Therefore, I wanted to make sure when I sold this story individually that it was worth your while! Please enjoy the extra short ‘Ben’s Day’ on the next pages and the sneak peek at the first book in the Thalia series ‘Security Binds Her’ which is scheduled to come out in early 2015.
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Ben’s Day
The sound of his cell phone ringing in the living room made Ben groan and immediately regret opening his eyes to the glaring sunlight flooding in through his windows. He’d forgotten to close the blackout blinds – again.
That was the problem with running a company that did half its work during the day, and half at night. There was no such thing as a schedule. It was a sleep-when-you-could-sleep kind of deal, but Ben wouldn’t go back to commodities after running Aphrodisia Limited even if the pay could compete. Which it definitely could not.
His cell phone was going off again.
“Fuck. Up and at ’em, Ben.” He grumbled to himself as he rolled out of bed, keeping his eyes narrowed to slits until he could stumble into his living room. He snagged the phone and dropped onto the couch. “Hello?”
“Mr. Rydell?” It was Krista from the office, her perfectly professional voice was way too perky for – well, actually, it was after ten in the morning, her perkiness was appropriate.
“Hey Krista, what’s going on?” Ben sat up to push a hand through his hair, trying to wake up.
“There’s an Edward Collins here for his client interview. I checked and it is on your calendar, sir.” Only the barest hint of reproach crept into her voice, and Ben clenched the phone as he stifled the urge to let out a stream of curses.
Shit.
“Oh, of course, yes.” Ben was on his feet in an instant and he ran for the bathroom, grateful he didn’t sleep in clothes as he flipped on the shower. He was definitely awake now. “I was just about to walk out the door, please make sure Mr. Collins has refreshments and let him look through the employee catalogue to keep him occupied. I believe we determined he’d be a category one client, so make sure that’s the list he sees.”
“Absolutely, sir. I’ll make sure he’s happy.” Krista lowered her voice a bit, “Enjoy your shower, sir.” The call ended.
Minx. She’d called him out. He’d get her back for that later.
Ben stepped into the shower and started the fastest soaping he could. He should have set an alarm, but he hadn’t even bothered to check his calendar after he’d spent half the night at Soma, the latest night club to open in Chicago. The club had lived up to its name. All about mindless, self-indulgent pleasure. Which was Ben’s stock and trade after all. The girls he had met had all been beautiful, had danced like nymphs, and been about as deep intellectually as a puddle. Perfect for category one or category two parties. He’d given a few of them a card, given them the spiel about calling if they wanted to attend a private party for a lot of money, reminded them that calling didn’t guarantee an invitation. And one of the girls had pulled him into a corner and showed him exactly how much she wanted one of those invitations.
Running a company like his definitely had its perks.
He’d have to watch for her name on the call list. Nina? No, Mina. Or was it Ashley? Dammit. At least he’d recognize her red hair and green eyes, that was rare enough even if Ben was terrible with names.
Shutting off the water he grabbed his towel off the warming rack and once again thanked himself for the decision to have a heated floor in the bathroom. He just didn’t have a minute to enjoy it. Mr. Collins would be an easy sell though, he just wanted the exposure that AL parties offered, and if he got to spend the evening in the company of a beautiful woman who might be a little friendly, all the better. Edward Collins wanted the elite package. He wanted to feel rich, and powerful, and to appear like he was higher on the food chain of businessmen in Chicago than he actually was at the moment. Which was why category one parties happened in reserved, high-end, private clubs or on private properties. Everyone arrived in tuxes and gowns. Classical music, white gloved servers, cigars and scotch. And plenty of quiet little nooks away from prying eyes.
It was a fantasy come to life for a kid who was fighting to bust out of the upper middle-class and into the elite upper echelon of Chicago. Yale Business school, working eighty hours a week. Oh yeah, Ben had seen guys like Edward Collins a hundred times. He could find that guy in a crowd and know just what made him tick.
Strange how that ticking sounded a lot like the dinging of a cash register.
Category two was hedonistic. The rich boys who wanted to be bad boys without all the pesky consequences. Drugs, alcohol, loud dance music, dark club, and a lot of very hot girls in very small dresses. Mix and pour – instant party. Ben usually ran those events because they irritated Saif so badly, and if Saif was at the office today he was sure he’d hear complaints about the party he’d had to cover for Ben earlier in the week. The complete lack of control at those events drove his business partner crazy.
He checked himself in the mirror one more time before he left. Dressed in a suit, hair just the right balance between messy and clean-cut. With one last adjustment to his tie Ben was on his way to work. Luckily he only lived a few blocks from the office. Collins was on the calendar this morning, he had paperwork to catch up on, and if there were any category three or four interviews, Saif would be the one to handle those. He knew how to talk to the clients who wanted to be the submissives, the ones who wanted to get tied up and punished by the pretty Dommes and handsome Doms they had on the payroll. But it was category four that was Saif’s homebase, clients just like him who craved to be the one in control, the one wielding the belt. Ben liked to play at those parties too, and it was really the only one of their events they both attended regularly.
There was just something about seeing a woman on her knees, or cuffed to – well, anything – that made Ben want to take charge. He shook his head as he pulled into the reserved spot in their underground parking garage. With Mr. I-Just-Want-To-Feel-Important upstairs, he couldn’t have domination and submission on the brain.
Time to put on the show.
“We’ll send a courier before the next event, Mr. Collins.” Ben smiled and stood up from behind his desk. Edward Collins’ eyes were still glued to the iPad in front of him displaying the photo of a pretty blonde named Meredith.
“Right. I’m glad we were able to meet.” Edward leaned forward and shook Ben’s hand with a firm handshake. “Will, um, will she be there?”
“We can extend her an invitation if you’re requesting her, however as I mentioned before there are no guarantees, Mr. Collins. We only provide opportunities.” Ben kept his face neutral, but the hunger was obvious on Edward’s face.
Hook, line, and sinker. This guy would be a client for a long time.
“Of course, I wasn’t saying –“
“It’s alright. We have your information, we’ll be in touch.” As if on cue, Krista knocked at his door. Thick, dark oak that muffled the sound of her knocks and kept all his conversations appropriately private. “Come in, Krista.”
Edward tugged at his jacket nervously as he turned around to watch her open the door a few inches to lean in. “If Mr. Collins is done, I can show him out? You have a call in ten minutes, sir.”
“Ah yes, I have a meeting as well. Can’t be late for that.” Mr. I-really-really-want-to-be-important took it up a notch in front of Krista. Ben almost laughed, but that would be unprofessional, and very damaging to their relationsh
ip with their newest client.
Ben dropped back into his chair as Krista led the man out. He’d noticed the dark gray skirt suit she was in, long legs, high heels, the extra button she’d left undone to keep Mr. Collins interested as Ben had run late. Definitely one of their better hires. Gorgeous and smart, his favorite combination. Loosening his tie Ben sat up to start checking emails again. Car service. Club rentals. Security. Referrals for new employees, new clients. All the boring admin work they had to do so that all the fun could be – fun.
There was no scheduled phone call. Krista had just given him an escape route and he was very grateful. After over an hour of confirmation phone calls, a long discussion with their armored truck service to deliver the cash for the party tonight, finalizing the guest list for the party in two days, and verifying the number of cars they needed – Ben wondered if drinking before noon was still considered a faux pas.
“Krista.” Saif’s voice carried across the marble flooring of their waiting area, and Ben jumped up before his partner could lock himself in his office.
“Mr. Bahri! I wasn’t sure you were coming in today, you –” Krista was flustered, like she always was around Saif, and Ben leaned against his door frame to watch their interaction. Saif made people nervous. He was always intense, brooding, serious. It’s why Ben handled so much of the business, he was friendly, people liked him. Saif made people edgy and uncomfortable.
“I’m here. Do you have the RSVPs for tonight?” And there was Saif’s charm. Ben watched as Krista leaned over to open the filing cabinet hidden behind the minimalist desk that dominated their waiting area. All clean lines, ultra-modern. Everything was meant to put out the aura of expensive, professional, confidential service that their clients expected and required. Watching Krista’s skirt pull tight across her ass as she flipped through the files piqued Ben’s interest for a very different reason. He should have taken the redhead home, he wasn’t focused.
“Yes, sir. Right here.” Krista handed a folder across the desk to Saif and Ben’s brain chose that moment to catch up. Wait. Saif never asked for the RSVPs, not even for a category four party.
“What are you looking for?” Ben moved towards him and Saif seemed surprised to see him there for a moment, then his dark stare dropped back to the pages in front of him. His body stilled, and then he smiled.
Saif fucking smiled. What the hell?
“Nothing. Is everything ready?” Saif snapped the folder shut and held it out to Krista without even looking at her.
“Oh, that might work on everyone else, man, but not me. You never look at the RSVP list. Who were you looking for?” Ben stopped a few feet away from him and Saif just stared. Playing tough? No way was Ben dropping this. “Saif, who is it?”
“No one. I have some calls to make.” He turned to walk away and Ben grabbed the folder from Krista’s hands since she was just staring at the two of them. There were all the usual employees, and three new names. One was a guy, so that was out.
“Is it Jessica?” Ben glanced up from the folder to gauge Saif’s reaction. His friend made a noise and started to walk towards his office door.
“Cara?” Ben read the last name on the list and Saif froze. His shoulders were instantly tense, and Ben grinned. “Cara… let’s see. Krista, can I see Cara’s file please?”
“Ben.” Saif had turned around and walked back towards them. Now this was interesting, why was Saif so interested in this girl attending?
“Here, sir.” Krista spoke quietly as she passed over the folder. He flipped it open and saw a beautiful girl, long dark hair, pale blue eyes, creamy skin. The photo had been snapped by one of the girls who did the measurements. Lifting the photo out of the way Ben skimmed her survey and almost laughed out loud. Not Saif’s type. Very few ‘yes’, a lot of ‘education’. Interestingly, not many ‘no’. This girl was fresh as a daisy, and it looked like Saif wanted to pluck her.
“She’s very pretty…” Ben glanced up to see that Saif had gone stone-faced. He was impossible to read when he put up all those defenses, but there was only one reason he’d do that. He seriously wanted this girl.
“She’s new.” Saif’s voice had slipped into that casual, low tone he adopted during client interviews. Revealing nothing, observing everything.
“I can see that. A three day turnaround?” Ben snapped the folder shut and sat it on the edge of Krista’s desk. “Why so quick?”
“Ask Krista, I don’t handle the interviews.” Saif gestured at her casually, but she almost jumped at the sound of her name in Saif’s mouth.
“I, um, Mr. Bahri, I thought –“ Krista was stumbling over her words, her cool, professional voice crumbling under Saif’s stare until she just shut her mouth.
“Don’t bullshit me, who is she, Saif? How did she find us? Referral?” Ben was pushing, which wasn’t a great idea. Saif had two modes – business and not business. He could feel that he was getting dangerously close to that line, which was never a good idea outside of a party where Saif could let off some steam.
“I found her.” Saif practically mumbled it.
“What?”
“She attended the category two party, a replacement for an extra that dropped out last minute. Apparently she’s the roommate of one of our employees, she fit the description of what we’d asked the roommate to bring, and so… she was there.” Saif rubbed a hand over the shadow of scruff on his cheeks.
“And, what, you just decided to keep track of some random dumb girl from a cat two party and throw her into a cat four for fun?” Ben knew he’d said the wrong thing when Saif looked up at him.
“She’s not dumb, and why don’t you keep your mouth shut on shit you know nothing about.”
Ben raised his hands. That was not business Saif. Who was this girl? “Why don’t you tell me what happened at the party that I had to bribe you to cover for me?” Saif growled and looked over at Krista.
“In my office.” Saif turned on his heel and Ben followed him into his room where he slammed the door. Ben just crossed his arms and watched as Saif started to pace the floor. This was absolutely worth getting out of bed for. Saif had never acted like this, not in all the years they had known each other. Not around the hundreds of beautiful women they saw all the time. Not during any session, at any party, at any club. Ever.
“Are you going to talk, or are you just performing a stress test on the floors?” Ben grinned when Saif glared at him.
“She shouldn’t have been at that party in the first place. She’s not some shallow party girl.” Saif actually sounded like he was defending her.
“Okay. Well, it’s not like we invited her. Do you want me to talk to her roommate about the rules?”
“No.” Saif pushed a hand through his hair, pulling his suit jacket off and tossing it onto his chair before he resumed his pacing. “She’s unique.”
“Unique?”
“Yes, dammit, unique.” He growled again, “I could tell that she had never done anything like one of our parties. She was shaking like a leaf the whole time, but she never backed down.”
“First timers can be fun…” Ben was trying to figure out exactly what had Saif so interested. They’d introduced plenty of employees into the adventures that could be had at their parties. Some failed out, spent the whole night panicking in a corner, and never got another invite. Others loved it for a while until the thrill wore off and they refused an invitation. Their long-term employees got addicted to it, loved it, pushed their limits and their boundaries until they knew themselves inside and out and reveled in the opportunities AL provided. Clients were the same way.
But none of this was news to Saif.
“You don’t understand, Ben. You didn’t see her. If I had seen her at a club I wouldn’t have even approached her. I would never have picked her, would never have imagined she’d dive in like she did.” Saif was talking quickly, that rich-boy, cultured voice almost as flustered as Ben had ever heard it. He paused, forced a breath, and then looked back at Ben. �
�She surprised me.”
“Wait.” Ben laughed this time because the shock settling over him was too much. “Wait, did you actually do something with this girl? At a category two party?”
The look Saif gave him was answer enough, and sent another round of laughs rocking through Ben.
“Holy shit, Saif. You can’t stand those parties! I had to bribe you with handling the arrangements for the next two events solo just so you’d go. What did you say when I told you I had to go to my sister’s birthday party?” Ben held his arms out. “This is going to be five hours of torture? It doesn’t sound like you suffered, it sounds like you got laid.”
“That’s not what happened.” Saif grumbled and walked over to the wall where a wet bar was installed.
The Invitation (BDSM & Erotic Romance) Page 8