I’d never been so embarrassed in my life, and losing my job was salt in my wounds. After the handsome client left, I returned to my desk to find Mr. Wright standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes bore into me, and I could tell he had a lot on his mind.
“I’m so sorry that happened. My boyfriend seems to have a problem, and I promise you, it won’t happen again.”
“I’d like to believe that, Maya. I mean, you’re an attractive girl. Does he have a problem with you working for attractive men?” He stepped forward, looking me up and down as if he could devour me in one bite.
I bit my tongue and knew better than to comment on his egotistical remark. I was in enough hot water; drowning in it, in fact. “I assure you, it won’t happen again.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not going to be good enough, but maybe we can work something out. I mean, if you want to show me how sorry you are, I’d be willing to give you a second chance.” He walked over and leaned back on my desk. There was no one else in his office, so there weren’t any witnesses to his advances.
His thick erection tented his pants right in front of me, and I sat back in my seat and looked away. It wasn’t like I could get around him to get up, he had me pinned in. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I mean, if you’d like to maybe, prove to me that you’re really in desperate need of this job, I’d reconsider having to let you go.”
“Oh, I see.” I knew very well what he’d meant. “No, thank you, Mr. Wright. I understand if you need to let me go.”
His slick smile turned to a scowl. “Very well, then. Pack up your things.” He reached into his pocket and grabbed four crisp twenties and laid them down on the desk in front of me. “This will save payroll the trouble of sending you a check. I think you’ll find it’s more than compensated for your day of work.” With that, he stormed into his office and slammed the door behind him.
I didn’t know what I was going to do. It had been a hell of a day, and while I didn’t want to go back to the apartment with Craig, I knew I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.
The only money I had equaled a hundred and twenty bucks, and it was barely enough to get myself home and get back on my feet. I’d have to figure out a way to diffuse the situation with Craig. Maybe I’d tell him I changed my mind, that I missed him too much all day and wanted my job back, but then I’d have to eat a lot of crow. Kissing his ass would only prolong the inevitable and make things that much worse when I did leave.
But I had no other choice.
I gathered my things and went down to grab a cab. Sucking Mr. Wright’s cock would have made things a hell of a lot easier for the day, but then I’d be in the same situation; letting a man control me and run my life. I couldn’t give anyone that kind of power over me. Never again. I knew the best I could do was go back to the apartment and make nice as I planned my getaway.
I headed home and cleaned our apartment for the next few hours and then started dinner. I’d have it ready by the time Craig got home, and hopefully, he’d be in a better mood. I called to check in with him and told him I was home, and that I lost my job. I waited for his response, which never came, and then put my phone on the counter to charge.
He came home an hour late smelling like alcohol and gave me glares as he silently walked over and looked into the pot. “What’s this? A peace offering? An apology?” He turned and looked down his nose at me.
“It’s not an apology because I didn’t do anything wrong, Craig. It’s me trying to make the best of things. I thought it would be nice if I made a lovely dinner, and we could talk about what to do next. I need to know this is going somewhere. I need to know we’ll be okay, and that you’ll support me having a new job. I can’t have you coming in and getting me fired, so I thought you might have an idea.”
“Yeah, I guess your boyfriend dumped you, then. Too bad. Now you get to sit your ass here and maybe when you’ve learned your lesson; I’ll let you come back to work for me.”
“I need to make a living, Craig. I can’t keep letting you support me entirely. And he’s not my boyfriend. Shit.”
“Why not? Unless you’re planning on going somewhere?” He glared into my eyes and gave me a knowing look that dared me to deny it as he came closer.
“I’m not staying here and letting you control me. If you can’t let me be my own woman and trust me, maybe I should leave.” I shrugged and bowed my chest, keeping my eyes fixed on him. I wouldn’t back down.
His nostrils flared as he shouted in my face. “That’s how you feel then get the fuck out!” He pushed my chest so hard, I slammed into the counter behind me, and before he could lunge at me again, I scurried around the counter, not daring to take my eyes off of him.
“I can’t do this, Craig. I’m not staying here with you while you’re acting like this!”
“You won’t last five minutes without me. You can’t even go to the mother-fucking store without me. You’ll be back when you figure out you need me.” He grabbed my bag off the counter and threw it at me, then he came around the counter so fast, that I wasn’t sure what he’d do next. I needed to grab some clothes if I was leaving, but before I could think about going to the bedroom, he rushed me, pushing me toward the front door.
“I don’t even have my shoes. Please, just let me get my things.”
He grabbed my shoes from near the couch and pushed them into my arms. “Here, take your fucking shoes and get out. I wouldn’t want you to spend another minute here with me acting like this!” He pushed me out into the hall where I fell to the floor.
I put my shoes on and stood, realizing I was dressed in yoga pants and an oversized tee, with sandals that clearly didn’t go with my outfit. I was pissed off more than anything, but his anger, coupled with his physicality, had me scared. I couldn’t go back inside and fight with him, no matter how much I wanted to and I hurried down and out of the building before he could take a notion of coming after me. At least I had my bag. I opened it up to find my phone and stopped in my tracks in the front lobby when I realized I’d left it on the counter charging.
“Dammit!” I looked to the elevator and wondered if I should go back up, but knew it wasn’t the best idea. I tried to think about what to do but didn’t know anyone in the city. The only neighbor I knew, hated Craig and me, and wouldn’t piss on us if we were on fire, and any friends I’d made were his friends, and he’d known them much longer. I couldn’t depend on them, not when their loyalty was to Craig.
I hurried out to the sidewalk and headed down to the corner coffee shop where I went inside and took a seat. I ordered a coffee and planned my next move.
I had a little money, but it was all I had, and if I wanted to find a way out of the city, I’d have to save every penny. I dug in my bag for change and came across the card the handsome stranger I’d met had left me. He’d been so kind, but then, he was a client of that asshole, Tom Wright, and I wasn’t sure that his idea of helping me wouldn’t come with a price.
It was the only option I had, and maybe he’d at least let me use his phone, so I could find a way back home.
I finished my coffee and then headed out to find The Avalon, where Mr. James Thomas resided on the 61st floor.
I didn’t know why, but something about his name and even his face seemed familiar.
Chapter 5
James
After a long day of debating whether or not I wanted to go with ScriptTech, I needed a release. Anything to distract me from the anger I felt each time I thought about Tom Wright. Unfortunately I wasn’t easily pulled off a train of thought. But a night of meaningless sex would surely do the trick. It always worked well.
I frequented Club Expose more than twice a week usually, and with my gold card status, I was a favorite among the ladies. I could have any one of them I wanted, and I’d been through most of them more than a few times each, and that was just the hired staff. There were those who frequented the club looking for the same thing as me, and those
were the ladies that I had to be most careful with. I tried my best to stick to the paid variety, but when I spotted someone too tempting to pass up, that’s when I’d get a little bit daring and sample someone from the guest pool. It happened more than it should have, probably, but sometimes, I just couldn’t help myself.
I thought of the girl, Maya, whom I’d met at ScriptTech. I thought I might find someone like her; even a poor substitute would help carry out the fantasies I’d had about her. She’d been in the back of my mind since that first hello, and even though I had pictured myself banging her, I was also concerned that she’d gone home to that asshole. Guilt festered as I thought maybe I should have stayed behind and made sure she was alright. I should have insisted she let me help her, but that wouldn’t have been healthy for her either. A person had to want out, or they’d keep going back. I only hoped she did the right thing and left him.
Straightening my tie and cuffs, I took one last look in the mirror and then raked my hands through my hair and across my trimmed beard. As I turned and walked to the door, my buzzer sounded. I let out a sigh, thinking it must be Mark or Gene, who was my accountant and a good friend as well. They’d never dropped by unannounced, and doing so on a Friday night was strange as well.
“Yes, George?” The older man was the doorman at The Avalon and respected my privacy more than most, even though he had a bad habit of passing out unwanted words of wisdom which made him a rival with Darek Dillon for a most annoying person in the building. I had to hand it to him, though, at least he hadn’t made his living selling his witty observations as Dillon had.
“I’m sorry, Sir, there seems to be a young woman here asking for you. She says her name is Maya Benton and you met her today at ScriptTech.” A slow smile spread my lips, and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing she had come for help.
“Thank you, George. Please send her up.” I loosened my tie and went to the bar to pour a couple of drinks. I had a feeling she’d need one as bad as I did.
A moment later, the elevator stopped on my floor, and I heard the sound of the heavy doors opening. I went to the door and found her in my small entrance staring at the security camera.
“Maya! It’s good to see you. Please come in.” She was dressed down, and I realized she must have gone home to the man after all, or at least back to her apartment because she’d been wearing a much nicer outfit the last time I’d seen her. She pulled her arms around herself, and I tried not to stare at her yoga pants and a baggy shirt, or the ugly sandals she had on her feet.
“I’m sorry for showing up like this, but I didn’t have a way to call.” She tugged the hem of her shirt. “I lost my job and left my phone at the apartment.”
“You went home?” I gestured toward the couch and went to the bar to fetch her drink. She looked into the glass as she took it and I smiled thinking she was a smart girl as she placed it on the end table beside her.
“Would you prefer something unopened? I have juices, sports drinks, sodas.” I couldn’t blame her for not trusting me, I was a stranger after all, and I knew it must have taken great courage to come up to my place.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to insult you, but I’m just not too sure coming here was the best idea, and with the luck, I’ve had with men today, I’m not sure I can trust anyone too easily.”
“I’m glad you came, and I totally understand. I should have known better than to offer you alcohol anyway. I just figured you could use a stiff drink. I figured that if you’d mustered up the courage to ask a total stranger for help, you could probably use one.”
Her smile put me at ease. “Juice is fine if it’s not too much trouble.”
“It’s not. Would you like anything to eat? I can order up something.” It was times like these I wished I had an assistant, but being a man of wealth, I could just about get anything delivered directly to my house within the hour.
“You look like you’re on your way out. You have a date or something, don’t you?” She put her hand on her forehead and cursed beneath her breath. “It’s not my day; I feel so stupid.”
I waved dismissively. “No, you’re fine. I was stepping out for a bit, but I don’t have any specific plans, and no one is waiting on me.” I walked over to the phone and ordered take-out from around the corner.
“Thanks. I cooked dinner, but didn’t get to eat it.” She looked down at the floor and wrung her hands. “My boyfriend came home and threw me out.”
“Did he put his hands on you?” My teeth clenched so tight my jaw popped, and I tried to keep my temper in check. The last thing she needed was another hostile man.
“He pushed me out. He seems to think that I changed jobs because I was screwing my new boss. I don’t know where he gets these ideas, but it’s not true. Although, your friend, Mr. Wright, offered me the opportunity if I wanted to keep my job.” My eyes flashed wide, and I growled.
“He’s not my friend. He’s a potential partner, whose chances are getting slimmer every time I hear his name.” I couldn’t do business with a fuck up like that. No way.
“Yeah, well I was hoping to save enough money to leave my boyfriend anyway, so that’s not a huge loss. But when he pushed me out, he was only kind enough to throw these shoes at me. He didn’t let me get my phone or my clothes. So, I’ve been walking around the city in my yoga pants.”
“You walked? Was it far?” I wondered how close the asshole lived and how far I’d have to go to get her things and put my fist in his throat.
“About ten blocks. I had to ask for directions, and you can imagine the looks I got asking for directions to The Avalon.” Dressed as she was, I knew she’d gotten some crazy looks, but I didn’t want to tell her that.
“Well, at least you’re here now. I’ll help any way I can.”
“I need a job. Do you happen to know anyone hiring?”
“No, but I can give you money if that’s what you need.”
She gave me a sideward glance and smiled. “I’m not really comfortable taking money from you. And I don’t really have a way to pay you back.” She shook her head and looked away.
“We can work something out.”
“I’m not sleeping with you.” She blurted the words so quickly that I was almost insulted, but then her cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to say you’re that kind of guy, but just in case you’re that kind of guy, I’m not that kind of girl.”
I let out a chuckle. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure you can have any woman you want, I just almost didn’t come because I was afraid you’d only help me if I slept with you. I guess it’s a bad day for me trusting men.”
“So, if that’s what you thought about me, then why did you come at all?”
“Because you were so sweet today. I hoped you’d be a nice guy and let me use your phone at least.” She let out a deep breath. “I figured if you made a move, I’d just kick you in the balls and run.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” I winced and handed her my phone. “Call anyone you like.”
“Thank you.” She stared at the phone as if she didn’t know how to use it.
“Is there someone you can call?”
“Not in New York.”
“It’s okay. I have a bed; you’re more than welcome to stay the night.” I had two guest bedrooms. She could take her pick.
She lifted her eyes to meet mine. “You’re bed?”
“Relax, I meant in one of the guest rooms.” I could tell getting her in my bed would be a feat. Challenge accepted.
Chapter 6
Maya
Waking up in the guest room of James Thomas’ home, was strange and even though he was a nice guy, I felt like a duck out of water. His place was a palace, and I was a reject who’d shown up with one outfit and barely any money.
I couldn’t impose on this man, who I barely knew. I needed to find a job and a new place to stay.
As I got out of bed and slipped on my sandals the smell of
bacon hit my nostrils and sent my mouth to watering. I went out to the kitchen to find James standing in a pair of shorts in front of the stove. Grease was popping, and he was dodging being burned as he cracked an egg into the pan.
“You do know there are some things you shouldn’t do topless, right?” I walked over and turned his fire down.
“I haven’t cooked in a while, and I had this sent up from the market.” He turned his head, and something hit me that he seemed so familiar but I couldn’t quite place him.
“Do you have everything sent up?” I knew he was rich, and probably accustomed to a certain lifestyle, but I couldn’t see anyone not going out for a bit of normalcy once in a while. Did this mean he was famous? He didn’t strike me as an actor, though it wouldn’t have surprised me with his handsome good looks.
His brown hair was always perfect in the back and messy in the front as if he’d just raked his hand through it without care. He wore his beard trimmed tight, and it framed his full lips which were so perfect, I wanted to kiss him just to see what they felt like against mine. His eyes were golden green behind his dark lashes, and he regarded what was in the pan as if he were under attack.
“Mostly. I hate going to the grocery store. I hope you like a traditional breakfast.”
I scrunched my nose and glanced down into the pan at the eggs and bacon frying side by side. “I’m allergic to eggs, actually.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry. Do you want me to send up for something else?” He let out a breath and leaned back against the counter, wiping the tiny specks of grease that had managed to hit their mark.
“I’ll just have some more apple juice and a piece of toast.”
“I’m out of the apple. I have pineapple, though.” He stepped back up to the stove to tend to his eggs.
“Sorry, I can’t have that either.” I shrugged.
“I should have known to ask you if you were allergic to anything, I feel like a real asshole.”
“Hey, it’s not that big of a deal, really. Most people don’t think about it. I just have to be careful is all.”
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