Dark Room (Society X #1)

by L. P. Dover

  “Parker?”

  “Huh . . . what?”

  “I asked if you want to come in, or do you plan on standing on my porch all night?”

  Mia’s question makes me pause. Was I really just standing there, staring at her? Like a moron, I thrust the flowers at her, along with the bottle of wine, and chide my inner self for thinking about sex when we’re supposed to be focusing on work.

  “I love what you’ve done with the place,” I say as I step into her home. Her walls are painted in soft, warm colors; vastly different from the dark walls of my penthouse. I walk into the living room and marvel at all the pictures she has up on the walls, and in every free space on various tables and cabinets. There are pictures of us in high school, her sorority sisters, and her family, giving a real homey vibe to the room.

  “Thank you. It’s been hard work, but the reward is worth it,” she says, placing her flowers on an end table near the window. The oranges and reds in the bouquet really make her cream colored walls standout more.

  What the fuck is wrong with me? Since when do I care about wall color? I live in the doom and gloom of grays and blacks, and that’s how I like it.

  Mia comes and stands next to me, her arm brushing against mine. My immediate response is to jerk away, but the warmth seeping through my clothes and onto my skin is a welcome reprieve from my normally cold demeanor. I make a mental note to text Christy and set up another meeting in the dark room. Fuck it if the necklace wasn’t ready.

  “Should we get down to business?” I ask, trying to get my mind onto other things.

  “Yeah, dinner is ready. We can go over my designs after we eat.” Mia turns and walks away, allowing me to take in the soft sway of her hips and her perfectly rounded ass. Her toned legs are a testament to her rigorous workouts, making any man who comes into contact with them, one lucky bastard.

  “Dinner smells wonderful,” I say, following her into the other room. The dining table is set for two.

  “Mom’s recipe,” she says, motioning for me to sit down. Except I don’t.

  I walk around and pull out her chair, pushing her in gently, until she looks at me and whispers thank you. The way she bats her eyelashes goes right to my groin, causing an instant stirring. I beat my feet to the other side of the table and sit down as quickly as possible.

  Once Mia has plated her food, I take my turn, piling mounds of pasta and homemade marinara sauce onto my plate, along with a slice of garlic bread. The surefire way into a man’s bed is a home cooked meal.

  A few bites in and I’m in heaven. Everything about this meal is what I needed. As one would imagine, living the single life doesn’t afford me many home-cooked meals. Room service and take out are my best friends, unless Mrs. Jones is packing me a dinner from home, which she does a couple of times a month.

  The more I think about it, the more I realize I need a roommate who can cook. It doesn’t take me long to finish off my plate and as much as I want seconds, I don’t want to spend all our time together eating. I’d rather be next to her, subtly touching her every chance I get.

  “Dinner was . . . you’re an amazing cook, Mia. Thank you for this.”

  She drops her head shyly and pushes her chair back. “My portfolios are in the other room.”

  The mention of work draws my attention away from the extra food calling my name. I put my fork down and wipe my mouth and hands with my napkin before getting up. I follow Mia back to the living room, take a seat on her couch, and wait for her to present her work.

  To be honest, I don’t have a clue as to what I’m looking for, and unless I see something with human body parts, or made of feathers, I have no doubt her designs are stellar.

  The portfolio is heavy as she sets it on my lap, making me wonder what I’ve gotten myself into. Turning the first page, the explosion of color and vibrancy catches me off guard. I immediately see Mia wearing this long blue dress to a gala, the color against her apricot skin would make her a foe to any woman in the room.

  Each page yields a new design, from jeans and T-shirts, to slacks and blouses. The evening gowns are what the stars of Hollywood would wear and the lingerie . . . well, those images remind me of the red panties I have in my nightstand drawer.

  “Mia . . .” I start, but hold my words in. With a shake of the head I know what I’m about to do and have no regrets doing it. I look at her, her eyes waiting for me to continue. “I don’t know shit about fashion, but you clearly do. How would you like to work for Ward Enterprises? You’ll be in charge of the Les Belle account, overseeing their re-emergence into the fashion industry.”

  Mia’s mouth drops open, then closes. She looks at me with unshed tears as I wait for her answer. At this point, any answer would do.

  “Mia, you okay?” Parker asks. He touches my chin and moves it back into place. I feel like an idiot and I know my face is beet red. He’s so close, it doesn’t help matters. Not to mention, he smells good and looks sexy as hell in his fitted dress pants.

  My gaze keeps making its way to a certain bulge nestled between his legs. “Did you just ask me to work for you?”

  He chuckles and I love the way his face lights up. “I believe I did. You interested?”

  I want to scream and jump up and down with excitement, but I can save that for when he leaves. “Yes,” I answer breathlessly. “I would love to . . . but you know my brother’s going to kill you. Working for you means I have to quit the gym.”

  “Seriously, you’re worried about that?” He flips through my portfolio and points at one of my designs. “This is what you’re good at. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss watching you bounce around in those tight shorts, but you belong with me.” He catches himself and places a hand on my leg. I hold my breath, my heart pounding. “Sorry, I mean you belong with my company.”

  I wave him off. “I knew what you meant.”

  “Besides, I can handle your brother. Should we call him right now?” He pulls out his phone and dials, not even giving me a chance to answer him. Andrew is either going to be pissed or not care at all. He’s at the point where he can hire anyone to take my place.

  “Hey, man, what’s up?” Andrew answers. Parker has him on speaker phone so I can hear everything.

  “Nothing much, other than the fact your sister is putting in her two weeks’ notice. Actually, it’s going to be more like a two days’ notice.”

  I smack him on the arm. “You know I can’t do that to him,” I hiss.

  Andrew laughs. “What’s going on? Was that Mia?”

  Sighing, I lean my head against the couch. “Parker offered me a job and I don’t want to pass it up. I’m not going to leave you high and dry, but I guess I need to put in my notice. I’ll teach my workout classes at night until you can find a replacement.”

  “Which better be fast,” Parker interrupts. “I’m going to need her full-time ASAP.”

  “You’re not mad are you?” I ask, chewing my lip. The last thing I want is tension between us, but he knew there would come a time when I left.

  He snorts. “No. I knew you wouldn’t be here forever. It’s probably time I hired a couple extra people anyway. Business is booming.”

  “Good to hear,” Parker announces. “Want to go to Lucky’s one day next week?”

  “You know it.”

  “All right, see you then.” He hangs up and smiles. “Was that so bad?”

  I giggle. “No. I’m sure he’ll find my replacement soon. But we’ll need to be patient until he does. We can’t hire just anyone from off the street.”

  “I’m a businessman, Mia. I know how it goes.” He looks down at his watch and sighs. “Speaking of which, I should probably head out. Big day tomorrow. I have to get an office set up for my new employee.”

  Eyes wide, I gasp. “I’m going to have my own office?”

  He winks and stands. “With a view too. Is that okay?”

  I stand with him and place my hands on my hips. “You’re not just doing this because I’m your friend are you?
”

  He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear and I inadvertently lean into his touch. “I’m doing this because you’re talented and you deserve it.” He starts toward the door and I follow after him.

  “What time do you want me at the office in the morning?” I ask.

  He turns around. “How about eight o’clock?”

  I nod. “Sounds perfect. I’ll see you then.” Watching him leave, I grab his arm. He looks down at my hand and then lifts his gaze to mine. “Thank you,” I whisper. “You have no idea how much this means to me.” Then, as if my body moves of its own accord, I lift up on my toes and kiss his cheek. “Goodnight, Parker.”

  “Sweet dreams, Mia.”

  Holding my breath, I watch as the door shuts behind him. Did I really just kiss him? Once I start working for him, there’ll be no more late night meetings at my house, or stolen kisses. He’ll be a forbidden fruit. And if given the chance, I know I’ll take a bite.

  “Oh my God, you seriously kissed him?” Rachel shrieks.

  I finish putting on my lipstick and examine myself in the rearview mirror. “On the cheek,” I remind her.

  “Still, your lips touched his face. That had to be hot. Are you excited about going into work?”

  “Very. I get my own office with a view.”

  “So jealous right now. While you’re off working with our city’s Christian Grey, I’ll be slaving away in biochemistry. When I grow up, I want to be like you.”

  I burst out laughing. “You’re such a dork. When are you going back to Society X?”

  She clears her throat. “Tonight. I was going to tell you, but then got too excited about your make-out sesh with Parker’s face. I think they give me my necklace this visit.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right. I should get mine next time too.” I hop out of my car and grab my purse before locking it up.

  “When are you going back?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten a call yet. I might call Jared and schedule it up myself.”

  She laughs. “I hear ya. I probably won’t be able to talk to you again today, so good luck on your first day.”

  “Thanks. And have fun at the club tonight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” We hang up and I toss my phone in my purse.

  Taking a deep breath, I slide a hand down the front of my skirt to smooth it out. I chose a white blouse and a navy skirt that hits just above my knee. Very professional, yet comfortable. Can’t really say the heels are comfortable, but they go with the outfit more so than flip flops. I’m a fashion designer who loves wearing shorts, tank tops, and tennis shoes. It’s going to take some getting used to.

  “Here goes nothing.” I glance up at the tall building looming over Portland. I love how Parker has stayed down to earth, even though he grew into one of the most powerful men in the country.

  Once inside, I take the elevator to his floor. When the door opens, I’m greeted by Mrs. Jones. I’ve known her since Parker and I were kids. The last time I saw her was years ago, but she looks the same, dressed in the usual gray dress suit, and white hair pulled into a bun.

  “Ms. Hudson, it’s so good to see you again,” she gushes.

  I wrap my arms around her and squeeze. “You can call me Mia. You know that,” I whisper in her ear.

  She chuckles. “I know, but I like to keep things formal in the office.” She pulls away and takes a good look at me. “My, how you’ve grown. You’re so beautiful.”

  Another woman walks in and gives me a look of disdain. I can already tell she’s going to be a problem. Mrs. Jones follows my line of sight and grabs my arm. “Let me show you to your office.”

  We walk past the busty brunette and it makes me wonder if Parker is the one who hired her. She reminds me of the bimbo Zac cheated on me with. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s fucking Parker. Hopefully not. It’ll ruin all my good thoughts about him.

  “Here you go, sweetheart.” Mrs. Jones opens the door to my office and I gasp. Parker was right. It has the most amazing view of downtown. “Mr. Ward’s office is right beside you. So if you need him, he’ll be right through that door,” she says, pointing to the door across the room.

  “So close?”

  She shrugs. “It’s what he requested. Speaking of Mr. Ward, he should be here very soon.” As soon as she leaves, I walk over to the windows. I can see everything in the city, even the top of the Society X building. “This can’t be real.”

  My door swings open. Parker walks in wearing a crisp, gray suit. “Good morning,” he says, his voice as smooth as silk.

  “Good morning to you too. This office is amazing.”

  He leans against my desk. “I thought you’d like it. In the drawers, you’ll find all the files you need regarding Les Belle. Mr. Wainright already knows he’ll be dealing with you directly.”

  “Aren’t you on top of things,” I tease.

  “I have to be.” He looks down at his watch and straightens it. “If you have any questions, I’ll be next door. I have a meeting in ten, but will be back shortly.” He walks to the door and turns around. “Are you okay? Do you need anything right away?”

  I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

  “Good,” he says with a smile. “Want to grab lunch? I can go over everything with you.”

  “As long as you’re paying.”

  He winks. “I’ll let you choose anything from the dollar menu.” I laugh and he smiles again before shutting the door.

  Opening the drawers, I pull out all the files and place them on the desk. I sure hope I know what I’m doing. My address book is in my purse, so I pull it out and go through my contacts. There are so many people who can help, and I can’t wait to call them. However, my finger slides over Jared’s number and I hit the number.

  “Good morning, Mia. What can I do for you today?” he announces.

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “I was wondering if maybe there was an opening in the dark room tonight?”

  “Let’s see,” he says, tapping away on the keyboard. I can hear the clicks through the phone. “Sorry, Mia, there’s nothing available tonight. The next opening we have is two nights from now. Shall I see if your previous partner is available, or would you like to try someone new?”

  “No, I’d like to stay with him, please,” I say quickly.

  “All right, I’ll see what can be arranged. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.”

  “Thanks, Jared.” We hang up and I turn my focus to the files in front of me. I try to concentrate, but all I can think about is getting back to the dark room. Hopefully, he’ll be available. If not, I’ll probably go insane.

  “Looks like our lunch date ran a little over,” I say, looking at the clock. It’s two in the afternoon and Parker’s been in my office since twelve.

  He stands and straightens his jacket. The Chinese food we ordered was eaten and tossed away over an hour ago. It’s crazy how time flies when you’re having fun.

  Parker smiles. “Maybe it was a mistake hiring you. I don’t see myself getting much done these days.”

  I stack the folders together and place my notes inside. “We got plenty done. I called my contacts and put together a whole marketing plan for you. That’s about a week’s worth of work right there.”

  “You’re pretty amazing,” he murmurs, his gaze intense. “I look forward to seeing what you do with this company. Now take the rest of the day off and go home. You deserve it.”

  I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “Thanks. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” His phone rings and he pulls it out of his pocket, his body tensing when he sees who it is. “I have to take this. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He leaves the room and goes into his office, slamming the door behind him.

  Hopefully, everything’s all right. I can only imagine the kind of calls he gets. The pressure he’s under would give me a heart attack.

  The intercom on my phone clicks and Mrs. Jones’s voice rings ou
t. “Ms. Hudson?”

  “Yes?”

  “I have your ID badge and employee information packet ready. Do you want me to bring it to you?”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll grab it on my way out.” I pack up my things and head straight to her desk. She hands me the large envelope and I gasp at the weight. “Geez, this is going to take me forever to go through.” I laugh.

  Mrs. Jones smiles and shoos me toward the elevator. “You’ll be happy you did. See you in the morning, dear.”

  Thankfully, Miss Scowl is nowhere to be seen. The thought of her alone in Parker’s office puts a twinge in my stomach, but surely he has better taste than that. I can only hope so.

  The drive home isn’t bad, but I remind myself it’s not the peak traffic time. That’s going to be one of the downfalls of working in downtown Portland from eight to five every day. As soon as I get home, I open up a bottle of wine and one glass is gone by the time I get to my information packet.

  There’s so much information to read and papers to sign, it’s ridiculous. By the fourth glass of wine, I choke as I read the part about health benefits. What the hell? There’s no way I’m reading it correctly. Picking up my phone, it takes me a while to type in Parker’s number. The wine has me a little tipsy. When he answers, the silkiness of his voice makes my insides tighten.

  “Miss me already?” He chuckles.

  “Am I reading this correctly about the health benefits? Your company actually pays for all of it?” I ask incredulously.

  “I was wondering when you’d get to that part. And yes, we do. The people who work for me work extremely hard. I have to make sure they’re taken care of.”

  “Wow, I’m impressed. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Oh, and Mia?”

  I gulp down another sip of wine. “Yeah?”

  “Make sure to drink plenty of water tonight. I don’t want you hungover in the morning.”