The One of Many

by M. Jane Early

  “Not many other things involve a two-ton piece of metal, though,” I retorted.

  He paused. “Point taken.” The sunset in the distance highlighted his profile. “Well, if you ever need a ride, I’d be happy to be your driver.”

  I chuckled. “You’re my boss, not my personal valet.”

  He paused. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t need you to be safe.”

  I watched him until he glanced at me, probably because of the weight of my stare. I looked out the window, trying not to give away my ridiculously enormous smile.

  A few minutes later, he pulled into a well-lit parking lot. Across the street was an outdoor taco stand. There was a line of people standing in front of white tables stacked end to end, spanning the lot’s length. A cloud of smoke grew from the center where I presumed the meat was cooking. I could smell the beef, onions, and peppers through the car. I inhaled as I glanced at him.

  “Have you ever been here?” he asked.

  “No,” I said enthusiastically.

  He beamed. “Best tacos in town. Come on.”

  He met me at my side of the car, then we walked towards the assembly line cooks in red aprons. I studied the makeshift menu on the folded chalkboard by the line.

  “Do you know what you want?” David looked at me.

  I glanced up at him, unsure. “Anything you recommend?”

  “Everything’s good. But I usually get the carne asada.”

  I nodded. “Sounds good.”

  He nodded back and got the attention of one chef. “¿Puedo tener seis asadas, por favor?”

  I looked at him. He caught my eye and smirked.

  Of course, he’s not sexy or smart enough, let’s throw in his ability to speak a foreign language fluently—that’ll make it easier to not like him, I thought.

  He handed me a plate, and we walked to the fresh salsa bar. Cilantro, Roma tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic filled my nose. The sweetness of the pineapple and mango salsa was enticing, and I put both on my tacos. He paid, and we walked back across the street to his car.

  He leaned against the passenger side. I did the same but tried to keep a safe distance. Being this way with him made it hard to remember he was the CEO of Imperium. Other than our business casual attire, this felt more like a date rather than a business dinner. There was no talk about the company, no numbers to crunch, no names to drop—we were just…together. A man and a woman who liked each other’s company. At least, I liked his. All I could do was hope he liked mine too. There was no way I would ask, especially since I had a habit of putting my foot in my mouth around him.

  The tacos were delicious. The meat was tender and had a hint of lime. The fresh salsa added the sweet heat it needed to make it perfect. I tried to slow my pace, given how hungry I was. David kept eyeing me.

  “So?” he questioned after swallowing.

  “This is incredible.” I picked up my second taco. I glanced at him. “I was half expecting you to take me to a place like Gianelli’s and me having to tell you to find a McDonald’s.” I took a bite.

  “I would never take you to McDonald’s because that shit isn’t good for you.” He paused, thinking. “Did you want me to take you to a place like Gianelli’s?”

  I shook my head, trying to clear a piece of tortilla from the side of my teeth with my tongue. “Not at all. I just didn’t think a man of your bank account would eat at a dollar taco stand,” I teased.

  He chuckled. “How do you think my bank account stays that way?” The right side of his mouth inched up his tan cheek.

  I licked the salsa that ran down my thumb. “Seeing you like this is actually refreshing.”

  He handed me a napkin. “Why do you say that?”

  I wiped the side of my mouth. “Because you’re not trying to impress me.” I peeked at him, then panicked at what I’d said. “Not that this is a date or anything,” I rushed out, and he smiled. “I just appreciate that you’re not showing off.” I stuffed the last of the second taco into my mouth to keep me from saying more.

  He paused. “What if this was a date?” I looked at him abruptly. “What if I had asked you out tonight and I brought you here?” He moved his eyes up my body. “Would that have been okay?”

  I furrowed my brows. “Hypothetically?”

  “Sure.”

  I peered at the taco stand and then at him. “It would’ve earned you some serious points.” I was getting full, but I refused to leave this singular taco uneaten.

  His smile spread for a moment. When his face fell, he asked, “Is this where Crew would take you?” He ate his last taco as well.

  I scoffed and set my food on the paper plate. “No. Crew’s fundamental purpose for going out was to be seen. If I even suggested a quiet romantic evening, he met it with excuses of how he needed to be out in public so the cameras could ‘catch’ us.” I shook my head.

  He covered his fist over his mouth while he chewed to keep from laughing. “The spotlight isn’t your forte?”

  I covered my mouth with my hand, imitating his gesture. “It definitely is not.”

  He observed me. “So, why are you with him?”

  I stared at the pavement in front of me and swallowed. “I’m not.” My voice was barely loud enough for him to hear.

  He finished the last bite, then turned over his shoulder and set the paper plate on the top of the Mercedes. He concentrated as he wiped his hands with a napkin. “No offense, Farren, but the man was in your apartment. At the very least, he has a key. You even said you weren’t exactly telling him to stay away. No need to lie about it.”

  I looked at him sharply. “I’m not lying about it.”

  He raised his eyebrows and glanced at me.

  I angled towards him, defensive. “What possible reason would I have to lie to you, David?”

  He didn’t move. “I’m just trying to get clarification.”

  “Clarification for what?” I moved closer to him, but not enough to touch him. “Why do you care so much about Crew?”

  He faced me. “The same reason you care about Aurora Gianelli.” His tone turned sarcastic.

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  The tension between us grew as we stared at each other. The imaginary lines that bounded the boss-employee relationship were being erased by the second.

  He hadn’t answered me.

  I looked away from his fierce stare. “Well, evidently she doesn’t mean that much to you either, seeing as how you had some blonde hanging all over you at the office.” I immediately regretted the words once they came out. I didn’t want him to know I knew, or that I cared.

  He relaxed his stance, then paused. “How do you know about that?”

  I put my free hand on my hip. “You should be more careful about having your dates meet you where you work if you don’t want anyone to find out. I know you’re allergic to commitment, but it’s probably not a good idea to mix your groupies with business.” I stopped caring if this was an inappropriate conversation to have with him. He was as much in my personal business as I was his. He wanted answers, and so did I.

  He locked eyes with me and tilted his head. “Groupies, huh?”

  “What would you call them?” I spat back.

  “Women I see,” he defended.

  I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I grabbed his empty plate on the hood of his car and stomped towards a churro truck in the same parking lot as the taco stand. I threw our mostly empty plates in the trash with force. I glanced back at the Mercedes while Powers monitored me. I exhaled and turned away from him, spending my time in line trying to calm down.

  The jealousy of David’s long list of women was ridiculous. This man—as remarkable as he was—was my boss. I was pleading my case against him being a playboy, for what? So I could date him? I suddenly became less annoyed at David and more annoyed with myself.

  Once I pulled my anger back, I walked towards him with two churros in my hands. He watched me and tried to hide his laugh by looking away as I came close
r. I tried hard not to smile too but failed. I turned my back and leaned next to him.

  “Is one of those for me?” he asked. I could hear the smile in his voice without having to look at him.

  “Nope.” I took a bite of the churro in my left hand. His laugh was loud and infectious.

  He stood in front of me and tilted his head to the side. At the last moment, he stuck out his bottom lip. I rolled my eyes and handed him his pastry. He tore a piece off the top and popped it in his mouth, leaning against the car again. We had called a silent truce over the cinnamon dessert.

  My mind wandered to the presentation, and I exhaled. David caught my eye as I took another bite.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  I looked at him. “I’m nervous about tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I get that.” He leaned against the car by me again, closer than he was before. His arm grazed mine, prickling my skin. “You’re ready, Farren.”

  I swallowed. “I just wonder if you picked the right person for this.”

  “I know I did,” he whispered.

  I continued to look at the pavement ahead of me despite the weight of his stare. We stood in silence, watching more people gather around the stand and trucks.

  He pushed himself off the hood and turned to me. “Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?”

  I snorted. “Not in the least.”

  He watched me for a moment. “C’mon.”

  “Where are you taking me now?”

  He reached his passenger door. “We need to release this pent-up energy.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, and his sexy smirk appeared. Clearing my throat, I walked over to where he waited and got in the car.

  No matter how much I pestered him, he wouldn’t reveal where we were headed. After twenty minutes of driving through the city, we pulled up to a white building with blinding bright lights stationed towards the back. David and I got out without a word. He walked over to an attendant sitting at an opening in the building. Curiosity got the best of me, and I wandered around to the back.

  I turned to him as he approached me with helmets in his hand. “Batting cages?”

  He grinned. “Intimidated?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Hardly.” I turned and headed for the enclosures. He followed behind me, snickering.

  We chose our bats and walked to the nearly empty area. I nodded to the entrance of the gate. “You wanna go first?”

  He motioned his hand in front of me. “Be my guest.”

  I bent slightly to take off my heels, leaning on him for support. Not that I needed to, I just wanted to touch him, to feel his muscular arms under my fingers. When I stood, I handed my shoes to him by the straps, my right eyebrow raised. He tried to keep from smiling and took them from me, then handed me a helmet. I turned away, feeling him watch me.

  The metal door made a creaking sound when I opened and closed it. I walked to the timer and put on my helmet. Turning the knob to ON. I moved to the side of the faux plate and raised the bat. I shook my hips a little, peering back at David. He laughed, but his eyes never left me.

  When the first ball came at me, I let it go. I glanced back at David. His eyes traveled down my body with the most luscious look on his face, making me miss the second ball too. He met my eyes and bit his lip. Inadvertently, I took a deep breath.

  The way he made me feel from the inside out was annoyingly gratifying. He admired me in a way no one—not even Crew—had. His personality and intelligence were attractive on their own. Under different circumstances, he and I were equally matched in both brains and drive, and I knew our physical relationship would be exceptional too.

  The third ball flew towards me, and I took all my frustrations about the man behind me out on the ball with a satisfying crack of the bat. A high-pitched whistle came from behind me. I smiled to myself and waited for the next one. Thinking of David’s lips on my body caused another ball to soar. He was right; I needed this release.

  When the fifth ball joined the other two, the timer stopped. I walked out of the cage and to David, removing my helmet. The look on his face was a combination of amazement and wanting. I high fived myself in my head.

  “I have two brothers who went to college on baseball scholarships.” I arched an eyebrow and held his gaze.

  An hour later, we walked to his car, my shoes still in his hands. I talked more about my family. I was twelve when my mom died, and even though I was the baby, I tried to take care of my dad. I did a lot of the cooking, and my brothers did the cleaning to keep the house in order for him. My dad knew how to handle the boys. I was a little more difficult for him. Luckily, my aunt was the step-in for my mom when I needed her.

  “What happened to your mom?” We sat in his car, the engine quiet.

  “She had a stroke.” I looked at my hands in my lap.

  “Wow. She must’ve been really young.”

  I nodded. “Forty-two.”

  David looked at me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks.” I met his eyes again and shrugged. “It was a long time ago.” I paused when he looked away. “What about your family?”

  He smiled and looked down. “That’s a conversation for another time.” He peered at me again.

  His smile faded as he reached forward and started the car. The aversion when talking about his family reminded me that something about the takeover and his dad’s sudden retirement didn’t feel right. I couldn’t figure out how it all fit together, but it did. As much as we went back and forth about our personal relationships, or lack thereof, family was different. The subject was off-limits unless he volunteered more information.

  He finally spoke when we pulled in front of my building. “Tell Crew I’m sorry for keeping you out so late.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t owe Crew any explanations about my whereabouts, and again, this isn’t about him. He’s not an issue.”

  He gave me a doubtful look and turned away.

  Irritation torpedoed to my surface. “You know what? It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not.” I looked out the window.

  “Good, because I don’t believe you.”

  I turned to him and raised my hands, then slammed them on my lap, asking with my expression what I had to do to convince him.

  He turned to me, annoyed. “Come on. You’re with him, Farren. You’re in love with the guy, and that’s fine. But when you continually deny those feelings, it makes you look like a liar.”

  My face grew ardent as my anger spilled over. “Do you have a problem with my work?” The venom in my voice grew.

  “No.” His did too.

  “Do you think I’m qualified to hold the position you gave me?”

  “Yes.” His eyes flared.

  “Good,” I answered loudly. “Because apart from my job performance, everything else is none of your goddamn business.” I got out of the car and slammed the door. I would not sit there and let him berate me because he couldn’t trust what I said about Crew. Besides, who cared what David Powers believed about my personal life?

  I got in the building with Powers a few feet behind me. I stomped to the elevators and pressed the button, trying to ignore the CEO. He leaned on the elevator doors, watching me.

  “I didn’t lie to you,” I said, not looking at him.

  “Really? Are the doors going to open with Crew standing there again?”

  I deadpanned to him. “You’re more than welcome to wait and see,” I said smugly.

  “Fine.” He walked to my side and stood there. I crossed my arms and watched the floor numbers light up as they got closer to one.

  When the elevator dinged, I angled towards him. One of my breasts purposely rested on his bicep. He turned his head and met my eyes. Neither of us moved.

  The doors slid open, and David peered at the empty car.

  “Crew’s gone. I broke up with him, permanently, on Sunday after you dropped me off. Not that it should matter to you.” I went into the elevator and scowled at him.

  �
�Why didn’t you tell me?” He watched me.

  I placed my hand on the door so it wouldn’t close. “Why should I, David?” My voice carried through the first floor. “You act like I owe you something, like I have to explain Crew to you.” I scoffed. “Like you’re interested in me or something.”

  He looked away.

  “So what is it? Why the hell do you care?” I stared at him while the elevator continually buzzed at me.

  He said nothing.

  I exhaled and removed my hand. “Good night, David,” I said, incensed, and backed away. The doors closed.

  I got to my floor and walked towards my home at the end of the hall. I wanted to scream or hit the wall, neither of which was an option. I would find the nearest pillow in my living room and yell into it. Probably use it for punching practice.

  Fumbling to find my keys in my purse, I reached my apartment. The stairwell door across the hall from me opened. I looked over my shoulder at smoldering eyes, then turned towards him.

  David Powers hurried to me and didn’t stop until his chest was inches from mine. He laid his hand on the side of my neck. My body immediately tried to back away due to the shock, but my back hit the door. My breath was heavy.

  “You didn’t let me answer you,” he whispered.

  His eyes glimmered as he leaned down and sealed his lips with mine. My mind went blank and my heart pounded. I moved my mouth with his without even thinking. His firm hands pulled me to him by my lower back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling his hair between my fingers. His lips were soft and methodical. I grazed the tip of my tongue with his as he did the same. That damn fragrance he wore was in my nose and now my mouth.

  He pulled back, while I was hesitant for him to stop, and ran the back of his fingers on my cheek. “Yes, Farren. I’m interested in you.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. His mouth twitched at the corner, and he took the keys from my hand. He reached around me, concentrating on the locks while I concentrated on his body pressing against mine. He turned the knob and opened the door, keeping his hand on my lower back so I didn’t fall into my apartment. I watched him, wanting him to give me his mouth again. I imagined him undressing me in my living room. How I wanted to drag him into my bedroom and worship his body until the morning.