Liam
I'll never tire of riding in the back of a limo.
It's been my mode of transportation for so long that I almost forget what it was like before I was a billionaire. It’s so classy and convenient to simply have everything at the tips of your fingers—at the push of a button. It doesn’t hurt too that girls are immediately floored upon seeing my ride.
My driver is weaving his way through the city to take me back to my building. I admire the views and the rush of city life. I could never live anywhere else but here.
At the same time, my mind is wondering about Claire. Why did she make such an early exit? I can't understand it. We had a night full of passion and I even topped it off by bringing her to breakfast, which is something I don't normally do.
She seems spooked or something and I don't know why. Maybe Claire's afraid that I'll hurt her? I can't say that I won't. I'm definitely into her but my interest in women seldom lasts for very long.
We finally get to the office and I take the private elevator up to my penthouse. Instead of working, I pace back-and-forth and think about whether or not I should be trying to buy Claire's company behind her back.
This whole thing is Evan's idea, really, and I'm not sure if it's a good one overall. Sure, it’s good for Evan’s personal goals, and I can definitely help Claire. But how good will it be for Claire?
Now that I know more about her, I know that she's honest and has integrity, and I respect her for her dedication. She's worked very hard to build her company. Who am I to take that away from her?
It feels like I'd be betraying her, no matter what my intentions are, to try to buy her out or to spy on her.
Brooding at my desk, I think about what I should do. I feel a weird desire to be transparent with Claire.
I want her to feel like she can trust me so that she’ll give herself over to me fully. I want to be in control of her and that can only happen if she trusts and allows me to do it.
There's a knock on my door and Evan appears. He's the last person I feel like talking to right now, but it might be nice to shoot the shit and forget about Claire for a little bit.
"Hi, Liam," he says. "I thought we might have a midday drink and discuss a few things."
I move over to the seating area of the penthouse where there are tufted sofas and a vintage coffee table. My interior designer did very good work in this place. It's masculine with a contemporary feel.
"Sure, what will you have?" I say as I head to the carved wooden bar in my office. "I got this new Johnnie Walker in that's a blended scotch. You will love it."
He sits on one of the leather couches.
"That sounds great. You always have the best stuff in here."
Of course, I have the best. I own several houses, a plane, and countless cars. Why should I drink anything less than the best?
No doubt, Evan is certainly taking advantage of my lavish lifestyle. He may not be a billionaire but he's certainly enjoying the perks. What can I say? He's my vice president and I can't help but allow him to ride my coattails a little bit. Besides, who wants to drink alone?
"So, have you seen Claire lately?" he asks, getting straight to the point of his visit.
I wonder what his fascination is with Claire. Sometimes he seems more interested in her than I am. What is his angle in wanting to take her company? Is it because he wants to run Epica, or is there something else he’s not telling me?
I hate that I can't trust my own VP. If he undermines me in any way, I'm gonna have to find somebody to replace him.
For now, I let it go and I play his game.
"Actually, yes, I saw her last night. We spent the night together," I say.
His expression betrays a hint of surprise.
"Oh really? Well, that's new. You don't let anybody stay over at your penthouse."
His words are true. Rarely do I wake up next to a woman. I'm usually ushering them out the door at about 3 AM.
I don't want to get into it with Evan and reveal too much of my feelings for Claire and how complicated it is. Asking about work is fine and normal. But he doesn't deserve to know my business.
I sit across from him on the other couch and pour us both a stiff drink. I've been waiting to crack open this bottle for a while.
He swishes the amber liquid around in his glass and thinks a minute before speaking up.
"You know, this may be out of my territory but I don't think Claire is in the same league as you. You're used to dating models and socialites, people with class. So I don't get why you're falling so hard for this person, who has no money, no rank, and her company is about to fold because she's so bad at managing it."
His words cause a swell of fury to ignite inside of me. The fact that he's demeaning Claire right in front of me enrages me. I need to put this dick in his place.
"Number one, I'm not falling for her," I correct him. "And how do you know anything about her, huh? Maybe it's not always about money."
"Clearly," he sneers.
"If she's so awful and beneath me, why are you invested in getting her company? What's in it for you? Tell me the truth," I say to him, trying to hide the rage from my voice.
He seems to waver a little bit under my brash tone as he should. I don't know where he gets off talking about this.
I take a long slow sip of my blended Johnny Walker and wait for his response. Nothing he could ever say will sway my opinion of Claire. But it will reveal his true intentions.
At last, after considering his words, he responds.
"I care about this company, Liam. I care about you. I'd like to think we've become friends since I started working here and what I'm doing is looking out for you. Claire might be trying to use you to get ahead. Her company's about to fail after all and you're the biggest ad agency in town. I just don't think you should trust her.
“Someone that's a little more high-society, someone that doesn't need your money, might be a safer bet both for you and the company."
His words piss me off so much. He doesn't even know Claire. If he did, he would understand that she is entirely devoted to her craft and she doesn't care about society, or money, or any manner of things that don't really matter. That's what I find so intriguing about her.
She's strong and she knows how to take care of herself.
Suddenly, I'm feeling very possessive of her and I'm sick of hearing Evan's opinion about everything.
"You're starting to venture into shady territory. I warn you not to talk about Claire like that," I say to him bitterly.
He sips his drink and looks unfazed.
"Come on Liam, you're not gonna let a girl get between us. I'm your wingman, someone you can trust. I just think you should watch out for Claire and keep your radar up. Purchase her company and then cut the tie to her. I don't think she is who she says she is."
"And why is that?"
"Just look at her Liam, she can't even afford her own Louis Vuitton. That's not the kind of girl you usually date. Claire's lack of finances might mean that she's using you," he says. "Besides, she's stupid for being invested in you when you're clearly such a player."
I'm astonished at the words he's saying. I just gave him a warning which he totally disregarded.
I've had enough so I stand up and motion for him to leave. He's lucky I don't punch him out right here.
"Evan, I want you to get the hell out of here. You're crossing the line. I don't need your opinion on my personal life or anything else. I gave you a warning which you ignored. You’re skating on thin ice. Now get out."
He looks bewildered that I've turned on him, but I don't give a shit. Evan's clandestine motives are on full display and I don't know how I didn't see it sooner.
He's a sneaky son-of-a-bitch. I'm so angry about his deluded and scheming comments that it's hard not to want to unleash on him.
I feel protective of Claire. I don't want anybody talking bad about her. She may not be my girlfriend officially, but I'd like to think I know who she is, and she doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.
And the fact that Evan is so obviously beguiled by money is disheartening. He seems to think that my money is his money. I'm the one that built his business from scratch. I'm the one that spent hours upon hours conceiving of it.
This is my business, not his. Any money Evan has is because of me. He should be a little more grateful.
I finish my drink and try to calm my pounding heart. The adrenaline of wanting to crush Evan slowly fades and I'm able to push these thoughts aside and try to work.
I'm overseeing various ad campaigns, only one of which is Velvet Luxe. I make sure my team is hard at work on it. Throughout the day, I’m just steaming over Evan and wondering what's gotten into Claire.
It's one of those days when things aren’t smoothly falling into place and that annoys me. Maybe I need to see Claire.