Egotistical Executive: A Hero Club Novel

by K. L. Humphreys

  I lean my head against the headrest. "The asshole forgot to book a hotel."

  "What the hell? We asked him that shit. How on earth do you forget to book a hotel?"

  I take a deep breath before my anger begins to rise again. "That's what I'd like to know. So when I got to the Juleon Hotel, imagine my surprise when not only do I not have a booking, they're fully booked."

  "Oh shit bro, where are you going to stay now?" I'm pretty sure I hear laughter in his voice.

  "Next time we have to deal with Conrad, it's your turn," I say through clenched teeth, pissed at how fucking shit this day is. I have absolutely no hope for tomorrow either.

  "Fine, whatever," he says resigned. "Do you need anything?"

  "No, I'm fine. I've booked into another hotel, just a few blocks away. Once this meeting is finished tomorrow, I'm getting the hell out of Dodge."

  This time he doesn't even try to hide his laughter. "When is your flight home?"

  "Sunday morning." I'm counting down the hours already. "I've got forty-two hours in Los Angeles before my flight leaves.

  "Okay, call me if you need anything."

  The taxi driver pulls up outside the hotel and I finally start to relax somewhat. "Yeah, I will. Talk to you later." I end the call and pay the driver.

  Climbing out of the taxi, I reach for the only things that I have left. My laptop and my briefcase. They were my carry-on bags. I should have done what I had intended and forgone the briefcase or put my laptop in a carry-on luggage, instead I listened to fucking Rhys and packed my suitcase and it went into the cargo hold. Now, I'm without clothes. Just what I need.

  I check-in to the hotel, the receptionist is young, in her early twenties I'd say, if that. "Ma'am, do you know where the nearest tailors are?" I need a suit and I need a good one. I don't wear cheap knock offs or secondhand. I need the very best.

  The receptionist looks at me as though she'd never heard of a tailor. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't. Would you like me to find out for you?" Her voice is soft and hesitant.

  "No, thank you. I'll just Google it." I hear her gasp as I turn and walk toward the elevator, still pissed at how fucked up this day has been.

  Two hours later and I've purchased two suits, one for tomorrow and one for Sunday. I've also had to buy some boxers and a new carry on suitcase. I have no faith in the airline finding my luggage so I'm going to need something to bring back with me, and this time I'm doing what I had intended on doing in the first place.

  "Mr. Egan, will you be dining with us this evening?" The hostess asks as I walk into the hotel restaurant.

  "Yes."

  A bright smile lights up her face. "Wonderful, just a table for one, sir?" I nod, "Please follow me," she instructs as she reaches for a menu and walks ahead of me, passing all of the diners and toward a table near the back of the restaurant.

  She rattles off the specials as I take a seat, "Can I get you something to drink, Mr Egan?"

  "I'll have a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon."

  She nods, "Certainly. I'll be back in a few moments."

  Just as the hostess leaves my line of sight, I bite back a groan when I see Conrad walking into the restaurant. Great, just what I need to top off a shitty day.

  "Eli, my man!" he says loudly as he walks toward me, he's wearing a grey suit with a salmon colored shirt and a bright blue tie. The man has no style whatsoever. "Eli, what are you doing here?"

  I raise by brow, is he for real? "What am I doing here? Tell me something Conrad, who organized this trip? Booked the flights and the hotel?"

  He takes a seat opposite me and laughs, "Brandon did. Had to give him something to do. He did great!" he says proudly.

  I inhale sharply, this is the douche that we're meant to be going into business with. "Great? Hmm?" I watch as his face falls. "He used a useless airline, my luggage is lost. He forgot to book me into the hotel where the conference is, hence why I'm having dinner here. So no, he didn't do great and Conrad if this is how you treat me when I'm not a business partner, I'd hate to see how you treat me if we do agree to a deal. What are you doing here anyway?"

  The cockiness he had when he strode in here has vanished, in its place is a pissed off looking Conrad. "That son-of-a-bitch!" he mutters angrily. "He had one job. One, and he can't even do that right. I’m here for personal reasons. I noticed you as I was walking past.”

  I don’t want to know what those personal reasons are, especially by that satisfied glint in his eye. "I'm not impressed, Conrad, not in the slightest."

  He holds his hands up, "I apologize, Eli. Had I known how much of a fuck up my son was going to be, I'd have never suggested him taking over from me when I retire."

  Now I'm surprised. "If you're going to leave him the business, you're going to have to show him the ropes." I know what Conrad is like, he does everything himself. He's never once had Brandon sit in on a meeting from what I've heard, Brandon's nothing more than a gopher.

  He looks at me as though I've lost my damn mind. "What?"

  "For him to be as good as you, he has to learn from you." What is it about that sentence that's hard to understand? He's staring at me as though what I've said was in another language.

  He sighs, "You're right, I guess it's time to teach him the ropes." He pulls out his cell.

  "Monday morning, you are to meet me at the office at eight am sharp." He doesn't wait for a response, just ends the call and throws his cell on the table. "What's good here? I'm starving."

  I shake my head, "I haven't had a chance to look at the menu yet."

  He smiles. "Excellent." He reaches for the menu that's on the table in front of me and begins to read through it.

  The waitress approaches with my glass of wine, she places it down in front of me and looks questioningly at Conrad.

  "I'll have the duck," he announces and smiles at her, "Oh, and I'll have whatever he's drinking."

  The waitress glances at me, "And for you, Mr. Egan?"

  "Steak, medium-rare." She nods and walks away, leaving me looking over at my dinner date for the evening. Just what I wanted, to spend the evening with him.

  "What are your thoughts to the business proposal I sent?" he questions, with an eager glint in his eye.

  "Jeez," I sigh, "you sent it to me less than twenty-four hours ago."

  He nods, "Yes, and I'm wanting to know your first impressions."

  I take a sip of wine, let him stew for a few moments. The coldness of the Cabernet Sauvignon hits the spot as it usually does.

  "It's a good proposal. A few tweaks here and there would make it great. There are no major changes needed."

  His eyes narrow. "But?"

  "But, I'm not sure how thought out it is. It seems out of the blue. You have no experience in brewing, you own hotels and retail." He's got his hand in every venture going.

  He nods, "That's true, but beer is a multi-billion dollar business."

  "If you get it right. It takes years to get to that point." I'm unsure as to what his vision is? Does he think this is a get rich quick scheme?

  "I know that this venture is a long-term plan. My proposal was a ten year plan."

  Good, he knows what he's getting into. That makes me less cautious. As we continue to chat the waitress places Conrad's drink in front of him. She returns a short moment later with our food placing it down in front of us.

  I glance at Conrad. "We'll see what tomorrow brings. Tonight we’ll enjoy a meal without talking business."

  He raises his glass. "Here's to a new venture."

  I lift mine and toast. "Maybe," I say with a smirk.

  "Fucker," he replies with a shake of his head, but he's smiling widely.

  Two hours later and I’m walking toward the nearest Starbucks, the coffee at the hotel is dismal to say the least. As soon as I walk into the store, the barista catches my eye, she’s absolutely gorgeous. She stands out like a sore thumb working here. She’s blonde, has a fantastic rack if the tightness of her t-shirt is anything to go by, and he
r smile just adds to her beauty. I can’t help but stare at her, she’s caught my attention unlike no other; I’m intrigued, my cock stirs in my pants letting me know that he wants her just as much as I do. I notice that the tables are being cleared and the lights are down low, they must be closing soon.

  “Hi, what can I get you?” Her velvety voice just adds to her sexiness.

  “Flat white,” I reply flashing her my smile, the one that never fails to make a woman go weak at their knees.

  She glares at me, her green eyes flashing with anger as she turns away and goes about getting me my coffee no doubt angered at my lack of manners. My cell buzzes and I reach into my pocket, it’s a text from Rhys.

  Beckett received the contract from Conrad, he’s reading through it as we speak. He’ll have it read by morning and let us know what he thinks.

  Damn, Conrad’s organized as hell; sending the contract to our attorney Beckett, he’s making a good impression so far. I quickly fire off a reply.

  Good, he’s impressed me, not that he’ll ever know that. Tomorrow’s judgement day, until then, no decision has been made.

  Someone clearing their throat gets my attention, turning to look at the barista she’s glaring at me again and I can’t help but smirk, the woman is unlike any other I’ve ever encountered before. She has me well and truly ensnared. “Flat white.” She smiles, albeit a strained smile.

  As I reach for the cup with my left hand I pass her a ten dollar bill with my right hand saying to keep the change.

  Her eyes narrow and she picks up a napkin and hands it to me. I start to turn away and I hear her mutter a, “You’re welcome,” under her breath.

  I glance at her with a raised brow and the cheeky minx smirks at me, “Have a wonderful evening, sir.” Her tone has a bite to it, even though she’s smiling from ear to ear. It makes my cock stir more. Her attitude is a hell of a turn on. Most of the women I've been with in the past have never shown such backbone. They’re all too eager to please me, to stay on my good side. I like that she’s not like this. Truthfully, I'm completely enthralled by her.

  “What time do you close?” I ask before I leave.

  She frowns, “We're actually closing now, is there something else you need?”

  I shake my head, “Nope, I have everything I need.” Relief shines in her eyes, “For now.” I smile as I exit the store, I take a couple of steps away from the door and wait.

  It doesn’t take long for the door to open, a woman walks out and waves goodbye, I stand against the wall and watch as the woman who served me locks up. When she’s finished, she turns and starts walking toward me, her body tenses as she spots me, the keys in her hand jingle slightly as she moves them so that the keys are between her fingers pointing out toward me. I’m impressed, the woman has great protective instincts.

  “Are you lost?” she questions with steel in her voice.

  I smile, “No, I was waiting on you.”

  She frowns, “Why?” There’s confusion in her voice.

  “Because I want you.”

  She scoffs, “Surreee.” She rolls her eyes and continues walking, “Look, mister, I’m not sure what game you’re playing but I want nothing to do with it.”

  I reach for her arm as she passes me, “I’m not playing any game.” I pull her toward me, her body crashes against mine. She feels good in my arms, she’ll feel even better when she’s beneath me. “It’s quite simple, I want one night.”

  Her tongue darts out as she licks her lips, her breasts pushed against my chest, the thump-thump of her vein tells me that she wants this. “I’m not a whore.”

  I pull her even closer to me, her eyes widen as she feels my cock against her stomach. “I never said you were, it’s two consenting adults, one night, nothing more.” My thumb caresses her lip, the soft plumpness begging to be kissed.

  Her breath deepens as her pupils dilate. I bend down and my lips brush against hers, “Come with me.”

  She takes a step backward, regret shining in her eyes, “Goodnight,” she says as she turns and walks away.

  I stand there in shock, this has never happened to me before. I’ve never been rebuffed by a woman. I shake my head, this woman is something else.

  I’m not down and out, tomorrow is a new day.

  4

  Mel

  I pull on my black jeans and yawn, it’s almost six thirty in the morning and I’m getting ready to go to work. I’m working at seven and I’m dragging today. I couldn’t sleep last night, I tossed and turned for most of the night. I’m worried about my mom, she’s been different the last few days and I’ve questioned her but she denies that anything is wrong. Whereas I know there is, she’s not ready to talk yet. I’ll be here when she is. Not only that, the mystery man has occupied more of my thoughts than he should.

  He was such an obnoxious jerk, but I can’t deny I’m attracted to him. The man is hot. Too bad he doesn’t have the personality to match his good looks. His proposal that I’d just sleep with him was insulting to say the least. I can’t even believe he asked it. Who does he think he is? Arrogant asshole. I don’t make a habit of falling into bed with total strangers and I’m not about to start with a man I really can’t stand.

  But I can’t deny when he touched me that I didn’t feel sparks. I can still feel him on me, the way his hands felt when he touched me, the hardness of his body as mine collided with his. The way his breath was hot against my skin. The feel of his cock against my stomach, but most of all I can still feel his lips slightly brushing against mine. It’s weird, I’ve never felt more sexy as I did in his arms.

  I hear footsteps outside my bedroom door and frown, both Zoe and Cass were home last night, and both are never up this early. Throwing on my tank top, pulling it down over the band of my jeans, I open my bedroom door and see Cass standing there, completely dressed. “Hey, Cass, everything okay?”

  She shrugs, “Yeah, just couldn’t sleep. Would you mind if I come to work with you? I need to get the assignment done and I know that if I’m here, it won’t happen.”

  I smile. She’s a huge procrastinator, if she stays home she’ll binge watch TV shows and get no work done. “Of course you can come with me. I’ll check on you while you’re there to make sure you’re actually working.”

  She sighs with relief, “Thank you. I know that you’ll help me stay focused.”

  “Definitely. I’ll be ready to leave in five.”

  She nods, “I’ll grab my laptop.” She turns and rushes to her bedroom.

  I make my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. This might wake me up a bit. Returning to my bedroom I quickly pull on my boots, and reach for my jacket. Cass’ footsteps sound again and I know that she’s waiting for me. Picking up my keys and cell off the bedside table I walk out into the hall and find Cass waiting for me. “Ready?” I ask as I reach her.

  She nods, “As I’ll ever be.” She’s nervous, the assignment is due on Monday, so she has to get it done this weekend. “Why do I always do this to myself?” She questions and I shrug, I have no idea why she always leaves things until the very last minute.

  “You’ll be fine. Have faith. You’ll finish it today. If not, I’ll help you tomorrow.”

  “I should have done it when you did yours,” she moans as we exit our apartment.

  I don’t say that I offered to help her when I was doing mine, that’ll just piss her off. I finished mine three weeks ago. I work weekends and some evenings, I know that if I don’t do my college work when I have the time, it’ll never get done. I’m anal about making sure it’s done as soon as it can be. My assignment took me almost two weeks to complete but it’s done.

  We step out of the apartment building and the cool air hits us. I pull my jacket tighter around me and cross my arms over my chest. “Sit in the corner and work, you’ll be fine and out of the way. It tends to get busy during the day,” I tell her as we start walking.

  She groans, “It’s Saturday, Mel, of course it’s going to be bu
sy.” She glances at me, “Did you speak to your mom?”

  I frown, I haven’t mentioned my suspicions to anyone. “I was talking to her last night. Why?” I called her after my interaction with the mystery guy, I was shaken and speaking to mom helped me calm down a bit. My calmness soon turned to worry as our conversation continued.

  She nibbles on her bottom lip before glancing at the ground, “Is she okay?”

  Okay, so I’m not going crazy. Something isn’t right. “What do you mean?” I ask, playing dumb.

  She shrugs, “I can’t really pinpoint it. She’s different. She was in the apartment the other day and she just sat there staring into space. I’d ask her a question and she didn’t even register that I was talking to her.” She shakes her head, “Maybe I’m overreacting.”

  No, she definitely isn’t. “I’ll talk to her, see what’s going on.”

  She looks relieved. “Thanks.”

  My cell buzzes and I reach into my pocket and pull it out. It’s a message from Aubrey.

  Hey Mel. Want to come for dinner? Chance is cooking.

  I smile, I love having dinner with Aubrey and Chance, we tend to do it once a month. Sometimes Chance’s sister Adele comes, if she’s in town. I love Adele, she’s very similar to Chance, just not as loud. I quickly respond.

  Oh, now that’s an offer I’d hate to refuse. I’m working today, can I let you know later?

  She doesn’t take too long to reply.

  Of course, if you can’t do it tonight, we’ll reschedule for next week?

  That sounds perfect. Thanks Aubrey! I’ll let you know once I’m finished at work.

  “Everything okay?” Cass asks me with a frown.

  I nod, “Yeah, Aubrey asked me if I wanted to go to their house for dinner tonight.”

  She smiles. “You’re going right?”

  I shrug, “I’m not sure, depends on how today goes.” Sometimes I’ll finish work and need to go home and sleep. It’s what I’m thinking today will be like, I’m tired already due to lack of sleep and it’s Saturday, it’s a recipe for disaster.