by Lucy Robin
This causes some commotion in the room. I can see it isn’t a welcoming idea. The office consists mostly of experienced but older generation.
I feel that it’s my responsibility to speak for them. “Well, to be honest, I’m more or less tech illiterate. My IT skills don’t go beyond emailing and internet browsing. I don’t know how to build a website.”
“I can personally train anyone who needs help with that,” Keith says with a friendly smile. “And I want this task to be completed by the end of the month.”
Is he serious? I resist my urge to ask. Did he make this new requirement simply to piss me off? What an asshole. That’s it. I’m going to quit.
Chapter 6
Keith
I’m sitting in my new office, going over Prestige’s performance report of the last quarter and each agent’s evaluation. Even though the meeting concluded over an hour ago, my mind is still all over the place, and I find it hard to focus on the task at hand.
I did my best to conduct the meeting, looking as cool and as confident as I could, but deep down, I was trembling. On my way to the office, I was hoping Elena wouldn’t be here, but there she was, entering the conference room with her chin up, and her lips curled into a professional smile. She was wearing the same ruby-frame eyeglasses, and her Angelina Jolie lips painted to the same color. I recalled instantly how they tasted, and my dick jolted—fucking unbelievable. My confidence shattered in an instant. I started to babble the lines I recited over and over on my way here. My eyes kept searching for Elena. She wasn’t looking at me most of the time, and when she did, her eyes looked cold, although she was sort of smiling.
Elena’s take on lead generation was unexpected to me. She seems to have become a lot more old-fashioned than before. At the awards party twelve years ago, she said something about being innovative and encouraged her coworkers to take risks. I remembered distinctively the phrase social networking in her speech. She was enthusiastic and somewhat reckless, but now she sounds more conservative and mature. Although I disagree with her view on technology, I can’t help admire her effort of building client trusts.
But there’s little doubt that she hates me as much as I hate her, and I don’t like it the least bit. The acquisition of Prestige was an accomplishment to me— at least up to Saturday.
Now, if feels like a horrible mistake. Although I don’t expect love and respect from every employee, I don’t like being resented either. Maybe I can find a reason and fire her—but that’s too cowardly and base. Besides, she hasn’t done anything wrong, and her sales record is impressive for the past year. She sold only five houses, but her houses were all priced over a million. Diana, the office manager’s evaluation on her is nothing short of praises: reliable, punctual, responsible, creative, eager to help, passionate, well-organized, great communication—the list goes on. But she isn’t perfect, Diana’s suggestion to improve is: out of date in technology. I’m not surprised. Obviously, she has no website or no Facebook account.
I roll my eyes, although I can’t deny she’s done amazingly well for someone who returns to the industry after a long absence, and without any advanced technology, “Mrs. Conte’s performance is truly impressive. She’s an asset of Prestige.” Diana concluded in her evaluation. Where the hell has she been for the past twelve years? I scan her files but can’t find any further information.
After the meeting, most of the associates left the office. Some needed to meet with their clients, and some simply preferred to work at home. Elena and a few others remain. I know where her cubicle is because I saw her entering it earlier. I must speak to her. But what should I tell her? That she’s fired because she’s tech-illiterate? I’ve told her I would train her. That can’t be a reason. Should I be honest and tell her I can’t work with her given our history? But that was such a long time ago. Damn it. What have I become so fucking indecisive? Why does she have to be here at Prestige? And why didn’t I check the agents’ profiles before I bought the company?
I contemplate firing or not firing Elena. I know the sensible thing to do is to keep her. It makes good business sense. I can’t afford to lose a star agent the moment I acquire the company. But keeping her is unacceptable, given what she did with my dad. I remember my mom drowning herself in tears, wasting away in sorrow. I clench my fists. I can’t allow this woman to work in my company. I stand up abruptly.
Just as I approach the door, I hear a knock. I open it and stand face to face with Elena.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kelly. I would like to give you this since you’re my boss now.” She passes me an envelope.
My heart jumps as I see the word personal. “What is it?”
I open the envelope and read it quickly.
I would like to notify you I’m resigning from my position of sales associate at Prestige Real Estate...
My pulse spikes. I was going to fire her, and now I don’t have to because she’s quitting.
“You’re quitting?” I ask just to make sure.
“Yes,” she says, pointing her chin up and avoiding my eyes.
I should be glad, but I’m not. Does she hate me that much? I glance at the letter again, but nothing says she’s going to work elsewhere. “Why?”
She darts me a fierce look as if my question is insane. She trembles a little, and then she takes a deep breath. “I don’t think I can work under you.”
Work under you. I’m distracted by the phrase. Images of half-naked Elena writhing under me flash in my mind and my cock jerks. I take a deep breath and rake my hand through my hair. Concentrate, Keith, think. Letting her go doesn’t seem to be the right thing to do. “I’m afraid you’ll have to convince me with a better reason.”
Her mouth hangs open as she glares at me, drawing my attention to her lush lips. My mouth feels dry. Damn. What’s wrong with me? How could I even be interested in her lips at such a time!
I close the door behind us, sit down, and point to the chair facing me across the desk. “Have a seat, please.”
She pauses for a few seconds before sitting down reluctantly.
“So, you can’t put the past behind us?” I look at her with a smirk to mask my own nervousness. I can’t believe I just said that. Putting the past behind us? I’m not about to do it!
“This is unbelievable,” she mutters. Her eyes look so furious I can smell the smoke. “You have no idea what your selfish, impulsive act did to me, do you?”
I shift in my seat. I know she lost her job at my dad’s company. But surely nothing serious? She was a brilliant woman, and she could’ve easily built her career elsewhere.
I clear my throat. “I know we had an unpleasant encounter. But I would hate to lose a top-notched agent just because of a small mistake she made in the past.” Shit, my dad said the exact same thing the night when my mom told him to fire Elena.
“A small mistake I made?” Elena’s voice trembles. “You seduced me, asshole! And you pretended to be an adult.”
I don’t remember I ever pretended, but I probably looked mature and gave her a false impression. I don’t bother to correct her, but I don’t want to apologize for what I did, either. I only want to keep her. Yes, my muddled mind suddenly becomes crystal clear— I have to keep her.
“I’m sorry if I appeared older than I was, and I’m sorry if I mistook your passion for willingness. But it’s been such a long time,” I try to convince her. “Is there anything I can do for you to compensate for your loss?”
Her face turns red as if she too, recalls the details of the night, just as I do. She takes a deep breath to calm down before she speaks. “Compensate for my loss? How are you going to compensate twelve years of my life?”
I’m taken aback. Is she saying that I ruined her life? “What do you mean?” I chuckle uncomfortably.
“My life went downhill because of you. I gave up a career I built with years of hard work. I lived in shame and disgust for a long period before I struggled out of my despair. And even so, I could never feel completely positive about m
yself.” She stops abruptly, even though she looks as if she could go on for days with her ranting.
My jaw drops. No way. This can’t be true. She can’t blame all her failures on me and on that single incident alone. After all, she started it. I refuse to believe her. I open my mouth to defend myself, but the moment I meet her eyes, I’m lost for words. She looks so vulnerable, and she’s struggling to hold back her tears. I walk to her quickly and grab her arm. “Please, Elena. Let’s forget what’s happened between us. I need you here.”
Perhaps my soft voice startles her because her eyes widen, and her lips part slightly. My breath quickens as I again recall how good they felt. My cock twitches, and I lean closer to her.
She looks confused for a moment, her brilliant hazel eyes shimmer with gold flecks, and her legs wobble. When I put my arm behind her waist to steady her, she pushes me away, resuming her earlier, angry expression.
“I’m working on obtaining a colossal deal,” I blurt. “And I’d need your help if I succeeded.”
Shit. Why am I telling her this? It’s still up in the air.
She raises an eyebrow, looking interested.
I go on. “Have you heard about the Roseville Townhomes Community?”
She nods.
“Three hundred single-family homes and townhouses. Think about how much commission you would earn.”
She still doesn’t speak.
“I’ll tell you what,” I say as I push the envelope with the letter back to her. “I’m going to offer you a 90/10 split if you stay.”
Her mouth falls open. I think I got her. As far as I know, no one at Prestige is getting this percentage. Elena’s current commission split is 50/50.
But I am so wrong. She slams the letter on top of my desk. “I’m sorry, but I’ve made up my mind. I’ll stay until the end of the month.”
Just like that, she’s gone. I stare at the closed door. Unbelievable. Did she just do that? Turning down my offer? Why did I make her the offer in the first place?
Chapter 7
Elena
I sink into the chair in my cubicle, burying my face in my palms. What an asshole. The fact that he thinks I will work for him with an increase of commission rate despite the humiliation and ruin I’ve suffered because of him! And I can’t believe he had no idea what his reckless behavior cost me. What an insufferable prick.
And yet when he put his hand on my arm, I couldn’t deny the electricity that zipped through my body. Holy hell. My lady bits are so easily fooled by his low voice and manly scent. I can’t blame them. It’s been years since my last sex, and I’ve been postponing getting a battery-powered lover. I should start dating. Otherwise, I might do something crazy, like falling for my asshole boss.
As if she heard me, Nonna calls.
“Hi, muffin. Stella asks whether you would like to meet your date for dinner Friday night instead of a Sunday brunch. He isn’t available this weekend. He has to take his son to a piano recital.”
“Sure,” I say quickly, prompted by my sudden sexual needs. “So he’s a married man with a kid, huh?”
“Yes. Is it a problem?”
“Not at all,” I say. “I like kids.”
“That’s great. He has many kids.”
“How many?”
“Four.”
I gasp. “Who’s that? Are you talking about Gianni?”
She pauses for a moment. “Stella wants to keep it a surprise, but what the hell. You guessed it right.”
It’s my turn to pause. I’m not exactly thrilled by the prospect of dating Stella’s grandson. Giovanni and I more or less grew up together. We went to the same schools although he was two years older than I. He was married at a young age, and his wife passed away two years ago from breast cancer.
“It feels a bit weird to date Gianni,” I mumble.
“He’s a great guy. He owns a dry cleaner on Lake,” Nonna reminds me.
“That’s convenient,” I say with an eye roll. I wouldn’t have to pay for dry-cleaning anymore if I married him.
“If I were you,” Nonna says, not aware of my gesture or thoughts. “I would shop for something sexy to wear. I looked at your wardrobe earlier. Nothing there could catch a man’s eye.”
I huff. “Not even the old Giovanni? Come on, Nonna. You don’t have any faith in me.”
“I do, sweetheart.” Nonna chuckles. “I just want you to look good. You know, Gianni isn’t old at all, and he’s quite sweet. Stella says there’s a waitlist of women who’re interested in him, and you’re on top of the list because she likes you.”
I can’t help feeling flattered. “Thanks, Nonna. For your information, I was planning to meet with Audrey this afternoon for that purpose. ”
“Good,” she says before hanging up.
Nonna’s phone call cheered me quite a bit. I look at the time: twelve ten. Audrey and I are going to meet at twelve-thirty. Even though punctuality isn’t her strong point, I turn off my computer and organize my desk quickly.
Keith’s office door is closed, which saves me the trouble of saying goodbye.
I pull into the parking lot of Creamy Affection on Fremont. It’s my favorite bakery and café in the area since high school, where Audrey and I used to hang out.
As expected, Audrey isn’t there yet. Bella, the owner, greets me as soon as I step into the shop. It’s noon, and the place isn’t busy as usual, which’s something I don’t comprehend, considering how yummy the food is. I suspect it has something to do with the high fat and sugar contents of the pastry. But Bella seems to prefer this way than hiring more employees.
I order a chicken and artichoke panini with less cream cheese considering my blind date tomorrow night as if it would make any difference on my girth.
As Bella makes me the sandwich, I sit idly gazing at her. She’s a beautiful woman with a voluptuous body and creamy skin. I suspect it’s the result of feeding on her creamy pastry.
Bella looks about my age, and she’s never married. She has been working here since high school, and since Audrey and I were regular customers, we became friends quickly. The bakery was owned by Kate, a nice lady with grey hair and a sweet smile. But then Kate passed away a few years before I left town, and Bella took over the shop because Kate’s son Raymond was too young at the time.
I don’t understand why Bella is still single. If I were a guy, I would snatch her at first sight because she looks so delicious. In fact, I could turn into a lesbian if I kept gawking at her.
“Here you go,” Bella says to me, handing me my panini.
“Thanks.” I pay for the sandwich despite Bella’s vehement attempt to stop me. Once in a while, I surrender to her insistence, but not always.
“So how’s Raymond?” I ask casually, remembering the cute teenage boy with a killer grin.
“Oh, he moved to the East for college about the same time you left for NorCal. His aunt lives there.” Bella’s voice trails off. “And I haven’t really heard from him.”
“Really?” I find it hard to believe because, for many years, Bella took care of the boy as her own brother. “He must’ve come back to visit sometimes?”
“Yeah, he came back to see his grandma sometimes,” she says, avoiding eye contact. “It’s how I know he graduated from NYU and works for a Fortune 500 company.”
Our conversation is cut short by the door chime. I turn and see Audrey coming in, apologizing for being late.
While I find a table to sit down, Audrey orders her sandwich.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to be late,” Audrey apologizes again as she sits down. “I was on the phone with my lawyer.”
I wave an okay no worries to her as I chew my food, and after I swallow it down, I ask, “So what’s new?”
“The asshole is filing for divorce,” Audrey says, her voice trembling slightly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I reach out to pat her hand. Although she calls him an asshole, Audrey is too emotionally attached to the man she’s married to for twenty years to settle for
divorce.
She shrugs and takes a bite of her sandwich. I can see she’s fighting back her tears.
I can’t believe anyone would want to leave Audrey, such a perfect woman: beautiful, smart, and a great mom. Back in high school, she never lacked of admirers. I still remember guys fighting to ask her to prom. She went to USC for her nursing program and married her first boss. Back then, Daren was a nameless plastic surgeon, and Audrey worked as both receptionist and nurse for him. As a result of many years’ stress and excessive work, she had two miscarriages before the birth of the twins. I’ve never seen a woman gentler than Audrey. She seldom raises her voice, except perhaps in front of her naughty twins.
“Audrey,” I say after I finish my sandwich, trying to cheer her up. “You deserve a better man. To hell with Daren Sinner.”
She nods. “Thanks, Elena. But I wish I took tennis lessons when he told me to.”
“What?” I blink.
“He met the woman at his tennis club.” She sighs.
“Oh, I see.” Poor Audrey. How am I supposed to tell her tennis is probably not the point? “It’s probably not too late to start.”
She ignores my not-that-helpful comment.
After I order a dozen of cream horns, my Nonna’s favorite, we say goodbye to Bella.
“We’re going to shop in Old Town. Want to join us?” I invite Bella, even though I know she doesn’t have the freedom.
“What for?” she asks.
“Jeez, do we need a reason for shopping?” I joke.
“It’s for Elena’s blind date,” Audrey says.
Bella’s mouth falls open.
“Well, not blind now,” I correct her. “It turns out to be someone I know. In fact, we all know him. It’s good old Giovanni.”
Audrey giggles hysterically. “Good for you. Your Nonna knows how to pick a man for you.”
