Chapter 3

Grant

The restaurant I chose for dinner that night was about as different from Split Bean as possible. It was the kind of place that you couldn’t get a table at without a reservation. And to even make a reservation, a call had to be placed days in advance, sometimes weeks. And even then, it wasn’t guaranteed. I was lucky that I knew the owner and never had an issue getting in. Growing up, I would never have dreamed in a million years that I would be able to eat at a place like this on a regular basis.

It was five minutes past eight, and my dinner guest was late. I had arrived early, of course. I always did. It allowed for me to get settled and ensure that when my company arrived, I was there, waiting. As far as restaurants went, this wasn’t the worst to be kept waiting at. The music was divine, the service was impeccable, and the clientele was easy on the eyes. More than once, I caught the attention of a young socialite, eating with a man twice her age. On any other night, I might have tried to pass her my number, but not tonight. Tonight, I had a target in mind.

I was about to order my second drink when I spotted her, hurrying through the front door. She was hard not to notice. She had a very obvious effect on all the men in the room as she glided her way through the tables.

Kendra Lange had always been attractive. When we used to date, I would often lie awake at night and count my lucky stars that she found it in her heart to date me too, always assuming that I was the butt of some joke. But if she was attractive back in high school, she was drop dead gorgeous as a fully developed woman.

She wore a tight-fitting, strapless black dress that hugged her curves as it snaked its way down to her ankles. Indeed, her curves were her best feature, the perfect hourglass shape, supported by a nice round butt and very ample cleavage, which struggled not to spill from the front of her dress. Her face was the perfect cherry on top of her mouthwatering body. She had big green eyes that missed nothing, and plump lips that were almost as appetizing as the rest of her.

As she got closer to the table, I reproached myself for getting carried away. Every time I saw Kendra, I had a hard time controlling my thoughts. Even then, watching the ways her breasts bounced as she stepped around a nearby table, I could feel my pants tightening.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said as she reached the table. She pulled out a seat and fell into it.

“What did I tell you about tardiness?” I asked as I looked over her shoulder, signaling to the waiter that my drink, and hers, needed to be refilled.

“It wasn’t my fault. There was traffic and—”

“Excuses, by the sounds of it,” I cut in. “I distinctly remember you telling me how dependable you were when I hired you. That you would never let me down if I recall?”

The waiter approached and poured our drinks for us. Kendra looked relieved by the interruption. She squirmed in her seat and avoided my eyes as she watched the champagne fill her glass.

Even in her nervous state, she looked stunning. There was an innocence about her that I found impossibly engaging. She was out of her element, here in this crowd. That was half the reason I chose this restaurant. It was just another way for me to assert my authority over my old lover.

The other reason I chose this place to meet was a little bit mean on my part. I wanted her to see how successful I’d become. Of course, she knew I was a wealthy man who owned a huge company. But it was one thing to know about my achievements in the abstract. It was another to see the way I lived, up close and personal. I wasn’t even showing off. Not really. I ate here all the time. I was just giving her a glimpse into my real life, letting her know what she’d missed out on by dumping me for the fucking star quarterback.

I took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. Those old feelings of resentment weren’t important right now. I had business to discuss with Kendra.

“You came to me last month, asking for a raise,” I said, before taking a sip of my drink. I maintained strong eye contact with her as I spoke, even if she worked to avoid it. “I’m assuming that nothing has changed?”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, I would still appreciate a raise. If that’s what you’re offering?”

“It is. But I’m offering you more than a raise. I’m opening a new store in two weeks. I’d like you to manage it for me. And yes, it comes with a considerable increase in salary.”

“You don’t want me to work at the flagship anymore?” she asked.

“I don’t need you to work at the flagship anymore. You’ve done a good job there, getting things back in order. Debbie can take it from here. The store I’m opening is more... unique in its product. I think it would benefit from having someone like you handling things.”

“Really?” she asked, her interest clearly piqued. She had begun to loosen up a little, settling into the atmosphere. As much as I liked her nervous, seeing her confident was just as sexy. Maybe even more so. Her breathing had steadied, and I struggled to keep my eyes from staring at her gorgeous breasts, slowly falling and rising beneath that tight dress.

“So, you’re interested?” I asked.

“Of course. I wasn’t kidding when I asked for that raise. My landlord has been a real dick lately and– Oh, sorry.” Her hand flew over her mouth.

Her reaction was undeniably cute. Considering what I was going to ask her to do in a few minutes, cursing was the least of her worries.

“Good to know that you’re interested,” I responded, smirking at her innocence. “But you might want to hear a little more about the new store before you dive in so eagerly. This isn’t like my other candy store. Like I said, this store will be selling a slightly different kind of product. To a different kind of customer than you’re used to.”

“Oh, okay. What do you mean?”

I didn’t respond right away, enjoying the confused look on her face. Then, I leaned back and signaled to the waiter nearest us. “Geoffrey,” I said as he approached. “Can you please fetch my suitcase? The one I brought with me.”

Geoffrey scurried off, and I watched Kendra in silence. She was getting nervous again. Her eyes had trouble meeting my gaze, and her hands fidgeted with her champagne flute. God, I loved playing with her. It was a reversal of our old dynamics, back when we were dating. I used to be the scrawny, dorky one who answered her every beck and call. I would have done anything for her. There’s a part of me that still would.

Geoffrey appeared by my side with a brown leather suitcase. “Here you are, sir.”

“Thanks,” I replied, taking the suitcase while slipping a twenty-dollar bill in his hand. He scurried off, and I propped the suitcase up on the table, turning it to face Kendra. “The store that I’m opening up is called Luscious, and the candy that I’m going to sell is of a more adult variety.”

I opened the case, and Kendra’s eyes widened delightfully at the sight of what was inside. Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes looked in every direction but at the contents of the suitcase.

“Are those... are those what I think they are?” She asked in a hushed whisper as if it were some sort of secret.

“That depends. What do you think it is?” I smirked. There was no confusing what was inside the suitcase. I had only brought the one product with me tonight to show Kendra. It was a best seller at Jack’s nightclub, and I thought it would be perfect for what I had in mind.

“It’s a dildo,” she said, her eyes flicking back to it. But she couldn’t seem to look at it for very long. “Is it chocolate?”

I nodded. The case held a big, black dildo. The entire thing was made from chocolate, and it was specially designed to not melt at the same temperature as most chocolates did. That would defeat the purpose.

“Right in one,” I said with glee, leaving the case open. “As I said, Luscious will specialize in adult themed candy of this nature. This is but one of the many products we have, and I’d like for you to be the face of the store.”

“I don’t... I don’t know if I’m right for... I really don’t think that this is the kind of thing I’m suited to,” she said, her voice quaking.

Goddamn, she was cute when she was nervous. “Kendra, you forget that I know more about you than the average boss. Quite a bit more. Believe me, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think you were right for it.” She was staring at the dildo now, her cheeks still burning red. I could tell she was curious. “Try it.”

“What?” she sputtered. “You can’t be serious?”

“Not like that,” I assured her, knowing exactly where her mind had gone. “With your mouth. Try it.”

“Here?” she asked, looking around the restaurant as if someone might overhear.

“Right here.” I held her eyes as I said it, keeping my voice calm and commanding. I needed her to know that I wasn’t kidding. “If you want the new job, you’re going to have to show me that you know the product. That you’re willing to sell the product.”

“I don’t know if I—”

“I will match the raise that you asked me for. Plus throw in a healthy bonus.”

I knew she needed the money. And more than that, I knew that she wanted to try it. She just needed a little convincing.

Her eyes trained on the chocolate dildo. She slowly nodded her head and reached for it. Her hand wrapped around it, and she gave those plump lips a lick, puckering them up for the job they were about to perform.

Even before she began, My dick hardened like a rocket. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this turned on. She lifted the dildo from the case and held it in front of her for a moment. Her eyes scanned the restaurant to make sure no one was looking. Then she plunged it into her mouth.

Her pink tongue ran around the head of the chocolate cock, as if she were tickling the hole. Then she opened her throat and swallowed as much of it as possible. Her thick lips ran up and down the candy shaft, covering the chocolate in saliva. She pulled it out, smacking her lips as she did.

The whole time she kept her eyes trained on me. She made sure that I watched as she ran the thick dildo in and out of her mouth, licking the sides and swallowing the head.

Despite myself, I was transported back to a time long ago. Back in high school, when the two of us were dating. I’d just gotten my license so I drove us out to the lake to celebrate. There, she gave me the most mind-numbing blowjob I had ever received. Like the dildo she currently worked, she treated my cock like a god, with total reverence. It would have been one of the better memories of our time together if it wasn’t for the fact that she dumped me the next week.

My stomach sank as that memory hit me. I hated thinking about it. Hated it. Even now, it still hurt. Even now, it reminded me of how much I used to love her, and how much a part of me still did.

“How was that?” she asked.

I’d been so lost in my thoughts I didn’t notice she’d stopped sucking the chocolate dildo.

“Well?” she asked.

“Oh, right,” I said quickly, snapping myself from thoughts of the past. “Not bad, for now. Those are the lips I remember so I well.” I forced a smirk across my face. If the comment was hard for me to make, it was worth it for how uncomfortable it made her.

“So? Does that mean I’m hired?” She still held the dildo in her hand, squeezing it as she spoke.

“It does. But I need you to do something for me. Just so I know you’re going to take the job seriously.”

“What?” she asked anxiously.

“Take it home with you and use it.” She squirmed at the suggestion. That was my intent, of course, to put myself back in a position of power. “And let me know what you think. I need all the feedback I can get.”

“Use it? You mean...”

“I mean exactly what you are thinking.”

The dinner didn’t last much longer after that. In fact, we skipped the food altogether. After her session with the dildo, the atmosphere between the two of us became intense, at least I thought so. Her cheeks didn’t lose their color, and she was barely able to look at me. But if she was uncomfortable, I was a mess. Despite the way that I acted around her. Despite my arrogance and bravado, I knew then that I was still desperately in love with her. Maybe giving her the job at Luscious wasn’t such a good idea after all?