Corporate A$$ (3 page)

Nathan

“You were amazing.” Claudia smiled as she ran her finger down my chest.

“Thanks.” I climbed out of her bed and pulled on my pants.

“Where are you going?”

“We fucked and I’m done. I’m going home.”

“I thought you were staying the night!” she pouted.

“Listen, sweetheart, I know you’re new to this with me, but let’s get one thing straight. I don’t spend the night with the women I have sex with.” I buttoned up my shirt.

“Ever?”

“Never.” I smiled.

“So you used me?” she snapped.

“I wouldn’t say that. You wanted me to fuck you, so I did. And if we’re going to continue to do this, then you have to understand that I will never stay.”

“You’re just a real unromantic asshole.”

“Romance isn’t my thing, and as for being an asshole, I admit that I can be. So I’m not offended.”

“Get out, Nathan, and don’t call me.” She brought her knees up to her chest.

“Suit yourself, sweetheart. There are plenty of women out there who understand.” I headed towards the door. “One question before I leave. What gave you the impression that I was a romantic kind of guy?”

She stared at me for a moment. “I guess you never did.”

“Exactly.” I winked. “So shame on you for thinking that I was.”

Climbing into the limo, I sighed, and Jason looked at me through the rearview mirror.

“She wanted you to stay?” he asked.

“Yep. She told me not to call her.”

He laughed. “And another one bites the dust.”

“No big deal. She wasn’t that good anyway.”

“You are the true definition of a Casanova, my friend.”

****

Fiona

I hadn’t left my house in over two weeks and it was in shambles.

“You really need to get your life together. It’s been two weeks. Have you even started looking for a new job?” Lydia asked as she started to clean up the two weeks’ worth of mess.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I spoke with seriousness. “And I’m not sure how to.”

She set down the glasses and took a seat next to me.

“What?”

“I got a new job and it’s in New York. I start next week.”

“When did that happen?” she asked.

“Today. I did a skype interview with a marketing company a few days ago and yesterday, I had a second interview. Today, they called and said that my recommendation from Bryce was stellar and they were excited to have me on board.”

Lydia reached over and placed her hand on mine.

“I don’t want you to go. You’re my best friend. We’ve been together since freshman year of college.”

“I know, sweetie. But I feel like I need a new start. It’s a really good job and I’m not starting at the bottom.”

Suddenly, my phone rang.

“That’s weird. It’s my step-monster. Why the hell would she be calling? Hello,” I answered.

“Fiona.” She sniffled. “Your father passed away.”

I sat there in shock, unable to speak as my heart started pounding rapidly.

“Oh my God! How?” Tears formed in my eyes and my body began to shake.

“He had a massive heart attack. I’m at the hospital now.”

“I’m on my way.”

Setting my phone down, I looked at Lydia. “My father just died.”

****

After the funeral, I made a call to the company in New York to let them know that I wouldn’t be able to start for a couple of more weeks due to the death of my father. They were very understanding and told me to take as much time as I needed. As much as Rachel and I didn’t get along, I couldn’t just leave her to clean out my father’s things on her own.

“Robbie called and needs us to come into his office tomorrow. He said there’s something he needs to discuss about your father’s company,” she spoke.

“What about it?”

“I don’t know. Could you spend the night again? I really don’t want to be alone.” She began to cry.

“Yeah. I’ll stay. That way, we can go together tomorrow and then I’ll help you go through Dad’s things before I leave for New York.”

“Thank you, Fiona. Listen, I know we never got along, but your dad would want us to do this together.”

I sighed. “He would. I think I’m going to head up to bed. It’s been a long past couple of days and I’m exhausted.”

“Me too.” She blew her nose.

The truth was, Rachel and I didn’t get along because she was responsible for the breakup of my parents’ marriage. Which also led to the distance that had grown between me and my father. They met ten years ago when I was eighteen when they were involved in a little fender bender at a stop light. They exchanged numbers, settled with the insurance company, and shortly after, a relationship formed. My father told my mother about Rachel a month after they started dating. She had quickly become the most important thing in his life. He left my mother devastated, I went off to college, and he continued on as if he did nothing wrong. We barely spoke during my college years. The plan had always been since I was a little girl that I would go to college, get my MBA, and go to work for his company, Winslow Wines. But that changed when he married Rachel because I no longer wanted anything to do with him or his company. It wasn’t until two years ago that we started to reconnect when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she lost her battle to over a year ago. I never thought in a million years that I’d lose both my parents in such a short amount of time.

The next morning, Rachel and I headed to Robbie’s office at Winslow Wines. He was my mother’s brother, my uncle, and also the financial manager for the company ever since the doors first opened.

“Hi, Uncle Robbie.” I smiled as I gave him a hug.

“Hi, Fiona. Rachel. Please have a seat. You know, Devin, your father’s lawyer.”

“Hello, Devin.” I nodded.

“What’s this about?” Rachel asked.

Devin opened a large brown envelope and took out a stack of papers.

“This is your father’s will pertaining to the company. To be read three days after he was put to rest.” He cleared his throat. “Upon my death, my company, Winslow Wines, shall be given to my only child, Fiona Rose Winslow, to oversee and run to the best of her ability and to keep the family company for generations to come.”

“What?!” I exclaimed. “No. I’m moving to New York.”

“This is what your father wanted, Fiona,” my Uncle Robbie spoke. “If he didn’t think you could do it, he wouldn’t have put you in charge of something he built from nothing.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” I got up from my chair and paced around the office. “I don’t know the first thing about running a company.”

“I’ll be here to help you,” Uncle Robbie spoke.

“And what about the board of directors? Do you think they’re going to stand for this?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Devin spoke. “Your father was the majority shareholder, which has been passed on to you. They have no choice but to back you.”

“And if I don’t want it?”

“Then you can sell your shares, the company, and destroy everything your father worked so hard to build.”

Fiona

Guilt. Pure guilt. That was what they were throwing at me. What the hell did I know about running a company? What if I failed and then I’d have to live with the guilt for letting my father down for the rest of my life. Was this something I could do? Hell if I knew. I was business smart. I always had been and I know that it broke my father’s heart when I refused to come work for him. But I was angry. Angry that he cheated on my mother, divorced her, destroyed our family, and married Rachel. The best way I could handle my anger was to distance myself from him. It was what I did. But then my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and I had to turn to him. He was there for me, helping me and my mom. He supported me through it all. He was the strength I needed to get through it when I had nobody else, and he was there for me when she died.

“Okay.” I sighed. “Where do I sign?”

Uncle Robbie looked at me with a smile and held out his hand.

“Welcome to Winslow Wines, Fiona.”

Placing my hand in his, I gave an unsure smile. I had a feeling my life was about to change drastically.

****

“I cannot believe you’re taking over your father’s company!” Lydia exclaimed.

Rolling my eyes, I spoke, “Me either.”

“Well, at least you’re staying in Cali and not moving across the country.” She smiled.

“True. Even though I was kind of looking forward to the change.”

“Thanks for dinner.” She got up from the booth and kissed my cheek. “I have to go get ready to meet Paul.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Hell yes, I’m nervous. I hate blind dates.”

“Then why did you agree to go out with him?”

“Because I’m desperate to find a man.” She pouted. “Spare me your lecture.” She put her hand up.

I laughed. “Call me tomorrow and let me know how it went.”

“I will. Talk to you soon.”

As I was finishing my drink, I gasped when a man slid into the seat across from me. Not just any ordinary man. The man with the dreamy eyes from the casino.

“Well, hello there.” He smiled. “Remember me?”

The corners of my mouth curved upwards as I pursed my lips.

“No.”

He narrowed his left eye at me and cocked his head. “You’re lying. Why not just admit that you remember me?”

“Wait a minute. You’re that guy who took my seat at the casino and refused to get up.”

“And you’re that girl who told me no and then proceeded to beat the hell out of someone’s beautiful car in the parking garage.” He smirked.

Damn, he was sexy. Wow. I looked down because I swore I was dripping out of my panties. Black designer tailored suit. Expensive, may I add. Hair perfectly styled. Five o’clock shadow that I loved on men so much. But he was full of himself and cocky as shit. Two things I hated most.

“So why did you do it?” he asked as he took the glass from my hand and took a sip of my drink.

“Excuse me. Get your own drink.” I took my glass back from him and he grinned.

“All I wanted was a taste so I’d know what you were drinking. Vodka on the rocks. Interesting. Again, why did you do it?”

“He was cheating on me.” I smiled.

“Why on earth would anyone cheat on someone as beautiful as you?”

Don’t. Don’t. Don’t fall for it. He’s a player.

“Apparently, he’s into redheads.” I arched my brow.

“What a shame and what a fool.”

“Are you here alone?” I asked.

“No. I’m with that woman over there.” He pointed to a few tables over. “We just were seated and I glanced over and saw you sitting here alone. I thought I’d stop over and say hi since we already knew each other.” His grin widened.

Nice. Another typical asshole.

“We don’t know each other. We exchanged a few words and that was it.”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Lucy Collins.” I smiled. That was my go-to name when I didn’t feel comfortable giving a guy my real name if I suspected he was a creeper or just an asshole.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Lucy.” He got up from the booth.

“Excuse me. Aren’t you going to tell me your name?”

“No.” He smiled as he walked away.

I watched him as he took a seat at his table.
Jerk
. Sighing, I threw down some cash and headed home. Tomorrow was my first day at Winslow Wines and I needed to make sure I was well rested.

****

Nathan

Sitting at my desk, I yelled for my assistant, Kylie, to come into my office.

“Yes, Nathan?”

“I want you to find out everything you can about a woman named Lucy Collins. I want an address, phone number, place of employment, etc.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

I was up all night thinking about her. Our small conversation and the way her smile made my cock twitch. Her long blonde hair and the baby blue eyes that twinkled when she looked at me. She remembered me the minute I sat down, yet she played it off as if she didn’t. She was feisty. Someone I was up for taming. One night with that beautiful woman and I’d have her in the palm of my hand.

“Hey, Nathan,” my right hand and best friend, Will, spoke as he stepped into my office.

“What’s up?”

“Christopher Winslow passed away a few days ago and word is that his company is in real trouble.”

“Trouble how?”

“In debt up the ass, problems with the vineyards, low inventory and, from what I hear, vendors are threatening to cancel their accounts.”

“Hmm. Who’s taking over the company? Or are they closing their doors?” I leaned back in my chair.

“I don’t know. But what I do know is that a takeover is probably the best thing.” He smirked.

“Do some more research. Get the numbers and we’ll meet. I’ve always wanted to dabble in the wine business.”

“On it.” He began to walk out. “By the way, I ran into Lindsey last night. She told me to tell you that you are a no good, lousy piece of shit cocksucker and she hates you.”

I shrugged. “What else is new?”

Just as he walked out, Kylie walked in.

“Here’s what I could find on Lucy Collins.” She handed me a printout.

“This birthdate puts her at forty-five years old. She isn’t forty-five and it says here she’s married. She’s not married.”

“Sorry, Nathan. That’s the only Lucy Collins living in Los Angeles.”

I sighed. “Thank you.”

A smile crossed my face as I sat there shaking my head. She lied to me about her name. Fuck, she just became a whole lot hotter.