Daddy Shifter

by Juniper Hart

  ***

  At first, dinner was business focused, but after a glass of wine, Andrew’s stoic attitude softened. He began asking her questions and sharing stories about himself. It was the first time Tanya saw another side of her boss. He was witty and intelligent and carried thought-provoking conversations about life in general. Tanya was thoroughly enjoying dinner, until an unexpected visitor came by the table.

  “Andrew! I’ve been waiting for your call. Now I see why I haven’t heard from you,” a buxom blonde frowned, placing her hand on his shoulder, tossing a dismissive glance Tanya’s way.

  Another blonde stood a few feet away, looking into a compact mirror.

  “Lexie, it’s Andrew!” she giggled.

  Lexie waved her fingers at Andrew before blowing a kiss.

  Tanya’s chest tightened, and she looked for an opportunity to leave, but she didn’t think it would be wise to just leave her boss in the middle of their meal.

  Andrew addressed the woman, “Tiffany, I’ve been in and out of town. You know I haven’t forgotten the two of you.”

  The blonde leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, causing a devious smile to appear on Andrew’s face.

  “Is that a promise?” he asked, biting his lower lip and gazing at the woman with lust-filled eyes.

  Tanya felt a spark of jealousy rise up, and she wished he would just once look at her the way he looked at Tiffany. Instead, she cleared her throat and took a sip of her water.

  “Would I lie to you?” the woman asked, licking her lips. She had drawn so close to Andrew, she was almost sitting on his lap.

  His eyes never met her face, as he continued to stare at her cleavage. “No, I can’t say you would. You definitely keep your promises.”

  “You want to swing by? You don’t have to call. I’ll be waiting up for you,” said Tiffany in a seductive voice. She glanced back at Tanya and gave her a wicked smile, as if to let Tanya know that she won.

  “I tell you what, I’ll call you when I’m free.”

  “Aww,” she pouted like a child. “Well, I promise you won’t regret it,” she giggled.

  “I’ll hold you to it,” Andrew replied.

  “Aren’t you going to walk me out? I’ve got something I want to show you,” Tiffany invited, licking her lips.

  “I’ll be right back,” Andrew stated, turning his attention back to Tanya.

  Tiffany tossed one more mischievous glance at Tanya, before jiggling out of the restaurant to catch up to Lexie. Andrew followed them out, not having a second thought about leaving Tanya alone.

  On second thought, maybe, I don’t want his attention if that’s how he’d treat me, Tanya thought. I should have just left when that woman came to the table.

  She watched out the window, as he hailed a cab for the two women. As they waited for the cab to make its way towards them, she saw Tiffany, pushing herself against Andrew in a provocative manner.

  He bent down to kiss her on the side of her neck, before whispering something that made her whip her head back and laugh hysterically. As the cab slowed down, she kissed him on the lips, before turning to climb inside.

  Tanya released a breath of disgust at his next action.

  While Tiffany’s back was turned, Andrew grabbed a handful of Lexie’s behind, squeezing, before kissing her quickly. By the time Tiffany was settled into her seat, it was all over, and Lexie was climbing in. She winked conspiratorially at Andrew, as Tiffany leaned forward to give directions to the cabbie, Tanya presumed.

  Andrew walked back inside.

  “Girlfriend?”

  “Excuse me?” Andrew asked, returning to his seat.

  “Was that your girlfriend?” Tanya repeated boldly, pointing out the restaurant’s front window.

  A scowl came over his face, before he shook his head and resumed eating. “Mind your business, and do your job,” Andrew growled, setting his fork down.

  “Is it something I’ve done?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” He continued to stare at the food on his plate, leaving her feeling uneasy. She suddenly wished she were anywhere but there.

  A part of her felt as if there was more to Andrew than the eye could see. It was as if he wanted this bad boy reputation to keep everyone away. Tanya had caught a glimpse of a very different person, but she perceived he didn’t want others to see the man behind the mask. Unfortunately, he had allowed her to sneak a peek of that persona, and now he wanted to push her away.

  “You’re nice to everyone except me. For some reason, you always find a reason to be rude or dismissive towards me. I don’t know if it was the incident in the elevator on my first day, or the coffee spill, or when you rescued me, but you seem determined not to like me,” she huffed. “Then, you basically told me that I am not suited for the types of events you attend, as if you’re better than me.”

  Andrew sat his fork on the table beside his plate, and continued chewing carefully and slowly, never removing his eyes from her face.

  “Is that what you think?” he asked, when he had finished.

  “That’s how you make me feel.”

  Andrew pulled out his credit card and placed it in the folder the waiter had surreptitiously placed at the table.

  “Look, someone like you doesn’t belong in my world. Don’t try to push into it.”

  He really does feel like I am beneath him! Tanya felt more self-conscious than ever.

  He spoke in a softer tone. “Look, it’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough. You have potential to do great things, and I would hate to see that potential go to waste. People aren’t always kind in my world.”

  “Excuse me?” she wished she had never opened her mouth and blurted the truth.

  Andrew casually tossed his arm over the back of his chair and eyed her closely. “Where do you see yourself five years from now, Tanya?”

  Realizing he was waiting on her answer, she finally spoke up. “Okay, I would like to be a training and development manager. I think it’s important to invest in a company’s greatest resource, which is our human capital. I’d like to oversee initiatives that develop the company’s talent to—”

  Andrew held his hand up to stop her mid-explanation, just as the waiter picked up the bill folder and walked away.

  “Who do you want to be? As a person, I mean.”

  She blinked rapidly a few times and thought deeply. “I…I…I’m not really sure. I just want people to respect me. I want to be surrounded by friends and family. I really want to make a difference in the lives of the people I know and those I don’t know. This might sound silly, but I’ve always been a giver, and I just want to hold onto that part of me. I want to make the world a better place.”

  “Do you really believe you can accomplish that by constantly worrying about what someone else thinks of you? Do you think you can accomplish that by trying to be a part of the elite social circles? You can’t, so don’t worry about whether or not I like you. And, don’t worry about what other people think.”

  “I’m not following you, Mr. Greene.”

  “You’re a bright woman, Tanya. And please stop calling me, Mr. Greene, it’s Andrew. I admire your work ethic and your thirst for knowledge. But you’re too eager to please. You have to learn to be confident in yourself. You can’t be worried about whether or not people dislike you, or if they’re rude to you, or whatever they think. That’s their problem. If you don’t drop that self-doubting attitude, you won’t survive in New York for long.”

  Tanya felt empty inside as she realized he would probably always dislike her. She still just did not understand why. Admitting to herself they would never have a good working relationship, she did not know if she could continue working for a boss who did not like her.

  The waiter returned with the card and the receipt. Andrew placed his card in his wallet, and stood from the table.

  “For the record, I don’t dislike you,” he said, before walking away from the table.

  She grabbed her pu
rse and coat and caught up with him at the front door, as he called his driver to pick them up.

  “Then why do you constantly take offense whenever I’m around?”

  Andrew reached out his hands and took hold of her upper arms.

  “Because you make me question everything. You make me question my beliefs, my behaviors, everything I’ve done and become in the last few years.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Tanya urged, looking up into eyes that she realized for the first time were very similar to her hazel ones.

  Andrew pressed his lips to her softly, and then more forcefully, backing her up against the wall of the restaurant. She returned his kiss hesitantly at first, and then as the heat claimed her, her kiss became more willing.

  He slowly ran his fingers down her chest until they reached the top of her cleavage as he pressed her up against the wall a little more forcefully. Andrew reached his arm around her and lifted up the back of her blouse and placed his warm hand against the bare skin on her lower back. He pushed her forward slightly, closing the small gap between them. Tanya felt his erection pressed up against her, and unable to contain her pleasure, Tanya let out an unwilling sigh.

  Abruptly, Andrew ended the kiss.

  “One day, I’ll have you, and then everything will make sense. And that’s the day you’ll regret you met me.”

  The black Range Rover pulled up, and Andrew jerked the door open, pushing her inside. “Take her where she needs to go. I’ll take a taxi,” Andrew advised, before turning to walk away.

  Tanya turned in the back seat to watch his cocky and arrogant retreating steps. She still had not found her voice. She was shocked beyond measure.

  “Where to, Miss?”

  After a moment, she regained her voice and gave him the address to her sister’s building.

  What was that all about, she wondered, pressing three fingers against her lips, recalling the feeling of his lips against hers. She sat back in her seat and savored the taste of him as she caught of whiff of his scent still on her blouse. She didn’t want to think about what he said, or that he was likely going to meet up with Tiffany and Lexie. The thought disgusted her and made Tanya regret accepting his advances.

  Chapter Five

  Over the next few weeks, Tanya tried to ignore Andrew, but he kept finding obscure reasons to call him into her office, such as asking her opinion on paint color choices for his office or to give reports on her clients more often than necessary. Every time she met with him, he withheld smiles and spoke in a cold, direct tone. On several occasions, Tanya came out of Andrew’s office to find Veronica nearby, scowling at Tanya. Rebecca had also asked Tanya to provide reports on the private meetings with Andrew. She didn’t ask for, or even want, the private meetings with Andrew. Tanya felt uncomfortable, but continued to put forth her best effort in her work.

  Much of her time was spent pulling together the final pieces of the Isabelle Manning campaign. She met the actress and her agent on a few occasions to understand the image they wanted to redeploy. Tanya had found turning Andrew’s image around to be a greater challenge than that of Ms. Manning’s. Since the scandal, Andrew’s image had started making its way onto multiple magazine covers and newspapers as a billionaire bad boy heartthrob. The stories were embarrassing for Andrew and an embarrassment to the company. With national attention being paid to his exploits, Andrew was careful to cut back on his attendance of social events and tried to stay away from the paparazzi.

  On the other hand, people wanted to love Isabella and forgive her of her past behaviors. They were not as forgiving of Andrew. The perception was that Andrew had taken advantage of Isabelle in a weak moment of her life. Tanya wasn’t completely convinced that belief was false after the way he kissed her and then proceeded to interact with her apathetically.

  Tanya questioned why changing the public’s perception of Isabelle was so easy. It turned out that most people believed that Isabelle wasn’t very intelligent or sophisticated because she had become a star at such a young age. After meeting Isabelle, Tanya knew that was far from the truth. The woman was crafty and extremely smart. It turned out Isabelle was ready for a major change in her life. That had been Tanya’s launching point for the campaign.

  Tanya used the media’s perception of Isabelle of being naïve and slightly foolish against them. This sweet, innocent woman wanted to work with underprivileged girls. She partnered with a local non-profit that specialized in career services and education readiness. Together they formed a partnership for youth, and the endeavor had overshadowed the previous headlines that linked Isabelle to Andrew.

  That new campaign began to roll in donations for the cause and garnered positive media attention for Isabelle Manning.

  The final strings of the Manning campaign had been tied up as the actress’s husband dropped the lawsuit, and Tanya was ready for a vacation. She had been working non-stop for the company since January. She often went to the office over the weekends if she wasn’t working at home. Sarah was not pleased with her sister’s workaholic ways. And apparently, neither was her company friend, Thad.

  “Surely, you’re going to the company gala tonight,” Thad said, perched on the edge of Tanya’s desk.

  “I really hadn’t planned on it. I need some time to finish a few pieces before taking a few days off, Thad,” she replied, saving a file on her computer before shutting it down.

  “It’s the company’s annual anniversary celebration, which just happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day. I’m bringing a special someone, and I know whose arm you should be on,” he said, winking at her.

  Tanya laughed looking up at him. “And who would that be?” She already knew the answer.

  “Who else but the one and only Mr. Andrew Greene?” he teased with a sly smile.

  “Are you kidding me? I would never—” but she couldn’t finish as Andrew appeared in the doorway.

  “I’ll be seeing you at the party tonight, right?” asked Andrew. He tried to address the question to both Tanya and Thad, but he kept his eyes on Tanya.

  Tanya looked at Thad, before turning back to Andrew.

  Thad finally answered. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world. And we’ll be there with bells on, won’t we, Tanya?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  As soon as Andrew left the doorway, Tanya rushed to her door to close it. “Why’d you do that? I just told you I wasn’t going!” she whispered harshly, planting her fists on both hips.

  “I didn’t hear you tell him that,” Thad cackled.

  “You didn’t give me a chance! And I’m not going with him; he’s my boss for crying out loud. What would give you the impression that I would want to spend time with him?”

  “Uh, maybe all the time you two have been spending together lately. And everyone seems to have forgotten about the Top Gossip cover. But, I’ll have you know that I haven’t forgotten.”

  Tanya rolled her eyes at Thad’s insinuations.

  “Look, I’m going to this party, but not because of Andrew. I’m going to show you I’m just another employee like everyone else, and the relationship my boss and I have is strictly professional.”

  “Sweetie, you might want to convince yourself before you try to convince me,” Thad returned, hopping up from the desk and sashaying to the door.

  He paused in the door. “One word of warning… Wrap your heart up, place it in a freezer, and don’t let him anywhere near it. I don’t want to have to pick up the shards of another diva’s heartache.”

  Tanya growled before resting her forehead in the palm of her hands. She did want to go to the party, but not for the reasons she admitted. For some unexplained reason, she felt the need to be at the party. Now the committee had completed its task and Isabelle’s reputation had been saved, there was no other reason she and Andrew would need to spend any time together. Yet, she felt drawn to him.

  I’m always drawn to the wrong men. Tanya shook her head and tried once again to convince herself that she didn’t want Andr
ew up against her every time she saw him.

  ***

  “You are going to blow his mind!” Sarah said, jumping up and down. She had a date that evening, but she had taken the time to help Tanya get ready for the gala.

  “Would you stop? This isn’t about him. I’m simply attending an event hosted by my company.”

  “But he stopped by your office to personally invite you, and on Valentine’s day at that,” Sarah gushed.

  “He did not! You are just like Thad. You two turn everything into a dramatic movie, and there’s nothing like that going on here.”

  “Then tell me what it is then?” Sarah asked, crossing her arms over her chest and twisting her lips. “You forget that Andrew and I have a lot of friends in common. Everyone is asking about you and what is going on between you two.”

  “I’m going to a company event, and I want to spend time with my coworkers,” Tanya replied unconvincingly.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if she was over or underdressed. She hadn’t planned on going, but Sarah had a closet full of gowns, many of which had never been worn. Tanya chose a red, satin sheath gown a that complemented her skin tone. The modest V-neck that exposed her cleavage was studded with faux-diamonds, which matched her strapped stilettos.

  Looking in the mirror she felt beautiful, but she couldn’t help but think back on Andrew’s words.

  You have to learn to be confident in yourself.

  She blew out a deep breath as she looked in the mirror again. Her hair was tied into a chignon on the side of her head. The sparkling diamond teardrop earrings glistened against the dark shadows of her dark brown hair.

  In that moment, Tanya realized she had fallen hard for a man, who along with others, had warned her not to fall for him. She was dressing up to impress him.

  “How can I be a fool twice?” Tanya asked her mirror image.

  It was Sarah who responded. “You’re not a fool! If he doesn’t see what a wonderful woman you are, then he’s the fool. Just be careful. You know he’s not the relationship type.”