High Strung (Power Station Book 1)

by Gephart, T

  “Rob Sawyer. The new analyst?” He took my hand without hesitation. If he was thinking I was a loser he wasn’t showing it. Maybe he was too polite or he wore a killer poker face.

  “Yes. Am I wearing a sign?” I was only half-joking, wondering if it was written all over my face I was fresh meat. It usually only took a day or two until I found my feet in a new job but I would hate to think I looked like I didn’t belong. Not after it took me so long to get here. This is exactly where I should be.

  “No. I am going to be working with you.” Rob laughed. “I was told you were starting today. I had meetings this morning so I missed your induction, but by all accounts you had no issues.” He had a nice smile and seemed genuine but I was cautious. Was he fishing? Or just being friendly?

  The corporate world could be brutal; it had spat me out the first time without a second thought. If Rob was sizing me up as competition, I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. “It was a lot to take in, but nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Good, then you’ll do well here.” He was so collected and well put together. It wasn’t just the way he looked it was his whole vibe. This was his world and he was comfortable in it. It was like the Discovery channel. He was a tiger in his native environment, just wearing a different kind of striped suit. I wanted to be that majestic.

  “That’s the plan.”

  I figured I’d probably filled my quota for awkward conversations for the day so best move on. Besides, I should probably head back to my office. That’s right. I had an office. I was still pinching myself this was real and if it wasn’t, I didn’t ever want to wake up.

  “Well, I better get back. Thanks again.” I waved my swipe card over the sensor lightly and it immediately flicked green. I actually stepped through the doorway this time. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”

  “You sure will be.” Rob smiled as the automatic door closed between us.

  Was he hitting on me? No. What was I thinking? This wasn’t a bar where people just hit on some random person they just met. This was a work place. I was just out of practice and reading way more into his kindness. Right? Right. Geez I’m beginning to think being with Dan was giving me his ego as well. It’s not like every man who sees me wants to sleep with me. It sounded so conceited in my head; thank god I wasn’t repeating it to anyone else. I laughed at myself as I walked to the elevator and pressed the button for my floor. The metal doors opened immediately and I stepped inside. It was empty, giving me the opportunity to take a few extra moments to collect myself and get my head out of my ass.

  My phone vibrated silently in my purse. I said a silent prayer of thanks I had switched off the volume when I saw who was calling. I didn’t need explicit lyrics announcing my arrival.

  I didn’t answer. I wanted to, but taking personal calls on company time was the easiest way to get fired. It killed me to let it go to voice mail, but the last thing I needed was Dan getting me into a hot mess. He did that often and usually I liked it but now wasn’t the time. Which kind of sucked. We would make up for it no doubt tonight. I sure as hell was going to need it.

  I had spent the morning in the conference room with Mitch, my new supervisor, getting the run down. It was typical, very dry, but necessary. There was no easing into the position, it was very much a sink or swim kind of deal. They didn’t have time to handhold and I hated to be micromanaged so it seemed like a perfect situation, albeit intense. The afternoon was an overload of information. Account names, departments, and clientele listings. It was made marginally easier by the fact I had my own office, something I hadn’t had in very long time. It had a door too, it wasn’t just a cubbyhole or cubical. It was a real office. Little things obviously excited me, and this was one.

  I had tried to contain my excitement when Mitch had showed me where I would be working. Breaking into over enthusiastic squealing seemed so inappropriate. So I squealed on the inside and gave a reserved nod instead in response. It was a compromise.

  Rob’s office was right next to mine so it seemed I would be seeing him quite a bit. Seeing as there was only the two of us in the department we would be working closely together. Mitch, our boss and the CFO’s right-hand man, made it clear they expected me to hit the ground running and I wasn’t going to give them an opportunity to be disappointed.

  I was mentally exhausted by the end of day. Parts of my brain I hadn’t used in months had to limber up and get back into the game. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time and five o’clock didn’t come a moment too soon.

  The minute I stepped out from the revolving glass doorway of JenCorp and onto the sidewalk, I saw Dan’s Mercedes. We’d never discussed him giving me a ride home, but I was glad I wasn’t going to have to brave the subway in peak hour. I couldn’t help smiling knowing he had cared enough to come. The whole relationship was so new; the fact he seemed as invested as I was, floored me.

  He was out of the car the minute he saw me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me up against his body while his mouth attacked mine. There was nothing sweet about his kiss, it was desperate and heated, and obviously I’d been missed.

  “Dan, not on the street.” I half-heartedly pulled away not wanting anyone I worked with catching me making out in front of the building.

  “You seemed to have no problems with public displays of affection on the street last Saturday.” His satisfied grin leaving no doubt he was remembering my birthday celebrations. His hand snaked around behind me and opened the car door.

  “True but there wasn’t the possibility of my boss seeing me either. Keep it in your pants long enough to get me back to my apartment and I’ll make it worth your while.” I unwrapped myself from Dan’s grasp and slid into the car. He didn’t miss a beat as he stalked around the driver’s side and jumped in. The car roared to life as we pulled away from curb.

  I laughed like a five-year-old, throwing my head back against the headrest as Dan tore onto the street. He then had to jam on the brakes not soon after when he realized we were in downtown Manhattan and not the interstate.

  “You want me to pull over so we can reminisce?” Dan shot me a grin that did crazy things to my body. The tingling parts thought pulling over was a good idea.

  “Just keep your eyes on the road and get me home in one piece.” I reached over and squeezed his thigh. I had never been this into a guy. It was intoxicating. Made me dizzy. I loved it.

  “I wanted to talk to you about that.” Dan grabbed my hand in his lap and gave it a little squeeze. “I had a key cut for you today. Figured it makes more sense for you to stay at my place ’cause it’s closer to your work. Plus, your place. Well, it ain’t great.”

  “Dan Evans, you are such a diva. My place not flashy enough for you?” I laughed. Not that I blamed him. Given the choice; I wouldn’t want to stay at my place either.

  “Babe, if the only thing wrong with it was no flash, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’m pretty sure I saw a rat running across the kitchen floor. Son of a bitch even had the nerve to stare me down.”

  “I’ll call the Super and get an exterminator organized.” Rats happened from time to time. I wasn’t proud of it, but the drainage in the building probably predated Christianity, so rats unfortunately found their way into apartment.

  “Ash, you don’t need an exterminator, you need an exorcist for that place.”

  “You sure you aren’t a girl? One little rat and you want to run back to your penthouse?” I enjoyed teasing him. I loved we could do this. Play. With Dan, I didn’t have to think. I could just say what I thought. It was like riding around without a seatbelt. Dangerous, but thrilling.

  “Don’t even start with that shit. It wasn’t a little rat. The fucker was huge, even had a tattoo.”

  “Fine, let’s stay at your place then. You’re lucky I’m in an incredibly giving mood.” It wasn’t a hard sell. His place was nicer. It was also larger, more luxurious, and, as he rightly advertised, was closer to work than mine. Not to mention it
didn’t need to be bug-bombed bi-monthly.

  His smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You think the goodwill could extend a little further and you can maybe unbutton that coat? Your tits look sensational in those tight little business shirts.”

  “Dan. It’s a business shirt. It’s not supposed to be sexy.”

  “Well then their marketing team failed ’cause just thinking about you in that shirt makes me want to jerk off.” His hand moved to the top of my coat and flipped open a button. The man had a sickness. Sadly, I think I too was infected.

  “You say that about everything I wear, Dan. I’m surprised you don’t have RSI.”

  Dan let out a huge laugh. “Babe, for you it would be worth it.”

  ****

  Things fell into a rhythm as the weeks wore on. While I hadn’t moved in with Dan, more and more of my stuff seemed to find its way into his apartment. I was surprised how easy it all was. There had been no real discussion; it just kind of evolved. I had always assumed that when I made that leap into cohabitation there would be a strategy meeting. Pros and cons would be weighed, parameters drawn up, expectations and even personal requirements exchanged. After all, living with someone was a big deal. You don’t just start living with them. Or do you?

  Work was amazing. I was on a steep learning curve but I loved the challenge. Rob was great, too. He was friendly and easygoing. Rob had mentioned Dan a few days in. It seemed our sidewalk displays hadn’t gone unnoticed. I cringed hoping no one else had seen.

  Streaks of gray clouds stretched across the sky, their wispy latitude hiding the sun. The thin sheet of rain hit the glass of the office window before tumbling onto the busy street below, and yet none of it bothered me. My smile widened as my thoughts of the day turned to Dan. I leaned back against the leather chair absorbing it, as the case study I should have been reading sat open on the boardroom table in front of me.

  “So the guy with the AMG, he’s your boyfriend?” Rob glanced up from the file that had our attention. We were working in the conference room, trying to see if there was any value in acquiring a small flagging company in Reno. My gut told me no, that absorbing it under the JenCorp banner would actually have a negative effect on the market share but we were being thorough.

  “AMG? Is that an acronym for something?” I tried to work out what the letters might stand for. Nope. Coming up with nothing.

  “It’s the type of Mercedes. Very nice car I might add. Sorry. I was walking out behind you yesterday, I saw the two of you.” Rob looked down at his papers and shuffled them.

  “Oh?” I hadn’t seen anyone behind me as I’d left the building but then again, I had been too fixated on Dan to notice anyone else. My lips tingled just thinking about the kiss. His kiss. “Oh.” While I hadn’t wanted to be give my co-workers a show, Dan it seemed, had other ideas.

  “He’s the guitarist from the band, Power Station, right?”

  “The bass player. But yeah, he’s in Power Station.”

  “That must be difficult for you. Having a boyfriend with such a high profile. I’m a little bit surprised; you seem so down to earth and normal. Nothing like what I imagine those people to be.”

  I’m sure he was saying what a lot of other people didn’t have the courtesy to say to my face; I didn’t look like I belonged in his world anymore than he belonged in mine. I’d had the same thoughts initially but for whatever reason, the two of us fit. Strip away all the hype and Dan was still just a man. Well, not just a man. My man.

  “They are just regular people, Rob. Just like you and me. Sure they work different hours and wear different clothes, but they aren’t that much different than us. James and Alex get most of the media attention, so overall, we get left alone, but occasionally there is someone sniffing around. It’s not as bad as you think.”

  I wasn’t annoyed. I was glad he had asked rather than just assuming. Or gossiping. That would be worse. Besides over the last couple of days, we have talked about all different things. Family. School. Friends. I had told him I was in a relationship but didn’t elaborate further. It was bound to come up sooner or later, and no one was forcing me to answer his questions. They weren’t even overly personal, he just seemed curious.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s none of my business.” He reached out and gently ran his thumb over the back of my hand.

  “You didn’t offend me. If I didn’t want to answer, I wouldn’t.” I smiled. It was forced but I didn’t want him to feel bad, especially when he’d done nothing wrong.

  “So do rock bands still have groupies or is that no longer a thing?” He winced. I guess he had been working up to that one - the inevitable question about women throwing themselves at my boyfriend. Women who didn’t care what his relationship status was.

  “Unfortunately, yeah, they do. I hate it, but it isn’t going to change anytime soon. Short of carrying around a big stick and beating anyone who looks at him longer than five seconds there isn’t a lot I can do to dissuade anyone.” I tried to laugh it off. I imagined eventually Dan would go on tour and that whole scenario would get very real. It’s not like I could pack up and leave, follow him around the world like some obedient poodle. I pushed the notion out of my head. What was the saying about borrowing trouble? Leave that shit for another day.

  “That must be hard. Seeing someone you care about being pursued by other women.”

  The last bit stung. I hadn’t really seen it. Not yet anyway, but I guess I should be prepared for it. It would come. Inevitably. Like the winter that was sneaking in, every day a little colder than the last. Burying my head in the sand wasn’t going to make it any less a fact.

  “I try not to think about it. I trust Dan.” I tried to sound convincing. More for my own benefit. Like hearing the words would reinforce them. I did trust Dan. It was everyone else I had a problem with.

  “Of course you do. I’m sure he loves you very much. I should probably shut up.”

  “He does. It’s fine, really. I’m fine.” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I guess I was going to have to get used to this. People assuming because of who he was, he would screw around. He wouldn’t. Why would he ask me to be his girlfriend and then turn around and be unfaithful? It didn’t make sense. Dan meant what he said. I was his and he was mine. No one else’s.

  “Sorry. I was out of line.” He raked his hand through his hair, for the first time giving me a glimpse he didn’t have it all together. “Ashlyn. I was insensitive and I really am sorry. You shouldn’t have to defend your relationship, least of all to someone you barely know. The curiosity got the better of me. It won’t happen again.”

  Rob spent the rest of the afternoon apologizing and overall being very sweet. True to his word, he didn’t mention groupies or the trappings of being a celebrity again. Even later in the week, whenever the subject of Dan did come up, he was always respectful and let me set the tone. He didn’t have a girlfriend, so I paid him the same courtesy in not asking too many questions as to why a good-looking, smart, and successful guy was still single. None of my business.

  Dan hated Rob of course. He was convinced that Rob had ulterior motives, which I thought was ironic. I didn’t give it airtime. JenCorp had a predominately male workforce. So I was either going to be friendly with men or I was going to be enjoying a very lonely existence at work. Not an option.

  Secretly it made me a little relieved Dan was jealous. Not that I wanted him to throw down for me or anything like that, but at least I felt like I wasn’t a forgone conclusion. I guess we both had a few insecurities. It just meant we were human and made what we had more real.

  .

  Ashlyn working full time sucked balls. I was glad she wasn’t at the bar any more dealing with douchebags who no doubt wanted to fuck her, but I hated she was gone so much. I had convinced her to spend most of her nights at my apartment. It made sense seeing as it was closer to her work than traveling in from Brooklyn, plus it meant we got to spend the
nights together. I gave her a key to my place so she didn’t have to worry about getting in if I wasn’t home, and I was hoping we could make the shacking up arrangement more permanent, but I wasn’t going to push it. She didn’t say as much but I could tell how much this new job was taking it out of her. She had to be up at five a.m. What kind of lame-ass time is that? Of course, I made the sacrifice and would wake up early too, making sure there was no need for her alarm. A Dan wake-up was so much better. Rather than being pulled from sleep by some random piece-of-shit noise coming from her iPhone, she woke up with me between her thighs. Personally, I can’t think of a better start to the day than morning sex and I couldn’t start my day properly until I’d heard her scream my name while she came beneath me. It was the breakfast of champions.

  The whole sex without a condom thing was fucking mind-blowing. It took sex to a whole other level. It had never been this good with any of those other girls. I didn’t know if it was the skin on skin that made it seem like more, or whether it was because I was in so deep with this girl, I couldn’t see straight. But I knew there would be a cold day in hell before I would be walking away from this. I totally got the whole monogamy thing now. When you find that one person who is perfect in every way, it’s not that you can’t fuck someone else, it’s that you don’t want to fuck anyone else. I used to think those poor assholes had to make this huge sacrifice to keep their women, but it had been us poor losers who didn’t know what we had been missing who had been doing the sacrificing, and I wasn’t willing to anymore. Not a chance.

  Sure it wasn’t all morning sex and rainbows. Ash was tired when she got home, and sometimes the band would have a late session which meant I’d miss picking her up from work, but they were just teething issues as far as I was concerned. Ash was happy and I fucking loved seeing her smile.