“You’re taking this too far man.”
“They need to see professionals they can trust, right now they see me and a nerd in a band shirt and sweats.”
We sat in silence. I didn’t want to talk about it anymore because part of me knew he was right. I hated being told what to do, God knows how I made it so many years in the army. We weren’t in the army anymore. It was part of the reason why I wanted to start a company and not go into regular employment. We were calling the shots now, but it was still possible to fuck it up and end up back at square one. That was obviously an extreme situation, but I didn’t like thinking that if it happened, it would be because of something as trivial as my clothes.
“We have a shit ton of money anyway, even if that did happen.”
“If that is what you think, why don’t we pack it in then? Dissolve the company and go our separate ways?”
Whoa, wait a second. “Is that what you want?”
“I wanted to start a business that ends up being more than a flash in the pan.”
“Businesses fail all the time, man,” I said.
“Not because one of the partners did their best to sink it,” he replied. “Look, if you don’t care… you better start, okay? There’s two of us and I want to look like a legitimate businessman, not some wannabe who scammed his way into the big leagues and doesn’t belong at the table with the big boys.”
We had never talked about the longevity of the company since there was so much to do day by day, but I definitely didn’t want to give everything up just yet. Why was he so sore about this? We had known each other for a long time but Toby never had much to say about his life before he joined the army. The silence continued.
“Since when did you start going to strip clubs in the middle of the day?” I asked.
“Middle of the day is as good a time as any.”
Was it? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t spend much time in or around strip clubs, especially not in the middle of the day. The cab stopped and we got out. The club in the daytime looked fairly innocuous. I wasn't sure that strip clubs did much business at this time of the day. I followed Toby inside.
It was dark and the music was on high. There were scattered tables around a stage but not a lot of customers. No dancers were on the main stage but women in next to nothing who were clearly not the wait staff were patrolling the floor. Toby headed for the bar like he knew the place. I followed him. The person behind the bar was a redhead woman in a low-cut uniform. She smiled as we sat.
“You’re here early,” she said to Toby. “Should I get you a coke or do you want your regular?”
“My regular. Two,” he said, motioning at me.
“Your regular?” I asked. He didn’t answer me because a woman in shorts barely long enough to contain her dignity and a bra too small for her double D jugs jumped on him, embracing him in a hug.
“Toby, you’re here,” she squealed. Toby hugged her back, laughing. All right, so they were familiar, if not friends. I didn’t know why that gave me a weird feeling in my gut. Toby was a grown man and I by no means tracked his whereabouts, but it was a little surreal seeing my business partner being embraced by a stripper at three in the afternoon.
“Me, what about you? I didn’t know you did daytime,” he said.
“Oh, you know, sometimes you want to pick up a few extra checks. Besides, if I wasn’t working today, I wouldn’t have run into you,” she said, wrapping her arms around him again. The seat I was on might as well have been empty, they were so sucked into their own world. I had been to some strip clubs in my time, I was no prude, but I was pretty sure there were rules against putting your hands on the dancers.
“You tell me if you or your friend are interested in a good time,” she said before walking away.
“You know you’re always my first choice, Jenna.”
I waited until she was far enough away to not hear me.
“Dude.”
“What?” he asked. Our drinks, two neat scotches were placed in front of us.
“What the hell’s going on here?”
“Do I really have to school you on what goes on in strip clubs?”
“No, but you can tell me why these people treat you like family.”
“Oh, fuck off dude.” He got up and walked towards a table closer to the stage. I followed him, leaving the drink behind. What kind of maniac got drunk on scotch in the middle of the day? Apparently, my close friend and business partner Toby Anderson did. That just didn’t sit well with me. He had embraced being a young, rich bachelor in New York more than I had and this was probably part of that lifestyle but for fuck’s sake. I didn’t know how deep I wanted to dig into this part of his life.
“Whatever man, you do whatever you need to do here. I’m leaving. See you tomorrow.”
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. You and Missy James?”
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “What about her?”
“She’s your new stylist, brother.”
“Says who?” I scoffed.
“I do.”
“You’re not my boss, Toby, we’re business partners.”
“You always seem to forget that while you do things that are bad for our company image.”
“Toby, stop being ridiculous.” He finally looked at me.
“I’m dead serious, Easy. If you don’t do this, we are going to suffer in the long run, and I am not letting you be a liability. We are business partners and when you fuck up, it hurts me. You clean up your act with the stylist or I’m selling my stake in Rotorhead and walking away. Those are my terms.” We were doing ultimatums now, were we?
This was a joke. It was a fucking game and I was tired of playing. Toby was this bent out of shape about my old t-shirts? Fine. I’d stop needling the old man and give him some peace. Anything not to have this stupid conversation again.
“Okay, fine. I’ll do it. I’ll work with the stylist, but you are gonna owe me big time.”
“Owe you for what? Safeguarding our business and making you into a presentable professional?” Right then, Jenna from earlier came up and stole his attention away. He dug in his pockets and pulled out a tip for her as she danced around him. I had to look away. It felt wrong being here and seeing this.
“I’m out of here. See you tomorrow.” I didn’t wait for his reply, walking out. How much time did Toby actually spend here? Once in a while, I wouldn’t be able to find him, and he wouldn’t get back to me on his phone. Was this why? Because his face was buried in Jenna’s tits and he couldn’t hear it ring? That wasn’t a problem in itself, but I never thought of him as a person who did this kind of thing. Guess I didn’t know him quite as well as I thought. I walked out of the dark strip club into the daylight. Whatever the case was, it wasn’t my business. I had another meeting with Artemis James, and I was not looking forward to it.
6
Artemis
At first, I thought that Toby Anderson had asked me to meet him and his partner at a restaurant because they didn’t have a real office. If they did have a real office, it was something out of a horror movie. A disgusting den in an unsavory part of the city where the two of them rolled around in their own filth. Drug deals and overdoses probably happened in the parking lot. Several arrests had definitely happened in the general vicinity and it was a bad idea to walk around there at night.
Their first impression had left a bad taste in my mouth.
So why was it that when Toby contacted me again for another meeting, this time at their headquarters, I agreed?
“Please allow me to apologize for the last meeting,” Toby said. I was on a comfortable leather sofa sitting across from him. On the table in front of me was a glass of sparkling water. It had all started with a message and a flower arrangement from Toby Anderson of Rotorhead Incorporated. The message was handwritten in impeccable calligraphy and was an apology along with an invitation to the office. I thought about taking it but maybe I didn’t think long enough. The whole ride here, I w
ondered whether I should ask the driver to take me back but by the time we stopped in front of the building, I hadn’t said anything yet.
“Thanks for inviting me. I have to say though, I had a lot of misgivings coming here.”
“Misgivings?”
“I wasn’t sure that this was the right decision following our last conversation.”
“Once again, let me apologize for mine and my partner’s actions during our last meeting.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I was going to gain anything from this meeting, even though you called to make amends. I wondered whether it would end up simply being a waste of my time.”
“A waste of your time?”
“Your partner told me unequivocally that he did not want my help.”
“Ah, yes,” Toby said. He sighed then leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “He can be a challenge.”
“A challenge?” I said with a scoff. He was the single most disrespectful, angry, and disagreeable man that I had ever met, and we were still strangers.
“More than a challenge.” He sighed again. “Missy, can I be honest with you?”
“Please,” I said. His partner had been honest with me and I was glad for it, even though I was back here after being told he didn’t want my help.
“I’ve known Easy for years now. We were in the army at the same time, in the same platoon. After discharge, we kept in touch and supported each other while trying to become civilians again.”
“Thank you for your service,” I said because it was polite to say that to service members. Surprising that they were friends though. They came off so different.
“He was… still is gruff and kind of hard to get close to. He’s impatient and he has a bad temper.”
“He’s rude, he doesn’t respect my profession.”
“I… I agree but when we were in the army, people regarded him as a leader. He's loyal and he’s a good man.”
“That’s all very nice but I don’t know what that has to do with me. He doesn’t want my help.” All that loyalty wasn’t coming my way so what was the point? How was I supposed to take Toby’s word that Easton was a ‘good man’ when none of that goodness was reserved for me?
“He wants it, he just doesn’t want to admit it.”
“I’m a stylist. It isn’t my job to convince obstinate men to take my advice and I hope you didn’t call me here today wanting me to do that.”
“You don’t have to convince him of anything, he’s going to cooperate with you.” I looked at Toby Anderson regretting that I had come here today. I didn’t like the way that this meeting was going. I felt like I was just going to waste my time again. Half of my assignment was going to be arguing with his business partner instead of actually rehabilitating his image. I was lucky in the fact that I didn’t need this job, not for the money. I had fuck you money so nobody was ever going to make me take on a client out of desperation. I didn’t need Easton Schultz. What he needed was something else.
He needed a life coach or a therapist or another drill sergeant like he used to have when he was in the Army. I was none of those things. Admittedly, I liked a challenge but I did not like to waste my time. When I took on a challenge, it was because I was confident in my effort being worth the time by the end of it.
“I’m not going to drag this man kicking and screaming into the fashion world. He so big I couldn’t drag him anywhere.” Toby laughed at that.
“You have my word. He is going to cooperate with you. He knows what side his bread is buttered.”
I shook my head. “I am sorry but if what you are trying to do is convince me, it is not working. I don’t believe that working with your partner is going to be a fruitful venture for me, for him, or for you.”
“Well, I am trying to convince you.”
“If you think offering me money is going to do it, I have some bad news.” While I wasn’t working for free, I wasn’t going to be swayed by the promise of more money. I was enjoying my new career and dealing with Easton Schultz was not going to be enjoyable.
“I have the feeling that you would say that. I wouldn’t expect you to deal with Easy without appropriate compensation, but I have something else you might be interested in. I want to turn Easton into a credible professional that our clients will trust. If you can do that, I can get you a feature in a very influential fashion magazine.”
I fought the urge to giggle. Toby Anderson talking about a very influential fashion magazine was just a little funny. I didn’t reckon that he knew exactly the extent of the influence of the influential magazine he was talking about. He was making the offer like it was the best one I was likely to hear in my career, but the fact of the matter was if he was connected to people in the magazine industry, so was I. Very wealthy people tended to all know each other, it was a small club after all. He probably had one in with the editor in chief at Vanity Fair or Vogue. I did not doubt that, but he wasn’t offering me something that I particularly wanted.
“Is that so?”
“I know people at Hearst, Conde Nast, I can get you a feature, not just an interview or little snippet in the back of the thing where no one will see it. It’ll skyrocket your career.” The offer would have meant so much more to me if I was someone who relied on this job for money. This was far from the regular way business dealings were done. He was desperate, as much as he wasn't letting that on.
What did I actually have to lose? I mean I didn’t have anything else I was working on. This would be something to add to my portfolio; my first male client. I would have the pleasure of taming Easton Schultz and it would take up enough time for me to keep busy. If I was working with Easton, I wouldn’t be sniffing around unavailable men. I had been good so far and having something to do, people to meet and professional responsibilities had been helping. It wasn’t like Easton was a target. He was attractive but that was where it ended. He was bossy and he was an asshole and I wasn’t interested.
“Okay.”
Toby looked surprised that I gave in so fast. He likely had more bargaining chips lined up, now I was sad that I wouldn’t be hearing them. “Really?”
“Yeah. Really. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. There is actually a charity gala about a month from now that we’re attending. I think that would be a good stage for the debut of his new look.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
He looked like a five-year-old who had just been granted his biggest Christmas wish. “I want to say that you won’t regret it, but I don’t want Easy to make me into a liar.”
“Well, you can imagine how much confidence that inspires in me.”
“Again, I’m sorry for his glaring personality flaws.”
I laughed. He had many flaws, almost too many to count and I had just signed up to a front-row seat at the Easton Schultz trainwreck. Toby seemed sure that he was going to cooperate though, so maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as all that.
No, it wouldn’t be that bad. We weren’t moving in together. It wasn’t going to be that dire. Just a few hours a few times a week, that was all, maybe even less. I could take him for that long. And if he ever pushed me too far, I knew where the door was and had no compunctions of walking out of it.
“Are you talking shit about me in here?” I heard behind me. I didn’t even have to look. How the hell had they gotten so far in their career? What if it wasn’t me Toby was talking to and a prospective client when he barged in using that kind of language? What if they had heard him talking like that?
I peered over my shoulder. Easton was walking towards us in his worst get-up yet. The trousers he had on looked like pajama bottoms and a t-shirt with a loose, stretched out neck and a rip in the seam at the collar. How had he even left the house like that, let alone come to work looking that way. I knew younger tech entrepreneurs weren’t really ‘corporate’ but this was just shameful. To make it worse, he had the beard of a jungle dweller and his hair hadn’t seen a brush in at least the past week.<
br />
“I sure was. I’ve managed to convince Missy to take you on after all.”
“Oh, joy,” he said, standing between us. He gave me a look that felt like it held a bit of a challenge, then turned to Toby. “Did you look at the designs I sent you already?”
Toby looked at me apologetically. It was like Easton was his very badly-behaved dog that he loved and had to make continuous apologies for. God, they were really like night and day. Scientists needed to get on this immediately; there was no bigger mystery in the universe. One of them seemed to be an upstanding, professional businessman and the other one seemed like the specimens you found living in their mother’s basements long after graduation from university because they lacked the will to make something of themselves. I felt like there was probably an interesting story there. Why hadn’t they gone their separate ways after being discharged? If they had, they wouldn’t have needed me here.
“When are you available to start, Missy?”
“The sooner the better.” Easy, as Toby called him was in an absolute state. The two times I had seen him, he had literally gone from bad to worse. What kind of horrors would I be subjected to the third time that I saw him? He finally looked over at me.
“Is that right? Is that what the two of you have been plotting in here without me?”
“I have my work cut out for me,” I said.
He scoffed. “What the hell do you know about work?”
There was a lot of truth in what he said but I was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. Regardless of my past and of his opinion, what I did now was work. It wasn’t back-breaking work, and it wasn’t particularly essential or lifesaving work, but it was still work. And I was damn good at it, might I add. “Well, I’m about to find out, it seems like.”
“It’s settled then. You start today.”
“T-today?” Easy stammered.
“The first thing I need is a walk-through of his wardrobe. His current clothes have no place at all at the charity gala.”
Admit You Want Me: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Irresistible Billionaires Book 3) Page 5
