Boss with Benefits

by Mickey Miller

  But the question remains, why would Zane want little Lacy?

  I take a sip of my coffee, then sigh deeply and toss my head back a little, resting my hands on the keyboard.

  Why am I even writing this novel? Do I really think their romance is realistic? What is it with me and guys in positions of power?

  In my mind’s eye, my muse appears. If there ever was a muse in my life for a powerful, attractive man, it’s so obvious who it would be: Sebastian Blackwell.

  Sebastian Blackwell, the man who I had a crush on when I worked as a server at age fifteen and he was the owner of the restaurant.

  The only billionaire Blackwell has ever had to my knowledge. He’s got it all--young, rich, and handsome.

  I consider the next words I’m writing in my book, and I wonder, really: what makes a man like Sebastian settle down? Does he just look for the hottest woman available and date her, like the Instagram model Crystal showed me? Or is there something else he takes into consideration?

  I glance at the clock on my computer. Eight-twenty. Not quite enough time to write another full scene before the others in the office arrive. Should Lacy and Zane hook up already?

  No. I’m going to toy with them a little bit more. I’ll just end this scene with some heavy sexual tension.

  As I begin to type the scene, the air goes out of me when I hear the voice behind me.

  “What are you working on, Brett?”

  I whip my head around and see Sebastian standing holding his coffee, smirking ever so slightly.

  “Excuse me?” I say, trying not to gasp.

  “I said you’re here early. You always are. It’s impressive. You’d be surprised how few employees even come in one minute earlier than they have to. So I’m just curious what you’re working on.”

  “I was...checking on some emails, and I sort of figured I’d write a report,” I say, doing my best to contain my nervousness and shaky voice.

  “Oh,” he says, his voice still full of that deep morning timbre. “What sort of report?”

  I feel my face tingle a little as I hesitate.

  “It’s a document detailing the themes that Blackwell farmers are most likely to open us to us about. Like, a cheat sheet,” I lie.

  “Oh. A cheat sheet. Well thank you for your extra effort.”

  “Anything for you.”

  “So is everything going well with Bob? He can be a handful, I know. But he means well.”

  I minimize the document I’m working on so my emails show up, then spin out of my chair and stand up, grabbing a pen out of nervousness. “Bob’s fine,” I say. “I sometimes get confused by his directions, though.”

  “Really? Why’s that?”

  “Well,” I shrug, fiddling with the pen. “Like the twenty-calls-every-morning rule. It makes no sense to me. We don’t track the numbers to make sure they are in the system. I could literally call twenty of my friends--making sure they have the Blackwell county area code--and I’d have my calls done for the day. Obviously I don’t do that. But I think when we’re talking about dealing with these small town farmers, we don’t want to be barraging them with phone calls. We’re better off having quality conversations and getting to know them.”

  Sebastian doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, as if checking to make sure I’m done speaking. He has a habit of being silent for a few beats after I--or most people--finish their sentences. This puts me on edge, so I keep talking.

  “So, I get to work early just to make sure I’m in a relaxed mood and have my emails done, so I can worry about the calls. They stress me out a little, if I’m being honest.”

  Sebastian nods. “Cold calling can be tough. But you were hired for a reason. You’re spectacular with people. I’m sure you get that all the time, though.”

  My cheeks flush red and I twirl the pen in my hand even harder.

  “Thanks,” is all I say. We share a moment in silence.

  Sebastian’s dark brown eyes flash around the sales floor. He takes another drink of coffee, and his neck flexes. I wonder if he’s stressed out. How could a man run a multi-billion dollar enterprise and not be stressed out?

  Yet he seems so calm and collected all the time.

  It’s an ungodly attractive combination. I take another sip of my coffee.

  Sebastian stares into me with his mocha brown eyes.

  And I stare back at him.

  Shoot. I panic a little, silently. Am I being awkward? He knows I was looking at him before in his office. Can he know I have a little baby crush on him?

  No. Just because he’s a billionaire doesn’t mean he can read minds. He’s probably this nice to all of his employees.

  My pen-twirling starts to break records, and I drop the thing on the carpet, right at Sebastian’s feet.

  Without thinking, I bend down to grab it, and before I have the time to realize what I’m doing, my face is damn near in Sebastian’s crotch as I pick the thing up.

  I don’t think he sees it, but my jaw drops a little as I get up close and personal with his thing.

  That’s gotta be the pleats. No way is that his...cucumber.

  And then I swear it moves. Something between his legs moves.

  I snap my head back up, and for a brief second, our eyes meet.

  “My pen fell,” is all I can say, and I do my best not to let a look of absolute fright take over.

  Sebastian smirks. “Brett, I don’t even know what to do with you,” he shakes his head and laughs, his laughter booming through the floor. A few other employees glance over.

  “You can give me a raise since I’m awesome,” I wink, trying to distract our conversation from the fact that I just clearly checked out my boss’s crotch.

  “I think you’re the one who’ll be giving me a raise,” he winks, and as if realizing what he just insinuated, he quickly follows it up. “By closing some deals this week!”

  “I should get back to work,” he says. “But I’m serious about this Brett. If you ever need anything--you just let me know. I realize the sales floor is eighty percent male, and sometimes the guys can be a bit much. I want you to be as comfortable as possible here, so you can do your thing. You’ve got a lot of talent. I can’t teach talent. But I can maximize it. I’m serious--my door is always open. For anything you need.”

  “Anything?” I say, my heart beating faster than it should be.

  “Anything.” He glances over his shoulder and rakes a hand through his hair. “I gotta go. See you later, Killer.”

  I spin back into my chair, my heart beating a million miles a minute. Was I imagining it, or was that conversation laced with some serious flirtation?

  I pull my novel back up with a sigh.

  Lacy is so sexy and smooth when she bends and snaps. Why am I so dang awkward?

  I guess real life is never as smooth as romance novels.

  I glance around the office one more time, and the cubicles around me are still mostly empty. Probably because it’s a Friday, people are taking their time arriving to work. Good. Because what I’m about to do, no one can see.

  I run a hand up my thighs, under my skirt. I touch my panties, and my suspicion is confirmed.

  I’m not just wet. I’m soaked through.

  This is going to be an interesting work day.

  Eight - Sebastian

  “Your shih tzu is taking a shit,” Liam says, glancing at me with a smug look.

  “I’m sure that’s a joke that’s never ever been made before,” I say, trying not to crack a smile.

  “Yeah? So what. It’s still hilarious.”

  Sundays, I usually do something with my family. This morning, I meet up with my brother Liam and we walk a couple of dogs from the local dog shelter around town. Today we stroll around the campus quad of Blackwell University.

  “And your lab is...labbing? Fuck. It doesn’t work the other way.” I shake my head as I stare down the dog Liam snagged.

  “That’s right. My dog is fucking awesome. Yes you are Shiloh!” He
pets the chocolate lab and the dog gets into it, wagging his tail out of control. “Just admit I’m the king of dirty dog puns. Bow at how good of a master I am.”

  “You know, it’s good I have a brother like you,” I say as I tie off the doggie bag and toss it in a nearby trash can. “If not, I’d probably get a big head.”

  “You do have a big head,” Liam winks. “I mean literally.”

  I nod as we stroll down the quad. “You got me there. A big head for big brains. Thank God I have the money for these custom fitted hats,” I say, switching my baseball cap around to wear it backwards.

  “I have some news,” Liam says. “I need to tell someone. I figure since you’re my brother you’re forced to listen.”

  “Seriously?”

  He nods, almost gravely. My brother’s not one to get serious--he almost never says a straight line. So I listen while he tells me about how he’s falling for a girl.

  Well, fell is a better word. But their relationship, if you could call it that, leaves me flabbergasted.

  “Let me get this straight,” I say, holding up a hand. Both dogs turn and look at me, as if they realize I’m about to make a very important proclamation. “You had a one night stand. With a client.”

  He shrugs. “When you put it like that it seems wrong. I was helping her out. She was in a tough spot.”

  “So you...gave her a hand?” I wink. “Did you get her engine up and running?”

  “Hey,” Liam barks back. “This is my love you are talking about here. Be careful. And of course I did. She was up and purring in no time. The engine, I mean. The engine was purring.”

  I toss my head back in laughter. My brother is an asshole and a lady killer. I’m honestly a little surprised to hear him talking about a girl like he’s talking about Haley. But I guess even the Liam’s of the world have to settle down sometime.

  “What about you, big bro?” he asks. “You gonna settle down sometime soon?”

  The question catches me a little off guard. I run my hand along my jawline and we start walking again.

  “Me?” I scoff. “I don’t have time for a woman. You know that. It would end badly.”

  “What, because you’re ‘building your empire?’”

  “Yes,” I nod.

  Liam shrugs as we turn down another part of the University quad. “Man, I got news for you: that empire you always dreamed about: it’s built now. Look around, man! Who donated the money for the new Art Center for Blackwell U?”

  I shrug. “I did.”

  “Right. Man, whose non profit did we pick up these dogs at? You own this town. What else do you want?”

  “Maybe I’m just not the kind of guy who’s meant to have a long term relationship,” I say. “Flings are more my thing. Man, what the hell, just at the beginning of the summer you were talking about how great being single was, and how you’d never settle down. What changed?”

  Liam swallows, looks me in the eye. “Haley.”

  I nod, and I understand what he means by that. “Well, I guess I just haven’t found my Haley yet,” I say.

  Liam shrugs. “Hey man, maybe you’re not. Maybe you’ll never find her. I get it, I’ve been there. But I can tell you from personal experience--that shit happens when you are least looking for it. You don’t even have any candidates?”

  I chuckle. “No I don’t have any--”

  I stop myself, because the word candidates makes me think of résumé. And résumé makes me think of my recent hires.

  And that leads me to the girl who I’ve been doing my damnedest not to flirt with at work.

  Brett Blue.

  “Awww shit,” Liam drawls. “I know that face! Big brother’s got a crush. Yes he does, doesn’t he Shiloh?” He bends down and pets the dog furiously, and Shiloh leans in, clearly loving it. “Goddamn this dog is awesome! I just might have to bring him home with me. So who’s the lucky girl?”

  “There is no girl.” I try to say the words in a serious voice, but they come out weird.

  “Ha! Dude you act like I haven’t known you for since you were born.”

  “I was born before you,” I smirk.

  “Okay, twenty-eight years. You’re twenty-nine now, right?”

  I chuckle. “Come on, you don’t know your own brother’s age.”

  Liam looks a little flustered. He continues. “The point is I know when to call bullshit on my own brother. And I call bullshit. You sound like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix.” Liam whips off his sunglasses, feigns holding a utensil in front of his eyes, and says in his best Keanu Reeves voice. “There is no spoon.”

  “Fuck you man. Fine. You want to know? We have this new girl...and I can’t get her off my mind. She’s a whip smart new hire, from outside the city limits. Something about her, man. She drives me nuts. Every interaction we have, I’m like ‘is she flirting with me? Or is this just coincidence.”

  “Please, bro. Give me the down low.”

  “Her name is Brett Blue.” I start to say something else, but Liam holds up a hand.

  “Wait a second. Her name is Brett? That’s not even close to a girl’s name.”

  “It’s her dad’s middle name, and she used to be quite a tomboy. Anyways, yesterday I stopped by her desk and she was acting weird. I couldn’t put my finger on how, exactly. Then she dropped a pen right at my feet, and when she picked it up, she stole a cock glance.”

  Liam’s jaw drops. “She stole a look at the Blackwell family jewels?”

  “That’s right.”

  “You’re sure of it.”

  “I think so man. Fuck, who knows. Maybe I imagined it.”

  “If she did--bro--she likes you. No doubt about it. Damn, I’m gonna have to look this girl up. New hire eh? So...why don’t you just ask her out?”

  I smile, because I envy Liam’s simple solution-making. “Dude, it’s not that simple. I run a billion dollar company. I can't just go around asking my employees out. I have a reputation to uphold. That might be okay in the auto shop, but we have an HR department. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, you know?”

  Liam runs a hand through his hair. “I see your point. Shit man, I don’t know. Just look for the signals. She’ll probably leave you an opening if she wants you.”

  “That’s what she said,” I wink, and Liam tosses his head back in laughter.

  “Ahh you motherfucker. See, what do you need my help for? You got this covered. Ain’t that right, Shiloh?”

  The dog turns and looks back at us, and I swear he winks at me.

  I can’t tell if that’s a good or a bad omen.

  Nine - Brett

  Monday morning, I make a new discovery about having a ‘real’ office job:

  Unscheduled Monday morning meetings are the worst.

  I sit and nod as my manager Bob flips through the power point, briefing the team on slides of the different areas around Blackwell that we are focusing our strategy on buying up. Having lived here all my life, I could be up there presenting and probably doing a better job than Bob.

  Instead, I’m sitting at the last possible seat of the long, boardroom table, and not listening to one word of Bob’s monotone voice.

  I squint toward the front of the room and nod, feigning attention, while I write down notes on my note pad.

  Except none of my notes have anything to do with the powerpoint. Instead, I’m wondering how Lacy is going to hook up with her boss Zane now that they’ve broken the ice.

  I glance around the boardroom. There are plenty of fun places to do it in here.

  Lacy’s fingers pressed against the glass as he does her from behind. Ohh yeah.

  Bent over on the desk. Also from behind.

  Hmm. I need some variation. Zane’s a jacked boss, so he’ll have no problem scooping her up and setting her on the desk and doing her normal-style. Yes, not quite missionary, because she’s sitting and he’s standing.

  Is that what that’s called? Just ‘normal-style?’ Seems like there ought to be a better word for it. />
  Better word for ‘normal-style’ I jot down on my notepad.

  What else could they do? Well with how dominant Zane is, I imagine he’d want to have his way with Lacy and own every inch of her. He’d probably want to finger fuck her on her back while her head hangs off the table.

  But is Lacy ready for that? She’s definitely a dirty girl, but only with the right man.

  Zane needs to earn that, I decide, and jot down another note.

  Dirtier later

  How realistic is it that they would really hook up in a place like this big boardroom and not get caught? The frosted glass starts about two feet above the ground. Lacy and Zane definitely can’t do any fucking on the floor unless the office is totally empty.

  I bite my lower lip. Wow, the ideas are really flowing today. Why is that?

  I swallow, because I certainly know why.

  Sebastian Blackwell. I can’t get him off my mind. How would he be with a girl like Lacy? Lacy is just his type, the way I’ve described her in the book so far. She’s secretly an Instagram model, with a perfect hourglass figure, like the girl that Crystal showed me. Sebastian would take her straight away, he wouldn’t wait to be dirty with her. During their first encounter, I bet he’d rip her panties right off, bend her over take her like it was his last.

  A wave of heat comes over me as I let my imagination run wild for just a second. Sebastian bending her over, fucking her, slapping her asscheeks with his hand while he thrusts into her, slapping her with his strong hips.

  Except in the fantasy, Lacy disappears for a moment.

  I appear.

  I don’t want anyone else being with Sebastian.

  I want him all to myself.