Brash Company

by Crystal Perkins

  “You okay?” Kace asks, reaching for me like I might faint. I almost do when his hands grip my biceps, and he looks into my eyes.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I think we’re going to need you to go, K. Do you want a selfie before he leaves, Beckham?”

  Leaves? “I am so sorry. He can stay, if he wants. I won’t behave like a moron any longer.”

  “Honey, you can act like that any time. My ego can use the boost.”

  Stella rolls her eyes at him. “You are so fucking ridiculous.”

  “It’s one of the things you like best about me, Love. Admit it.”

  “I’ll admit you’ve learned how to use your cock piercing to my advantage, but that’s about it.”

  My eyes go wide, and my mouth drops open. Kace just smiles at me. “You’re freaking the poor girl out.”

  “Sorry. I have absolutely no filter, and no shame about our games. Or body parts.”

  I shake my head. “You shouldn’t be ashamed. I just wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

  “On that note, I really do think I should go. Selfie? You can post it anywhere as long as you don’t check in near here.”

  I nod, as he takes my phone from my hands, where I didn’t realize I was still clutching it. We smile for one, and he kisses my cheek for the next one, resulting in a shocked face as he taps the screen.

  “Wow,” I say when he swaggers out the door.

  “Yes, he is. Don’t tell him I admitted it, or I’ll never live it down, but my husband is definitely ‘wow’. Anyway, I’m here to bring you some work clothes.”

  Because she saw what I was wearing earlier, and now she’s seeing me in an oversized tee and leggings. Real fashionable. “Oh, um, thanks, but I can’t afford this.”

  “You’re not paying for it.”

  I sigh. “Matt or Nev?”

  “Reina.”

  “Oh, God. She’s so glamorous, and she was embarrassed for me, wasn’t she?”

  “Yes, and no. I love her closet almost more than I love mine, but again, that stays between us. She wasn’t embarrassed for you, but she knows how the women and men who work for Matt are. He has strict anti-bullying policies, but you just got a job everyone wanted, and there will be some claws out. They’ll keep it within bounds, but they’re going to come for you.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “I have no doubt, but being the best-dressed on that side of the building won’t hurt.”

  I want the clothes I see, and probably whatever’s in the bags too, but it doesn’t feel right. “I’ve been raised not to take handouts I don’t need.”

  “If you don’t accept her gifts, Reina’s not going to be happy. Keeping your boss’ wife happy should be a top priority, don’t you think?”

  “So, you’re saying I need these clothes.”

  She shrugs. “It’s one way to look at things.”

  “Okay, let’s see what you brought me, and if it fits.”

  “It’ll fit. My job is to make sure it fits.”

  She’s right. Two hours later, I’ve tried on everything she brought me, and every piece fits like it was made for me. I balked at trying on the bras and panties, but I have no doubt they’re my size as well. Stella’s amazing at her job, and by the time we’re done, I know she’s helping me with mine too. It’s funny how you don’t even know what you need until it appears on your door step, and is carried inside by a pop star.

  Chapter 4

  Sully

  I report to Bev’s desk for my first day of work, getting there a few minutes early. I’ve known her for years, but I know none of that will matter today. She has me go sit with the others in one of the conference rooms.

  There are four interns, one for each assistant. Unfortunately, I know one of them, because she sucked my dick at a party last year, and no matter what a guy says, you don’t forget women who do that. You might forget their names, but you don’t forget the faces, even if you want to. Right now, I really want to.

  “I knew I’d see you here, Sully.”

  “I’m here,” I agree.

  “I can’t believe you’re an intern like us.”

  “I’m an intern.”

  “Should I know who you are?” the other woman in here with us asks. She has thick glasses on, and cardigan over a plain dress, but none of that hides how beautiful she is.

  “No.”

  “He’s like family to Matt Corrigan,” the blonde, whose name is I know is Val, because we’re all wearing badges, tells Alma, before turning back to me. “I wanted to be on one of your private jet trips so bad, but you never invited me.”

  “Only so much room on a jet.”

  “Shit. I didn’t work my ass off in business classes to be paired with someone who’s going to push their work off on me,” the other guy says to me.

  “Don’t worry, Brad, I’ll be pulling my own weight.”

  “Yes, he will,” Matt agrees, walking into the room. Bev, Hannah, Mark, and Beckham follow him into the room.

  Hannah is a beautiful woman, but she’s got nothing on the woman I want. Beckham’s in white, wide legged pants, with a black pinstripe, and a deep blue top with ties on the short sleeves. She’s covered from neck to toes, and she’s still as sexy as fuck. I want to unwind her hair from the bun it’s in, and do bad, bad things to her. Double bad.

  Brad lets out a whistle, and I fist my hands, fighting the urge to throat punch him. “Do we get to pick who we work with?”

  “No, and you were told to read your handbook. Whistle again at any woman in this building, and you’ll be gone.” Matt looks scary right now—even to me.

  “Sorry,” the asshole next to me mutters.

  “The four of you are going to be working hard over the next six months. If you live past that time, and have done a good enough job, I may find a spot for you somewhere in this building. Fuck up, and you’re gone. Understood?”

  We all verbally agree.

  “Good. As for assignments, while you’ll be assigned to a specific assistant, if someone else needs help, and you’re available, you’ll help them as well. You each have your own cubicle, which can be decorated with personal belongings, as long as they aren’t offensive.”

  Again, we agree.

  “Val, you’re with Bev. Sully, you’re with Hannah. Brad, you’re with Mark, and Alma, you’re with Beckham.”

  I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I didn’t want to be with Beckham, because I know she’d have never let me touch her if I reported to her directly, but I didn’t want Brad-hole working with her, either. An added bonus is how pissed he seems about being assigned to Mark, who looked at him like he had the plague when he tried to fist bump him. You’re not in Matt’s inner circle without sharing his views about women—and people, in general.

  Hannah smiles at me as we walk to her desk. “Are you ready for me, Sully?”

  “Sure,” I say, feeling nervous, because there was flirting in her words.

  “Whatever do I need you to do for me first?”

  “Get you coffee?” I offer, mentally pulling on my tie, because I can’t pull on the real thing without letting her know she’s getting to me.

  She’s flirting with me, and that’s not okay. It’s not against the rules, unless I feel uncomfortable, which I do. I’m not going to go to Matt or HR about it, because I can handle it. I have to handle it, because there’s no way I’m fucking up this job, when everything’s on the line for me. Matt’s counting on me to prove myself, and I’m counting on winning Beckham over.

  If it means dealing with some flirting, then I’ll deal with it. A little harmless flirting never hurt anyone, right?

  Beckham

  I want to pull Hannah’s straight, black hair out by the roots a strand at a time. Or maybe in chunks. Yeah, I want to wrap my hands around her hair, and tug it out of her fucking skull the next time she flips it over her shoulder while trying to flirt with Sully. The only thing stopping me is the fact that Sully isn’t
flirting back. In fact, he looks miserable, which makes me want to punch her now.

  “We could ask for lunch at the same time,” Brad says in my ear, making me jump.

  I was focused on Sully and Hannah, which made me forget my own problem. Since I’m being trained today too, Mark has us all at the Reception desk, learning how to do everything up here, before he takes Brad back to his own desk.

  “Not interested.”

  I move to stand next to Alma, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Mark. “Matt wasn’t kidding, Brad.”

  “All I did was ask her to lunch.”

  “When you’re supposed to be paying attention to me.”

  “I was paying attention. I can multitask,” he shoots back, with a smirk.

  “Perfect. Show me how to transfer calls, and conference someone else in.”

  “Oh. Well, okay. I wasn’t completely paying attention.”

  “Pay attention, or leave.”

  I make it through the morning, taking over my desk, along with Alma, once Mark realizes we can handle it. We both have more to learn, but the phones are the most crucial thing for us right now, and Mark has his own crises to deal with.

  I send Alma to lunch first, and sigh in relief when Brad, Val, and Hannah follow her out. I don’t want to be anywhere near Brad in the cafeteria, and I’ve seen Val giving Sully lusty looks. I don’t know if he’s oblivious, or just ignoring her, but I like it just the same.

  “Hey,” Sully says, coming up to the desk with his prayer rug over his shoulder. There are a few minutes left before the others get back, but I think he needs to be outside with everyone at a specific time. “Can I sit with you after my prayer?”

  “Yes.”

  His smile lights up his whole face. “Thank you.”

  I’m still smiling back when the elevator doors close. The other elevator doors open, and I force myself to look indifferent as everyone comes back. After making sure Alma’s all set, I ride down in the elevator with Mark.

  “Bev’s not joining us?”

  “No, she has food delivered to her most days. Matt tells her to go down, and relax, but she only does if he’s out of the office. Otherwise, she’s right there, waiting in case he needs her.”

  “Oh.”

  “Don’t worry, no one expects you, or even Hannah, to stay up there with her.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Do you need me to sit with you?” he asks.

  “No, I’m good.”

  “Cool. I like to sit with some friends from International.”

  “I’m going to be sitting with a friend as well, so don’t worry about me.”

  “Perfect. See you in an hour.”

  I’m thankful he didn’t want to sit with me, because I’d have no basis for denying him. He’s been nothing but professional with me, so other than telling him I wanted to be alone with Sully, I couldn’t really say no. He saved me from an awkward situation without even knowing it.

  I grab chicken fingers, loaded fries, and a slice of pie to go with my Fanta Grape, before finding us a table. I never take free food for granted—free lunch kid right here—and I’m not embarrassed to eat in front of anyone.

  “Thank you for saving me a seat,” Sully tells me, sitting across from me. He’s got no food, and more importantly, no dessert.

  “You’re welcome, although showing up without a dessert to let me take a bite out of could be considered a deal-breaker.”

  “You have pie.”

  “And your point is?”

  His smile is full, as he looks at me with amusement in his eyes. “Shall I go fetch you another dessert?”

  “No, because I can’t eat two full desserts. You’re supposed to help me eat them both.”

  “Sadly, my abs would suffer if I had dessert every day.”

  I cock an eyebrow at him, and pout. “I’m not worth a few extra sit-ups?”

  “You so are,” he says, biting his lip. “Actually, I can’t eat when the sun is up.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s Ramadan, my holy month. Muslims fast during the daylight hours.”

  “Oh. Should I stop eating?”

  “No. It doesn’t bother me, although I normally avoid hanging out in places where food is being served.”

  “You can go!”

  “I want to spend as much time as possible with you, Beckham. Eat your lunch. I’ll keep deleting all the assholes from my phone.”

  I still eat as fast as possible, shoving food into my mouth like it’s my last meal. I feel bad, but I’m also hungry. Once I eat enough to feel satisfied, I wipe my mouth, and speak again.

  “I asked Matt not to assign you to me.”

  His head whips up, and his eyes go dark. “You did?”

  “Yeah. If you were directly working for me, I couldn’t go on a date with you, even if the handbook said I could. I just wouldn’t feel right about it.”

  “I get a date?”

  I sigh dramatically. “Yes. I decided it wouldn’t be a horrible idea. I’m still not over you getting me fired, but I’m willing to let you try to make it up to me.”

  “I like you, Beckham Williams,” he says, tossing his napkin at me.

  “I like you too, but I have a question.”

  “Yes, it is as big as you imagine it to be.”

  Now, I’m the one tossing my napkin across the table, before asking him what I need to know. “Do you know Val?”

  The smile drops from his face, and he runs his hand through his hair, before meeting my eyes. “Know her? No. But, she did give me a blowjob against a wall at a party last year.”

  “Oh.” I hold his eyes, because I need to see if there’s more. I had no claim on him last year, and truthfully, I have no claim on him now. However, as conflicted as I am about him, I know I won’t share, and he needs to know it as well. “Monogamy is a requirement for me.”

  “I don’t want anyone else.”

  “You have to be sure.”

  “I am. I haven’t been with anyone in a few months, because I’d grown tired of the life I was living.”

  I believe him, so I take a leap of faith. “Saturday? For our date?”

  “You’re going to make me wait that long, Beautiful?”

  “Yes, because if today is any indication, I am going to be exhausted after work every day. On Saturday, I can sleep in, and mentally prepare for you.”

  “Oh, Beckham, I don’t think you’ll ever be ready for me, but I’ll try to behave.”

  “Don’t,” I tell him, and mean it. He told me it was game on, and now he needs to bring it.

  Chapter 5

  Sully

  It’s only Thursday, but I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. College was tough, but C&C is so far beyond that, I can’t even think of a name for it. With Hannah being Second Assistant, I’m running all day. Honestly, all of us are crazy busy, but she’s angling to be First, even though Bev’s not going anywhere, and Matt would never fire her. Still, she’s trying to make it look like I’m running more than the other interns.

  To and from the mailroom, for contracts and inter-office mail she needs right away. To the coffee room to make her lattes no less than four times a day. To the copy room, because the five copiers and printers surrounding her desk aren’t right, and it goes on and on. Never mind, all the running I do to get away from her, because yeah, she’s not leaving me alone.

  Add to that, my inability to match my lunch to Beckham’s today, and I’m one unhappy intern. Brad got my lunch spot, and the throat punch desire was back full force as he tried to put his hand on her back when they walked to the elevators. She pushed him off, but I’m still not pleased with the office dynamics.

  I need to blow off some steam, but I already worked out when I got home, said my prayers, and broke my fast. I need something I don’t have to think too hard about, so I decide on the game room. Shooting some aliens, or playing some Pinball, should calm me down.

  An hour later, I’ve killed all the invaders, and I’m feelin
g a little better. As I move to the pinball machine, someone opens the door. Because the games are lit up, I didn’t turn the overhead lights on when I came in, so I don’t know who it is, until they creep closer.

  I inhale Beckham’s unique scent of oranges and vanilla mixed with cucumber, fighting back a laugh as she crouches like a cat burglar. She lives here, and her handprint got her into this room, yet she’s acting like she doesn’t belong.

  “Couldn’t wait until Saturday, huh?” I ask.

  She screams, jumping into the air. I catch her on the way down, and spin to place her on top of the Pinball machine I was about to play. She hits me, and I finally let my laughter free.

  “You scared me!”

  “You’re the one lurking in here, like a thief in the night.”

  “Since you never gave me the tour, I wasn’t sure what was in here. I was restless, and wanted to explore a little.”

  “Welcome to the game room. And, I’d like to remind you how you ran away before I could give you a tour.”

  “I had things to do,” she says, and I can see her blush, even in the dark.

  “I went into the outdoor shower, and fucked my hand after you fled.”

  “I-I used my vibrator,” she admits. Yes!

  “We should’ve been together. I would’ve loved to watch you.”

  “Sully.”

  “Beckham.”

  “Will you kiss me now?”

  “I’ll always kiss you.”

  We both lean in, and when our lips touch, I close my eyes. I’ve never closed my eyes when kissing a girl before, but I can’t keep them open with this woman. Her lips feel as soft as I imagined they would, and as we explore each other with just mouths, and no tongue yet, my cock gets heavy between my legs.

  I won’t take it further, or risk losing this feeling of pecks, and presses, even though I want to. She sets the pace. Always.

  “Is this okay?” she asks, pulling back to search my face in the shadows.

  “It’s perfect.”

  I kiss her again, to prove it to her. When she opens her mouth for me, and darts her tongue out to touch mine, I nearly lose my mind. I couldn’t tell you how long we spend in that room, just kissing. There’s no touching other than faces, and hair, and my mouth never ventures past her mouth, but it is perfect.