I stifled a laugh and continued. “It’s supposed to be a private event with your brother and his family.”
“What’s the name of his youngest son?” he asked.
“Jonathan, sir. He’ll be two years old in March. Their oldest is a girl named Isabel she just turned five last month. His wife, if you can’t remember her name, is Lydia.”
“Oh, I remember her name. I was just testing you, is all. Send my brother an e-mail and let him know I’m excited to see him and his family again. And request to have some toys brought there as well. I don’t know what kids like anymore.”
I couldn’t picture him around kids and what I could imagine made me fear for his future wife.
“I’ll send a runner to make a selection.” The elevator shimmied open and he went on ahead while I fussed about sending more messages here and there.
I tried my best to look professional, but, in a world full of old men, it was hard being a young woman.
Tom entered a glass walled meeting room and sat at the head as he always had. I got a lot of rough looks from one of elder statesman in the room; it was easy to see he didn’t like me at all. I didn’t have the heart to ask whether it was my sex or my race that angered him the most. Racial diversity nearly seemed an afterthought in the office building.
I plucked the water carafe from the stand and poured Tom some water while he finished looking over all the papers.
“Tom, why the devil did you bring that sales mark up 3%? You’re making them nervous; it’s going to blow the whole thing!” chimed in the elder statesman.
“George, I did it because the deal wasn’t solid enough as they offered. On the will of my personal assistant I increased the price and I trust her judgement.”
“You trust her judgement,” he restated. “I wouldn’t trust her with a serving tray let alone a multi-million dollar deal. You should’ve left this one where you found her.”
My anger was tugging at me and draining what little patience I had.
“If I cared for your point-of-view I’d ask for it, Mr. Dibney. But, your opinion is worth about as much as the dirt I stepped in on the way over.”
Mr. Dibney looked obviously distraught having his opinion so carelessly negated. “Listen here, Tom. Your dad and I were running this company before you were in diapers! My opinion should be the only one that matters!”
Tom sat in his chair with his face resting in his hand and listened. “You know, you used to run this company before I bought it, Mr. Dibney. I only kept you around out of respect for my father that helped build it. And, let me emphasize that I bought it. I didn’t have it handed to me on a platter like many sons do. I didn’t spend my days doing nothing but driving fast cars and meeting loose women. I spent them studying and investing so that I could one day make something of myself.” Tom paused and grinned. “If you’d like, I would happily give you Nia’s job. She could take yours.”
Mr. Dibney sat back in his chair and didn’t pursue his thought any further. But it was obvious that he had a lot more he wanted to say.
I grew a bit more fascinated by my boss when he talked like that. He was shrewd when he needed to be and never minded using the stick instead of the carrot. His powerful words gave me a new sense of accomplishment and I wanted to live up to them.
“Mr. Dibney, you’ve given me a great idea. I’m going to add a provision that any money accrued on the 3% figure, that you so obviously hate, will be deposited in a trust for my personal assistant to do with as she pleases,” Tom said.
I quickly did the math in my head and nearly fainted thinking about the numbers. The amount of money would be nearly 1.2 million dollars.
“Now see here, Tom. Throwing money around doesn’t do any good for this company. You’re going to cost a lot of jobs if this deal doesn’t go through. Are you prepared to deal with that?” Mr. Dibney spouted.
“If a deal is to cost jobs, I should make it yours. The amount of money in bonuses you make at years end would shore up the loss quite readily. So, I should hope for your sake that this deal goes through.” Spat Tom.
I couldn’t tell if Tom was interested in this conversation or not. He had a stake in the outcome of this deal, but treating an old businessman like this felt a little harsh, even by my standards.
I leaned in and whispered in Tom’s ear. “You don’t have to keep fighting for me, if that’s what this is about. I get annoyed by racist rhetoric but I’m professional enough to deal with it.”
Tom turned and whispered back. “I like watching him squirm, he knows it’s a good deal, he just wants more money for his pet projects. Besides, you’ll need some seed money when you start your own business and I want to be an investor.”
I felt giddy again knowing that he was being serious about giving me a percentage.
It was around then that another group of people entered the meeting room. They looked like penguins lined up in a row as they sat on the opposite side of the table.
“Mr. Ellis,” began one of the men; it was Mr. Benjamin Riley a lawyer whom we’d had favorable dealings with in the past. “I see you wanted to increase the margin by 3%? I don’t think my client is able to go that high with the economy as it stands. We can go as high as 16%.”
Tom stood up, and looked over the crowd of new people at the table.
“Need I remind you all what this deal is for?” Tom started. “We’re here to change the lives of so many people.” He walked down the line of chairs while he spoke. “This is to secure the land rights for the park. Are you really trying to profit off the backs of subjugated minorities? I know I’m not. That’s why I’m waiving my usual fees to make this deal happen.” He stopped and leaned against Mr. Dibney’s chair, which continued to fluster the old man.
“You might be waiving your fee, but you stand to make a lot of money from this deal, hiring people from your own company to build a project that the city is commissioning from you.” Mr. Riley leaned back in his chair. “You also will own the land rights for any businesses that build on the site meaning that we couldn’t go near it with any franchise we own. You’re asking a lot, even though you know we need to sell, the deal is still raw.”
“I’ll not have any franchises mucking up this community center, nor will they tarnish the parks. This is to be a place for small local business to thrive and build up. The only way for people to care about their community is to be active members of it. I’ll build the buildings, I’ll handle the rent check, but you’ll still get paid a fair share, and more than a fair share. I could give you less than twenty percent, but instead I’m giving you more than eighty.”
Tom was right and they knew it.
The group of men talked amongst themselves for a moment and returned. “We’ll sign and we hope you might reconsider the option at a later date.”
Tom had received his increase in price, which was great for him and great for the people. Hands were shaken, papers were signed, and I couldn’t help but respect him just a little more.
The room cleared quickly, and Tom stared out the 60th floor window looking out at the expanse of the city. He may like to keep his feet on the ground, but it was obvious that he loved surveying his domain.
“Did I make a change, today?” he asked suddenly.
It took me a moment to piece together an answer. “You are improving the lives of a community in which I used to live. Of course you made a change today.”
I cleaned the space a bit, replacing water glasses and readying papers to be filed or shredded.
“Really, Nia, I made a promise to improve lives and create jobs for as many as I could. I feel like it takes so long to make things happen that I won’t have really done a thing by the end.”
“Nonsense, sir. You are young and bold. Rocks are only hard to drag when going up a hill, not down one. I think you’ve carried this rock to the top of the mountain, and all it needs to do now is roll down into place.”
He laughed and sighed.
“Thank you, Nia. I’ll be sure
to add your provision to the document when legal is done going over the final particulars.”
The way he stood seemed so introspective and lonely. I wanted to give him a hug and assure him it would be alright. I wanted to give him the strength to continue with the fight that I knew he would win. Then I stymied the thought, knowing that I shouldn’t be thinking of my boss that way.
He handed me his now empty glass and walked out. The rest of the day continued as usual, but it would be shorter than normal as he had to leave for his game today.
****
I took the opportunity to make some time for myself that I hadn’t had in quite a while. I invited my friend Denise out to drinks and to catch up, and she was more than willing. It wasn’t long until we were more than a couple drinks into our evening and chatting like we were schoolgirls again.
“Okay, okay, tell me. Is he cute?” she said through slurs.
“I don’t want to think like that. He’s my boss!” I replied.
“Yeah, but he’s gotta be cute, otherwise you wouldn’t still be working there, right?”
“I can’t confirm nor deny his cuteness.”
“Spoken like a businessman. I want details, details!” she replied.
She wouldn’t let me go until I said something.
“He’s cute for a white guy; I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. But, he’s my boss!” I said for what felt like the millionth time.
“Nia, you are barely out of college and this gorgeous rich boy picks you up and makes you his assistant? Sure, you might be some smarty businesswoman, but deep down he’s gotta be thinkin’ about that sweet backside you know you like showin’ off.”
She was half-right. It came off as odd now that I spent time thinking about it. He hired me, from thousands of candidates, to handle his personal affairs.
“Where are you living these days, hun?” she continued.
“Well … I’m a live-in personal assistant. He requires near constant help with his affairs so, per my contract, I live in his mansion.”
Her eyes lit up. “You live with him? Girl, you might as well be married already.” She continued to sip at her drink while making eyes at nearly every man in the room.
I laughed at her off beat comment; she always had a way of making me laugh at myself. “I doubt he’d want to marry someone who wasn’t white. You should see the models I have to throw out almost daily. He wouldn’t be interested in someone like me.”
“Hun, he might sleep with a bunch of white chicks, but that boy is all over you, trust me.”
I continued my laughter. “Girl, don’t preach like that. I’m doing this job until I figure out what I want out of life. And, I hope I can figure it out soon because it has been exhausting.”
The night continued on and soon my friend would leave my company for a man. She knew what she wanted out of life, and it made me a little envious. Her cavalier attitude towards meeting men was a sight to behold; not ten minutes later she was dancing with a completely different man.
I finished my drink and called Brent who readily drove by and picked me up. It had started raining, and I had a feeling the evening was only getting started.
A few minutes passed, and we were back on the estate. I sheltered my hair from the rain with a file from earlier in the day, but it did little to help me from getting drenched in the short walk to the entrance. Brent didn’t seem to be having much of a time of it either as he trudged into the house.
“Alright Miss, I’ll be in the servants quarters till you need me. Have a good evening.” He said before retiring to the back rooms.
I made my way upstairs, stumbling and a little weak on the way. The bannister was my best friend as I made my way which was slow going.
I slammed open the doors to my room which happily shut behind me as I entered. I kicked my heels to the bedside and plopped to the bed trying to avoid moving as much as possible. It didn’t last long as my clothes were sopping wet and irritating to wear.
I removed my blazer and unzipped my slim yet professional black dress. I slid it down my shoulder and it clumped into a wet pile on the floor.
I caught sight of myself in the mirror and gave in to my vanity. I might not enjoy every part of myself, but the parts I saw I liked. I may not have model-level skin but I thought it looked quite smooth with its rich chocolate color. I started doing model poses and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t as hard as it looked. My black lace panties did an amazing job of accentuating my hips and went well with my black bra that squeezed me in just the right ways. But, there were few things better than taking it off at the end of the day.
I removed what little of my clothing remained and examined myself further. Shoulder length black hair flowed over my shoulders and frizzed up because of the rain. My soft features and high cheekbones gave my face a thin profile. I pursed my lips and laughed at my silly poses before settling back on the bed. I felt too lazy to put anything on at all and started to settle under the covers.
Then I heard the front door slam open and a raucous laughter filled the entryway. Considering how thick my door was, I couldn’t help but be interested in what was going on.
I pressed my ear to the door to try to hear, and the first voice I heard was Tom’s.
“Deborah, tell me, am I striking out here?”
“I don’t think you can strike out. I think you’re about to hit a home-run tonight,” the woman said.
And then another woman spoke. “Come on, Tom I wanna see what the pool looks like, I brought my swimsuit just for you.”
“Jen, I don’t see how you can fit a swimsuit in that tiny purse,” Resounded Tom’s voice again.
“Trust me, you’ll like what you see.”
I had to see what was going on as I had never been up while he was in the middle of one of his trysts. I cracked open the door to my room which let out a small creak as it slid and started to tip-toe down the hall.
Looking out over the foyer, I saw one girl already hoisting her incredibly small dress off her tiny frame showing off her model sized assets. I sneered at her skinny frame and wished I could at least have a slimmer physique.
The other girl was leading Tom towards the back of the house and out of sight. Tom didn’t really show much trepidation as they went and seemed quite excited.
I knew I should stop but my curiosity and intoxication led me forward still. I crept down the stairs while trying my best to keep an eye on the trio. Tom pointed them towards the pool that waited in the wing and I continued to follow just a corridor behind them and trying my best to keep out of sight.
The women, now naked, climbed into the pool, and Tom grabbed another drink from the decanter nearby. He looked down the hall and I ducked behind a doorway. As I turned to look back to the pool room my gaze was met by Tom, who was now standing right beside me.
I was spellbound by his stare, and he had a drunken smile on his face. He gave me a look up and down.
“Nia, are you aware that you’re naked.” He asked.
You could probably have boiled water on my cheeks I was so incredibly embarrassed after he said so. I did my best to cover myself up, but it wasn’t much of a relief.
“If you want to go for a swim, the pool is open and it’s apparently clothing optional,” he said while stripping off his shirt.
I didn’t have any response; I just wanted to be back in bed and forget this happened.
“Okay, I can see I’ve embarrassed you. Let’s just say that I’m too drunk to remember anything and you can head off to bed. Does that sound okay?” he said.
I nodded and started backing away down the hall. His eyes never left me nor my body and I wanted to slap him for staring, but, at the same time it was my mistake.
I nearly lost my footing on a carpet and caught myself with my hands; giving him another eyeful. While I was incredibly embarrassed, I did feel at least a little flattered that he wanted to stare at me instead of the women in the other room. So I slowed my pace and let him stare as I walke
d off with the sexiest walk I could muster.
I heard his footsteps follow me for a moment before stopping as I made my way upstairs. I felt a little flush when I closed the door to my room; I felt like being naughty.
The alcohol was catching up with me and I sprawled out in bed. The silk sheets I had grown accustomed to would be my only comfort of the night. Still, I felt much better about myself.
****
I dressed sensibly the next morning, throwing my wet things over the shower in my bathroom and feeling much better after the rest. I journeyed through the halls toward the kitchen downstairs and it felt oddly empty this morning.
The chef was nowhere to be found nor was Brent nor was Magda, the maid. I hunted through the house to see where everyone was and only found Tom sitting in a deck chair in the pool room. The room was empty, save for him. The girls who were here last night left no trace.
“Tom?” I said.
He lifted his head and squinted his eyes. “Ah, it’s just you Nia,” he said laying his head back down. “I gave everyone the day off. Clear my schedule for the afternoon if you don’t mind.”
I started looking over his schedule for the day on my phone and it was to be a light work day anyway. I sent a few e-mails and texts to make sure his staff would be abreast of the matter.
He stood up and stretched his muscles a bit. “What would you say to dinner?”
I looked at my watch, wondering if I was up late.
“It’s barely eight, why are you asking me to dinner?” I replied curiously.
“It takes about seven hours to get to Paris from here, Nia,” he said as he casually strolled closer.
“Paris?” I asked with astonishment. “You want to fly to Paris for dinner?”
“Isn’t that generally what you do when you have a personal jet and a day off?” he replied.
I couldn’t find fault in his logic, and it helped that I didn’t want to find fault in his logic.
“I would be happy to join you, if that’s what you wish,” I said.
He clapped his hands in a cheer and gave me a hug.
Romance: Teen Romance: Follow Your Dreams (A Nerd and a Bad Boy Romance) (New Adult High School Sports Romance) Page 12