by E. L. Todd
I waited for him to tell me what I’ve wanted to know forever.
“I burned some bridges at work. I had a bad attitude and I was difficult to work. Basically, they fired me and bad-mouthed me all over town. No one wants to work with me now. I’m known as a selfish asshole—which is completely true. The girls quickly took off when they realized I wasn’t a hot shot anymore. But I shouldn’t be surprised. People I thought were my friends turned their backs on me, but now I don’t see why they would have liked me to begin with.” He shook his head slightly. “I spent my money on drugs and alcohol. I thought I was rich and pissed it all away. When I had to pay taxes, I didn’t have enough money. They took all my possessions, including my car and apartment. Now I’m broke with no job.”
Wow, that was a lot to take in. Even though he deserved that fate, I felt bad for him. He really had hit rock bottom.
He shrugged. “I ask for help from friends, or people who I thought were my friends, but they turned their backs on me. They wouldn’t even let me sleep on their couch. I quickly realized I had no one in the world who cared about me. And that made me feel like shit. But the worst part is knowing I deserved it.” He took a deep breath before he continued. “I didn’t tell my parents because I knew exactly what would happen. They wouldn’t help me. My dad was adamant about Flynn and I taking care of ourselves. If I told him I’d fallen, he would just tell me to get back up. But I really have nowhere to go. I’m broke and jobless. Flynn was the only person who accepted me without question. He’s the only person I can rely on…”
My heart ached at his words. Without thinking, I reached across the table and rested my hand on his. The touch felt warm. He didn’t pull away and I let it rest there. “We all fall down every once in a while.”
He stared at our joined hands.
“When I was dancing, I barely had enough money to pay food and rent. My parents disowned me when I told them I wanted to dance for a living. They never gave me support in school or for anything else. I’ve never had anyone to turn to. I felt alone for the longest time. It got so bad that I couldn’t afford food or groceries. Flynn knew I was struggling even though I never asked for help. One night, he placed groceries in front of my door and walked away. I was drowning but he kept me above water.” I rubbed his knuckles before I pulled my hand away. “My point, Flynn loves you and he’ll always be there for you. He’s the one person you can count on.”
“I know,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry to hear about all of that.”
“Why should you be?” he said bitterly. “I was a total ass to you. And you were still nicer to me than I deserved.”
I shrugged. “I love your cocky brother.”
He smiled slightly.
“I take no pleasure knowing you failed, Cade. But sometimes we have to lose everything before we realize we need to change our ways. I admit you were an ass to me, but if that’s not who you are anymore, I’m not going to hold it against you.”
“Really?” He seemed surprised.
“I’m not perfect. I’ve done a lot of things I was forgiven for. You deserve forgiveness too.”
“I haven’t technically apologized.”
“Then do it now.”
“Okay.” He smiled slightly before he dropped it. “I’m sorry about everything, Hazel. You’re a cool girl and I’d like to get to know you better.”
“I accept your apology.”
“Thanks.”
The waitress brought the food. I wasn’t hungry anymore but I dug in anyway.
“Cade?”
“Hmm?”
“Why didn’t you tell Flynn this?”
He shrugged. “I’m embarrassed.”
“Then why did you tell me?”
“I can tell you’re a sweet person.” He dipped his ngam into the hummus then took a bite. “I was only an ass to you because you called me out on my shit. But it was immature for me not to let it go. When it escalated, it just got worse, but it’s my fault it happened. Anyway, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Cade.”
He ate his rice and slumped his shoulders.
“I think you should talk to Flynn when he gets back.”
“You aren’t going to tell him?”
“No. You should do it.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
“Yeah.”
We ate quietly for a while.
“Flynn is really lucky to have you in his life, Hazel. I wish I had a beautiful woman that missed me like crazy when I wasn’t around. The only girls who seemed like they cared about me cared about the money I had. I’ve never known love like that. Honestly, I’m envious.”
My eyes softened. “You’ll find someone someday.”
He shook his head quickly. “No woman is going to want me. I’m penniless and have no job. I’m living with my brother and his girlfriend. I’m a total loser.”
“That’s why I said someday,” I teased. I gave him a smile. “You’ll get back on your feet, Cade. Don’t worry about it. And don’t base all your worth and value on this one incident. It doesn’t define you.”
“But it’s all I’ve ever known,” he said sadly. “Without my career and money, I’m no one. I don’t even know what to do with myself…”
“You’ll find your way. And I’m sure your brother will help you.”
“I don’t want him to stick out his neck for me. I already have a bad reputation and I don’t want that to affect my brother. He’s been so successful in his career. He’s so young and he’s taken the world by storm. Honestly, I’ve never known anyone so talented…even though I’ve never told him.”
“Well, tell him when he gets back. I know that would mean a lot to him.”
He nodded then pushed his plate away. After a moment of quiet brooding, he turned his gaze and looked at me. “Thank you so much for everything…you really have no idea how much you’ve both helped me, even if you don’t realize it.”
“We’re family,” I whispered. “We’ll always help.”
He smiled. “I’m a lucky guy.”
Chapter 6
Sean
I hadn’t thought about Aris once since I walked away from her at the restaurant. I didn’t tolerate sexual harassment in my company, especially after what Scarlet had been through, but now I had seen first-hand what it was like to be blackmailed for sexual favors. I felt cheap, insignificant, and disrespected. Years ago, I may have taken her up on her offer, but now that I was a husband and almost a father, it made me sick to my stomach.
Losing that operating system was a loss for the company but I didn’t give a damn. I refused to work with a company that was so unethical. I could only imagine how they treated their employees. And Aris clearly got away with anything she wanted. I was a fool for respecting her when we first met. She was one of the people I despised most in this world. Her personal life was none of my business and so was her prerogative of sleeping with married men, but when it started to affect me I hated her for it.
But life goes on. I refused to dwell on the incident, and since Scarlet didn’t care what women did to me, I didn’t tell her. There wasn’t any point. I went through my day at the office, people constantly asking me about the operations system. I told him it wasn’t happening but never explained why.
“Mr. Preston, Ms. Augustine is here to see you,” my assistant said over the intercom.
What? Why the hell was she back?
“Mr. Preston?” he repeated.
I shook my head then responded. “Did she say what she wanted?”
“No, sir.”
I had a feeling I was going to regret this. “Send her in.”
“Yes, sir.”
I stood up then opened all the blinds to my office so everyone could see inside. I didn’t want a single person to wander what was happening between us. When Scarlet stopped by the blinds were always closed. It was pretty obvious what we were doing, but she was my wife and I really didn’t care what other people thought. They could look for an
other job if they had a problem with it.
Aris walked inside, graceful in a peach dress with a black blazer. I didn’t rise from my desk like I usually would. I wasn’t going to give her any respect she didn’t deserve.
She sat down in the chair facing me. “Thanks for seeing me.”
I said nothing, waiting for her to tell me why she was here.
When she realized I was going to remain silent, she rested her hands on her lap. “I want to apologize for my behavior the other day. It was inappropriate and wrong. I’m sorry.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“And I would like to honor our previous deal.”
“I’m not going to pay your royalties. That’s ludicrous.”
She smiled slightly. “I meant the initial one.”
“It wouldn’t be so confusing if you didn’t change your mind every minute,” I jabbed.
She took the offense in stride. “I spoke to my father and we accept your original offer.”
“And…?” There had to be something more.
“That’s it. No strings attached.”
That seemed too good to be true. “I’m glad we worked this out. After we get the contracts together, we can finish the hand off.”
“My father would like to meet you in person when the contracts are signed.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “Just make an appointment with my secretary and have him come by.”
She kept a straight face. “My father lives in Paris. I assumed you would accompany me to his office and meet him face to face.”
I knew that was too easy. “You really don’t expect me to travel to the other side of the world just to sign a contract, do you? Faxing the documents should suffice.”
“He would like to meet you in person before he hands over something he’s been working on for a long time.” She kept her professionalism.
I wasn’t in a position to leave New York. I would send my brother instead but his wife was pregnant. Why did our wives have to be pregnant at the same time? “I’m sorry. I physically can’t make the trip.”
“May I ask why?”
“My wife is pregnant.”
“Um…you can bring her if you want.”
“She’s past her first trimester.”
“You’ll only be gone for a day or two.”
“I still don’t want to leave her,” I said honestly. “Can your father come here?”
She shook her head. “Since you’re the buyer, it’s custom for you to come to him. And it also shows respect.”
“So, if I don’t see him the deal is off?”
“Unfortunately.”
I sighed in annoyance. If I didn’t want this technology that bad I’d throw her out again. Maybe she was playing a game with me. Maybe she wasn’t. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
“Certainly. I’ll wait outside.” She walked outside and shut the door.
I picked up my phone and called my wife.
“Hey,” she said when she answered.
“Hey, baby.”
“Not working like usual?” she teased.
“Actually, I was working for once.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said with a laugh.
My tone became serious. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Okay.” She dropped her laugh.
“I’ve been trying to acquire something for the company, but I need to go to Paris to sign the contracts.”
“Oh.”
“If I don’t do this, I won’t get the product.”
“Then go, Sean. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine.”
I sighed. “I really don’t want to leave you. I’d send Mike but I know he wouldn’t go.”
“Well, Cassandra is much farther along. That’s understandable.”
“The Vice President and I will fly to Paris and then I’ll catch the next flight home. I’ll only be gone for a few days.”
“Okay. When are you leaving?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Well, you have to do what you have to do.”
“Could you stay at Mike’s while I’m gone?”
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to bother them. Cassandra is really uncomfortable and I don’t want my presence to make her worse.”
“Cortland?”
“I’m sure him and Monnique are shacking up constantly. I don’t want to bother them either.”
“Then stay with your brother.”
“Sean, I can stay home. I’ll be fine.”
I didn’t like the idea of her being all by herself. “Stay with my parents. They won’t mind.”
“Sean,” she said firmly. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Honestly, I probably won’t even leave the house.”
I felt like an asshole for leaving her. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about me.”
“Impossible.”
“Sean, just do it.”
“Okay.”
Silence stretched between us.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” she whispered.
“Okay. I’ll see you when I get home.”
“Alright.”
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too.”
I hung up then hit the intercom. “Send her back in.”
“Yes, sir,” my assistant said.
Aris entered the room. “So?”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Great,” she said. “I’m glad we worked this out.”
“When are we leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you then.”
“I’ll get the tickets.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can get my own.”
“Okay,” she said reluctantly.
I nodded to the door. “Have a good day.”
Her lips pressed together in a tight smile before she walked out.
I grabbed the phone on my desk and called Cortland’s extension. “Hey, come to my office.”
“Okay. I’m about to head down to the servers. There’s a maintenance issue.”
“Come to my office now. It’s important.”
“I’m on it, boss.” He hung up.
A minute later he walked inside. “What’s up?”
“I need you to come to Paris with me in the morning.”
His eyes narrowed and his lips tightened. He looked thoroughly confused. “Huh?”
“I’m signing contracts and I need you to accompany me.”
“Why?” he blurted.
“I just need you to be there.”
“But…what am I going to do?”
I sighed. “I just need you there, alright?”
“Sean, what’s this about? Honestly, the last thing I want to do is be taken away from my fiancé right now. Unless you really need me, I’d rather not go.”
I knew I had to tell him the truth. “The vice president of the operations company made a pass at me. She basically asked me to have an affair with her and she wouldn’t give me the technology unless I did as she asked.” His eyes widened. “Obviously, I said no. Today, she came back and asked to accompany her back to Paris where the president would sign the contracts. I think she’s being genuine but I don’t trust her. I need you there as a witness and for protection.”
Cortland’s mouth opened in shocked. “So, basically I’m a cock block?”
“Exactly.”
“Wow…does Scarlet know?”
“No. I’m not going to tell her either.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because I know she wouldn’t care anyway,” I said bitterly.
Cortland stared at me for a moment, concern in his eyes. “Everything alright with you guys?”
“She told me she doesn’t care when women hit on me. She’s so secure with my love for her and trusts me implicitly. As a result, she doesn’t get jealous and she doesn’t care when women want to sleep
with me.” It pissed me off all over again.
“Am I missing something…? That’s a good thing, right?”
“Not really,” I spat. “How can she not care? I know that I love her more than she loves me and I’m perfectly fine with it, but she doesn’t care just a little?”
“Then why do you want me to go with you?”
I shrugged. “I just feel better about the whole thing. Even if Scarlet doesn’t care, I wouldn’t want her to travel abroad with some guy that had the hots for her. I’d feel sick the whole time. If I bring you along, the slut probably won’t try anything.”
“Or maybe she’d want to have something with the both of us…?” He smirked.
“Any other time, that would be funny. But not now.”
He shrugged. “I know you said you aren’t going to tell Scarlet, and it really is none of my business, but maybe this is something she should know about.”
“I know how to take care of my marriage,” I said darkly. “But thanks anyway.”
“Just trying to help,” he said quickly.
“Well, you can attend to the maintenance emergency now.”
“What do I tell Monnique?”
I shrugged. “The truth.”
“What if she tells Scarlet?”
“Ask her not to.”
“Um…have you met Monnique? I can’t exactly boss her around.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Scarlet would probably just laugh.”
Cortland studied my face. “I think Scarlet cares more than you give her credit for.”
“She’s my wife. I think I know her better than you do.” With a nod, I excused him.
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked out.
When I came home from work, Scarlet had a surprise for me.
Wearing black heels and only the catfish apron, she smirked at me. Her breasts were practically popping out of the apron and her backside wasn’t covered. All the stress from work washed away at the sight of her. My cock sprung to life and began to twitch.
“Have a good day at work?” she asked.
“Um…what?” I couldn’t think clearly.
She chuckled lightly then sauntered to me, giving me a big kiss right on the lips. “I’m going to miss you when you leave.”
All I could think about was lifting that apron and fucking her right on the couch. “Me too.”