Crushing

by Kelly Kay

  His face is beet red as his employees open their mouths in disbelief, but no one else steps to me.

  I turn to my photographer to save face. “We go without the son. And as for here, I don’t think we need it. If we do, I’ll see if you’re available and we can just hire someone to pretend they’re staff. The pictures will be better that way.”

  I hear a scoff behind me. That’s right, Randy, you out. Model in.

  I turn to the photographer. “Thank you so much for everything. You can wrap up for the day, and we can circle back later. There are two cases for you of different varietals to shoot in the studio. Keep them after your shoot. I’ll pay you out for today’s full shot list.”

  “Noelle, you’re the best. You know I adore working with you."

  “We were the lucky ones to find a window in your schedule. We should get drinks next time you’re in the city.”

  “Yes. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to shoot Gavin in Sacramento. We’ll make time.” She leans in and gives me the biggest hug. And that’s how you do business with a velvet glove instead of a wrecking ball. Asshole.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Joshua

  I slink out of the tank room and find my parents in the vines. I don’t feel bad about screwing with her. And I’m not done driving her away. If my parents won’t get rid of her, I’ll make her quit. She’s a bad influence on them. They don’t need to be slicked up. My mother’s never worn that much makeup in her life. I’m not sure how Asher and this woman convinced them to sell. I’m missing several pieces. Nothing makes sense. I need to figure it all out, and I don’t think I can do that from the outside.

  Standing with my parents, I explain why I wasn’t in the pictures. “I don’t know what happened? She sent the photographer away. I guess this is a wasted trip for me.”

  My mom looks to my dad and then throws her arms around me. “It’s not wasted if I get to cook for you. Bolognese?”

  I kiss my mom and put my arm around her as Elle approaches.

  My dad speaks first, “Hey, Elle. If you didn’t need Josh, we needed a heads up. He didn’t have to come all the way up here.”

  I grin at her as my chess game begins to take shape. I took her pawn when Randy did my bidding. And then she took one right back. But I got you, girlie. Check.

  She puts on a smirk and looks directly at my dad. “Oh, there you are. I couldn’t find Joshua anywhere. He disappeared after he arrived, and the photographer had to leave. She had to go and we’ve lost the good light. But the good news is that she promised to come out here tomorrow at dawn. We can still make this work. It’s nice to see you again, Joshua. Thank you so much for being here for your parents. It means a lot to them and me. I’ll see you guys later, okay?” Then she winks at me.

  My dad smiles at her, “That’s works perfectly. Josh can totally do that. We’ll text you later, Elle.”

  She nods, grins widely, and takes off.

  Checkmate goes to the harpy.

  Now I have to get up at 5 a.m. to stand in front of barrels for marketing pictures. At least it will be a lovely evening with my parents, and maybe they can tell me what the hell is going on with the winery. I need to start drinking now. I grab my mom’s hand, and we walk up to the Farmhouse while my father goes to lock up the cave and tasting room. I see her car pull out of the farm and breathe a little easier.

  After a shower and a few emails and calls, I smell dinner downstairs. We have one of the nicest meals we’ve had in ages. I’ve been a shit to them in the past, but we’re trying to rebuild a bit. I’ll get up and take her stupid pictures. We didn’t get to the subject of the sale. We were laughing too hard at my dad’s impression of the photographer and Mrs. Dotson. We’ll get to it. I owe them more time before they confide in me what’s really happening here.

  I wonder what time Elle will have to get up to get here on time. I enjoy that it will be long before me. Fuck me, now I’m thinking about her curled up in bed. That goddamn Hellcat purring after I gave her everything and she gave me all she had.

  I want to take a run before the shoot. I love running up here, and it’s been an eternity since I did it. Most days lately I’m on a treadmill. I want to see the trails again with the mist rolling off the vineyards. I want to smell the greenery and be a small part of it again. I do need to get back tomorrow though to make sure no one backs out of the tech deal. I need all the money wired before I can put it to bed. But then I’ve hit more than quota for the quarter. I have some minor stuff brewing but nothing major going on in Santa Barbara.

  I pass out with a belly full of pasta and Malbec. I haven’t been to bed before midnight in ages. It feels decadent. I drift off not thinking about Elle Parker.

  She doesn't even fucking show up. It’s all art directed by some pissant assistant. I do my due diligence and pose in the dawn. I did not get to run this morning, too much Malbec last night. Now, I’m in a shitty mood. Good thing she’s not around.

  Chapter Thirty

  Elle

  I creep downstairs, mid-morning. He's leaning on the counter scrolling through his phone in workout gear. I didn’t get up for the shoot on purpose. I thought my presence would just piss him off, and I needed a good set of pictures. I had a late-night meeting with an old colleague that works at Everlane. It went exceptionally well. We might get to pitch to them soon. I’m in a t-shirt and LC/W yoga pants. I sneak behind him to a grab coffee cup. His head goes up as he sniffs the air.

  “Is that you?” It’s like he smelled me or something.

  I say quietly, “Morning.”

  He turns to Sarah without looking at me. “Mom, why is she here?”

  “She lives here, dear.” Sarah sips her tea.

  I turn to him with a giant grin on my face. “Yeah, I live here, dear.” Then I smack his ass and walk away. He reacts to me but doesn’t turn. Sarah thinks I’m being cheeky. She has no idea what happened between us. She only witnessed the tension at the meeting and knows of his hostility about hiring me. I’ve given them no reason to think I have an opinion about Josh one way or another. But it appears I like to give him hell.

  Still only addressing his mother, “Why?”

  “She needed a place, and we have room. Your father offered. You know how he is.”

  “Jesus. Fucking stray cat syndrome. How long?”

  I shrug as I put a splash of cream in my coffee. I stand right in front of Josh and answer for myself. “Like two weeks or so.”

  He looks down at me, and damn if he isn’t gorgeous. Annoying, infuriating, and arrogant, but really hot.

  He demands an answer. “No, woman. How long are you staying?”

  Will answers from the bottom of the stairs. “As long as it takes, son.” Now inside the kitchen, he flashes a smile and kisses me on my head. “Good morning, Elle.”

  I look to Josh with a shit-eating grin.

  He doesn’t miss a beat in his emotional counterattack. “Dad. What would you say if I stick around for a while?” Then he raises his eyebrows to me.

  What the fuck is he up to? He’s trying to undermine me. Go right ahead and try.

  Sarah responds, “Are you serious? Don’t toy with your mother.”

  “Mom. What do you think if I spend more time up here? Now with you about to sell, it could be closure for me.”

  “That would be fantastic, son.” Will hugs him, and I see Josh waggles his eyebrows at me again. Game on. Will turns to me. “That’s okay with you, isn’t it?”

  Yes! Ha-ha. They asked my opinion. I answer in a voice dripping with sweetness, “Oh my gosh. It’s his home. Of course, it’s okay. I’m thrilled to get to know him better.” I could not be more sarcastic.

  “Josh, I know you don’t trust Elle completely, but I’m going to need you to lay down your sword.” Take that, Suit. Will’s got my back. I don’t know why because ultimately he’ll always choose his son but for some reason, I feel like I’ll get a fair shake.

  Josh says, “Dad. All that’s behind us, right, Cosmo
?”

  Oh, he needles me. I want to bury him. “Of course, Joshua.” I use the name he gave me that night.

  Will turns to me and asks, “Elle, how did Everlane go?”

  “Really great, I think. I’m headed to the city this afternoon for a casual meet-and-greet with some of the department heads.”

  I push down bread in the toaster as Will and Sarah head outside. It pops, and he says nothing. I shove the bread in my mouth. And as I do, I turn around to discover Josh staring at my ass.

  I put my hands on my hips. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to change for, jackass.”

  He speaks in a casual tone, “Are we supposed to be openly hostile to each other now? I mean, you’re the untrustworthy usurper here.”

  I shake my head at him. “You don’t know whether I’m trustworthy or not. I don’t know what to do with you. I don’t know you. And I’m not sure I can be totally civil, but I can try.”

  He grins at me. “You shouldn’t change.” He nods at my yoga pants.

  “I should meet Everlane in yoga pants?” I blow him off.

  He smiles a wicked smile, and I want to eat him up. “Those are perfect yoga pants. Especially on you. If you feel the need to do some stretching or quick poses, just let me know. I can help or watch. Whatever.” He’s trying to set me off.

  I tease back, “My ass is that good?”

  He talks through a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. “Epic. It’s your attitude I can do without.”

  “Again, are you just here to shit on everything?”

  “I’m here to watch you.”

  “Really? All of me or just my ass?”

  He puts his cereal down and says, “I will need to hear a lot more about this sale from my parents. There are a lot of things I need to be clear on. But they did say they’re going to sell unless I want the place. I do not. I don’t want it for future generations or a legacy, so selling is the option. But I need to make sure you don’t fuck this up for them. I’m a god at business. The deal is my religion. So, watch yourself.”

  I come back into his face. I go up on my tiptoes and try to look intimidating. I hate being short. “You have no idea what I’m capable of. Back down your concern.”

  I go to leave, and he puts his leg up, resting it on the kitchen island. I’m caged there. I look back at him as he says, “The facts I do know are unfavorable at best. The most disturbing is that you came from Asher. That’s enough to put anyone on alert.”

  I don’t get the Asher thing. “I don’t come from Asher. I work for myself. Asher just introduced us. He’s fine.”

  “Then you’re a shitty judge of character.”

  “You don’t scare me.”

  He lowers his leg. “Case in point. Shitty judge.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Josh

  It’s been almost two weeks that I have been in town. I’ve sabotaged all the little things I could. I even removed the printer ink when she was in a hurry. She resorted to bending over in those pants every morning. She also stole my favorite blanket from my bed. I’m better at this than her. She hid my phone the other day in a pile of kale in the fridge. I hate kale. She did set up a fake conference call with my assistant. John put it in my calendar, and I hung on the line waiting. Then she got dialed in about an hour and ten minutes and just laughed at me.

  I retaliated with a fake dinner last week. She sat at Café LaHaye, believing she was meeting with some group of people thinking of buying the winery. She sat there alone, stood up, for like an hour. John pretended to be a potential buyer, after I told him about the fake conference call, and called her at to set it all up.

  It’s been back and forth with this annoying person and I’m no closer to understanding the sale or why they need her. She has produced amazing results though. Their online sales are up, their distribution is up, and my parents have been profiled in the Sunday New York Times. I still masturbate to her incessantly. But I’ve kept enough distance that I haven’t made a move. But there have been moments, mostly over breakfast, where we connect and actually talk.

  Asher hasn’t come around or up in conversation and watching her relationship with my parents has made me trust her more. But the moment I get wind of Asher anywhere near this, I’m going to freak the hell out on her.

  I’m finishing up dinner at Della Santina, a fantastic Italian restaurant with craveable gnocchi. The table has some potential money at it, they’re new to town, and I met them through my best friend’s mom, Theresa Langerford. Langerford Cellars was my second home growing up. My best friend is currently out of town, or I would have made him tag along with this dinner. Instead, I’m joined by his younger brother Jims, who’ve I known my entire life. I was three when he was born, and I remember going to the hospital to meet him. He’s the annoying little brother no one wants, but I love him anyway.

  Dinner is going exceedingly well until she walks in. And as always, I feel that spark between us. The one we deny exists so we can go on with our lives.

  I turn away, hoping she doesn’t spot me.

  Elle walks to the back of the small restaurant and picks up a giant to-go bag. She hugs and kisses Rob, the owner. She’s been here like six weeks, and everyone knows her. When she turns, we lock eyes. I like making her skin instantly blush. Last day or two we’ve avoided each other. But she invades my mind all the damn time.

  I shake my head, hoping she gets the drift that this is business and not to fuck with me. I turn away and pretend to listen to this couple talk about their house in Majorca. But then she’s standing there next to me. Her intoxicating scent rising above the tomato and garlic and making me hot and hard. Those damn yoga pants again.

  She says brightly, “Hi, Josh. I didn’t know you were here.” Jims crosses his legs and looks intrigued, then reaches his hand across the table.

  “Hello. I’m Jims Langerford, and you are?”

  “Elle Parker, working with the Whittiers on marketing. I met your mom, Theresa, last week.”

  “You’re the blonde, aren’t you?”

  “Whatever that means, I guess so.” Jims’ brother must have told him what I think of Elle and the ‘accidentally fucking her’ story.

  Jims’ eyebrows flash as he says, “This is a pleasure.” He knows that she got the best of me a time or two so far.

  She grins and responds in kind. “Mine as well.”

  I interrupt before Jims starts asking annoying questions or invites her to join us. “Elle was just leaving. Wouldn’t want your mountain of food to get cold.”

  “It’s for your parents.”

  “See you later, Elle. Thanks for stopping by.” Get the message, you dense woman, go away.

  “See you soon then, Jims. And you two enjoy your dinner."

  I look up at her. “Time to go, Elle. Let the adults talk.” This gets a big laugh.

  She leans down to my ear, turning my head away from the table, and uses her greatest weapon against me. She whispers my name as a moan as sexually as she possibly can. It’s the fucking sound. Then licks just behind my ear and stands up. Devil woman.

  “Sorry, I just needed to tell him a quick personal thing. Goodnight, everyone.”

  My dick is so hard it’s going to punch through this fucking dinner table. I can’t put a thought together. That fucking moan. Her voice, that shrew. My face is now a bit flushed as I keep rearranging my legs and pants. I see her through the front window. She inserts her middle finger all the way into her mouth, sucks the length of it for a moment, and then flips me off.

  The couple takes my distraction to make their exits. I’m pissed. This was about a four-million-dollar piece of business that I could have used. I mean, I don’t need it, but I have missed the art of the deal and she just fucked up my business. She just raised the stakes and she doesn’t even know it. And now all the energy I was putting into separating these people from their cash will go into my next plan. Hopefully this will be the one where she decides to abandon this idea of finding a buyer for my p
arents’ winery. Time to ramp up our game.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Elle

  I’m sitting in my Mercedes in the winery parking lot, staring at my phone in disbelief. I’m cold all over. I’m numb. Evan just ripped me a new asshole about losing clients. Like, all the clients. Google and Apple are beyond pissed. And my carefully orchestrated prospects of Twitter, Pacific Union, Everlane and The Gap are gone. Vanished. They want nothing to do with unprofessionalism like this. I don’t know what happened. I invested so much of our money and time in caressing those people. They were all but signed and now gone. Our slate is empty, and I’ve been on a fucking farm instead of tending to my business.

  We’re screwed if I can’t figure this out. It will all crumble and I don’t understand how this happened. I have to calm down and figure out what the fuck to do. I have executives in the air coming to town for this now-canceled dinner. Their hotels were canceled according to their extremely angry assistants. Evan is scrambling to find somewhere to put them up for the night.

  I don’t know how or why it was all undone. Could it be a competitor or that hacker Melissa woman? She wouldn’t do this. There was an email that no one in my company sent. We can’t figure out who or where it came from. The address simply says ParkerCo72@gmail.com and the body of the message was clipped and cold. There was no explanation as to why everything was canceled, and these people weren’t welcome to do business with us again. It simply stated that everything was canceled and would not be rescheduled.

  I call The French Laundry, the not just five-star restaurant, but three Michelin starred one that carries more clout than almost any restaurant in America. I call their event’s person, my contact, looking for answers. This was an exclusive client dining experience I’ve been finessing and working on for a year, and it’s evaporated. I already spent a fortune to make this night perfect.