“Is this anyway to treat your boss?” I asked right after his tongue slipped out of my mouth.“Should my boss be making those sounds in my presence?”My heart fluttered as I recalled the peaks of pleasure he'd taken me to. After several rounds on my desk, we still couldn't get enough of eachother so we snuck out of the office and he'd taken me home and ravished me all night long until the day broke.“Bad boy, that was your fault.” Laying on my back with him over me, I cupped his face in my hands. “I should report you to HR.“Then it better for something worth reporting.”My eyes rolled in the back of my head as he slid into me for the millionth time that morning.****“Remi.”His voice stirred me awake and then I heard my ringtone.“Here,” Jesse said as he handed me my phone.“Hello?”“Hi Remi. It's Sadie. I got your number off Tristan's phone. I hope you don't mind.”My mind was still hazy from sleep so I hadn't quite processed what she'd said.“Tristan's phone?”“Yeah,” she said wit
Her face contorted into what must have been the look of pure bliss and she let out a howling laugh. I was more confused than shocked as I stared at her for a while then eventually joined her with a nervous laugh that soon turned genuine.I didn't know why but I was laughing so hard. Of course, it was a joke. Maybe a bad one, but a joke nonetheless. And I was taking her seriously. It hit me like a basketball to the face when I realised how dumb I was being. I guess I just wasn't used to having a friend. With your friends, you could be free. Free to express yourself for all the quirks you had, good or bad. At work, I had to be professional… mostly. But with a friend, I could let down that social guard.“You know how crazy that was?” I asked as we caught our breaths.“I know. You were so scared,” said Sadie as she wiped her eyes.“I was. It was a joke, right?”We burst into another bout of laughter that lasted almost as long as the first.“Can you imagine?” she asked. “Anyway, how about
The thrill stayed with me as I got ready for my date with my ex-husband. I knew how smug he'd be thinking he was easily winning me back over. Such a prideful person. I made sure not to overdo it so he didn't think it was too easy. But I looked really nice. I made it there and called him. He quickly found me where I parked and gave me a surprise hug. He didn't seem to care when I didn't hug him back. “Okay, don't completely hate me. But…” I already hated where the conversation was going, even more because he had my hand in a vice grip. “...there's someone here to see you.” It must have been seconds from when he said that so when I recognize Celia's face through the glass walls of the restaurant. The anger that erupted inside me must have taken decades to mature. I had this primal urge to walk right up to her and scream in her face. But social decorum wouldn't allow me. I shot Oscar a glare, snatched my hands and turned on my heel. Celia had not been a move I had
“He must have thought he had you,” Oscar said with a chuckle, placing a hand on the small of my back.My body jerked forward on its own but I didn't look back. Maybe I was going to lose Jesse but I needed to lure the fool into a false sense of security.Even if Jesse was still going to give me a chance I knew Ashley wasn't. And if Ashley didn't then he wouldn't. “The girl is cute though.” He was glancing over his shoulder and I could see his eyes look down. Pig. “She could really– wait, is that Ashley? She’s all grown up!” He whistled.I was about to ask how he knew Ashley but remembered he and Jesse were brothers. “Let's go,” I said.“All right, baby. We'll go anywhere you want,” he needlessly yelled.Something broke inside me knowing Jesse had probably heard him.I didn't wait for him as I strode to my car.“Hey, wait up.”Immediately I got into my car, I locked the door.He tried opening it but eventually gave up. “Remi? What are we doing here?”That tone. It used to strike fear
I eventually picked up the phone when I got home. “Remi, what the hell was that?” “I told you I needed space. I thought you understood?” I asked nonchalantly. I'd learned from the best. “I–I… I did. But still, you should have picked up. What if I had something important to tell you?” “Did you?” “I could have!” He boomed. “That's the point. It could have been an emergency.” “Thankfully it wasn't,” I mumbled. “Yeah, this time.” I could picture his shaking his head disdainfully. “Anyway, what are you doing tomorrow? Let's get dinner in a special place. I'll send you the details.” He didn't give me a chance to respond as he immediately hung up. I chuckled. This damn clown never changed his game. I honestly couldn't blame him. I think back on my younger self and facepalm because how could I have fallen for this obvious scam? No. That was good. If he still thought I was that young dumb girl then this would be easy. Maybe I could even push the limits a bit. The next
“I never doubted you for one second, sweetheart.”I rolled my eyes. Of course he would say that now.“I'm sure you didn't, dad,” I said.“I always knew you had that special something. You are my daughter after all. And to think this is your first act too.” He sounded so proud of me. To be frank, I was proud of myself. My first project was a huge success by this point.“I learned from the best.”He let out a howling laughter that brought a big smile to my face.“Give mom a kiss for me. I have to go.”“Before you go,” he said, sounding serious. “Know that the board is going to come knocking and bearing gifts. They are sycophants. Don't give them the time of day. Accept whatever they give you, complement and gifts, but don't let anything they say have any effect on you. Don't let their praise get to your head. Do you understand?”I found myself nodding before realizing I was on a call. “Yes, dad.”“Alright. Love you, sweetheart.”“Love you dad.”I was on my way to the office and in a gi
“You need me to drive you home?” Jesse asked. I snapped out of my head and stared questioningly at him. “Why would I need that?” “You just look… never mind. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll file a police report anyway.” I remembered the trouble Debbie got in at my swearing in party. She got a bit too drunk and acted out. I'm not sure how long she was held or if any charges were filed but I didn't want to be one more reason for her to be miserable. She hated me enough already. “Is that necessary?” I asked. “We all know Debbie is a toothless dog. She's not going to do anything and–” “I understand that Remi. But this is your life were talking about. I think I would be best if we didn't take the chance. I'll file a police report. There usually isn't an investigation if that's what you're worried about. It'll just be on record.” I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I'm sure you'll just hate to love your amazing working relationship with me.” He stopped writing on his planner and glanced a
The whole drive over, we didn't speak. But my heart was doing cartwheels.I'd thought I'd lost him after the scene with Oscar and Ashley but there I was, his passenger princess being driven to his house because he cared about me so much.“Do you have a spare wardrobe I can put my stuff in?”He quickly glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow.“I have a spare room that you'll be staying in. Ashley usually stays there but she's not around right now,” he said.My heart sank a bit and when I caught my reflection in the side view mirror, I was pouting.“What if she comes over?”“She won't,” he shot back. “And if she does, we'll figure it out.”The pout had turned into a frown.Walking into his house was still thrilling. Even more so because I knew we weren't going to just hop into bed.But nothing wrong with dropping subtle hints or wearing something that left little to the imagination. He opened a door and stood in the doorway. “Here the room.”I walked into it and bent all the way over
I sat in my office, staring at my CEO certificate.‘Congratulations. You’re ready to run a company!’ The golden words said.sI couldn’t believe how far I’d come since I last read those words. The last few months were loud and rough; the betrayals, the struggles, all the pain – it was all finally over.I stared at a picture on my phone – one of Jesse and I at a company event. We were mid-conversation, laughing our asses off at something. For a second, I wanted to be back then. I was care-free then, with no worries on my mind.My phone buzzed, startling me. Jesse texted that he was coming to my office.After a few minutes, the door opened and Jesse walked in carrying two cups of coffee. “Figured you’d need some fuel.”“You know me too well.” I accepted the warm cup from him.“I do.” He sat down and took his own cup. “Which is how I know there’s something on your mind.”I sighed, taking a quick sip and setting down my cup. “I can’t help it. I keep wondering ‘what next?’, you know what I
“Do you think he’s going to kill her?”My head had been on Jesse’s chest all morning. We talked and talked until I finally decided to bring up a burning question I had.“Who, Deandra?” Jesse asked.“Yeah. Those cops seemed like they would probably leak the details to Don Simeon, and apparently, he’s some big shot in the criminal underworld. So?”“I don’t know. Proba–”A loud knocking – no, banging on his front door jarred up alert. WHo the hell thought now was a good time.I reluctantly got off of him so he could go and check it out. I quickly put on some clothes just in case.“Ashley?” I heard him say.It had been ages since I saw his cousin so I went out to see her. Who I saw next stopped me in my tracks.“Mom?” Jesse said, standing stiffly at the door.Celia was standing on his doorstep looking like she’d been sentenced to death.“I’m sorry, Jesse. She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Ashley said before turning to me. “Hey, Remi. I’m so sorry about this.” And just like that, she wa
“I knew you’d come around.” Deandra poured herself a glass of scotch.As some sort of power move, she made us wait half an hour before we met with her. Sitting in her office, for hopefully the last time, my heart was pounding a thousand beats a second. My mind was reeling. There is no way she was going to suspect us right? I mean, someone who’s had to deal with so many crooked people would be able to spot crooked behavior. Maybe this was a bad idea.Jesse squeezing my hand soothed me a little but the anxiety remained. Only this time, it was a shadow in the corner of my eye as opposed to a looming figure blacking out my vision.“And you even brought little Miss Perfect with you.” She smiled and took a sip from her cup.“I’m only here because you threatened Jesse,” I spat. “I can’t stand being near you.”I crossed my fingers, hoping she would take the bait.“Oh, so she’s the knight in shining armor and you’re the princess?” She asked, cackling. “Either way, I didn’t threaten him. I gav
I couldn't believe how much my life had changed. Things were going so much smoother without the drama from all the enemies I inadvertently made along the way.Better yet, Jesse and I had been making up for lost time. That part was amazing. Zero complaints there. I was firing on all cylinders, almost like all the stress was dulling my senses and now that they’d all been cleared up, I could finally see things. My judgment was impeccable.Which is why I noticed the uneasiness in Jesse. We were in a doughnut shop, satisfying my sugar cravings. He had been trying to hide it the whole time, checking his phone when he thought I wasn’t looking, fielding calls, until he eventually turned off his phone.“Jesse,” I placed my hand on his, “what’s going on?”He dropped his doughnut and sighed. “I thought I was hiding it well. It’s Deandra.”Hearing her name was like a shock. I knew she wasn’t done with us but why was she back so soon? “What does she want?” My voice showed more worry than I’d int
“What? You’ll try and kill me again?”“Stop saying that!” She stomped her feet and crossed her arms like a child throwing a tantrum. “I did that once! Can’t you let it go? Damn, why do you always have to bring that up and ruin the vibe?”Mission accomplished. I hoped Jesse heard everything.“I didn’t want to have to do this, Remi, but you’ve left me no choice.” She snapped her fingers, and like something out of a movie, two hefty men walked out of the shadows, flanking Debbie on both sides. “These men will teach you a lesson now,” Debbie said as casually as if she was ordering a burger. My stomach dropped when the men started to approach me. Run! The voice in my head screamed, but my feet were rooted to the spot. Everything went into slow motion. I couldn't run away from her again. But if I didn't, her men would do unspeakable things to me. Jesse would want to help but I couldn't put him in danger for my fight. Visions of Oscar from the previous day flashed in my mind. I cringed
“To-together?” I stuttered. He probably thought I looked silly with the massive grin on my face but I didn’t care. I was right where I wanted to be, staring into the eyes of the man I loved.My phone buzzed, ruining the moment we were having.It was a text from an unknown number so I didn’t bother.“You’re not going to get that?” Jesse asked.I shrugged. “I don’t know who it is.”He nodded thoughtfully and sat down. I began to feel awkward standing aimlessly in his office. I was hoping he’d say something to ease my tension but he didn’t. He didn’t even look bothered.“I’ll just… go.”The walk to his door seemed a mile long and my legs moved haphazardly like I forgot how to walk but I eventually got to the door. “Um, Remi? Do you want to get dinner la–”“Yes!” I turned around before he could even finish his sentence. I mentally smacked my forehead.“Cool.” He flashed me a smile. “I guess I’ll pick you up after work. When do you get off?”I burst into laughter – a bit exaggerated I wa
Things between Jesse and I weren’t quite back to normal but they were good. Better than I could have imagined in such a short time. We were talking and laughing together again. I was on my way to his office with coffee. I felt silly; I was his boss, why was I getting him coffee? I guess it didn’t matter because when I got outside his office, I froze. Through his slightly-open door, I could hear his voice, sharp and determined.“That was your plan all along?” He sounded shocked, like he couldn't believe his ears. “Something is very wrong with you, Deandra. You need help.”“I see that little miss perfect has gotten to you.” Deandra’s voice was smooth and deceptively soothing. “I had so much hope for you, Jesse. Oscar is a cancer that needs to be cut out, can’t you see that?”My breath caught in my throat. History had shown me Deandra wasn’t to be trusted, but to bear witness to this level of manipulation? It made my skin crawl. “So you want to frame him? What did he ever do to you th
“The day just keeps getting better and better.” Deandra chuckled and sat back down. “Come on in, Jesse. I have some news for you too.”We hadn’t talked much after he kicked me out but I was still his boss. “Did you need something, Jesse?” I asked.“No. Just wanted to say congrats. I heard about the confession,” he said.“Oh.” I puffed my chest out and sat up straight. “Thanks.”“I made it happen by the way so you should be thanking me,” Deandra said.I rolled my eyes.“By the way, Jesse, Remi wasn’t playing ball so I had to find a work around for your Oscar-sized problem.” Deandra’s smile was sinister. “Oscar will be picking up a package later today – I’ll give you the address. Let’s just say some friends will be paying him a not so friendly visit in a nearby alley. Now, you could join them or just watch; up to you.”“What did you do?” I asked, suddenly alarmed. I didn’t care for Oscar but to go to these lengths was just unnecessary. Surely even Jesse could see that.“What I had to,”
I couldn’t shake the queasiness in my stomach. Despite the media frenzy around the bribery scandal dying down, questions still lingered, and Renard's reputation teetered on the edge. To make matters worse, the person I had to depend on for results was none other than Deandra.Just as I picked up my phone to call her, someone barged into my office.A snotty-looking man in an expensive suit, shortly followed by an angry-looking Jesse. “What’s going on?” I asked Jesse.“This person isn’t supposed to be here,” he answered, glaring at the man.“I’m here on behalf of Mr. O’Hearn,” the man said, turning his nose up at me.“In what capacity?” I asked.He rolled his eyes. “As his lawyer.”I already hated this man. He was a lawyer, an occupation that Deandra had shown me was untrustworthy. Strike two was the fact that he was Mike’s lawyer.I needed to make him feel as unwelcome as possible. “Jesse, it’s alright. He won’t be long anyway.”He looked amused. “I assure you, I’m not here to cause y