Fixated

by Scarlett Avery

  “Ouch. I’ll try to keep my mouth shut from now on.”

  “How many times have I heard that before? Promises, promises… it’ll be a cold day in hell before you’re able to keep your opinions to yourself, Charlene.”

  “What can I say? Once a mom, always a mom,” she retorts.

  “I’m going to start my day now and try to forget about your meddling ways.”

  “But you know you love me,” she shouts as I pass her desk.

  “Whatever.” I shake my head without turning back to look at her.

  I walk to my office with Charlene’s words still ringing in my ears, realizing how much I’m looking forward to seeing Miranda later tonight.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Miranda

  It’s a miracle from God that I’ve been able to make it through the better part of my first day at my new job without royally screwing something up considering I had only a few hours of sleep last night. I could claim that I was anxiously awaiting this amazing new opportunity. I could even say that my stomach has been tied up in a bundle of nerves since yesterday because I’m stepping up my game professionally. Perhaps the reason why I’ve been this jittery is because I’m so eager to make a good first impression. Yeah, I could roll with any of these theories, but I’d be lying to myself. The source of my distraction is none other than the man who gave me my first orgasm.

  I’ve been walking around in a haze reminiscing about all of the naughty details of our wanton hook-up. Although it happened a few days ago, it was so intense it’s impossible for me to forget. I can still feel the electrifying touch of Hunter’s fingers on me, the thrill of the dirty things he said, the indecent way I let myself completely and shamelessly come undone all over his tongue. Who was that woman anyways?

  With my head so preoccupied, I haven’t got a clue how I’m able to keep up with my fast-talking Energizer bunny of a boss. She’s been downloading so much information all day since I started this morning at nine o’clock. I’m struggling to absorb it all. That woman has so much vitality, it’s insane. I’m already on my fourth large cup of coffee of the day just to keep up with her. Don’t get me wrong. She’s a dynamic boss who seems to be quite supportive, but when three-quarters—well, maybe more like ninety percent—of my brain keeps reliving my steamy interlude with Hunter, there’s not much room for anything else.

  The man is a Godsend. I smile to myself when some of his raunchy words pop into my head. “You smell like a fucking dream… I bet you taste even better. And just so we’re both clear, I’m not talking about the lips that are painted red.” The way he said those things while staring into my eyes without blinking still leaves me dizzy now. And let’s not forget the hard press of him through his pants between my legs when he was devouring my mouth. Something tells me he’s pretty magnificent… down there. Jesus. I’d beg on my knees to have more of him.

  For the love of God, snap out of it, Miranda. “What made me think I could handle this on my own? Seriously, what the hell was I thinking?” I let out under my breath.

  The thing is I don’t have anyone to help me process all of these new feelings. I must be a much better actress than I ever thought because usually it’s impossible for me to hide anything from Jess. When I got back into the limo on Saturday night, Jess instantly knew something was different about me. She was dead certain I had made out with the hunky bald guy she saw me dancing with and I took the easy way out by not contradicting her. I played dumb because I was too much of a chicken to admit to Jess what had happened between Hunter and I. In other words, I’ve been alone wrestling with a situation for which I have no prior reference point. I’m not as assertive as Jess is, I’m not a bombshell like Nikki and I’m not a sexy former model whom men regularly trip over like Michelle. I’m just little ol’ me. The fact that a highly desirable man not only paid me attention, but pleasured me in such an unprecedented way blows my mind. Freaking amazing. Maybe I have it wrong after all. Maybe he did find me intriguing. Why else would he still want to see me tonight?

  I’m still lost in my thoughts when a voice speaks. “Is everything okay?”

  I blink a few times, startled by the stranger’s question. “Oh. Um. Yes, I am,” I babble before realizing coffee is spilling all over the counter. Shit. “It’s my first day and your high-tech coffee machines are still new to me,” I apologize, looking around for something to clean up the mess I made.

  “I know exactly what you mean.” The stranger comes to my rescue. Before I know it, the pretty brunette has a dishrag in her hands and she’s cleaning up after me.

  “I’m so clumsy you’d never think I was a waitress for two years.” I giggle in the hopes of concealing my embarrassment.

  “You’re being too hard on yourself. First days are scary. New people, new faces, new offices, new equipment and new coffee machines.” She winks. “By the way, my name is Isabel Newton and I’m one of the photographers for the magazine division. I’ve been here a year and a half and it took me two weeks to figure out these chichi coffee machines. I guess it would be expected for a place like this. Give yourself a little time. You’ll get the hang of it.”

  “Thanks for the encouragement. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Isabel.” I shake her hand. “My name is Miranda Reddick and I’m an assistant to one of—”

  Someone walks into the kitchen and interrupts me. Before the man even opens his mouth, it’s clear from the somber expression on his face he’s not a happy camper. “Isabel, is that your car double-parked outside blocking the loading dock area?”

  “Shit. I’m so sorry, Paul. I was just running in quickly to grab some coffee, a new lens and a few extra memory cards. Let me move my car.” Isabel dumps the wet dirty dishrag in the sink and rips some paper towel to wipe her hands.

  “You better do it now. There’s a big truck waiting and we both know that time is money. I don’t want them to charge me extra because you hate using the employee parking area.” The man I know as Paul snaps his fingers and Isabel waves at me and runs.

  “Bye. Nice to meet…” My voice trails off when I realize she most likely didn’t hear a word I said since she’s already halfway down the hall. Oh, well. I’m sure I’ll bump into her again.

  I fully expect Paul to turn his attention to me and spew some venom at me for the coffee spill, but to my surprise he exits the kitchen right after Isabel. Thank God for small favors. When I look up at the time on the clock hanging on the wall in front of me, I’m surprised by how long I’ve been standing here daydreaming about Hunter. Damn. If I don’t get out of here quickly I’ll really be late for this meeting my boss asked me to attend. Shit. I need to skedaddle.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Hunter

  I arrive at Food TV with only five minutes to spare. It’s been an insane day of meetings and fighting my way through LA traffic. I was hoping to swing by Riley’s office and spend some time catching up with her since we haven’t been able to connect in person since I moved to LA a week ago, but it’s unlikely to happen. I look down at my Hublot watch as I stride down the hall to the reception area and realize I’ll barely have time to kiss her on the cheeks before we start talking business. At least I’m not late. That would’ve been a disaster.

  When I turn the corner toward the receptionist’s desk, I stop dead in my tracks when I read the sign hanging on the wall behind her: Food TV Network. Holy smokes. It’s actually happening. It’s not as if I haven’t been anticipating this moment for the last six weeks, but the fact that I’m actually here blows my mind. If I bring on my lethal combination of charm, wit and business savvy, in three hours from now, I could be one step closer to closing one of the most prestigious deals for our company.

  The caramel-skinned girl with a beautiful head of black curls sitting behind the desk notices me standing there with a frozen look on my face and smiles. “Good afternoon. How may I help you, sir?”

  Let’s do this. “Good afternoon”—I pause to read the name on the little metallic plaque—”Jasmine.”
She beams when I call her by her name. “I have a meeting with Riley Carrington and Jamie McPherson. My name is Hunter Evans and I’m the co-owner of Totally Natural Meats.”

  “Yes. Jamie is expecting you. Let me contact his assistant, Georgina. She’ll accompany you to the conference room.”

  “Thank you.”

  “If you’d like to take a seat over there,” she says, pointing at the dark gray couch, “it shouldn’t be too long. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “Normally I’d say yes, but I’ve already had three cups so I really should stop for the day. But thank you so much for offering.” I smile.

  “I made the same promise to myself before lunch, but I’m at number five,” Jasmine says, lowering her eyes to the coffee sitting near her laptop computer.

  I open my mouth to respond but an incoming call interrupts me. Jasmine lifts her finger at me to ask me to wait. She grimaces apologetically, but I nod to let her know that I understand. I turn around to sit, but when I do, the posters on the wall catch my attention and I find myself drawn to them. I take a few steps forward, admiring the photos of celebrity chefs adorning the walls. If this deal goes through, like I know it will, not only will it be extraordinarily lucrative, but it will also open the door to access these top chefs. Many of them have fleets of extremely popular restaurants throughout the country. Bring. It. On.

  As I imagine Jake and I dominating this industry, a voice behind me calls out my name. “Mr. Evans?”

  I turn around and face a thin, extremely elegant middle-aged woman with stylish short spiky salt-and-pepper hair. You’d think she was Jamie Lee Curtis’ twin. Although the actress is way before my time, my dad has always had a crush on her, hence I was forced to watch all of her movies. “Yes,” I answer. “That’s me, but please call me Hunter.”

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Evans.” Or you can ignore what I just said. “My name is Georgina and I’m Jamie McPherson’s assistant.” She smiles, extending her hand to shake mine. “If you follow me I’ll take you to the boardroom.”

  “Good afternoon, Georgina. Lead the way.”

  I’m so ready for this. I’ve never been a professional athlete, but the adrenaline rushing through my veins right now is surreal. I bet you fighters must be as pumped up as I am right now before stepping into the ring. There’s no two ways about it. I’m going for gold.

  I follow Georgina through a maze of offices and boardrooms. I’m too single-minded in my focus to fully take in my surroundings as we make our way to meeting. “You’ll be meeting Ms. Carrington, Mr. McPherson and a few other team members in that room over there,” she says, extending her finger in front of us.

  This must be serious business. I can’t help but notice that the room Georgina is pointing at looks like a fortress compared to most of the other conference rooms we’ve just passed that were mostly all glass and looked like giant fish tanks. There’s not even a glass opening on the door. “This must be the Alcatraz room,” I joke, hoping to lighten the mood.

  Georgina stops so abruptly I nearly bump into her. She turns around to face me with a stony face. “Only serious potential vendors ever see this room. Consider yourself very lucky, Mr. Evans.” Okay. I’m getting the vibe that she’s not the touchy-feely type, but I can’t tell if she thinks it’s a good thing or not that I made it this far. “You can imagine we get thousands upon thousands of requests every single day from different companies across America begging to be part of an elite and selective group of premier vendors who are awarded coveted contracts to supply us with kitchenware, kitchen appliances or food. Heck, we even get a few overzealous Canadian companies who think they can make the ranks.” She chuckles. “Your company’s reputation is impeccable and that’s why you’re here today. Frankly, I think you’re far too young to be this successful, but Ms. Carrington assures us that you and her brother are whiz kids when it comes to building businesses that keep churning out quality products without fail.” She grins from ear to ear.

  I sigh inwardly and smile right back at her. “You had me going there for a minute, Georgina. I couldn’t tell if you liked me or not.”

  “It’s not my job to like you, Mr. Evans. My job is to vet the hell out of you.” She pauses before continuing. “And after thoroughly doing my homework, I’m extremely impressed.”

  Touchdown! I have to contain myself not to jump up and down like a quarterback who’s just scored the winning point with only a few seconds left on the clock. I know I still have three hours of grueling negotiation in front of me, but her words boost my confidence even more, and trust me, I was pretty damn confident before I walked in here. I feel like I’m ten feet tall. We’re so close.

  “Wow. I didn’t expect that. You flatter me, Georgina.”

  “I’m not one to easily give out compliments.” No kidding. “That should tell you all you need to know.” I guess it does. One less person to win over. With a hand on the doorknob, she delivers her parting words as she cracks open the door. “Best of luck, but for some reason I doubt you need it. I expect I’ll see a lot more of you around this office in the future, Mr. Evans,” she says, dragging her eyes along my frame.

  Now don’t get me wrong. I totally have my game face on and there’s not a pussy in the world that can distract me right now. That said, I can’t help but wonder if Georgina isn’t flirting with me. Not that I’d be opposed to a little MILF action in the future. She might come off standoffish, but deep inside, she’s a little strait-laced minx.

  Since I’m here for business and not pleasure, I keep it professional. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Georgina. I hope that your predictions become a reality and that we’ll run into each other again soon.” I cross my fingers to emphasize my point. Georgina rewards me by biting her lower lip before opening the door to let me in. Oh, yeah. She wants me.

  I don’t have time to admire Georgina walking away from me because the minute Riley sees me she jumps to her feet and runs towards me. “Hunter,” she sings. “I haven’t seen you in a month.” She slams her body against mine and hugs me so hard I fear I might choke. After a few long seconds, she lets go and the air fills my lungs again. “Look at you. You’ve definitely dressed the part.” She winks.

  “Well, thank you.” I think.

  “It’s so funny because back home I always see you in your Wranglers and scuffed-up cowboy boots, but you look like a model in your tailored suit,” she says appreciatively. “And these killer shoes…” Riley is salivating at the sight of my new pair of Berluti bespoke Italian design shoes.

  When you wear a size fifteen shoe, custom-made is the only way to go if you want to buy anything other than American.

  “I did a little shopping when I got in town. After all, you know what they say?”

  “No, but I hope you fill me in.” She purses her lips and crosses her arms over her chest.

  “‘People will stare, might as well make it worth their while.’ Let’s just say I always do.” I wink mischievously.

  Riley’s booming voice breaks through the room. She tilts her head back and roars laughing. “Damn, I missed your wicked sense of humor. Come on over to meet everyone,” she says, grabbing my arm and dragging me to the middle of the conference room. “Everyone, this is Hunter Evans. He’s co-owner of Totally Natural Meats with my big brother Jake.”

  “Hello, everyone,” I say, waving across the room at four eager faces.

  “Hunter, I’d like to introduce you to Jamie McPherson, the director of supply and acquisition. He’s the head honcho. He’s also the one suppliers are flirting with shamelessly in order to get their brands or their food products on Food TV.”

  “Hunter, it’s a pleasure meeting you. Riley has only had amazing things to say about you.”

  “Jamie, the pleasure is mine. I hope I can live up to your expectations. Who knows how much Riley has built me up?” I joke, shaking the hand of the man standing in front of me.

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love Riley, but I rely entirely on Georgina, my tough-as-na
ils assistant. Nothing gets past her. I mean nothing.” You don’t need to convince me. “To date, she hasn’t found one negative thing to say about your company. And knowing her, I’m pretty sure she’s gone through your proposal and your background like an FBI agent in charge of a top-secret operation.” Jamie chuckles. I’m sure she did.

  “I just had the pleasure of meeting Georgina and she’s definitely something else.”

  “She is. I can’t imagine functioning without her,” Jamie says, tapping my shoulder with his other hand like a politician.

  “I have to agree with Jamie,” Riley starts. “Georgina interrogated me like a drill sergeant when I suggested the ranch as a purveyor of meats for the different shows.” She pauses to make sure all eyes are on her. She really can be so dramatic. “It was so intense, I swear I thought she was going to ask me for DNA samples for all my kids,” she mocks.

  “She does gives off the vibe of being the type of person who does everything extraordinarily thoroughly,” I add.

  “You have no idea. I keep petitioning to have her as my assistant, but the studio keeps turning me down. They keep saying Georgina is entirely devoted to Jamie. Bullshit.”

  We all laugh at Riley’s colorful comment.

  “Let me introduce you to the other members of Jamie’s team. This is Joanne Chisholm. She’s the inventory and stock selection and replenishment manager. In plain English it means she’s the queen bee when it comes to buying food for the different shows.”

  “Hunter, I’ve been looking forward to this meeting.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joanne, but I doubt you’ve been anticipating this meeting as much as I have.” I smile, gripping the hand she’s extending my way.

  “As Jamie said, you’ve already gotten the thumbs up from Georgina, this is the easy part.” She smiles back at me. “We’re big pushovers compared to her.”