by Nella Tyler
“Right.” I nodded and leaned across the table. I may not have always shown it, but I was damn proud of the baby I had built with Nathan. “M&D is a tech company that creates apps for young, working couples.”
“Care to elaborate. What kind of apps are we talking about?”
“Primarily we serve couples,” I said. “For example, the app that first put us on the map as a company with staying power was Daycare. Simple name, but a somewhat complex premise.”
“I’m listening.” She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and crossed her arms.
“Daycare first began when Uber and Lyft were becoming popular. What we did was create an affordable, crowdsourced alternative to typical daycare programs. Basically, it allows anyone without a criminal record to offer their time and homes to busy working parents.”
“I don’t know about that.” She frowned and glared at me. “How could people put their trust in these complete strangers?”
“There’s a long vetting process. That same vetting process almost bankrupted the company before we ever found our footing. Basically, it required a lot of cash investment at the forefront, to create a system and then use that system to vet candidates before the app even went live. Typically, it takes between two and four weeks for an applicant to be screened, which includes home visits, background checks, relative and neighbor interviews, and the likes.”
Her eyes seemed to widen at all the work that went into vetting applicants for the Daycare app. “That’s a lot of work.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “But that’s what sets our company apart from most others. We go the extra mile to offer apps that are affordable, safe, and complex. For the most part, we don’t build apps that are easy. We build apps that have real-world usage, and we pour millions into our apps before launch.”
“I must admit, I did a little bit of research before I met you today.”
“Did you?” I cocked my head at her. Normally, I’d do the same, but I had been so distracted lately that it didn’t even cross my mind. “That’s kind of creepy,” I accused with a light laugh.
“You say you create these complex machines, but I noticed that you also invest in celebrity-sponsored apps with seemingly no real-world purpose other than to pass time that is better spent elsewise.”
“Really?” I pursed my lips but welcomed her challenge. “I’m in the business of making money. When these celebrities come to us, it’s true that they’re not usually offering anything worthwhile, but those apps help pay for the bottom line of more important and useful apps, such as Digital Envy.”
“Digital Envy? What’s that?”
“It’s an app that we’re secretly developing right now to rival other small-scale investment apps for young working adults who might not have the opportunities, time, or know-how for investing.”
“Interesting,” she mused. “I hadn’t heard of this app before.”
“That’s because it hasn’t been announced yet,” I leaned across the table. “So don’t go around town talking me and the app up, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah.” Her lips curled into a smile. “I think I know what you mean.”
“Good.” I recoiled back into my seat and watched her with careful eyes.
“So, since I’m from out of town—”
“My father didn’t tell me that.”
“Yeah, I belong to the other coast. Anyways, I’d love to see the town and I’d love if you were the one to show me.”
“Sure.” I smiled. “What about tomorrow night.”
“That sounds perfect. Are you sure you can handle me?”
“Trust me.” I wagged my finger at her with a grin. “I can handle just about anything.”
“I don’t know about that.” She shook her head gently. “East Coast girls are notoriously tough.”
“Trust me, I know. I graduated Harvard, remember.”
“Touché.” She drew a finger to her lip. “I bet I know a few of your ex-girlfriends.”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I didn’t really date in college. I was too busy building this life for myself.”
“No girlfriends at all?” She cocked her brow. “Like, at all?”
“None that lasted more than one night.”
“So… you’re a player?”
“I don’t know what I am.” I shrugged. “All I know is that I’ll be taking a stunning young woman out on the town tomorrow, and for tomorrow, you’re going to be my girl."
“Well, let’s not get carried away, Mr. Markham.”
“I see my reputation doesn’t precede me?”
“What do you mean?” she inquired with a slight cock of her head.
“I mean,” I leaned across the table again, with the intent that she could feel the warmth of my breath against her flesh, “I mean that I always get what I want.”
“So do I.”
I sat back in my chair and admired her tenacity. She sure as hell had no problem in going toe to toe to me, and it looked like I had finally found my match. But a part of me, no matter how small or big, wished that she was Lindsay. I wished that I was at lunch with her instead, even though I knew nothing could become of the odd relationship I was building with that girl. But still… her beauty was more wholesome, less manufactured, and more simplistic. Lindsay was more open and far more stunning when it came to her personality. She wasn’t hard around the edges like Sarah seemed to be. She had this certain innocence that was next to impossible to come by and that lured me in, and I have no idea why.
Sitting across from Sarah made me realize a few things. I wanted to know more about Lindsay at that exact moment with an intensity that couldn’t wait. However, I forced myself to close down those thoughts in my head. I forced myself to close down emotionally to make sure that didn’t happen. I didn’t have time for a relationship, and if my odd relationship with Lindsay were to progress any further, I knew she would want one—a relationship that is.
Every woman does.
Chapter Fourteen
Lindsay
Monday was fucking brutal. I was swathed with emotions from my multiple trysts with Caleb, as well as working late into the night on Lance’s project. It was well after two in the morning before I could force myself to sleep, and then staying asleep was a chore by itself.
As I snuggled under the covers dreading the Tuesday work day, my mind was still racked with the same problems as the night—or morning—before. There was a nagging sensation eating away at me. For some reason, I just had to talk to Caleb about the shit with Lance and the lack of numbers—that hadn’t even been ran yet—to support a rational decision. It was tearing me up, but after seeing the blonde woman waiting for him in his office, I just couldn’t bring myself to talk to him at all. Call it jealousy. Call it whatever, but I was annoyed and hurt for God knows what reason exactly. There was only one way I could ease the circus in my mind: I lowered my hand to my vagina and trailed my hand underneath the thin fabric of my panties. In that instance, I didn’t even need an active imagination. The memory of him the first time he was inside me was enough.
And just like that, I reached climax with two slick fingers inside my pussy. I convulsed on the bed as my toes dug into the soft sheets, and for the shortest of moments—until the ecstasy faded—I forgot about all my troubles and worries, forgot about the stress that Caleb brought me. Forgot about how I was one whisper away from being labeled the office tramp.
But as the aftershocks of orgasm faded, I found myself right where I was before. Except this time, it was really time to crawl out of bed and make my way into the office. And I was the furthest thing from happy about it. I almost called off but quickly remembered that this campaign had the potential to make or break me within the company.
# # #
The hot shower water ran down my back first and then my face. Behind closed eyes, I could feel the heat and steam unclogging my pores. It was some well-needed therapy, but there the thoughts were, still with me and haunting me. I couldn’t shake off the fact that I
wanted something more with Caleb, even if it was only just another roll in the hay. I made the decision while I stood under the showerhead that I’d go see him at lunch and talk everything over with him. We’d had had sex twice now. Surely he must’ve been willing to talk to me for a mere few minutes about business related things, and us related things.
# # #
The first thing I noticed when I got to work was that Caleb’s office door was closed. I wasn’t sure if he was inside, or if he was just running late like he habitually did. It didn’t really matter. I wasn’t going to move mountains just to speak to him, and in my mind, knocking on his door and waiting for permission to enter was like moving mountains.
I made my way to the front desk at the end of the hallway that separated the commoners—like myself—from the royalty—people like Caleb and Lance. Laura, his always perky secretary, was taking a phone call as I arrived. As I closed in on her, she narrowed her eyes at me, and then rolled them before hanging up the phone.
“If you’re looking for Mr. Markham—” she began, but I cut her off.
“How did you now?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and pursed her lips. “You just have that look.”
“That look?” I questioned, slightly annoyed at her obviously bitchy behavior. “Is he in his office?”
“Yes. In fact, he is.” She forced a smile that was as fake as an off-off-off-off-Broadway actor. “He’s going to be occupied all day, however, so if you need to speak with him, you’ll have to either check back tomorrow or schedule an appointment.”
Schedule an appointment? I thought to myself. “I’m not scheduling an appointment to see him.”
“What exactly do you want with Mr. Markham?” She crossed her arms, her attitude only growing worse with each passing second. She was treating me like a pest that needed to be taken care of, and I was about to snap, but I decided it was in my best interest to take a different route.
I plastered on my fakest, politest smile. “Never mind.”
And with that, I pivoted on my foot and my smile quickly faded. I was annoyed and hurt for some reason. Tears began welling up in my eyes as I made my way to my desk. Before I could be spotted by my coworkers on the verge of an unexplainable breakdown, I patted at my eyes to erase the tears before I took a seat at my desk.
I dug my phone out of my purse and dialed my mother’s number. We weren’t forbidden from using our phones for personal reasons at work. It was certainly frowned upon, but I needed to talk to my mother.
After three rings, she answered. “Hello, sweetie.”
“Hi, Mom,” I said, trying to hold back the sudden deluge of tears. “How are you?”
“Is something wrong, Lindsay,” she asked in her best mother voice.
“Why do you think that?”
“A mother can always tell by the tone of her daughter’s voice.”
“It’s just…” I wiped away the tears and sniffled once before taking a deep breath to calm myself. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“When are you coming home? We all miss you.”
“I’m trying, Mom. But I don’t know when I’m going to have the time.”
“Do I need to call in an excuse to your workplace?” she joked, and I couldn’t help but chuckle through the sniffling.
“I don’t think that’s going to fly here.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, “probably not.”
“I should get back to work.”
“Okay, sweetie.” There was a short pause. “Take care of yourself and come home when you can.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I hung up the phone and patted my cheeks dry. It was time to man up and face the day even, if that’s the last damn thing I wanted to do at that particular moment. I hadn’t cried like that—seemingly so random—in such a long time. Maybe I was just too tired and exhausted to keep up the charade any longer. Tired, raw, and beat down by all the bullshit.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ina peeking over the tall divider. I brushed the back of my palm against my cheek once more before turning to face her fully.
“Dinner tonight?” she questioned lowly. “Just you and me?”
“Yeah,” I said with a warm smile. “A beer and a burger sounds good.”
Chapter Fifteen
Caleb
My already busy day got busier from trying to avoid Lindsay. I was beginning to drown in work and also had the job of wooing Sarah for my father. For most of the day, I locked myself in my office and tried to focus on my work, but I didn’t seem to get anywhere, couldn’t dig myself out from under the mound of bullshit that was adding up. And my head. That fucking thing wouldn’t shut the hell up, but it was so much better than listening to the babbling of my heart, which I seemed to have gagged eons prior.
While I was sitting at my desk, my office phone began to ring. Frustrated, I let out a light groan, leaned forward, and picked the phone up from the receiver. As soon as I put it to my ear, I noticed the caller ID read IRS. Yeah, I wasn’t about to deal with those asshats, so I forwarded the call to Fred in accounting. Fred could handle that shit. It had to be business related, probably something to do with payroll taxes, so I had no interest in even listening in on the call before rushing off to my first client meeting.
# # #
I worked with the first client for about an hour and was relieved for that meeting to be over, but I still had three more on my schedule and hoped the following ones wouldn’t be as grueling as the first. It wasn’t the kind of meeting I looked forward to; it was the kind of meeting where a client who had unrealistic expectations to begin with, and when those expectations weren’t even close to being met, they threw a fit. And this is all after I had clearly expressed doubt that their vision would be marketable.
Still, in their eyes, it was still my fault. I tried my best to make peace with them, but they were eager to pick a fight, so I just refunded their money and told them to get lost. I never planned on telling Lance I had basically thrown money down the drain just so I didn’t have to deal with a client again.
The rest of the day went about as well as expected, with each client’s problems stacking on the previous clients’. Usually, I’m able to walk out of at least a few meetings a day with satisfied customers, but that was a horrible day. Nobody seemed to be happy, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the people were feeding off my own sullen attitude. That had to be it. That or extremely fucking back luck.
Once I was finished with the last meeting of the day and had successfully dodged Lindsay, I began to march towards my office. I offered Laura a tired nod as I strutted past her, with the intention of grabbing my shit out of my office and returning home.
She cleared her throat as I passed, trying to steal my attention.
“Yes?” I cocked my head over my shoulder, and instantly regretted my decision. I should have just continued strolling past her.
“You look tired.”
“You have no idea.”
“But are you forgetting something?”
I shrugged. “Not that I’m aware. I’m so ready to be in my bed, to be honest.”
“Yeah… about that.” She grimaced as if she was about to tell me some bad news. I prayed silently that she was just going to hit on me or something, and prayed whatever she was going to say had nothing to do with a client. I had enough shit for one day. “You have a dinner date marked on your calendar for Miss Sarah Fielding.”
“Fuck,” I grumbled underneath my breath and forced a smile. “Thank you for reminding me.”
“You’re always welcome.”
“Right.” I nodded and rolled my eyes before going into my office to collect my belongings and tidying myself up. I stepped to my desk and enclosed my laptop in its carrier before turning to face the oversized windows that were now reflective like a mirror due to the night.
I blew hot air across my lips and then tightened and straightened my
tie before making sure my shirt was perfectly tucked into my slacks. I had no interest in taking Sarah out for the night, not after the day I had just had, but I had made plans and I couldn’t break them.
I decided I was going to play my Dad’s games, but I was going to play them on my own terms, and that meant that I wasn’t treating Sarah to a fancy restaurant. Not even close. I was in the mood for a beer and a burger, and she was going to have no choice but to oblige. I didn’t need to wine and dine that chick. She was already too high on her own horse. And maybe I didn’t initially think that of her, but I was in a beyond irritated state.
# # #
I had my personal driver drive me to Sarah’s house to pick her up. This had to be the first time in all of human existence that a rich man such as myself was picking up a date—if you would even call it that—in a town car, only to be dropped off at a dive bar with the greatest burgers in all of the city.
She had no idea, however, that that was my intention. In the back of her head, I’m sure she thought I was going to take her to the hottest joint in the city. Wrong. Her face was damn near priceless as we pulled onto a darkly-lit street far from the bustling downtown district.
She didn’t say much, but her grimace said it all. This was the last damn place she expected to be. The last place someone like her wanted to be. It was probably the last place anyone would expect me—the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company—to be seen.
But it was one of my favorite places in the whole entire city, precisely because people were real here. They weren’t stuck up and sucking up. When I was on the prowl, I wouldn’t come here. Not when I was out looking for a piece of ass, but when I just wanted a goddamn burger, there was no better place in the world.
We walked into the joint side by side, and I for once pretended to be the perfect gentleman as I held the door open for her highness. We were both far too dressed up for somewhere like the Burger Den—the actual name of the bar—and I could tell Sarah was deeply uncomfortable. But I wasn’t winning her over with wining and dining her. I planned to win her over by being the biggest asshole I could, because she seemed like just the type to fall for that bullshit. Luckily, that game was right in my wheelhouse.
