Daddy Shifter

by Juniper Hart

  A gasp escaped Tanya’s mouth as she opened her closet doors. “Sarah, you cannot expect me to wear that. It’s wintertime in New York. I’ll freeze. And I thought we were going to a fundraiser. This dress looks like something you’d wear to a club.”

  “Well, technically it’s a fundraiser, but it’s really just a reason for rich, beautiful people to party. And besides, do you have any idea how much I spent on that dress? You will wear it, and you will like it. And I promise you won’t freeze. You’ll be surrounded by plenty of hot bodies to keep you warm when we get to Grayson’s event.”

  Tanya stripped down and slid on the short, sleek black dress that hugged all of her curves. With an open back and spaghetti straps, the dress left little to the imagination. It fit perfectly.

  “Oh my god, Tanya. You have to dress up more often. I’m your sister, and I can hardly keep my eyes off you. You look stunning.”

  Tanya looked in the mirror and had the sudden urge to cover up all of her exposed skin, but instead, she took a deep breath and admired her image.

  “Okay, Sarah. If I am going to dress like this, I am going to do it right. I’m borrowing a pair of your Louboutins, and you’re going to help me with my hair and makeup. I deserve a little fun, right?”

  Sarah squealed in delight as she dragged Tanya to her room to give her a makeover.

  ***

  “All right, Tanya, the driver is waiting downstairs. Are you ready?”

  Tanya didn’t feel ready, but a shot of vodka took the edge off and gave her a second wind.

  When they arrived at the swanky hotel on the Upper East Side, Tanya took a deep breath. Paparazzi were waiting just outside of the car trying to get pictures of the guests arriving. As they exited the car, the photographers immediately began snapping pictures of Sarah, who was well-known as a cover girl and a minor celebrity with her new role at Poet Swimwear.

  Sarah smiled and waved, obviously comfortable in front of the cameras, while Tanya did her best not to look awkward walking in stilettos that were four inches taller than she normally wore. Security opened the red velvet ropes, and Tanya was impressed that Sarah didn’t even have to give their names to be checked against the guest list. They moved through the lobby and headed towards the ballroom where the event was taking place.

  When they walked through the doors, Tanya felt like she was in a movie. She had never seen so many beautiful people in one place. The dance floor was packed, and she couldn’t wait to join the other guests.

  A man with spiky black hair and an assertive presence waved at Sarah. He wore a white button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black pants, and shoes that looked like they cost more than Tanya’s annual salary. His eyes veered in Tanya’s direction as he slowly took in her shoes, her dress, and finally looked her in the face.

  “Sarah, darling! So glad you could make it.”

  “Grayson! You outdid yourself. Look at everyone who’s here! I want you to meet my sister, Tanya.”

  Grayson addressed the women in a smooth tone, “How is it possible that your parents created two perfect specimens? I can’t believe this is your sister.”

  Sarah giggled as Tanya rolled her eyes.

  Grayson grabbed Tanya’s hand and kissed the tops of her fingers in a greeting. Then, he looked behind Tanya at another person who he obviously knew. He waved that person over. Tanya saw Sarah’s eyes widen as the guest made his way in their direction.

  “Andrew, you have to meet these ladies. They’re definitely the two most beautiful women here,” said Grayson with a wink and smirk.

  Tanya was too nervous to turn around, as she was afraid that Grayson was speaking to Andrew Greene. Sure, thousands of men named Andrew lived in New York City, but seeing her boss at this party would be her kind of luck.

  Grayson began making introductions, and Tanya avoided making eye contact with the man standing next to her. From the corner of her eye, she could see Andrew eyeing her dress and taking in the scarcity of the fabric. She could almost feel his desires radiating from his body.

  “This is Sarah, whom you likely know, and this is her equally as gorgeous sister, Tanya.”

  Finally, Tanya turned slightly and raised her eyes to meet Andrew’s. His arrogant expression immediately changed as he stepped back in shock.

  “Tanya, what are you doing here? You look…so…different.”

  Sarah laughed, obviously amused by Andrew’s reaction.

  Andrew looked over at Sarah, and then back to Tanya. “And, you’re Sarah Palmer’s sister?”

  “Hello, Mr. Greene,” was all Tanya could muster.

  Grayson shook his head. “It seems as though I don’t need to make the introductions. I need to say hello to a few more people. I will catch up with you all soon.” He gave Andrew a pat on the shoulder and walked in the direction of other guests.

  “We’ve never formally met,” said Sarah, extending her hand.

  Andrew shook her hand in a way he might shake a new business associate’s hand, not the way he would normally greet a beautiful woman. “I’m Andrew.”

  Tanya was holding her breath. She just wanted to get away from Andrew, so she needed to come up with an excuse. “Well, Mr. Greene, it was nice to see you. I promised Sarah I would go get a drink with her. We’ll see you later.”

  Tanya dragged Sarah away and left Andrew standing alone. She felt Andrew following her with his eyes.

  “Well, I guess we’d better get that drink!” said Sarah excitedly. “And, then you are going to tell me everything about Andrew. Did you see the way he looked at you? Oh my god, Tanya, he wants you.”

  “Shut up, Sarah. Please. I wish I didn’t come out tonight.”

  “Relax, sis. Let’s get that drink and dance! Forget about Andrew Greene. Look around. You can have any guy here.”

  After a shot of tequila, Tanya relaxed. It was her second shot of the night, and she was definitely a lightweight.

  The music pulsated through Tanya’s body as she changed dance partners several times. Sarah was always nearby, having just as much fun as Tanya. The songs never seemed to end, and the DJ made it impossible to leave the dance floor with his music selections. Tanya forgot about Andrew and just let loose. This was the first time she had really let go in a really long time. She had met so many people, none of whom she cared to remember, but she loved the energy of the event. Men were vying for her attention in every direction.

  Unexpectedly, the music stopped, and Tanya turned around instinctively to look behind her. Staring at her from a nearby table was Andrew. A young, blonde woman was whispering something in his ear and had her hand was on his thigh. When Tanya made eye contact with Andrew, he quickly diverted his gaze and removed the blonde woman’s hand from his body. I guess everybody was right about his womanizing, thought Tanya as she looked away.

  Grayson was in front of the crowd on a microphone giving the details of how much money they had raised. The pause in the music was a welcome break. Sarah linked arms with Tanya as they walked to the bar to get some water. Tanya realized how much her feet hurt. She wasn’t used to dancing all night or wearing stilettos, and the combination made her wish she had chosen more comfortable shoes.

  The music started back up, and Tanya told Sarah she was going to sit out for a few songs to reenergize and give her feet a rest. Although Sarah was disappointed, she didn’t wait around for Tanya to change her mind.

  A few barstools were empty, so Tanya sat down with a sigh of relief. She planned on soaking her feet in ice as soon as she arrived home. She ordered a vodka soda and downed it within seconds. Just as she started to relax, a man sat down next to her.

  “I saw you dancing out there and couldn’t wait to get a moment alone with you.”

  Tanya looked over to see who was speaking to her. He was young, not much older than thirty, with blonde hair, tan skin and eyes as blue as the Bahamian water. The man was nice to look at, but Tanya was exhausted and the scent of hard liquor on his breath was a huge turnoff.

  The man
continued talking when Tanya didn’t respond, “What’s your name?”

  Not wanting to be rude, she answered, “Tanya.”

  The man moved closer to her, and instinctively Tanya moved her body away from him.

  “Would you like to dance?” he asked.

  Tanya could tell he was drunk by his slow, graceless movements and slurred speech.

  “Thank you, but no. I think I’m done dancing for the night.”

  The man wouldn’t take no for an answer. He placed his hand on her knee, and Tanya immediately slapped it off. She tried to stand up, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the chair. He wouldn’t release his grip.

  “Let me go!” demanded Tanya.

  “Just have a drink with me,” said the man. “There’s no harm in just one drink.”

  Tanya tried to maneuver her arm out of his grip, but his fingers tightened, making Tanya wince in pain.

  Suddenly, the man released his grip as Tanya looked over to see Andrew pulling the man off of the barstool.

  “I think it’s time you leave,” shouted Andrew. “And keep your hands off her.”

  The man looked terrified. “Andrew, I didn’t know she was yours. I am so sorry.”

  “She’s not mine. She’s…my employee—” said Andrew, stumbling over his words.

  Even though his statement was true, Andrew’s words made Tanya uncomfortable. He was protecting her because she was one of his assets, not because he cared.

  The blond man scurried off.

  “Are you all right?” asked Andrew, with concern in his voice.

  “Yes. I’m fine. Thank you, Mr. Greene.”

  Andrew’s posture stiffened. “I think you should go home.”

  The vodka soda was staring to kick in, giving Tanya liquid courage. “You think I should go home? Are you my father?”

  “Your father? No. But you’re new to this city, and it’s obvious you’re not suited for these types of events.” All concern in Andrew’s voice had dissipated.

  “Not suited for these types of events? What do you mean by that? Do you think I’m not good enough to be here? I am not good enough to mingle in the same circles with you?” With that, Tanya stormed off in search of her sister. The night was over.

  Chapter Four

  Monday morning came quickly and Tanya dreaded the thought of facing Andrew. What would she say to him? Could they just pretend nothing had happened?

  She was one of the first to arrive in the office, and she skipped going to the breakroom for coffee to avoid the possibility of running into Andrew. While immersed in reading an email, her door flung open. She expected to see Andrew, but instead, her boss, Rebecca, stormed into the office.

  “Well, well. It looks like you have found your place in New York’s society,” said Rebecca, without even greeting Tanya.

  Rebecca slammed a copy of Top Gossip down on Tanya’s desk. Tanya’s eyes quickly scanned the cover of the magazine to see what had upset her boss so much. The headline read, Andrew Greene Chases After His New Love Interest. The picture showed Tanya leaving the fundraiser with her sister, Sarah. Andrew looked as if he was chasing her, trying to get her attention.

  I can’t believe he came after me, thought Tanya.

  “Well, what do you have to say for yourself? When I hired you, I didn’t expect you to try to sleep your way to the top. Is that why Andrew put you in charge of the Isabelle project? I want to remind you that I am still your boss,” demanded Rebecca.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rebecca. I went to a fundraiser last night with my sister. Andrew happened to be there. Nothing happened,” said Tanya.

  “Sarah Palmer is your sister?” asked Veronica.

  “Why is everyone so shocked that Sarah’s my sister? We have the same last name. Yes, Sarah is my sister. She gets invited to events I could never get into, and last night I happened to tag along.”

  Rebecca’s demeanor changed and she took a seat across from Tanya. “Well, you do know what this means, right? You can keep an eye on Andrew at events like these to keep his name out of the headlines.”

  “You mean you want me to spy on the CEO of the company that that employs me? Thank you, but no. Besides, those types of events aren’t really my thing. They’re fun once in a while, but I definitely don’t want to be part of that lifestyle.”

  Rebecca answered, “You work in the public relations field and you have access to the most exclusive events in New York. You will go, and you will like it. Andrew never networks at the events because he’s too busy chasing women. As your boss, I’m telling you this is part of your job. I expect a report each week.”

  Rebecca left without giving Tanya a chance to respond. She’s demanding me to use my sister’s social connections and then she wants to keep tabs on my social life. Is that even legal? Why did I let Sarah persuade me to go out? What a mess!

  The door opened again, and Tanya had already thought of a really good rebuttal for Rebecca, but it wasn’t her boss. It was Andrew.

  “Good morning, Tanya.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Greene.”

  “Did you see the headlines from Top Gossip this morning?”

  “Yes. Rebecca was just in here.”

  Andrew rolled his eyes. “Great. Now I have to deal with her, too. What did you say to her?”

  “I just said we happened to be at the same fundraiser,” answered Tanya.

  “All right. I think the best way to handle this one is to say nothing. Because nothing happened, right?”

  “Yes. Nothing happened.” So, I am just going to pretend like you didn’t rescue me and then tell me I wasn’t good enough to be there?

  “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

  “Yes, Mr. Greene.”

  Andrew left her office. Tanya went to the breakroom to grab the much-needed cup of coffee. Throughout the day, she saw her fellow employees pointing and whispering. Obviously, they had seen the headlines, too.

  Thad burst in her office to get the details. He was the only one who actually confronted her and asked what had happened, but he wasn’t satisfied when Tanya had nothing to tell him.

  “You do know you’ve made an enemy out of Veronica now, right?”

  “It’s not my fault that her fling with Andrew didn’t work out. And, it certainly isn’t my fault that I just happened to be at the same event with Mr. Greene. Nothing happened between us. In fact, we hardly spoke to each other!”

  Thad said, “And since Veronica oversees damage control for this company, she’s the one who has to deal with this.”

  “Ugh! Why is this happening to me?” Tanya took a deep breath and then asked, “Do you think I should go talk to her?”

  “Not if you want to keep the peace around here. She’s not going to listen to what you have to say,” Thad said, putting on a façade that he cared, but Tanya could tell he was secretly relishing in the drama.

  “Fine. But if you talk to her, tell her nothing happened.” Tanya grabbed her computer and rushed out of her office door. “I have to get to the Isabelle Manning meeting.”

  The meetings regarding the Isabelle Manning case went ahead as planned, but few decisions were made. Nobody mentioned Andrew’s new scandal that involved Tanya. Andrew cut Tanya off on several occasions, and she felt like he would always hate her. Going to that fundraiser had just made her relationship with him worse. As soon as everyone left for the night, Andrew called Tanya into his office. He didn’t seem impressed with the results of the day’s meeting, and as a result, she was pulled into another late night.

  Looking at her phone, she rubbed her eyes and arched her back.

  “Mr. Greene, it’s after seven, and I skipped lunch. Would you like for me to—”

  “Come on, we can finish this meeting up at my favorite Italian place. I’m hungry, too,” Andrew replied, standing up from the conference table in his office.

  Tanya felt her hands go clammy at the thought of eating dinner with her boss. She had planned to order fr
om the Chinese restaurant on the corner. She knew from experience they’d deliver.

  Her hesitation caused him to question his decision. “What? You don’t like Italian food?”

  “Uh, yeah, sure.”

  “If you want to grab a bite somewhere else, that’s all right, too.”

  “No, the Italian place is perfect. Let me grab my coat and purse, and I’ll meet you at the elevators.”

  She straightened her pencil skirt with slits on both sides and wiggled her way to her office. When she arrived back at the elevators, Andrew was waiting and holding the elevator door for her.

  “Are we walking?” asked Tanya. She hoped not—she still had blisters on her feet from hours of dancing over the weekend.

  “No. My driver is waiting.”

  During the drive to the restaurant, Tanya attempted to make small talk with Andrew, but he consistently ignored her in favor of his phone. When he wasn’t checking emails or texting, he was answering phone calls.

  Tanya rolled her eyes, wondering what it would take to get his attention. She wasn’t certain she knew at what point she had wanted his attention on her, but for some reason she longed for his approval. The only thing she knew was the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to know about him. Being cooped up in the back seat of the black Range Rover with him wasn’t helping that feeling.

  The cinnamon, woodsy scent of his cologne teased her nose, causing her to want to sit closer to him. She thought about how Sarah would act if she were in this situation. Tanya crossed her legs, allowing the side slit to fall open exposing her upper thigh. Loosening her ponytail holder, she ran her fingers through her hair, before shaking it loose. Finally, she ran her hand over the front of her neck, causing her blouse to open a little, exposing more cleavage.

  Still talking on the phone, she saw his eyes glance down her blouse, before he scooted a little further from her and closer to the window.

  Oh my god, what am I doing? Refusing to embarrass herself further, she sat back and gave up on trying to get his attention. Tanya stared out the window.