“That is not my problem.”
She took a step forward. “But this is the sixth year in a row that Darek has hired a man. And I promise you I am just as capable as he is. I’ve been the head coordinator of a charity before and I’ve assisted Luise for the past two years. It will be an easier transition for you and the charity with only two weeks left until the event.” She had a point, but before I could respond, Darek plowed into my office, waving a piece of paper. He could be very dramatic sometimes.
“Mr. Ford, Ms. Haggerty has never been the coordinator of a charity; I just called up her references. She is lying!”
I crossed my hands and glanced back at Ms. Haggerty.
“Ok, I was the assistant coordinator at the charity I worked for, but neither Darek nor his college roommate understands the children in Ghana the way I do.”
Darek interrupted, “Jake is not my college roommate, Mr. Ford. I’ve never met the man in my life.”
Ms. Haggerty rolled her beautiful blue eyes. “You guys were in there together for an hour.”
She moved closer to my desk and looked at me, her face suddenly freezing. She noticed the two, tiny beauty marks next to my left eye. I squinted my eyes and noticed two similar beauty marks beside her right eye. She cleared her throat. “My father was an art dealer from Ghana, the country where your charity focuses its support.”
Darek raised his voice, “remember that our biggest donor, Mr. Hayes, is thinking of leaving our charity this year. Jake knows Mr. Hayes personally and would be a strong referral for us.”
I raised my hand. “Give us a few minutes, Darek. I will call you when I’m ready. Sit down, Mrs. Haggerty. I will interview you, but if I don’t think you’re fit for the role then it will go to Jake.”
She glanced at Darek as he exited. “Thanks for interviewing me Mr. Ford like everyone else.”
Ms. Haggerty was sassy and it was getting me hard. I tamed my instincts because this regarded my charity. She softened a bit, without Darek in the room. “I have visited my grandfather in Ghana a few times…I know what those children are going through because I witnessed it first-hand. They don’t have anyone to care for them or connect with them.” She looked to the ground, revealing a hint of vulnerability. “They’re alone.”
She crossed her legs, revealing her well-shaped and firm thighs beneath her skirt. She was turning me on, but I had to stay objective and make the best decision for the company. It was annoying me that Darek may have disqualified her because she was a woman. I could tell Ms. Haggerty was not only an attractive young woman but also had an inner strength.
She continued, “it would be great to have the pay raise, but if you give me the job then I’ll also be motivated by the cause.” Her tenacity impressed me.
“I don’t generate any profit from my charity, but I’m very proud of it. We’ve had a perfect track record with raising money six years in a row. You broke company protocol by walking into my office without an appointment. You don’t have any experience overseeing a charity event, and you don’t have a degree in non-profit work. Darek is right. Jake is more qualified than you.”
The room went quiet and she stood up. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.” She walked to the door, defeated.
“But,” my words paused her, “I want someone with both experience and heart. The job is yours if you agree to my terms.”
She turned around with a smile stretching across her face. “Thank you, Mr. Ford!”
I walked over and opened the door for her. She bit her bottom lip and I envisioned her naked body on my bed. “This is a long-term position. You will receive a 20% pay raise starting today. You will work directly with me and be in charge of all communication with the rest of the team. You will make yourself available to me at all times of the day over the next two weeks, leading up to the event. I expect you to work with me at my apartment a few times, where you’ll find a lot of additional paperwork. Luise and I have been working there in the evenings lately. Think everything over and if you still want the role, come back up here at 6 pm and I will get you up to speed.” I shook her hand and a wave of warm tingles moved between our bodies.
GLORIA
I was standing in the elevator, returning back to my office. What the hell is going on? My heart was beating 100 miles per hour. His smell was intoxicating and vaguely familiar. I felt like I had known Mr. Ford for hundreds of years. The doors opened to the HR department, returning me to reality. I walked to my desk, contemplating my dilemma. Everything in me wanted the promotion, but another part of me was worried about working so closely with Mr. Ford.
I sat down and Stephanie leaned over, shaking me out of my daze. Chuck was pottering around in the distance, chatting with the plants as usual. “Sooo? What happened? I saw Darek, he looks put out.”
A victorious smile appeared on my face. “Mr. Ford offered the position to me but…”
“What’s the problem?! Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”
I scratched my head. I wasn’t entirely sure myself. “I’ve never actually been in charge of organizing a charity event before, and Mr. Ford takes it very seriously.”
I could see the confusion on Stephanie’s face. “You have been assisting Luise for two years now. It’s your time to shine, girl.”
Damn, why isn’t she helping me pull out, and relieving my nerves?
She persisted, “how hot is he?”
“He’s stunning. That’s why I’m concerned.”
“You have your dream job, working for a dream guy. Why are you hesitating?”
I leaned back, trying to defend my point of view. “Exactly, it can be a distraction and I want the event to go well.”
But she wasn’t buying it. “Who cares? Give him a blowjob if he asks for it, and then finish the event. That’s what I would do,”said Stephanie, half joking, half serious. She certainly knew her way around men.
However, I must admit, the idea of holding Mr. Ford’s manhood in my hand was making me wet. I bit my lip and Stephanie squinted her eyes at me like if she was reading my mind. “When was the last time you got laid?”
I turned my computer screen back on, hoping to change the topic. “A long time ago.”
She pushed her chair closer. “How long is a long time ago?”
I puffed like a little girl. I did not want to answer the question but I knew I had no other option. “With Jonathan.”
Stephanie almost jumped out of her chair. “You haven’t had sex since your fiancé? That’s a lot of pent up energy. I’m surprised you don’t scream at everyone you talk to.”
I pretended to search the web. “I have ways of releasing it, Steph.”
“Even if Mr. Ford breaks your dry spell, he’s never been married or even has a girlfriend at the moment so why not give it a change? Also, you need to think about your school loans. You’re going to make more money.”
She was right. I wouldn’t find another job that offered this kind of salary with a cause that I cared about so much.
“He’s not what I expected him to be like.”
Stephanie put her hand on my lap. “Tell me everything. Did he make any comments? What did he say?”
I put her hand back on her desk. “Ok, that’s enough. You are the nosiest assistant I’ve ever had.” I stood up and took a deep breath. “I’m taking the job and I’m going to nail this event.”
Chuck placed a small plant on my desk. “Good luck with the new job.” He adjusted one of the leaves that were dangling. “Water it twice a week and talk to it a little bit every day.”
“Thank you! I will water it, but I haven’t talked to inanimate objects since I was three years old. That’s not a habit I’m picking back up at twenty-six.”
“Plants need more than just water, Gloria. They also need connection.”
I glanced at the plants lined up in our waiting area; they were vibrant with all of their leaves perking up towards the light. I teased Chuck, but I also knew it was a sweet gesture that was rare in today’
s world. My mom always taught me that nobody was obligated to give you gifts, so I should appreciate them. “Thank you, Chuck.”
***
The elevator doors opened at the top floor of Eco-Farming Enterprises and I was greeted by my new best friend, Mr. Ford’s secretary, Nancy. She forced a smile, aware that my leverage was growing. “How can I help you, Ms. Haggerty?”
I reciprocated her fake smile. “Mr. Ford would like to see me.”
She dialed Mr. Ford’s number and her smile faded. “Ms. Haggerty is here to see you.” She nodded to me and I opened the door myself, entering my new master’s office.
He greeted me from his desk with a devilish smirk. I brushed my hair back and gave him the most professional look I could muster up. “I’d like the position.”
He dialed some number. “I’m glad to hear that.” He stood up while Darek answered over the speaker phone. “Please tell Jake there has been some restructuring and that the position is no longer available. Ms. Haggerty will be coordinating the charity event.”
There was a brief silence. “Yes, Mr. Ford…Is Ms. Haggerty in the room with you?”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations, Ms. Haggerty. I need you to send an email to John Dee, confirming the amount he has generously donated ahead of the event. I will send you the link to the VIP donors contact list, where you’ll find his email.” Mr. Ford glanced at me, putting the ball in my court.
“Absolutely, I will hop right on that!”
Mr. Ford hung up, putting on his jacket with a smirk. “Why don’t you hop on that at my apartment? There’s some paperwork I want to show you.”
My eyes glanced briefly at the large bulge in his pants, then back up at him. “Yes, Mr. Ford.”
He grabbed the keys to his Porsche. “Gloria.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat while following him out. “Yes?”
He opened the door for me. “Call me Aiden.”
AIDEN
We took a smooth, night time ride in my favorite Porsche along Manhattan’s East River. We arrived at a building I lived in on Park Avenue. My bellman swiftly took us to the top floor, and we stepped out of the elevator directly into my living room. I had shown my apartment to countless women, but for some reason, I was anxious to impress Gloria. Her regular gal quality and sass were fun and refreshing.
Her eyes lit up at the panoramic view of Central Park at night. She walked straight over and touched the windows. I took off her jacket and hung it up. She spun around, admiring the design. I chuckled at her excitement.
“It’s amazing!” She almost ran into my arms and then stopped, switching to a more professional tone of voice. “So where are all the files for the event? I’d like to start uploading them online and make them more accessible for my team.” I pointed to the stack, sitting on a glass table on my Persian rug.
“What can I get you to drink? Some Fiji water, tea or coffee?”
Gloria took out her laptop and leaned over the documents, revealing her inviting cleavage. My cock was throbbing at the thought of bending her over my glass table. “Coffee, please.” She was sexy when she tried to act seriously. I could tell she liked to play around and have fun. She was naturally lively.
“Little milk. Little sugar?”
She looked up, surprised. “Exactly.” I was surprised, too. I guessed wrong most of the time, but with her, I got it right.
When I returned from the kitchen; she had already scanned half the pile and emailed John Dee with his confirmation. I handed her the coffee and she sat back on the sofa. “I know you’re Mr. Mysterious who only hangs out on the top floors of different buildings but--” My face straightened, unsure where she was going with this. She paused, picking up my defensiveness. She rephrased her words more carefully. “Well…I guess what I’m trying to say is…Your mission statement is a bit impersonal which makes it hard for me to upsell donors. Why do you care about these children in Africa?”
I sat in the chair across from her.
“I will tell you, but you’ll have to find another strategy for drawing donors. I like to keep my personal life separate from my company.”
She nodded, reluctantly, “ok, fine.”
“I’m not a rags-to-riches story. I was raised a very privileged kid and it got to my head. So my father sent me kicking and screaming to Ghana because he wanted to ‘teach me a life lesson’. I worked on a farm for a summer with a local Ghanaian man. He became like a mentor to me and introduced me to all the people in the village. By the end of the summer, I had become best friends with a lot of the kids my age. Before I left, I promised the man that I would help take care of the children when I inherited my dad’s company.”
Gloria hadn’t taken a sip of her coffee since I started the story. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.”
I stood up. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” She bit her lip, shaking her head.
“Relax. I’m not going to fuck you yet,” I said jokingly, although that was exactly what I could wish for right at that moment.
Her face froze and she lost all of her composure; she was speechless. “Well, good because… that…would be interesting.”Gloria immediately regretted her words. She didn’t know what she was saying. I chuckled as I took her hand, leading her down one of my hallways.
I opened a door, presenting her with my art collection from Africa. She dropped my hand and scanned the walls, each one exhibiting rare collectibles ranging from paintings to statues.
“Oh my God…These pieces are wonderful! Did you pick all of them yourself?”
“Yes, every one of them.” I was so happy that she appreciated them. Most people just glanced in the room and then complimented me on my 60-inch flat screen.
I walked over to a 19th-century mask, hanging by the window. “This is my personal favorite.” I flicked on a special light that illuminated the details of the wood carving.
Gloria stepped closer, covering her mouth with her hands. “Are you serious?! You filthy rich animal. I am sooo jealous of you.”
I could tell Gloria didn’t think of herself as “hot” or “beautiful” but her face, with its youthful glow and delicate feminine features, was the real piece of art in the room.
Her shoulder leaned into me as she examined the authenticity of the mask. “I cannot believe you own the Fang Ngil mask, this is my favorite piece as well... You know it was a huge influence on Picasso?”
I nodded and reached out, running my finger along her soft cheek. “That’s right, he was fascinated with masks.” She tilted her head down, blushing. I slowly lifted her chin back up; her eyes locked with mine. “Picasso said, ‘Are we to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it?’ ”
She gently pressed her cheek against my hand, revealing a softer side of her that I hadn’t seen yet. I pulled her chin towards me and kissed her. Her lips parted gently, inviting my tongue into her mouth. It was the warmest and most tender space I had ever entered.
It was adorable the way she surrendered her body into my arms. I ran my hand over her firm, round ass and gave it a good squeeze. I wanted all of her to be mine. There was no way I was letting her go.
She gently pressed on my shoulders, pulling herself away. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually do this, especially with co-workers, or I mean bosses or whatever.” She was suddenly a bit flustered. “I think we should get back to work.”
I turned off the light over the mask. I knew she didn’t usually do this which is part of why I wanted her so bad. I rested my hand on her back and lead her back towards the living room.
GLORIA
Some hours later, I woke up on Aiden’s couch. I was a little startled in the dark living room, but gradually remembered eating Chinese food and then dozing off while doing the seating chart for the event. I was wrapped in a blanket with a pillow placed under my head. I recalled Aiden’s lips, kissing me and I exhaled. I could still smell him on me.
A soft, warm light spilled ou
t from the kitchen and I heard some shuffling around. I peeked my head into the kitchen. Aiden was bent over, pulling out a snack from the refrigerator. His shirt was hiked up, revealing the firm muscles along his back as he pulled out some strawberries. He was wearing simple sweats with a white V-neck T-shirt, exposing his burly arms. God, I wish I could be his late night snack.
He turned around with a concerned look. “Everything okay? I set you up on the couch after you fell asleep. Your last words before falling asleep were ‘no more carbs before the event’.” I giggled. That sounded like typical me.
Taming The Billionaire Page 37
