Missy Mischief

by Victoria Snow

  3

  Ollie (Tuesday)

  It was so hard to even think straight when Kat turned those emerald eyes of hers my way. They twinkled like sapphires, flickers of fire dancing in her pupils as the fireplace roared next to us, ironically matching her personality. The dress she had on fight right in all the right places, her voluptuous body accentuated so sensually, I was surprised her father let her come into the club looking like that. Not that I was complaining. I could stare at those bodacious breasts of hers, peeking out from the neckline of that low-cut dress all night. It was such a shame that such a catch like Kat was off limits. I had to think quickly about how I would approach the topic at hand now, Pierce doing his best to make me look like a complete asshole. I mean he wasn’t wrong though; I wasn’t exactly known for my charity work. I liked to keep my money in my pocket for me. If other people needed help, there were programs put in place for that. Despite being born into a rich family, I had worked very hard to get where I was, which was something I didn’t really advertise. We lived in a land of plenty, where anyone could be anything they wanted if they worked hard enough. So why should I give up my hard-earned money? Michael was more the philanthropist of the group, not me.“I can assure you, that I do care very much about helping the less fortunate, Miss Kat.” I turned and glared at Pierce, who snorted.“Well, I have been looking for a new project to work on,” Michael smiled, his interest apparently piqued. “If you decide to move forward with the project? Count me in.”“Oh! Me too!” Kat chimed in, much to my surprise. Kat was fresh out of college, her area in expertise was also in business, just like her father. “I have been looking for a project to work on since college ended, and this seems like a great way to keep busy and help out the community!” She beamed, getting up momentarily to go to the bar. As she walked past, I could help but notice the way her little black dress hugged that perfect ass of hers, my eyes trailing after her. I turned to Michael who looked surprised. I thought for a moment he had caught me drooling over his daughter, but thankfully his shock was not directed at me. Kat sat back down, drink in hand. “Hell yeah! Didn’t spend all that time at college to just sit around and look pretty, though I make it work.” She winked at me again, taking a sip of her drink, and I swallowed hard. If Kat got her way, I knew it would take everything in me to not drag her out of the office, drive her out to my mansion and never let her out of the bedroom. “Besides,” she continued, “Helping out the community is something I am really interested in.” She grinned, and her smile melted me. She was so beautiful, strong and fierce. And most of all, she didn’t take any shit, just like her father. She was the perfect woman in all meanings of the word.“Like father, like daughter!” Michael smiled, beaming with pride, giving her a tight side hug. “W-well, I’m not even sure that I’ll be taking on the project,” I stammered, feeling exasperated. Here I was just trying to have a little small talk, and now all of a sudden, I was getting roped into some damn humanitarian project! Pierce sniggered from his seat next to me.“See Kat, I told you the old crone doesn’t have a taste for anything that doesn’t line his wallet.” Pierce shook his head. Of course, that little poor boy turned rich man would chime in. He didn’t know when to shut his mouth, which was as much an asset to him as it was annoying. He and I had never gotten along from the get-go. He was always a mouthy little shit with a Brooklyn attitude, something that wasn’t very popular in the south. Or so I had thought.

  I had known Michael longest; we had met ironically at a charity gala event I had held at my mansion. My mother had muscular dystrophy, and it was a party to raise money to fund muscular dystrophy research. He had donated fifty thousand dollars, more than anyone else in the room had. Then man was truly a good person, and we had bonded that night and been inseparable friends ever since. I hated sharing his company with Pierce, but I tolerated him for the most part for Michael’s sake. “Oh yeah, Pierce? When’s the last time the less fortunate was able to pry a nickel from your greedy paws?” I snarled, Pierce’s hair seemed to stand on end, frazzled by my comeback. “I donate plenty,” He rolled his eyes, “I just haven’t lately because I haven’t found any projects in the area that I am interested in funding. You know, I do have the right to pick and choose who I support and don’t.” I started to open my mouth to argue but was swiftly shutdown by the clapping of Kat’s hands. We both turned and face Kat in amazement, who had a huge smile on that gorgeous face of hers, framed by her brunette curls. “It’s settled then,” She said with such excitement, “We can all work on the housing development together! We can help the community and make a difference and also reap some tax benefits in the process. Win-win in my opinion.”“While your heart is in the right place doll face, it’ll never work.” Pierce insisted, and I was relieved that for once the dumb yankee agreed with me on something. “What? I think it’s a brilliant idea!” Michael chuckled, apparently impressed with his daughter’s quick talk, take charge attitude and business prowess. However, it was obvious that he had a mischievous goal in mind. “I’ve never been able to get the two of you on the same page about a damn thing- not a project, subject or even a restaurant choice. Maybe this is what the two of you need, a project you can work together on toward a common goal in order to stop this stupid rivalry.” Michael crossed his arms and looked us both over. Once Michael had made up his mind, it was hard to get him to back off. Michael stood up, holding out a hand for Kat to help her up.“I’ll have my assistant, Delia, pull something together and send it over to both of your offices in the morning.” Pierce and I both groaned as Kat took her father’s arm as they turned to leave. Then suddenly, Kat looked over her shoulder, winking in our direction. I leaned back on the couch, realizing I had just been bested and overruled by a twenty-two-year-old. A girl I had watched grow up from a teeny tiny thing, into a curvaceous force to be reckoned with. I looked over to Pierce, who had a similar look of defeat on his face. Frowning, he got up cursing all the way as he stalked out of the room, leaving me by my lonesome to finish my drink. As I sat there, staring into the embers of the ornate fireplace to my right, I agonized over what I had gotten myself into. Not only would I be working with the one man I hated more than anyone else on the planet, that I already had to tolerate because of Michael, I would be working with Kat Grace. The woman who haunted my dreams and fantasies, but a woman I could never have. I could never do that to Michael. It would be the ultimate betrayal to chase after the man’s daughter, especially since he had been my best friend going on twenty-five years. I was able to stave off my lust for Kat most days, but having to work so closely with her? That was going to be a major challenge. It would be a huge test of my strength, integrity and fortitude. After I finished my whiskey, I slowly made my way out of the bar, and outside to my silver Lexus. Making my way down the long, tree lined driveway, I cranked the music as I made my way to the family mansion. The old garden district relic had been in my family for over a century, still standing tall and as beautiful as the day it was built, thanks to me. I owned many a mansion and property, but the family mansion was the crown jewel in my empire, the apple of my eye. As I drove, I thought about Kat’s words about it being important to give back to the community, to help the poor. Most people looked at me, a man coming from old money, assuming that I have had every opportunity handed to me. But even if they didn’t know better, mostly due to my own sense of pride…I did. If not for me and my bold handlings of the of the remainder of our family’s fortune, I would have been dirt poor and out on the street, begging for change myself. I may have come from old money, but I made myself and my empire from crumbs left by my family. It was only because of me that the Price family was richer and more powerful than ever before. The only problem was… it was just me now. Due to all my hard work and dedication, I hadn’t anytime for relationships or marriage, let alone children. I had single handedly saved our families honor and fortune and how did my family repay me? Taking some of my fortune and running with it, off to Greece with hardly a word to me except when they needed more funds.
Their insensitivity, and cold and callous ways seemed like a harpoon to the heart, especially with all the fundraising I had done for my mother’s condition. I guess they were of the old mentality of being owed something, all because they had given me life. A mentality that never set right with me, especially since neither of them had lifted a finger to help, never dirtied their hands to regain our place in society. The were greedy old fools. But still, without them here now, the mansion seemed hauntingly lonely. At 40 years old, I craved a wife and family to come home to. I would sit there at night and imagine Kat, running around with little ones as I cooked holiday dinner for us all, the fireplace lit, and the stocking hung on the mantle with care. The Christmas tree lit up, presents abound, a toy train rounding the tree skirt and whistling every so often. The perfect life. Not these halls, echoing back to me of a family that once was growing up. As I entered my big empty mansion, filled to the brim with expensive things, I felt so empty…especially around the holidays. It was such a pity that I couldn’t go after Kat, who I truly felt could complete me and cure the loneliness that dwelled in my heart. For a moment I thought about asking her father for her hand and chuckled it off. I would just have to be careful and on my best behavior while we worked together, no matter how much my heart and body yearned for more.

  4

  Kat (Wednesday)

  As I walked into my father’s office, adorned with pictures of himself in different countries helping others, as well as art pieces from places all over the globe, I felt a reignited sense of purpose in the world. I had impressed daddy with my negotiation skills and take no shit attitude, which he had praised me for on the car ride home last night. I felt proud of myself, making those two hunks fall all over themselves, only to possibly bring together an amazing project. I felt so confident, able to put those men in their places and seal the deal before either of them even knew what hit them. It had been so easy and satisfying. Daddy had said if I kept it up, I might steal his seat from him some day, and that I had a promising future. It all felt so validating and amazing to hear him say that. I hadn’t always been the perfect child, but I hoped now that I was a college grad with an education on the working behind the scenes under my belt, I could be a huge asset to the family business. I approached the desk sitting in the lobby, Delia, my father’s assistant sitting diligently at her perch. She looked up from her computer, a surprised look on her face. It was very rare for me to show up to my father’s office, especially unannounced. I would call most times and ask to talk to him, rather than show up at the office.“He’s not in, Kat.” Delia eyed me suspiciously. Usually the only reason I came all the way down to my father’s office was for two reasons: money or I needed his help. “Oh! I’m not here to see my father, I am here to see you!” I smiled sweetly. Delia raised an eyebrow at me and looked back to her computer. She was typing up something, and it was apparent I had interrupted her. “And what exactly can I help you with, Miss Grace?”“Well, I am here to follow up on the affordable housing development project my father, Mister Price, Mister Brandon and I are working on. I was wondering if we have made any headway with it.” Delia looked me up and down, as if she had seen a ghost or a two headed monster. “I want to start meeting with realtors about property acquisition next week.”“Your father only just informed me about it a few hours ago, so I haven’t had a chance to make any calls or put together a proposal, it takes time.” She paused, expecting a punchline of some sort, narrowing her eyes at me “Is this a practical joke? You are going to work on the project too?”“Yep! Actually, I kinda spearheaded the idea to life. Ollie was talking about creating some developments downtown and threw around the idea of creating some luxury apartments down there, trying to take advantage of some low-income housing tax thing. Then Pierce mentioned that the tax write off he was trying to take advantage of didn’t apply to creating homes for the wealthy.” Delia nodded, typing away at her computer. “So, I suggested he use the space for an actual project to help the less fortunate, Daddy agreed and I pushed for it. And so, now here we are.”“Mmhmm…” Delia looked up from her computer, a smirk on her face. “So why, exactly are you interested in doing this now? This usually isn’t your thing.”“Well, it is the holiday season, Delia!” I shrugged my shoulders, “What better time than now than to begin a project to give back to the community.”“Is it going to be like last Christmas when you tried to give back by being the designated driver for a party bus, ended up by the Mississippi River, cause property damage, and getting into trouble trying to break up a drunken frat boy brawl that ended in three boys going to the emergency room?” She laughed. I groaned, I loved Delia to death, but she could be a bit harsh sometimes, but her heart was usually in the right place. “No, Delia, it’s not like that.”I assured her, rolling my eyes.“It better not be, young lady” Delia pointed a finger at me, getting up and going to her filing cabinet. “It’s about time you grew the hell up and start doing something with your life.” She shuffled around in the cabinet, pulling a few file folders, and pushed it gently closed. “Your father isn’t always going to be around you know.” I wasn’t thrilled about the lecture, but I couldn’t expect less from Miss Delia. She had been Daddy’s secretary as long as I could remember and was practically family. She was always trying to keep me on the straight and narrow, encouraging me to do well in school and make something of myself. I couldn’t help it that I seemed to attract trouble, kind of like how a vinyl record store attracted flocks of hipsters. “Listen, I promise this is truly a legit project, and I really want to see it succeed.” I gave Delia my best puppy dog eyes I could muster. It was my secret weapon against, her. I even threw a good pout in for measure. “I didn’t work four long and hard years on my bachelor’s degree to sit on it. And if I do really well with this and show daddy how serious I am? I could really make a name for myself in the company.” I put my hands into a position of prayer and bowed my head to her, desperate for her prompt help. “Please put this on the top of your to-do list, Miss Delia?” She looked at me for a few moments and then pretended to have a tantrum, giggling. “Alright, alright, I’ll look into the non-profits in the area and see if there are any that have wish lists of affordable housing plans. I’ll try to have something pulled together by the end of the week.” Miss Delia’s usual snarky attitude was momentarily replaced by a warm smile. It seemed as though the holiday spirit was hitting her too. But then, like the wind, the moment passed. “Just don’t make me regret this. I’ll give you all the things you need to head this project, as long as you promise you’ll stay out of trouble and do right by these people you’re trying to help” She sighed, going through her rolodex to start making calls.“I promise you won’t regret this! Thank you so much Delia you are a life saver!”“Yeah, yeah!” She said, chuckling and waving me off as she picked up the phone to call the first person on her list. As I turned to leave, I realized I was almost late for my lunch date in the Warehouse District with my best friend Elle. I ran towards the elevators as fast as my heels would allow and made my way out of the building and out to my car. I felt really good about the project. College had changed me for the better. Before college I had been a very selfish little girl, but college turned me into a gentler and kinder woman. My father had constantly tried to instill good values in me my whole life, but my mother was kind of a brat herself, and a lot of her rubbed off on me seeing as how daddy was busy a lot with business. But as I went to college, meeting people of all different backgrounds, it finally seemed to click.There were people, not just in Louisiana, that we as a huge company could help. Many rich folks just sat on their fortunes, stockpiling it and being greedy little gremlins. But men like my father, and soon women like me, who had money should be doing more to help better the world with their fortunes. Besides, humanities had its rewards tax wise, so it wasn’t like we were really losing out. And with our company’s billionaire status? We could shell out a bunch of money and never miss it one bit. We lived comfortably, we had everything we wanted and needed, and it bothered me to kno
w that other people had to struggle so hard just to put food on the table, even here in the ‘land of plenty’.

  I arrived at this amazing Asian restaurant Elle and I liked to frequent on 28th about twenty minutes late, met her annoyed frown of disapproval. I was horrible at time management, and it was something that I really needed to work at, especially now. Now I had a job, and a real purpose, and I couldn’t let Delia or the people we would be helping down. “I’m so sorry! I got caught up with a thing.” I was sure Elle wouldn’t be interested in hearing about my humanitarian project. She was the epitome of brat, but I loved her to pieces. She was my partner in crime after all, and a complete princess- living right up to her namesake of Robard, a family of royal descendants. She had the palest, alabaster skin, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. She reminded me a bit like a black-haired Princess Diana. “A thing? Where were you? Spill the tea!” She said, picking up her teacup ironically, taking a sip and putting it back down. I grabbed the tea kettle sitting in the middle of the table and poured myself a cup. “Well, if you really must know, I was at my dad’s office.” I smiled, sipping my tea. It was too bitter, so I took a cream and some sugar and doctored it up a bit. “Ew.”Elle made a face, picking up her menu and looking it over.“I was there on purpose, silly.” I laughed, picking up my own menu and looking at what they had for specials today. I frowned as I found nothing of interest, settling on California rolls, veggie lo Mein, and a set of crab rangoons. “I am working on a project.”“A project?” Elle giggled, “What kind of project could you possibly be working on? Your dad’s no fashion designer or is running a liquor business.” She snorted at her own joke, and for a moment, I felt very annoyed with her. I wondered if I had been this snooty once upon a time. “Yeah, I am working on a philanthropic project with Ollie, Pierce and my father and I pushed for it, actually.” I unfolded my cloth napkin and set it on my lap. “You mean hot and hotter?” Elle gasped, slapping her menu down on the table. I nodded, giving a mischievous little smile. I sat for a moment, trying to figure out which one was which, but I couldn’t pick myself. They were both so attractive as all get out- Pierce with his dark hair and ice blue eyes, with that thick and sexy Brooklyn accent of his that made me swoon. Ollie having that gorgeous, panty melting southern drawl of his. He was a dark blonde, and his hazel eyes were rich and beautiful, you could get easily lost in them. Both of them were major alphas, with hot bodies, always shown off whether they knew it or not in those tailored suits of theirs. “Wait,” I mused, “Which one is ‘hot’ and which one is ‘hotter’?”“Does it really matter? They’re both hot as fuck and complete silver foxes.” I could almost see the drool come slithering out of the corner of her mouth as she thought about them. After a few minutes of sailing in outer space, she returned to earth. “But, you? Working?” She asked, confused. “You don’t need to work. Your dad is filthy rich.” The waiter came by and took our orders, running off quickly to get them to the chef. We were a known pair around here, and sadly, Elle had a bit of a reputation for being picky and impatient. “Yeah! I mean, I figure why not?” I nodded. “I mean I went to school for four years and headed at the top of my class, despite all my ridiculous debauchery. I might as well use my bachelor’s degree for something constructive. And what is more constructive than giving back to the community? Helping your fellow humans who need help? Plus, this way I get some good practice in my field.”“You’re not Mother Theresa, Kat, you’re not working with a bunch of lepers.” Elle rolled her eyes, “You are working with two sexy as hell billionaires, and your father to help low income folks in Louisiana.” “That’s just an added bonus,” I sighed. “I would look into doing something like this, with or without their help.”“I’ll be wicked disappointed in you if you don’t at least flirt with them!” Elle laughed as our food made its way to the table, the waiter sweating nervously, waiting for her to complain. “I’ll do just about anything for charity,” I giggled, winking at her as I dug into my food. I was famished as all get out and the California rolls hit the spot. Elle snorted, taking a bite of her food. She smiled, and the waiter breathed a sigh of relief, taking off to take care of another table.