But unbelievably, the jawing and ribbing kept going, the boys twittering like excited birds.
But hey, this wasn’t the time to be a Debbie Downer. After all, we’d just closed a historic round of funding. Three billion for the new pipeline project running from Uzbekistan all the way to the North Sea.
So I punched the comm.
“Helena? We’ll need some bubbly in here.”
The smooth chirp of a woman’s voice piped in through the speaker. “Right away, Mr. Evans.”
And as the celebrations continued, a young intern pushed a silver cart into the room. He kept his eyes lowered, setting out multiple flutes and filling each to the brim with sparkling amber liquid.
I raised an eyebrow at the green bottles. This shit wasn’t that nice. Probably five hundred bucks a bottle. Me, I like them in the four figure price range. But hey, this was office champagne after all. No sense in complaining.
And as soon as the flutes were filled, Motormouth Daniel trotted across the room, helping himself to a glass. Throwing an arm in the air, the dude made a toast.
“Gentleman!” he bellowed magnanimously. “Here’s to more money!”
Subtle, real subtle. But I managed to keep my smirk in check, rolling with the flow of congratulations. Haven’t these guys seen the pic of Mitt Romney chewing on dollar bills? That one photo tanked a presidential run.
But that’s how these idiots are. They don’t think long-term. Naw, that’s up to the boss.
So I refrained from speaking as Daniel launched into a long speech about the deal, congratulating everyone in the room, but most of all himself.
Again, these guys make millions. Cash pouring out of their ears, rivers of money so deep you could drown. There was no humility in sight, not by a long shot.
And I get it, in a way.
To them, the world is their oyster.
But me? I’m a billionaire, and I still don’t act like that.
It’s crude.
It’s crass.
And most of all, it’s uncalled for. Once upon a time, I was a poor boy selling knife sets door to door, hoping to make a buck. From that, my empire grew. But I still remember what it was like standing outdoors in the chilly New York night hawking my wares.
Hoping for a sale as doors slammed in my face.
Joints and tendons aching, trudging through snow on yet another house call.
It was decades ago. But I still remember.
So to me, there’s no sense in being a snob. Because one day you’re on top of the world, and the next, the rug’s pulled out from under you. A boot’s halfway up your ass, and fuck man, but it hurts.
So yeah. There’s no need to go nuts. No need to trumpet your achievements.
In some ways, silence is even more powerful.
But these lackeys aren’t about silence. Some of the guys were literally dancing around the room now, doing jigs with their knees up in the air. Champagne splashed this way and that, sloshing all over the floor. No one cared that we were ruining a formerly pristine white rug.
“I’ll be taking it slow on the ranch in Wyoming.” Tom cackled, guzzling his drink like a drunk. “We got some new giraffes in.”
Gregory’s black, bushy eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he stared at Tom.
“What the fuck? Giraffes? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Tom made a rude noise.
“Hell yeah, and not just giraffes dude. You ever heard of oryx? It’s an antelope from the African plain. On the endangered list,” he smirked. “We just got two of those last week.”
Fuck me. Was I really hearing this? Were my business associates actually smuggling endangered animals into the United States? Were they poaching shit from Africa and bribing customs officials? It had to be some violation of the Endangered Species Act, the EPA, the AST, the OBF or whatever mix of letters. I have no idea, but this shit was probably criminal.
Unfortunately, things only got worse. Because then these idiots started to talk about humans, and the conversation took a turn into the depressing.
“Yo yo yo, listen up, listen up,” tooted one dude. “I’m hitting the slopes in Gstaad. Nothing better than a snow bunny in one cabin and the wife in another!”
The executives cackled and slapped each other on the back. Seriously misogynistic. I mean, I’m no angel, but really, openly bragging about your mistress? Bringing both her and the wife on vacation?
It’s lame, I tell you.
That’s why I’ve never been married.
Because yeah, I have pretty rancid tastes. But I’d never be so fucking crude as to bring my girlfriend and wife to the same ski spot and housing them across the hall from one another.
Then again, this guy’s wife was probably okay with it, the girlfriend too.
I tell you, in some circles, anything goes. So long as you have the cash, no one cares. No one will say a word as long the money train runs hard and fast.
Suddenly, I was jolted from my ruminations as Gregory shot me a snide look and smiled.
“So how about you, big man? You got celebratory plans, Thorn?”
I thought about saying nothing. It’s my nature after all. There’s no sense in bragging, especially to this crowd of idiots. Plus, that asshole Nick Ryver was trying to wrest business from the firm. A pain in the ass, but Ryver’s impossible to overlook. Seventy if a day, the guy’s been in the business for ages, and you’d be a fool to underestimate him. He’s canny, with all the right connects, and wealth of knowledge. Plus, the guy knows people in New York City, whether through money, social connections, or family. And unfortunately, that counts in a city like this.
But for now, I let the thoughts slide. Today was a day for celebration, and Nick Ryver hadn’t been able to bust this deal, even though he’d tried. So my lips let loose, which is unusual.
“Just bought an airline,” was my grunt. “Our maiden flight’s gonna be today.”
Stunned silence before a couple guys started hooting and hollering.
But then Daniel broke in again, that smarmy voice wheedling.
“You bought a plane? Or do you mean an entire airline?”
My look was cool.
“The whole thing,” was my harsh rasp. “Elite Air at your service.”
The men froze. Gregory choked on his third champagne, making a sick gargling noise. You could hear a pin drop otherwise.
Finally, Daniel managed in a raspy voice.
“How did you get a whole fleet?[MJBB1]” he choked. “What- how did this happen?”
I smirked. That motherfucker was jealous. Serves him right. Who’s the big dog in the room now?
But my face remained neutral.
“Someone was selling, and I was buying,” was my curt reply. “Easy as that.”
The look on that motherfucker’s face was pure envy. Seriously, the guy was growing devil horns and turning green at the moment. I thought about offering a wastebasket in case he vomited, but hey, I’m no Florence Nightingale. He can help himself.
Suddenly, Charlie burst out with a yip.
“Take us for a ride,” the man begged like a little boy. “I wanna check out your new toy. Come on Thorn,” he pleaded. “Let us see.”
No way. No fucking way. I could hardly stand these guys on land, no way was I taking them five miles up in the air.
But the room was relentless.
“Please,” chimed Marty like a teen girl, eyes literally filling with tears. “I wanna see it soooo bad.”
“Yeah,” whined Ralph. “You promised! Remember last time you said you’d show us your Lamborghini and that never happened,” he sulked, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly. “So you owe us.”
I didn’t owe them anything. But just to shut them up, I relented.
“We’re leaving for JFK shortly,” came my drawl. “I guess you could come along and check it out.”
Ralph’s frown turned itself upside down.
“Oh really? Where to? I call shotgun!”
Th
is guy was so stupid, there’s no such thing as shotgun on a private jet. But the other fools were on it in a moment, dissolving into a hubbub of excited chatter.
“I say we fly to my ranch early and do it up big!” Tom grinned, toasting his champagne flute in the air.
Daniel laughed. “Who the hell cares where we go? Let’s get wild!”
I was tempted to put the kibosh on things immediately. Why the hell did I open my big mouth? I bought the airline in the name of privacy and comfort, both of which would be ruined by these fools.
But now, the guys were acting like giant kids. A couple were literally running around the room, arms stretched out like wings pretending that they were planes, humming, “Oooh-weeee!”
Really?
This was a group of seasoned executives, and yet they were behaving like toddlers.
But maybe it was the childlike awe.
Maybe it was the hope in their eyes.
Or maybe I’m just getting soft.
Because with a wry smile, I called my secretary and told her to start making plans. The maiden flight of Elite Air was gonna be in two hours … and we needed to get to the hangar stat.
CHAPTER TWO
Thorn
I stepped out of the car, the heat of the tarmac burning my skin. As anticipated, my arrival sent the personnel into a frenzy like a startled flock of birds.
My plane sat on the runway, gleaming like a sleek white eagle. But that was the only thing that looked right, because the rest of the set-up was all wrong. A ratty red carpet ran from the car to the plane, soiled and not even pulled straight, like a wrinkled, dirty maroon-colored snake.
Someone was getting fired, for sure.
But it was too late to do anything about it now because the other cars pulled up, my buddies tumbling out like a bunch of overexcited puppies. They punched and tickled one another, heehawing with anticipation.
God.
Kill me now.
Why did I ever agree to this?
Ignoring their antics, I strode up to the gleaming white aircraft. The Elite Air logo was still fresh on one side, elegant script in a classy gray. This was leftover from the previous owner, but no worries. I liked it.
“Good afternoon, Mr[MJBB2]. Evans!” a supervisor practically panted, running up to me. “She’s all ready to go!”
Nodding, I strode to the beautiful piece of machinery, ascending the steep metal ladder in a matter of seconds. The gaggle of men trailed close behind, still giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls. They whooped and hollered all way up, annoying me to no end.
But upon entering the plane, everything changed. Because my headache dissipated upon seeing the luxury inside. There was a galley kitchen up front, complete with a full-size oven and refrigerator. Behind that were six wide, white leather chairs, glamourous yet comfortable with puffy, padded headrests. And behind that was a small door leading to a wood-paneled bedroom, complete with en suite.
Perfect.
Exactly what I needed to get away from the stress and chaos of a busy day.
Except today, I had these losers with me.
Curses rose to my lips, but fortunately, they were stopped before any damage was done.
Because the guys were like eager otters now. They strapped themselves in, oohing and ahing, barely able to contain their excitement. Gregory found a remote from somewhere and pushed one of the buttons.
Shit. Wrong move.
A latch on the floor flipped open, and an enormous plasma screen television rose from the ground until it nearly touched the ceiling.
Holy fuck!
Now this was luxury, sixty inches of pure heaven.
But we were about to jet. Didn’t everything have to be in take-off position, bolted down and ready to go?
Sure enough, a stewardess came down the aisle then. Or swayed down the aisle, more accurately. Because this woman was sex on legs. Curvy and ample, her uniform top strained under the weight of big Double D breasts. If I looked carefully, the buttons were even double-stitched to accommodate her figure.
But this wasn’t your average stewardess outfit. Or maybe it was, except on this girl it looked sassy and hot because the close-fitting dress couldn’t hide wide hips and a giant, luscious ass, completing a perfect hourglass figure. A jaunty flight cap completed the look.
Holy fuck, who was this?
Our stewardess obviously. But since when do flight attendants look like Jessica Rabbit on steroids? I thought they were old crows, ladies bent over while pushing the drink cart, rude and annoying.
But this girl was different. She smiled shyly, lips curving into a genuine smile.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Evans.” Her doe-like eyes swiveled to me and heat boiled up from my shirt collar, despite the comfortably air-conditioned cabin. “Gentleman, welcome.” She nodded to each in turn. “My name is Holly and I’ll be serving you today.”
Of course, the guys were like lecherous dogs. Daniel whistled.
“You can serve me any day, baby!” he jeered.
Holly flinched, but then her smile slipped right back into place.
“No problem sir. I’m at your service,” she began.
But immediately, the girl was cut off again.
“What kind of service?” insinuated Marty, sticking out his tongue and wagging it around like a child molester. “Is it all-inclusive?”
The female’s cheeks grew pink. But she was saved because fortunately, we were interrupted.
“Welcome on board,” droned the pilot over the intercom. “As requested, we’ll be doing a two-hour circle of the Tri-State area before landing back at JFK airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.”
Holly nodded, head down, and retreated up front to the stewardess jump seat. But not before Daniel lifted a big hand, trying to smack that delicious rump. Fortunately, he missed.
Pathetic.
Seriously, I was with such a group of losers. That ass was so big. How could he miss?
But even worse, how could he touch my property? Because Holly worked for me. No ifs, ands and buts about it. That giant ass belonged to me, and me alone.
I shot the man a dirty look, but stupid Daniel didn’t even notice. Instead, he sat back, looking like the cat that got the cream.
“I’ll get it when she comes back,” he chortled. “Get ready for Big Daddy!”
Lame. Real lame. But now the plane was in motion, so I stared out the porthole, hoping to ignore these losers.
And frankly, the take-off was amazing. We taxied a bit on the runway, rounding several bends before coming to a stop. To my surprise, Air Force One was about two hundred feet off, parked on the tarmac.
Shit, the President was in town?
Must be. There’s only a couple private jets with the label “United States of America” on their sides.
Plus, this is New York City. Of course the President was here, everyone wants to come to the Big Apple.
So I nodded, eyes alert. And slowly, the big engines came to life, pushing us down the runway until with a jolt and a lift, we were airborne.
Man, this was amazing.
Flying never ceases to amaze.
Because we were two thousand pounds of tin coasting on nothing but air. Science and technology are awesome, hands down. This was human ingenuity at its finest, thanks to the Wright brothers.
And soon, we were flying the friendly blue skies. Eventually the plane leveled out, everything settling into a pleasant rumble. The men high-fived each other, already craning their necks looking for the pretty stewardess again.
“Where’s the alcohol?” chirped Daniel. “We need some shots around here.”
“Yeah,” added Gregory. “Because you da man,” he croaked, pointing a finger straight at me. “YOU DA MAN!”
I was ready to punch these fools. Or better yet, to dump their bodies overboard without a parachute.
But ever the professional, Holly came wobbling down the aisle again, that curvy form so distracting.
“Gen
tlemen,” she murmured from behind the drink cart. “Some Dom Perignon to quench your thirst?”
What the fuck? We were serving Dom to these guys? They didn’t deserve it.
But ever the gracious hostess, Holly began filling the flutes, handing them to each man.
“Um,” grunted Daniel, downing his in one gulp. “That was great.”
“Yeah,” wheezed Gregory. “Can I have some more?” he asked, holding his flute up for another pour.
Because unbelievably, in five seconds these guys had already guzzled their shares. And Holly nodded sweetly, re-filling the flutes.
“Would you like a cup of warm nuts to accompany that?” she murmured, holding out a white ceramic bowl to Tom. “It’s a mix of peanuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts.”
Of course, these guys were like five year olds all over again.
“Hey, Tom, you want some hot nuts?” Daniel razzed. “Get it? Hot nuts?” he cackled.
Tom rolled his eyes.
“Shut the fuck up.”
But Holly wasn’t deterred. The brunette set the ceramic bowl of nuts on a small side table, adjusting the tin so that it was just right.
Big mistake. As she bent over, Daniel reached over and squeezed one big boobie with a lecherous expression.
“If we crash, are these considered floatation devices, sweetie?” he smirked. “Can I get the left one?”
“I want the right!” panted Gregory. “Me me me!”
And Tom was the worst.
“We’re flying the friendly skies,” he rasped. “What else you got, doll? Both your titties are taken. So show us what else you got.”
Holly flushed bright red in response, eyes wide and liquid.
“Excuse me?” she stammered, hand shaking. “I’m sorry?”
But the guys just wouldn’t stop. They loved the fact that she was like a deer in headlights, scared and motionless. Oh yeah, these guys always go for the easy prey. They want to feel like Big Men on Campus, picking on sweet, naïve virgins who can’t fight back.
So Daniel leaned forwards again, grabbing a big boob in a dirty paw and squeezing hard.
“Ow!” she stammered. “Ow ow!”
The loser didn’t stop.
“Oooh, that was great,” he grunted. “A natural woman, just the way I like it. My current mistress is all plastic, her tits don’t feel like this at all.”
Claiming His Virgin In the Ring Page 10
