other for awhile. I had given him a few tips and he had slept in my bed on more than one occasion. We were more like fuck buddies than business associates. I didn’t want to get ahead by sex alone. I was a smart woman with lots of good ideas.
On the day of the interview, I woke up with a stomach ache. I thought about rescheduling the interview, but I knew that I just had a case of nerves. The job sounded awesome, but I was terrified to mess things up. If I failed the interview and had to go back to the bar, I would be embarrassed. Alexander seemed to think highly of me, and I didn’t want to let him down. But most importantly, I didn’t want to let myself down.
Nevertheless, I made it to my interview on time, walking past the closed bar on my way to the HR office. I greeted the hiring manager and went to her office, my heart pounding a million beats a minute.
“Mr. Davis spoke very highly of you,” she said as she rifled through some paperwork. “We’re always looking for new talent and dependable employees. He wanted this position filled immediately so he could get to work making changes around here. I think he’s going to be great for this hotel.”
“I think so too.” I smiled. “He’s already turning The Little Black Dress around.”
“That’s what I hear. We’re all glad the old owner is out. No one really liked him around here.”
I tried not to giggle at this. I bet she had no idea how awful he really was.
“Starting salary for this position is $50,000 a year. Bonuses will be awarded at the end of each quarter. The standard workday is eight to five with an hour-long lunch break, but you may be required to work some weekends and early mornings or late nights.”
“Sounds great,” I said, trying to imagine having a regular work schedule for once. That, and I could hardly imagine not having to rely on tips to survive. I didn’t have to wear low-cut tops and flirt with clients to earn my keep.
His Long Island Iced Tea: A Billionaire Romance (The Cocktail Girls) Page 4