by Tia Siren
Chapter 2
Kendra
Back when I was a teenager, I used to look forward to summer. It was nothing but bikinis by day, drinks by night, and fun all summer long. I didn’t even mind the heat. The fact that I had no work, no school, and no worries made the concrete jungle that was New York City bearable.
How things had changed.
It was the middle of July, which meant that New York was in the middle of its hottest month. Just walking from the subway to work was a simmering nightmare. By the time I walked into the shop, I would be covered in sweat, my shirt would be stuck to my back, and my make-up dripped down my face. And that might be tolerable if it wasn’t for the fact that I had to work. All day, every day. Even the air conditioning couldn’t make up for that reality.
It was just past noon on a Friday, so of course, I was at work. I was the manager of the flagship store for Grandy Candy, one of the biggest confectionery companies in the country. This was the company’s biggest stores. It was located in SoHo on Broadway and constantly teemed with wealthy socialites, aristocratic European tourists, and because it was summer, dozens and dozens of school children with nothing better to do than loiter around the candy store.
This was the real reason I now loathed summer. From the moment the doors opened to when they closed, the store was filled to the brim with school kids with too much free time and nowhere near enough money. The store was a two-storey affair, so I couldn’t keep my eye on them the whole time, and they all knew it. At the end of every day when I took inventory, things were missing. Sometimes, it was something as small as an extra slice of fudge brownie. Other times, entire gift boxes were gone. It was a constant point of annoyance, and today was no different.
“Just so you know, there are two teenage boys in the back corner looking shifty, by the licorice stand,” Debbie whispered in my ear as she walked past me. She was my assistant manager and, like me, spent the majority of her time watching out for petty theft. “When they saw me watching, they pretended to pull out their phones.”
“Thanks, Debbie,” I offered, rolling my eyes. I readied myself to go and confront the boys. It was always a pointless endeavor. I couldn’t kick them out for doing nothing. It was more of a way to scare them. Although, it never really worked.
The front door to the store opened, and a familiar face walked in. Liz Campbell was my best friend in the whole world. I met her in my first week of college, and a week later, we’d been best friends. She was fun, spontaneous, carefree, and so many other things that I was not. I really had no idea why she’d kept me around for so long.
“Girl, it is hotter than the devil’s ball sack out there,” she said as she entered the store, not giving a damn about the glares she got from other customers. An older woman made no effort to hide her scowl of disapproval. “Oh, lighten up,” Liz snapped at her.
“I was going to say the devil’s butthole,” I countered as she approached the counter. “But I think ball sack is more accurate.”
“I’ve seen both and believe me it is.” She all but fell on the counter when she reached it, acting as if all the energy in her body had suddenly been drained. “I’m weak, Kendra. I can barely stand. I need sustenance. I need… I need...”
“Diablo Fudge Brownies?” I offered. I reached beneath the counter and pulled out a tray of said brownies, ready and waiting. They were dark brown, almost black, they were packed so full of chocolate. In the heat, they’d started to melt slightly, so they were soft and moist.
“How did you know?!” Liz exclaimed, the life shooting back into her. She clapped her hands together and proceeded to scoop the brownies into her mouth without hesitation or remorse.
“Well, it’s Friday, and... and that’s all the indication I needed really.”
Liz came into the store every Friday to help herself to the exact same treat. It had all but become routine by this point. I should have named the brownies after her, considering how many she’d eaten since I started working here.
“Don’t just stare at my fat ass,” she said thickly, through a mouthful of brownie. “Eat some.”
I shook my head and watched in envy as my best friend devoured brownie after brownie. Despite her personal claims, Liz was gorgeous. Big brown eyes complemented her cute pixie face, and dark hair spilled down her shoulders. She also had a body to die for. She had one of those stick-thin frames that you would see on the cover of fashion magazines and bikini blogs. It couldn’t have been more different than my own body.
“Oh, please,” Liz continued. “Don’t you dare start with that tired old complaint about how fat you are. If you do, I’m going to take my brownies and go. Don’t think I won’t.”
I wasn’t fat, but I wasn’t far off these days. I had always been curvy, ever since I was a teenager. But as a teenager, that figure was easy to maintain. As in, I didn’t have to maintain it at all. Now that I was a little older and worked in a candy store, of all places, I was about one brownie away from officially having to go up a size.
“Jesus,” Liz moaned. “How many times do I have to tell you? I would kill for your body. Have you seen your butt lately? If you haven’t, I guarantee you, most of the men that come in here have—”
Luckily, the ringing of the store phone interrupted Liz’s rant. I answered it willingly, glad for an excuse to cut Liz’s spiel short.
“This is Kendra speaking, how may I help you?”
“Kendra, it’s Grant.”
“Oh, hello Mr. Marcus.” Considering who it was on the other end of the line, I half wished that I hadn’t answered and let Liz finish her piece. The caller was Grant Marcus, the owner of both the store and company.
“Kendra, how many times do I have to tell you? Grant is fine, especially considering our history. Don’t make me order you to start calling me by my first name.” He spoke to me in the same manner that he always did. It was an arrogant, self-knowing tone that reeked of entitlement.
“Okay, fine. Grant. What can I do for you?” Grant and I had a history that went beyond the realms of the simple employer-employee relationship. He and I used to date, and although it was eons ago, I always got the sense that he had never quite forgiven me for breaking up with him.
“First, you can tell your friend Liz that she owes me roughly two hundred dollars in Diablo Fudge back payments. And secondly, you can join me for dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?” I sputtered, instantly regretting my knee jerk reaction. He had caught me off guard with the request, one that he had never made before. And if I knew him, which I did, he delighted in my shocked reaction.
“Yes. It’s a pretty standard meal. Usually, comes at night time. Although it can be eaten alone, tonight I would like the company.” His voice was patronizing on the other end of the line. “I have something we need to discuss.”
“Discuss?” I asked, turning my back on Liz who was trying to get my attention as she mouthed profanities at me, or more likely, at Grant on the other end of the line. “Discuss what?”
“We’ll save it for tonight. I want to be looking at you when I tell you. I’ll email you the details. And please don’t be late. I hate tardiness.” And with that, he hung up the phone, leaving me hanging on the other end, completely confused.
“What did that jerkoff want?” Liz asked the moment I hung the phone up.
Liz had never liked Grant. To her, he was my underappreciative boss who worked me to the bone and took advantage of me whenever he could, which was more often than not. Since I started working for him, I had pulled more late nights than I had normal ones, and I was constantly on the receiving end of his venom.
When I first started, I made the mistake of telling her that Grant and I used to date. Since then, Grant had been at fault for everything that was wrong with my life, at least according to Liz. She blamed him for the fact that I was single. For what she called my low self-esteem and for my weight gain. Although that last one, she had never actually said out loud.
“He wants to have din
ner with me tonight,” I said. “Although he didn’t say why.”
“Don’t go,” Liz said instantly.
I scoffed at her suggestion, knowing full well that I had no choice. He was my boss after all, a fact that I hated every time I thought about it. I had never meant to work for Grant, and when we dated, I never dreamed that one day I would. Back in high school, he was the last person I thought would ever be a success. But when I came to New York and needed a job, I applied at the store, having no idea that he was the owner. Although he hired me willingly, he seemed to relish the fact that he was now in charge of me. As if it was some sick form of payback for dumping him all those years ago.
“Fine,” Liz said. “Go. But order the most expensive thing on the menu. And flirt with the waiter. And make sure you put the girls on display so he knows what he’s missing.”
Liz carried on with ways to torture Grant, but I slowly phased her out. Unfortunately, I was far too preoccupied with thoughts of what Grant would want to discuss. I had gone to him asking for a promotion last month and subtly implied that I might quit if I didn’t get one. Was he going to give me one? Or worse, was he going to fire me?
Whatever it was, I really hoped it wasn’t bad news. Considering the way that my life was currently going, I didn’t think I could handle any more bad news.
Chapter 3
Grant
The restaurant I chose for dinner that night was about as different from Split Bean as possible. It was the kind of place that you couldn’t get a table at without a reservation. And to even make a reservation, a call had to be placed days in advance, sometimes weeks. And even then, it wasn’t guaranteed. I was lucky that I knew the owner and never had an issue getting in. Growing up, I would never have dreamed in a million years that I would be able to eat at a place like this on a regular basis.
It was five minutes past eight, and my dinner guest was late. I had arrived early, of course. I always did. It allowed for me to get settled and ensure that when my company arrived, I was there, waiting. As far as restaurants went, this wasn’t the worst to be kept waiting at. The music was divine, the service was impeccable, and the clientele was easy on the eyes. More than once, I caught the attention of a young socialite, eating with a man twice her age. On any other night, I might have tried to pass her my number, but not tonight. Tonight, I had a target in mind.
I was about to order my second drink when I spotted her, hurrying through the front door. She was hard not to notice. She had a very obvious effect on all the men in the room as she glided her way through the tables.
Kendra Lange had always been attractive. When we used to date, I would often lie awake at night and count my lucky stars that she found it in her heart to date me too, always assuming that I was the butt of some joke. But if she was attractive back in high school, she was drop dead gorgeous as a fully developed woman.
She wore a tight-fitting, strapless black dress that hugged her curves as it snaked its way down to her ankles. Indeed, her curves were her best feature, the perfect hourglass shape, supported by a nice round butt and very ample cleavage, which struggled not to spill from the front of her dress. Her face was the perfect cherry on top of her mouthwatering body. She had big green eyes that missed nothing, and plump lips that were almost as appetizing as the rest of her.
As she got closer to the table, I reproached myself for getting carried away. Every time I saw Kendra, I had a hard time controlling my thoughts. Even then, watching the ways her breasts bounced as she stepped around a nearby table, I could feel my pants tightening.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said as she reached the table. She pulled out a seat and fell into it.
“What did I tell you about tardiness?” I asked as I looked over her shoulder, signaling to the waiter that my drink, and hers, needed to be refilled.
“It wasn’t my fault. There was traffic and—”
“Excuses, by the sounds of it,” I cut in. “I distinctly remember you telling me how dependable you were when I hired you. That you would never let me down if I recall?”
The waiter approached and poured our drinks for us. Kendra looked relieved by the interruption. She squirmed in her seat and avoided my eyes as she watched the champagne fill her glass.
Even in her nervous state, she looked stunning. There was an innocence about her that I found impossibly engaging. She was out of her element, here in this crowd. That was half the reason I chose this restaurant. It was just another way for me to assert my authority over my old lover.
The other reason I chose this place to meet was a little bit mean on my part. I wanted her to see how successful I’d become. Of course, she knew I was a wealthy man who owned a huge company. But it was one thing to know about my achievements in the abstract. It was another to see the way I lived, up close and personal. I wasn’t even showing off. Not really. I ate here all the time. I was just giving her a glimpse into my real life, letting her know what she’d missed out on by dumping me for the fucking star quarterback.
I took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. Those old feelings of resentment weren’t important right now. I had business to discuss with Kendra.
“You came to me last month, asking for a raise,” I said, before taking a sip of my drink. I maintained strong eye contact with her as I spoke, even if she worked to avoid it. “I’m assuming that nothing has changed?”
“No. I mean, yes. I mean, I would still appreciate a raise. If that’s what you’re offering?”
“It is. But I’m offering you more than a raise. I’m opening a new store in two weeks. I’d like you to manage it for me. And yes, it comes with a considerable increase in salary.”
“You don’t want me to work at the flagship anymore?” she asked.
“I don’t need you to work at the flagship anymore. You’ve done a good job there, getting things back in order. Debbie can take it from here. The store I’m opening is more... unique in its product. I think it would benefit from having someone like you handling things.”
“Really?” she asked, her interest clearly piqued. She had begun to loosen up a little, settling into the atmosphere. As much as I liked her nervous, seeing her confident was just as sexy. Maybe even more so. Her breathing had steadied, and I struggled to keep my eyes from staring at her gorgeous breasts, slowly falling and rising beneath that tight dress.
“So, you’re interested?” I asked.
“Of course. I wasn’t kidding when I asked for that raise. My landlord has been a real dick lately and– Oh, sorry.” Her hand flew over her mouth.
Her reaction was undeniably cute. Considering what I was going to ask her to do in a few minutes, cursing was the least of her worries.
“Good to know that you’re interested,” I responded, smirking at her innocence. “But you might want to hear a little more about the new store before you dive in so eagerly. This isn’t like my other candy store. Like I said, this store will be selling a slightly different kind of product. To a different kind of customer than you’re used to.”
“Oh, okay. What do you mean?”
I didn’t respond right away, enjoying the confused look on her face. Then, I leaned back and signaled to the waiter nearest us. “Geoffrey,” I said as he approached. “Can you please fetch my suitcase? The one I brought with me.”
Geoffrey scurried off, and I watched Kendra in silence. She was getting nervous again. Her eyes had trouble meeting my gaze, and her hands fidgeted with her champagne flute. God, I loved playing with her. It was a reversal of our old dynamics, back when we were dating. I used to be the scrawny, dorky one who answered her every beck and call. I would have done anything for her. There’s a part of me that still would.
Geoffrey appeared by my side with a brown leather suitcase. “Here you are, sir.”
“Thanks,” I replied, taking the suitcase while slipping a twenty-dollar bill in his hand. He scurried off, and I propped the suitcase up on the table, turning it to face Kendra. “The store that I’m o
pening up is called Luscious, and the candy that I’m going to sell is of a more adult variety.”
I opened the case, and Kendra’s eyes widened delightfully at the sight of what was inside. Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes looked in every direction but at the contents of the suitcase.
“Are those... are those what I think they are?” She asked in a hushed whisper as if it were some sort of secret.
“That depends. What do you think it is?” I smirked. There was no confusing what was inside the suitcase. I had only brought the one product with me tonight to show Kendra. It was a best seller at Jack’s nightclub, and I thought it would be perfect for what I had in mind.
“It’s a dildo,” she said, her eyes flicking back to it. But she couldn’t seem to look at it for very long. “Is it chocolate?”
I nodded. The case held a big, black dildo. The entire thing was made from chocolate, and it was specially designed to not melt at the same temperature as most chocolates did. That would defeat the purpose.
“Right in one,” I said with glee, leaving the case open. “As I said, Luscious will specialize in adult themed candy of this nature. This is but one of the many products we have, and I’d like for you to be the face of the store.”
“I don’t... I don’t know if I’m right for... I really don’t think that this is the kind of thing I’m suited to,” she said, her voice quaking.
Goddamn, she was cute when she was nervous. “Kendra, you forget that I know more about you than the average boss. Quite a bit more. Believe me, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think you were right for it.” She was staring at the dildo now, her cheeks still burning red. I could tell she was curious. “Try it.”
“What?” she sputtered. “You can’t be serious?”
“Not like that,” I assured her, knowing exactly where her mind had gone. “With your mouth. Try it.”
“Here?” she asked, looking around the restaurant as if someone might overhear.