BOOK 6: FILTHY CEO
Scarlett’s been invited by her eccentric aunt Betty to stay with her during the annual charity party.
This year, there’s a little twist.
An auction.
The women are not bidding for art or souvenirs from Africa.
They’re bidding for men.
Aunt Betty lifts her hand and starts bidding on Joshua Moore.
Scarlett thinks that it’s funny until she realises that she’s bidding for her.
Scarlett’s been hurt and the last thing that she wants to do is go on a date.
Especially with someone like Joshua.
Her aunt begs.
Teases her.
Until she realises that Joshua doesn’t want to date.
He tells her straight-up that he doesn’t date.
He wants to fuck.
And not just once.
All fucking weekend!
With an offer like that, Scarlett finds it hard to say no.
Chapter One
Scarlett
I pick up the phone which is vibrating like crazy on the side table. I turned off the ring tone when it was clear that my aunt’s going to call me nearly every hour until I arrive. She’s supposed to be busy organizing her ball, not chasing me. I’m getting ready to leave and go to her house, but she keeps calling, but I’m going to tell her to stop, this is getting ridiculous.
“Yes, Aunt Betty, I’m just getting ready and I’m on my way like I said last night and this morning.”
I don’t beat around the bush. How many times do I have to tell her that I’m coming to her house?
“Scarlett, are you sure that you’re coming? You didn’t sound happy when I suggested it.”
Well, you didn’t exactly suggest it. You emotionally blackmailed me into it. I don’t say that. I know if I do then I’ll hurt her feeling and the last thing I want to do is make Aunt Betty sad when the family avoids her like the plague, because of her eccentric behavior.
“No, it’s just that…”
“That young man of yours still keeping you busy?”
I sigh, “Not exactly, we’re not together.”
There’s a loud screech and then it sounds as if she’s dropped the phone. She picks it up out of breath, “That’s the best news that I’ve heard all year.”
“Sorry?”
“Oh dear, well you know that I didn’t exactly like him. Neither did your dad and don’t worry there’s plenty of men in the sea. Or is it fish?”
I’m just about to correct her when she says, “Never mind. You’ll come and help me with my annual charity ball, we need to do what we can for Africa. They’re starving because of us.”
I want to ask how she figured that out, I doubt that a whole continent is starving and waiting on her ball to be fed. I know better than to ask her for her logic on anything because it never makes sense. It just confuses the hell out of me, all the time.
“Besides, I may not be here next year.”
Here we go again, I know that she’s back to emotionally blackmailing me. If there was a prize for it, she would win it each and every year. She does it so naturally and too well.
“Aunt Betty is your back playing up again?”
“No.”
“Are you sick?”
“No.”
“So, why do you say that?”
I know what game she’s playing, but I like to help her along so she can get to her favorite punchline.
“Your grandma’s dead and your granddad too. I’m the only one left of this generation and when you get to my age you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You take each day as it comes. And I want you to take over the ball for when I’m gone.”
“Is that why you never asked mom to help you out?”
“Not really, it’s just that she always brings your dad and you know, we don’t get along. I don’t know why she always brings him.”
Maybe, because they’re married?
“Either way, I can’t be on the phone all day talking to you. I’ve got a ball to organize and you’ve got a car picking you up”
Then she hangs up the phone and doesn’t give me a chance to reply. I shake my head, because one thing about her is that she always makes me mad and smile at the same time. She has a way of provoking both emotions and I love her for it. I know that her heart is in the right place, but I sigh as I look in the mirror thinking that Aunt Betty’s going to be in shock when she sees me. I’ve put on so much weight that at times, I don’t even recognize myself. The last thing she’ll be thinking about is setting me up with anyone. Not that anyone would look twice at me. My skin’s a mess and my eyes have those bags underneath it. I used to think that they only appeared from lack of sleep but in my case it’s from being miserable and downright depressed.
The black dress I’m wearing is too tight. It's long sleeved and has a twist front silky style shirt dress. It used to be mid-length and now it's just covering my big butt. I've spent weeks wearing sweats that I couldn't go to Rowtons in that. I had to appear as if I was in control, even though deep down inside I'm the complete opposite. This is the result of being dumped, framed and homeless all at the same time. My only comfort apart from hanging out with Gretchen is eating one too many tubs of Ben & Jerry.
The Rowtons is the country club of the South. Where the rich and affiliate like to play. There’s just one problem, I’m far from rich. I don’t even have a job anymore after my fiancé managed to figure out a way to frame me for illegal trading. It was my signature on the paperwork. The funds were moved from my login and all fingers were pointed at me.
I didn’t have a clue what was going on, I was told to leave the office quietly. The Feds could have been called in to investigate, but as my boss and the board members politely told me, ‘We’re lucky that it was only small amounts. Any more and we would have had to turn you into the Feds. If you leave quietly then we can somehow turn this around and stop any investigation. Do you understand?’
I nodded like a bobbing doll, thinking that I couldn’t believe this was happening, I was in shock.
Apart from my bestie, Gretchen, no one knows that I lost my job and my fiancé, Sam. Not that it was any great lost. He used and framed me to see if he could get away with it. Six months ago, I moved in with Gretchen, the moment Sam changed the locks.
I could go to the family home, but to hear dad’s disappointing words about the fact that he never liked Sam seems too much to bear. He used me, not just once, but a number of times and the whole thing just cuts like a knife. I thought that he wanted me to stay late that night to propose.
I’d seen the hidden ring. Heard him on the phone talking about the trip to the Bahamas for two. I never realized that it was for my colleague, Cece who probably helped him set up the whole thing and the girl that he took to the Bahamas.
“Don’t make your face like that!”
Gretchen walks in and scolds me as she stands behind me.
“Gretchen what are you doing here? I thought you were at work?”
She shakes her head, “I told you that I’m working from home today. That’s the beauty of the law. You don't always have to go into the office. I didn’t want to go in. Too much pressure on at the moment.”
“Big case?”
She nods her head, “Everything’s relying on it. Even my partnership.”
She’s the smart one. If only I’d listened to her when I came to the city and didn’t end up following Sam around like a dog on a string when she kept warning me to take it slow. Out of college and the first internship that I managed to get was at the same company as his. I thought that it was fate. I didn't realize that he was setting me up from the start. Gretchen’s only four years older than me. She used to babysit me as a kid, but as we got older I started to think of her as more of a big sister, even though when I hooked up with Sam. I was still acting like a kid.
At times, I don’t know if I hate Sam or if I hate myself more?
“Scarlett you’re beautiful. Stop looking at yourself that way.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have the most assuming plump lips, long, sleek fair hair and the most enchanting eyes.”
“And a butt the size of Central Park,” I sigh as I turn to the side and point to my butt.
“There you go again, men like a bit of meat on a body. Something that they can grab a hold of.”
Coming from her that’s a bit comical. Gretchen works out like crazy, a five-mile jog in the morning followed by a gym workout at night every single day.
“I look like a whale this dress is too tight and I can hardly breathe in the midsection, because it’s so tight. I would borrow something from you, but I know that none of your clothes would fit me, besides the last thing I should be doing is looking for another man. That’s what got me in trouble in the first place.”
Her dark eyes move closer to mine as she spins me around to face her, “I’m not saying that you should marry the first man you meet. I’m just saying I want my bestie to have some fun. Besides Sam wasn’t a man. He was the devil in disguise and you just got burned big time.”
I nod as I think about it, I’m shaking inside. The whole idea of letting another man near me right now doesn’t feel like an option. I’ve given my heart out once and I was so wrong about that, I’m not doing it again.
Not this year and certainly not next.
“It’s been six months how long are you going to punish yourself?” she asks as if she can read my mind.
We both hear the apartment buzzer and then she whispers as she kisses and hugs me. “You didn’t have to do this. I’m not pushing you out you know?”
I nod as I pull back thinking that it’ll probably take me six years to get over what’s happened to me. It may be a little thing to her, but it’s so damn huge. I thought I knew what I was going to do with my life. Now, I just don’t have a clue.
“I just thought that I could maybe do with a change of scenery and get my head together. Even if it means with Aunt Betty.”
She winks, “You’ll have fun you’ll see.”
The buzzer goes again and I’m about to ask her if she’s having one of her gut feelings. Sometimes I feel that she has some secret sense about things. She never makes mistakes, then again, she’s completely focused whereas my excuse was always that I’m in love.
I start walking to the intercom and hear Daniel, Aunt Betty’s driver on the other line.
“I’m here to take Ms. Young to the Rowtons.”
I laugh, “Daniel when are you going to stop being so formal?”
I buzz him in. I dash to the bedroom to get my case. Not that there was much in it. I wasn’t taking my sweats and I’m scared of spending any money apart from when it comes to binge eating, so I didn’t shop. I didn’t feel like it and the realization of my weight gained only started this morning when I tried on this dress. I knew that I’d gone up a couple of pounds, but this dress makes me feel as if I’ve gone up a couple of sizes or maybe more.
Daniel presses the bell and I stand happy to see that he hadn’t changed. The same smiling face that always used to make me feel warm greets me.
“Scarlett, you haven’t changed a bit. As beautiful as ever.”
I wrap my arms around him. It feels as if it’s been forever since I’ve seen him.
“You always know how to make me feel better.”
He pulls away, and smiles, “That’s because I always told you the truth.”
Like the time, the kids bullied me at school about my weight and Daniel was the one that put them in their place. Or after I’d lost the weight and I was still being teased as the fat girl. He was the one that came to pick me up when Stuart Hunt said that he’ll take me out on a date. They laughed watching me stand and wait for hours. Daniel was the one who took me out for ice-cream. He promised not to tell a soul and as he grabbed my bag and I said goodbye to Gretchen. I realized that maybe she’s right. Things will work out even better than I could imagine or hope for.