“Are you sure?” he asks skeptically. “Can you trust her?”
Miki Cooper is at Imperium for reasons I don’t understand. I’m wary and cautious around her. But I trust Mouse. “Yes.”
He sighs. “What do you need?”
“Everything. Transcripts of every conversation User0989 had with anyone on the forum. The dates and times he logged in. The IP address he logged in from.”
“Of course you do,” he says sarcastically. “Do you want fries with that?”
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t critical, Boris.”
He doesn’t reply right away. “I’ll have to think about this, Finn,” he says finally.
It’s not the answer I hoped for, but at least he hasn’t said no right away.
17
Oliver
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.
Khalil Gibran
Finn thinks we need to keep an eye on Miki, and I agree. But it’s hell sharing an office with her.
It’s absolutely ridiculous to be attracted to a woman who is in all likelihood plotting to destroy my company. A woman who I’ve met only once on a memorable plane ride. A woman who is practically a stranger.
Except Miki isn’t a stranger. I’ve spent the last three months chatting with her. We’ve talked about our hopes and our dreams, our treasured memories and the things that make us happy. We’ve talked about our failed relationships. Her husband cheated on her; my wife cheated on me. We’ve both recovered from painful divorces, and we’ve both lost faith in love.
I have to keep reminding myself that she’s plotting against Imperium. I try and hold on to my anger, but especially after she asked us to find out about User0989, I can’t hate her.
It’s just after lunch on Friday. On Wednesday, Susan gave me a short list of PR firms that specialize in crisis management. “I recommend Aventi,” she said. “They represent about two dozen soccer players, and they’ve had lots of practice dealing with drunken scandals and sex tapes.”
“Lovely,” I’d said dryly. “Sure, let’s go with them.”
I’d prefer the problem goes away entirely. Claudia likes money. If I throw enough of it in her direction, I’m hoping she’s tempted into abandoning her quest for Imperium stock. Paul Fryman has been authorized to offer her up to ten million dollars, but so far, she’s held firm and refused to negotiate.
Between Claudia and the board, I’ve been in an uncharacteristically bad mood all week.
On my way back from my lunch meeting, I detour to the coffee shop on the ground floor and pick up a couple of cups of coffee and a box of donuts. After a week of working with her, I’ve learned that Miki gets hungry and cranky in the afternoon.
Janine’s eyebrows rise as I make my way back to my office. “Donuts?”
“Yeah. Want one?”
There’s a small smile playing about her lips. Damn it. Janine is entirely too perceptive for her own good. She’s probably thinking that I’ve never brought donuts back for Finn or any of my employees. “No thanks,” she replies. “I’m on a diet. I put on ten pounds over Christmas, and it’s only three months until bikini season.”
“You know where they are if you change your mind.” Through the frosted glass window, I can see Miki’s outline. “Where’s Finn?”
She checks her computer. “He’s meeting with the Shield team,” she says. “He’ll be done in thirty minutes.”
Nodding my thanks, I push my office door open. Miki looks up. “Coffee?” I ask her, setting the cup down on the table.
An expression of gratitude flashes over her face. “Thank you,” she says. “I was just starting to slump.”
“I know.” I open the box of donuts. “I come bearing gifts.”
She grins widely. “My prince,” she says extravagantly. “Coffee and donuts. What have I done to deserve such riches?” She picks a honey-glazed donut and smiles at me warmly. “Thank you, Oliver. I lost track of time. I was starving.”
“Donuts aren’t a meal,” I scold her. “You need to start eating lunch.”
“Not according to my mother,” she says ruefully. “How will I ever meet someone if I stuff everything in sight into my mouth?”
A vivid image of Miki on her knees, her pretty pink lips wrapped around my cock, flashes before my eyes. “Everything in sight?” I tease her. “Everything?”
She flushes scarlet. “Oliver,” she chides. “Have you read the employee manual about sexual harassment?”
Shit. She’s your employee, dickwad. And she doesn’t know you’re Lancelot. Stop being an asshole.
“I’m sorry,” I say stiffly, moving to my desk. “You’re right. I was out of line. It won’t happen again.”
“Oh no,” she exclaims, looking chagrined. “Oliver, I was joking.” She laces her fingers in her lap and looks at me with an earnest expression. “I was a little nervous working with Finn and you, but I’m having an amazing time. I didn’t mean to make things weird.”
“No, you’re right. Tell me about your first week. Are you getting what you need? Is everyone being cooperative?”
“Mostly.” She scrunches her face into a pout. “I’m really enjoying the security review portion,” she says. “Even though I’ve had no luck hacking in so far.”
I chuckle. “If you break our system in the first week, you’ll drive Finn to drink. What about the work you’re doing for Lawrence?”
“He’s driving me nuts,” she replies frankly. Her cheeks color. “Sorry. I have a bad habit of blurting out whatever’s on my mind. Let me say that again, this time in corporate-speak. I’m enjoying the challenge of working with Mr. Kent.”
She’s adorable. I feel my smile widen. “That’s okay; I think Lawrence is a pain in the ass too. If he’s too demanding, push back. Your priority isn’t Lawrence’s financials; it’s the security review. As we get closer to the IPO, the attacks against Imperium are going to increase. Our competitors would love to see us embarrassed.”
“I will.” She takes another bite of her donut, her tongue catching a stray piece of sugar. My cock jumps to attention. Fuck.
Just then, Finn pushes the door open and comes in, his laptop in his hands. “Ah, donuts,” he says, setting the computer down and shooting me a knowing look. “Is this a new tradition, Oliver? I like the chocolate-glazed ones the best.”
Bite me, Sanders.
We each get to work on our projects. Lawrence has prepared a projection of the revenue we’ll lose because of my decision to close the private security division. I review it, frowning as I do so. It’s wildly inaccurate. Lawrence has assumed we’ll lay off the entire team, when in fact, he knows as well as I do that we’ll just reallocate the developers to a different project.
Even worse, he’s sent his projection directly to the board.
I swear out loud. Fucking Kent. The board has given me endless amounts of grief about my decision to shutter the division. Now, they’ll have new ammunition. Not for the first time, I wish I could just fire my CFO.
Both Miki and Finn look up. “What’s the matter?” Finn asks.
“Kent told the board it’s going to cost us ten million to close the private security division.”
Finn’s eyes narrow, and I know he’s thinking what I’m thinking. We’ve both assumed that if Claudia succeeds in shredding my reputation and the board votes to get rid of me, they’ll appoint Finn the CEO. But this email from Lawrence makes me reevaluate my theory. It appears that Lawrence is jockeying for the role as well.
Claudia’s photos. The person who’s leaking our technology to Fitzgerald. Miki’s true purpose. And now Lawrence. The threats fly at us from every direction, and it’s only going to get worse.
Janine sticks her head through the door. “It’s four,” she announces cheerfully. “You know what time it is. And Finn, don’t even think about bailing on us.”
“I’m not,” he says. He shuts his laptop and gets to his feet. “Come on, Miki. It’s time for happy hour.”
Miki
In the space of a week, I’ve learned that while Oliver works hard, he’s not a workaholic. He’s left the office at six every evening. Finn, on the other hand, is always at work when I get in, and still there when I leave.
Which is why I’m shocked when Finn gets to his feet. “It’s an Imperium tradition,” he explains. “There’s a bar around the corner, and Oliver and I buy the first three rounds. Come on, Miki. Work will keep until Monday.”
I snort. “You’re going to be back here tomorrow morning,” I accuse him.
He chuckles. “Guilty as charged.” He puts on his jacket and raises his eyebrow at me. “Are you coming?”
Should I go drinking with Finn and Oliver? I’m attracted to them. I was attracted to them at the party last Friday, and my desire has only intensified after a week of working with them. All week, I’ve been dreaming of Oliver and Finn, touching me, kissing me. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve been avoiding falling asleep every night until well past midnight, choosing instead to chat with Lancelot and Merlin.
Then there’s User0989. I haven’t heard from him, but sooner or later, he’s going to demand to know what I’m doing. I’m no closer to finding out who he is, and Lancelot and Merlin haven’t been able to uncover anything either.
“All work and no play will make Miki dull,” Oliver says, his lips tugging up into an amused smile. “You don’t want to end up like Finn, do you?”
Finn flips him the bird, and I smother my laugh. Janine watches us with an avid expression on her face. I’m sure I’m not exactly impressing her with my professionalism. “Okay,” I agree. “I could use a beer.”
The bar we head to is around the corner from Trinity Church. About a dozen of my co-workers are in the back. I recognize Mary MacDonald, Sachin Sharma, and Chris Wilcox. Mary waves me over with a friendly smile. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your first week, Mackenzie,” she says.
“Very much, thank you,” I tell her sincerely. It’s the truth.
“Good.” She pats my arm. “I’m afraid we’ve thrown you into the deep end of the pool. Normally, things are a little more laid-back around here, but with the IPO around the corner, everyone’s quite tense.”
“I understand.” Oliver occasionally reverts to the laughing, joking man I met on the plane from Houston to New York, but he seems to be under a lot of stress. And Finn practically lives at work. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a cot hidden away somewhere in the building.
“I’m assuming neither Oliver nor Finn has taken you out for a welcome lunch?” she continues. “Why don’t we grab a bite together sometime next week?”
An idea occurs to me. Mary MacDonald is the head of Human Resources. User0989 had seemed certain that I would get the job. Mary’s not going to know his identity, but if I can figure out why I was hired, I might uncover a clue. “I’d like that.”
A waitress comes up to take my beer order. Mary gets roped into a game of pool with Sachin. Chris is studying the beer list as if there’s a test at the end of the night. Finn and Oliver are at the bar, deep in conversation.
I’m about to introduce myself to a cluster of people when Janine slides up next to me. “How’s it going?” she asks.
I like Oliver and Finn’s assistant. She’s smart, she’s loyal, and she takes no shit from anyone. “Great,” I reply. “I’m pretty glad it’s Friday though.”
“Tell me about it,” she says, her tone heartfelt. “Thank heavens for beer. Any fun weekend plans?”
“Nothing too exciting,” I admit. “I moved back to Manhattan three months ago, and I’ve been staying temporarily at a friend’s place. I thought I might go apartment hunting.”
“Ugh.” She grimaces, taking a long sip from the beer the waitress hands her. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”
“I know.” Wendy has repeatedly assured me that there’s no hurry for me to move out, but I can’t stay in her place forever, and I can’t afford to rent it from her. I need something a lot cheaper, and I’m dreading the thought of the upcoming search.
“Can I ask you a question?” Janine says. “Do you know Oliver and Finn well?”
I frown in puzzlement. “No. Why?”
“Well, I’ve known both of them for a long time,” she replies. “I’ve worked with them for the last eight years. They seem very comfortable with you, that’s all.”
“What does that mean?” I ask cautiously. Does Janine think I’m flirting with them? Oh God, I hope this doesn’t become some kind of crazy high-school, mean-girl situation. I was horrible at dealing with drama as a teenager, and I haven’t improved as an adult.
“Nothing really,” she hurries to assure me. “It’s just that Oliver’s been really guarded since his divorce, and Finn’s always been slow to get to know people.”
“Oh.” I ponder Janine’s words. “I’ve met them once before. We were stuck in the last row on a four-hour flight at Thanksgiving, and we got chatting about Doctor Who and other TV shows. Maybe that’s why?”
Her eyebrow rises even higher. “Oliver and Finn flew coach? Really? That’s odd.”
Huh. Janine’s right. The two men are wealthy. They sold the last company they founded for thirty million dollars. Why wouldn’t they be in first class? “Well, it was Thanksgiving,” I think out loud. “A lot of flights got canceled because of bad weather.”
Janine’s not listening to me. Her eyes are glued to a well-dressed couple who’ve just walked into the bar. “That fucking bitch,” she murmurs under her breath, her tone outraged. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
“Who are they?”
She turns to me with a grim look on her face. “That woman,” she spits out, “is Oliver’s ex-wife, Claudia. And the man she’s with is Sebastian Fitzgerald. He’s the CEO of Kliedara. Imperium’s biggest competitor.”
Oliver’s ex-wife is dating his rival? That’s cold.
19
Oliver
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Hunter S. Thompson
I’m having a beer with Finn at the bar, trying to keep my mind off Miki, when my ex-wife Claudia and her new boyfriend Sebastian Fitzgerald walk in.
Finn, alerted by my sudden stiffness, turns around and inhales sharply. “What the fuck is she doing here?” he says angrily.
I’ve made mistakes in my life, but none I regret as much as Claudia. I didn’t even have a good reason for marrying her. Claudia and I had been dating for six months. She’d been hinting that she wanted us to take our commitment to the next level. I’d just turned thirty, and I’d thought that it was time.
Miki’s told me she ignored the advice of her friends when she married her husband. I’d done the same thing.
Still, I’d made my vows, and I was prepared to honor them. Claudia, on the other hand, wasn’t interested in staying faithful, and that was the one thing I wasn’t ready to forgive. We were divorced in June.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Finn sounds disgusted, and I shake free of my gloomy thoughts and look up, only to regret it. Claudia has her hands around Fitzgerald’s neck, and she’s kissing the man passionately, in full sight of the entire room. Several sets of eyes swing toward me, to see how I’m handling this display.
Not well. I signal the bartender. “Rum and Coke,” I say, my voice tight with tension. “Make it a double.”
“She’s trying to get a rise out of you, Oliver,” Finn says quietly. “Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
“Don’t you dare condescend me,” I snap. “I’m not a robot who only cares about work, Finn. If I want to deal with Claudia’s bullshit in a bottle of rum, then let me.”
The bartender shows up with my drink, and I drain it and gesture for another. “Don’t worry,” I say bitterly. “I’ll be back to peak efficiency on Monday morning. If I’m not, well, the board’s just dying to replace me anyway.”
Finn’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t respond to my insult. “They’re coming this way.”
; Of course they are. Subtlety is lost on both Fitzgerald and Claudia. I brace myself for the shitshow. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Miki watching me, her eyes wide. Fuck. That’s all I need. An audience.
“Prescott.” Fitzgerald’s voice is smug and self-satisfied. “I’d forgotten this is the bar you hang out at on Fridays.” He puts his arm around my ex-wife’s waist and tugs her against his body. “You remember Claudia, of course.”
The bartender sets my drink down on the bar. I lift the glass in the direction of my two least favorite people in the world. “What a coincidence,” I say flatly.
“Hello, Oliver.” Claudia gives me her most winsome look. “I haven’t seen you in a few months. You look good.”
She wants to make small talk? She wants to pretend she didn’t take those BDSM photos of me without my consent, act as if she isn’t blackmailing me?
Fuck this shit. I’m out of here.
I drain the drink in my hand. “I’ll see you later,” I tell Finn. I don’t look at Fitzgerald and my ex-wife. My self-control is hanging on by a thread, and I don’t trust it not to snap.
Then I walk out of there.
20
Miki
I’m watching Oliver as his ex-wife kisses the guy she’s with. I see his face go white. He tosses back the drink that’s in his hand. Finn says something to him, but whatever he said, it doesn’t seem to matter, because Oliver just looks angrier.
My heart hurts for him. I can relate to his pain. Even though it’s been almost four months, the image of Peggy sucking Aaron’s dick is still vivid in my mind. I still remember the raw betrayal I felt that day. Even now. The scar’s healing, but the skin’s still tender.
The two of them walk over and say something to Oliver, and it’s the last straw. Oliver slams his glass down on the table and stalks out of the bar.
Ménage in Manhattan: The Complete 5-Book Ménage Romance Collection Page 92
