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#Chapter 19 Fear & Romance
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2024-10-29 19:42:56DORIS I shook with stage fright. It was more anxiety than I should have. My mouth felt as dry as the desert. Being socially awkward by nature, the idea of singing in front of such a crowded club seemed unthinkable. I forced myself to sing as the band started playing, but the sound that came out made me grimace with self-awareness. Even though I was anxious, I was aware that I was off-key. The audience's response was immediate and ruthless. “Boo! Boo!” A chorus of disapproving jeers and boos pierced through the air like sharpened arrows. “Get off the stage, lady! You can’t sing!” It was a dagger to my already fragile confidence, threatening to shatter the little resolve I had left. No, Doris, I told myself. You can do it. My heartbeat pounded loud in my ears. Doubt flooded me. “Don’t doubt your abilities,” I told myself firmly. “Try ag
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In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 20 An Incredible Surprise
DORISOn the day morning of the interview, I felt pretty good.Running into Arthur at the club was really wonderful, even if I only saw him for a few minutes.The club let me take home the flowers from on the bar that Arthur had presented to me.It reminded me of the roses he gave me earlier and made me feel cherished.Nina insisted on meeting me for an early breakfast. When I got to the diner, it was clear Nina's reason for making sure I came to breakfast with her was so she could pump me up.She really was a great friend.When it was time to leave for the interview, I left a little early to make sure I had plenty of time.Like so often during the past days, I dreamed of Arthur as I rode the subway to my destination. I don’t know what I expected the first day I approached him in the club, but I never expected he would turn into someone who believed in me.
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 21 Unexpected Roles: Love and Pretense
DORISThe HR lady led me to the top of the building and into a fancy corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows. There were impressive views of New York City on both sides.There was a big executive chair, but the back was to me, and I couldn't see who was in it.“Arthur?” I asked quietly.He turned around with a big Cheshire grin on his face.“Surprise!”I gasped. “What are you doing here?”He opened his arms wide to gesture that this was his office.“You’re the boss of Heritage Properties?”“And the owner of BelleBelle Luxury Boutique, and the CEO of AmeriCapital.”My mouth fell open in shock. “Is this some kind of joke?”His expression softened. “No joke, Doris.”I couldn’t believe it. Yet he looked like he was telling me the truth.“Wh-Why didn’t you tell me before?”"You assumed I was a s
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 22 Meeting Mia
DORIS The money was too good to pass up, but more importantly, I couldn’t turn Arthur down when he was looking at me with such hope.“Okay, Arthur, I’ll do it.”His smile lit up the room. He stood up like he was going to hug me, but I motioned him back in his seat."What about Cathy? Won't she be upset if she discovers the truth?" I asked.Arthur sighed, his gaze drifting into the distance. "Like I said, Cathy left when Mia was just a baby. Cathy is all about her music, and she hasn't visited or shown a significant interest in six years."“Wow.”“Yeah.”“She’s lucky she had you to take over.”“I’m lucky I ended up with Mia, so it all worked out. But Mia is getting older and now she needs a mother figure.”“Hmmn,” I said, and nodded to show I was listening. “I get that.”“This last surgery was really hard on her emotionally. Having her dad arou
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 23 All About Mia (And Kissing)
DORISMia talked a mile a minute, telling me about school, dance lessons, and her friends. She showed me her favorite toys and books.“I keep this picture by my bed, and I kiss it goodnight every night before I go to sleep.” Mia demonstrated by picking up the photo in the silver frame and giving the glass a loud, smacking kiss.Inside the frame was an old picture of Cathy. She had on a big floppy hat and sunglasses that covered most of her face. It was taken at sunset, and she was partially in shadow.Even so, I could see her beauty. I could also see how much I resembled her.Mia kissed the photo again and put it back on her dresser.“I missed you too, Mia. I thought about you every day.”“You did?”“Absolutely. I never would have been gone if I didn’t have to. And I’m going to be here every weekend from now on.”“You are?”“I am.”
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 24 Whispers of Romance
DORISIt was my first full week at Heritage Properties. They assigned me a mentor named Kate. That's more than Andrea's firm ever did for me.Kate was a great teacher. She let me follow her around all week. Because Heritage Properties mostly covered a different section of Manhattan and properties in a much higher price range, the commissions were bigger.It also meant I needed a newer and more upscale wardrobe.I called Nina and asked her to go shopping with me.Of course, the first words out of Nina’s mouth were, “How many times have you had sex with Mystery Man since I’ve seen you last? Is he as good in bed since the one time you paid him?” She frowned. “You’re not still paying him, are you?”I gave her a light, playful slap on the arm as we entered the clothing store Nina picked. “Keep your voice down.”“One,” I answered her, “Zero times.” I held up my fingers for each question I
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 25 Confusion and Realization
ARTHURI watched as Doris sat on the edge of Mia’s bed, reading to my precious daughter.“Goodnight moon, goodnight spoon,” Doris said.“Goodnight moon, goodnight spoon,” Mia repeated.“Goodnight goon, goodnight monsoon,” Doris said.“It doesn’t say that!” Mia exclaimed and giggled.“How do you know?” Doris asked, holding the book playfully away from Mia. “Are you reading? You don’t even know how to read. You’re only three years old.”“Mommy,” Mia said and rolled her eyes. “I’m seven! And you know I can read.” Mia pointed toward the book. That does not say ‘monsoon.’“So what does it say?” Doris asked.I stepped away from the doorway, content. I had hoped that Doris would be a good mother figure to Mia, but this was so much more. It warmed my heart.I opened my computer to look over some financials from one of AmeriCapital’s foreign invest
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 26 A Spectacle from Afar
DORISThe next day came, and Mia started nagging us again.“Mommy! I want to see you perform at the club. I want to see you sing,” she said.She said it over and over. She was relentless.Even when she wasn’t asking, the request floated in the air. There was no way I could bring her to The Strip that late at night.Still, she wanted it so much I wanted to fulfill her request."Hey, sweet girl. I have an idea."I had a solution after considering several options.I walked into the living room and said, "Mia," as she was absorbed in a coloring book. I've come up with a way you can see me sing.”She looked at me with wide eyes. "Seriously, Mommy? How?""We can set up a live video feed from the club to our penthouse," I said. "You can watch me sing, but just for the first song. It will be like you're right there with me."Mia's cheeks glowed with happ
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 27 Sunset Concert, Deepening Heart
DORIS I found myself standing in a rehearsal studio. The bandmates I hadn't seen in years came in, one after another. The reunion was surreal and emotional. We were all out of practice, but ready to make music once more.I looked at Arthur, who I knew had to leave in a few minutes. I still had one last second where I couldn’t believe he had worked so hard to contact my old bandmates and rent this nice music studio.I looked at Arthur. My heart was full of gratitude. "You did all this?" I asked again. "For me?"A playful smile tugged at his lips. "For us, Doris. I want to see you shine, to witness the joy on your face as you reclaim your passion."Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to overflow. It was as if Arthur had unearthed a part of me that I had buried deep within, the part that craved the stage, the lights, and the music that had once defined me.Overwhelmed with emotions, I embraced
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In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 100 - Twice As Happily Ever After
DORISI sang, and every song felt effortless.I went to the ladies' room at the break right before the last set, and when I came back out, there were 400 red roses all throughout the performance area. I knew this was Arthur’s doing. How did he get so many vases of roses into the Salton room in such a short time?The entire room smelled like a florist shop and looked like Valentine’s Day had come to the performance.I smiled at Arthur from up on stage and sang every romantic song I could think of.When we finished the last song, it seemed like the applause from the audience was louder than ever. Maybe all the roses put everybody in a good mood.Just as I was about to walk off the stage, Arthur came up and stopped me.“He stood in front of me at the bottom of the stage “This woman is the most amazing woman I have ever seen.”Then he walked up on stage and stood by my side. “Doris, from the first moment I met you, I knew you were special. You captured my heart and became part of my famil
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 99 - In A Little Silver Frame
DORISArthur and I exited the elevator of the penthouse and walked across the lobby, arm and arm. We had decided to work from home that morning, and I was happy that we had gotten so much work done.We were almost to the doors of the lobby when Andrea walked in. She was wearing a big cloak that covered her whole body.She opens her cloak to reveal a little baby in a sling strapped to her chest. The boy was swaddled in a light blue blanket. He was adorable.With all that had been going on in our life, I had forgotten that Andrea had probably had her baby by now.“Congratulations," Arthur said stiffly.Andrea beamed.“What are you doing here?“ Arthur asked.“The baby looks so much like you when you were a baby," Andrea said. "It made me nostalgic for when you were a child. All those times before…“ She let the sentence trail off, and I remembered how Arthur’s father died.Arthur must’ve been thinking of the same thing because he grimaced."It was a magical time,“ Andrea said. "And I want
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 98 - Good News Galore
DORISThe good news continued to roll in the next day. Mr. Owens' assistant called and said one of the hottest new songwriting teams had two songs available for me and the band to record. We set up a time to listen to them and decided we liked the first one better.Mr. Owens had an amazing recording studio and sound engineer professional lined up for us to use. I asked if Arthur and Mia would be allowed to come, and the record executives, the sound engineer, and the rest of the band hall said of course. Arthur cleared his schedule.It was an amazing week.We recorded the song. Even though it was hard work, it still went well. I was happy with the initial results, and I was sure it would be a hit.For a moment, it was all I could think about.Arthur and I were lying in bed that night. When I looked at his face, I could tell something was still bothering him.“Arthur, what’s on your mind?”“It’s Cathy. Not only don’t I understand why she did what she did, I can’t let her get away with i
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 97 - Subterfuge at an Italian Restaurant
DORISThe liquor store next to the Italian restaurant had a narrow fake hallway between the two stores. Interestingly enough, there were peek holes in the wall that allowed us to see from the liquor store into the restaurant.This worked out well for us because Nathan, Arthur, and I all got to peek out and look at Nina while she had dinner with Dr. John and Jeff.Nina looked absolutely gorgeous, and Dr. John and Jeff were entranced.We could see Dr. John and Jeff's faces completely and see Nina face in profile. We could hear them clearly thanks to the wire that Nina had stuffed down her bra.She had plied Dr. John and Jeff with liquor and flirtatious comments throughout dinner, staying clear from any serious topics.I perked up when she got to the good stuff."I can get a job with Arthur's pharmaceutical company as they rebuild," Nina said, "and I bet I could find out any secrets and new formulas they have." She let that offer hang in the air. The implications were like a tempting fru
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 96 - Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Flambe
ARTHURMonday morning, I got up while Doris was still sleeping. Despite a wonderful weekend with Doris and Mia, I hadn’t slept well.It had been a month since the fire, and I hadn’t made any progress in finding out who did it.I had my driver take me out to the pharmaceutical company. I stood in front of the charred remains of the original office building, lab, and factory.I had chosen to rebuild on another part of the property, leaving the destroyed buildings as they were as a show of what could happen when I let my defenses down.The sight of the blackened buildings filled me with grief and also a vile rage. The anger was almost too violent to control. My stomach felt like a volcano had taken up residence there and was churning, ready to explode.I had worked so hard on this pharmaceutical business. It wasn’t just the money that I lost having to rebuild that angered me. It was all the people who would have to wait longer before they could get treatment.It was the fact that formula
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 95 - Partners
DORISArthur got me and an assistant for Heritage Properties, who had just gotten her real estate license. She was efficient and eager, and she took over all the real estate deals I thought would close soon.Arthur recommended an entertainment lawyer, and she went over my music contract and said it was very good, so I signed it.
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 94 - Glorious
DORISArthur hauled me against him. He lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist and plastered myself against him."I need you in our bed," Arthur growled. "Right now."He carried me. I was too busy enjoying the feel of his body against mine— a sensation I wasn't sure I'd ever feel again— to pay attention to the elevator ride.I was too busy kissing Arthur’s neck to focus on him unlocking the penthouse, carrying me over the threshold, and kicking the door shut with his foot.Arthur kissed me like I'd been gone for months, not just a day.Arthur spun us, and my back slammed up against the drywall in the entry hall with a force that made me wonder if we left a dent.Arthur pinned me against the wall with his hips. He pulled up my shirt and stared like he couldn't believe I was here with him.His growl made my blood simmer and my breath catch. For the rest of my life, I'd never forget that animalistic sound of want and approval.My nipples hardened. Need roared through me like a
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 93 – Where Is She?
ARTHUREven though I could sense that Doris wasn’t in the apartment, I immediately began to search, going from room to room.I saw two of her suitcases in the smaller bedroom, and I immediately relaxed.I whirled around and
In Love with the Boss' Son #Chapter 92 – Near Miss or Not?
DORISI slept better than I thought I would. I didn’t know what my next step should be. Should I quit Heritage Properties and look for another real estate job?I was jolted out of my reverie when my phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize. My first thought was that perhaps it was Arthur trying to trick me, calling from a different number.
