“Wow, sounds like he was pretty tough on you.”
“He was but he always said it was for my benefit and one day I would thank him for it. Now, back to your question. I wasn’t lying. Last night was me looking for an experience I never had and I always wanted. I didn’t want to overthink it, just free my mind and go with it.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t regret being with you. And whatever happens next, I promise to face it with honesty. I never lied once until I was forced to. I won’t be making that mistake again. I’m sorry and I will turn in my resignation tomorrow to Mr. Fleming to face any consequences he deems appropriate for my actions.”
I moved her on to my lap and held her face in my hands. This was probably the craziest thing I was about to do but life is about taking chances and for some reason, mine begins with her. I didn’t take my kiss hard this time. I wanted her to feel my touch and not be afraid of it or pretend to be into it because I now had the power over her. This was me being real and showing her that I wanted her. We kissed once and then again and again until she pulled back to look at me. Her blue eyes were glazed over with lust and her hair was tangled in my hands.
“What happens now? She asked all breathy and so fucking sexy.
“I think you know,” and by that, I picked her up and carried her into the spare bedroom where I intended to be buried inside of her for the rest of the night. The morning light crept through the floor to ceiling windows as I began to waken from my long night with Alex who was still asleep beside me. I was almost surprised by that. I may have thought she would have fled from my bed and life once she knew I was asleep but that wasn’t the case. I was actually happy she didn’t and stayed.
Knowing what I know about her and her past and how it directly affects my life, I should have had her arrested but after I listened to her story, I knew that was not an option. I still don’t know how the powers at be will react to this latest development, mainly my father. I’m almost nervous to call him not even knowing where the hell he is at the moment.
Her long and out of control blonde locks were covering her face. I swept them off her and placed a kiss on her warm cheek. She was too much of an enticement to remain here with her.
I got up and grabbed a pair of lounge pants from the tallboy dresser before closing the door behind me. The coffee maker was already brewing as I made my way downstairs. I have to make sure to send Hildy my thanks for doing this and on short notice.
I checked my phone for messages, most of them from Emily. The others were all from my father asking me to call him. Do I have coffee first? Or bite the bullet and just call him? I could always forgo the first two and just go back upstairs and wake the beautiful creature asleep in my bed. Yeah, that’s the only choice I could get on board with and judging by the tenting erection in my pants, he agrees.
“Fuck! just dial his number,” I say aloud and hit number one on my phone.
I don’t even get the chance to say hello when he begins to shout into the phone. “It’s about fucking time you return my fucking call,” I hear my mother in the background trying to calm him but to no avail, he keeps yelling at me.
“No, I will not. He’s lucky this conversation is happening over the Atlantic instead of face to face.” He says to my mother before continuing on with me. “Rogan, where the hell have you been? And why has it taken this long to ring me back? Is this responsible behavior? Answer me!” he continues to shout.
“Dad, if you would stop yelling at me for a damn minute, I would be able to get a word in and explain. Where are you by the way?”
“We are in London waiting for the jet to refuel and then we will be coming home. To a disaster no less. I can’t believe I had to hear this news from Ty and Paul, and not you.”
“And what news would that be?”
“I’m not in the mood for games right now and when it comes to business, I’m even less inclined to fuck around. So, tell me who the fuck is Alex Depry and why has this douchebag flagged our jobs?”
I looked up to see Alex standing in front of me wearing my t-shirt and twisting the hem of it. No doubt hearing every word my father just said. “Dad, first of all, Alex Depry is a female and far from being a douchebag. Great language, by the way, do you kiss my mother with that dirty mouth.”
“Rogan, my patience is walking a very fine line. You need to stop messing around and talk to me.”
“I’m not trying to piss you off, and I’m certainly not playing any games. You know everything I do at Douglas ECO, I take seriously. I know you are upset but I promise you that I am on top of this issue and it will be resolved once you are home.
“I can’t fly all the way home not knowing what is going on,” his tone was softer and then I heard him whispering to my mom. She never liked when he lost his shit with me, which was pretty often when I was growing up. I know I have given him reasons to doubt me but not when it comes to this. “Please, talk to me.”
“Dad, do me a favor and remember the reasons why you put me in charge when you left for your trip. I haven’t let you or this company down. Believe me, please. I have to go. Call me when you land.” I hit end on my phone and then turned it off so I could put out another fire with Alex, who was about to burst into tears.
“Come here, baby,” I said and then opened my arms for her. She accepted the invitation and allowed me to hold her while she buried her face in my chest and wept. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“It’s okay, I deserve it. Your father hates me and probably will want to bury me once he learns the truth.”
“No, he won’t. He will want to bury Winston and anyone else that caused you a single day of pain. Listen, with my father flying home today, I have to get into the office and meet with my team.”
“What about me? do I just go into work today and act as if nothing is wrong?”
“It’s exactly what you are going to do. As for anyone directly involved in this matter, they believe we are still red flagged. Ed knows I have our lawyers working on resolving the reasons why we were flagged in the first place.”
“What about the farmers?”
“Another day is not going to matter. They are fine for now. I do have to ask you a question and please don’t get upset at me for asking it.”
“Okay, go on.”
“Did you tell me everything I need to know? Because if not, you need to tell me right now.”
“Yes, there’s more,” she sniffled and then gestured to the coffee maker.
“Yes, you may have a cup and would you mind pouring me one?”
“It’s the least I can do,” she said sadly. Hildy had left pastries, rolls, and muffins for breakfast but she declined food. I grabbed a muffin and began peeling back the paper while I listened to her explanation.
“Rogan, the failed inspection was just a stalling ruse to buy Winston more time.”
“More time for what? He didn’t have any rights to those farms.”
“Yes, but he’s claiming he owns the mineral rights that lay below the Harrington Farm, and if he can accomplish shutting his farm down for good, he will move forward and try to drill on that land.”
“No way, what you’re saying is just not true. This is a bed of lies he has been feeding you to get you under his thumb and to sabotage me.”
“How can you be so sure, Rogan? I mean, he was pretty convincing.”
“Yeah, well he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And a bastard that would sell out his own mother for profitable gain. Wildcatters have been trying to find oil since the 1950s and I know this to be true because my grandfather used to tell me stories. About ten years ago, all the wells which equal to be around 160 are all dry and have been capped off. I’m not disputing that there is no natural gas to be found because there is. The bottom line is, we don’t have enough of it and that’s why this issue has been dead in the water. Whatever Winston is up to is simply his way of sticking it to my father and I’m sorry he hurt your father to do it.”
“Can you tel
l me what happened to your home?”
“I sold off pretty much everything we had after my dad’s funeral. The house is paid off but it’s the taxes that I struggled to pay. I didn’t have time to sell it, so I ended up renting it to a nice family with two kids. She’s a stay at home mom, and he works in the city.”
“And the pension? Why has that been delayed?”
“Beats me. My mom died when I was young, leaving me my father’s only beneficiary. Do you think this is Winston?”
“It could be, I’m not sure. Listen, I really have to get ready to go. Would you mind coming by the office this afternoon and talking with my assistant? I need to get some more information to look into this for you.”
“After everything I’ve done, you’re still willing to help me? Is this a trick or something?”
I pulled back in astonishment not believing what she just asked me.
“I can’t believe you would ask me such a question, and especially after last night. Alex, do I look like I’m laughing?”
“No, you’re quite serious at the moment.”
“Yeah, I am. I wouldn’t say something and do another. I promise I will work this out and free you from Winston and his manipulations.”
“And? what will happen after that?”
“I know what I want to happen right now,” she laughed and then I cupped her face to kiss her. The rest we will figure out later. I just want to hold on to all the moments I can with you and not worry about anything else right now.”
“Why? When you can have any number of women on your arm and in your bed.”
“There’s only one woman I want, so if you’ve changed your mind about me, it’s best to tell me now.”
“I haven’t changed my mind. I guess whatever this is between us doesn’t happen to me very often, if ever and I was just hoping I didn’t lose you when I only just found you. To the shower!” I shouted, causing her to jump right before I threw her over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold and carried her all the way upstairs. Yeah, Blondie is not getting rid of me so easily. After this mess is over, she is someone I definitely want to know better. For now, the shower will do just fine.
I was beyond late getting into the office but a part of me wasn’t even sorry. I know this is crazy to even be entertaining such a possibility of starting something with this girl, but I can’t help but want her.
I don’t know where these feelings are coming from or how I can begin to understand them but why do I need to have it all figured out in one day? According to my grandfather, youth is wasted on the young. He may be right to a point but not in my case. He practically pushed me into the arms of Alex, and yes, he didn’t know who she was either but now I do and she is worth giving a chance to. I just hope my father agrees with me.
By the time I got upstairs to my office, not only was a fire-breathing dragon aka my father waiting for me, but joining him was my grandfather, Ty, Paul, and Alison. She looked over at me with eyes as wide as saucers silently giving me the signal to get out when I still could. I kind of stood there for a moment not sure what to really do and then my father pinned me with his not so subtle cold stare and I froze. Shit! He looked pissed.
“Nice of you to join us, take a seat. We have a lot to talk about.” My father stated. “Hey dad, would you mind showing Ty and Paul the latest projections on the Laramie property? Alison has everything on her drive.” My grandfather looked at me and then back to my father shrugging his shoulders but agreeing to give us the room.
“I thought you were in London,” I said as I dropped my stuff down to the empty chair.
“I was and now I’m home.”
“But I just talked to you. You said you were refueling the jet and on your way home.”
“Again, true but that was yesterday. Your mother and I arrived home early this morning and to my surprise, you weren’t at home, or at your apartment. Now, you are a grown man and can come and go as you please, but when you host booty calls at our apartment that’s what I have a problem with.”
“Look, dad, I needed the privacy. It’s no big deal and I don’t understand why you are making it one.”
“It is a big deal especially when you are with the one person responsible for causing our company and our customers a lot of unneeded stress. What the fuck were you thinking taking an EPA inspector to your fucking bed? Or shall I say, my bed?”
“It’s clear you know more than you have let on, so are we going to continue to dance around this or really talk?”
“Okay, we will talk. Rogan what you need to understand is that although I left you in charge to oversee operations and keep all the cogs running smoothly, it doesn’t mean that I am out of the loop. I have eyes everywhere and I always have to keep the company’s best interest first.”
“Dad, I know that! Our interests are the same here. I want the best for Douglas ECO and I want to prove to you that I can do the work and keep this company moving forward. You just have to trust me here. I know what I am doing.”
“And by you having sex with Alex Depry, that’s keeping the company moving forward. Come on, Rogan, I thought you were smarter than that?”
“Dad, before another word is spoken here, you need to know that I care about this girl. And, no, I did not know that Alex was the person who red-flagged our farms. Grandpa took me to some dive bar that he loves so much and kept shoving tequila shots down my throat until I loosened up and thought about anything besides work.”
“Ha! No shit. Was it Raggy’s?”
“Yeah, I think that’s the place.”
“He used to take me there all the time especially when I was home on leave. Wow, I haven’t been there in a long time. I didn’t even know it was still standing.”
“Well, it is and it’s a cool place. It’s where I met Alex. Grandpa told my ass off in his own and unique way and pointed out the beautiful woman that was checking me out. He sent her over a martini and when she came over to us, she actually thanked grandpa who shamelessly flirted with her.”
“I love it. Not bad for an old-timer.”
“Yeah, don’t count him out just yet. I know he will miss grandma forever but I also believe he’s lonely and needs someone he can spend time with.”
“Okay, not ready to talk about my father’s sex life or lack of one, let’s get back to you.”
“It’s pretty simple. Two strangers meet in a bar and are attracted to one another which leads to the cliché one-night stand, or so it seems until a real connection is made and I can’t stop thinking about her. We didn’t exchange names, it’s what she wanted. She wanted to just do something out of character with no regrets. Although I knew where she lived, that’s all I had. A couple of days later and still nothing from the EPA and our jobs flagged, I went down to see Ed, and yes, I was pissed.”
“He told me some background info on Alex, and at this point, I still believed Alex was a guy. I was mad and running my mouth and then a familiar voice was behind me and I knew our mystery inspector and the girl of my dreams was one in the same. Ed gave us the room and I lost my shit. I felt like I was being set-up or something and then it just totally shifted to something else. I asked her to meet me at your apartment and once she was there, she gave me the truth and it’s quite a story.”
I continued on and told my father everything Alex had shared with me. My father remained quiet for a minute and then paced his office until stopping at the bar. I might have thought he was going to pour himself a drink but then he just went for the coffee instead. God! he is so frustrating using the silent treatment while sipping his coffee. He finally sat down behind his desk.
“Her version of the truth. Come on, Rogan, you’re smarter than that and I raised you better to know the difference. You got played by the oldest trick in the book.”
“I am smart and I didn’t get played by anyone especially Alex. She’s being blackmailed and not just by anyone but Winston Lockhart. You fucked him over and now he wants to get back at us and using Alex to do it. Come on, is it really
so far-fetched?”
“Let’s say I do believe her story about her father and falling on hard times. I have her file right here which was not hard to get. Anyway, it says here her annual salary was $77,750 dollars. This is not a bad salary for a new inspector on the job. And already promoted in an even higher position.” He shoved the file toward me gesturing for me to look at it but I don’t.
“I believe her. And I don’t really care if you don’t.”
“Oh, really? Well, you better god damn care! This is our fucking company she is messing with and I will not let anyone come between what we have built here. You need to get your priorities straight and until you do, you are hereby removed from the project and will no longer have any communication with the farmers or anyone down at the EPA. Have I made myself clear?”
“Don’t do this, dad. I’m begging you.”
“It’s done.”
I grabbed my stuff and took off for the elevator, totally ignoring my grandfather calling out to me. I couldn’t face him and see another look of disappointment. I sped out of the parking garage not knowing where the hell I would go or what I would do. I knew who I wanted to see but I told her to go to work and treat it like just a normal day because that’s what I was supposed to be doing.
My cell was going off and I didn’t think it would be my dad and it wasn’t. It was my sister calling. “Hey, Em, what’s up?”
“Hey bro, ghosting my calls? Wasn’t it you who asked me to help you?”
“Yes, I did and I’m not avoiding you. It’s been a crazy morning and I just didn’t have time to return your calls.”
“Well? What about now? Can we meet at your place? I want to show you something before I have to get to work. You know I have a career too.”
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
“Thank you,” she laughed in victory. I didn’t want to be a jerk, especially to my sister who drops everything for me when I call. I shoved aside my earlier anger and focused on getting home to Emily. When I unlocked my door, I didn’t think I was in the right place. It looked so different.
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