by Jackie Wang
I dove back down into bed with her, kissing her senseless. My lips dragged down her neck, and I licked her collarbone. Sierra let out a sigh as my fingers skimmed along her belly.
“Do we have to go out?” she asked. “I don't mind staying in bed all day. Again.”
“The doctor said you need to go for walks so your muscles don't atrophy,” I pointed out. “Come on, let's go for a walk and grab some breakfast. There's a great café I know a block away.”
“Fine,” Sierra grumbled.
Fifteen minutes later, I was helping her down the front steps. She was getting a lot better at using the crutches, which was a relief. Even though I intended to look after her until she was better, it was a comfort knowing that if I needed to pop out for errands, she'd be able to fend for herself.
The rubber pads of Sierra's crutches clopped alongside me as we made our way towards Clearwater Café.
Once we were seated, I took Sierra's hands into my own and kissed them. “I can't believe this is finally happening. You have no idea how tortured I've been for the past month. Speaking of which, I believe rent is due, Landlady.”
Sierra held out her hand. “Well, pay up, Trespasser.”
“I'm a bit short on cash at the moment,” I said, straight-faced. “Can I pay you back in orgasms?”
Sierra's lips parted into an 'O'. Then her face became sullen. “Are you really having money problems? From losing your job? I still think—”
“—There's nothing you need to worry about other than getting better right now,” I reassured her. “I have plenty of rainy-day savings to keep both of us afloat.”
“I don't need you to support me,” Sierra said. “I plan to go back to work next week.”
“Like hell you are,” I cried. “My woman is not going to bust her ass in a cast and crutches.”
“I'm already used to having them,” Sierra pointed out. “Other than the occasional annoying itch, I am more than capable of going back to Delfinos.” Sierra lowered her voice. “Besides, I need the money to pay the bills, and there is no way I'm going take a penny from you.”
“Just because I'm unemployed doesn't mean I'm broke. I can pay your bills, no problem. If you want, you can pay me back later.”
Sierra thought for a moment. “I still need to go back to work. Staying at home all day, everyday will make me stir-crazy.”
“We're not going to be staying home all day. I'm going to take you out every day. Starting today. We'll have fun.” I shot her a boyish grin.
Sierra was about to reply when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was from an unknown number and I was tempted to ignore it. But I decided against it. After all, it might be Dad. “Sorry, I have to take a call.” I went outside the café and hit the answer button.
“Asher? It's Klassen. I need your help.”
“Klassen? How the hell did you get my number?”
“You're still in the directory,” Klassen said. “Can you come into the office? I need your help with the Holdom merger.”
“I thought you had it handled?” I didn't bother hiding the irritation in my voice.
“Can you come in or not? I need this done by tomorrow, and I'm swamped.”
I wanted to refuse. I really did. But I'd been working on the Holdom merger for over a month, and I didn't want that idiot to screw it up. Even though him screwing it up would probably mean that he wouldn't get my promotion... I didn't want to shaft the Holdom sisters and the firm's reputation in the process.
“Fine. I can be there within the hour.”
“Thanks, Asher. I really appreciate it.”
Klassen had never asked me for help before, so I supposed it meant something that he was asking now.
Of course, he'd have trouble. I'd been busting my ass for four weeks on the case while he'd just jumped in for the last few days of it. Even with Mike's help, he was probably out of his element.
Once I returned to the café, I apologized to Sierra. “I'm so sorry, baby. Klassen needs my help. I need to go to the office.”
“You don't work there anymore, Asher. You don't owe them anything,” Sierra said.
“I know, but I've worked too long and hard on this case to watch it fall apart. Besides, I like the Holdom sisters. They deserve to have their case treated with the utmost care and diligence.”
“You're way too nice to be a lawyer,” Sierra said, digging into her lemon loaf. Her lips were set in a firm line. “They're just using you, baby.”
“I'll be back in a few hours. Do you think you can make it home by yourself?”
Sierra laughed. “Asher, I'm two blocks away from home. I'll be fine.”
I leaned down and kissed my girlfriend. “Thanks for understanding. I'll take you out somewhere nice tonight, promise.”
“Deal. Now get going before Klassen explodes from stress.”
Though I promised to help Klassen, that didn't mean I'd have to go out of my way to rush to the office. He was at my mercy.
I walked back to the house and changed into a suit. Then I hopped into my Jag. Half an hour later, I strode into the office.
Rachelle beamed at me. “Nice to see you back, Asher. The office isn't as fun without you here.”
“I miss working here too,” I admitted. “I'm here to see Klassen.”
“Yes. Go right in,” Rachelle said. “He's had a fire lit up his ass all morning.”
As if he could sense my arrival, Klassen came out of his office and for the first time ever, he smiled at me.
Did he really fuck up that bad?
“Thanks, Asher. You're a lifesaver,” Klassen said.
“Just get right to the point, Klassen. Don't waste my time. What's wrong?”
“Lachantal wants more money,” Klassen said.
“That's not what they said last time.”
“They changed their mind,” Klassen said, looking down. “They want an extra million. That or Lexi Holdom's new line.”
“What new line?”
“Lexi isn't just the head of marketing, Asher. She's a fashion designer, too. She's coming out with a new fall line that's projected to make millions.”
“I had no idea.” I paused. “What did the sisters say?”
“I haven't talked to them yet, but I think they're going to be furious. I need you talk to them. They trust you more.”
“That's not what you said at the meeting a few days ago,” I pointed out.
“I was too arrogant. They hated me and said they wanted to talk to only you.”
Klassen's words made me feel smug. Of course, they wouldn't like him. He wasn’t nearly as personable as me. Or as handsome. And charming.
“When are they coming?” I asked.
“Any moment now,” Klassen said. “So will you break the news to them?”
“Even better,” I said. “I'm going to make them change their mind.”
Klassen looked horrified. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You'll see.”
Klassen wanted to know, but there was no way in hell I was going to give him credit for my ideas. Even if I never worked at Morgan, Sloane, and Perry again, I still didn't want him to be promoted to senior partner.
The Holdom sisters showed up twenty minutes later. Vanessa had dark circles under her eyes, and I could tell that the strain of running her empire while seven months pregnant was getting to her. Lexi, however, was as radiant as ever. She had a determined set to her lips and her hair was styled up in a no-nonsense bun. I was uncertain if I could convince Vanessa to drop the deal but perhaps Lexi would be more receptive.
“Vanessa, Lexi. Thanks for coming on such short notice.” They no doubt had to take a red-eye from L.A. to be here today.
“This better be important, Asher,” Lexi said. “My sister doesn't do well on red-eyes. She's kind of in her third trimester.”
“It is important. Come into my office, please.” I opened the door for them and they entered. They didn't know I’d been fired. And I didn't have the heart to tell them. At le
ast not yet.
Thankfully my office was still vacant. My personal effects were gone, but it was still a usable meeting room.
After they had sat down, I explained Lachantal's greedy counter-offer.
“Why weren't you the one to call us?” Lexi asked, frowning. “Klassen called me to arrange this meeting.”
“Sorry, I had some...personal matters to take care of.” I didn't really need to lie about that. “My girlfriend broke her leg.”
“Oh,” Lexi said. “I'm sorry. But Asher, what the hell do we do? There's no way in hell I'm giving up my line or an extra million.”
“Drop the deal. Don't merge.”
“Lachantal offers deeper market penetration across Western Europe. Their manufacturing operations in Eastern Europe could yield over two hundred million dollars of profit in the next three years. Without them, it'll take—”
“—I found a better company. Ripe for a hostile takeover,” I said. I opened up my computer and pulled up the file. “Champoix Industries. Marseille. Running in the red for the past two years. Mismanaged after the death of the former CEO.”
Vanessa interrupted, “I already did a hostile takeover last year. It did not sit well with the press. I got a lot of shit and bad publicity because of it.”
“This one will be for the greater good. You'd be doing the public a service,” I said. “The current CEO is a drunken wreck. He's running operations to the ground. With a firm hand, you could make Champoix profitable. Maybe even more so than Lachantal. It may not be as powerful as Lachantal now, but give it a few years and it should grow into an invaluable asset.”
“Vee, what do you think?” Lexi asked.
“You're head of marketing Lexi, and VP, and the designer who'll lose the most if the deal with Lachantal goes through. You're in charge,” Vanessa said.
“I say we listen to Asher. He's our lawyer, and he's on our side,” Lexi said, nodding to me.
I smiled ear to ear. “Thank you, Lexi. You won't regret it.”
“So how much money do we need?” Lexi asked.
We spent the next hour hashing out the details of a proxy fight. They would try to convince the shareholders to oust the current CEO and replace him with someone who'd approve of the takeover. It would be fairly easy since everyone hated the current CEO already. By the end of the meeting, Vanessa and Lexi were appeased and left happy.
Klassen cornered me after they left. “So what was your genius plan?”
“You'll find out soon.”
Klassen's voice gained a bitter edge. “Do I need to remind you that you don't work here anymore? I'll need to take over this account, so I need to know what I'm getting into.”
“Where's my father? I need to speak with him.”
“You know you need an appointment first,” Klassen pointed out.
I shouldered past his office to the adjacent one.
After two knocks, Dad told me to come in.
“Asher. I'm glad you're here. Did you speak to Klassen about—”
“I saved Klassen's ass and the Holdom sister's future. I think I deserve to have my job back.”
“Close the door and have a seat, son.”
I did and then sank into a leather armchair, legs spread apart.
“I already told you what you needed to do in order to come back to the firm,” Dad said. “Did you do it?”
“No. That's what I came here to tell you. I plan to make Sierra a permanent fixture in my life. I'm not going to give her up. Ever. But I do want to prove to you that my head's in the game, and I can do my job and have a girlfriend at the same time.”
“Girlfriend? You can't be serious, Asher.”
“I'm very serious, Dad.”
“You were engaged to a Persian supermodel three months ago. A wealthy, smart, ambitious, and sexy woman you'd known for almost ten years. Now you turn around and tell me you're serious about this mouthy country klutz? She's still in school, doesn't know what the hell she's doing, and she's Adele's age for God's sake. Much too young for you. Not to mention you've only known her for what, a month? Honestly, what do you see in her?”
I wanted to punch my father in the fucking throat. Gripping the armrests hard, I said, “Do not ever disrespect Sierra again.”
“She's not good enough for you, Asher. You're just too infatuated to think clearly. A pretty face and a nice rack doesn't make her a good girlfriend.”
I stood up and walked over to Dad's desk. “You disappoint me Dad. I thought you were a better man.”
“I'm looking out for your best interests, son.”
“I love her, Dad,” I shot back. “I fucking love her. More than any other woman in the world.”
Dad was silent for a while. “You think you love her. But once those quirks and charms wear off, you'll get tired of her. She's not classy like Victoria. I looked into her family background. Her and her parents are heavily in debt, running a broken-down farm in the middle of nowhere. If you stay with her, it'll be only a matter of time before they start asking you for hand-outs. Are you prepared to support her and her hillbilly parents?”
“You're crossing the fucking line, Charles,” I said, calling him by name. “I've met her parents, and they're very nice people. I'm going to leave and pretend you never said any of that.” I turned to leave.
“I know you'd make a great senior partner, son. But you can't do your job if you're spending all day looking after that woman. She's a leech. A scheming gold-digger, no doubt about it.”
“She's ambitious and smart and funny. And she owns the house that I live in. She's not a gold-digger.” That Dad would even say such a thing made my blood boil. How could he think so little of Sierra after meeting her only once?
“I can't control your personal life, Asher. But I can control your future at my company. So goodbye, son. I hope she was worth giving up senior partner for.”
I wanted to just leave. But I had to say one more thing. With a cold laugh, I said, “It's fucking ironic how she wants us to patch up our relationship...all the while you talk shit about her and want me to give up the one good thing I've had in my life since Mom died. Fuck you, Dad. And fuck your goddamn prejudice and bigotry.”
Before Dad could say another word, I slammed the door and left.
CHAPTER 23
SIERRA
“CAN I HELP YOU?” I asked the woman leaning against the front gate.
It'd taken me twenty minutes to hobble down the two blocks back to my house, and I was exhausted. Sweat clung to all the wrong places, and I couldn't wait to get inside and strip down.
“Yes, I'm here to see Asher Morgan,” the woman said, pushing her designer sunglasses up over her head.
“He had to go to the office. But he should be back in the afternoon,” I said. “Are you a client?”
“No, I'm a friend,” she said. “You...must be Sierra.”
Asher never mentioned anything about a friend coming over. Let alone a friend who looked like her. The woman was immaculate from head to toe. Her golden skin and onyx hair looked radiant in the sun. Her almond eyes bore into mine.
“How do you know my name?”
“Didn't Asher tell you he saw me last week? Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Victoria Amari.”
Vicky? As in the woman he’d pretended to be engaged to? His decade-long crush? The cheater?
“Vicky,” I said.
What the hell was she doing here? Words clogged my throat but refused to come out.
“I guess he's told you about me?” she asked.
“Of course. He's my boyfriend.”
“Can I come in?” Vicky asked, her bright red lips curling into a saccharine smile.
I wanted to say no. I really did.
But she was Asher's friend. And even though he didn't tell me anything about seeing her, I felt it would be inhospitable, rude even, to not invite her inside for something to drink. The temperature was probably pushing ninety and Vicky was wearing dark clothing. Wasn't she hot? I
needed to be the bigger person and show her some hospitality. “Of course, come on up,” I said, hobbling up the steps with my crutches and feeling self-conscious. I felt feeble and inelegant compared to Vicky's polished demeanor.
Once we were inside, Vicky remarked, “Wow, nothing's changed since I left.”
I was sure she was referring to the fact that she stayed here during her pretend engagement. Somehow the words still struck a nerve, and I felt irrationally jealous. Okay, maybe not so irrational considering she was a bombshell, and I looked like a rat the cat had dragged in.
When we entered, Max, the stray, bounded towards us. I was surprised he seemed so excited, especially since he'd been acting aloof since I’d met him. He ran up to Vicky and began licking her hands. Vicky bent down on one knee and scratched Max's chin. “Hey boy, how're you doing buddy?”
“You've met Max?” I asked.
“Not exactly,” Vicky said. “But I was there when Asher took him to the vet.”
No way.
Why hadn't Asher told me any of this? I suddenly felt as if I'd been punched in the gut. Asher had ignored my texts all night. Then the next morning he'd told me he couldn't come see me... Had it been because he was with her?
“What's going on here?” I asked, sinking into the couch. I put aside my crutches and squeezed a cushion against my chest. As if that gesture would somehow dull the pain in my heart.
“Didn't he tell you he spent the night at my place?” Vicky said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“No. He didn't.”
“Oh. I thought he would’ve told you,” Vicky said. “Since he's your boyfriend,” she added with venom. She feigned surprise but something told me she wasn't surprised at all that Asher had kept it a secret. “I'm shocked he'd keep it a secret.”
“Why did he sleep over at your house?” There had to be a rational explanation. Asher wouldn't just crash at her place for no reason. I trusted his intentions.
“We went to my friend's party. I got drunk so he drove me home and took care of me.”
The way Vicky said the words 'took care of me' sent acid through my veins. They went to a party? What the hell was going on? Why hadn't Asher told me any of this? Was Vicky just making it up?
