Loving The Enemy

by Jordan Silver

  “Well, if I’m to accompany you to these dinners with business associates, I’m going to need the appropriate wardrobe. Then there’s the hair and makeup, stuff like that. How often do you expect to need me for one of these things?” If I have my way, every fucking day and night. Until I outgrow this shit whatever it is.

  “It varies. Some weeks I have a full calendar. Sometimes it may be a few nights a week. But you’ll be needed at least twice a week without question.” She went back to thinking and I saw the moment she thought she had me. She gets this mischievous little twinkle in her eyes and her lips twitch just the slightest bit. Why that should warm my heart I don’t know, but such is the case.

  “Four hundred thousand a year.” She all but snickered, sure that I would turn her down.

  “Done.” I would’ve given her twice as much, even more. I couldn’t withhold my grin at her fish out of water look. “And I’ll be paying for any outfits and your hair and makeup deal.”

  EMILY

  Is he insane? I just threw a number out there because I was sure he wouldn’t go for it. What does he mean by accepting such an offer? What the hell, kinda businessman is he? And why the hell is he grinning at me like an idiot? This day was not turning out at all the way I’d expected, and my little exercise that I’d set myself up for was not working.

  I’d tossed and turned all night after dropping into bed. I wasn’t worried about the expose and the rest of the world knowing the shame of what daddy had done, no I spent the night mooning over him like I was back in high school trying to win the affections of the hottest guy there. If that wasn’t bad enough, my body, which was still bearing the effects of his nearness, took forever to calm the hell down.

  I finally dropped into sleep sometime later only to dream of him. The way his arms felt, the way I wanted to just sink into him and let him take over. I woke not feeling any better, the prospect of working for him losing some of its luster as I dreaded what such close proximity to him for an extended period of time would do to me.

  I dragged myself out of bed and went to check on my mother. I wanted to be the one to break the news to her, and that went pretty much the way I expected. More tears, more woe is me, and back under the covers. I need to do something about her but had no time right now because I was too busy trying to keep us off the damn streets. No point in blaming her for being who she is, who she’s always been.

  The doorbell rang as I made my way downstairs and my heart went into overdrive thinking it was him. It was Simone. “Which one of those fucking pariahs did you tell about the website?”

  “Well good morning to you too.” She took my coffee from my hand and marched into the house ahead of me.

  “Who did you talk to?” She was in bitch mode. In fact she seemed more upset than I. “No one, I don’t think…Cindy was here the day before, but we didn’t talk about that.”

  “Did you leave her alone in your room at any time, did she have access to your phone or laptop?”

  “Well I did go check on mother but I was gone less than ten minutes.”

  “You know how much damage a bitch like that can do in ten minutes?”

  “I’m not really worried about that now, I have more pressing things on my mind.” I followed her to the kitchen where I noticed the bag she carried for the first time. It was from my favorite bagel shop and I marveled once more at her thoughtfulness. In truth, of all my friends and acquaintances, Simone is the last one I’d have expected to come through.

  Her family is Uber-rich, like they could buy mine ten times over and that’s when daddy was doing well. They’re also very reserved and as far as I know tend to stay as far away from anything resembling scandal as they can. Her parents have always been over protective and I recall a time or two when she’d been forbidden to associate with certain people. Although I count her among my friends, there were others I believed myself closer to. Now look!

  “Oh you mean that thing about your dad?” She waved it off like it was nothing. “That’s not your fault and has fuck all to do with you. I’m gonna rip her fucking brainless head off and shit down her neck.”

  “Oh damn, you been watching Sicario again? You always go all gangsta when you watch that shit.”

  “As a matter of fact, but that’s not the point. What if you’d thought I’d sold you out? You didn’t think that did you?” I was pleased with myself at the fact that I could give her an honest answer. “Nope, never crossed my mind. You’re more straightforward than that.” I took the everything bagel slathered with chive cream cheese that she passed me and hopped up on a stool at the marble island.

  “Good, shows you have some sense. Now, how to deal with that viper. You know she did it to embarrass you, but how did she know about your dad?” I shrugged my shoulders, as I had no idea. “I didn’t even know about his business dealings, but, I did know about the other.” I looked at her ashamed. I never wanted anyone to know that my dad had taken his own life, didn’t want to live under that stigma the rest of my life.

  Simone came around to my side and put her arms around me. “There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of. Whatever your dad did was his own doing. You knew him better than I, but from what I saw, he loved you and your mom. Maybe he lost his way a little, and thought he had to do all those things to keep his family in the lifestyle they’re accustomed to, who knows. But whatever his reasons, he’s not here now, and you’re not to answer for what he did.”

  “Sounds good, but we both know that’s not how this works. We’ve both been witness to many a life being destroyed for much less.”

  “This will die down by end of day and they’ll be onto something else you watch. This fucking town!” She shook her head and climbed up on the stool next to mine.

  “I might have a job offer.” I thought the news would lighten the mood, but I forgot her penchant for prying into shit. By the end I’d told her all about Jason’s visit the night before. She already knew about our past dealings with each other, about me going to his office to confront him. She didn’t say a word as I relayed the previous night’s happenings, but instead looked very thoughtful She got that look in her eye and that’s where my angst went into high gear.

  She saw things that I hadn’t, what she calls reading between the lines. She found the fact that he’d rushed over here the night before very telling, and by the time she followed me upstairs so I could get ready for today, she had us married off with three kids living on the beach.

  All the way here I’d gone back and forth with the pros and cons of accepting his offer, and her words niggling at the edges of my mind did not help. Now this. If being his personal assistant when I thought it meant making reservations and other minor things gave me the vapors, what he was asking was enough to send me into full-blown panic.

  “Are you nuts? Who pays someone that kind of money just to sit across the table from them?” He was playing with me. Maybe he too had had second thoughts about his offer and was looking for a way out. That doesn’t make sense he accepted the payment I quoted. Well shit, I guess there’s no way of getting out of it now.

  “That’s just the way I do business Emily. I need a service done, if you charge a certain price for that service who am I to complain? Besides, you’ll earn every penny.”

  “For over thirty thousand dollars a month exactly what would you be expecting?”

  “Get your mind out of the gutter pet, I don’t pay to fuck.”

  10

  Jason

  If her eyes got any bigger they’d pop out of her head. “ I would say excuse my language but I’m sure you’ve heard and said worse.” She seemed lost for words, but being the sensible girl she is I’m sure she’d see the benefit of accepting my offer. I held my tongue, giving her the time she needed to come to terms with it and was more than ready to force her into seeing things my way if I had to.

  One of the things I’d realized in the middle of the night is that there doesn’t seem to be much I wouldn’t do to get her into my bed, and yes, th
at means anything, fair or foul. “I hope you know that for this to work, you’ll have to cut all ties with any man you might be seeing at the moment.” This might be a deal breaker for her, but it was the one thing I meant to destroy. Jealousy is new to me, but it’s a very powerful emotion, that once acknowledged cannot be ignored.

  Looking through those pictures of her and her friends the other night, I’d felt the first twinges whenever she was pictured with a man no matter how young or old. But seeing her so vulnerable last night, in her nightclothes no less, that beast had popped his fucking chain. Was it written somewhere that if an older man set his sights on a younger woman he had to lose all his damn sense and revert back to the high school drama phase? She’s twisting me in knots and I haven’t even kissed her yet.

  Whatever the case, she will not be seeing other men while she was my…what the fuck had I just asked her to be anyway? Fuck if I know.

  “I’m not seeing anyone, but if I were…”

  “Since you aren’t there’s no point in discussing it. And don’t roll your eyes at me.”

  “Do you plan on always interrupting me when I talk?”

  “Only if I have no interest in what you have to say.” The little princess isn’t accustomed to that I see. Probably have men eating out of her hand at every turn. She’s in for a rude awakening if she expects the same with me.

  “I forgot; you grew up on the mean streets of Brooklyn.” I guess she thought that was an insult. Those claws of hers sure do come out quick. “I see you’ve been reading up on me.” That heated spark flashed in her eyes but she had the good sense not to spar with me on that point. All that fire over words. She’s probably exceptional in bed. I could already feel the scratch from her nails down my back. And once again my cock was making his presence known. Thank heaven for desks.

  “I guess I’ll have to get used to you, you do know how to eat with a knife and fork don’t you? I wouldn’t want you to embarrass us at dinner.” She stood and threw her bag over her shoulder. Wait, the meeting’s over? Who said? “Where are you going?” She looked down at her watch and back up at me.

  “We’ve been here for an hour. Unless you’re hiring me to run your company no interview needs be that long. When did you want me to start?” I relaxed tense shoulders that I hadn’t been aware of until now. She wasn’t going to make me wrestle her to the ground to get her to agree. Though I might have enjoyed that.

  “Tonight.” I opened my drawer and retrieved my wallet to get the black card that I hardly ever use. “Use this for now until we get you your own. We’re going to a very exclusive premiere and then on to an after party in the Hills.” That should be right up her ally.

  “You do know these things usually need advanced notice.” She was halfway to the door.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, but I’m more of a last minute kinda guy. Sometimes I might have a set date in mind, but more often than not it could be a last minute deal. Which means Ms. Bronson that I expect you to be available whenever and wherever I please. I think for what I’m paying you that’s more than acceptable.”

  “We’ll see.” And with that she was gone.

  I smiled like an ass through the rest of the day. It could have something to do with our little back and forth all day long. First I sent her a phone with my numbers programmed in it. Then I texted her what time the car will be there to pick her up this evening. Her only answers in the beginning were little thumbs up emojis. That was until I texted her while she had her head in a sink, her words. At which time she called me and told me in no uncertain terms to stop blowing up the damn phone and let her go about her business unless I wanted her to show up looking like a hag.

  Of course I ignored her orders and kept sending her little texts each time I thought of something to do with our new arrangement. It was only as the day wound down and it was time to head home to get ready for the night ahead that I realized I was trying to keep her too preoccupied with me to even think of changing her mind. “Well, there you have it; you’ve lost your fucking mind.” Sniffing after some chick that was the complete opposite of everything you like in a woman.

  EMILY

  “Relax, he’s just a man. You eat two of them for breakfast on a bad day.” Simone teased as I smoothed down the front of the short black silk dress I’d chosen for tonight for the fourth time. “My palms are sweaty.” I moved onto the curly tendrils of hair at my temples my stylist had chosen for this evening. The rest of my hair was caught in a neat French roll held together by about a hundred pins. Why don’t they ever tell you that you have to pay a hefty price for that beauty? I had to admit it looked great, and as she said, shows of my neck to perfection. Yeah, like Jason Storm was looking at my neck.

  From the way he acted this morning and with time to think, I was convinced that he was after something farther south. I’d made the monumental mistake of calling Simone as soon as I left him. Her squeal and I’ll meet you at Alex’s was all I heard before she rang off. Alex was my stylist, someone I had been about to give up in my new sacrifice of downsizing. But since Storm was paying, why not carry on, as I was accustomed to?

  I was under the dryer when I realized that what he offered was so much more than a paycheck. If he was going to clothe me, feed me and take care of all my beautification needs, what was so different from the way I lived when daddy was alive. My ‘allowance’ was almost nine grand extra to boot. This was too good to be true. At the back of my mind though, was the elephant in the room.

  I’m not too green to know that no man in his right mind would do all this unless he was after something. I’d already established that he wasn’t hatching a plot to cheat me out of everything I thought I owned, so there could be only one reason why he was doing all this. Pussy!

  Well I have news for him. He wouldn’t be the first to try to get me into his bed, some with horrific results. I’ve fought off my share of baboons over the years. From the time I had breasts at fifteen to be exact. Though he came off as too cool for such behavior, it was hard to miss that underlying core of steel he wore so well beneath respectable thousand dollar suits.

  Simone gave me a final once over as she circled me pushing and prodding until she was satisfied with my look. The black silk clung slightly in all the right places, flowing from my hips to just above my knees, giving just a teasing hint of cleavage.

  My legs were nicely tanned, my calves deftly defined beneath my tight skin from the hours spent on the treadmill. My ass stuck out like a homing beacon for every perv in the Western hemisphere. “I wish I could work off half my ass.” I knew I’d get her usual lecture and that’s exactly what I needed to take my mind off of the coming evening.

  11

  Jason

  I tapped my finger against my knee as the car pulled into her driveway. The bowtie of my tux chafed around my neck but I’d resolved myself to keeping it on at least half the night. I stepped out onto the circular driveway looking down on the city of Los Angeles just as the sun was going down. The horizon was a riot of color that somehow added to the evening’s promise.

  I rang the bell and waited, suddenly ravenous for the sight of her.

  “Well damn.” I had to reset when someone else answered the door. The dark skinned face looked familiar and though I couldn’t place her I knew she was one of her friends, part of her jet-setting crowd. The way she looked me up and down made my lips twitch and I knew right away that she was one of those precocious people that you just can’t help but to love.

  “Hello. And you are?” I moved forward as she opened the door farther to let me in. I heard it close behind me and turned back to her. Emily was nowhere in sight and I got myself ready to go find her ass if she’d sent her friend to give me the brush-off.

  “Simone Bastille at your service.” She held out her hand as her dimples winked at me. Oho, I knew who she was of course. Her old man was richer than Croesus. Everybody who was anybody knew the name well. “Hello Simone, Jason Storm pleased to meet you.” I dropped her hand and looke
d around for Emily.

  It wasn’t hard to see her game when she walked around in front of me moving her ass like a woman on the prowl. If she wanted to catch me in her web she should’ve hidden the laughter in her eyes before I caught it. I hid my own smile as I followed her into the living room. “Where’s Emily?” I watched her every move as she took a seat while I remained standing.

  I could’ve called her out on her game but thought I’d see how far she’d go. “She’ll be down in a minute. So, Mr. Storm, I hear you’re new to our little town. How do you like us so far?” She leaned her head to the side in that way some men find sexy, a little flirtatious, and a lot come hither.

  “I’m getting to like it more and more.” I’ll just have to beat her at her own game. She was pretty enough, and I’m sure some day she’d give some lucky guy a run for his money, but I was all gone over her friend. “Oh really, and what is it that you’ve come to like so much about our quaint little town?” She was pulling out all the stops, doing everything to draw my attention to her legs, her breasts and her thighs.

  She succeeded in doing only one thing, showing me how deeply invested I was in getting Emily into my bed. A month ago I would’ve had her naked and begging to be fucked. Now, I couldn’t even drum up the slightest bit of interest. “I’ll have to say that would be Emily. Until I met her I couldn’t figure out what all the uproar was about.” Make of that what you will.

  She put me through my paces, something I imagine a doting dad would’ve done. It warmed me towards her immensely. She may not see it the same as I. Though I knew she was testing my integrity here, I couldn’t help but respect the way she was looking after her friend’s best interest.

  “Have I passed the test? Can I have my girl now? We’re going to be late.” I finally let my grin show and her dimples came out of hiding as she gave a deep belly laugh. “You caught me huh. Don’t blame Emily; she has no idea what I’m up to. I didn’t think you were a dog, I asked my dad about you and he vouched for you, but I had to see for myself. With that said, you hurt her and I’ll skin your ass alive. I still have cousins in Bed-sty if you know what I mean.” I saluted her as she got to her feet and sauntered out of the room.