Microsoft Word - TheEx-FactorFinal.docx

by Unknown

  Scott… it came as an inaudible whisper and she swallowed the feeling that came with it.

  She let out a deep sigh and pretended she was pissed at him but really she wasn’t. Not when he was exceptionally dressed wearing a red blazer, khakis, and a bowtie.

  Scott looked absolutely…delicious. His dark hair fell around his face in loose waves. His green eyes smiled with delight. His teeth were a brilliant white. Mariana didn’t have to wonder what was underneath his attire for it was permanently embedded in her brain.

  Muscular chest, six-pack abs, and strong muscular legs with a long, thick, and glorious cock that hung between them.

  Mariana felt her breathing become sporadic as her heart palpitated with anticipation.

  Everything about that man was brilliant from his mind to his heart to his incredible sex game he loved to play with her. And now he was in front of her room.

  “Your food is going to get cold,” he broke the ice.

  “Oh, yeah,” she shook the fantasies out of her brain and let him in. She thought better to ask how it came to be he delivered her food. Scott was rather charming when he wanted to be with the right people. “It’s nice to see you.”

  It was always wonderful to see her. Her hazelnut hair was straightened, though he normally preferred the curly ringlets she often wore. Her full lips were painted with a soft pink to match the natural rosy glow on her cheeks.

  Her body was sculpted to perfection. She’d put on a little weight but she still looked amazing as always. She filled out her clothing more and Scott found himself curious to see what body parts were the most affected. He already knew – her ass and breasts. He began to wonder how much she would jiggle as he pounded her from behind.

  He took a deep breath to relieve the fantasies before he acted on them. “It’s great to see you, too.” He opened the trays and smirked at the food. Mariana always had a penchant for junk food. He used to be annoyed by it but found the quirk of hers rather endearing.

  Some of the food she ate was delicious after a few bites. They usually spent the remaining time burning off her junk food consumption in numerous positions.

  He needed to talk about other things before he used one of the condoms in his wallet.

  “How was your plane ride over here?”

  “Not bad. Very smooth. It was over just as quickly as it began.” She walked over to him

  and saw him stare at her food. She felt a little embarrassed at first but then she remembered they weren’t together anymore so fuck what he thought. “If you keep staring at it, it just might start talking back.”

  He smiled and held a single fry between his fingers. “Open wide,” he softly spoke.

  Mariana hated him at that moment. No, she didn’t. She wished she could hate him. As she gradually opened her mouth to accept the French fry, she read the smile in his eyes and knew what they were saying back to her – not only could he still command her to do things, she equally wanted to do them with no question.

  “Mmm…” he purred. His baritone Southern drawl made her tremble to the core and was just as smooth as ever. “…delicious, yes?”

  Her voice made a soft sound that sounded like a cross between begging and moaning. She softly chewed the fry and swallowed it. Her first reaction was to spit it back at him but she was rather hungry and the fries were quite tasty. Maybe if she concentrated on the food, it would cut the thick current of sexual tension between the pair. “Yes, delicious.”

  She smiled. “Let me guess….red blazer, khakis, and bowtie….Kappa convention this week?”

  “How did you guess?” He asked.

  “Well, beside the numerous amount of Kappa-related items in your home, I’ve seen quite a few gentlemen both here and at the airport wearing the same thing.” She adjusted his bowtie and grazed her fingers over his blazer. “Though I have to say you wear it better than any of them.”

  She intentionally touched him on the body part she’d deemed to be her favorite many times over. It was a resounding quiet signal between them and she studied his eyes to see his reaction. Intrigued and desire coursed through them.

  Scott wanted to take Mariana on the bed but when he heard the soft growl of her stomach, he quietly backed off. He would get his opportunity later. “I’ll let you go so you can eat in peace. I just wanted to say hello.” He smiled. “Let me know how the account goes.”

  “Oh yes,” she agreed, “I’m meeting with Ryan and Aaron tomorrow and once more this week to outline how the campaign should go.”

  “Good. You’re the perfect manager for this account and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with it.” He grabbed a fry and slowly chewed it. “You deserve this.”

  Mariana carefully watched him slowly chew the fry and wished it were a part of her body he nibbled on instead. It didn’t help the scent of his tantalizing cologne wafted in the air that made her body hunger for him more than she wanted the food. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Scott began to leave but turned around, “my mother invited us over for supper on Sunday night. That is, if you’re still in town.”

  Mariana was scheduled to leave Sunday morning. A part of her didn’t want to miss seeing Deborah and Scott’s father, his wife, and their new baby. Scott’s sister, Christine, could just stay at home for all Mariana cared. “I would love to.”

  “Great. I’ll be in contact with you throughout the week. I’ll be rather busy with my Brothers here but whenever you need me, I’ll be available.”

  His words were comforting, though they were platonic. No matter whatever was going between them, he was always available for her, even when she pushed him away. She didn’t know why that made her love him more. “Thank you. I’ll try not to bother you.”

  He flashed his brilliant smile again. “You can never bother me, Mari. I’m in room 317.”

  He winked at her, his eyes danced with promise. “Enjoy your meal.” He left.

  Mariana let out another sigh and stared at her hotel room door. It was only Monday and there were a few more days between them. Scott was going to be busy with his frat brothers but occasionally checking in.

  Maybe if she asked nicely, he could invite her to a fraternity function and see him in action.

  Four

  I can do this. I can do this. Scott’s done this a million times, what’s so different about me doing this?

  Dressed in a white blouse, dark slacks and matching blazer, Mariana took an Uber to Caffeinated, as she waited for Ryan and Aaron to meet her. Armed with an iced latte, Mariana double-checked her makeup no less than a dozen times to make sure there wasn’t any food stuck within her teeth. She outlined notes of her presentation and checked her work e-mail as she waited. She had big plans and even bigger ideas. Now she only hoped they would listen to her.

  A notification on her cell phone allured her attention away from her outline. She smiled upon receiving it.

  You’re going to kick ass today.

  It was like Scott knew her nerves were bouncing on a trampoline and she immediately calmed down. He always knew what to say and when. Mariana quickly replied. Thank you. I’ll let you know how it goes. She put her phone away and refocused on her notes.

  With a new boast of confidence from Scott to her, Mariana felt she could do anything.

  “You need a break,” Ryan Jeffers boasted to Mariana as he greeted her with a hug, followed by his best friend and co-owner, Aaron Jacobs. Ryan was tall, muscular, with blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Aaron looked the same except with dark hair and brown eyes. “It’s too stuffy to do this in here.”

  “Where do you suggest?” Mariana was game. Scott taught her to be fluid with the clients and she brought a pair of sneakers and a change of clothing just in case.

  Aaron spoke. “Do you like baseball?”

  Mariana grew to love baseball because of Scott, who was an avid fan of it, though she’d preferred watching in person. “Yeah, I like it.”

  “Oh?” Ryan asked. “Who’s your favorite team?”


  “The Dodgers, of course.” Mariana answered to groans from the men. “Hey, I’m a L.A.

  girl so I have to root for the home team.”

  “Well, today you’re in for a treat. The Dodgers are playing the Braves.” Aaron replied. “I have to see what The Answer is all about since I still think he’s a big question mark.”

  The Answer was Quinn Riordan, baseball’s no-hitter pitcher king and star player of the Dodgers. “The question mark as you say, is striking out people left and right…” Mariana

  paused. “…including your players.”

  “What?” Ryan looked around. “Did she just challenge me?”

  “I think she just challenged you, bro.” Aaron answered.

  “I know this beautiful L.A. woman didn’t just challenge me?” Ryan winked at Mariana, who blushed.

  “Oh, she just challenged you.” Aaron winked at her also. “Bring your notes and what have you but this is how we do business.”

  Mariana was a bit worried but played it cool. Clients often changed things on the cuff and sometimes without warning. Scott taught her how to go with the flow and become

  adaptable to any last-minute change depending on the client. “And how do you do business?”

  “With beer and hot dogs,” Ryan smiled. “Let’s go.”

  ****

  It was a blistering hot day in Atlanta and it was the perfect setting to take in a baseball game. As Mariana settled into the VIP suite at Turner Field, she said a silent prayer that Aaron and Ryan had the sense to put her in an air-conditioned setting.

  “So, lay it on us, Mari.” Ryan popped a potato chip in his mouth. “I’m curious to hear your genius.”

  Mariana took a small gulp of the Blue Moon and set it down. She handed portfolios to the men and opened hers. “The goal is to have you nationwide by the end of this year.”

  Ryan almost choked on his chips while Aaron looked at Mariana, stunned.

  “Nationwide?” Aaron asked. “I thought the goal was just to expand throughout Georgia.”

  “Why stop here?” She asked. “Your coffee is great enough to be competitive with Starbucks on a national level.”

  “We’re just a local chain,” Ryan countered, “we don’t have the money to expand

  nationwide yet.”

  “Yet,” Mariana repeated the key word, “you already opened up two stores while you’re eyeballing a third one, correct? I don’t think money is your issue.”

  “Oh?” Ryan was curious about Mariana’s positioning. “What do you think it is?”

  “Confidence,” she said, “when you lack confidence, you tend to come up with all sorts of

  reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t do something. I know because I have a tendency to do it myself.”

  “You’re asking us to go head-to-head with one of the biggest chains,” Ryan replied,

  “we’re not ready.”

  “Why aren’t we?” Aaron asked as he began to favor the idea of expansion. “We’ve been saying for ages that our coffee was better than theirs and our Yelp ratings prove that.”

  “Yelp is good when I want people to come to our shop locally,” Ryan countered, “I don’t have the time to do nationwide right now.”

  “So, what do you want to do?” Mariana motioned to the field as she took a pull from her beer. “Watch The Answer cream your team in the meantime?”

  “And what?” Ryan looked over at the scoreboard. The Answer struck out the three Braves hitters within a few minutes.

  “I’m sure The Answer wasn’t ready. He was a superstar in the minor leagues and had a solid fan base going. If I remember correctly, he actually protested being called up to the majors because he felt he wasn’t ready and the timing was off. Now look at him.”

  Mariana pointed to the field. “Goofy boy from the middle of Redneckville and plays with Legos, is a beast on the diamond and one of the league’s best pitchers ever. All because he took a chance.” She turned to Ryan and Aaron. “Now if he can take a chance, I’m sure you can, too.”

  Ryan sat down next to Mariana, impressed by what she said to him. “I know everyone keeps talking about how amazing Scott Reed is and don’t get me wrong, he is. But I think you’re his secret weapon. All right, show me what you got!”

  Five

  “Let’s talk about leadership,” Scott wrote on the whiteboard behind him. He gave a workshop to packed crowd inside one of the conference rooms at the hotel. With Scott’s track record of being the head of the world’s premier PR and advertising agencies, it seemed everyone wanted to listen whatever he had to say.

  Dressed in his standard Kappa attire of a bowtie, red blazer, and khakis, Scott looked immaculate in front of his fellow Brothers. “Leadership is not how you act. It is not what you say. It is, however, what you do. Or in some cases, what you attempt to do. In a few cases, what you do not do. People pay closer attention to your record of accomplishment than they do with how you act and other things.

  “If you ever wonder how some people will still follow someone despite their reputation or questionable things they’ve said? It’s because of action. The person has a long history of standing behind how they feel and putting their words into action. Some talk the talk, some get out and do the work. You, as Kappas, are natural-born leaders.

  “You were selected not because you followed the rules and did everything you were supposed to during pledge week. The Brotherhood as a collective chose you. It’s not a surprise most Kappas are executives, military leaders, and business owners. It’s not a surprise you hear about a Kappa who’s a singer, a professional athlete, or youth leader in his community. You represent one of the oldest and most respected fraternities in the world. There are Kappas, and then there are the others.” Scott said to a rousing applause, with some Brothers throwing up the yo in agreement.

  “We all have something special within us. Some, it comes naturally like breathing.

  Others, it takes a bit of coaxing for it to come out. Either way, you cannot deny the God-given leadership within you. Every single Nupe I see in this room is a leader in some form. Be it your community, your household, or your place of work. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Being a Kappa is more than just the shimmy, bowties, and khakis. Our haters would love to say that’s all we do but even our haters have to give us props. After all, we’re their bosses.” Another round of applause and more yo’ s were thrown up. “Now, let’s open it up for discussion.”

  One Brother stood up. “How do you deal with a boss who’s just always on you for no reason? Like, I show up to work on time, I do my work, and he’s still on me. If I show up too early, he gets upset for me being there. If I stay behind, he has no qualms but he’s hesitant on signing off overtime. He does it, though, but I get hell for staying late even if it ultimately benefits him. It’s like damn if I do or damn if I don’t. What do I do?”

  “First off, you need to switch departments or change jobs. Any boss who gives you hell for showing up early is going to nitpick every thing you do. No boss will get mad because

  you’re early. They will get pissed if you’re late, but never if you arrive early.” Scott advised. “Trust me, Brothers, I think we all can agree when I say it only takes one time to get kicked in the balls to make you realize you don’t like it.” Scott said to agreement from everyone. “You need to take charge of your destiny. It could be just a bad supervisor or it could be the start of resentful time in your life. If he’s not appreciating your worth now, he’ll never will. Next question.”

  Another Brother stood up. “How do you stay faithful after a hard period? Like, I’m in between jobs right now. I had to borrow money from my moms to even get here. I’m embarrassed to even say that right now. And I’m sitting amongst executives, and military veterans, and others and I’m like, ‘Okay, when it is finally my turn?’”

  “What’s your area of expertise?” Scott asked.

  “Communication.”

  “Where are you located?”

 
“New Jersey, sir.” He answered.

  “See me after the workshop,” Scott nodded, “I have a contact for you.” The Brothers applauded and Scott paused them. “Now what did I just do?”

  “You gave him the hook-up!” One Brother responded as others agreed.

  “I did but what else did I do?” Scott asked.

  “You looked out for your fellow Brother and helped in need.” Another Brother replied.

  “Exactly!” Scott pointed out. “I could’ve given him a standard, ‘say your prayers and give it to God’ spiel like everyone likes to say when something bad or tragic happens. Or, I could look out for my fellow Brother give him the tools he needed. I don’t know what’s going to come out of giving the Brother a contact. It could be the start of something wonderful or something might not pan out. But as a Leader, I needed to take the initiative to help. Action, my Brothers, will speak louder than any words you say. Last question?”

  Another Brother stood up. “Do you find that people challenge you specifically because they know you’re a Kappa? How do you react?”

  “I don’t pay attention to them. You give haters attention and they win.” He advised. “You give them silence and they’re struggling to get your attention. Haters will pay more attention to you than your fans will. Some people just want to be mad. Don’t be mad at them if you’re the trending topic in their pathetic lives. Always ask yourself who is your audience? Your haters or your lovers?” He asked to more agreements. “Thank you, Brothers, for hosting me. I hope you found this workshop to be beneficial.” The Brothers

  clapped and Scott stayed behind to answer a few questions.

  After he was done, he approached the Brother who asked him about a job opportunity.

  “What’s your name?” Scott asked.

  “Jesse Richards,” the Brother answered, “I apologize for my conduct. I’m at the end of my rope here. It’s been a struggle to find anything ever since I graduated two years ago.

  I’ve done a series of odd jobs but it’s just hard to find anything permanent.”