Blake

I awake to several different sounds and buzzes coming from my phone. I squint, looking at the clock on the wall. It’s five before eight on a Tuesday morning, so I can predict what is going on without even looking. The call was from Dad, still intent on giving me an earful of something. I wonder when the last time was that he got laid, much less three times in one night. That’s what he really needs. That’s what every guy needs.

The continuous stream of buzzes indicates that emails are pouring in. I’m going to have to check them within the hour just to make sure Davis has what he needs prior to the hearing at ten. I’ll have to touch base with Bill sometime too regarding the meeting with Simpson Industries this afternoon. Even though Kayla has done a good job of passing off my tasks for the day, I still feel like I’m the one who is ultimately responsible. If anything goes wrong, Dad will blame me, not them. I’ll have to touch base with the old man at noon.

I turn my focus to Kayla, who is still sound asleep on my arm. I give her a small kiss on the forehead, still amazed by the incredible evening we shared together. I’ve had nights filled with wild fun, incredible sex, and gorgeous women, but something was always missing. Passion. The feelings that well up in my chest when I’m making love to Kayla are so intense that it feels like something is going to explode. I have loved her for as long as I can remember, and now everything seems to finally be coming together. We are both in a place in our lives where we are ready to settle down and build a life together. In some ways, I wish we could’ve gotten to this point ten years ago, but it’s better late than never. I’m sure I’ll appreciate her much more now than I would have if everything had fallen into place when we were young. At least that’s what I’m going to tell myself.

My phone continues to buzz and vibrate on the dresser and it’s driving me nuts. I slip my arm out from under Kayla and she barely stirs. I slip from the bed, grabbing the robe and my phone before leaving her to sleep. I’m not sure what time we finally went to sleep, but it had to have been well after two. I’m used to surviving on five or six hours of sleep, but I know she likes to get at least eight, so I’ll go get my work done and then I’ll make her some breakfast. It occurs to me that there isn’t much for groceries out here. I guess I’ll order breakfast. I text Jay over at Blade to see if he will make a breakfast run to Buvette for me. He’s the one who brought me out yesterday, and he said to let him know if I need anything. Well, I need breakfast.

Jay: Sure. You need some overpriced French pastries delivered via private helicopter?

Me: Pretty much. No rush. You have until ten. A half-dozen croissants with butter and jam, one Croque Madame, and one Frits A I'americaine. And some orange juice.

Jay: Need me to swing by Starbucks too?

Me: No. I think we’re good.

Jay: Okay, your $600 breakfast will be there shortly. I’ll be expecting a 20% tip. : )

I chuckle as I think about whether to tip him on the whole bill or just the breakfast items. Technically, I think it would only be on breakfast, so twenty bucks should cover it. That’s what he deserves for being a smart ass.

Clicking to my email, it looks like the normal Tuesday morning flow. Nothing is marked urgent, so after a quick scan, I scroll back through my text messages. As expected, both Davis and Bill have sent me lists of things they need prior to the hearing and meetings.

Me: The code to the filing cabinet next to Kayla’s desk is 8081. You will find a file in there for the hearing this morning and one for the meeting with Simpson. Everything you need is in there.

Nineteen eighty is the year Kayla was born and I was born in eighty-one, so I tend to use it whenever I need a four-digit code. It seemed smarter than just using mine twice, and it’s not like anyone is going to break into my assistant’s filing cabinet. Then it hits me. Who is going to be my assistant? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who is more efficient and organized than Kayla. Obviously, I would much rather have a relationship with her than work with her, but she will really be missed around the office. I scan my memory banks for anyone who I could get on short notice. October is going to be a killer month the way it is. I don’t see any way I’ll be able to do it without her. We are going to have to keep this thing under wraps for a while. I grab her resignation letter and the pen that still lies on the counter. Resignation not accepted, I write along the bottom of the page.

Last, I click over to recent calls to confirm that it was indeed Dad who called repeatedly just before eight this morning. One of the calls was from Sage and the other two from an unfamiliar Manhattan number. My voicemail is still full, so I debate for just a second or two before clicking Sage’s number. “Hi, Blake,” she answers, sounding upset.

“I saw you called. Is everything okay?” I ask, wondering which direction this conversation would go.

“Cory has been trying to call you,” she whispers. “So when he got in the shower, I just wanted to warn you.”

“Warn me?” I feel my eyes roll, knowing exactly what’s going to come out of her mouth next.

“I had to tell him,” she squeaks as she begins to cry. “I felt so guilty.”

Fuck. This is exactly why I never hook up with women who are already in a relationship of some kind. They always tell the other person. Sage seemed like sort of a drama queen, so right when she mentioned Cory, I knew this would be the result. “So, you told him that we spent twenty-four hours in the Bahamas and basically fucked each other’s brains out?”

“Well, I wasn’t quite that crude about it,” she scoffs. “I just told him that after spending the weekend with you, I’m feeling torn. I like him and all, but I honestly can’t get you out of my head.”

“So now he’s calling me?” I ask, hearing a deep male voice in the background.

“He just got out of the shower,” she says nervously. “He wants to talk to you.”

There is a scuffling sound, and he says something to her under his breath as the phone passes between them. “Is this Blake?” he asks harshly.

“It is. I assume you’re Cory,” I reply, stating the obvious. In only three words, I am already pre-judging the intellect of the guy. The guy is good looking and built like a brick shit house, but he has the voice of the grade school bully, the guy who used to pick on me in fifth grade.

“I’m so fucking pissed, man. You have no idea.” He pauses so all I hear is heavy breathing into the phone. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night and we play the Seahawks tonight.”

“Hey, I’m sorry, man. Sage never mentioned anything about having a boyfriend until midway though the flight back,” I tell him honestly. “I don’t mess around with women who are in relationships. That is a steadfast rule of mine. It leads to shit like this.”

“You’ve ruined her, man,” he says in a hushed voice, talking as if he doesn’t want Sage to hear. “Whatever you did to her . . . I don’t know, man. This is fucked up.”

“All you have to do is start paying a little more attention. Take your time, give her a chance to warm up a little before getting down to business,” I suggest, trying to give him a few quick pointers. “Women want to feel loved. They don’t just want to fuck, roll over, and go to sleep like guys do. You’ve got to work it a little.”

“Well, she’s talking like she’s more interested in dating you than me now,” he says with an undertone of rage returning to his voice. “If I could get my hands on you right now—”

“Hey. Like I said, this isn’t my fault. In fact, ask her to see a copy of the contract she signed last week. She swore that she was single and unattached. She also swore that she wouldn’t talk about anything that went on between the two of us,” I tell him, pausing for effect. “She is in direct violation of the nondisclosure agreement.”

“She actually signed a contract?” he asks, seeming completely shocked by the formality of it all.

“Yes, and she was also tested for HIV, Hep-C and the whole array of STDs,” I add for emphasis. “You’ll be glad to know she was completely clean.”

“I can’t believe she did all of this behind my back,” he replies, now sounding more hurt than angry. “I guess she really wanted to be with you.”

“Well, if it helps, you can let her know that as of last night, I’m off the market,” I inform him. “There will be no more trips with former interns. You can tell her that the only person I will be spending time with is Kayla, the woman she knows as my executive assistant.” There’s a moment of silence at the other end of the line as Cory is apparently still processing everything that I’ve told him.

“So dating you isn’t an option?” he finally asks, still obviously concerned that she will choose me over him.

“No. That was never an option. It’s in the contract.” I let out a sigh, knowing that once Cory sees the contract for himself, there will be no questions about my intent. “I wish you both the best. Sage is a beautiful girl who just made a mistake. I hope you guys can get past it.”

“Thanks, man,” he replies before hanging up. I click into recent calls and block both numbers. Those two can figure it out on their own. I’m sure as hell not getting in the middle of it. I’ve got enough shit to figure out in my own life.

“You handled that like a pro,” Kayla says, coming up from behind me and slipping her arms around me. She kisses me on the cheek and nuzzles me with her warm nose. “That airtight contract of yours saved your ass again.” She giggles. “I can’t believe you didn’t make me sign one last night.”

I glance back at her, flashing a smile and shaking my head. “Yeah, I’m off into uncharted territory on this one. I didn’t even make you submit to the standard STD screening.”

“Well, to put your mind at ease,” she says, coming around my chair and taking a seat on my knee, “I got tested right after I broke up with Ron. Truthfully, the reason I broke up with him is because he had been cheating on me the whole time we were dating.”

“Ron? The cardboard cutout CPA guy? HE was cheating on YOU?” My mind is completely blown. “You are so far out of his league that it doesn’t even seem possible. I can’t even believe he got you to fuck him, much less multiple women.”

“Once we single girls start approaching our mid-thirties, we start to get a little crazy,” she replies with a sad look in her eyes. “He’s really good at preying upon those insecurities.”

“If I ever run into that guy . . .” I punch my fist into my other hand.

“Don’t worry about it, Blake. After last night, I will never give him or anyone else another thought.” She leans in and gives me a kiss. “Did I hear you say that you’re off the market?”

“I’m definitely off the market. As long as you want me to be,” I add as a qualifying condition.

“Yes. Absolutely,” she replies, leaning in to give me a long, sensual kiss. “But, I’m still a little unsure as to why you would give up that perfect system of acquiring beautiful young women just to be with me.”

“Because I love you. I don’t think you realize just how long I’ve been waiting for you to come to your senses. I still had hope that it would happen eventually, but you definitely held out a lot longer than I ever expected. I thought for sure that when I started taking ex-interns to the Bahamas, it would make you jealous enough to say something. Instead, you kept on dating guys like Ron,” I tell her, feeling a deep pang of sadness.

“I never thought you would be happy with me . . . in the long run, I mean.” Her lips curl into a frown. “I never wanted to risk losing you completely. I would be lost without you. I would seriously have to move away and try to start over someplace new.”

“You’re never going to have to worry about losing me,” I assure her, squeezing her tight. “By the way, I rejected your resignation for the moment.” I grab the document off the counter and show it to her. “Can we keep things on the down low for a month or so? I really need your help to get through October.”

“I’ll do whatever you want,” she says, sealing it with another kiss. “I’ve pretended not to be in love with you around the office for the last ten years, so I can easily handle another month.”

We’ve both been pretending for the last ten years, but I know it’s not going to be easy to keep my feelings hidden for long. I’ve always loved the way she looks in those little pantsuits and high heels that she wears to the office. It’s going to be hard to keep from being distracted by that sweet round ass of hers now that I’ve spent some intimate time with it. My cock begins to get hard again just thinking about it. I’ve always had a strong libido, but this is getting a little out of control.