Live & Learn ~ A Miss Independent Novel

by Kiki Leach

  Harold looked at both of them before focusing in on Vanessa. His eyes traveled up and down her body before transferring to her face. “It’s good to see you again, V,” he said.

  “Don’t call me that.” She snatched up her notepad and shot up from her chair like a heated missal. “Only friends and people who know me personally call me that, and you Sir, are no friend of mine nor do you know me beyond what you’ve ever written about me or seen at parties.”

  “Okay.” He bugged his eyes and turned to Samantha. “This must be your assistant.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ve heard so much about you from Alexis. It seems you’ve really managed to keep this one in line over the last few months.” He laughed, as did Samantha, though unwillingly.

  Vanessa shot a sinister glance in her direction. She yanked her hand from Harold’s and cleared her throat. “I should get back to my desk. Good to meet you.” Samantha clamored to get around the elongated table and hurried out the door.

  He watched her leave, tilting his head and wincing with delight as she bounced in her skirt. As he turned back to Vanessa, she smacked him hard across the face. Taken aback by the stinging sensation she had left behind, he grabbed his jaw and moved it side to side, then chomped down on his teeth to make sure they were still in place. When the pain finally subsided, he pointed at her and shook his finger. “I could sue you for that, physically attacking me in the workplace unprovoked.”

  “Try it and I’ll gladly return the favor for you having my panties digitally removed from the cover of that rag you call a newspaper. Did you really think I’d be too stupid to figure that out?”

  “Nothing was removed from the pictures in any way, Vanessa. Whatever was sent to us is exactly how we printed it. You can’t blame me for bad lighting in the room that night, or lack thereof.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back to get a clear look at his smarmy demeanor. “My mother must have been dropping some serious acid to have hired you to work here. What did you do, bribe her with some sort of illegal activity to get this phony position?”

  “Even Anna Wintour herself has an editorial consultant, it’s legit. And I only bribed Alexis with my keen editorial skills.” He grabbed onto his jaw again, readjusting the alignment.

  “You have no skills which don’t include being a misogynistic prick, which the entire city is well aware of. Am I supposed to seriously buy that you left a cushy job at a well-known paper just to come and work for a magazine where women are continuously celebrated? Considering what you have done to me and countless others since your reign of terror by putting us all in that rag, I’m surprised that you could even manage to celebrate us on the cover of anything in which our tits and asses weren’t hanging out. Or being celebrated in a piece about how some of us don’t wear bras or lace underwear. Award winning material, by the way – where’d you manage to stick that Pulitzer? Up your ass?”

  He turned his attention elsewhere and tried hiding a smile. “I know that you might be pissed about this whole thing,” he said, “and I completely understand that.”

  “You’re the primary reason that publication has gone from legitimate to complete shit and become nothing more than an over glorified tabloid over the last few years. Now my mother thinks that you’re good enough to be hired here? You bet your ass I’m pissed. If I had my way, you would’ve never seen the inside of this place. I bet--”

  “How is Adrian, by the way?” he asked, cutting her off. He looked down at his shirt and began to casually adjust his tie as if he hadn’t just inquired about something so insanely controversial, and personal. When she didn’t respond, he appeared perplexed though in a smug manner. “I’m sorry, were you not finished?”

  She swallowed hard and looked him straight in the eyes, wondering if there wasn’t something more sinister behind his sudden change in the subject at hand. “What the hell kind of question is that?”

  “A simple one. From what I remember, you were one of his favorite, and most often celebrated students. He talked about you all the time as we went from building to building on campus, and sometimes when we went out for a few beers. And I thought that maybe there was a chance you two managed to keep in touch after he skipped town--”

  “There’s not a chance, there never has been. You two were a hell of a lot closer than we ever were.”

  “I’m not so sure that’s entirely possible, considering.”

  “Considering, what?” she asked him.

  A devilish grin crossed his lips as he refused to answer. “Listen, I need to get going and introduce myself to more people around the building, but um” – he pressed his fingers against his mouth, then pointed at her – “we’ll talk later today, guarantee it. I’ve got some things I want to discuss with you, as well as a lot of ideas for this magazine that I think you and your mother are going to love.” He drummed his fingers across table before backing out of the room.

  “I sincerely doubt that, asshole.” She stormed out in the opposite direction in search of her mother. When she found her talking on her cell phone near the elevators, she called after and raced toward her before she could get on.

  “Simon, let me call you back.” Alexis slipped her phone into her Gucci bag and stepped back as Vanessa approached. “I’m sorry.”

  “That means you know?” she asked. Alexis bobbed her head. “Then why in God’s name would you hire that man to work here? He’s a misogynistic pig AND the sole reason why my ass was shown all over New York City! THIS is the man you choose to consult me?! Not to mention, his Raggedy-Anne lookin’ ex-girlfriend is the one who got Sheila to talk to Page Six.”

  “KEEP your voice down.” She tugged at her jacket and stared up and down the hallway. “Now, what have I always told you, girl? Keep your enemies closer.”

  “What does that mean in this case?”

  “It means that I hired Harold after he came to me with evidence of your relationship with a man by the name of Adrian Samuels – Professor Adrian Samuels, to be exact. Does that name ring any bells for you?”

  Vanessa dropped back and turned her eyes toward the top of the elevator. “Shit.”

  “That’s what I thought. It seems this man is now back in the states and with the information Harold had just received about the two of you--”

  “Just received?”

  “Yes. He claimed that he had planned not to run with the story but his superior somehow found out about it. He refused to move forward with it after confronted and was promptly fired two days ago as a result. That’s when he came to see me. I refused to hire him before he informed me of the circumstances.”

  “So he blackmailed you into getting this job,” she said. “Which means that spiel you gave in the conference room was just BS.”

  “Not entirely. We’re not struggling, but we do need the help.”

  “Just not his.”

  “His is all we have right now. Vanessa, the only way to keep him from parading the story all over New York City was to hire and promise him triple what he made at the Daily News.”

  Guilt overcame her as she lowered her head and placed her hands at her sides. She nibbled the inside of her cheek. “You should’ve just let him run with the story.”

  “And risk this magazine’s reputation once again in less than two months? I don’t think so.” She lifted her wrist and pushed a button on the side of her watch to see the exact time. “I have to meet Alexander for a late lunch. Can you handle the last meeting on your own?” Vanessa nodded. “Good. I’ll be back in before the day is over to finish up a few things in my office as I’ll need some time to myself.” Alexis pressed the button for the elevator again.

  Vanessa gave her mother a questioning glance before speaking again. “You’re being a lot calmer about this than I expected.”

  “I’m not being calm about anything, little girl, I’m tired. It was either face more public scrutiny due to your actions or have the source of the problem taken out back and shot to death to avoid them.
This is the equivalent of that. I can’t promise next time that there won’t be actual bullets involved.” The moment the elevator doors opened, she stepped inside. “I’ll be back soon.” As they began to close, Vanessa could feel every piece of life draining from her body.

  Part Five

  On the way back to her office, she took the longest route possible, stopping only for a few seconds to remove her black Mary Jane pumps as her feet began to swell. When she approached the door, she pushed it back and saw a man waiting for her on the other side of the room, standing with his back to her. He was behind her desk, staring out the window up at the sky and down at the people below as they hustled back and forth. He was dressed in a dark Armani suit. The scent of his cologne was strong, filling the air and her nostrils, nearly intoxicating every part of her body. Her eyes traveled down his back; she leaned her head and grinned while staring at his ass, knowing just who it had belonged to. She locked the door and tossed her shoes to the floor. He looked to the side once they hit the ground and lowered his eyes as an intense smile came across his face.

  “Maurice.” Vanessa shook out her hair after releasing it from the ponytail and readjusted her dress.

  He turned on his heels to look her directly in the face and her grin became even wider. He looked so sexy in that suit, especially today – especially right now. He opened one of her drawers and reached for the remote for the electronic curtains that surrounded every window in her office. He pressed the red button at the top and they watched the curtains fall all the way to the ground. The only light now showing in the room came from the sky as it peeked through the slits of those curtains. He gradually placed the remote on top of her desk and removed his jacket, resting it on the back of her chair.

  He sauntered toward her, loosening his collar and tie. She backed into the door, preparing for his approach, but stopped almost immediately when he pressed his entire body against hers. His dick hardened as he pressed it against her thigh. She felt the taste of his breath inside her own mouth which sent her mind spinning like crazy. He tasted like lemon and peppermint. He teased her when he saw her mouth quivering, aching to be joined with his. He slid his hand around her back and pressed his fingers into her skin. He rubbed his nose against hers, then lowered his mouth, kissing her softly before gently driving his tongue between her lips.

  She moaned with desire for him and placed her hand on the side of his face to keep them steadily against each other. She lifted a leg to wrap around him and he slid his hand up between her thighs, tracing the edges of her pussy beneath her panties. Her breathing increased with every stroke of his finger against her. She rested her other hand on his shoulder and tried to lift herself in an attempt to intensify their kiss. He caressed her ass and pulled her closer to him, making sure she would know how much he wanted to feel her.

  She moved her hands up into his hair and with his hands still cupping her ass, he picked her up from the ground and carried her over to the couch. She fell back and laughed as he landed on top of her.

  “Nice to know that’s what you have this for,” he said.

  She wrapped both legs around his waist and he kissed her again, swirling his tongue around hers and sliding his hands up and down her thighs. His fingers tickled her skin and she chuckled, turning her face from him as he kissed her cheek and down her throat. She sighed when she turned back to look into his eyes. The smile never left her face as she stared at him.

  “If I had known you were coming to see me this afternoon, I would’ve been a lot more prepared for it.”

  “I think you were prepared just fine, as always,” he replied. She felt embarrassed by his words and looked away again. Maurice was the only man who could ever make her feel both sexy and nervous all at the same time and he knew it.

  She moved her hands back into his hair and twirled strands of it around her finger. “I needed this after the day I’ve had so far.”

  He puckered his brows, appearing concerned. “What’s going on?”

  “Too much for me to get into right now. Besides, I don’t want to bring down the mood we’re having and the high you’ve put me on. But I am curious to know what you’re doing here.”

  “I had a break from work and wanted to take my favorite person to lunch,” he said. “But since your mother wasn’t in her office, I came down here instead.”

  She scrunched her nose and jerked his arm. “That’s not funny.”

  “It didn’t keep you from laughing.”

  “You never do.” She kissed him again, wrapping her arms even tighter around him as the kiss became more passionate.

  He moved his head to the side of her face and whispered into her ear. “You look so sexy in this dress today. It clings to your body.” She shut her eyes and breathed him in. “I want to make love to you right now.”

  “Mmmm.” She brought her lip into her mouth and licked it from side to side, imagining what it would feel like to finally have him inside of her. “What I would give to make that happen.” Her pussy ached for him more in that moment than it ever had before. She held her breath and slid her hands down his back, stopping short of his belt buckle. She released the air inside her chest and turned her cheek toward his. “But we can’t.”

  “What if I promise,” he began, still kissing and teasing her, “to be as quiet as a mouse in the corner, nibbling on a cube of cheese?” He gently tugged at her skin with his teeth. “I convinced myself a long time ago that you feel as good as you taste, Vanessa.”

  She opened her mouth to call his name when she felt his tongue gliding across her throat. “Mo, I--” Her fingers circled around his neck and back into his hair.

  “Remain still.” He brought his hand down the front of her dress. “Just remain still.” She arched her back as he pushed her panties to the side and slid two of his fingers inside of her. She had to cover her own mouth to keep from screaming out in elation. He smiled while looking down at her, taking in the gratification she presented on her face and with her body. His thumb circled her clit and he bent down to press his lips against hers without kissing. She wanted to taste them again but he refused.

  “Make me come,” she told him. He slid his fingers in and out of her and she dipped her head back even further. It made her neck throb, but the craving she had for him was too great to compete with such pain. She clamped her fingers down hard on his shoulder and brought her leg up higher and higher. But before she could reach complete ecstasy, someone began knocking at her door. She groaned so loudly that people outside her office glanced over at the windows and made strange faces before returning to their work. “What the hell does the universe have against us screwing?”

  He soured at that word – he didn’t like to hear her using it when it came to them and what they had – and swallowed hard. “Maybe bad things will start to happen if we do,” he said.

  She scrunched her brows and squint at him. “That isn’t funny.”

  “I’m not laughing. Look, maybe they’ll go away.” He dropped back down to her throat and started kissing her again. She shut her eyes and got the same feeling she had before they were interrupted.

  “Vanessa?” A small, light voice trickled in from behind the door. It sounded familiar, but didn’t belong to someone who worked for her.

  Maurice quickly removed his hand and angled his head, both confused and disappointed in realizing who that voice belonged to. “Is that Regina?”

  “As in my sister? It sounded like it, but you know she’s supposed to be in summer school this month – Regina?” she called out.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Can you open the door? I need to talk to you about something. It’s important.”

  “Shit.” She dropped her hand on her forehead while Maurice pulled himself from between her legs and stood up. “Alright, yeah, just give me a second.” He went back over to her desk and fixed his collar and tie. Vanessa yanked her dress down below her waist, then rushed over to Maurice and helped to adjust his pants. “I can see your dick from all the way across
the room. Maybe you should sit down in my chair because that thing isn’t going down anytime soon.”

  “She won’t find me sitting here as something strange?”

  “Her seeing you in my chair is nothing compared to what she may feel in seeing your dick bulging through your pants. Sit down.” He saluted her as if she were a captain of their ship and took a seat behind the desk, pulling himself forward and stretching his arms across it to make it seem more appropriate.

  Vanessa went to the door, and the minute she saw Gina standing there with tears in her eyes and nervously rattling her foot, she immediately became worried and widened her space in the doorway. “What’s going on? Why are you so upset?”

  Gina chewed the inside of her cheek. “Can I come in and talk to you?”

  “Yeah, sure.” She moved away from the door and waved her hand.

  “I didn’t mean to bother you like this but I needed somebody to talk to and I knew that you would be the only person to understand what was going on--” She walked in and saw Maurice sitting in the chair. She stopped in the middle of the floor and looked back at Vanessa. “I didn’t know you were busy with him, I can come back.”

  “No, honey, no. He just came to bring me lunch.”

  Her eyes searched the room, curious. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Well, we’ve already eaten.”

  “Some of us were just getting started on our food,” Maurice mentioned.

  “Mo.” Vanessa looked at him behind Gina’s back and opened her eyes wide as if to tell him to shut the hell up. He mouthed that he was sorry and she redirected her focus back to her sister. “Honey, why don’t you sit down and tell me what’s going on.” She guided her to a chair and moved around in front of her to lean back on the edge of her desk. She crossed her arms and tried to get a better read on her face and why she appeared so upset. “Now what’s wrong? Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

  “Yes.” She wiped the tip of her nose as the tears continued to fall.