by Jinni James
“No! There is no way I will allow this man to be a board member! No!”
John’s eyes go wide and he looks shocked. “What’s wrong, Elizabeth?”
I ignore John’s question, and instead, I focus my attention on Bob. “You’ve got a lot of nerve; you know that? I catch you red-handed trying to sabotage my publishing house and I run you off, so what do you do? You come here and try to meddle in the affairs of my parents’ company. What the hell’s your problem? Why don’t you go find someone else’s company to mess with, and leave me and mine alone?”
“I don’t know what you are referring to, Elizabeth. I let certain people know that I was looking for a job, and Mr. Davidson, here, jumped at the chance to work with me.”
My hand itched to smack the smirk off Bob’s face, but I held my temper and turned to address Davidson. “John, you can’t be serious.”
“Elizabeth, he’s a perfect candidate for this position, but like I said, it’s still up for a vote.”
“Then I know what my vote will be.”
“As is your right.”
“May I remind all of you that I still own fifty-one percent of this company? If I want Robert out of here, I will get him out.”
Mr. Davidson’s expression switches from placating to pissed. “You do not have to remind us of that, Ms. Hamilton.”
“Good.” I say, albeit grudgingly. What I’d really like is to run Robert Barnes out of here after putting a foot up his ass, spiked high heel and all.
“Alright then let’s continue this meeting on Friday, when we will take a vote and make our final decision. Good day.”
I stride out of that meeting too furious to speak. My face is probably blood red, because it’s burning hot. How dare Bob try to butt in on my parents’ company? If he’s looking for revenge, he’s on the right path. He has to know how pissed he’s made me, and he’s probably loving every minute. Too bad his happiness over my displeasure won’t last long. I’m more determined than ever to put that man in his place. Over at Hamilton, they’re still going through his computer files. It’s time to kick things into high gear. I dig my cell out of my purse and call Guy in our IT department. I let him know I need every single bit of info from Bob’s computer. I’ll need the name and topic of content for every file—along with every email he has sent or received in the last six months—sent to me as soon as possible. Like, yesterday, since I’ll need time before Friday to sift through everything and see what’s there. Once I make Guy understand the urgency of his mission, and, as an afterthought, ask him to keep an eye out for anything that might be even remotely incriminating, I hang up. I’m just about to drop the phone back into my purse, when the darned thing starts ringing. I glance at the display screen. Alex. He’s probably wondering how everything’s going today.
“Hello, Alex,” I say, forcing a cheerful note into my voice.
“Hello, beautiful. How was your day?”
“Ha! If you only knew. The past few hours have been downright insane.”
He doesn’t speak for a moment, as if he’s absorbing my statement and planning his own response, then he says, “I’m coming to pick you up. Where are you?”
“I’m almost home.”
“Okay. Stay there; my driver and I will be at your place in twenty minutes.”
“Where are we going?” I don’t much feel like going out, so I hope he won’t mind if I decline any plans he might have for a date.
“To my place.”
“Oh. Good.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, but then he chuckles, and I realize how what I just said must sound and I groan inwardly.
“I’m glad the idea pleases you,” he says. He follows with another chuckle, and then disconnects before I have a chance to respond to his teasing.
But I’m actually only a little embarrassed. I’m too busy being excited. His place! Oh, my God! Am I ready for this? He came to my place, so it’s only logical he would want to take me to his, I suppose. The second I get home, I run to my bedroom to shower and change. I wonder if he plans on having me spend the night. If so, I should take an overnight bag, but he didn’t say anything, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to ask, so I won’t even worry about it.
I throw on a loose, floral print skirt with a matching blue top and strap on some blue Jimmy Choo heels. Before I know it, Alex is downstairs, buzzing me over the intercom.
In the downstairs foyer, I talk into the speaker on the wall near the front door. “I’ll be right down.”
Laughter from behind me draws my attention, and I spin around.
“Well, well, sister dear. What are we rushing off to? Or should I say who are we rushing off to?”
“I have had one hell of a day, Becca, so I’m going over to Alex’s to hang out with him for a while.”
“That’s fantastic! You know, if I’m not mistaken, this is the first time you’ve ever gone to a man’s house. You must really like him.”
I sigh, unable to completely hide my annoyance at her meddling. It’s not that I don’t love my sister or that I think it’s totally none of her business, I just want a little time for me—time to figure things out regarding my relationship with Alex—before I attempt to explain it to someone else. “I might like him. Anyway, don’t wait up.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
I run out the door, feeling as if I can’t get down the elevator fast enough. Why am I so excited? I mean, this isn’t a first date, and so what if it’s the first time I’ve ever gone to a man’s house…an apartment is an apartment, right? So, what’s the big deal?
There’s the big deal, I think, as the doors open and I see Alex standing there. He’s the big deal. My excitement has nothing to do with going to his place…I just can’t wait to be with him…no matter where we go or what we do.
Alex smiles, leans in to kiss my cheek, and then takes my arm to escort me outside, where he left his long, black M3 parked at the curb. He must have a preference for black cars, like I do. I’ve always thought they help you blend in…retain your anonymity. Alex looks stunning, as always, this time wearing a black, Jay Kos suit with a white shirt and a black and white tie. He looks delicious.
“Good evening, Ms. Hamilton,” he says, once we settle inside the car.
“Good evening, Mr. Preston.”
He takes my hand and pulls me close to sit right next to him. He’s so close; I can feel his breath on my neck.
“I’ve missed you today,” he says. “Maybe I can get you to relax a bit tonight.”
My heart’s racing. “That sounds lovely. I’ve missed you, too.”
He dips his head and kisses my neck. Every muscle in my body grows tense. Why do I react like this?
“I love how you respond to me, Elizabeth.”
There he goes again, reading my thoughts. His close proximity has me catching my breath.
“Calm down, baby. We have all night. I can’t wait to have you all to myself at my place this time.”
My heart is now pounding, thumping against my ribcage. I’m totally focused on Alex, on what he might have in store for me tonight. I’ve almost forgotten everything that happened today. Almost. We pull up to the Trump International Towers, and I shake my head. Of course…where else would Alexander Preston live? As we ride up in the elevator, Alex takes my hand.
“I would take you right here and now if I could, but unfortunately, we’ll have to wait.”
I’m sure my palms are beginning to sweat, but he doesn’t release my hand as we step off the elevator and walk down a short hallway to the door to his place. He unlocks the door and steps aside, allowing me to enter before him. My first impression is that it looks like a miniature palace. The living room, which we enter first, is pristine, not a thing out of place, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say no one lived there. Floor-to-ceiling windows just like mine line the wall, but he has solid black furniture with gray accent pieces. There’s a circular fireplace in the middle of the living room, which I find makes the space. Talk about roma
ntic.
Alex leads me over to a cute little dining area, although I guess “cute” is an odd way to describe something so exquisitely decorated. The glass table is situated right in front of the window that overlooks Central Park, and a huge chandelier hangs above. The chairs are white, in direct contrast to all the dark furniture in the living room, which defines and helps separate the rooms.
“I hope you’re hungry, Elizabeth. I had my cook prepare dinner for us.” Alex nods toward a man standing near an archway leading into the kitchen. “Joseph, this is Ms. Hamilton. Elizabeth, please meet Joseph.”
At Alex’s mention of food, my stomach growls. I cast him a sheepish look, and he chuckles. I ignore both him and my embarrassing belly, and offer the chef a smile.
“Pleased to meet you. And yes, I’m obviously starving,” I say. “Thank you, Alex, but you really didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”
“No trouble for me at all. Joseph did all the work.”
He pulls out a chair for me, and I sit down before a table setting consisting of gold-plated silverware, fine crystal goblets, and white plates trimmed in what I imagine must be twenty-four carat gold. I’m used to fine things, and I definitely don’t live in a hotel, but even I’m impressed with this spread.
Alex takes a seat at the opposite end of the table, Joseph disappears into the kitchen. A moment later, he returns carrying a large serving dish filled with what looks like penne pasta and shrimp. The spicy aroma says it’s some kind of Cajun dish. My mouth waters.
“Oh, my…this looks delicious, Alex.”
“Yeah, Joseph knows how to cook, that’s for sure. He owns a restaurant not far from here, but he will come and fix something here if I ask him to…for the right price, anyway.”
All three of us laugh, and I can tell by the way they act and speak to one another that the two men are friends…that they like one another, and their relationship transcends that of a normal businessman and his client/customer. I’m not sure how I can tell, but I have a feeling Joseph would probably come over and cook a meal for Alex anyway, regardless of the pay. Can’t say I’m surprised; I can’t imagine anyone not liking Alex. He’s kind, charming, and he’s definitely not hard on the eyes.
“So, Elizabeth, tell me what happened today. Something else went wrong, I presume?”
I sigh. I don’t really want to talk about this afternoon’s events, but at the same time, the sooner I talk about it, the sooner it will stop bothering me so much.
“Well, everything was going fine, until Davidson, from Neo Corp, contacted me about a meeting this afternoon. Mind you, this came as a complete surprise. We never meet on INSERT DAY HERE, and he left a message with Natalie, so I didn’t even have an opportunity to ask him why we were meeting. When I get there, I find out that one of our board members has stepped down, and they have found a replacement. You’re not going to believe this, Alex…guess who they want to be our next board member.”
He shakes his head. “I have no idea…who?”
“Robert WHAT’S HIS LAST NAME AGAIN? LOL.”
“Your former CFO?”
“Yes.” I sigh. Even now, I can’t believe this is happening.
Alex stops eating and sets his fork on the edge of his plate, clearly upset at this sudden turn of events. “What on Earth does he think he’s doing?”
“My question, exactly, but, of course, he’s playing dumb and says this is all a mere coincidence. But I know better, even if he’s managed to pull the wool over my fellow board members’ eyes. The man’s trying to get to me, and so far, he’s doing a damn good job.”
“This decision isn’t final, though…it’s merely pending until there’s a vote, isn’t that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then you have time to do more digging. Have your IT guy get everything they can off that computer; I’m almost certain they’ll find something on there you can use against him, to prove the man’s nothing more than a backstabbing, conniving liar.”
“Already on it.” I’m filled with a sense of relief—and also a little pride—at knowing I thought to do the same thing Alex would do, if he were faced with the same situation.
A smile spreads across his face, and I bask in its warmth. God, he makes me feel special.
“Of course—I should have figured you’d know what to do. More wine?”
“Please.”
Alex stands, walks to my end of the table, and pours another glass of chardonnay for me. He then leans down and presses a kiss very lightly to my forehead.
“I’m sorry you had a rough day. We won’t let Bob get away with this.”
“Thank you, Alex.” I appreciate his support, but unless we find some kind of incriminating evidence on the man’s computer, I don’t know what Alex can do. After all, right now, it’s only my word against Bob’s.
Alex walks back to his chair and takes a seat.
“I have a bit of news, myself,” he tells me. “And I wonder if the two events are somehow related. Christina quit today.”
I choke on my shrimp.
“Elizabeth! Are you okay?” He starts to come up out of his chair.
“Sit. I’m fine…really.” I clear my throat and take a sip of water from one of the crystal glasses. “Sorry. You surprised me, that’s all. What do you mean, Christina quit?”
Alex sits back down. He picks up his fork and resumes eating his meal. His lack of a response and blasé attitude are beginning to wear on my patience, and I’m about to repeat my question, when he looks up at me and shrugs.
“Just as I said…she walked into my office this morning and tenured her resignation. I assumed it was because of the whole deal with you, but she wouldn’t give me an answer when I asked her why she was leaving. The only explanation she’d give me was that she needed to pursue other opportunities.”
“Talk about a coincidence. Hard to believe the two events aren’t related, don’t you agree?”
Alex stops eating again, and seems to consider my question. After a bit, he shakes his head. “No. I don’t think so. I can’t imagine why or how they would be.”
I’d like to believe he’s right, but my instincts tell me he’s not. If I hadn’t caught Bob and Christina talking on the phone, then maybe I’d believe this is just some crazy coincidence, but I really think they’re in cahoots. I don’t get it, though. What, exactly, do they hope to gain? Have I done something inadvertently to make them both hate me enough to do harm to me or one of my businesses? Suddenly, I’ve lost my appetite. In fact, the smell of Joseph’s delicious meal is actually making me a little nauseated.
“Elizabeth?”
“I’m okay. I’m just not very hungry anymore...”
“Oh, baby…I am so sorry. I wanted to help you forget your troubles and relax for a few hours, but I’ve done exactly the opposite, haven’t I?”
“It’s okay.” I hurry to reassure him. The last thing I want to do is upset Alex, especially when I can’t even prove my suspicions. “I just don’t understand, that’s all.”
Alex gets up and comes to me again. He holds out his hand, and I take it and allow him to help me to my feet.
“Everything will be okay, sweetheart. I’ll make sure of it. I want to take your worries away, at least for tonight. Stay with me.”
“Yes.” I immediately agree. There’s no other possible answer but yes.
*****
Alex leads me upstairs to his bedroom, and once again, I find myself faced with overwhelming opulence. The carpet is plush and white, just like mine, and so are the walls, but what immediately draws my attention is the enormous, king-size bed with black bedding located up against the far wall. The bedframe is dark gray wood, and I’ve never seen anything like it. The huge windows in this room are covered with black curtains, but he has them pulled back so you can see the city. On another wall, he has a painting of a beautiful woman with auburn hair sitting at a vanity table. Above us, there’s another huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. This room is truly mag
nificent...so clean and so proper. The décor fits him perfectly. Alex led me to stand before the window, so I’m looking out on the city. He stands behind me and slowly slips his arms around my waist.
“You deserve to have someone take care of you, Elizabeth. You do so much. You take care of so much. You need time to relax and have someone else do all the work for a little bit.” He whispers in my ear and moves his hands up and down my sides, then onto my shoulders, where he massages gently. “So tense…we have to do something about that.”
God, this feels good. I sigh and lean my head back, resting it on his shoulder, and he continues to touch me. He runs his hands down my sides, then lower, gliding his palms up and down my thighs.
“I love when you wear a skirt.”
My breathing is erratic, and I stand frozen to the spot as he moves his hands up beneath the hem of my skirt to grasp my panties. He slides them down my legs, until they are puddled around my ankles on the floor.
“Lift your legs, baby.”
I do as he asks, stepping out of my underwear,
“There we go. We’re making progress.” He tosses them aside.
I’m lost, unable to think or speak. Every time he touches me, my insides jump. He begins to pull my shirt up and over my head, and only then do I react.
“Alex.” I grab his wrists, halting his actions. “We’re standing in front of a window.”
“Sweetheart, it’s okay; no one can see you up here. Surrender yourself to me.”
I do as he asks and release him. At this point, I would do anything he asks of me. He finishes divesting me of my shirt and drops it to the floor at my feet, leaving me standing her in nothing but my heels, a red lace bra, and my skirt.
“This is a very pretty bra, and it looks very nice on you,” he says, running a finger along the lacy edging, “but right now, I think it would look better on the floor.”
He unclasps my bra, and slides it down and off my shoulders. His hands find my breasts before it even hits the floor.
“You are so beautiful, Elizabeth.”