by Rose Cody
“The Privalov family are exquisite entertainers…” He whispers to her as he holds two fingers up to the bartender. “Too bad they’re such shitty people.”
He nods to the bar keeper as he gets handed two carved glasses of deep burgundy wine before turning around and handing one of the drinks to Olivia.
She takes it from him, smiling softly and looking to glass as she swirls the drink around in the bowl before taking a sip, the flavor thick with raspberries.
Olivia sighs as she leans her back onto the bar, inching herself closer to Vincent’s warmth as she looks around the room.
“Oh, look who it is…” She says, recognizing the grey suit of the stocky man waving his hand and coming towards them.
“Couldn’t even change to come to the party?” Vincent whispers under his breath as he hands his wine to Olivia before walking away to meet the man.
She watches as reaches out to the man, placing his hands on his back to turn him around. He leans in as they walk and talk in the other direction and Olivia turns back towards the bar, placing his wineglass on the wooden top before taking another sip of hers.
“I’ve never seen you before…” Olivia hears from her right side.
She turns to see a tanned woman, her skin freckled and her hair black and curled, in a white silk dress slide onto the bar stool beside her.
Olivia watches as the woman takes a sip of her drink before licking the sugar off the rim.
“To be fair, I’ve never seen you either.” Olivia says back to her, trying her best to back away from the alcohol stench without being too obvious.
“Hm. A funny one.” The woman says as she takes another sip of her beverage. “I saw who you came in with.”
Olivia nods her head nervously as she looks around the crowd for any signs of her boss.
“Just because you’re Vincent Condello’s girl, doesn’t mean anything, you know.” She says, gulping down the last few sips of her drink before slamming the glass down on the bar top and pushing it away. “Sleeping with Mr. Rich-And-Powerful doesn’t afford you special privileges to come in here and give the rest of us nasty looks. You’re not better than me!”
Olivia shakes her head, her eyes popping wide open as she shakes her hand in the air.
“I didn’t even see you.” She says, gulping. “I’m sorry… I’m…I just work for him. I’m an assistant. He just invited me because he wanted someone to go with and I was free. That’s all…”
Olivia watches as the woman squints her eyes, looking her over.
“I’ve never been to a party like this before…” She says, trying to offer up another explanation. “So, everything is kind of over whelming. So if I looked at you in not a nice way, I didn’t mean it.”
“Yeah, I can see it.” The woman says, nodding her head up and down as a drunken smirk spreads across her face. “You’re much too sweet to be one of Vincent’s girls.”
The woman leans in, curling her finger for Olivia to come closer. Reluctantly she takes a step forward, leaning down to the woman’s level.
“You watch your back around Vincent Condello…” She starts, her voice low and hissing. “He’s the big boss now… but someday someone’s going to take him down and I would hate for you to go down with him…”
Olivia clears her throat, standing up straight as she catches her boss out of the corner of her eye as he walks back towards them.
“Okay, thank you.” She says to the drunk woman, who’s head is tiredly meandering down to the bar top, as she picks up Vincent’s wine glass from the bar and hurries over to him, desperate to get out of the awkward situation.
She smiles, watching him smile back to her as playfully tosses his hand up into the air, fluttering it around as she places his glass into his other hand.
“Business.” He says, rolling his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how these people even tie their shoes before they leave the house.”
“Velcro.” She giggles, jokingly. “Pretty sure I saw some…”
“I wouldn’t put it past him.” He says, smiling into the glass as he takes a sip before swallowing hard and looking around the room. “I bet you’re starving…” He says, spotting a server with a tray of delicate looking pastries. “The only reason we’re here is to eat, so let’s go eat.”
Chapter 15
Olivia closers her eyes, sighing out as she chews the creamy, cheese and crab puff pastry before swallowing it down her throat.
“Tasty, huh?” Vincent asks her, smirking as he watches her grab another off the plate he’s holding.
“I could eat these all night.” She says, giggling as she stuffs another one into her mouth, her cheeks puffing as she smiles.
“Let’s not though…” He says, leaning in to whisper into her ear as he places the plate on the bookshelf beside them.
“No?” She asks coyly as he grabs her hand.
She blushes as he shakes his head at her before pulling her through the crowd of fancily dressed people. Olivia laughs, her smiles slowly fading as she looks back at the bar, watching the woman in the white silk dress as she pounds back another drink.
She looks ahead to Vincent as he leads them out the front door. Just how cut-throat can investors be?
They walk out the front door, the deafening sounds of the party finally muffling as Vincent pulls Olivia alongside the outside of the house and into the backyard.
“I think it’s time to find somewhere a little more private…” He says, looking around the backyard to the trees across from them.
“Outside?!” She whispers loudly as they walk quietly across the large lot to the treeline.
“No one can see, don’t worry…” He says, his dress shoes crunching the sticks under them as they wade into the cover of the trees.
He pulls Olivia close to him, leaning down to press his lips against hers in a kiss as he drags his hands up the back of her dress.
“At least find me somewhere to sit…” She whispers to him as a shiver travels up the back of her spine.
He looks around, smirking as he notices a fallen log across the little clearing.
Vincent pushes her gently toward it, helping her sit down before sitting himself down beside her. He very gently drags the tips of his fingers up her thighs, slipping them under her dress as he slowly dips them between her legs.
“What?” He asks, chuckling as he brushes his fingers against her waist. “The virgin’s not wearing panties?”
“You know you already took care of that for me…” She whispers back to him, moaning gently as she feels him rub his finger against her tingling lips, before spreading them apart and dipping the tip of his finger into her soaking wet entrance.
“I did, didn’t I…” He whispers to her as he drags his soaking wet finger up through her lips, swirling it over her swollen clit as his kisses travel down the side of her neck.
Olivia rests her hand on Vincent’s waist as she watches him rub over the crotch of his dress pants with hooded lids, gazing at him intensely, the burning in her belly growing as he fumbles with his zipper.
She whimpers out in protest as she feels him pull his fingers away from her. He brings them up to his lips, licking away her sweet juices before pushing down the waist of his pants, letting his cock pop out into the cool, night time air.
Olivia smiles, letting out a soft giggle as she watches her boss pump his palm up and down the shaft of his stiffening cock.
“Come here…” He whispers to her, his face flushed lightly pink as he reaches his hand out towards her.
She grabs it, getting up off the log and standing in front of him nervously as his shifts himself to sit with his hips more square.
“Come on…” He says, whispering to her as he reaches for her waist, gripping her tightly as he guides her onto his lap.
She closes her eyes, her breath shaking nervously as she lowers herself onto his stiff manhood, his thickness opening her, spreading her apart as she sinks herself onto him lower.
She leans into him as
he wraps his arms around her waist, kissing her on her forehead as he begins to rock his hips back and forth.
“See, aren’t you glad you came tonight?” He whispers his voice rough and deep as he gently thrusts in and out of her. “No overtime, but surely this makes up for it…”
Olivia smirks, sighing out deeply as she lets out a soft giggle before biting her lip as she slowly remembers back to the woman in the white silk dress.
“What do you do for a living?” She asks, opening her eyes as presses her hands against his shoulders.
“What do you mean?” He asks, his cheeks flushing as he slows the rocking of his hips.
“What do you do for a living?” She asks again, more forcefully as she lets him slip out of her before she slowly slides herself off of his lap.
“Are you serious?” He asks, letting out a confused chuckle as he lifts his hand into the air confused. “Are we really going to do this now?”
“I just want to know…” She says, her voice timid.
“It can’t wait…” He asks, motioning down as he covers himself.
“I just want you to put my mind at ease…” She says, looking up at him with her pale blues. “I spoke with a woman at the bar, and she implied there were people after you…”
“People after me?” He laughs, sliding himself towards her as he tries to wrap his arm around her waist. “And why did she say they would be after me?”
“I don’t know…” She whispers, shrugging her shoulders. “Because you’re powerful.”
“People hate success, I guess.” He says, his tone flat.
“How do you make your money?” She asks, pulling away from him. “Are you a tax cheat?”
“I own an investment firm, Olivia…” He says, his eyebrows raising.
“She said I should be careful because she didn’t want me getting hurt.” Olivia explains.
“Who?” Vincent says forcefully, grabbing her by the wrist.
“I don’t know.” Olivia says, pulling away. “I don’t know her name. She was the one who was right beside me at the bar.”
“Her?” He says, shaking his head. “You’re going to trust the ramblings of some drunk bitch over me?”
“Well…” Olivia starts, standing up off the log and walking to the middle of the clearing, her feet antsy, before turning back around to look at him. “You’re the guy who hired an in office prostitute, so it’s not like you’re Mr. Morals over here.”
“And that’s all I hired you as, so you should probably mind your own business.” He says, standing up tall in front of her, his eyes dark and his voice low. “I think I was pretty honest about our deal and you came back for it faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, so it’s not like you’re Miss Morality either. Unless you want everyone to know your business, I suggest you stay out of mine.”
Olivia stands shocked, the lump in her throat growing as she begins to walk away.
“Take me home.” She says quietly.
“Olivia…” He says, walking towards her, sighing, reaching out to her as he gets closer. “I’m sorry…” He starts. “But I don’t know what you want me to say…”
“Just take me home, Mr. Condello.”
Chapter 16
Olivia rubs her nose as she watches her boss open the passenger side door to his black BMW for her. She slips in, reaching for her seat belt as he closes the door behind her.
She watches as he walks around the car, wiping his hands over his eyebrows before opening up his driver’s side door and getting in.
“Look…” He says, sighing, turning to face her before swiping a stray blonde curl away from her face. “Let me tell you some things…”
“I don’t know if anything really needs to be said.” She says, sinking into her seat. “I don’t even think I want to know anymore…”
“You’re not the first girl I’ve hired…” He begins, turning back away from her to look out the tinted windshield as he drags the pads of his fingers up and down the leather steering wheel. “You’re the first one I care about, but not the first one I hired.”
“I didn’t think I was.” She says, shifting nervously in her seat. “So I don’t know why you’re telling me this…”
“I’m not a very nice guy, Olivia.” He says, breathing out heavily as he looks around outside at the sparkling party lights in the trees. “But, the last thing I would ever want is for you to become like the girl you talked to at the bar… an old whore for dirty business men.”
He shakes his head before leaning back to rest it on the seat’s headrest.
“Dirty criminals.” He corrects himself, nodding. “We’re bad people, Olivia. And I should have never brought you here to be around us…”
Olivia lets herself sink, leaning on the passenger side door as her stomach twists into a million knots, dropping as he speaks.
“I don’t really run an investing company…” He starts, chuckling to himself. “Well, I do, or I did…” He says, wavering. “I have clients to keep up appearances, you have to, right? But that’s not where my money comes from.”
“Where does it come from?” She asks, her voice just a whisper.
“I help people out.” He says, shaking his head. “Well, that’s what I tell myself anyway…”
She turns to him, looking into his eyes to detect any deception as he spills.
“I made a lot of money investing for my clients…” He says. “So, I figured, why not use my money to invest.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” She says to him, resting her cheek against the seat.
“People come to me for money. And I give them money. Then they pay me back with interest…” He explains. “I keep it off the books, but it’s not like I’m some big and evil man…”
“So, you’re a loan shark…?” She asks, squinting her eyes at him.
“Ugh… what a word.” He says, shaking his head. “I just borrow a little money here and there.”
“And if someone can’t pay you back? She asks, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I get paid back.” He says, clearing his throat.
“And if they can’t?” She asks again, firmly.
“If they don’t…” He says, pausing as he sighs and shrugs his shoulders. “Well, if they don’t… Olivia, I always get my money back one way or another.”
She nods her head up and down as she looks out the window back towards the party.
“And those people are….?” She asks, turning back to him. “Your partners?”
“Hmpf, no.” He snorts. “I own a lot of them, though.”
“They guy you walked off with, the one from the office earlier…” She asks, slowly. “He owes you money?”
“No.” He says, shaking his head. “He’s given out a few loans here and there and now wants me to partner up with him. Fat shit thinks he’s a big shot and wants to take me on. He can come back to me when he has the deeds to a third of the city in his bank vault. Then, maybe…”
She sits up tall, taking in a deep breath before slowly letting it back out.
“And my car, that was a trick to get me to owe you, huh?” She asks, her face flushing hot with anger.
He sits back in his seat, closing his eyes as he sighs.
“No.” He whispers, his voice soft and low. “I’ve never expected anything back for your car. You just looked like you really needed some help.”
She nods her head slowly up and down as she watches him press the start button to start the engine before he looks around his mirrors and begins to back up.
“I honestly just wanted to help you.” He says again as they drive off.
Chapter 17
Olivia rolls over onto her side, rubbing the old mascara from her eyelashes as she snuggles her cheek into the pillow.
“Not even worth going in today.” She whispers to herself as she pushes herself up from her mattress before swinging her legs off the side of her bed.
She sits up, yawning as she stretches before rubbing her tired e
yes once again.
“If I even still have a job…” She huffs, sighing out deeply as she stands up.
She walks over to her bedroom window before reaching out in front of her and pulling back the heavy lace curtains to look outside, her heart aching as she gazes at the sparkling dew on her front lawn.
“Well, what did I expect?” She asks herself, walking back towards her bed. “I knew it wasn’t a date from the get go… so why am I so upset about this?”