Unwrapped by The Billionaire

by Joanna Nicholson

  Candice,

  Hey unfortunately we can’t substantiate your claims. While it appears that there have been a series of negative criticisms about your performance, we need to take these seriously. We will be conducting a review of your work here at the company. I’ll have Shaudi reach out to you for further details.

  -Tim

  “Fucking bastard,” Candice said aloud. He was getting pushed around by an internet bully. He’d done no research into the accusations and instead was pushing out Candice.

  “Told you, you wouldn’t like it,” Tiffany said. “I talked to Shaudi a little. She said she would look into things as well.”

  Candice scrolled through her phone and found one from Shaudi.

  Candice,

  Hey, I’m really sorry about everything. I’m sorry about this situation and I’m sorry about Tim. There isn’t anything I can do to excuse his actions. I think he is clearly in the wrong here. We are giving you the week off work, which I think is already happening (I talked to Tiffany) while we figure things out. I’m having people look into it as we speak. Tim is writing you off. I won’t do that.

  Sincerely,

  Shaudi

  “Well the one from Shaudi is a little better,” Candice said. “But nothing really concrete.”

  “What can we do though?” Tiffany said.

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought of it, to be honest. I just knew that I had to come back to Oakland and figure things out.”

  “Okay. Well, let’s go back to your place and sort things out then. We can talk for a while there. Do you have spare clothes? I want to take a shower. I feel so stinky,” Tiffany said.

  “No worries. I have some clothes that will fit you,” Candice said. The two were on the Bay Bridge and Candice could see the setting sun. It gave the water an orange glow. She smiled. It felt good to be home. There were boats in the harbor and she could see the cranes of the Oakland port moving around. They picked up large shipping containers and moved them around. The port was one of the largest in Northern California and Candice had always enjoyed the iconic cranes.

  “Sounds like a plan then,” Tiffany said. Tiffany paused for a moment and then looked at her friend. “So did you see Alex?”

  “You just want the dirt,” Candice said. She blushed and her friend laughed.

  “You saw him. You did the dirt,” Tiffany said laughing. “Listen, there is nothing wrong with that. What’s his place like?”

  “It’s nice. I thought I told you about it last time.”

  “No, you just told me about what you did. I mean this is twice in a couple weeks, a month or so, right. Things are getting S-E-R-I-O-U-S,” she spelled.

  “You’re such a shit,” Candice said.

  “What? I’m not the one boning my dad’s best friend.”

  “Well, did I mention he’s well off?”

  “Oh, no you didn’t.”

  “Well, I didn’t think it was really that big of a deal and then when I was at his house this time I noticed how much everything cost. The thread count on his sheets was basically a billion.”

  “Oh, so you fucking an older billionaire now?”

  “Maybe,” Candice said. She blushed and then looked out of the window. They were fast approaching the exit to West Oakland.

  “Anyways, how was it?” Tiffany said.

  “Yeah, it was good. He’s very experienced.”

  “Get it girl,” Tiffany said.

  Candice laughed and smiled. The two turned onto Candice’s street.

  “Oh, fuck,” Candice said.

  “What?” Tiffany replied. She continued to drive and had slowed down to begin to look for parking.

  “Keep driving,” Candice replied. She sunk down in her seat.

  “What?”

  “That’s Mitch,” Candice said. “He’s sitting at my fucking door.”

  “Oh, shit,” Tiffany said. She kept driving by. “He’s never seen my car before has he?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Mitch was sitting at Candice’s door. His eyes were vacant and empty. As the two drove past him, he looked at the car and then looked back at Candice’s door. He looked down at his feet and looked again at the door. He got up from his seat and began knocking on the door. His skin was white and he was dressed in tattered jeans. More than a few days’ growth of stubble was on his face, and his eyes, the only color to him, were bloodshot red. Tiffany continued to drive and could hear him pounding on the door from the end of the street. Tiffany stopped at a stop sign a block away from Candice’s house.

  “Holy fuck,” Tiffany said.

  “Yeah. No shit. What the fuck is he doing here?”

  “He’s fucking crazy,” Tiffany said.

  “No shit,” Candice said. She was breathing heavily. She didn’t know what she should do. She looked at her phone. She had a series of phone calls from an unknown number. “Fuck, I think he is calling me.”

  “What do you want to do?” Tiffany said.

  “Give me a minute. Let me think about this,” Candice said. She took a few big breaths. This was out of control. She had thought that she’d be able to go home and think things over, then confront Mitch. Her timeline was being pushed up, way up.

  She looked out the window of Tiffany’s car. West Oakland hadn’t changed much in the last few days. Some places still looked worn and beaten. A new condo complex was being constructed. A homeless man with a shopping cart pushed his belongings down the street.

  “Fuck this. He’s at my place. Let’s go to his,” Candice said.

  “What?”

  “His place is near the taco truck by Lake Merritt.”

  “Uh, okay,” Tiffany said. She started the car and began pulling away.

  “This may just piss him off, but what else can I do? The cops won’t help. He’s basically getting me fired from my job. Fuck him,” Candice said. Her words were hot with anger but her face was cold and chilly.

  “So what are we going to do when we get there?”

  “You’ll pull over and I’ll go in,” Candice said.

  The drive to Mitch’s apartment was silent. Tiffany didn’t know what to say to her friend, and Candice didn’t know what to say either. She wasn’t really sure what she would do, but she knew that going home wasn’t safe. Tiffany parked in front of the taco truck. There was a little line.

  “You want a burrito?” Tiffany said.

  “Uh, sure. I’m going to walk over to the house,” Candice said. “It’s right over there.”

  “Okay. Should I call you or something when I get the burrito?”

  “Sure, or just walk over.”

  Tiffany nodded and got in line.

  Candice walked across the street and up to Mitch’s apartment. It was an old building that was set away from the street. Candice had been to it enough times to remember it and to remember that Mitch always kept his keys under the rug because he couldn’t remember them usually. She picked up the old brown rug in front of his door and got the key. She opened the door and walked in. He had a computer that was set up near the door. It hummed with life. She pressed the spacebar, and the screensaver disappeared. The computer came to life showing a Reddit page about the red pill. Multiple tabs were open to different threads about Pepe the Frog, red pill Reddit threads, and other sites. She looked at it for a moment and checked the history. She scrolled through it and was able to find the emails that Mitch had sent to her boss. She copied them and sent them to Shaudi, Tiffany, and herself.

  Her phone buzzed. It was from an unknown number. She took a deep breath.

  “Hello,” Candice said.

  “Why won’t you talk to me?” Mitch said. His voice was a low whine.

  “You emailed my work and complained about me. You are trying to get me fired.”

  “You aborted our baby,” Mitch said.

  “Get over it, Mitch. It’s my body. I get to choose. It’s not like we were in a relationship. I would come over and have tepid sex with you every once in a w
hile, and you would talk about pizza.”

  “Pizza is important to me,” Mitch said.

  “That’s great. Maybe you should open a pizzeria,” Candice said.

  “When will you be home?”

  “Why?” Candice said. She stood up. She looked around the room. There was the sofa, his old bed, and his shrine to pizza.

  “We need to talk,” Mitch said.

  “What is there to talk about?” Candice said.

  “You murdered my baby,” Mitch yelled into the phone.

  Candice took down one of the framed pizza boxes and broke it. “You won’t get anywhere with that sort of talk,” Candice said. She stepped on the frame. The glass crunched.

  “What do you mean?” Mitch screamed. “You killed my son.”

  Candice took down one of his framed articles and opened the door. She threw the frame outside. The frame shattered apart.

  “What was that noise?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What the fuck are you doing, you bitch?” Mitch said.

  “Me? Nothing,” Candice replied. She looked at the computer and unplugged it. She took the monitor in one hand. It was a little hard to carry while keeping her other hand to the phone.

  “Listen. I wasn’t trying to get you fired. I just had to let you know I was serious.”

  “Oh. Okay, I understand. I want you to know that I am serious too,” Candice replied. She dropped the monitor on the ground. The screen shattered into a million pieces and made a resounding crash.

  “Where are you?” Mitch said.

  “I’m at the dump actually,” Candice said. “Just getting rid of a few unnecessary things.”

  “Listen, when I get a hold of you…” Mitch said.

  “You’re going to what?”

  Candice put down her phone. Tiffany had stepped into the apartment. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the destruction. Candice mouthed her to record the conversation. Tiffany got out her phone and began recording.

  “When I get a hold of you, I’m going to beat your ass.”

  “Is that a threat, Mitch?” Candice said.

  “It’s not a threat, it’s a fucking promise.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll make sure to let everyone know that you are a piece of shit that threatens people, Mitch.”

  “What?”

  “I mean that I’m recording this conversation.”

  “You fucking cunt,” Mitch said.

  “Oh, and Mitch don’t ever come to my place again.”

  “How did you know that I was at your place?” Mitch whined. “Wait, wait, where are you now?”

  Candice took another picture frame off the wall and slung it across the room. It crashed and pieces of glass splintered everywhere. Shards of glass landed on Mitch’s bed.

  “You’re at my house, aren’t you?” Mitch said. “I can’t believe it. You’re attacking me.”

  “I’m defending myself,” Candice replied. She hung up on Mitch, and then she picked up the computer and walked outside with it. Tiffany followed her. Tiffany’s jaw had dropped.

  When they walked outside, Candice turned around and locked the door. She put the key under the rug and the two got back into Tiffany’s car. Candice put the computer in the back seat.

  “I got you your burrito,” Tiffany said. She handed the foil wrapped meal to her friend.

  Candice unwrapped it and took a bite out of the top. The burrito was a mash of rice, avocado, beans, and vegetables. The oil leaked onto her hand slightly. She got a napkin out and wiped her hands clean.

  “Let’s go home,” Candice said.

  When they arrived, there was no sign of Mitch.

  Candice let herself into her apartment cautiously. She moved about her apartment, slowly worrying that Mitch may lay in wait behind some corner. Tiffany went into the apartment as well. Candice brandished her half eaten burrito as she moved through the small apartment.

  “He’s not here,” Candice said.

  “He probably went home,” Tiffany replied.

  “Good. Fuck him.”

  “Want me to stay the night?”

  “Sure.”

  Candice went back to the car and took the computer from the back seat. She moved it inside her apartment and hid it behind a slew of clothes. She breathed a sigh of relief. The computer was collateral. If Mitch came back she would destroy it, along with all of his shitty information.

  Candice’s phone buzzed. It was Alex.

  How did everything go? he wrote.

  Things are looking good. I got things sorted out, Candice wrote back.

  Good. I’m glad. You were in a real rush to get out. I was worried about you.

  Yeah. Sorry about that. Hey, listen I have some free time. Do you want to come to Oakland for a few days? We could spend some real time together.

  I’d love that. I could fly up tomorrow if you’re free, Alex wrote.

  That would be lovely. I can’t wait, Candice wrote.

  See you then.

  Candice’s face flushed and a wide smile spread across her lips. Things were turning out okay. She’d taken care of her problem, and she had seeing Alex to look forward to.

  “So what do you want to watch?” Tiffany said. She’d set herself up by the TV in the living room.

  “How about a horror movie?” Candice said with a smile. She needed some catharsis. Nothing could scare her anymore though. She’d faced Mitch in her own way and she felt a bright future opening for her.

  Chapter 11

  “You just need to decide on a name,” Alex said. He was seated with Tiffany and Candice at a coffee shop in the Ferry Building. The rich caramel smell of the roasted beans filled Candice’s nostrils.

  “Hmm…” Tiffany said. “I hadn’t really thought of anything. I mean this whole thing is a little impulsive.”

  “What are you talking about? This is a long time coming,” Candice replied. “Walking out was the best thing that we could have done. Tim was treating me terribly. Even after he got the IP address that proved Mitch sent those emails, he still was punishing me.”

  “He’s a dickhead,” Tiffany said.

  “Well, look at the bright side. One, you have an excellent case against him. Two, you now have a great business opportunity ahead of you. I mean really you partnering up with Tiffany was a great idea. Three, you got Shaudi to come along with you,” Alex said.

  “You forgot number four,” Candice added. “I got a great investor.” She put her arm around Alex and squeezed it tight.

  “Well, it seemed like a good business plan,” Alex said. A shy smile spread across his face.

  “So when is the race?” Candice said, turning to Tiffany.

  Tiffany had been going on long runs still. The last that Candice had checked she was up to twenty miles.

  “It’s next weekend. You guys are coming, right?” Tiffany said.

  “Of course. We’ll be at the finish line waiting for you.” Candice finished her last sip of coffee.

  “Awesome,” Tiffany said. “Well I’m gonna go run, literally. It’s my last training day.”

  “Okay. See you soon,” Alex said. Tiffany gave him a light hug and Candice a tight squeeze then walked away.

  “So I think we’re alone now,” Candice said. She batted her eyes at Alex and then took his hand. “The beating of our hearts is the only sound.”

  “You’re funny. Did you think of those lyrics yourself?” Alex said.

  “Yeah, I did. Got me to the top of the charts,” Candice replied. She pulled Alex up from his seat. “All right time to go.”

  “What? Where are we going?”

  “We are going to your hotel room,” Candice said as the two walked across the street and towards Union Square.

  “Oh really? What will we do there?” Alex said.

  “It’s a surprise,” Candice replied.

  “A good surprise?”

  “Yes. A very good surprise.”

  The walk to the hotel was quick. As soon as they got into the
penthouse apartment, Candice went into the bathroom and started a bath. The tub quickly filled and Candice disrobed. Alex watched her as she dipped her toe in to check the temperature. It was hot but not too hot. She lowered herself in and looked at Alex and smiled.

  “Are you going to come in or just stand there and stare?”

  Alex took off his clothes and slowly sank into the water with her. He gently washed her. His hands rubbed gently over her skin. Candice lay back in the tub and began to open and close her thighs. The water rushed over her. The bathroom became hot and steamy as Alex continued to wash her. He leaned over and kissed her mouth. Candice kept her mouth open and then sighed. She could feel his growing hardness.

  “I want to give you a massage,” Alex said. “You deserve it.” He got out of the bath and the water sloshed around. He dried off Candice with one of the large hotel towels and then led her to the bedroom.

  Candice lay down on the bed and then looked back to see Alex. He’d put on boxers and she admired his muscular thighs. The shorts were small, so she could see the bulge of his cock. Candice could see the outline of his strong cock and full balls. She could feel herself get wet just looking at him.

  Soon she felt a drizzle of oil on her back. Alex then began to work her shoulders. He squeezed and pushed his thumbs firmly onto her body. Candice’s body warmed up as Alex continued to work her shoulders then moved to her upper arms. He took each arm in turn and concentrated on massaging it. Every once in a while, he would pause briefly and put more oil onto his hands and then continue on with the massage. Alex’s hands began to creep under her arms. Candice tensed for a moment and then felt his fingers lightly graze her nipples.

  Candice was enjoying the feel of his touch. His hands worked the soft flesh of her breasts. She groaned after a moment and then Alex moved away from her shoulders to work on her ass. He slowly kneaded it with his hands. Candice could feel herself growing wetter and hotter.

  The need for sex started to fill her mind as Alex’s strong hands continued to massage her legs. Candice was disappointed every time that his hands went up her thighs but didn’t touch her pussy. Candice yearned for his touch. She pushed her ass back so that he would touch her hot pussy.