Chapter 5: Zach

There was no way I could be in the office at seven on Wednesday morning. God, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been up at seven, let alone dressed and ready for work. The only time I saw a sunrise was after an all-nighter when I hadn’t yet bothered to sleep. Besides…getting there early would give the wrong impression - that Hailey was in charge. She wasn’t.

My father complained about me coming in late so many times, but when I was in the office I did what I had to do and he couldn’t argue with that.

It was going to be a tight line to walk. Listening to her and still being the guy I was good with being. If I wanted a woman hanging over my head and getting into my shit, I’d have put a ring on her finger. I hadn’t.

I still hadn’t forgiven him for saying I could live my own life if I left the Company. My mom’s legacy should never have been used to control me and I wasn’t going to let him get a word in unless it was necessary. We used to have such a great relationship. It felt like now all that was left was my mother’s company and what she had intended to do with it - and if it didn’t fit in with my life or with where my relationship with my father could have gone, then that was it. It wouldn’t change. My mother’s work remained the most important thing, even if it was at the expense of everything else.

I glanced at the clock. Fucking 6:30. Why was I up? Right… something about my new PR Agent had me dreaming about long walks on the beach and jacked up stuff that scared the fuck outta me.

Weirdly enough, being up that early made everything look different. There was a sense of efficiency in the air, with everyone going off to their respective jobs. They looked ready to take on the day and make the most of it. Men and women dressed in suits, the monochromatic business world seemed uniform and orderly. It was hard to think I was a part of this world when I felt so removed from it.

I made it to the office at seven-thirty. That was a feat for me and I sorta hated myself for being compliant. I rode the elevator to our floor and looked around. Hailey wasn’t in the waiting room yet so she wouldn’t know I was late. I smirked. So much for Miss Goody-two-shoes being on time. I waved at the secretary and opened my office door.

“Good morning,” Hailey said, standing close to my desk.

“You’re here,” I said, unable to hide my disdain. She looked at me with a blank expression, her blue eyes bright. Damn. She hadn’t fallen for my 9:00 bullshit in the slightest.

“I am,” she said. “And you’re late.”

“It’s half an hour, and if I recall, I told you I’d be here at nine.” I stared her down and narrowed my eyes a little. I could eat her alive, and she knew it. That she was putting on a strong front was hot. Almost too hot.

I looked her up and down. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a white blouse and black pants. She wore peep toe shoes and her toenails were a bright red, the same as her fingernails. Even with her heels on, she was still small and dainty. All in all, she looked very professional and so very fuckable. Had she been with a man before? Something told me no.

The fitting blouse showed off just how small her waist was. If I had met her anywhere – a cocktail bar or a restaurant or even at any of the business events I attended – I would have pursued her. I couldn’t deny that she was the whole package with that narrow waist and her hourglass figure, pretty pert tits and a great smile.

She looked up at me and I smiled. I wasn’t ashamed of staring. I wanted her to blush, to feel disconcerted by my attention. Most women did.

“We need to go shopping,” she said after a moment of awkward silence.

I frowned. “For what?”

“A suit for you.” She squared her shoulders. I stifled a laugh. There was no way she expected to win against me. I was twice her size and most likely had a few years on her.

I shook my head and looked down at the black jeans and black and white checkered collared shirt I wore today.

“That won’t be necessary,” I said. I looked good and I knew it.

Hailey looked me up and down but it wasn’t with hunger in her eyes the way other women looked at me sometimes. It wasn’t even an impressed look or even a curious one, or maybe she was hiding it well. Yeah. Fuck. She had to be hiding it. She frowned slightly. When her eyes met mine again she shook her head.

“You look like a player, not a CFO. In this business, the way you present yourself is everything.”

“A player?” I asked, lifting my eyebrow. It was rare for anyone to talk to me in a tone that wasn’t ass-kissing.

Hailey nodded. “I can see that it might be a good look for you when you’re out on the town, but in the office, it won’t do.”

“I look fine. I look like me. Period. And I would think we have more important things to focus on.”

“Well, we have to start somewhere,” Hailey said. “I can’t think of a better place than your public face.”

I opened my mouth to set her ass straight, but the office door opened and my father walked in. The air of authority spilled into the room with him and Hailey spun around, flushed. She reacted like this to him but not to me? Something was wrong with this picture.

He looked at me and then at Hailey.

“You’ve gotten him into the office before nine. This is a great start.” He was smiling. When was the last time I saw him smile? All it took was fucking showing up a little bit earlier? I pursed my lips, holding my thoughts to myself.

“We are just on our way out, actually,” Hailey said.

“Oh, where?” He looked at me as if he expected me to answer.

“We’re going to buy suits,” I said and turned my head to the window. I hated this. He was teaming up with Hailey and she seemed to like him so much more than she liked me. A spark of irritation flashed inside me, taking me by surprise.

“Well,” He spoke. I could tell he seemed amused but I didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him. “Don’t let me keep you.”

He left the office, closing the door behind him. My mood was starting to darken. There was no way out of it now. Squashing me into a box that was the exact size and shape he wanted would no doubt make him the happiest man in the world.

I glanced at Hailey.

“I guess we should go, then,” I snapped. I wanted her to know how much I detested this idea.

OmegaMan was one of the biggest suit outlets in the city, dressing the upper class of Denver. Of course I had visited before but it wasn’t my kind of place. They had nothing I would consider wearing and everything about the store felt old and stuffy.

When we walked in through the doors the smell that laced my childhood greeted us. The place was big, with shelves and shelves of shirts and blazers and shoes shined so bright I could see my reflection in them. Hidden lights above all the shelves gave the place a homey feel, but the classical music that played in the background grated me.

“This place is incredible,” Hailey said, turning around.

“You’ve never been?” I asked her, softening just a little as she twirled in a circle. She was innocent. It sat on her beautifully. Fuck me for wanting to strip it away.

She shook her head. “I don’t usually wear suits.”

“No, I mean…” I started, but I let it go. There wasn’t much I could say to that.

“Can I help you?” a shop assistant asked. It was an older man with leathery skin, sharp eyes, and a British accent. How appropriate.

He looked at me like it was all my idea.

“Yes, we’re looking for some business suits,” Hailey spoke up. “Something classy but not too stiff. He still has to be approachable.”

I smirked to myself. I was the epitome of approachable. Just ask all the women I’d been with. The shop assistant nodded at me and looked me up and down.

“I think I have just the thing,” he said and hurried away. I glared at Hailey but if she picked up on my foul mood she ignored it. Her eyes were bright and she looked like she was enjoying herself.

“This is exciting,” she said. “Don’t you just love recreating yourself?”

I shook my head. “Why would I want to recreate anything about me? I’m pretty true to who I am.”

She gave me a side glance that said she wasn’t too impressed with my response. And? She wasn’t waxing my cock or paying my bills, so her opinion was slightly invalid. I’d play this shit out for my father, but after that…I’d slip back into being me. I was fine just like I was.

There was no reason to recreate myself. But she, on the other hand, was something to look at. Until now she’d been stern and emotionless around me. Now that we were away from the office and she was distracted by her mission, her features were animated. There was something very attractive about her – the way she spoke and took everything in like it was something to be stored and revisited later – was endearing. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been that excited about someone else’s excitement.

“I have taken the liberty to select three colors for you, Sir,” the assistant said behind us, returning with three blazers. Black, midnight blue, and a light gray.

“I like the blue,” Hailey said.

I shook my head. “I don’t do blue. I like the black.”

Hailey nodded. “Okay, but everyone does black. Don’t you want to try something different? You look like the type that wants to stand out.”

I raised my eyebrows at her. The only person I didn’t stand out to, apparently, was Hailey.

I sighed. “I’ll have them all in black,” I said. I wasn’t going to buckle on that.

“Oh, come on. Try on the blue. Or the gray at least. It will work with your dark hair. All black can become so monotonous.” Hailey’s eyes were on mine, imploring me. I thought back to the monochrome I had noticed earlier and groaned.

“Fine,” I said, trying hard not to bark at the bossy little tart. “But the gray. I don’t do blue.”

Hailey rolled her eyes. “You’re so fussy,” she said. “Go on, try it on.”

I took the blazer from the assistant who offered a hanger with a pair of pants as well. Fussy? Did she really call me fussy? Fuck me.

“Take a white shirt with you,” Hailey said. “You won’t get the full effect with that checkered shirt on.”

“You’re playing dress-up with me,” I said, giving her a look. “Don’t.”

. Hailey chuckled and shook her head, turning to the assistant. “Get the white shirt please.”

“Right away,” he said and hurried away to get a shirt.

“Got him eating right of your hand, don’t you?” I asked. Hailey’s smile faded, replaced with something that looked like irritation.

“It doesn’t hurt to be nice to people sometimes, you know. You’ll be surprised how much people are willing to do for you.”

I shook my head and took the shirt from the assistant who had returned, ready to wait on us again. I walked to the cubicle and closed myself in. The first thing I did was to pull out my phone and check it for messages. I wanted someone to call me and give me a reason to leave. Anything. But nothing had come through – where were the messages when I needed them? I put my phone on the small shelf, along with my wallet, and pulled off my jeans. This was going to be a long day.

When I had the suit on I looked at myself in the mirror. I had to admit it wasn’t bad. The light suit did exactly what Hailey said it would – it worked with my features. My hair looked almost a blue-black, my skin tan. I rubbed my hand over the stubble on my chin and turned around. It wasn’t what I usually wore, but it really wasn’t bad at all.

I opened the cubicle door and stepped out. Hailey and the assistant stood together, talking. She used her hands when she spoke. Her face changed when she was in a conversation. She was the type of woman that gave herself over to whatever she was doing. I didn’t understand people that were like that – I tried to reserve as much of myself as possible. I had to admit, though, her freedom was attractive. I envied it.

Did I look like that when people saw me? How much of me was real?

I pushed the thought away and cleared my throat. Hailey and the assistant both turned around. Hailey smiled.

Dammit, she was beautiful.

“That’s more like it,” she stepped a little closer and reached up to smooth down my shirt. “Don’t you feel great in that?”

I shrugged noncommittally. “The clothes are just clothes, but I do like the way you’re eye-fucking me. You do that to all of your clients, Hailey?”

She ignored me. Good girl. Point for her.

I wasn’t going to tell her that she was right about the suit. It made me feel older, stronger, more capable. Weird.

“It really does look good. You fit the part now.” She moved back and let her eyes run over me. That sexy ticking in the side of her neck had a smirk lifting the side of my mouth. She wanted something… most likely me. I had to push her. Just a little more.

“Are you always so superficial?” I asked.

Her face fell. “Excuse me?”

“You seem to put a lot of emphasis on looks.”

She folded her arms over her chest. Her eyes became darker, clouded.

“You’re very sure about me,” she said, stepping back.

I shrugged, nonchalant. “Since we arrived you’ve been on about my looks,” I said, looking at myself in the full-length mirror next to the cubicle.

“That’s because we’re at a clothing shop,” she said coldly. “It’s not exactly the kind of place where you talk about your emotions.”

I glanced at her in the mirror and raised a brow. She shook her head. She was visibly upset. Her face showed everything she felt. How she had managed to hide it the first time we met was a mystery to me.

“You don’t know me at all,” she said. She took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “You know what? Buy your own damn suits.”

She turned around and left the shop. The assistant shuffled from one foot to the other, looking awkward in the middle of our little dispute.

“Uhm…” he cleared his throat. “Will you be taking it?”

I looked at myself in the mirror and nodded.

“Yes. Get me all three.”

The assistant had a purpose again and rushed around to get me what I needed.

“And ties, sir?” I asked.

I shook my head. “Another time.”

Judging by the way Hailey was set to change my image, we would be back a few times. The assistant nodded and rang it all up. When I finished paying, I walked outside with my parcel of suits.

“I bought all three of them,” I said to Hailey.

She turned to me. Her face had that blank expression on it again and I decided I didn’t like it. I liked her when she was animated, excited as if the world had something to offer.

“You’re the one that has to wear them,” she said. “If you don’t like them you didn’t have to take them.”

“I’m well aware of that. I’m a grown ass man. I do what I want to do.” I felt myself slipping into alpha mode. The woman had me going from wanting to be sweet to feeling the overwhelming need to bend her over my knee and spank her ass. Frustrating was an understatement.

“Hey. I’m just doing my job here. No need to bite my head off.” Her words were strong, solid, but she flinched. I felt like shit immediately.

“I shouldn’t have said that. This whole thing with my father irritates me, but that doesn’t give me the right to take it out on you.”

Hailey nodded. “Apology accepted, Mr. Nettles.” She was distancing herself from me again. “But you should know that I am here to do my job. What you think of me has nothing to do with it.”

She turned around. “Come on,” she said over her shoulder. “We’ve got work to do.”

I couldn’t help but smile. On one hand she seemed naïve and almost childlike. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, she was a woman with a voice that had no intention of being steamrolled. She was the kind of woman that made our empowerment campaign seem like something worth our while.

“Are you coming?” she asked.

I walked after her, carrying my shit. I decided against my better judgment that I would wear all three suits. Not because I liked suits, but because as annoying as Miss Hailey Woods was, there was something about her that I liked, a lot.