My Last First Kiss

by Weston Parker

  “Then why live here at all? You don’t even use the amenities. You’d probably save money living elsewhere.”

  The Avalon housed the biggest concentration of Billionaires in the world, and I called the 61st floor home. I hadn’t decided to live here for the prestige, but for the security and privacy that it afforded.

  After my sister, a victim of domestic abuse by a wealthy boyfriend was brutally murdered, I became the key witness for the prosecution, which put my face all over the tabloids. With our father being deceased, and our mother living out of the country, I was the focus in our fight for justice. It had been the worst time of my life, and it was only made worse by paparazzi trying to make me into the grieving party boy who would surely spiral to ruin with drug and alcohol use. Anytime I was seen out, anytime I had a drink in my hand, anytime I just wanted to go to a club, it was slapped on the cover of a magazine. During that time, there was no such thing as privacy, and I guess that’s why now I cherished it.

  After her killer was prosecuted and sent to death row, my life had slowly settled down, and my privacy was regained.

  “I have to live somewhere, why not here where others at least respect my right to privacy. At least most of them.” I’d tried to mingle with the others when I first moved in and I met some decent men, but then there was Darek Dillon.

  As America’s favorite motivational speaker, he’d motivated my fiancé at the time to leave me. And though he insists he wasn’t banging her, I wasn’t giving him the benefit of the doubt. Since then we’d been mortal enemies, and I’d just as soon punch the guy in the face than be friends.

  Luckily, Mark got an early morning call about a case, and I was left to finish my workout in peace. I had to focus on the success of my product, and hope that the meeting would put it in good hands.

  Chapter 2

  Maya

  I woke up before the sun to get a jump start on my day. I had showered and was almost finished getting ready when Craig woke up.

  “What’s with the skirt? We’re not meeting clients today.” Had he really forgotten that I had a new job?

  “Craig, you know I can’t dress down working for ScriptTech. They have a pretty strict dress code, which is why I’ve pulled out a few old skirts.” I hadn’t asked for any money for new ones because I had wanted to manage things on my own, but once a few paychecks came in, I’d have to go and buy a whole new professional wardrobe.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually doing this? I brought you here, gave you a perfectly good job, and now you’re just going to leave me.” Craig gave me a hard glare through the mirror. He stood behind me across the room pulling on his pants.

  “You have other assistants, and I told you, it’s easier than us working and living together. If we’re going to make this relationship work, I think we need a little space. You knew I put in my notice and that I was hired. What’s not to believe?” Since moving from New Orleans to New York City to be with Craig, he’d shown his temper more times than I’d cared for, and I couldn’t stand working with him on a daily basis and taking that kind of verbal bashing day and night.

  It was all I could do to stay with him at all anymore, but with my move, which was only seven months earlier, and changing my job, which was a dead-end, low paying gig as his secretary, I couldn’t afford to be on my own in the city. He’d moved me here under false pretenses, and not the foot-in-the-door to the fashion industry that he’d guaranteed.

  Getting another job, and trying to make the relationship part of my move work out was all I could hope for at this point, and if it didn’t change his behavior, which had progressively gotten worse since cohabitation with him, then I’d have to figure something else out. Hopefully, by then, I’d have a little money saved up so if I had to flee, I’d have a better leg to stand on.

  He wasn’t anything like the man I’d met online, the sweetheart who had romanced me and stayed up late nights to chat with me. Looking back at that time before I’d moved to New York, our bond was much stronger when all we had was the phone and internet to communicate. I’d go to work each day, texting him every moment I could, and I could not wait until I’d get a free moment to talk or text him. I still had all of those special feelings, the ones that marked a blossoming relationship and new love. Those tingles were the reason I really thought I was in love.

  “I think it’s bullshit. What do you know about this drug company? Or the industry for that matter. You’ll have no way to move up. It’s a dead-end job.”

  “I’m going to be a receptionist; I don’t have to know the industry.” I put the last pin in my hair and turned around to face him. “I’ll do fine, and the pay is better. Maybe I won’t argue with my boss all day.” I gave him a little smile and closed the distance to give him a peck on the cheek.

  Craig was an insanely handsome man and everything I could have dreamed of ten months ago when we met online. After our first weekend actually meeting in person in New Orleans, he’d asked me to move up to New York, closer to the industry I loved—fashion. He’d said with him working as a photographer, I’d meet so many people that I could carve my way into the industry, but so far all I’d done was answer his phone and buy him coffee. None of his half-dazed, half-starved models cared about my designs, and I hadn’t met one person that could be beneficial to my future.

  “Don’t patronize me, Maya.” He gave me a sideward glare and then grabbed my arms. “I mean, I think there’s more to this little job switch of yours. Why would you want to be away from me? The money wasn’t bad when you took the job.”

  “All we do is argue, and I didn’t know how expensive things would be around here. Most people in this city are making twice as much as me. This isn’t New Orleans, and the cost of living is much higher here.” I tensed and braced myself for what he’d do next. I wasn’t going to let my guard down now that he’d put his hands on me in that manner. His fingers dug into my arms as he held me tighter.

  “You didn’t even get a job in the fashion industry, though, which leads me to wonder if you’ve met someone else.” His eyes bore down on mine.

  His accusation left me dumbfounded. I’d been in town for a very short time, and since, I’d been so busy with him, not only working the exact same schedule but coming home with him at the end of every day. I’d had to deliberately take a few lunch hours to search for a job, and had gotten lucky when one of the assistants had mentioned the job coming open. His inability to be reasonable was concerning.

  “That’s ridiculous. You know where I am at all times, Craig. How would I have time to be away from you?”

  “Maybe I’m not the only man you know here in New York. You could have used me to get here, and now you want to be with him. It’s not that far-fetched.” He shrugged and seemed so childish in his accusation, so wilted and hurt, that I put my arms around his waist, despite his hands still crushing against me, and leaned my head against his chest until he let me go. I brought my arms around him and held him for reassurance, but his unstable actions had me shaken.

  I let out a cleansing breath. “That’s not the case. This relationship will work out if we support each other. It will be fine, I promise.” I glanced at the clock across the room and knew that if I didn’t get a move on, I’d be late for my first day. The job was important to me, and I hoped he’d be supportive and stop with the silly accusations.

  “Whatever. I don’t have time to sit and deal with you. What time do you get off at the new job?” He stepped away and grabbed his camera bag.

  “I should be done at four-thirty, then by the time I get back here, I should have time to make us something for dinner.” I hated to cook, but I could do it for a few days until he was appeased.

  He curled his lip and turned to the door. “Have fun. I’ll check on you later.” His accusing tone said his words were more a warning than sincere. I went to grab my own bag so I wouldn’t have to walk down to the street alone. I was still new to the city and didn’t like being out by myself.

  We didn’
t live in a horrible neighborhood, but it wasn’t the fancy apartment he’d led me to believe he lived in. I’d been better off in New Orleans, and while I didn’t have it much better, at least I felt safer there in familiar surroundings. At least I had some friends left there, and a family, though dysfunctional, who loved me.

  They had all warned me about Craig and told me that Mr. Wonderful might not be all he promised, but I’d been so blinded by love that I thought I knew better. If only I could go back to the few months before, I’d have never left home.

  The awkward departure had me shaken, and I had a while to think along the commute about where our relationship was heading. I didn’t love him. Not like I thought I had. I wanted to, but I’d seen too much of his ugliness. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, and if things kept escalating, I could be in a dangerous situation. He’d already shown me how cruel his words could be over the past few months working for him, and as I glanced down and saw the red marks still fading on my arms, I wondered just what he’d do next.

  With any luck, I wouldn’t have to be around to let it get that bad.

  Chapter 3

  James

  Walking into the main lobby of ScriptTech was like walking into an art gallery; nothing but walls of art and not even a bench to sit on. Everything was on the upper floors, and aside from a few plants, there was no sign of life in the sterile room. I took the elevator up to the fifth floor where I’d been before and approached the receptionist desk as I had many times.

  “May I help you, sir?” The voice caught my attention long before I made it close enough to see the gorgeous woman who stepped forward from the back and sat at the desk. She wasn’t the dumpy woman I’d seen before. I’d remember.

  “I’m here to see Tom Wright. We have an appointment; I’m James Thomas.”

  “I’ll let him know you’re here. He’ll be with you shortly; would you like some coffee while you wait?”

  “No, thank you. You’re new here?” I looked her up and down and licked my lips at what I saw. Her body was tight, but she had curves in all the right places.

  “Yes, today is my first day, actually.”

  “And you are?” I offered my hand, and her cheeks flared red.

  “I’m Maya Benton.” Maya; a sexy blonde with a body that didn’t quit and an unfair advantage in natural beauty. God hadn’t skimped on this woman.

  “Well, congratulations, Maya.” I found myself getting a bit creepy on the stare-o-meter, so I decided to chill. With any luck, I’d get her number on the way out. “I’ll just step out and make a call if you could get my attention when he’s ready?” I took my phone out and stepped out into the hall to make my phone call, respecting the signs posted in the office.

  A man passed by me in a hurry as I dialed Mark’s number and waited for him to pick up. I knew the guy hadn’t gone in to work yet, but for some reason, he didn’t answer. Yelling brought my attention to the waiting room, and when I opened the door, the man who’d passed by was leaning over the beautiful Maya’s desk.

  “I’ve thought about it, and I’m not having this. I want you to come with me now.”

  “Are you insane, Craig? I can’t come with you now. I’m in the middle of a workday. You're being unreasonable.” She looked terrified, and in her big blue eyes, I saw the same terror I’d seen in my sister’s mixed with a look of helplessness that had my blood boiling.

  “Excuse me? I think you need to settle down.” I stepped forward, and the guy grabbed her wrist from the desk and turned his head.

  “Who the fuck is this guy?” She got to her feet as he pulled her arm harder, and she winced as if it hurt.

  “I’m a client here in this building, so get your fucking hands off her, or I’ll clean the fucking floor with you.” I pushed up my sleeves and towered over the man.

  “Is this who you’re fucking around with? He sure seems awfully concerned about you. I bet you’ve already blown him and every other dick in the building, you fucking slut. I gave you a life here, a place to stay, and this is how you thank me?”

  “It’s not like that, Craig. He has an appointment here.” She was obviously trying to calm him, but she was shaking uncontrollably. “Just go!”

  “Whatever. There’s a reason you’re suddenly interested in working here. I’ll deal with you when you get home tonight. Let’s see your boyfriend here do something about it.” He pushed past me and stormed out the door.

  “I’m so sorry.” She broke down and sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

  “You’ve got nothing to be sorry about. That guy is a jerk, and I seriously think you should reconsider before going home to him tonight. He threatened you, and in my experience, his kind only makes good on those kinds of promises. Their anger escalates.”

  “Yeah, I know. But I’m new to the city. I don’t have any family here and no money. I started this job hoping that I could save some money to get away.”

  I reached in my pocket. “Here’s my card. If you decide you don’t want to go home to that, call me. I’ll get you what you need to stay safe.”

  “That’s generous, but I couldn’t—

  At that time, Tom Wright stormed out behind her. “What the hell is going on out here. I was on a business call and couldn’t step away, but it sounded like world war three! What’s the meaning of this?”

  “There was a guy in here harassing her. I ran him off.” I wasn’t expecting him to come out in such a pissy mood and he glared at Maya like she was to blame.

  “Thanks, Mr. Thomas. Ms. Benton, take yourself to the bathroom and clean up. Come on, James, we’ve business to discuss.” I followed him to the back but wasn’t impressed by his attitude. Maya had been victimized, and he’d done nothing to help or comfort her in the wake of it.

  I took a seat across from him at his desk and dropped my bag on the chair beside me.

  “I’m so sorry about. It’s so hard to find good help. So, you have a new product that we’re hoping to obtain. I was really impressed with it at the last expo. I hear you’ve been getting a lot of praise and I’d love to be the company that brings it to market.” That remained to be seen.

  “I’d like to know your numbers.”

  “Yes, of course.” He dug into his desk and produced a manila folder and tossed it over onto the desk in front of me. I perused the numbers and was shocked to see the projected retail price.

  “This markup is four-hundred percent.” I took another look to make sure I didn't see things.

  “Yes, and as you know this drug will be a widely popular alternative to the other products on the market, but since it’s a different type of drug, being a dissolvable tablet, it will be much more desired than the injection form.

  “I’m aware, and that’s the sole reason I made the medicine available in a dissolvable tablet form. There are many children who need this medication for life-saving treatment. Imagine the lives we could save if we make this affordable to those families who are unable to afford the other types of medication which have been so grossly over-priced.”

  “I’m thinking more of the money to be made. It’s what keeps companies like mine afloat. Besides, you’ll be more than compensated for your product.”

  “And you’ll get quite a chunk of money off the unfortunate, which is why I’m not sure I can do business with you.” I hated to miss the opportunity, but there were other companies, and before I let them get their money hungry mitts on the American public’s pocketbook, I would open my own pharmaceutical production company.

  “I understand. I think you’ll see that I can and will beat any offer thrown your way. I’m sure the other companies out there will see the profit they can make on such a product. Just think about it, and come back later. The offer is good for a month, after that, we might have to revisit terms.”

  I could already tell that dealing with his smug ass would not be a pleasant experience. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “You do that, and I’m sorry about that receptionist. She’ll be deal
t with.” He shook his head. “I swear, the last one wasn’t much to look at, but she knew her job. Guess this is what I get for hiring a hot piece of tail hoping for a taste.” He belted a chummy laugh as I got to my feet.

  “You’re not going to fire her, are you? Not for something she obviously had no control over? Don’t you believe in second chances?” I gave the guy a smile and waited for him to loosen up, but he was serious.

  He walked around the desk and joined my side. “We’ll see. Guess it depends on what she’s willing to do to make it up to me.” He gave me a nudge like we were old friends.

  “Right. You have a good one.” I knew at that moment that I didn’t want to work with the son of a bitch. Not only were his numbers ridiculous, but he had no morals. I couldn’t trust my business to the likes of him, but I’d let him stew a bit before telling him. Better to leave the offer hanging in the wind.

  He opened the door and offered me his hand, and it was all I could do not to rip his arm off and shove it down his throat. Nothing pissed me off more than disrespect for women.

  As I walked out, I’d hoped to see Maya at her desk, but she wasn’t there. I decided it might be best for me to go. The girl was most likely embarrassed enough, and I didn’t want to add insult to injury. I’d offered to help, and hopefully, before she went back to that asshole and things escalated, she’d look me up. I’d get her what she needed to be safe.

  As I rode the elevator back down to the empty main floor, I couldn’t help but remember my last words to my sister. He’s crazy, Lex; don’t come crying to me when he beats your ass. I’d tried to help her again and again until I’d had enough. If I could only go back and take away those words. Knowing I could help someone else couldn’t change what happened, but I’d never turn my back on a woman seeking help ever again.

  Chapter 4

  Maya