rationality may have worked. Today was an extraordinary day. Lazarus Crowe was too blindsided to think rationally. He was still frothing at the mouth, practically baring his fangs.
Art stepped in the line of fire, moving between me and his former boss. "You were the one that taught me that business is a game. And sometimes you have to cut your losses and play the hand that’s dealt to you. We lost. But the world doesn't have to know that.”
Lazarus finally aimed his bloodshot eyes at his associate. "You want me to concede? To them?!"
"I want you to resign so we can live to fight another day," Art answered calmly. "We can rebuild." The defeated man that couldn't look me in the eye had been replaced by the businessman I knew from before. Shrewd. Emotionless. Cold.
Good. It erased any lingering bits of conscience I had left about kicking the two of them out on their ass.
Lazarus was silent, but he'd stopped hyperventilating.
This was a man that would never admit defeat, even when it was staring him right in the eye.
Joe reached into his briefcase and retrieved a slender manila folder. He dropped it on the conference room table, along with two ballpoint pens. “I printed out some physical copies, just to be thorough. You can leave the letters with the secretary on your way out." He turned on his heels and metaphorically 'dropped the mic' in a way that my admonishment and threat couldn't. Any choice words I could have shared paled in comparison to the pleasure I got from watching Art shuffle toward the folder to claim their consolation prize.
I wanted them to rebuild so I could take it all away again.
Lazarus was saving face when I turned to follow Joe, muttering about how he'd made billions and revenge.
Come at me. I dare you.
I drew the door closed behind me, bumping fists with Joe. I couldn't help but make sure he was okay.
"I'm sorry about that in there, man."
"It's cool.” Joe shrugged his shoulders, but I knew him well enough to know those wounds ran deep. "I've been called worse."
I stopped walking, the pit of my stomach balling into a fist.
He paused, throwing a sad grin over his shoulder. "Let's not ruin a victory with heavy shit, okay?"
That just made me frown, so he changed the subject instead.
"Drinks after work? First round on you, of course."
He was practically to the elevator, booking it as far from Lazarus and his BS as he could. I decided to let it go too. "Of course."
He let out a joke about me throwing in a woman or two, just to be thorough, and I shook my head with a laugh. Partly because he never had nor would need my assistance in the woman department. The rest was unfamiliar to me. It was a longing that started where lust begins and radiated outward until I knew. I wouldn't be on the prowl tonight because there was one woman I was still reeling from.
I didn't even have to close my eyes to remember the taste of her on my tongue. Her moans vibrating over my skin. Her wetness gripping my cock so tight that my whole world was her pleasure.
I slid into the elevator beside Joe and hit the button for the executive offices. "Drinks sound good. Not too late though, it's a school night for me."
Joe rolled his eyes and huffed, "Old man."
I took the dig gladly, because whatever array of women strutted across my path that evening, I knew I'd be counting down the minutes until I could make an excuse to get back to The Tower.
I had to see her again.
Chapter Two: Sadie
O ut of all the things I should be doing right now, thinking about him was unacceptable.
From the scowl on my manager's face, she agreed.
"Sadie!" Gail Winters beckoned me with a French tip nail, like her screeching my name wasn't embarrassing enough. Even with the music pumping from the speakers and the bass dulling much of the sound from the back, her Jersey accent carried to a couple of people at the bar who craned their necks toward her wail. My fellow employees averted their eyes, just grateful they weren't the target of