Choice Matters (Southern Heat Book 1)

by Jamie Salisbury

  Handing me some Chardonnay, she sat down on the sofa. I took a long swallow before recalling the events of the misfortunate visit.

  “I tell you, Izzie, she’s going to have to back off. Especially now. I get that she wants me married—we’ve been through it a million times—but dammit this is my career, my future, and I don’t need her causing a scene like she did this afternoon.”

  “So, she went all postal on you?”

  “Oh you know how she acts, like she’s the queen of fucking Sheba.”

  “How did Apolo take to her rudeness?”

  “Cool as a cucumber, like it’s happened before. I suspect his mother is a lot like mine, so the two of them ought to be two peas in a pod, if they ever get the opportunity to meet.”

  “Getting serious already?” She winked and took a drink in an attempt to hide a smirk.

  “Izzie! Not you, too! The man is my boss. I’m now the person directly under him. The job comes with responsibilities.”

  “I know. I know. Just sayin’, the man is handsome and all, and you’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

  “Business, Izzie, business. Gawd, am I going to have to hear this from everyone?”

  “No, not everyone. I just want what’s good for you, and if it leads to…like I told you sweetie, ride the boat as long as it’s floating.”

  “I will. I will. Right now, all I want is a hot shower. I have a mountain of paperwork to do.”

  “One last thing—how was your first day…besides the part with your mother?”

  “Busy. Mainly going over stuff. Oh, and one of the team players is not happy about my promotion. Don Turner. Aggressive go-getter who thought it should have been his for the picking. He made a few snide remarks to me in front of Apolo, but I held my own. And Izzie, my salary? Girlfriend, we’ll be out of this cracker box before long. I’ll buy a house, and we’ll figure something out in rent for you.”

  “That much, huh?”

  “The exact same thing he was paying my predecessor!”

  She threw me a devilish grin. “He must really like you, Cait.”

  “Pffff! According to Mr. Choice, he’s one step ahead of everyone else, likening himself to the pioneers. You know, paying me what he’d pay a man, and all that. I just wish my mother saw it the same way, instead of looking at it as a husband-hunting exposition.”

  “She’ll chill after the shock wears off. You’ll see. Next week, she’ll be off somewhere and have forgotten all about the handsome Mr. Choice.”

  I swallowed the remainder of my drink and got up. I knew if I sat there much longer and had anymore wine before a shower, I’d never accomplish a thing. And I had to remember I wasn’t in acquisitions anymore. I was upstairs with the big boys.

  The next couple of days ran together, and I saw little of Apolo Choice. Leaving me to my own devices, his confidence in me apparent. I researched projects left by my predecessor, attempting to pick up where he’d stopped.

  Barring any unforeseen interruptions, I planned my Thursday to include making phone calls and writing emails to each one of the contacts. It was also the day Don Turner thought to test me. Apolo had been across town on and off the past couple of days, involved in some deal. Don knew that and set about trying to sabotage me the new vice president.

  Finishing a response to questions a client had, I glanced up as I felt someone looking at me. Don had popped his head in and promptly sat his smug ass down in one of the two chairs before my desk. No knocking on the door, no going through Renee—no, he was out to show that he was the man who should be in charge. Especially when Apolo was away.

  I closed the program before settling back in my seat. “Is there something I can do for you, Don? Was Renee not at her desk? Because the proper thing to do is to go through her, not come barging in here like you own the place.”

  “She saw me. That’s good enough. It’s not like I’m one of the little people. So, what are you doing, Caitlyn? I can’t imagine Apolo would have turned you loose with anything, yet. You’re far too green. Or were you chatting up your gal pals on social media, wasting valuable company time?”

  Sitting upright, I folded my hands on top of the wooden desk. “Let’s get something straight, Don. You and me…right from the start. What I’m doing, or what Apolo has me doing, is none of your business unless it concerns you, and then you will be brought up to speed. Capish? Second, don’t ever walk into my office without first clearing it with Renee or by knocking. Got it?”

  Don didn’t flinch. In fact, a smile broadened his face, as though I had lit a fire under him. “Why? You got something to hide, Caitlyn? Or are you afraid I might walk in and catch you and Apolo doing the nasty? You know, he does like his sex toys.”

  I was boiling under the surface, but determined not to let him know he’d ruffled any feathers. “Don, I think it’s time for you to leave, before I say something I might regret. Or worse, file a complaint with HR for sexual harassment.”

  “Oh, and who do you think they’d believe? A pathetic piece of trash like you? Or me?”

  “The lady asked you to leave, Turner,” a deep voice boomed as the owner strode over the threshold. It wasn’t the smoky, lustful baritone, but a tone of command. “And I suggest you do so before I throw you out.”

  “I was just—”

  “I heard enough of what you said to know exactly what you were up to. Now leave, and don’t think we won’t discuss this.”

  Don left, but not before he threw a go-to-hell look my way. I pretended not to notice, as I had my gaze focused on Renee in the background, phone in hand. I was pretty sure she had security on speed dial.

  “Dinner. Seven. This evening. I’ll pick you up,” Apolo barked, turning on his heel and walking back to his office.

  “Mr. Choice?”

  He spun around. I wasn’t sure what was going through his mind. “Yes, Caitlyn?”

  “Can you give me some idea where we’re going? You know, so I’ll know how to dress.”

  “I thought that hot, new Italian place everyone is talking about. I had Renee make reservations. Does that help your clothing dilemma?”

  “Yes, it does. Thank you. I’ll see you at seven, then.”

  “See you then.” He winked at me with those gorgeous gray eyes, turned, and walked away. Back to business.

  What was I doing? Breaking one of my cardinal rules about not dating my boss. But he was more than that. Apolo Choice was like no other man I had ever met. Instinctively, I trusted him. I am not a conquest. If I was, we would have gone to his houseboat, paparazzi and all. No, there is more between us, and he wants to do things right. I have to respect and admire him for that.

  * * * *

  Apolo

  Caitlyn, Caitlyn, Caitlyn! You’re unlike any other woman I have ever been with. It drives me crazy how you respond to my touch, so easily, so completely. And I haven’t even taken you to bed, yet. I want you completely, every part of you.

  Caitlyn White is meant to be mine, and I’ll move heaven and earth if that’s what it takes to make her that. Together, we’ll make a formidable couple, a power house for future projects both at Choice Enterprises and in my personal life. I cannot get her out of head. My body aches for her touch, her scent, her flesh melded with mine.

  I knew that Don was not happy about Caitlyn receiving the promotion, however, I never in a million years thought he was as chauvinistic to go as far as to try and belittle her or whatever the hell his plan was. Overhearing his snide little remarks to Caitlyn brought to life just how much some men, still to this day, do not like seeing women in positions of power. If he wants to continue to work at Choice Enterprises, he’s simply going to have to accept her and get over it. I chose the candidate most qualified and that person was Caitlyn.

  Don’t ever let it be said that having money makes life nicer or simpler. Instead, it makes things more complicated. After the things Don suggested to Caitlyn, I need to get with Jacob and discuss what needs to be done. Her safety is foremost.
I realize she is more than able to look after herself. But this promotion has put her into an entirely new lifestyle. Although, I do have to admit, I was quite pleased at how she handled herself with Don.

  Even so, I must address the issue as well.

  I left Caitlyn’s office and headed in search of Don. I needed to nip whatever was going on with him in the bud now. Don has always been a hard worker, but he’s one of those new graduates who expects to be installed immediately into the top positions, making an obscene amount of money without putting any sweat into it.

  It was obvious by the conversation I overheard him having with Caitlyn that he’s upset he wasn’t chosen for the position. The other disturbing thing to me was the sexual context he implied. I’d never seen nor heard that from him before. Quite frankly, it disturbed me.

  Quietly, I approached Don’s office door. Hearing the sound of laughter, I inched my way closer. Looking around the corner of his doorway, I found him on his cell, chatting with someone, laughing. He was seated at his desk, his back to me, swiveling back and forth in his leather executive chair.

  I cleared my throat, letting him know he had company. He swung around to see who it was. Immediately, he told whomever he had been talking to that he’d get back to them. Making it appear as a business call.

  “Apolo,” he almost stuttered as he placed his phone on the desk. He began to stand, but I motioned him to remain as he was. I was the shark here, and he was simply my chum.

  “Do you mind telling me what the hell you thought you were doing back there? Just who the hell do you think you are, Don, walking into my newly-hired executive vice president’s office and all but accusing her of getting the promotion simply in exchange for sexual favors?”

  He sat there, his mind obviously hard at work, trying to come up with answers. It was obvious he’d thought if I ever did confront him with this that it wouldn’t be any more than a “please don’t do that again” talk.

  “I meant no harm, Apolo. But you know, if Caitlyn’s going to play with us big boys, she’s going to have to toughen up. She needs to realize she ain’t in Kansas anymore.”

  The adrenaline was surging through my veins. I had to control my personal emotions toward Caitlyn in front of him. He was out of bounds, and I needed to put him back in his place. “The lady is tough as nails, and she is quite capable of playing with us ‘big boys,’ as you say. She proved that in mergers and acquisitions. That’s part of the reason I chose her for the position.”

  “Okay, geez, I’m sorry. I didn’t know the lady was such a touchy subject to you.”

  “She is not a touchy subject, Don. I simply do not like it when a disgruntled junior executive of mine oversteps his authority. I’ll leave you with this word of advice. Don’t let me catch you, or hear of a repeat performance of today. If I do, I will be forced to take corrective measures. Do I make myself clear?”

  He sat there, dumbfounded. I stood waiting for his answer. Finally, it came.

  “Yes, yes of course, Apolo. It won’t happen again, I promise. I meant no harm by it. I was simply shocked by your choice. There are candidates, I believe, far more qualified for the position than Ms. White.”

  “And that is exactly why I own the company and I make the decisions, and you are where you are, Don. You have to earn and prove yourself to advance and succeed in the corporate world. You’d be wise to remember that.”

  I turned, walked out of the office, and didn’t look back. I had made my point. He knew my position. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

  That conversation went easier than expected. Now, to see if it would sink in with him or not. First, however, I think I need to find Jacob. I need to bring him up to speed on this latest development. See if he thinks monitoring Don would be in order.

  I swung by Renee’s desk on my way to the elevators. I didn’t need to say much. She knew me well enough to know my habits when a situation arose.

  “Going downstairs for a minute, Renee. Be right back.”

  She nodded, knowing I was going in search of Jacob. His office was on the second floor, right above the lobby. Security. He was looking over a stack of papers when I entered and shut the door.

  “Apolo? What brings you to my humble abode?”

  “I want to run a situation by you that just occurred upstairs. See what you think. It involves Caitlyn, but on a professional level. I don’t like what I overheard. It makes me wary.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Don and his visit to Caitlyn’s office, would you?”

  “Yes, how did you…never mind. Renee called, didn’t she?”

  “Yep. Don’t worry. I’ve got it handled. Consider Don in our radar.”

  I shook my head. “I should have known she’d call you.”

  “The man was speaking to your executive vice president in a manner he shouldn’t have been. Renee overheard just enough. That’s when she called me. Anything else I can do for you?”

  “No, that’s all for now.”

  “Good, then if you don’t mind, I have this stack of incident reports I need to go over.” He smiled. He loved thinking he was ahead of me. And he was, some of the time.

  I chuckled, shook my head, and left Jacob to his work. Sometimes, I had to wonder if he and Renee had built-in radar.

  Walking into the executive elevator, I pressed the button to my floor. A vision of Caitlyn’s mother crossed my mind. She certainly was everything Caitlyn had said she was. Pushy, domineering, every man’s nightmare for a mother-in-law. But then, the lady and I have just met. She obviously loves her daughter. She just doesn’t give Caitlyn credit with having the smarts to know how to run her own life.

  For now, I’ll just step back and see what transpires in that situation.

  Now, comes the hard part. Bringing Caitlyn into my dark world. I can make a game of it for a while—let her think I’m something I’m not. Just until I’m sure that she won’t run. That she won’t leave me as the others have.

  * * * *

  The following week, with Apolo on the other side of town at a meeting, I made peace with my mother by promising to have lunch. As much as she protested at the parameters she had forced me to lay down, she relented, agreeing to meet at a nearby restaurant.

  My plan was set. Renee would call me after precisely one hour, reminding me of some bogus appointment I had. It was the only way I could escape my mother’s need to know things that didn’t concern her.

  Mother, of course, was waiting on me. Seated at a table, a glass of white wine in front of her, she anxiously left her seat to greet me. As we sat down, I declined a glass from the bottle mother had ordered and began scoping out the menu.

  “So, now that I’ve got you cornered, you must tell me all about your new boss, Caitlyn.”

  “What is there to tell? He’s nothing like the hard-edged business man the media portrays him to be. Although, he is shrewd…”

  “Don’t play coy with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about. What’s Apolo Choice really like. You know, away from the office.”

  The waiter approached again with my iced tea. I quickly recited my order. Mother followed, her eyes never leaving me.

  I continued once we were alone again. “There’s nothing to be coy about, Mother. If you’re referring to the other night when we went to his brother’s restaurant up at Lanier, that’s all it was…dinner.”

  “That’s not what the media inferred.”

  “What you refer to is what Apolo’s own brother fed to the paparazzi. He was simply looking for a way to gain publicity for his restaurant.”

  “Bull.”

  “Mother, think what you will, but it’s far more interesting to read that Apolo and his dinner guest went somewhere like his houseboat afterward than to have simply left and returned to Atlanta.”

  She picked up her wine and took a sip, her gaze never leaving my face. “So, did you go to his houseboat, or did you just return to Atlanta?” I was about to say something when she chimed in ag
ain. “I knew it! You don’t have to say a word, Caitlyn. Your expression gave you away.”

  “Mother, really. You’re imagining things. We drove back to Atlanta, end of subject.”

  “No, I don’t think I am. And what about last night? Didn’t you have dinner with clients? What happened after?”

  “It was a work night. He took me home.”

  “You can try and spin that story with others, Caitlyn, but it won’t work with me.”

  “Enough with the twenty questions.”

  “What? A mother wants to know what her daughter is planning. Nothing more. Especially when it involves one of the richest and most influential men in the world.”

  “Give it a rest. And just so you know, I have a strict policy of not dating men I work with or am employed by.”

  “Which Apolo Choice will ignore. The man is known for getting his way. Face it. You’re doomed.”

  I ignored her digs as the waiter brought us our lunch. Without another word to her, I speared my fish with my fork and took a bite of the sautéed sole.

  “I’m planning to have a small party to kick off summer the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend. Please make sure to bring Izzie. Oh, and do extend an invitation to your boss.” She skillfully popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. The woman had no shame.

  “I’ll have to see what Izzie’s work schedule is like. She’s gone back to three day, twelve hour shifts, and sometimes they fall on weekends. As for Mr. Choice, you’ll have to invite him yourself. He’s my boss, and it would be highly inappropriate for me to invite him to one of your soirees.”

  “I will, then.”

  Not wanting to spar with her over Apolo anymore, I ignored the topic. I tried to find something more “middle of the road” to discuss. It was sad, but my mother and I didn’t have a lot in common anymore. Topics I found stimulating bored her. Things that caught her interest were shallow to me. She was, unfortunately, quite selfish. Something I fought hard with myself to overlook.

  It wasn’t easy, but I managed enough small talk in between bites to survive until my phone rang.