Breezy

by Kelsie Rae

  Rhett helps me out of my chair before leading me to a small group of businessmen in suits. All of them are holding tumblers with hard liquor and look intrigued as we approach their testosterone-induced circle.

  Well... here goes nothing.

  22

  Derrick

  I spend my evening completely distracted by a gorgeous brunette in a tight black dress with the most hypnotizing eyes I’ve ever seen.

  I damn near had a heart attack when she opened the door for the mixer. She was absolutely stunning.

  She is absolutely stunning.

  The problem is that I’m not the only one who’s noticed. While there are plenty of females here tonight, Bree definitely has stolen the spotlight from all of them. Not only is she a fresh face to this conference, but she is also a gorgeous fresh face, intriguing every man here who has the good fortune of seeing her.

  A very large part of me wants to drag her back to the room where I can devour her properly, while proving to myself that she is mine and mine alone.

  Unfortunately, I have to remember that this is a business conference, and I’m here for a reason. I’m here to gather a few more clients, make a few more contacts, and most importantly, seal the deal with a very big investor that could absolutely transform my company.

  With that in mind, I spend the evening kissing ass, drinking alcohol, and schmoozing rich people. All while keeping an eye on my date for the evening, who has also mastered the art of kissing ass, drinking alcohol, and schmoozing people. I’ve seen multiple recruiters from various companies approach her, and I can only assume what they’re discussing.

  I try to remind myself that Bree isn’t Bethany. She isn’t looking to stab me in the back at her earliest convenience. She isn’t looking for the quickest way to make an easy buck.

  But it’s hard.

  By the end of the night I’m exhausted, and the alcohol has gone to my head. I know I’m not thinking clearly and make my way to Bree, so we can go to bed. I know I could head up to the room alone, but I want her with me. I need her with me.

  Bree is busy talking to the head of a huge corporation who also happens to be the big fish I’m wanting to reel in tomorrow. She’s talking animatedly with her hands as the guy hangs on every word. Little does she know, he makes close to eight figures. Yet, she’s talking to him about her love of Frosties and french fries.

  I shake my head at her crazy antics. That girl has no idea.

  Slipping my hand around her lower waist, I silently stake my claim on the woman in front of me for everyone to see.

  This girl is mine, so back off you bunch of horny bastards!

  Breezy pauses mid-sentence, wrapping her arm around my back and pulling me in for a slight squeeze. “Hey you!” She smiles warmly. “I was just telling Mr. Rockford that you’re a big fat butthead for not even tasting Frosties with french fries. And he agrees that you can’t pass judgment until you try it for yourself.”

  “Mmhmm... and did he suggest trying them with you tonight, by chance?” I ask, giving Bill Rockford the side-eye.

  “Actually, he did!” Bree states excitedly, obviously impressed with her social skills.

  “SMH, Breezy. SMH,” I murmur before directing my attention to Bill. “It was nice seeing you again, Mr. Rockford. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to catch up at the presentation tomorrow. You’ll be there, I assume?”

  “Of course. Bree was just telling me about all of the incredible expansion you plan on implementing. And creating an entire new platform that will appeal to the entire banking industry? I find that very intriguing. I look forward to discussing it with you,” Bill replies, nodding his head as if his offhand statement didn’t just rock my world.

  “Of course. I will see you tomorrow then,” I reply, trying to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.

  We say our goodbyes to a few more people before I usher Bree back to our room as quickly as possible. I try to look professional when inside, I’m dancing like a kid in a candy store.

  As soon as the door to my room closes, I’m lifting Bree up and pushing her against the wall, needing to thank her physically when I’m unable to voice my appreciation.

  “Do you have any idea,” I murmur against her skin, kissing down her long neck, “what you did down there?”

  Bree just shakes her head in reply, completely oblivious to the effect she likely had on my meeting tomorrow. Her breathing is ragged as she wraps her bare legs around my waist, squeezing tightly and driving me insane. She uses her position as leverage to grab my hair and yank my mouth to hers, kissing me passionately and returning every intimate touch with one of her own.

  We spend the night in ecstasy. And afterwards, we’re wrapped around each other between the hotel’s cotton sheets. Loving every minute together, while praying it never ends.

  23

  Bree

  I sleep like a baby, which I’m finding to be a regular occurrence when I’m wrapped in Derrick’s muscular arms.

  We wake up late and rush to get ready as quickly as possible. Apparently, we had been in such a rush to get to bed that we forgot to set an alarm. Thankfully, Jude texted Derrick to let him him know that the other guys are already manning the booth. This means that Derrick can focus on his presentation and can hopefully hit all of the key points from memorization alone, instead of needing to look at the slides on his PowerPoint.

  I’m super impressed, and slightly turned on, when Derrick gives me his spiel from beginning to end. I’m convinced that if I had a bunch of money, I would definitely invest it in his company. Obviously, this means he’s a shoe-in.

  After getting fully dressed, I slip on my black high heels and walk over to Derrick. He’s sitting on the king-sized mattress with his laptop resting on his thighs, his expression focused and determined. I plant a soft kiss against Derrick’s plush lips, savoring his unique taste of coffee and breath mints. I can’t help but feel like I won the lottery, when two weeks ago he was still convinced that us dating would be a bad idea. I scoff, thinking how perfect we are for each other, and how grateful I am that he finally figured it out.

  “I’m going to head over to the booth for a while and let the guys have a break for a few hours. Then I’ll meet up with you after the presentation. We can grab lunch, and you can tell me all about it.” I grab his chin to make sure I have his full attention. “You’re going to nail it. Seriously, Derrick. I am so proud of you. You’ve got this in the bag.” I lean forward again, pressing my lips against his, fitting them together perfectly as if they were two puzzle pieces. Derrick grabs the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair before deepening the kiss. He slips his tongue into my mouth, kissing me passionately and making me dizzy before pulling away slightly. His signature smirk is plastered firmly on his smug face.

  “Butthead,” I whisper, smiling softly at the Adonis in front of me.

  Derrick chuckles at my name calling, obviously amused with himself.

  “Hurricane,” he murmurs softly, planting one last kiss on my lips and nibbling on my plump flesh.

  “Now get out of here,” he jokes, smirking up at me and playfully smacking my ass.

  “SMH. Derrick. SMH,” I reply cheekily before I make my way to the door and close it behind me.

  “SMH,” I mutter to myself in the empty hallway, swooning like a schoolgirl.

  I definitely won the lottery.

  ---

  I decide to make a pit stop at the buffet table that offers complimentary breakfast items for conference attendees. They have a variety of muffins, fruits, and yogurt as well as pastries. After eyeing my selection, I grab an orange, a chocolate chip muffin, and some cranberry juice. I’m about to snag a yogurt when a gorgeous brunette walks up to me wearing a form-fitting cream dress, with pearls around her neck, and sky-high heels on her feet. The lady screams sophistication with a side of bitch, and I can immediately tell we’re not going to get along.

  My mama always taught me to never judge a book by its cover, so I try
to withhold final judgment until I’ve at least met the woman.

  “Are you Bree? Bree Jensen?” My brows scrunch together forming a ‘v’ in the center of my very confused forehead. I look down to see if I have a nametag on my dress, but come up empty.

  “Yes?” I hesitantly reply, scanning the surrounding area, convinced she’s talking to the wrong person even though she knows my name. There’s got to be another Bree Jensen around here, right?

  “You’re Luke’s younger sister.” Her tone is accusatory.

  “Yes?” I repeat, not feeling any less confused.

  “I’m Beth. Luke and I went to prom together our junior year. He was such a gentleman.” The way she pronounces the last word lets me know that Luke was anything but one. I cringe inwardly, not appreciating the TMI coming from this stranger.

  At least I’ve been given a clue as to how this chick knows me, so I’ll take that as a win.

  “Small world. That’s crazy,” I reply, subtly checking my surroundings while wracking my brain for an exit strategy.

  “So how’s he doing?” she probes, carrying on like she’s got all the time in the world. I’m not sure why, but this girl definitely rubs me the wrong way.

  “Um… he’s married now. So that’s fun. Has a cute little boy, too.” I smile politely.

  “That’s nice.” Her face looks like she just ate something sour before she grabs my arm and guides me to the nearest table. She proceeds to sit and motions for me to do the same with her perfectly polished fingers.

  Gingerly, I take a seat and stuff a giant bite of muffin into my mouth. The sooner I finish my brunch, the sooner I can get out of this ridiculously awkward conversation.

  “So what brings you here?” she quizzes me, trying to look interested, when I can tell she’d rather be anywhere but where she currently sits. She keeps looking around anxiously, like she’s waiting for something, even though I have no idea what that something is.

  “I work for a tech company that is renting some booth space for the conference,” I answer vaguely while peeling my orange as fast as humanly possible.

  “You know, the tech industry is very finicky. Never know when one’s going to go out of business or lose an important investor.”

  Why did that sound like a threat?

  “Excuse me?” I demand defensively. I have a feeling blunt Breezy is about to make an appearance, and I just pray this girl is small potatoes and doesn’t somehow affect Derrick’s company in one way or another.

  She leans forward in her seat like she’s about to share a secret with me. “I’m sorry. I’m speaking hypothetically, of course. I don’t even know what company you’re with, let alone if they have any important presentations happening today.” She smirks in my direction before spotting something behind me. Her smirk transforms into a full-on bitch with a capital ‘b’ grin right before my eyes.

  “Excuse me, but you’ve now served your purpose.” She stands from her seat and saunters away, her hips swaying and her high heels clacking against the tile flooring. My eyes follow her as my brain tries to catch up to what the hell just happened. I feel like I just got transported to the Twilight Zone, and I’m completely thrown off.

  Before I can register what’s going on, she walks up to Derrick, my Derrick, and squeezes his bicep flirtatiously. I’m so focused on her hand touching what’s mine that I almost miss Derrick’s reaction to her familiar caress. His jaw is tight, his posture stiff, and his fists are clenched in anger. The guy is practically oozing rage. I can feel it all the way over here.

  However, the problem arises when his piercing gaze lands on mine from across the room. It doesn’t soften. If anything, his fury only multiplies, scaring me to my core.

  He’s pissed. At me.

  The question is, Why?

  24

  Derrick

  Fifteen minutes earlier….

  I’m going through my speech for the hundredth time this morning feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety for my upcoming presentation. Bree just headed out to man the booth, and I’m so grateful she’s taken such an initiative in the the company. It feels good to have her here.

  I never thought I’d be comfortable working with someone I was dating after everything went down with Bethany. But with Bree, it’s different. She’s supportive. She’s enthusiastic. She wants to see me succeed. I catch myself smiling anytime I think of her and know I need to get my head in the game if I plan on wooing the bigwigs in an hour.

  As I glance down at my laptop for the umpteenth time, my phone buzzes with an incoming call.

  Looking at the caller ID, I see it’s Rhett.

  “Hey man! What’s up?” I say into the phone.

  “Where are you?” His voice is on edge.

  “I’m in my hotel room going through the presentation one more time. This is a big deal Rhett, and I know how much ass-kissing you had to do to make this happen. I owe you one, man.”

  I wait for Rhett to say something, but am greeted with silence. Pulling my cell away from my ear, I check to see if the call was disconnected.

  “Derrick. I just got off the phone with Bill. There’s a problem,” Rhett finally states, his tone pinched.

  “What’s the problem?” I groan, rubbing my hand against my face roughly. I can tell whatever Rhett’s about to say is going to piss me off.

  “I don’t have all the details, but from what I understand, he spoke with Beth Winters last night who hinted it’s a bad idea to invest in your company. She said something about you guys going under and also mentioned some faulty coding issues you can’t figure out. Or some shit like that.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I growl, trying to contain my anger at the mere mention of Bethany’s name. “How the hell did she even know about the pitch?” I remind myself it’s Rhett on the line, and while he’s delivering catastrophic news, I shouldn’t bite his head off for it.

  “Look man, I’m not sure what happened. Just that something spooked him last night at the mixer, and he’s pulled out.” Rhett sounds genuinely sorry, and I know what this means for him as well. He’s invested a lot in my company because he believes in the products. He’s seen our business model and has already heard my pitch about integrating our budgeting application into the largest banks in America.

  But none of that will be possible if we don’t have the backing. Essentially, we’ve hit the highest tier we can with the amount of money we have to work with. To get that big push to take us to the next level, we need investors. And apparently, we just lost our biggest opportunity to gain one.

  I try to maintain an ounce of professionalism. “Thanks for letting me know.” I hang up the phone before chucking it into the tussled blankets on the bed while roaring out my frustration.

  “Motherfu….” I curse into the pillows, punching them for good measure.

  Pinching the bridge of my nose while trying to gain some semblance of control, I take a handful of deep breaths and count to ten.

  The only real feeling I can decipher, besides absolute fury, is a debilitating need to see Bree. To hold her. To have her tell me everything is going to be alright. That we’ll figure it out together.

  I rush to the door, swinging it open and letting it bang against the wall with a resounding thud. I sprint to the elevator, pushing the button over and over again until the doors slide open, and I can enter. After pushing the lobby button, I practice my breathing techniques, knowing that I need to get a grip before I arrive at the first floor.

  Replaying my night with Bree is the only thing that seems to calm my racing heart, and I take full advantage, picturing how breathtaking she looked. Remembering her mesmerizing eyes as she watched me fall apart in our hotel room.

  The elevator doors slide open, effectively bringing me back to reality. I walk through the lobby quickly, heading to the large conference area when I see a familiar face sitting in the buffet area. I usually ignore Beth, but she’s looking right at me, smirking in my direction like she has a secret onl
y she’s privy to.

  My steps falter, trying to piece together my phone call with Rhett along with my ex who’s staring at me from across the room.

  The rage I feel toward this woman is indescribable. I hate her with every fiber of my being, and I wouldn’t put it past her to screw things up for me again. The only problem is, I have no idea how she would’ve known about my presentation for the potential investors. It makes no sense.

  Bethany stands up, her hips swaying suggestively as she makes her way straight to me. My back is ramrod straight, my anxiety higher than ever before.

  She grabs my arm like a lover, her manicured fingers gripping my bicep for balance. Beth stands on her toes and whispers into my ear, her familiar voice ripping me to shreds. “Thanks for hiring an old friend. I never could’ve done it without her.” Beth drives the point home by nibbling on my earlobe suggestively, making me want to puke.

  My gaze zeroes in on the table Bethany was just occupying, while trying to digest her cryptic remark. I finally notice the familiar green eyes that had been my solace only moments ago. She’s looking over her shoulder at me, as she was initially facing the opposite direction.

  What the hell is she doing here? She’s supposed to be manning the booth. That’s what she had told me before she left the room. Did she lie to me? And what the hell is she doing eating brunch with Bethany?

  My mind refuses the possibility of them knowing each other, rejecting the idea immediately. But why would they be together then? And why would Beth have said that to me?

  Doubt settles into the pit of my stomach, my breath heaving as I try to put the puzzle pieces together.

  Bree has the audacity to smile reassuringly at me, trying to put me at ease from across the buffet area. That one look would have healed me like a balm to my aching soul if it had been delivered five minutes ago.