by E. L. Todd
“It looks better on you than it does me.”
“Are you saying I look like a dude?”
“Prettiest dude I’ve ever seen.”
“Well, in that case…” She grinned then faced forward. “So, do you have any siblings?”
I thought of Chase and his ridiculous paranoia. “One younger brother.”
“What’s he like?”
“Smart, friendly, considerate, and funny.”
“You want to switch brothers?” she asked seriously.
If only she knew. But I would take my brother over hers any day. Sometimes his phobia ruined my night, and paying his rent and bills got old. But he was still a great person who appreciated everything I did for him. I enjoyed spending time with him even though I had to pretend I carried an undefeatable Shadow Sword. “Never.”
“Smart choice,” she said. “You couldn’t handle Lance.”
“I’d smash his face in a few times.” I wasn’t joking. He was a classic jerk, someone who deserved to have his skull cracked against the concrete in front of a group of spectators. He didn’t understand the foundation of what a real man was. Pouring champagne on a waiter was pathetic and tasteless.
“I’d help you,” she said. “I’ve slapped him before. But nothing I do knocks any sense into his empty brain.”
“Your father seems stern. I’m surprised he lets him get away with whatever he wants.”
“My father is very old. My mother was twenty years younger than him. The only reason why Lance and I exist is because she insisted she needed to have children.”
Knowing her father never wanted her must have been difficult.
“Anyway, since he comes from an older generation, he doesn’t believe women should be in the workplace at all. He’s the most sexist pig I’ve ever met.”
“Then how did you get a job there?”
“I volunteered in order to prove myself. When he realized I was making his life a million times easier, he hired me as an assistant director. But never once has he thanked me for all I’ve done. Most of the people on the payroll are men but when the company was investigated for sexism, he was forced to hire more women. That’s the only reason why they’re there, and of course, they are all in low positions, like clerks and secretaries.” She rolled her eyes. “Would you judge me if I said I hated him?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Good. I absolutely loathe the man.”
“Now I understand why he ignores Lance’s obvious flaws.”
“Because he has a penis between his legs.” She actually growled at the end of her sentence.
I found the action cute. “Did you just growl?”
“I growl when I get really angry. If I ever growl at you, run.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Whenever I growl at Harper, she just growls back.”
“She sounds fearless,” I noted.
“Crazy is a better word.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “So, your father will give you the company if you have a man in your life? Does that mean he wants him to work for the company as well, to supervise you?”
She looked away. “Probably.”
I never felt worse for Aspen. She was doomed to disappoint her father no matter what she did.
We arrived at her apartment and she unlocked the door. “I get you until midnight, right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I want the most bang for my buck. Come in.”
I walked inside then eyed the flowers I brought. They lightened up the room.
“Want to play Battleship?”
Did she just ask me that? “Battleship?”
“Yeah. You’ve never played it?” She picked up the box from the couch and looked at me.
Seeing a beautiful woman in a floor length gown that sparkled, along with elegantly curled hair and just the right amount of makeup, holding a child’s game was naturally disconcerting. It was the last thing I expected her to say. “I just wasn’t expecting you to ask.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Do you suck?”
“No,” I said defensively.
“Do you want to play then?” She sat on one end of the couch and pulled her station into her lap.
I sat on the opposite corner then got my pins ready. “Ladies first.”
“E1?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Hit.”
She grinned then put the red pen in her station.
“A3.”
“Miss. E2?”
“Hit,” I said in irritation.
She put the pin in with a slight smirk on her lips.
“B9?” I asked.
“Miss.” She was clearly enjoying this. “E3?”
“You’ve sunk my battleship.” Aspen kicked my ass right from the beginning.
She flipped her hair over one shoulder. “And that’s how it’s done.”
I stared at her, watching her outline contrast against the sight of the city through the window. She was the perfect specimen to represent a real woman, one whose beauty outshined others without any effort. She had the smile of a model for a toothpaste commercial, and she had the legs of a swimsuit model. But her beauty underneath was more powerful than anything else. And now she was playing a game like a child, completely oblivious to all her charms.
I didn’t know what to make of it.
***
“Duuuuude.” Troy bellowed into the phone the instant I answered. “Party at Cato’s. Get your ass over here.”
“Hello to you too.”
“Don’t be a bitch and just get over here.” He hung up without waiting for a response.
It was hard to tell when Troy was drunk because he acted exactly the same sober or wasted. But if he was at a party, he was probably drunk.
I headed to Cato’s apartment on the east side with a pack of beer in my hand. When I walked up the stairs, I heard the deafening sound of the bass from his stereo. If I could hear it from here, then his neighbors weren’t going to get much sleep tonight.
The door was open so I walked inside and moved past the crowd. Ice chests littered the ground in the kitchen so I tossed the beers in the first one I could find. I popped the lid on one and downed it like water.
“Duuuuude!”
I turned at the sound of Troy’s voice. “When did you start calling me dude all the time?”
“Dude, shut up and talk to me.” He wore a gray t-shirt with jeans that hung low on his hips.
“Which one do you want me to do?” I asked. “Shut up or talk to you?”
“Well, you just talked so I’m going to go with the second one.”
I grinned. “Asshole.”
He laughed then clapped my arm. “So many hot chicks here.”
“I just walked in.”
“Well, they’re everywhere so just keep your eyes peeled.”
I took another drink of my beer.
“Hey, how’d it go with Laura? Are her tits real?” Troy always spoke his mind, to anyone.
“It didn’t work out.”
“I could tell she was snooty. If she leaned her head back any further, her nostrils would act as teacups.”
“We had a great time but when she found out I was an escort, she walked out without saying a word to me.”
“Seriously?” He looked thunderstruck. “She’s hot but not that hot.”
I shrugged and drank my beer.
“Whatever. Her tits weren’t even that nice anyway.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“I can tell.” He waved his fingers in front of his eyes. “I got x-ray, bro.”
A blonde in heels walked past us to the refrigerator.
Troy eyed her then turned to me. “She’s cute. Go for her.”
“I didn’t even see her face.”
“Who cares?” he said. “Her ass looks great. That’s all that matters.”
She walked by again and Troy did something I’ve never seen before.
He pulled his keys out of his pock
et then threw them over his shoulder. They made a loud clank against the tile when they landed. It was heard over the music.
She stopped and turned around, noticing the sound.
“Did you drop these?” Troy asked as he picked them up.
She stared at them suspiciously. “No…”
“Good. Because they’re mine.” He positioned her in front of me then walked off.
I wasn’t mad because the sight was so humorous. “I’m sorry about that.”
She relaxed as she looked at my face, obviously liking what she saw. Her eyes took me in, and they settled on my shoulders for a long time before they returned to my face. “I’ve never seen you before.”
“I’m Rhett.” I extended my hand to shake hers.
She didn’t take it. Instead, she came closer to me, her chest almost touching mine. “Trixie.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said politely.
“Likewise.” She twisted a strand of hair in her fingers while she batted her eyelashes at me.
“So, what music do you—”
“Are we going to make out or what?”
Cato knew the sluttiest girls. I wasn’t sure where he found them. Most of them were models, so I assumed they would have the confidence to play hardball. Sometimes it was nice to find an easy kill, a beautiful woman who would let me fuck her without having a single conversation about anything somewhat important, but I wasn’t in the mood tonight. And she was too skinny for my taste. “I actually need to be somewhere…” I moved around her.
“Dick,” she hissed.
I turned back to her. “If what you’re selling is always free, no one is going to want it.”
Her eyes narrowed in offense.
I kept walking and moved through the crowd. I really was a dick to her, but I wouldn’t be a nice guy to a bitch. If she wanted me to respect her, then she needed to respect me.
When I reached the living room, Cato was doing a kegstand.
Troy recorded it on his phone. “He’s not going to remember this tomorrow. I got to document it.”
I turned my head while I watched him. “Impressive.”
“You want to go next?”
“You think I want to suck on the same hose Cato is using?” I asked. “He probably has syphilis or something.”
He nodded. “Word.” He ended the recording then pocketed his phone. He eyed me for a moment. “Where’s that blonde I hooked you up with? Did you fuck her already?”
“Yeah…I was in and out of there in two minutes.”
He clapped my shoulder. “Aren’t there for the ladies, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Sometimes he didn’t get sarcasm.
“I wasn’t into her. She was too skinny and her breath reeked.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like beer and vomit mixed together.”
“Gross.” He cringed. “But you don’t need to kiss her while you screw her.”
“Why don’t you screw her?” I demanded.
He shook his head. “I’m not going to screw a girl that smells like vomit.”
I stared at him incredulously. “Then what makes you think I want to?”
“Well, that date didn’t go well, right? Which means you didn’t get laid.”
“I can get laid whenever I want and you know that.” I drank my beer then watched Cato lay on the ground after he inhaled a trough of beer.
He looked around the room. “You have your pick of the crop.”
I glanced around and saw a lot of pretty girls. But I just wasn’t in the mood for any of them.
“How did work go the other night?”
“Good,” I said. “It was pretty fun, actually.”
“Fun?” he asked in surprise. “Did you just say that?”
“Yeah. We went to this fundraiser, and that was pretty lame, but then we got ice cream and played Battleship. She kicked my ass five times in a row.”
“Battleship?” He looked at me like I was crazy. “Did you go on a date with a twelve-year-old boy?”
I shook my head and released a quick laugh. “No, she was actually really hot.”
“Hot?” he asked. “Like, how hot?”
“I’d say a nine point five or a ten.”
He whistled. “Damn, you got any pictures?”
“No, sorry.”
“Damn,” he said. “Why did I get stuck with a girl with a psycho ex but you get a hot chick who likes Battleship?”
“The world works in mysterious ways…”
He shook his head then downed his beer. “I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”
“Half a million a year isn’t a salary to bitch about.”
He stared at me with an angry look. “The guy went straight for the money maker.” He pointed at his face.
“There are plenty of plastic surgeons in the city.”
“I’m all natural, bitch. Maybe you should get some fake tits.”
I laughed, loving how mad he was getting.
“Are you escorting this girl again?”
“Yeah. She’s trying to take over a company from her father but he wants her to have a serious boyfriend.”
He rubbed his chin. “That’s weird.”
I shrugged. “The guy was a total dick so it doesn’t surprise me.”
“Did he like you?”
“He showed me more love in twenty minutes than he showed his daughter her entire life.” It worked me up when I thought about it.
“So, she has daddy issues?” He smirked like he had a plan on his mind.
“We can’t date women we escort. You know that.”
“Well, if she’s that hot and cool, then that’s a different ball park. Secondly, I’m not escorting her. You are. So, she’s fair game.”
I knew he was joking so I didn’t rise. “You couldn’t get her.”
“You bet your ass I could.”
“She said she isn’t dating right now. I can tell she’s picky about the men she spends time with. There’s no way she’d pick you.”
“All I’d have to do is turn on the charm and she’d melt right in my hand.”
I shook my head. “She’s out of your league, man.”
“No one is out of my league, dude.”
“Well, this girl is.”
“Now I have to see this chick. Get me a picture.”
“No,” I snapped. “I’m not going to take a picture of her like a creeper.”
“Do it when she doesn’t know. Set up a camera in her apartment.”
I gave him a look I’d been giving him since we were kids. “You want me to break the law and get thrown in jail?”
“Hey, some girls are worth going to jail for.”
“I’m done talking to you.” I turned away.
“Wait.” He grabbed my arm. “Does she have a big mouth?”
I gave him a confused look. “Why?”
“Girls with big mouths give great head.”
I rolled my eyes but laughed at the same time. “You’re going to hell.”
“And you’re coming with me.”
Aspen
The hours passed quickly since I had so many things to do at the office. My assistant informed me I had a meeting with investors in an hour, and on top of that, I had a pile of paperwork on my desk.
As busy as I was, I kept thinking about my night with Rhett. If he weren’t there, that evening would have been unbearable. He lightened the mood and didn’t make me feel alone. Most of the time, John just made me feel worse.
What did I ever see in him?
When the fundraiser ended and we got out of there, the night really picked up. Getting ice cream and playing Battleship was fun. We had a lot of laughs and had a great time. Spending the evening with a beautiful man who had a great personality was worth every cent. Even though we just met, I felt like I’d known him forever. He reminded me of a Disney prince, which made me wonder if he was real from time to time.
The fact my father liked him was a great relie
f. Now he would get off my back about John and my good image would be restored. My dad wouldn’t talk about it anymore and the scandal would remain in the past, where it belonged. While my dad still didn’t value any contribution I made to the company, at least he didn’t look at me like I was something stuck on the bottom of his shoe.
My assistant spoke over the intercom. “Mr. Lane would like to see you, miss.”
“Thank you, Jane.” I sighed then rubbed my temple. My dad played golf in his office and acted as a figurehead while I worked my ass off. I was the real worker behind the company. Why couldn’t he walk down here and speak to me? Why did he have to call for me like I was a dog? I took a deep breath and let the emotion pass. I’d become a master at controlling my emotions, thanks to the abuse of my father. An excellent punching bag, taking swings and moving with the inertia.
After I talked myself down, I walked to his office.
Like I expected, he was hitting a golf ball around on the fake green.
I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. “You wanted to see me, sir?” The last conversation we had in this office hung above my head like a cloud.
You better not cry. You know how I feel about that.
I held my hands together at my waist and regarded him with a stoic expression.
Dad put down his club then abandoned his ball on the green. He crossed his arms over his chest while he regarded me like I was a stranger, not his flesh and blood. “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend.”
Why would I? It’s not like we’re pals. “I didn’t want to say anything until I knew we were serious.”
He nodded then paced around the room. “I like him, Aspen. He’s a good man. I don’t know how you landed him but I’m glad you did.”
My eyes narrowed in offense. I don’t know how you landed him. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
“He golfs, knows his cars, and comes from money.”
“Yes, the only qualities that matter.” My voice was full of sarcasm but I doubt he picked up on it.
“And, I must admit, he’s a very good-looking chap. Where did you meet?”
“Coffee shop.”
“I don’t know how you charmed him but you did something right. It’s clear he’s really into you.”
He didn’t know how I charmed him? “Surely, you must realize I don’t look like a troll and I’m a very pleasant person.” It took all my strength not to rip his head off.
