Love Squared

by A. E. Neal

  "Hollingsworth manages that department, right?"

  There was something about him that made her feel comfortable, like she could tell him anything and she nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

  "Huh," he said, wondering how he'd never seen her before.

  She was afraid he would say something to Hollingsworth about what she'd just confessed and panicked. "I didn't mean that. He's not really an asshole. I've just had a long week and I've been stressed out. Just forget I ever said anything about it, okay?"

  He shot her a knowing glance and smiled. "Sure. Our little secret."

  "Thanks."

  They reached the entrance to the building and he held the door open for her as she stepped into the lobby then quickly headed for the bank of elevators. He reached out before she could take another step and she stopped when she felt his hand on her shoulder. Jaysen felt the same electric spark he'd experienced in the coffee shop as he willed her to stop and look at him once more.

  "Quinn, right?" he asked and she held out her hand. Before he could introduce himself properly, they were interrupted by an older gentleman and a woman who both looked panic stricken.

  "Mr. Beckett, we've been looking all over for you. Your eight o'clock meeting has already begun. Where've you been?" the woman asked as she punched the keyboard on her Blackberry, looking stressed. "Excuse us, miss," she said as she stepped between Jaysen and Quinn.

  Quinn stood frozen in place, her feet were cemented to the ground and all the blood drained from her face when she realized the woman had just addressed him as Mr. Beckett.

  "Rosalyn, Tim, would you excuse me for a moment, I have a business matter to discuss with Quinn here. Reschedule my meeting for tomorrow, please," Jaysen said as he held his hand up to quiet the two, then he turned to face Quinn.

  She didn't dare look him in the eye for fear he'd fire her on the spot, instead she stared at his navy blue and black striped tie and prayed inwardly that he'd make it fast so there wouldn't be a scene.

  "Jaysen Beckett," she breathed as her heart hammered in her chest. "As in the CEO of Beckett and Associates...as in my boss?" She couldn't believe she hadn't put two and two together. She felt like an idiot, pure and simple and knew she was soon to be an unemployed idiot.

  He noticed her unease as he took her by the arm and pulled her towards the elevators. She wasn't sure how she kept up, because her legs felt like they'd been weighed down by sand bags, but she stumbled along behind him. He punched the button on the elevator and pulled her inside once the doors opened. From inside the breast pocket of his jacket, he pulled a card out and swiped it in the card reader. Once the elevator began to rise, her stomach fell.

  "I'm so sorry, Mr. Beckett. I was just rambling and I don't know why I said any of those things. If you're going to fire me, just tell me now. Please."

  Smiling, he released his grip on her arm and turned to face her. Quinn's gaze dropped to the floor of the elevator.

  "Quinn, look at me," he said.

  She glanced up at him and he cupped her jaw in one hand. His fingers were warm, a little rough, but comforting all the same and she found herself lost in his gaze once again.

  "I'm not going to fire you," he said, but she stared at him blankly. "Did you hear what I said?" he asked.

  She nodded slowly as her brows furrowed. "Yes."

  "Then why do you look so terrified right now?" he asked.

  "I'm just surprised, that's all."

  "Surprised? By me?"

  "Yeah. You're not exactly what I had pictured in my mind."

  He laughed and straightened his tie, "Better or worse?"

  "Definitely better," she said and Jaysen noticed her cheeks flush.

  "Hmm. Interesting." He pondered that thought for a moment and licked his bottom lip, "I'd like to hear more."

  She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and take that lip between her teeth, but ignored her inner horny teenager and just smiled at him.

  "Well for starters, all the office girls say you're hot-tempered and you always get what you want, including beautiful women who line up at your door. I personally think they're all full of it." Once again, she found herself babbling, yet she couldn't keep her mouth shut to save her life and Jaysen found it amusing.

  He stifled a laugh with his hand. Was this girl for real? He thought.

  "They seem to know a lot about me. How 'bout you? What do you know about me?"

  "Uh...nothing really, aside from the rumors. Except, I happen to know how you take your coffee," she said tapping the side of his cup.

  She was observant too, he thought. "And?"

  "And what?"

  "What else? There has to be something else you know about me, Quinn." The way her name rolled off his tongue, sent sparks surging through her body.

  "You have a warm smile, you're easy to talk to, you don't act like any of those other jerk off bosses I've ever met and you're almost too handsome for your own good, but I'm sure you already knew that," she blurted.

  "Ha!" he chuckled again. "I like you Quinn. You're brutally honest and that sets you apart from the other ass kissing trolls in this company."

  This time, she laughed, "No one's ever complimented me on my inability to keep my mouth shut before."

  The elevator chimed, alerting them that they'd reached the fourteenth floor. The doors opened into a grand foyer and they stepped out in front of a floor to ceiling water wall. Ha! Take that, ladies. No koi pond after all, Quinn thought, in a sing-song voice. She noticed that he hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire time and it made her heart skip a beat.

  "Wow," she said, taking it all in. He watched in amusement as she scanned his office. Windows surrounded them on either side, a large conference table sat along the edge of one of them with elegant leather chairs and a large vase of lilies in the center. French doors opened onto a terrace that wrapped around the entire office, which overlooked the city.

  "I'll show you around," he offered. She knew she was already late for work, but since he was technically the head of the company, she couldn't protest.

  She followed him closely as he led her around the water feature.

  "Good morning, Mr. Beckett," a petite, brunette said from behind a marble topped reception desk.

  "Morning, Lisa. This is Quinn, she works in finance. I thought she'd like a little tour of the office, so please hold my calls."

  "Of course, Mr. Beckett," she said, smiling. "Hello Quinn."

  "Hi. Nice to meet you," Quinn replied.

  Everything was clean and bright, white marble tile on the floors, dark mahogany accents along the baseboards and ceiling, and the walls were brushed lightly with ivory paint. It reminded Quinn of a museum. She noticed a few pieces of urban artwork hanging on a party wall that divided the reception area and conference room and one in particular caught her eye.

  "Do you like art?" he asked.

  "I really do. When I was younger, I used to mess around and draw a little, but my stuff looks nothing like this. Can you imagine having something like this covering an entire wall in your house? Amazing."

  "I would. Unfortunately, she doesn't do commissioned work."

  "You've asked her to do something for you?"

  He laughed, "You seemed surprised."

  "It's just that I haven't ever known anyone who could afford to ask an artist to do a commissioned piece before, that's all."

  "Come," he offered and she followed as they toured his office.

  Each time they passed another piece of artwork, she had to hold herself back from darting over to see it up close. Jaysen watched as she struggled to keep her curiosity at bay and found it adorably sexy.

  He also owned a few statues, carved from marble, all of which were figures and wore the same sullen expression on their faces, all pieces which reflected his mood as of late. Quinn traced the cool marble with her fingertips before tucking her hands into the pockets of her well-worn, wool coat that was two sizes too big for her.

  On the far end of the
office was an enclosed room, surrounded by mirrored glass, it was something Jaysen had designed himself since he didn't need any interruptions when he had clients. He opened the heavy glass door for her and she stepped inside.

  An expansive L-shaped mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room, it was covered with files, paper and Post-it notes of every color. He wasn't very organized it seemed and she had to fight the urge to tidy up.

  He noticed her staring at the mess and laughed, "Ah, busted. I'm not very organized, as you can see."

  She shot him a guilty half-grin. "Looks like you could use a little help in here."

  "You're probably right, but I know where everything is, so it doesn't make sense to move it. You know?"

  "I understand."

  "I'd like to discuss something with you if you have time." She nodded. "Please have a seat," he offered and pulled a chair out for her.

  Instead of sitting behind his desk, he pulled a chair out for himself and sat down next to her.

  "You've been in finance for almost seven years?"

  "Yes."

  "What's your position, exactly?"

  "Risk analyst," she said.

  "I do believe I should thank you then."

  She eyed him warily. "For what?"

  "For not allowing me to invest my money in shitty companies," he laughed.

  "Oh. Right. Well, you are very welcome. But it isn't just me down there, you know? There's about eight of us who review prospective client's portfolios."

  "Yes, but I'm sure you're very good at what you do."

  She smiled and dropped her gaze to the desk. He knew by the way she carried herself, that no one had ever acknowledged her hard work before and it upset him.

  "I'm sure I could have Lisa pull your file to go over your work history, but I'm enjoying this conversation with you. I hope that's alright."

  "Yes, of course."

  "So, Quinn, tell me, besides your love of art, what other things interest you?"

  You! Her mind screamed, causing her cheeks to flare, again.

  "I'm pretty quiet. I don't do much with my free time, really. Occasionally I'll go see a movie in the theater, grab Chinese take-out on the weekends and veg out."

  He cracked a smile and leaned forward. She caught the faint smell of his cologne mixed with his natural, masculine scent and closed her eyes, briefly.

  "I hope it isn't too presumptuous of me to ask, but are you married?"

  "Not presumptuous at all. Answer's no," she said shifting in her seat.

  "I see. Do you have any children?"

  "No."

  "Boyfriend?"

  "No."

  "Girlfriend?"

  "They're not really my type," she giggled.

  "What? It's a legitimate question. You never know these days."

  She laughed again. There was a certain charm about him and she felt her body suddenly come to life as he moved closer, brushing his knee against hers. "Can I ask you something?"

  "Of course."

  "Why did you bring me up here? I know it wasn't just to show me around the office so I could go back and debunk the rumors."

  He flashed a half-dimpled smile and laughed, "You're a smart girl, Quinn and you're absolutely right." He ran his fingers along his tie, loosening it a bit. "I saw you yesterday. In the coffee shop. You smiled at me and for some reason I couldn't get that image out of my head. I hoped you'd be there again, so I returned early this morning and there you were."

  "So, you were stalking me?" she asked.

  "You could say that. It sounds worse than it actually is, but I needed to know your name and why I hadn't ever seen you before."

  Quinn had the sinking feeling she knew the real reason he'd brought her up to his office and as much as she wanted to rip his clothes off and do unimaginable things to him, she just couldn't. It was immoral and wrong on so many levels.

  "Mr. Beckett," she began, but he abruptly cut her off.

  "Please Quinn, call me Jaysen."

  "I don't think it's appropriate for me to call you that, considering you are my boss and because you assured me I still had my job, I'm afraid I don't feel comfortable letting this go any further. I'm sorry," she said and stood up to leave. "Thank you for showing me around. I'll be sure to take care of those rumors for you, sir."

  Jaysen stood quickly and stepped in front of her, blocking her from leaving his office. He couldn't just let her walk away, not yet. There was still so much he needed to know about the girl who'd just awaken something inside him that he hadn't felt in months. "Why are you leaving? I wasn't finished."

  She felt the anxiety kick in and as her heart raced, she dug her nails into her palms so hard, she was sure she'd drawn blood.

  "I think you have the wrong idea about me. I'd just like to go now. Please."

  He could sense her unease and side-stepped, allowing her to pass without another word. He watched her carefully as she scampered across the marble floor, the echo of her heels clicking in the distance as she disappeared into the elevator.

  "Fuck," he growled and slammed his door shut. He would have to go about this differently, he thought as he dropped his forehead into his palms.

  Chapter 6

  "I'm so sorry I'm late, sir."

  "This is completely inexcusable," Hollingsworth snapped.

  "I know, I missed my bus and had to wait for the next one," Quinn lied. "It won't happen again, I promise."

  "Damn straight it won't. I'll make sure of that. Come see me before the day is over, we need to discuss this matter further."

  "Yes, sir. I apologize."

  Hollingsworth stormed off and she dropped her purse into the desk drawer and kicked it closed.

  "You okay, Quinn?" Hannah asked¸ but Quinn held a hand up to quiet her.

  "Crappy morning," Quinn snapped. Although it really hadn't been until she ended up in Jaysen's office.

  "I hear ya there. Started my period today. I hate being a girl sometimes," she offered and Quinn suddenly wished she had her own office.

  * * *

  As the day pressed on, Quinn couldn't help but to wonder what Jaysen's intentions had really been. Deep down, she wanted nothing more than for him to show her what all the girls in the office had been gossiping about. What would it feel like to open up and let him get to know her? she thought. The hormone-driven Quinn inside of her screamed to be touched, held and loved, but the conservative Quinn, kept everyone at a safe distance for fear of being hurt again.

  Moving away from LA had been the best thing she'd ever done. She escaped a horrifying, abusive relationship, one she was sure would land her in a hospital...or worse. Trenton Valentine, her ex-boyfriend, had his gorgeous face plastered all over magazine covers and the internet. As the lead singer of the band, Reckless Warning, he was the stereotypical bad boy you heard about in the news. Getting arrested for indecent exposure, drug, and alcohol abuse; all because fame got the best of him. She'd met him a month before his band was signed to a major record label.

  Within months, the band had a number one hit titled Molly, and they were destined for stardom. The tour began a few weeks later, and that was when she and Trenton's relationship took a turn for the worse. She went from being a girl who hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol in her entire life, to the girlfriend of a rock star who partied just as hard as the members of the band did.

  Instead of walking away, she followed him into the abyss of drug-fueled parties and had her own brush with death one night. She landed herself in the ICU, with no recollection of the days leading up to it. Although, Trenton claimed to love her, he hadn't even bothered to check on her while she spent four days hooked up to an IV drip because of a cocaine overdose.

  Somehow, after staring death in the eye, she thought she'd learned from her mistakes, but, unfortunately, she hadn't. She was so blinded by the attention and popularity that surrounded her, that she fell back into her old ways, right behind Trenton, who because of the drugs and alcohol, had become extremely violent and
his temper began to make a name for itself. Photos of Quinn and Trenton surfaced, there she was hiding behind the biggest pair of Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses she could find, just to hide the bruises on her cheek and eye. When she told him she couldn't keep up anymore and attempted to break up with him, he lost it and things got ugly.

  He squashed all the claims of domestic abuse by paying off the paparazzi. Instead of getting the help he so desperately needed, he took out his anger on her body, instead of her face. Making damn sure none of the signs of his temper would show up in any more photos. When Quinn reached out to his bandmates and friends and asked for help, they told her that she deserved it and she should have just kept her mouth shut. Especially, if she wanted to be the future wife of a superstar. His so-called friends used him for his money and fame to get ahead in their own lives while they drown in their own.

  The day she left him, he was in the hospital because of an overdose on a near-lethal combination of Oxycontin and vodka. When she looked down at him that night, she told him she loved him, kissed him on the cheek and prayed he would never find her. She gathered what little she owned from the apartment they shared, cut her long blonde hair, dyed it dark brown, got in her car and drove to Colorado. She missed the Trenton she had first met, but she always knew deep in her heart, she needed to get out while she still could. Before it was too late.

  She changed her name as soon as she arrived in Denver. It was a lot easier than she thought, especially when she went on and on about becoming an actress and her name just didn't have enough pizzazz. Changing her father's name was a bit tougher. Since he was still in the first stages of Alzheimer's and was beginning to forget his own name, she had to have most of his documents falsified, which unlike the movies, was almost impossible. But as she found out quickly, there was nothing cold hard cash couldn't buy. She'd seen it plenty being around the band and didn't want Trenton to have any leverage over her, including her own father, knowing what he'd do to her if he ever found out where she was. The thought alone haunted her on a daily basis.