Just Go (11 page)

When the meeting comes around, I’ve already sent out a few emails to clients introducing myself, and handled some HR paperwork that needed to be finished today. I head into the conference room that will hold all of my drivers, and wait for them to start trickling in. By quarter after they are all finally here and I’m already pissed that they have no sense of time management. What part of ten am meeting did they not understand?

“Thank you all for coming, I just want to introduce myself.”

“We know who you are,” a voice from the back of the group says. I can’t make out who said it, but it was a female voice, and I only have two female drivers.

“Right, I’m sure you all do. It’s no secret that—“

“You’re the boss’s daughter, handed this job on a silver platter,” the voice says again. Everyone else around me seems to be getting more and more uncomfortable.

“The only person I have to run my qualifications by is my boss, who happens to be my father, yes, but he wouldn’t put someone who isn’t qualified in this position. I’m sure he went through all of his employees before coming to me.” She doesn’t have a comeback, and I’m able to finish up my speech. “I know we’re all busy. I just wanted to say ‘hi’, and that I hope we have a good working environment. Come to me for anything you need.”

I had some smiles and nods, a few scheduling questions to take notes on, but all in all my employees seem to be on the same page as I am. It shouldn’t matter that I’m the boss’s daughter. What matters is that I can do this job. Everyone gets up to leave and I’m finally able to see the girl that was making all of the comments earlier. Skinny, fake boobs, bleach blonde hair, and smacking gum like a cheap whore. Great.

“Annaliese Ryder.” I put my hand out to shake hers, hoping for a more personal introduction, but she stares at me in disgust.

“I know.” She fakes a smile.

“And you are?”

“You’re the boss. Shouldn’t you already have that figured out?” She’s right. My mind scans through the notes I spent the morning reading, trying to put a face to a name, or match a profile picture to the woman standing in front of me when it clicks.

“Kayla Harris. Your hair is a different color than in your profile.” And she looks like a completely different person, but the scar on her cheek doesn’t lie.

“Ah, there’s a brain behind the beauty. That or it was a lucky guess. Either way, boss, I have things to do this morning before my route starts.” She stands and slides past me.

“Great. Nice meeting you, Kayla,” I say, trying to make my voice as happy as can be, when all I want to do is fire the bitch. I figured there’d be some people upset with the big change, but I didn’t think I’d have someone so openly hateful right at the start.

She doesn’t return the sentiment as she leaves me to an empty conference room, contemplating my next move with her. I’m not one to whine about things, so telling my dad about her behavior is not going to happen. I’d rather not be the boss that has it out for one of her employees so transferring her right off the bat isn’t happening either. It looks like I’m in need of a third option, but short of throwing her bitchy ass off a roof, I’m not thinking of anything else worthwhile.

The rest of the day is spent about like the first part of it. I’m bombarded with a whopping zero lunch invites as I sit in my office and watch groups of people leaving to grab lunch. The groups are small as we have a few drivers out and about on runs, but not one of them offered a smile or a goodbye as they leave me to an empty office.

What am I doing here? It’s not like this has anything to do with my degree. Sure, this is a means to be able to stay in the apartment with Gabby, but I’m sure there are jobs out there that I could have gotten that would pay enough for me to live there. Right? I hope this was the right choice, but each time I see Ms. Kayla glaring at me, my decision starts to make less and less sense in my head. I probably stole someone’s raise and promotion just because I am the boss’s daughter.

“What’s got you looking so down?” Joe’s voice comes from the doorway. I look up from my computer and smile. He always knows when to show up and make my day a little brighter. “Thought I’d take you out to lunch. First day lunch on me.” His smile warms parts of me that I’d rather it not. He works for my father so nothing between us can happen.

“Oh. Um….” If I tell him yes, he could get the wrong impression and think it’s a date. If I say no, word could get around the office that I’m a cold bitch, and I’d rather not have that happen. “Yes. A business lunch with a friend sounds great.” I smile at him and he holds his hand out for me to take it. Awkwardly, I hold on to his hand as he leads me out of the office.

When we reach the hallway, I pull my hand away from his warm embrace. He glances over and me but I look down and tuck my hair behind my ear. Being around Joe is starting to make me uncomfortable, simply for the fact that I’m insanely attracted to him. Now we work together at a company that my father owns. Even if I really wanted to see what develops with Joe, which the more time I spend with him the more I want to, I can’t act on it.

By the time we get to the sandwich shop across the street it’s a little after the lunch rush and we’re able to get a table right away. I sit down while he orders for us, that way we can hold a table while our food is being prepared. In Chicago, even if it isn’t rush time, places like this are always busy.

“So, how’s your first day going?” Joe asks taking a bite of his sandwich. I pick at my salad for moment and take a bite, contemplating my answer. I don’t want to be whiny, but I should have someone to vent to, right? That person shouldn’t be Joe, though. That person should be Gabby or someone else that doesn’t work in the company.

“Oh great. Really good, I’m learning a lot.”

“You just turned on your professional voice, Annie. What’s really going on?” His eyes are full of concern but I can’t tell him. I’m already disliked because of my father. I’d hate to add in that I’m chumming it up with the top driver, making him angry at everyone else.

“No, things are great.”

“I’m your friend, Annie. Not just another coworker.”

“I know, Joe. And I promise that if problems arise, I’ll come to you for your opinion.”

He looks at me and sighs, then takes another bite of his sandwich before changing the subject. We talk about our lives outside of work, his life inside of work and how he came to be the top driver in the entire company. Apparently, it all has to do with punctuality and professionalism. Two things that my entire crew lacks. I’ll be fixing that.

By the time lunch is over, it’s almost two in the afternoon and I really need to get back to the office. I thank Joe and we go our separate ways at the front door of the building. As good of a friend as he’s being today, I have the feeling he has something up his sleeve. And I can’t say that it worries me. He’s hot, smells amazing, and has a rock hard body. Any girl would be lucky to be with him Hell, part of me wishes I could be that girl. I can’t though, so I’ll take what I can get with him. If close friendship is all we can have, then close friendship it is. Anyway, I have a date with Mr. Chicago coming up. If he ever calls me that is. Considering my luck lately, I’m going to be sitting around for a long time waiting for him to call.

Chapter 10

Adam

It’s been a week since I’ve seen or spoken with her... a week of picking up the phone to call or text, just to put it back down again. Annaliese was dead set on leaving me the last time I saw her and couldn’t wait to get inside and away from me. Sure, she agreed to a dinner date, but what if that was just to shut me up so she could get inside? I’m sure she got a good laugh out of it, that, or she hates me now since I haven’t called for an entire week. What’s the rule nowadays anyway? Three days? Four? If I knew how she was feeling about this whole thing between her and me, I’d feel much better about calling her and asking her out on a real date. Why am I being such a vagina about this?

There’s a knock on my office door, bringing me out of my now hourly daydreaming about the girl that I can’t seem to stop thinking about.

“Come in!” I yell not looking up from my paperwork, trying to make myself look busy as opposed to a lust-struck fool.

“Hey, man, what’s up?” Benton asks strolling into the office. He sits on the sofa and reclines back, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles. He hasn’t fought in two days and I can tell his muscles are starting to feel better than they did when he was fighting multiple nights in a row. Finally, he’s getting back to normal and I’m able to come through with my promise to him.

“I looked into the adoption thing for you,” I say, not able to look him in the eyes for fear of the emotion that will be radiating out of them soon. I love this man like he’s my own brother. I’d do anything for him. “I talked to a few people and they’re willing to help get your application pushed forward.”

“What?” he leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees. “How?”

“Money talks, B. Even people in the highest places will do things that aren’t exactly by the books for the right price.”

He smiles at me and nods, his jaw tight with emotion.

“Now, get the hell outta here before you turn into a pussy. Go tell Carly you guys should be expecting a call this week.”

“Shit, man, that….” he clears his throat, obviously full of emotions that he’s trying to hide from me. Good. I don’t want to see any of that shit. “Thank you.” That’s all he’s able to say before speeding out of my office, unable to keep his emotions in control.

I know how hard they’ve worked for a baby. It’s taken him years to come to terms with the fact that Carly’s body simply cannot carry a child. Once they accepted that, adoption was the very next best thing. Unfortunately, they’ve been at the bottom of the list for about a year now, seemingly not moving anywhere. All it took was a phone call to the woman they had been working with, a slight change in a little bit of funds, and their name was bumped to the top of the list for newborns. I try to be a good man to the people that I care about, but all the media only wants to portray me as is a ruthless businessman. There’s so much more to me than you see on the news channels, and only a few people in my life that know the real me.

These thoughts bring me back to Annaliese, and how I want her to be one of those people. She started seeing the real me the last time we were together. The me that practically grew up on a farm, helping his grandparents out because his own parents were too busy for him. The me that lost his virginity at the young age of sixteen to his first love in the back of his pickup truck. The me that no one knows, and I’m only willing to share with a few. I want her to know me, and the only way she’s going to do that is by spending time with me. Getting up the nerve, I pick up my phone and shoot her a text. This is easier. I’m able to control what I say and not put my foot in my mouth as easily as I do when speaking to her. I’m not sure why I do it, or that I even know I’m doing it until it’s too late, but I always seem to say something that knocks her off balance and sets us back a step or three.

Me
: Hey you

I hit send before I’m able to chicken out, then laugh to myself that the thought of chickening out just crossed my mind. It’s happened multiple times in the last week, not that anyone knows. If word got out that I’ve gone soft over this girl, all hell would break loose. It’s ten minutes before I realize I’m staring at my phone, waiting for her to text back. I need to get my mind off of this girl. If she doesn’t want me, I’m okay with that. Right?

There’s a knock on my door and I yell for it to open, not even trying to put on the show that I was working. Whoever it is that’s barging in unannounced can go screw themself.

“Boss man.” One of Vick’s men walks in and shuts the door tightly behind him. He stalks to the desk and glares at me. “Where’s your money for the fight tomorrow?” he grinds out, obviously pissed that he had to make the trip down here.

“I’m holding off on the next few fights,” I say calmly. No need to bother him with the details of why. “I’ll be returning to betting as soon as I get some shit figured out.”

“Ryder’s not gonna be happy.”

“I don’t care.”

“You should,” he growls. He actually growls at me. This man is about a foot shorter than me and a dirty grease-ball. The pudge sticking out from the bottom of his shirt tells me I could take his out of shape ass in no time.

“I don’t. Vick and I have no ties. That’s the way I see it. We owe each other nothing.” I’m trying to keep myself calm, but it’s not working.

“We’ll see what he has to say about that,” he says then storms out of my office, slamming the door behind him.

Shit.

All I need to do is figure out who keeps having the fights that I bet on rigged against me, take care of them, then I can get back to betting. Sure, I’ve always loved adventure and the thrill of gambling, but throwing money away isn’t something I enjoy doing.

I text Benton to meet me at the office later today to talk things over when I notice that I have a new text waiting for me. My heart beat speeds up and my stomach drops when I see her name with the number one in parentheses next to it on my message screen. She texted me back. She texted me back and I’m so nervous about what it says that my hands start to shake. Shit, Adam, get ahold of yourself! I touch her name and see the message load, smiling to myself absentmindedly when her words are displayed on my screen.

Annaliese:
Hey you ;)

She winky-faced me. What the hell does that mean? Is she flirting with me? Should I flirt back? If I do and she wasn’t flirting with me, it’s going to make me seem like a creep. If I don’t and she was flirting with me, then I’ll seem like an asshole. Why are women so damn complicated? I need a cheat sheet for this shit. 

There’s a knock on my door interrupting my minor meltdown.

“Mr. Callahan, there’s a woman on the phone that says she needs to speak with you. About the Meltourne account.” Reese is standing at my doorway waiting for an answer. “Sorry for interrupting but you weren’t answering the phone.” She was trying to call? I didn’t even hear the phone buzzing.

“What’s it mean when a girl sends a guy a winky face in a text message?” I ask, and add, “For a friend. He’s curious.”

“What?”

“When a girl texts a new guy friend and it has winky face in it. What’s that mean?”

“What was the message in the text?”

“It just said ‘hey you’.”

“She’s flirting.”

“For real?”

“Of course. The message has no happy message in it, or anything else that would make her have to send it, so obviously she’s trying to convey other feelings by it. She must like your
friend
.” She stresses the word friend and smiles.

“Oh,” is all I’m able to say. She’s flirting with me. I like this, and can work with this.

“So, what would you like me to tell your client?”

“Just take a number. I’ll call them back.”

She smiles and nods, then retreats to her desk, leaving my door wide open. Typically, I like leaving it open, but I would rather people didn’t walk by and see the stupid smile on my face today. However, closing it will give the office a sense that I’m in a bad mood, and things start happening when people think I’m in a bad mood. They all get weird, and clingy, and way too nice, and some even a little scared. I’d rather not put everyone on edge, so I guess I’ll just have to hold in my excitement that Annaliese Ryder is text flirting with me. I type out another message and click send before I’m able to think things through.

Me
: Dinner tonight?

She sends one back before I’m able to set my phone down on my desk.

Annaliese:
Thought you’d never ask. Pick me up at 7. What should I wear?

I really want to tell her nothing and that I’ll be feasting on her body all night, but I told her this would be a real date. I haven’t been on a real date in a while, but I do know they don’t involve naked bodies exploring each other the entire time. More like half the time. Shit. My dick's getting hard just thinking about her. Annaliese in bed. Her in those damn heels. Damn. She needs to wear those 'fuck me' heels again tonight. It’s been a week since I’ve fucked anyone, simply because thinking about Annaliese makes my dick limp for any other woman that isn’t her. I’ll take her to an Italian restaurant downtown. It’s a small place, but the owner and I go way back.

Me:
Casual. Italian okay?

Annaliese:
Perfect. See you tonight ;)

She did it again!

Me
: ;)

Annaliese
: Did u just winky face me?

Me
: Yes. Problem?

It takes a moment for the next to come through and now I’m worried that I shouldn’t have done it. When I met my ex-wife, we didn’t so stuff like this. The playful texts, the teasing. None of this happened, so this is all new to me, but I really enjoy it. Finally my phone dings.

Annaliese
: None at all. Just wanted to know what I was getting into tonight. See you later…. Mr. Chicago.

This woman will be the end of my streak as a playboy bachelor. If I didn’t know it before, I know it right now. I will make her see the real me, and she will love me.

The rest of the day I spend locked in my office, never actually meeting with Benton. I texted him telling him I’m not going to the fight tonight. Usually, I’d still go even if I weren’t betting just to watch the competition, but I have more pressing things to do tonight. I sort through papers, eat a light lunch, but honestly don’t get much else done other than thinking about Annaliese. I considered rubbing one out at my desk to my mental image of her, but I don’t trust my brain. Without her here, I’m not sure it’d be that good anyway. Hell, even if I called in one of the interns, I’m not sure I’d even be able to get off. Tonight I’ll get a picture of Annaliese. Tonight I’ll make sure she knows how I feel about her. Then there won’t have to be mental images because I’ll be able to have her every day.

Hopefully tonight isn’t as catastrophic as the back of my mind keeps warning me. Adam Callahan dating a down to earth beauty, who happens to be the daughter of Vick Ryder. Shit. I didn’t think about publicity. We’ll need a back entrance to the restaurant in a private booth, and no walks on the street. Don’t let any eyes hit us together or I can kiss my chances with her goodbye.

By the time five p.m. rolls around I’m ready to go. Practically running out of the office, I lock up and head home to get changed into something a little more casual. Not too casual, but the man should never out dress the lady, right? My nerves are a wreck and I’m more worried now that someone is going to see us and realize who she is. If word gets back to Vick, I’m a dead man.

Driving over to her place, I catch her neighborhood in a completely different light than I did last week. There’s a homeless man who looks to have set up camp on the corner a block down from her, and a couple cars on her block sitting on cinderblocks, tires completely removed. Why does she live in an area like this when daddy has all that money?

I park my car and beep it three times, just to make sure it’s locked, then rush to her door, trying to calm my nerves before pushing the Ryder/Gab buzzer. Interesting. Who’s Gab?

“Come on up, Chicago,” the voice says through the speaker, then the door buzzes open.

I open it slowly, looking back at my precious car, praying that no one touches her while I’m not around, then slip inside the dark apartment building. The girl over the intercom, who was most definitely not Annaliese, told me to come ‘up’, so I head up the elevator and stop at the top when the doors open. There are four apartments up here and I wasn’t smart enough to look at the numbers, so now I have four rooms to choose from. Just great. I’m fairly certain the night we came back here a couple of weeks ago, the first night I met Annaliese, we went into a door on the left, but I can’t remember for the life of me. My brain was too foggy with the sexy, drunk woman that was trying to rip my clothes off.

A door swings open from a room on the right and a wrinkly old lady shuffles out into the hall, her cat twisting between her feet, then she grabs a paper and goes back inside, slamming the door behind her. Well, that’s one apartment I know she’s not in. I look around, wishing I would’ve looked harder at the apartment numbers downstairs when a door at the end of the hall opens and a girl steps out into the hallway.