“Simple. I want to make a trade deal with your old boss and I need your help,” I explained.
I noticed her eyes widen in surprise.
“You don’t mean—”
“Yeah, Fred. He and I go way back,” I explained. It definitely wasn’t a friendly encounter, however.
“Oh, I see,” she said.
I noticed that she started to look down at her glass, and I quickly thought about how to dissipate the situation. She didn’t seem all that keen on it.
“Something the matter?” I asked.
She blushed, but then sighed.
“I just don’t like him. He laid me off, and I think it’s partially due to my weight and how I look. All of the girls at his office are…small and skinny. Kind of made me feel a bit self-conscious when I found out I was the only one laid off,” she explained.
My eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m so sorry…. I didn’t know that,” I said.
“It’s fine. It’s hard to explain. I normally suck at this, but thanks, Richard. Telling you helps,” she admitted.
I reached out, grabbing her hand and holding it there. She looked so sad that I just wanted to give her a hug. But I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries.
“Don’t worry. Screw what he and those other girls think. I personally think you’re quite beautiful,” I stated.
She blushed, but then shook her head.
“You’re just being nice,” she affirmed.
“Does it look like I’m bullshitting you, Ellen? You’re gorgeous. I wouldn’t say that about just anyone. And I like that you think I’m nice too,” I added.
I mean, she was so cute and so delectably curvy that I didn’t know what to do. However, she was smiling.
“Thank you, Richard. You’re much nicer than Fred was. In fact, I wouldn’t mind helping you if only to spite him. I hated working for Fred. He was a dick,” she said.
I laughed and reached out to touch her hand once more.
“Well, we can work together. He and I don’t get along very well either. He’s actually a former friend of mine. Back from the days before I was the head of the company. But, if I put forth a good presentation, he can’t possibly say no,” I explained.
“I see. So who are we presenting to? I mean, to him or to others?” I asked.
“I want to make a deal with an associate who works with both of us to get him to start working with me more and drop him as a client. But I need your help. I need you to get our books balanced and have a financial plan. I want to meet up at the end of the month to talk about this with him, and I’m going to need those plans immediately,” I announced to her.
She paused, thinking about whether or not she wanted to take this risk. Finally, she nodded, smiling in excitement.
“You have a deal,” she said.
I beamed. I was happy she saw things my way.
“Good, Ellen. I’m glad you made this easy. My associate has a meeting planned with both of us. He wanted reports of our quarterly earnings and, of course, he wanted to hear how I was doing. So, I think if we can knock his socks off, we could really jumpstart this company,” I explained.
She nodded eagerly, feeling excited about the proposition. She definitely seemed on board.
“Well, anything to take that asshole down is a win in my book. Plus, I know that his books are not balanced in the least,” she stated.
My eyes widened with shock. I didn’t expect her to reveal that.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He’s losing money, Richard. I’ve been going through yours, and while there are a few things that need to be clarified, it’s important to understand that he’s screwed. He definitely won’t be bouncing back from any of this,” she explained.
So, this could be the final push to get rid of him once and for all. My eyes widened in excitement. I could get him out of the picture without having to resort to old tactics, and that made me pleased.
“Great. I’m happy to have you on board, Ellen. You’re cute, smart, and definitely a team player,” I said.
She beamed and nodded.
“Likewise,” she replied.
The two of us spent the rest of dinner just talking, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t hooked already. She was so damn perfect, so nice, and I wished I had known about her sooner. I certainly saw potential in this deal, even if she was nervous about the venture.
Chapter 5
Ellen
I didn’t know what to think of his proposal, other than it would be nice to get some damn revenge on Fred for his actions. I knew it wasn’t because there wasn’t enough money. Sure, his company had tanked, but I learned about it a week later from a new girl who had gone to work for him. In the same position I had. She was a small size two chick. I knew it wasn’t because of a lack of funding. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy being paid a much larger salary, that’s for sure.
After we finished up, we drove back to the building, and when I got off, he looked at me with a smile.
“I had a good time tonight,” he said.
I flushed, but then nodded.
“Same here. It was nice getting to know you. And of course, handling work stuff,” I said.
“The feeling is mutual, Ellen,” he said.
He reached out, touching my hair for a second. I leaned in to the touch, and for a moment when we looked at one another, I could feel the tension growing. I didn’t know what else to say, other than to just smile. For a long time, neither of us said a word, but his lips were so dangerously close to mine that I expected him to kiss me.
But he didn’t. He got on the bike, said bye, and left. I felt my face grow red from the encounter, the anticipation growing as well. As I went back to my apartment, I felt both excitement but also a bit of worry.
He seemed a bit hesitant about taking this further. Was it due to the fact that I was an employee in his company? I really didn’t know. Over the next couple of days, I spent more time at the office, working the paperwork and the financial books. Richard would spend a lot of time with me, and sometimes I’d feel his hand touch mine or our elbows brush, while sometimes I’d feel his eyes practically boring straight into my ass, making me smile with delight.
Sometimes, when I caught him staring, I’d wiggle my butt a little, just enough to get him to suddenly stop for a moment then get back to work. Teasing him was fun, I’m not gonna lie. It was an exciting situation for me and something I enjoyed doing. But I also knew I had to be careful. The last thing I wanted was for people to know about our relationship.
But I did have fun. Over time, we’d get closer too, just barely avoiding one another’s lips or just being closer than usual. But I was nervous about following through or even doing anything at all. For starters, I didn’t want to get fired; and second of all, I also was worried about whether he felt the same way.
I wasn’t sure.
One night, when I was working late, I ran a paper over to Richard’s office. When I got there, though, the door was open, and what I saw made my heart skip a beat. He was shirtless, with tattoos all over his body. They were beautiful and for a long time, I was completely stunned at how he looked. He turned around, smiling at me for a brief moment.
“There you are,” he said.
“Hey, uh…. what are you doing?” I asked.
“Oh, sorry, I was getting ready to head on out. Why, like what you see?” he asked with a smirk.
I nodded.
“I’d be lying if I said no, but…I didn’t expect you to have tattoos like that,” I admitted.
He laughed, touching his arms. One of them had a long snake all the way down his bicep.
“Yeah, this is from my old motorcycle days. I do miss them,” he admitted.
I grew curious. I mean, I never did anything like that. Hell, the night he took me on a motorcycle was the first time I had ever ridden one, and it was both thrilling and also quite scary.
“I’m surprised you like to ri
de them and that you had a past like that,” I confessed.
“Everyone has a past. But yes, back when my father was in charge, which was about fifteen years ago, I was a little hellion. I was freshly eighteen, in a biker gang, and getting into some serious shit. He hated that I did it. He would tell me that I was ruining my life. But being in a biker gang was so much fun, and I definitely liked the camaraderie,” he explained.
“I can see that. What exactly forced you to stop being in a gang?” I asked.
I was surprised that he had lived to tell the tale.
“My old man. Once he was dying, I couldn’t keep screwing around. I had to grow up, Ellen and that, of course, was something that took a lot out of me, but it was something I knew I had to do,” he told me.
That made sense.
“So, you did it for your dad? You know that’s pretty noble, right?”
He nodded, smiling warmly. He moved in closer and for a long time, I didn’t really say anything. I was completely hypnotized by his tattoos and muscles.
“Yeah, my dad was kind of a dick, but he was right in a sense. I had to grow up. I took the job and started to run the company. From there it grew. I still meet up with the guys every now and then, but we all agreed to disband. So, even though I’m a big badass biker guy, I also have a bit of a conscience, and I want only what’s best for everyone,” he explained.
“That’s…really nice. I wish I had a cool story, but I just had a bitchy older sister, and I was always the good girl in the family,” I said.
“Well, if you ever want to be a bad girl, let me know,” he purred, his lips right over mine.
I wanted to. I felt that urge growing within me. It was so large that I could almost taste it! But then I pulled away, shaking my head.
“Maybe after the deal is done. That’s going to be happening next Friday, right?” I asked.
He nodded, beaming an excited grin.
“Correct. And you’ve been working hard on the financial plan?” he confirmed.
“Correct. I’m actually almost done with it. I’ll have everything in place for when we get to that point,” I insisted. I was working really hard to get this, not just for his sake, but for my own.
“I can’t wait. If you do well with this, I will have a surprise for you,” he said.
I knew there was something, and I grew curious. He then left and I was alone once more. I could tell that he certainly wanted me, and, well, I‘d be lying if I said I didn’t want him.
But it was all so risky. I grew nervous even thinking about pushing forward and admitting what I wanted. But at the same time…the idea of being something more once the merger happened definitely enticed me.
I’d wait, though. I had a job to do.
Chapter 6
Richard
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like Ellen the way I was feeling. With her curvy body always teasing me, and also that wonderful personality slowly winning me over, I began to realize that there was something far deeper there, far more enticing than I had thought before.
And I liked that.
I started to help Ellen whenever I could. We both worked together to make the company as good as we could. Apparently, I did a decent job of it. The day of the presentation was drawing closer and closer, and I was surprised that I didn’t hear a damn peep from Fred, or anything.
Seeing Fred, my old rival in the motorcycle club, would be something. I heard that he randomly disappeared one day. I thought that he had skipped town. But when I found out he was working in the same industry, I was floored. He was a dick, though, and I couldn’t wait for the day when I finally got what I wanted.
And that, of course, would be this Friday.
When Friday came around, both Ellen and I made our way over to Thomas’s office. Thomas Vale was a good associate of mine. We’d talked about a merger in the past, but he was always so wishy-washy. He demanded that I show proof, and even when I did, he was always a bit hesitant to push forward. I hoped there would be a chance that he’d finally see things my way once all was said and done.
When we got to the office, I could sense that Ellen was hesitant. But I reached out, touching her shoulder and looking her dead in the eyes.
“It’ll all be okay,” I insisted.
“Thanks, Richard. I’m just nervous. I never thought I’d see that fucker again,” she admitted.
I wanted to protect her, to tell her it would be okay, and that asshole wouldn’t get away with this. But I didn’t know how to really say it to her without being awkward. After a little bit, I spoke.
“I know you’re nervous. But you have me. And I promise I won’t treat you like shit. I haven’t yet, right?” I teased.
She laughed and then nodded.
“Naw, you’ve treated me nicer than most guys have. Even my old boyfriends when they tried to wow me,” she admitted.
I felt that. I loved taking Ellen out. I didn’t want things to be awkward between us, but when I spent time with her, it just felt so right.
“Well once this is over, we can really celebrate,” I offered.
She nodded, excitement flowing through her body.
“Good. I’m glad,” she admitted.
I wanted to make this good for both of us, not just for me. When we opened the door, I saw Thomas, giving a big smile. Fred was there too, and I noticed w small, blonde women next to him. That was probably the girl Ellen had been talking about.
Sure enough, she was small and thin. Not really my type, but I could see from the shit-eating grin on Fred’s face that he wanted her to feel uncomfortable. I glanced over at Ellen, giving her a look that insisted she shouldn’t feel threatened by these two. They were clearly trying to get a rise out of her.
As she sat down at the table, I noticed her looking at me. I gave her a reassuring grin.
“Hello there, gentlemen. I called you two here because I said that once you guys had your quarterly earnings, I wanted to find out your status. I want to work with one of you, but it’s a matter of who has a better plan of action. Which one of you would like to go first?” Thomas asked.
I looked over at Frank, who simply nodded.
“I’ll go first. And I’m sure you’ll like what you see here, Thomas,” Frank purred.
He started bringing out a string of documents, and I noticed that Ellen hadn’t taken her eyes off them. He started rattling off numbers including earnings, but when I looked over at Ellen, I saw her eyes widen.
“And as you can see, our growth spans over the last couple of years. I believe we will have three times the growth as well by the end of the year and—”
“He’s lying.”
I turned to Ellen and so did Thomas. I couldn’t believe this.
“What are you talking about, Ellen? Still mad that I had to lay you off?” Frank said with a smile.
I could tell that this was a total jab at her. I was about to say something, but then Ellen shook her head.
“You don’t have to fight this battle for me, Richard. I have the documents showing the real earnings for Frank’s company. I worked there until somewhat recently, and I’ve been watching their stats too. What he’s reading to you is a load of bullshit. Here are the real-time figures for both companies. And his plan is a load of crock too. I know he has no five-year plan like that. He never did while I was there. He’s actually been embezzling funds from the company and misrepresenting the books,” she elaborated.
This was a risky move. I thought about stopping Ellen, but I didn’t. I wanted to hear what she had to say. And I think that Thomas wanted to as well.
“Well, let me see the numbers then,” he said.
She gave Thomas a few files and of course her laptop. He read them over, his eyes widening in shock and utter surprise.
“Wow. You weren’t lying. Care to explain this, Fred?” Thomas said, his voice lowering as he looked over at Thomas.
We had him. He shifted around uncomfortably, trying his hardest to explain.
“We
ll, I will say that those numbers don’t impact the current state of things, and I think you should—”
“Don’t lie, Frank. You lied to me; you’re lying in a damn meeting. Its unbecoming of you,” she stated.
Even I was surprised by Ellen’s words, and I could see the discontent in his eyes.
“Well, I didn’t expect you to get a job so quickly. I thought my words as your previous employer would mean something,” he said to her.
“Well I did look at that, but I also noticed she’s incredibly skilled there, Fred. You know, lying isn’t becoming of you at all. I thought you had learned by now that it doesn’t work that way if you’re dishonest,” I said to him.
“And what about you? Did you not tell her that you used to ride motorcycles and do other unsavory things?” he spat out.
I sat back and laughed.
“You think she doesn’t know? Oh, she knows, Fred. Everyone does. The difference between you and me is that I’m honest and, of course, I know the truth about you. You fired her not because of a ‘lack of available positions’ but it’s because you couldn’t bear to have a fat girl in your ranks. I don’t think you should even be in this business with that kind of attitude,” I said to him.
He was stunned for words, and immediately Thomas cleared his throat.
“Did you…mean that, Richard? I just thought he was having trouble keeping employees,” Thomas asked.
“I mean, she was working for him up to about three months ago, so take that as you will. I will say that Ellen is one of the best employees I’ve ever had, and I don’t know why she even got fired,” Richard said.
Thomas looked over at Fred, who had a fake smile on his face. I couldn’t stand this guy.
“Fred I…I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other anymore,” Thomas threatened.
Fred’s eyes widened in shock, and I could practically feel the hatred boring from his eyes.
“Fine. But you’re making a mistake with Richard,” he said.
“I don’t think I am, Fred,” Richard replied.
The guy scoffed and then got up. He insisted that his secretary tag along, and I watched as they left the room. Once the door closed, Thomas sighed, his head in his hands.
Mr Richard Page 2