“I’m not wicked and I’m not resting. I’m meditating,” she said as she stretched. The sun had gone behind the house leaving her feeling a little chilled. She stood up and rubbed the goosebumps from her arms.
Landon’s eyebrow twitched as he said, “Look at the hippie Californian. And I beg to differ, you’re a little wicked.” His eyes dropped to the book in her lap. “Interesting reading. Learning laws of power, huh?”
“Yeah? Not what you were expecting?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I’ve learned not to try and pigeonhole you in any category.” Landon seemed to be as surprised as Lauren. He quickly continued, “I got us a special treat for dinner and it’s gonna go cold.”
Lauren followed him downstairs. Something about the respite had dulled her inhibitions. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his ass as he walked. The gray trousers he wore hugged his backside just right and the white button-up shirt was taut across his back. He loosened his tie and tossed it into his room as they passed the door. There was just something about him, something about opening her eyes to his smile that’d sparked fresh desire.
“Now this dinner is the final test of our friendship. If you, for any reason whatsoever, dislike what we’re having, I just don’t think this is gonna work out,” he said with a cheeky smile.
“Alright...it isn’t raw or anything, is it?”
“You’ll see.”
Once comfortable at a seat at the kitchen island, Landon placed a fast food paper bag and a tall cup in front of her. Hesitantly, she reached in and pulled out a wrapped burger.
“Oh thank God, I thought it was going to be something really gross.”
“Well, it’s a little gross in the my-arteries-are-closing-shut sense, but so good it’s worth it.” Lauren watched him take a huge bite of his double cheeseburger, orange sauce dripping down the corner of his mouth to his chin. He made no move to clean it off, only grinning at her as he blissfully chewed. Lauren hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she took a bite out of the juicy burger. Other than satisfied grunts and nods, the two of them finished their burgers in near silence.
“I’ve heard people go on about In-N-Out Burger for a while but never bought the hype but that...that was freakin’ amazing.” Lauren leaned back and patted her full stomach.
“Yeah, it is,” Landon exclaimed. “Good, I’m glad we’re still friends then. I eat it maybe once or twice a year but when I do, I’m that fat kid all over again. I’m glad to use your visit as an excuse. So, now that we’re fat and happy, I have to ask...how was your meeting?”
Lauren had been ready for this question, already preparing her answer as she’d meditated in the sun earlier. “I’ll tell you how it went but first, I have to tell you about something else that happened to me. After I left Christopher’s office, I just started walking. It’s something I’ve done ever since I moved to the city, helps me clear my head. I used to go hike in the woods back home but...anyway, I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was walking and ended up in a really sketchy part of town. I was more than a few blocks deep before I realized. I might as well have had a glowing sign above my head that read chump cause nearly every person was staring at me.”
He reached across the table, concern filling his face. “You’re okay, right?”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m fine and that’s my point. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. I had a couple guys following me and even though it only lasted a few minutes, it really freaked me out, you know? Once I got back here and felt safe, I realized that’s exactly what I needed to have happen.”
Landon still looked alarmed. “You’ve completely lost me.”
“Christopher basically said that he didn’t think I was going to make a good CEO because I’d never run a company before. I’m too young, too inexperienced, so he doesn’t trust that I’ll be able to handle the pressures. I’ve always had a safety net.”
“Well that’s complete bullshit—”
“No, I know! That’s what I’m saying. I walked out of that meeting feeling like I’d just been eviscerated. I’ve always been afraid that people look at me like I’m still a child. You must know, you’re only a couple years older than me but it’s different for men. If I’m not a flat out bitch, people just assume I’m some sweet little thing they can push over, like Parker does.” Lauren shook her head. “I’m rambling. The meeting went terrible but I’m glad it did. That, and nearly being assaulted, made me realize I am capable of handling anything that gets tossed at me. He managed to poke at some of my biggest insecurities and I’m the better for it.”
The way Landon looked at her brought a familiar quiver of nerves in her stomach. It verged on lustful, an expression she thought she’d seen that night in the pool. He merely nodded. “I know exactly what you’re saying. Fuck! Yes! That’s exactly right. That’s probably the most motivational thing I’ve heard in a long time.”
Lauren had to laugh. “I really mean it. I don’t want you to think I’m going to flake on you or quit when things get tough.” An image of Nick popped into her mind, causing her to feel a little dishonest. He’s making his own decisions right now. You aren’t quitting on him...he’s quitting on you.
“I know that, hon. I’m sorry Christopher tore into you like that though. I didn’t think he’d be that harsh.” Landon sighed and leaned back in the chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head. He chewed the inside of his mouth as he looked at her. “I hate to have to bring this up now but since we really don’t have much time, I kinda have to. Remember how I asked you for StyleSpur’s employee list?”
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
“This is going to sound absurd but we think you might actually have a spy in your office.”
Lauren screwed up her face. “A spy? Is this the Cold War or something? Who do you think it is?”
“Your intern, Rochelle Andres, actually works for Glitz and Swag. Her real name is Rachel.” The way he was sitting, Landon’s shirt was pulled up just enough to expose the bottom part of his tanned stomach. As dire as this news was, Lauren had to force herself to concentrate.
“You’re serious. How did you find this out?”
“To be honest, it’s not something I normally do but our situation with MyBFC isn’t typical either. I know you’re careful about not mixing our stuff and StyleSpur but I wanted to just check out everyone there, a due diligence type thing. It didn’t take a lot of work either. I had one of my guys go through everyone, verify their resumes and hers was the only one that didn’t pan out. A little digging and boom, you’ve got yourself a spy. Can’t hide from Google.”
“That’s so bizarre.” Lauren couldn’t believe it. Rochelle had been getting along at work so well. She’d trusted her with a few sensitive projects, not to mention all the company secrets she’d probably seen. At the very least, she could go back to Glitz and Swag and tell them how dysfunctional Parker’s company really was. “God, that really pisses me off. I’ve actually been mentoring her. She’s been a big help and I was planning on talking to Parker about offering her a position when her internship finished. This is unbelievable.”
“Corporate espionage is a lot more common than you think. A top executive from Domino’s a few years back quit his job for a position at Subway. He worked there for months learning everything there is to know about their business, all their trade secrets, everything. Once he knew it all, he quit and went right back to Domino’s. A month later they were selling sandwiches just like Subway. It’s something even we have to watch out for.”
“How do you think I should handle this now?”
“That’s entirely up to you. Obviously, this has a huge impact on Parker so it’s your decision to tell him or not. As long as you stay vigilant around her, our company should be safe. Anything beyond that is up to you.”
Lauren shook her head and popped the last of the fries in her mouth. “You think you know someone...”
“There’s something else,” he said heading to the fr
idge. The light outside had nearly disappeared and Lauren felt a prick of sadness as she remembered it was her last night in San Francisco. Landon wiggled a bottle of IPA as he leaned out of the fridge and Lauren nodded.
“More good news I hope?” she chuckled.
“Well, I suppose it depends on how you take it.” He handed her the open bottle and returned to his seat. Leaning forward on the counter, his eyes intent on hers, he seemed to mull over how he wanted to proceed.
“You’re killing me! Just say it.”
He took a swig of his beer and nodded. “Alright. If you want to take My Best Friend’s Closet to the next level, you’re gonna have to move out here.” He let the comment fill the air between them before continuing. “Is that good news or bad news?”
Lauren would’ve been lying if she said she hadn’t seen this coming but still, to hear him say it made it real. “For right now it’s just news. I thought we were doing alright working in New York, has something changed?”
“Nope. See, I’m a firm believer in dealing with things as they come, never borrowing trouble. Even with my help, the chances of you getting seed funded were tiny but now that it’s happened, we need to have the next conversation. You signed a non-compete clause when you first started working at StyleSpur. While we could continue to work in New York and fight it, moving out to California makes it a lot easier. Parker can’t touch you out here because California doesn’t recognize NCCs from out of state.”
“But if I stay out there, he’ll sue me?”
Landon shrugged, resting his chin on the back of his left hand. “Probably. The guy is such a sexist prick I don’t think he could stand the idea of a woman one-upping him. He might sue you anyway but you’ll have a much better case if your business is based here.”
Move to San Francisco, imagine that. “I guess it’s something I’m gonna have to think about. It’s not the worst idea in the world but I’m not sure I could afford it. I had a look at the rents and holy shit. I thought Manhattan was bad.”
“Would your boyfriend move out here with you?” he asked without looking at her. He casually picked the label off the bottle with his short nails.
Lauren hadn’t even thought about Nick. In that moment she realized all her MyBFC daydreams had never included Nick. “Uh, well, not too sure about that. If Nick isn’t happy with a three hour drive from Lake George, I doubt he’d be happy three thousand miles away. Besides, I don’t even know what’s going on there. Relationship status is a bit blurred right now.”
She half wanted Landon to take that as a cue. Her heart quickened as she thought about spending the night in his arms again but her excitement was short-lived.
“I know what you mean. I’ve been seeing this one girl and it’s just nothing but games. I don’t even know if I like her or if I’m only into the challenge now.”
Lauren’s stomach flip-flopped but she did her best to remain calm on the outside. Hearing Landon talk about another woman was surprisingly painful, almost more so than when she discovered the text from Rose. With Nick, it was more about betrayal and his lying. Knowing Landon was interested in someone else felt different, like an opportunity lost.
“Oh yeah?” she managed. “What kind of games?”
“I don’t know.” He groaned and rubbed his eyes. “She’s this society girl, grew up in the valley, expects everything handed to her. Under it all, she’s actually a pretty smart girl. I think she just plays these games like a reflex, like she doesn’t know any other way to act around men. I’ve been seeing her off and on for months now and I still don’t know what to make of it all.”
The conversation eventually drifted back to business. A couple hours and a couple beers later Landon suggested they watch a movie in their little padded casbah. Lauren was tempted but said she needed to get some sleep before her flight in the morning. After a quick goodnight, she shut the door to her bedroom and glanced at the time. Ali’s probably up but I really wouldn’t even know where to begin talking to her...maybe I’ll try Nick.
He picked up on the second ring and she was surprised to hear his voice. She’d expected the call to go straight to voicemail.
“Hey Wrenny,” he yelled. Lauren had to hold her own phone away from her ear, the deafening music almost too loud to hear him speak.
“Go outside,” she shouted.
“I can’t hear you. I’m gonna go outside.” She rolled her eyes. The sounds of laughter, a woman’s voice calling out his name, the squeak of the familiar door in the back of the Pony. Nick coughed faintly and brought the phone back up to his ear. “Hello Wrenny.” Now outside, she could clearly hear the slur in his voice.
“Hi, what are you up to? Thought I’d give you a call.”
“I’m at the bar. Where are you?”
“In my room.” As she yelled into the phone, Lauren questioned her reasons for calling him in the first place. As drunk as he was, she wasn’t going to get anything from him but gibberish. “You have a good day?”
“I’m at the bar!” he yelled.
“I know, you just—nevermind. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She heard a loud bang on the other end of the phone, the back door slamming open, then a woman’s voice.
Nick spoke, his voice distant like he was holding the phone down by his hip. “I’m on the phone with Lauren...don’t say that...no, don’t...I’ll be right in, get a shot lined up for me...okay, and put some quarters on the table like a good girl...I’ll be right in my little flower...”
Lauren hung up feeling disgusted and foolish. Nick never called back.
September 6th
I’ve been humbled over and over again today. Not the greatest feeling in the world but probably something that should happen more often. I hate to admit it, but out of everything that happened today, hearing Landon say he’s been seeing someone threw me for the biggest loop. And here I am trying to claim I’m an adult!
He was seeing someone when we first met. He was dating her when we met up in New York. He’s still seeing her, even with what happened last night. I have no reason to feel upset or angry or sad but I feel all those things and more. There’s this sick, sinking feeling in my stomach that I’d love to know how to run away from. It’s not that I thought he was sitting around pining for me or something, but after everything he said that night on the beach...I don’t know. On top of it all, I actually feel guilty that I feel upset.
The more I think about it, the more I realize Nick and I are pretty much over. Neither of us have the guts to just come right out and say it. I think the idea of getting engaged was his way of putting a little extra spark back in the relationship, which probably would’ve worked if we hadn’t had that argument the other night. I would’ve gotten so excited and so wrapped up in it all it’d be easy to look past all the problems we have. As much as I’d like to think I wouldn’t, I’d probably become one of those Pinterest girls who does nothing but talk about seating arrangements and the neatest ways to use burlap in cowboy themed weddings. I thought maybe I could talk to him tonight but...
The fact that I’m not more angry about him possibly fooling around on me tells me I’m done. I’m just pissed that he lied to me in the same way I’d be pissed if Ali lied to me. Ugh, we really need to talk this all out. I’m not “dumping” him, but just confirming that we’ve officially drifted apart...
...
I just sat here staring at the screen for twenty minutes and I only snapped out of it because I heard Landon go to bed.
I hate feeling like such a hot mess. I really don’t want to go down that self-pity road but come on...it’s been a rough day.
8.
Finally changing out of the clothes she’d worn to the meeting earlier that day, Lauren slipped back into her yoga pants and sweatshirt. After an hour on her computer she realized she wasn’t remotely tired. Begging out of the movie and declaring an early evening had been mostly for mental rehabilitation. Writing in her journal certainly helped. While it had been a little difficult realizing and accepti
ng her relationship with Nick was essentially over, it felt good to have at least come to some sort of decision. It seemed he was already moving on.
Craving another beer, Lauren softly opened her bedroom door and peeked down the hall. Landon’s door stood ajar but the room was completely black. Lauren smirked. I wonder if he sleeps naked. After grabbing Damon’s book, she closed her door and crept down the hall, stepping lightly to keep the floorboards from creaking underfoot. She nearly screamed with surprise when Henry leapt out from the dark living room, excited to see her.
“I nearly peed myself,” she whispered to him as he followed her to the kitchen. The under cabinet lighting was more than bright enough to guide her to the fridge. She rummaged through the shelves searching for another IPA they’d been drinking but found nothing. Knowing the sugar and caffeine would be almost as good, Lauren reached for a can of Coke.
Standing at the kitchen island, Lauren sipped the soda and scanned through the book. It was a complex text, the formatting unlike anything she’d seen before. Notes and asides, footnotes and anecdotes filling the margins. It wasn’t the sort of book that you could sit and read cover to cover. It had a weight to it though, like the pages contained important secrets the reader had to search for. It wasn’t going to give them up willingly and didn’t give a shit if you got what you were looking for. A bit like Damon himself, she chuckled to herself.
“What’s so funny?”
With a gasp Lauren jumped back and into the corner of the counter. In her fright, she knocked the can of Coke over. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed, grabbing her sore hip.
“I’m so sorry! I figured you heard me come in. Did you hurt yourself?” Landon quickly approached, his hand sliding over hers, tenderly touching her side. Wearing only a pair of tight black boxer briefs, the dim light cast shadows across his body and emphasized his lean muscles. His sudden proximity caught her off guard, the pain in her hip nearly disappearing.
“I’m alright. Between you and your dog I’m bound to have a heart attack!” she laughed still struggling to catch her breath. As long as Landon stood that close, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to.
Playing with Power - Book 4: New Adult Office Romance Page 5