Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“You should make it so employees can’t fraternize with each other or be terminated.”
“Not going to happen. I have a couple of married couples that work in the building, so it’s not like I can backtrack now.” Not that I was going to tell him about my new assistant and how one day she’ll be mine, so I can’t have a policy that would make it impossible unless I fired her.
“Fine, but it’s not smart. I’m just letting you know that there could be another incident if your employees aren’t careful.” His point is valid and why I’ve always used his services, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll change my mind.
Still, I attempt to appease him so he’ll drop it. “I’ll work on the policy, damn it. Please just drop it for now.”
“Are you okay, Lincoln? The headaches?”
“Yeah. My new assistant just started, and she’s proving to be a big problem.” I tap my fingers on my desk, remembering that I beat off on my desk on Friday.
“Oh no. You’re going to fire another one so soon?” he sighs. He’s worried that one day they’re going to sue, but they’re all fired for good reason.
When it comes to Lacey, she’s not going anywhere. “No, I’m not going to fire her, but she needs to stay busy and away from my office before I lose it.”
“Uh oh, is she that bad?”
I take a deep breath and confess the truth. “The opposite.”
He chuckles on the other end of the line. “Oh… I see how it is. Well, fuck it, fire her, and then marry her.”
I wish it was that easy. “Yeah, we haven’t hit it off.”
“That’s because you’re an asshole.”
“Hey prick, need I remind you, I’m your client.”
“And my buddy. I’m just telling you like it is.” Fair point, still I don’t need that shit rubbed in my face.
“Drop it. Lacey’s staying put, whether either of us likes it.”
“Fine. All I’m saying is you need to get laid.”
“Soon, I will. Speaking of that… there’s another matter. I need a cease and desist drafted for Veronica Monroe. She’s Lassiter’s stepdaughter, and she’s called my office several times. Today, it turned out she revealed what she truly wanted from me, and it had nothing to do with business like her first two message implied.”
“The one from the charity function?” he questions, having been there as well.
“Yeah. I thought she was standing a little too close to me all night. I assumed it was because her stepdad wanted to do business with me, but her aim is a new husband.”
“Well, I’ll deal with the letter. Do you want it sent or just in case?”
“Just in case. I’m not ready to start some shit with Lassiter over his money-hungry vulture of a daughter.”
“Understood.” We shoot the shit for another five minutes before I end the call and work on my lunch. My thoughts are with the woman in the other room with every bite of this wilted salad. That’s what I get for waiting so damn long to take a bite.
I walk out of my office and see that she’s typing fast on the computer. “Mr. Hardwick, you have a conference call at two with Mr. Grant.”
“Thank you.” She turns her head and gives me a confused look. “Yes, I can be polite when properly inspired.” I walk past her desk and over to the kitchenette to toss my unfinished lunch before going back to my office, closing the door behind me.
I take the call and everything runs smoothly. Thankfully, I keep myself busy until it’s time to call it a night, and when I do, I realize that Lacey’s already gone. Fuck, I forgot that she left an hour earlier. After powering down my computer, I fill my satchel with my laptop and then call my driver and my head of security Greg Jones to meet me out in front of the building.
Greg drives me home without much conversation. He’s always a quiet man, but it also because he’s aware of my headaches and tries to keep chatter to a minimum.
The second I enter my condo, I’m hit with a loneliness I’d never experienced before. Five minutes pass before I snatch up the keys for my Mercedes to get away from this place and go for a ride. When or how I ended up in front of her apartment is a mystery to me because I hadn’t written down her address. Still, I’m parked a short distance away, waiting to see her through her window. It’s a good while before she finally returns home, and it pisses me off because she’s not alone. A man walks her up to the door. I stare at the fucker, ready to kill him. The sound of the leather cracking on the steering wheel reminds me to take a breath.