He breathed in deeply and nodded. “No. You were hired to make my life easier. If you are present at this meeting, bagging a new client will be made easier for me. If you were an experienced marketing and sales professional, I would have used your services at the meeting, but you’re not,” he explained. I could see the confidence in his eyes. He was sure of his justification.
“Then why don’t you take a different female employee? There are several others qualified in this field who would do a better job?” I continued.
Michael smiled, hooking a finger under my chin. “Because I want you there, Aria. Will you come?” he asked, peering into my eyes.
I gulped nervously, still angry at him and at his request . . . but I could sense my resolve melting away. He was being kind to me. He was being soft and gentle, and his words in those emails kept resounding in my ears.
“Yes. Okay, I will,” I told him.
Michael stepped away from me abruptly. “Good. Use some of the cash you have at your disposal and buy something expensive to wear. Consider it my gift to you for doing me this favor,” he added as he briskly returned to his desk. His tone of voice had changed so suddenly — from warm and gentle to cold and professional.
I was too confused to say anything to him. All I could do was turn away and leave his office, feeling furious.
Chapter 9 - Michael
I knew I’d forced Aria into coming to the meeting tonight, but I also knew she was the right person to invite to sit with us. Aria had a soft-spoken charm – an innocent girlishness to her – that was hard to come by. I’d seen it in her. It was what attracted me to her still, and I knew it would play to my favor as far as Liam Bloom was concerned.
I was the first one to arrive at the bar. I was shown to our table, where I waited for the others to join me. I wasn’t even sure if Aria was going to turn up. After she told me she would at the office, I hadn’t asked her again. I was depending on the fact that she would stick to her word.
Liam turned up next, and I stood up to shake his hand. He sat down across from me. “It’s so good to see you again, Michael!” he remarked and ordered his drink boisterously from the staff.
Liam Bloom was a man with refined taste and old school sensibilities. He wore a three-piece suit that stretched over his massive belly. His beard was shaped and styled neatly and on his fingers were thick signet rings. He would be an invaluable client for the company, and I hoped that Aria and I could sway him in the right direction. While we made small talk, I noticed his eyes traveling to the waitresses and other young women who were walking around the place. He was hardly paying any attention to what I was saying.
Then Aria arrived. I saw her at the door and stood up so she would see me.
“What is it?” Liam asked, turning in his seat. His eyes fell on the girl who was weaving her way around the tables to get to us. “Wow. You know that woman?” he asked. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her.
“Yes, she works for me,” I replied, staring at her as she drew closer.
She was wearing a red cocktail dress with a neckline that dipped low. The sleeves were skimpy and thin, revealing her delicate shoulders and her slender long arms. The dress matched her fiery red curls. She’d pinned them up messily, and it added an old-world charm to her look. Her lips were firetruck red, her shoes were black high heels, and she carried a small black clutch in her hand.
There was no denying that Aria turned a lot of heads at that bar. There was no way of not noticing her as she walked toward us. She was a striking presence in the venue.
“Mr. Sole,” she said demurely as I pulled out a chair for her between Liam and myself.
Liam jumped out of his chair. “Good evening, madam. Liam Bloom at your service.” He offered to take her hand, and Aria looked at me nervously before she gave it to him. Liam kissed her fingers gently, like someone from the previous century would, and I could see Aria’s cheeks flushing.
“I’m Aria Lawson,” she replied, sitting down gracefully in her chair.
“Michael! You gave me no warning that such a vision would be joining us for our meeting. I would have dressed more appropriately!” Liam remarked with a laugh.
Aria smiled. “I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble, Mr. Bloom,” she said. I saw her literally fluttering her eyelashes. Whatever reservations she had regarding the meeting, she’d left them at home before she came here. She had taken on the role of the perfect hostess, and she was executing it brilliantly.
“And tell me, Miss Lawson, in what capacity do you serve Michael’s offices?” Liam was leaning towards her. His attention was completely monopolized by Aria. I knew what he was seeing. She wasn’t just like every other woman you met. She was different. She was sweet. There was an untouched beauty to her that a man just couldn’t ignore.
“Miss Lawson is new to the company, and I wanted her to experience what a business meeting with a high-profile client looks like,” I answered for her.
Liam smiled, nodding his head. He was pleased to hear himself being praised that way in front of her. “I shall do my best to educate you, Miss Lawson,” he said, and I could see him leering at her. My intention had been to put Liam at ease, but now that I was seeing the way he frothed in the mouth over her, I felt a pang of discomfort in my stomach.
“Shall we get down to business?” I spoke up. Liam couldn’t drag his eyes away from Aria while she stared down at her lap, her cheeks still flushed. It was obvious that Liam Bloom wasn’t the kind of man who shied away from expressing his desire. He wanted Aria from the first moment he set his eyes on her, and he wanted to make sure that she knew it.
“There will be time for business later, Michael. Right now, we should get this poor girl a drink to quench her thirst. Waiter!” Liam clicked his fingers in the air. Aria shot a look at me, her sparkling amber eyes wide. I could sense that she was trying to tell me something — that she was uncomfortable.
She had every reason to be. It was too late now, though. I hadn’t expected Liam Bloom to come on so strong, but I couldn’t end the meeting either.
“A gin and tonic, please,” Aria gave her order to the waiter.
“Make that two and keep them coming,” Liam said to the man commandingly and leaned towards Aria again. “Now, my dear, tell me everything there is to know about you. I’m all ears,” he said with a sleazy, wide smile.
I gritted my teeth with disgust. I had knowingly dragged Aria into this, but it was never my intention for things to go this way. I could see how wildly uncomfortable she was, as much as she was trying to hide it. How was I ever going to redeem myself from this?
Chapter 10 - Aria
Liam Bloom wasn’t interested in business talk, as far as I could tell. He was more interested in finding out where I came from and what my interests were. But not in a way that made me feel interesting . . . More like he was just keeping me talking so he could stare at me.
I was uncomfortable under the man’s heavy gaze. The way his eyes traveled to my breasts, how he watched my mouth when I spoke. I could sense what was going on in his mind.
Michael was sitting on the other side and had been pretty silent for the past hour that I had been there. He’d tried a few times to steer the conversation in the direction of their business deal, but they were all failed attempts. Liam Bloom was only interested in speaking with me, and I could sense that this meeting was not going as successfully as planned.
Was it the dress I was wearing? My lipstick? I was doubting myself, blaming my clothes and my behavior for the tone this evening had taken. Even though I answered all of Mr. Bloom’s questions and tried to make myself as amiable as possible, I wasn’t enjoying myself. Far from it.
I’d barely finished my first drink when he ordered me a second one. Was he trying to get me drunk? Was that Michael’s idea too? I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me. What he expected from this meeting. Did he expect me to go home with him? To try and bag him as a client in some other way? Once that idea got into my head, I couldn�
�t get it out. I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to leave right then. I waited patiently for an opportunity, and it finally arrived when Michael tried to interrupt the conversation.
“Liam, as much as I’m sure Aria is enjoying your conversation, I believe that we should get down to business matters now. We do have a lot to discuss, as you know,” he said.
I stood up from my chair with a jerk. “Yes. In fact, I think I should be going,” I declared.
Liam Bloom stood as well. “Of course not, my dear. You are here to learn, and I’m eager to teach. The night has only just begun,” he reached for my elbow, and when I felt his hand on my body, I flinched.
Michael jumped up, intervening. He’d reached across the table and grabbed my other elbow and was slowly tugging me towards him.
“Yes. That is a good idea, Aria. I’m sure you’ve experienced as much as you needed to. You have an early meeting tomorrow, so you should get going,” Michael said, looking into my eyes directly. There was so much I wanted to say to him. I couldn’t believe he had put me through this.
“Now, Michael. You’re spoiling all our fun. Don’t be the big bad boss. Aria should stay. I’m having a great time!” Liam didn’t seem to notice my discomfort.
Michael had pulled me to his side and held me by my elbow tightly in position. “Yes, I can see you are, but Aria has to leave. I’m sorry about that,” Michael spoke firmly, and I could see the disappointment in Liam’s eyes. Had Michael just spoiled his chance of sealing the deal?
“Suit yourselves,” Liam grunted and sat down with a thump on his chair.
“Good night, Mr. Bloom. It was a pleasure meeting you,” I murmured as politely as I could, but he had extracted his cellphone from his pocket and didn’t pay attention to what I’d said. It was like the moment he’d realized I wasn’t staying and there was no chance of me going home with him, he wasn’t interested in me anymore.
“I’m going to see Aria to the door, Liam. Stay put,” Michael said, but the other man didn’t acknowledge his words.
With his hand still gripping my elbow, Michael started leading me to the door of the bar. Neither of us spoke till we got there, far out of Liam Bloom’s earshot.
“Aria . . . ” he began to say, and I yanked my arm away from him.
“So this was what you wanted? You literally threw me at him!” I hissed, and Michael looked around to make sure that we weren’t being overheard.
“Okay, that was not what I was expecting. You clearly made a deep impression on him,” he replied, narrowing his eyes at me.
“Oh. So this is my fault?”
“That is not what I said!”
“What are you saying then? That I dressed too provocatively? That it’s my fault that Liam Bloom didn’t want to conduct business dealings with you tonight?” I continued, trying to keep my voice down.
Michael breathed in deeply, squaring his shoulders, and shook his head.
“This is not the time or the place to have this discussion, Aria. Later, when I have the chance, I hope to make you see that none of this was what I had in mind,” Michael explained in a low somber voice.
“It’s not required, Mr. Sole. You don’t need to give me any explanation for what happened tonight. Mr. Bloom is exactly like you, using his power and his money to prey on a girl. Well, both of you got it wrong. I’m not going to be preyed upon!” I didn’t wait for a response from him. I whipped around and rushed out of the door, running to the edge of the street to hail a cab.
I could sense Michael behind me at the door. He was watching me. He even waited till I got into the cab, but he said nothing. What was left for him to say? We both knew that he’d used me, and I’d luckily saved myself in time.
Chapter 11 - Michael
I woke up the next morning to realize that there was a woman sleeping beside me. I sat up with a jerk. I’d been dreaming about Aria all night. They weren’t just sexual dreams. I kept seeing her face, the disappointed look in her eyes as she left the bar. She was hurt and upset with me. She thought I’d led her into Liam Bloom’s lair.
The woman sleeping next to me wasn’t Aria. I couldn’t see her face and I didn’t even remember what she looked like. All I could recall was that she was someone I’d met at the bar soon after Liam stormed out of the place, upset and angry that I’d taken away the toy he was playing with.
I knew I’d lost the deal. There was no hope for me to seal him as a client. But the fact was that I didn’t care anymore. I wouldn’t have tried to get him on board at the cost of Aria’s dignity or safety. I wished I could communicate that to her.
The woman stirred, and then she looked over to see me sitting up in bed. “Hi there,” she said groggily and smiled. She was pretty. Exactly my type: blond, hourglass body, long thick eyelashes, and a heart-shaped face. None of it was her fault, but I couldn’t help but feel sick.
“Hi. It’s pretty late. You should leave,” I said dismissively and slid off the bed.
“Late?” she was confused, reaching for her phone on the dresser beside her. “It’s only eight!” she added.
I was already halfway through putting on my clothes. They were the same ones I had worn the previous day. “I’m late for work,” I growled, buttoning up my shirt.
The covers slid off her body as she sat up and I saw that she was naked. She had the perfect body. The kind of body that would make being late worth it, but today, I didn’t have the patience for her. I was disgusted with myself somehow. I wanted her to get out of my house as soon as possible. I’d slept with her only to get my mind off Aria – just like I’d slept with Meg that other night. Now I was paying the price for it.
“I thought we could laze around for a bit longer. Aren’t you the boss? You can be a little late, can’t you?” she asked, smiling invitingly at me.
“No. I can’t be late and you should leave,” I snapped. This time, I was firm enough for her to know that I meant business.
The tip of her nose reddened. I could see that she was holding back tears. I was being unnecessarily rude to her, but that was the only way I could get her out of my house. I wanted to apologize, but I didn’t.
“Sure, I’ll go. Thanks for nothing, Michael Sole,” she hissed as she finally got out of my bed.
Chapter 12 - Aria
Michael was late for work the next day, and when he arrived, his coffee had already gone cold. I was at my desk when he walked past, and even though he greeted me casually, as though nothing had happened, I said nothing in reply. I wanted him to know that I hadn’t just moved on. I wasn’t going to forgive him for what he’d put me through.
I went into his office a few minutes later with a fresh cup of coffee and asked him what he wanted for breakfast. I could sense that he wanted to say something, but I didn’t give him the chance to. I was there to do a job, and that was what I would do. I’d get the job done and I’d do it well so that Michael wouldn’t think for one moment that I was incompetent. Other than that, I was determined to keep my distance from him.
I spent the rest of the day carrying out his orders and his demands. He was softer today, and I could sense that he wanted to say something to me every time I was in his office. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want him to explain anything to me or cast another spell on me. The only way I could retain my sanity was by keeping my distance. I hoped that soon, with time, all this would be forgotten and we could start treating each other in a professional manner – the way it should have been from the start.
Was it crazy that I still dreamt about him at night? That I imagined myself in his arms, his lips on mine . . . our bodies pressed together? Yes, it probably was, but those were thoughts I reserved for the night. Along with the memory of how he’d come to my rescue, making it clear to Liam Bloom that I was not up for sale. Every time I had those thoughts, anything that remotely softened me to him, I reminded myself that he was the one who had put me in that position in the first place. Why did he invite me to that meeting, other than as bait?
My first week at work went by quickly. Once Michael and I kept our interaction to a minimum, time just seemed to fly. By the time it was Friday evening, and I finally had the chance to catch up with Clara and Suzy again, I felt surer of myself. I didn’t feel so weak anymore. Was Michael’s spell finally broken? I had a renewed sense of hope for the future. Maybe I could have a regular work-life after all!
Yet, I was still fantasizing about my boss at night in the privacy of my own thoughts. But nobody was going to find out about that, were they? As long as I could keep things civil between us during the day, life could go on as normal.
Chapter 13 - Michael
It was late Saturday morning and, strangely enough, I had nothing to do. No meetings to go to and no work to take care of. This hadn’t happened in a long time, and I didn’t know what to do with myself.
I hit the gym early in the morning, and after I was showered and changed, I sat in my den thinking about my life. This was exactly why I liked to keep busy – so that I wouldn’t have these thoughts.
I had everything I wanted or needed. Why would I have to worry about my life? Yet, I couldn’t stop feeling like there was something missing. Ever since I’d met Aria, these thoughts were coming to me too often. I scanned my brain for things I could do to occupy myself, to keep me distracted. I had no life outside of work. It was just hitting me.
Suddenly, I longed for those lazy Saturday afternoons in Spring Green when I was a child. When Amy and I had nothing else to do but go exploring in the woods at the back of our modest house. When Mom’s home-cooked meals and Dad’s peach cobblers were the highlights of our weekends.
What happened to me? Since when did I start needing sex and a bottle of whiskey to make me feel good again? To make me feel anything? I needed to go for a walk. Clear my head out in the open, get some fresh air. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone for a walk in Chicago.
My Bossy Protector: A Best Friend’s Brother Romance Page 29