by Mj Fields
I didn’t want to upset him, but I wanted to do something. “You up to sponsoring a baseball team?”
“You don’t wanna play ball,” he chuckled.
“If you’re not up to it, Steel can.”
“You wanna play ball, boy, you’ll play for O’Donnell’s Pub.” His face lit up. “You think you can get a roster filled up by Monday night? League starts Thursday.”
“I can, and I won’t just fill a roster, Pops I’m gonna win the trophy.”
“I know you can,” he laughed. “I know you can.”
***
I walked into Steel on Friday, and no one noticed until I stood at the elevator.
“Good morning, Mr. O’Donnell.” The receptionists yelled in unison.
“Good morning, ladies,” I said as I walked onto the elevator.
I rode up to the fifth floor and stepped off. The floor secretary wasn’t at her desk. I walked down the hall to my office and opened the door.
“Fuck! When did you get back?” Zandor hissed at me.
“A few days ago. What are you doing in my—”
“Nothing, could you give me a minute?” He looked pissed.
“Fuck you, Z.”
“Abe, I am asking nicely,” he said through clenched teeth, “Just a few minutes—”
There was a black heel sticking out from under my desk. “Don’t you have your own office? Fuck, Zandor!”
I turned around and walked out of my office. Fuck!
I shot Jase, Cyrus, and Xavier a text asking that they come up to my office and immediately shut off the phone. I didn’t want the “what the fuck are you doing back” texts annoying me any more than I was right now. Fucking Steels.
It wasn’t long before Zandor and Bekah walked out of my damn office with his arm wrapped around her waist and her head buried in his chest, no doubt hiding from embarrassment.
“It’s all yours, Abe,” Zandor chuckled and Bekah’s muffled giggle erupted from against his chest.
“Is there a problem with your office?”
“Variety is the spice of life, isn’t it, Kitten?” Zandor ran his hand down her back and rested it on her ass.
She looked up at him. “I need to use the ladies room.”
“A kiss first,” he pulled her against him and kissed her. “Damn I taste good.”
She giggled as she walked away.
Zandor looked at me and smirked.
“Don’t do that shit again or so help me god I will be working at the Pub.”
“Like hell you will,” I heard Jase from behind me.
I turned and saw him, Cyrus, and Xavier getting off the elevator.
“I need a favor,” I motioned them to my office. Before I sat, I looked at Zandor and he smirked. “Is it safe to sit down?”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “Just don’t reach under your desk. That sticky shit probably ain’t gum.”
I jumped up, “You better be fucking joking, man.”
He laughed out loud, “Yeah, I am. Gotcha.”
“What the hell is going on?” Jase asked.
“You playing in his office now, Z?” Cyrus laughed.
“He was supposed to be out of town for another week,” Zandor winked.
“Is this gonna take long? Taelyn and I were gonna head home for lunch,” Xavier looked at his watch.
“You should just have a picnic at Abe’s desk, Z already did,” Cyrus chuckled.
Zandor and Cyrus high-fived and I saw Jase’s smug ass trying not to join in. He knew I was annoyed.
“Clear Thursday nights from six to eight. We’re gonna play ball.”
“Baseball pants?” Bekah giggled as she walked into my office. Zandor grabbed her hand and pulled her against him.
“That make you—” Z started.
“Alright, enough,” I interrupted. “I don’t ask for much okay, but this, I need this. Play ball for an hour and go to the Pub for an hour. Is that too much to ask?”
None of them said a word. They all looked at me like I had lost my fucking mind.
“Kitten, why don’t I meet you in my office. I think I need to take care of Abe,” he winked.
Once she left, Jase shut the door, “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Nothing. I am simply asking for a favor.”
“You know we’re in, bro. Just chill, okay?” Xavier smiled.
“Why the fuck did you come back so soon, man? You need a fucking break.” Cyrus scowled at me.
“I had enough relaxation alright?”
“Did you get laid?” Zandor acted like he was truly concerned and Jase laughed. “What man? Seriously, Abe, you need—”
“Of course I got laid. What the fuck,” I shuffled some papers around on my desk. I didn’t want to talk about this shit.
“Bad lay?” Cyrus tried to keep a straight face and I rolled my eyes.
“You wanna talk about it?” Jase asked in his most fake sympathetic voice.
“I didn’t grow a vagina, Jase. There’s nothing to talk about. I got fucked and then she went—wherever she lives.”
“You don’t know where she lives?” Jase gasped.
“It really wasn’t necessary,” I opened the drawer to my desk and grabbed a file that I could work on over the weekend.
I looked up and they were all staring at me, all looking concerned, which pissed me off.
“I’m out.”
“Bullshit man, spill it.” Jase leaned on my desk.
I knew I wasn’t getting away that easy. “The house I rented wasn’t private. It had a shared pool, courtyard, and beach access with one next door. Four girl—”
“Oh shit,” Zandor groaned and sat at the conference table.
“No, Z, I don’t play that way,” I walked around my desk, sat at the table, and leaned back in my chair. “Number four, last one to show up.”
“Was she hot?” Xavier asked as he sat.
“Hell yes, she was hot.”
“What was her name?” Cyrus sat too.
“Four.”
“That’s a fucked up name,” Jase sat next to me.
“We decided no names, just a vacation thing you know,” I rolled my neck. “One hot-as-hell night. Perhaps I was a little—controlling and may have made comments alluding to the next three days that I suppose could make a girl—”
“Hot and wet,” Zandor wagged his eyebrows.
“No, man. Scared.”
“Scared?” Xavier laughed.
“She wasn’t all that experienced,” I explained.
“Did she cry?” Zandor asked.
“Z, what the fuck? No she didn’t cry.”
“Then what happened?” Jase asked looking at his watch.
“When I woke she was gone. Never got a name. She left a note saying something came up at home. I think that’s bullshit. I think I freaked her out.”
“Did she come?” Zandor asked.
“Fuck yes, Z, you writing a book?”
“Maybe I should. Called ‘The Importance of Bondage’ that way your chicks wouldn’t run away while you’re sleeping.”
We all laughed, which only encouraged Z.
“You were like Grease, the movie. Summer lovin’ happened so fast—”
“Shut up Z,” I laughed.
“She Australian?”
“No,” I laughed.
“Did you kiss her down under?”
“Okay, I’m done here. I’ll see you Monday. You guys wanna get together to throw a ball around over the weekend?”
“Dude, just ‘cause she left you doesn’t mean we gotta play with your balls,” Cyrus laughed.
Jase’s cell rang and he answered. I was just about to walk out the door when he said, “Hold up.”
I waited until he hung up. “You remember the newspaper, The Shore?”
“Yeah why, what’s up?”
“All that media attention about us Steel boys being the most eligible bachelors?”
“Of course, what’s the point, you’re all married.”
“No, Xavier isn’t yet and apparently, Abe O’Donnell, CFO of Steel Incorporated, just bumped up to number one. They want an interview.”
“Tell them ‘no.’ ”
“We need to do something. They were following Taelyn the other day. Freaked her out so I kind of—”
“You kind of what, X?” This ought to be good.
“Caught up to them and when Taelyn parked at the grocery store, I pulled in and pulled the photographer out of his van.”
“Why the fuck would you do that shit?”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t I?” He snapped
“So we need to make nice,” Jase interrupted. “Do the damn interview. It’ll do us all a favor.”
“And who knows, maybe you’ll find one who won’t run away,” Zandor chuckled.
“When?”
There was a knock on the door and Jase flashed a big smile.
“I am not ready for this, Jase. I’m in jeans man,” I pointed to my bathroom. “Give me five minutes.” I walked away shaking my head.
I grabbed my spare suit, yes I keep a spare in the office, and threw it on. I combed my hair and wet it a little. Good enough, I thought.
When I came out, the woman was sitting at the conference table with her back to me. I walked around to the empty spot between Jase and Zandor and sat.
“Thank you for meeting with me Mr.—”
I finally looked up and into sandy brown eyes and a very stunned reporter.
I didn’t say a word and neither did she.
“Sandy?” Zandor whispered.
“Danny?” Xavier chuckled.
This was not cool, not cool at all.
“O’Donnell.” I nodded. “Abe O’Donnell.”
“Right, Abe, uh, uh—”
“O’Donnell.” She looked mortified. “And your name?”
“Nikolette.”
“Your last name? I want to keep this professional.” I don’t know why, but I felt anger brewing inside of me. I kept my eyes locked onto hers enjoying the hell out of her discomfort.
The girl who left the note, Four, was here to interview me. Karma wasn’t so bad after all.
Unwilling Subject
Nikolette
The way he looked at me made me squirm in my seat. I was lucky to have gotten this internship and if I messed up my first assignment, I would probably spend the semester in the mailroom.
“Bassett, Nikolette, err, Miss Bassett.” I stammered like a complete idiot.
“Miss or Mrs.?” He asked and the others chuckled.
As unprepared as I was for this, I was determined to do my job and do it well.
“Miss. I’m an intern for The Shore and was asked to—” I stopped and looked down as I fumbled in my briefcase for something to write with. And paper, I needed paper, too. I looked up briefly and all four men were staring at me. “I’m sorry, I’m normally better prepared.”
They looked skeptically at me.
“Inexperienced, huh?” One of the men chuckled.
I made eye contact with the one who laughed, “You’re Zandor Steel, right? From the picture at the airport that brought this all on.”
“Yes. The woman, Rebekah, in the picture is now my wife.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” He sat back. “We’ll make sure Abe goes easy on you, Nikolette.”
Another one laughed. “And you’re Xavier?”
“Sure am. You need to tell those motherfuckers if they keep chasing my fiancé around, I am gonna tear shit up.”
“I understand how you must feel. I can assure you it wasn’t The Shore who has taken the pictures, but with Mr.?” I looked over at him, Neptune, again forgetting his last name, which was completely embarrassing.
“O’Donnell. His last name is O’Donnell. He’s not that unforgettable is he?”
“You’re Cyrus?”
“The one and only,” he nodded. “Alright, I am gonna jet, go see how my wife is doing. I’m sure I am leaving you in capable hands with Mr. O’Donnell, but if you need anything let me know.”
And with that, he left, “I’m out, too.” Xavier stood up and shook my hand, “Nice meeting you, Nikolette. I’ll be leaving around four. Until then look me up if you need anything.”
He walked out of the room chuckling. I looked quickly away and at the man sitting next to Mr. O’Donnell. “I’m Jase. Abe’s best friend and business associate.” He reached over and shook my hand. “You’re pretty damn lucky to be in his hands and not one of those three characters. He’ll take care of you. Abe’s a gentleman.”
Jase stood and looked at his brother, “Let’s leave them to it.”
As soon as the door shut behind Jase, I felt my whole body tense. Abe stood and unbuttoned his gray suit coat. I turned as he shrugged it off and threw it over the desk. He walked to the door with a different confidence than what I saw in Florida. But his body was no different. Long and lean. I knew exactly what was underneath and I—
“Miss Bassett,” he interrupted my very immoral thoughts.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I’ll walk you out.”
He opened the door and I sat looking at him. “I don’t understand.”
“Unlike the four,” he paused, “men who just left, I have no interest in,” he waved his hand flippantly in the air, “doing this.”
“But—”
“Let’s go,” he turned his back to me.
It took several moments for me to organize the thoughts in my head hoping to make any sort of “Abe—” I pleaded. Finally, a name.
“Mr. O’Donnell.” He turned and looked at me.
“Of course,” I stood fumbling with the pad and pen I had just pulled out of my briefcase. I walked to the door he held open.
I followed him to the elevator, and he pushed the button to the ground floor a few times before his hands fisted and he shoved them into his pockets. He was angry and I was out of sorts. Once we stepped into the elevator, he pushed the button to close the door and then walked to the far corner, seemingly to get as far as he could from me.
I had to do something, say something. I wasn’t sure which subject to broach first, the time in Florida, or the fact that I needed this interview.
“Mr. O’Donnell,” I said as I turned to him. He leaned against the wall with his hands still shoved in his pockets. “I need this interview.”
He said nothing, simply looked at me.
“I know this is awkward,” I continued as he remained silent. His eyebrow shot at the word awkward. “Will you please say something?” I whispered.
The door opened and when he walked past me and out into the reception area, I followed. He walked briskly out the front doors. When I caught up, he stopped and turned to me.
“Nice seeing you again, Miss Bassett.” And he nodded to the parking lot.
“Please just listen to me.”
“I’m a very busy man,” he started.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“I’m at work. This is a professional environment. And this, Miss Bassett, is not an act. This is who I am. I don’t have time to spend answering questions about my preferences in what I am looking for in women and certainly not to you. Good day,” he nodded towards the parking lot again.
“You keep speaking about professionalism. Have I given you any reason to believe I will be anything, but professional?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that now isn’t it, Miss Bassett.”
I was not sure how to fix this, but I couldn’t walk away with nothing. I had two weeks to write this story and I was not going to fail. “Thank you for your time, Mr. O’Donnell, I will just go ahead and write it without your input.”
I was calling his bluff and crossing my fingers that he would stop me as I walked away. I made it all the way across the parking lot to my car before I finally looked back and watched him walk into the building.
I observed the Steel Incorporated building, a place made famous by the infamous “M
en of Steel” brothers I had read so much about. I couldn’t understand how they had kept Abe O’Donnell a secret. The only pictures that popped up in any search engine were of him with shades and a ball cap on. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t recognize the man who I had dreamt about for a week. A man who had invaded my dreams and woke me up in the middle of the night feeling regretful over leaving his bed the way I did.
It was unbelievable that I would run into him the way I had. It was even more unbelievable that my future as a journalist would end before it even began because he refused to do this interview.
I had landed this internship and maneuvered my entire schedule around, begged professors to allow me to finish classes online, and gave up my entire summer in hopes of making a name for myself.
I was trying to break into a male-dominated world, sports journalism, and they handed me a vanity assignment hoping I would fail and they could pretend they had given me a shot. I had to do something.
I watched the entrance of the building, wishing I could convince him to do the interview at the same time as I tried to convince myself that my desire for his sexual dominance over me would go away. The draw was inexplicable. I was sure the more I saw the real man and not the laid back sexually charged surfer I had spent the hottest most fulfilling night of my life with, the more the draw would fade or at least become manageable.
Two hours later and I was ready to go back to my apartment and pack up. Then he walked out of the building. He wore jeans and a tee shirt, he looked so different, yet still so tempting. I watched him walk through the lot, pull a key fob out, and push the button unlocking the Land Rover in the row marked restricted parking.
He jumped in and backed out. I started up my little Elantra and nosed out of my spot, making sure I stayed far enough behind him that he wouldn’t spot me. I was three cars behind him and at a light when he signaled right. I followed further behind afraid he would see me with no cars between us.
He pulled into the parking lot of an old warehouse type building and I pulled over and watched as he leaned over and hit a code on an intercom or security system. The large gate door opened and he pulled in and the gate closed behind him.
I sat and watched the building as the sun began setting. A cab pulled up in front and a woman in a black coat exited the back seat and the gate opened revealing a shirtless Abe O’Donnell in basketball shorts and bare feet. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and then he turned and walked inside a garage. As the garage door closed, I saw him grab her rear end and she looked up at him. Before what I assume was a kiss was exchanged, the door closed.
