by Mj Fields
“Here are the addresses James.” He handed him a piece of paper.
He walked around the car and threw his coat on the trunk. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. I saw some of a tattoo the shirt covered and remembered he was the same man I saw on the internet, naked, with a guitar. Serious about music? Yeah I bet. I watched as he took a deep breath and then grabbed his jacket.
He opened the door, slid in next to me, threw his coat over his lap, and let out a deep breath.
“Mr. Steel I am sorry if…”
He let out a low rumbling laugh. “Xavier. Please call me Xavier.”
“Fine. Xavier, we’re getting off on the wrong foot here. If I’m not what you want then…”
He laughed again and looked at me narrowing his eyes briefly. “We’ll work out just fine Taelyn. Late start to my day set the tone for me to be a little off. Let’s just go check out some of these buildings and move on from there.”
We visited four places. Some old buildings, office spaces at strip malls, and other shared spaces. None were the same and I was hoping to gain insight to what it was Xavier Steel was looking for. Which I didn’t. What I did see where four different female realtors, all pretty, all flirtatious, and all received smiles and the same type of behavior they gave him.
We broke for a late lunch, just him and I. I would be a liar if I said Xavier Steel wasn’t a beautiful man. His body was long and lean; you could tell that it was amazing. His dress pants were riding low on his waist and on the looser side. The exception was his ass. The pants clung to them.
I grew up in a home with men who were genetically predisposition to have beautiful builds, so it wasn’t as if something like that could, or would, affect a woman like me. I was nearly engaged and very happy with the man Daniel was. He liked me to be a lady. I was pretty sure Xavier Steel wasn’t like that. I bet he was into those club girls. The ones whose dresses where too tight and way too short.
He pulled out the chair for me and I sat. “Thank you.”
He sat across from me and it was unavoidable, I had to look at the man, really look at him and I wasn’t comfortable at all doing that. As the women earlier mentioned, Xavier had amazing eyes. He also had a square jaw, full lips, and hair that was thick and unruly on top. He was a very attractive man. Very attractive to girls everywhere we had been today and I’m sure girls everywhere in general. Like all the girls we had met today. All would have loved to have them in their bed. You could see it in the looks they gave him and the return conceited, arrogant, somewhat alluring, return smolder in his eyes made everyone aware he knew it too.
“Tell me about Harvard.” He asked as he picked up a menu and looked at it.
“Well, it’s in Massachusetts.” He lowered the menu so I could see his whole face now. “It’s an Ivy league…”
He leaned back in his chair looking very amused. “I’m well aware of what it is Taelyn. I’m asking about your boyfriend.”
“Daniel?”
“Harvard works, but fine, Daniel.” He looked down and unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and pushed them up. More tattoos.
“He’s going to be a doctor.”
“Save the world, that kind of thing?”
“No. His parents are both doctors.” I felt myself getting a little upset. “This is personal.”
“We’re at lunch. Two people sharing a meal. It’s that kind of atmosphere.”
Sarcastic ass. “Fine. If we’re on a personal level tell me what it is exactly you plan to do.”
“Start a production company.”
And that’s all he said.
“With your family backing you, but you won’t use their office space?”
He tensed a bit but tried not to show I had just struck a nerve.
“No. I plan to do it myself. There’s nothing wrong with working for what you have Miss Patrick.”
We were back to Miss Patrick now. And what the hell did he know about hard work. “I’m not afraid to work.”
The waitress approached the table before he had a chance to respond and his jaw snapped shut.
He ordered a porterhouse steak, salad, and a side of spaghetti. I watched the waitress ogling him and honestly felt embarrassed for her. I assumed she was thinking the same thing all the office women were saying about him.
“Taelyn?” I looked across the table. “You wanna order or do you want me to do it for you?”
“Sorry, Caesar salad with grilled chicken please.” I handed her the menu.
“This isn’t a date Taelyn. Order real food.” His eyes smiled and I looked at him and smiled back. He looked up at the waitress and winked, “All set, thanks babe.” I rolled my eyes and he looked at me curiously. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Babe?”
“Habit. If I call you that will you be offended?”
“Mildly, but I’ll let you know.”
“Bad ass huh?”
I was confused and he could tell. He chuckled again. Arrogant ass. I was ready to let him know how unaffected I was by him. That just because the office women and the waitress were visibly shaken by him, I was actually immune.
“Look, wrong foot and all aside. My vision for the company I want to start is not all this stuffy suit shit. I want to build a team of people who love music. People that at five o’clock aren’t rushing to the door, but are so damn deep in their heads and the sounds we create together that they want to stay after five. They want it to stay four o’clock forever. No one wants to go to the bar to find someone to fuck through the evening hours just so they can fall asleep feeling that buzz, because they will have the buzz at the company. I want something different so that they don’t wake up in the morning and dread going back to a damn stuffy job with people they have to smile at and pretend they like. They won’t have to do that because they will want to go to work because that is where the buzz will be. I mean, for fuck sake, I walk into Steel and it’s ‘Hello Mr. Steel, good morning Mr. Steel, how was your night Mr. Steel, this Mr. Steel that,’ it’s fucking nauseating.”
His smile lit up his face as he continued.
“I want to find the damn kid who was picked on because he wasn’t cool enough to hang. The one who, instead of banging the cheer captain, went home and finger fucked his guitar or banged his drums like he wanted to bang the football captain’s girl. I want the kid who went to bed every god damn night with head phones on listening to his favorite songs to escape the reality of an abusive or absent father. I want the girl who wasn’t good enough to hang with the it crowd, who dove into the piano letting her fingers tickle the ivory while she created perfection because she was fucking good enough. I want the guy dressed in all black to have his voice and the notes he belts out be his ultimate orgasm. I want people the people, who were told they couldn’t be shit, to live and breathe something other than a twisted up blunt. I want their high to be the notes, the melodies, the beats, the songs that live inside them. I want them to be who they are and be seen. Not what the stuffy ass production company suit told them. I want to be the one to help them find who they are without walking onto a stage where some British fuck tells them they’re not marketable. Fuck Simon Powell and his fucking boy band breeding ass.”
His hands were clenched into fists on the table.
“Here you are Mr. Steel.”
His shoulders slouched a bit and he groaned a thank you.
I couldn’t help but smile. He was so passionate about building his company.
The waitress walked away. “See, Mr. Fucking Steel.”
“Xavier.”
“Yeah Xavier,” He smiled and his eyes danced a bit. “So Taelyn, what do you say. You in?”
“I am. Tell me where we go next boss.”
“Not boss. I don’t sign your paycheck, Steel Incorporated does. We’re a team.”
“Sounds good but still, where do we go next?”
“We pick a place. These four were no good. I know it. But there has to be somewhere--.”
“What’s wrong with Steel? It’s a great location. Mr. O’Donnell’s assistant took me to see the basement I think. It looked great. There…”
“I don’t want to walk through those doors every day. I don’t want this to be part of that business. I want to build something great on my own accord.”
“Are you the youngest?”
“What’s it matter?” He scowled.
“Just wondering. Have you at least looked at it? It’s huge.” He started to interrupt and I held my hand up stopping him which seemed to shock him. “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to break down a wall? The building is on an incline so it’s a walk out. There is a separate parking area in the back. You wouldn’t even have to walk through those doors. Break down the wall and build your own entry. It would be a great place to start.”
“To clients it would look like I’m a rich fuck playing business man using my families’ money.”
“Or it’ll look like you have your shit together.” I responded and then took a bite.
He smirked. “I’ll look at it. But when we get huge I build my own damn building.”
“It’s a suggestion, that’s all.”
We finished eating and he looked at his watch. “What time are you kicking off?”
“I don’t know. I’m actually starting to like this whole idea and not looking to five o’clock.” He laughed. “Forever four?”
He looked at me curiously.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Not at all Taelyn. Not at all.”
Chapter 5
Caving - X
By the end of the week I caved and we would be starting at Steel, for now. It was a massive space. The ceilings in the front part were over twenty feet high. It used to be the shipping department when the building was used as a manufacturing plant.
A week later I let Abe know. He was happy as hell.
I kept myself busy during the day with contractors. Gabe Falcon’s crew was doing the work. I planned to take out a loan to get the work done but Abe talked me into letting Steel pick up the tab.
“It’s a write off. Building improvements.” Abe patted my back.
“No fucking way. If this fails, I won’t listen to it from…”
“Good afternoon Mr. O’Donnell. Xavier don’t say the F word.” Taelyn gave me a little smile as she handed me a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, what’s this?” I held up the cup, “Coffee?”
“Yep, from Rockin’ Joes.” She smiled. “I was watching you-tube and came across this kid, Memphis Black, who plays the guitar and sings. He works at Rockin’ Joes. So I thought I would swing by and see if he was there. He wasn’t but I hope maybe someday when I drop in I can hand him a card and say, ‘Hey Memphis you ever feel like trying this thing for real give us a call’.”
“You’re stalking a boy? How would Harvey feel about that?”
“Who?”
“Harvey, Harvard, Dr. …”
“Daniel.”
“Yeah him.”
“He knows where my heart is.”
“But does he know who you bring coffee in the morning?”
Her face started to turn that shade of pink that had given me partial chub for the last week.
Yeah, I wanted to fuck Miss Patrick, I wanted to fuck her until that bun fell out of her hair. Until she would lay limp over my desk and would loosen the fuck up. When she did loosen up she was a lot more fun.
The first day when I caught her listening to the receptionists talk about banging us Steel men and how it shook her was the second time in ten minutes she made my cock twitch. Then she bent over in that skirt to get in the car, it was full on Steel. I had to lose my jacket just so I could cover my hard on when I got in the fucking car.
She was one of those girls. The ones who needed to be fucked hard and licked raw. The ones who act like they have a stick up their ass. A stick I wanted to twist a bit and ram in and out until she had her first anal orgasm.
She rolled her eyes at me, “I hope it’s cold.”
Then she walked in the back where one day would be completed offices and four sound booths.
“You behaving?” Abe whispered.
I looked at him and said nothing.
“You better not fuck this up. Your brother almost had himself in deep shit. He attended a few sexual harassment classes…”
“Lot of good that did him,” I laughed. “In Italy, I walked into Momma’s vineyard home and Bekah was tied to a wall.”
Abe tried not to react, he tried real hard to keep a poker face, but fuck if he didn’t look like he was intrigued by the idea.
“You into that shit too?” I laughed.
“That’s none of your business.” He hissed.
“Neither is my dick standing at half mass every time she’s around…”
“Xavier…”
“Half. I’m not fucking stupid Abe. Besides she’s in love,” I batted my eyes. “Love just fucks things up.”
“Like what?” Abe chuckled.
“Variety.”
“Xavier?” Taelyn called from the back as she walked out. “Did you file the paperwork to register your business?”
“Yep.”
She walked out with a notebook in her hand and a pen. “Oh really? What are you calling it?”
“Forever Four.”
She smiled so big it nearly caused a situation in my pants.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. It was a great name.”
“Did you come up with it Miss Patrick?” Abe asked.
“No, not really…”
“She did.” I patted her back.
“Only because you spoke about it with such passion.”
If I were the type of guy to go after another guy’s girl I could’ve had her. Passion. Taelyn likes passion.
“Alright I’m heading upstairs to lock up my office. See you both tomorrow?”
“See ya Abe. Tomorrow is Friday. Week two down Taelyn. You have plans for the weekend?”
“Daniel is coming to see me.”
“Harvey?”
She rolled her eyes and I laughed.
“Dr. Love?”
She smacked me and laughed.
“You’ll be a totally different woman on Monday Taelyn. You’ll probably be skipping when you come in.”
“You’re over stepping.”
“That’s over stepping?” I gasped.
“Yes a bit.” Her face started to turn pink.
“Because I know you’ll be getting laid this weekend?”
“Oh my God.” She closed her eyes.
“I will be getting the same thing. There does it feel better now?”
“No, yes, I don’t know!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “How does your girlfriend feel about you working so much?”
I just look at her. I want this shit to sink in, “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
She didn’t miss a beat, “Oh one of those.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She gave me a mock sultry look, “There’s just too much of me to go around.” She ran her hand down the front of her.
Full steel ahead, son of a bitch!
“Harvey used that line on you?” I walked into the back towards my desk. I needed to sit down and hide this shit.
She laughed as she followed behind me. “Of course not. He isn’t like you guys.”
I sat down and my pants were a bit too damn tight for my liking. “Us guys? You listening to office gossip?”
She sat and her face turned pink again. That’s right, take that.
“No.” Her voice squeaked. “I have brothers just like you.”
“Hot?”
“I never said that.” Her voice squeaked again.
&nbs
p; “Well, do explain yourself Miss Patrick.”
“I have three brothers. All legends in their own minds. All think they can’t be held back. Men’s men you know, like you.”
“Well thank God you have me figured out.” I winked. “Now I have to figure you out. You just threw me way off with the brother reveal.”
“Let’s hear it.” She smiled.
“Princess. The hair and makeup always perfect. I bet you have perfectly pedicured feet and an every six week appointment at some salon in uptown. You’re probably groomed perfectly.” I waited for a response and her eyes slowly widened. “You act all uptight most of the time so either you’re a vanilla girl or you’re a freak in the sheets. I assume your Dad is loving and over protective and your mother stays home making sure there are fresh flowers on the table and dinner is served at exactly six at night. I bet you have your pretty little outfits ironed and hanging in your dressing room each morning. Am I close?”
“Almost. You forgot the maid and the birds that dress me every day.”
Lucky fucking bird.
“Not far off am I?”
“Oh you’re way off. But let me have a crack at you again. All I said was you thought you were all that. But since you dug so deep let me tell you what else I see.”
“Let’s have it.”
“Spoiled rich kid born with a silver spoon. You’re twenty?”
“Twenty three.” I nodded.
“You’re going through a phase in life that you have no clue who you would be without your family and you don’t like it. So you decide to get passionate about this.” She waved her hand around. “You wanna live an eternal party full of late nights and easy girls so the fact that you liked to wear your hat cocked to the side, and your jeans way too low as opposed to a suit to show off your gym made body, this,” she waved her hand around again. “Makes sense. The perfect part is you’ll have what it takes to hire people to make it work and sit back and enjoy the success while you wait for your balls to drop and sprout hair.”
I may have been pissed, maybe I should have been pissed, but I wasn’t.
“My balls dropped a long time ago. That would be the reason I like those low riding jeans. My lower half is of epic proportions; nothing needs to get squashed down there. Hair, not a fan of it. Which shows you that I am a gentleman. I hate to have any chick I’m with have to pluck it out of their mouth. Again, showing you how thoughtful I am. And Taelyn, I am offended by the hat comment. Look at my hair. It’s fucking beautiful, why would I cover this up unless it was just too damn cold out?”
