by Sienna Ciles
One of the men who happened to be at the stall was an old friend of Ellen's, a guy a little older than us who had been close friends with her older brother for many years. The guy was short, slim, and kinda mousey-looking but he had a friendly face and eyes that you could trust.
“Hi,” he said, extending a hand to me. “I'm Phil Gass. It's a pleasure to meet you. Ellen has told me a lot about you.”
“Mandy Benson. Very pleased to meet you, too, Phil.”
We talked for a while about the fact that the company he worked for needed a new marketing director, someone who was very up to date with the latest in social media marketing. Fortunately for me, I had been following social media marketing trends for years now, and it was an area in which I was very confident. Phil and I had discussed a few possible strategies for marketing some of their latest investment products to the target audience they hoped to reach, and I could tell that he was impressed with my ideas and my vision.
I had brought my resume along, and when Phil had looked through it I had been able to tell right away that he was impressed.
“Well, I'll pass this on to the CEO tomorrow morning,” he had said with a smile. “He was supposed to be here tonight, and you could have met him in person, but something came up. Don't worry though, it really does sound like you're exactly the type of person we're looking for. You've got the skills, you've got the experience, and I totally love your ideas for how to market the new product. I'll give you a call in the morning though, after I've discussed this with the CEO, to confirm.”
I did everything in my power to hide the excitement that ripped through me like beautiful lightning, and somehow, I did.
“Thanks, so much, Phil,” I said politely and calmly. “I look forward to hearing from you.”
Afterward, I ran up to Ellen and gave her a huge hug. “I got the job! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”
“You got it for sure?” she asked, delighted.
“Yeah, it sounds like it's a sure thing. Almost a sure thing.”
“Well, then, my work here is done. Come on, let's go out and have some drinks to celebrate! I don't have to work tomorrow, and you're unemployed! Not for much longer, maybe, so let's enjoy this little bit of freedom we both have while it lasts, huh?”
“Let's do it.”
We had left the convention and headed on to a nearby club. I didn't usually go out to clubs but hey, this was an occasion that called for a celebration. Getting a job in a company like this one meant a great deal, and it was really going to provide me with a host of opportunities that I really wouldn't have previously had access to.
We started the club night off with some cocktails. I had a Long Island Iced Tea because, well, why not? The bartender made it strong though, really strong, and soon I was giggling and dancing and shaking my booty to the beat.
And that was when I met Kain.
He sauntered onto the dancefloor, loosely gripping a glass of whiskey on the rocks in his right hand and snapping the fingers of his left in perfect time to the beat. He moved with a confident swagger, and I was struck by how piercing his eyes were, bright under the colorful lights of the dancefloor.
As soon as he and I made eye contact, I knew something was going to happen. This wasn't just been a “oh, I find you attractive and you also seem to find me attractive” moment. Oh, no, it was far more than that. A powerful, blazing spark shot through the air between us, and a seemingly magnetic force forced us together on the dancefloor.
The way he moved his body made me certain he had a good dose of fiery Latin blood in him, even though he looked completely Caucasian. He was obviously a skilled dancer and moved in a way that just oozed confidence. Not in an obnoxious, arrogant way but in a way that told me that this was a man who was aware of his own strength and power, and was comfortable with using them when he needed to – or wanted to.
We danced, there were more drinks, and then the tequila shots, which had obliterated any last iota of self-restraint or inhibitions I may have been harboring up to that point. Ellen's boyfriend Chris had come to pick us up sometime around midnight, and that was when I asked this amazing, sexy man if he wanted to come back to my place.
A bold move, and something that I usually would never do but like I said, this guy ignited something of a fire within me. There was just such a powerful attraction and connection that I just hadn't been able to resist.
We made love with the kind of passion on only ever reads about in novels or sees in movies. He was one of the best I'd ever had, if not the best. But then we talked. We talked a lot.
And now I was starting to remember some of the stuff we had talked about. Yeah, it was all coming back to me quite clearly now. I had been pretty drunk but I could remember some things. Most things, I think.
He’d said he was in charge of a company. Hadn't said which one though. It had sounded, though, as if it had been something that he really hadn't been that interested in. But nonetheless, he had divulged some pretty interesting details, if that was the right word. I remember him saying that he was thinking of laying off a bunch of people, and also planning to sell a large portion of the company to investors. That, apparently, had been a secret that he had never told anyone. It was probably a good thing I didn't know exactly who he was, because I figured with this kind of information I could probably do some considerable damage to his company. Of course, I would never do something like that but seriously, that was the kind of information that could totally sink a company, or get someone fired. I had to wonder why he had confided such things in me.
There had also been something else. A big secret, he had said. Something about his older brother, something intense. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was now. I do remember him being very emotional about it though. It had seemed to be more important to him than anything else he had just told me.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts.
I picked it up, and my heart started to beat a little faster.
“Hi, Mandy,” said the voice on the other end. “This is Phil from last night at the convention.”
“Hi, Phil, great to hear from you.”
“So, about that job...”
Chapter 4
Kain
I trudged out of the apartment building, still feeling a little wounded because Mandy didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me. I mean, we had both known what we were getting into when I went home with her. It wasn't as if either of us had planned for it to be anything more than a simple one-night stand and a bit of fun.
And sure, we'd had sex, a few times throughout the night. And it had been fantastic sex; she had been hot and passionate, and that killer curvy body of hers really got my motor revving. But then there had been the talking, the opening up, the outpouring of stuff that I really hadn't told anyone.
I stopped in my tracks as a recollection of what I had said to her the previous night suddenly popped into my head.
Man, had I really said all that stuff? I had definitely told her about the business and how I was thinking of laying a couple of people off and possibly selling off a large portion of the company to investors. I distinctly remembered telling her about my heart just not really being in it.
And yeah, those were pretty big secrets but I couldn't help but wonder – and worry, slightly – whether I'd told her my biggest secret. The one about my brother.
That really managed to shoot a barbed dart of worry into me. That was big stuff right there, stuff nobody knew. Damn it, I wish I could remember! The details of what I had said to her last night were fuzzy in my mind. I had certainly had far too much whiskey for my own good.
Still, even if I had told her, it wasn't as if she knew who I was. She knew my first name and that I was thirty-three years old but that was about it. I hadn't told her my last name, or where I worked. Or... had I? No, no, I was fuzzy about a lot of the stuff I had said last night but I knew that much for sure. So, I figured I was pretty safe.
I stopped o
n the sidewalk, looking up and down the street for my Porsche, and a stab of panic hit me when I realized that it wasn't there. Then the panic gave way to relief when I realized that it wasn't there because we had taken a cab here last night, and that I had taken a cab to the club as well, so my car was safe and sound at home.
Just then my phone rang. I pulled it out and groaned as I saw that it was my father again. I had told him I was on my way. What more did he want?
“Hi, Dad,” I said flatly as I answered the call.
“Kain, are you on your way?”
“Yeah, I am, I already told you.”
“You'd better not be smelling of whiskey and cigarettes when you get here.”
His voice was stern and serious.
“In that case, you might be disappointed,” I replied.
“Come on, son. You know that you need to be acting with a bit more responsibility with what's going to happen at the company. Especially with what's about to happen. You can't keep acting like a college freshman. Those shoulders of yours need to be ready to carry the weight of a very serious responsibility, and you can't do that if you're going all around town living the lifestyle of some damned playboy.”
I sighed and shook my head. “I know, Dad, I know. And haven't I already demonstrated that I can handle my responsibilities? Haven't I already proved myself to be not only capable and reliable but pretty damn exceptional, if I don't say so myself?”
“You are a man of rare talent, my boy, and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. I just don't think that burning the candle at both ends is going to be good for you, especially when you take on all the extra responsibilities that this position entails. You need a good night's sleep and a sober mind, every day, to be able to properly handle all of this.”
“I understand that. And look, it's not like I'm doing this every night, is it? I just need to cut loose sometimes.”
“Just don't make a habit out of it like you did before.”
I sighed again. “I'm not twenty-three years old anymore, Dad. That was ten years ago. And people are allowed to act out a little in their early twenties, all right? And hey, it wasn't as if I ended up in prison or anything like that.”
“You almost did though, my boy. Don't forget that.”
My patience had just about run out. I really didn't feel like talking about all this stuff right now, not while I was feeling dehydrated, tired, and hungover.
“All right, all right. Look, don't worry about me, everything is under control. I'll see you shortly.”
“Okay, Kain. I'll see you in a few minutes. Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
I hailed a taxi and got in and mumbled the address to my dad's company and then dozed off in the backseat, knowing that the ride would take around twenty-five to thirty minutes.
It seemed like I had just closed my eyes when I felt the taxi driver shaking my arm.
“Mister,” he said in a voice that was heavy with a Latin American accent. “Wake up, mister, we are here.”
I groaned, rubbed my eyes, hauled out my wallet, and stuffed a few crumpled bills into his hand and got out.
“Hey, wait, mister,” he called out as I walked away. “Your change is twenty-three dollars.”
“Keep it, buddy!” I called out over my shoulder as I strode into the building.
“Morning, Mr. Williams, sir,” said the receptionist as I walked in.
“Morning, Wendy,” I replied.
“Out late last night?” she asked with a wink and a smile.
“What gave it away?” I asked, returning her wink. “I'm going up to see my dad. See you later.”
“He's in a bit of a mood today, Kain,” she warned.
“I know,” I replied. “He and I have already spoken on the phone.”
I got into the elevator and headed up to the top floor, where my dad's office was. I walked straight past his PA, who was typing something up on her computer. We acknowledged one another's presence with a brief nod but not much else. I didn't quite have the same rapport with her as I did with Wendy downstairs; I guess because Wendy was a lot closer to my age, whereas Mildred, my dad's PA, was a lot closer to his.
The door was open, and he was sitting at his desk poring over some papers. I walked in, and it took a few moments for him to notice me.
“I think I smelled you before I saw you,” he muttered. “Sit down.”
I took a seat across from him, and he finally looked up from his papers.
“Now, as you know, a lot of changes are about to happen in this company,” he said sternly. “And there's a lot that you and I need to discuss, so I hope that you're able to pay proper attention over the next few hours.”
“I am, don't worry. Can I just get a coffee though? I could use a bit of caffeine to perk me up about now.”
“I'll bet you could. All right, tell Mildred what you want and she'll make sure it's here, piping hot, in a few minutes.”
He dialed Mildred from the phone on his desk and then handed the receiver to me. I told her what I was after, and she assured me it would be here shortly.
“All right, while you wait for that, I can at least tell you about one important order of business,” my dad said. “As you know, I fired our marketing director. Phil, however, happened to find me a new one, and he was pretty fast about it. I had a look at this girl's resume—”
“It's a girl, huh?” I remarked with a wolfish grin.
He stared at me, narrowing his eyes. “Yeah, it is, and don't you get any ideas about her now, you hear?”
“Relax, Dad, I'm kidding. Go on.”
“It's no time for kidding,” he remonstrated sternly. “Anyway, I've already forgotten the young lady's name, I suppose because of all the other information I'm trying to juggle in this tired old brain of mine, but I've decided to hire her. She comes with fantastic recommendations and a resume that's perfect for what we need, especially considering the direction in which we're looking to expand.”
“All right.”
“So, you're fine with that?”
“It's fine by me. We really needed a new marketing director, and if you've managed to find one who fits, that's perfect.”
“Good. Well, let's move on to the next issue then...”
I finished up the meeting around four hours later, and by that stage was feeling pretty damn exhausted. The coffee had perked me up for a while but after the effects of the caffeine wore off, I really felt like I was crashing hard.
I told my dad I'd be heading out and relaxing. He didn't look too happy but couldn't really say much as I'd already taken care of pretty much everything I needed to take care of the day before. I'd put in some very long, hard hours the previous day precisely because I had wanted to go out late and cut loose. See, Dad? I'm not totally irresponsible.
“Remember, I want you at the company conference two hours early tomorrow night,” said my dad as I was leaving. “We'll have more stuff to discuss then.”
“Don't worry, I'll be right on time. I always am.”
He nodded grudgingly. He didn't approve of my partying but I never let it interfere with my work or make me late or anything, so there really wasn't that much he could actually say about it.
“Yeah, you are,” he said reluctantly. “Well, go on then, get outta here. I'll see you at the conference.”
I headed out and figured that I needed a decent meal to get my energy levels up and to fight off what remained of the hangover. I stopped a cab and directed the driver to an Indian restaurant I always enjoyed.
I walked in, and to my surprise, saw a good buddy of mine, Jake Davis, sitting at one of the tables. Jake and I had been close friends from the time we were in elementary school together.
“Hey, man!” Jake said with a grin, calling out to me as soon as he saw me. “Perfect timing! Looks like the universe has brought us together. Come on over, buddy, pull up a chair.”
I walked on over and sat down at his table. “Hey, Jake, how's life treating you?”
H
e nodded, smiling. “It's all good, man, it's all good! Whew, no offense, bro, but you're smelling a little like a whiskey bar!”
I chuckled. “I had a bit of a night out last night.”
“And you didn't manage to fit in a shower and a change of clothes between last night and now? It's already pretty late into the afternoon you know.”
I shrugged. “I haven't been home since yesterday.”
He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow with mock severity. “Now, now, Kain, didn't we talk about not sleeping on the sidewalk?”
We both chuckled.
“All right, seriously though, buddy, where did you end up sleeping?”
“Take a wild guess,” I said with a wolfish grin.
He nodded knowingly, smiling. “Ah, I see. So, who was she? Did you at least get a name?”
I nodded. “Mandy. Took me forever to remember it though, as easy a name as it is. I was pretty wasted last night, ya know.”
“And what happened when you woke up this morning and the beer goggles had disappeared? Was it a 'regret and run' or did you find that she was actually still a hottie?”
“Oh, she was a hottie, man, and I'm not lying about that. No beer goggles involved, bud! No, she was a solid ten.”
“A ten?! Whatever, man!”
“In my eyes, she was.”
He nodded. “Well, sounds like you had a great time, even if it did mean you had to stink like an unwashed bar the next day.”
A waiter came over, interrupting our conversation. I ordered my favorite meal and Jake did as well.
“So, you had a good time with this mystery girl huh?” he asked when the waiter left.
“A great time, yeah.”
“But you're never gonna see her again.”
I shook my head and sighed. “I guess not, no.”
Suddenly, he locked a piercing stare into my eyes. “Don't you get tired of it, Kain?”
“Tired of it?”
“You know. Just going out and drinking and partying, and having one-night stands, and then never seeing these girls again. I mean, sure, I can see the appeal in it. It's what I used to do, too. And sure, you're rich, powerful, and good-looking enough to be pulling serious model-class girls. But don't you find yourself wanting something a little more fulfilling and stable than all these one-night stands and this casual sex?”
