Those tapes.
The fucking bastard taped me quite a few times, without me even knowing it; back when I broke up with him, he told me what he had done and he threatened me with them. Back then, I had nothing to lose and so I just shrugged it off. I guess he held on to these tapes so that he could use them as leverage when the time came.
And now here he is.
I’ve built an aura of intimacy and love into my company, and if these tapes ever leak … I don’t even want to think about it. People would tear my company and I apart. Nobody would want to have anything to do with a company that basically sells love when, in truth, its CEO is a slut whore nasty freaky wild woman in the bedroom who gets cheated on and never finds love. Yeah, that’s a marketing disaster waiting to happen.
“Fuck you, Ben. Just … fuck you,” I whisper, gritting my teeth and balling my hands into fists. I could choke him right now, swear to God.
“You can hate me as much as you want to, babe,” he says right back, that disgusting grin on his face, “just make sure that you do your job.” With a wink, he then turns around and leaves me alone inside my office.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, sinking back down into my chair. There’s no other way around it. That exclusive club of friends and family I have? Vacationing with the Kennedy’s and having mimosa’s with Melania Trump?
No way they’ll ever let me live down the shame of being caught on a series of sex tapes.
Malcolm must fall in love. Even if that means I have to be the one seducing him.
6
Athena
Remember when I told you that Malcolm was being picky about the women I was sending? Well, tonight that pickiness comes to an end.
If you’re wondering why I’m saying that, the answer is a simple one: tonight Malcolm has a date with me. Yeah, this is the first time I've ever agreed to go out with a client of my company, but what can I do? It’s not like I have any other option. If Malcolm doesn’t fall in love with anyone, the money I’ll owe him will be like a nail in my coffin. And then there are those fucking tapes … Yeah, if I don’t seduce Malcolm, my company is finished, and that, dear, will never happen under my watch. My company is my baby, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect it.
We’re meeting at Masa and I’m already late—20 minutes, to be precise. That’s on purpose, of course, but I bet you already knew that. You see, even though most of the girls I sent to meet Malcolm were high quality ones, I bet they fell under his spell the moment they saw him. I mean, it’s not like I can blame them—wealthy, handsome, and charming? Yeah, I had to fight hard not to fall under his spell as well. Thing is, I had my heart broken before, and I know exactly what kind of man Malcolm is.
I won’t be a fool again, and I have Ben to thank for that.
I spot Malcolm sitting at one of the tables in the dimly lit dining room, his back turned to me. Stopping for a few seconds, I watch him check his wristwatch, and only then do I approach him.
“You’re late,” Malcolm tells me, raising his eyes to meet mine, an easy smile on his lips as I sit across from him. “I thought you were the consummate professional.”
“I am a professional, you’re right about that,” I start, smiling back at him. He’s wearing a Tom Ford suit, and God he looks amazing. Why does a man like him even need my services? Just look at those lips… they were made for kissing, and I can’t help but wonder what else they were made for. Okay, okay, I know … I have to take my mind out of the gutter right now. I need to keep my focus. “But I’m not here on work, am I?”
“Depends on how you look at it, doesn’t it? I’m surprised, though. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Of course,” I merely say, grabbing the empty cup in front of me and raising it slightly. Malcolm grabs the bottle of sake and tilts it toward me, the fermented rice drink dropping smoothly into the glass. “I thought you’d enjoy the surprise.”
“And you were right.”
You see, Malcolm had no idea that I’d be the one showing up today. All he knew was that my company had booked a dinner date for him at Masa; he had no idea which woman he’d be meeting today.
“Are you that desperate you have to go out with me?” he continues, his jab a well placed one. I knew that, by coming here, Malcolm’s guard would be up, but I came prepared for it. “Desperate? I’m just curious,” I reply with a grin, taking a sip out of my sake while I keep my eyes trained on him. “My girls tell me you’re insufferable.”
“Oh, really? They didn’t behave like it, you know?” He doesn’t waste any time thinking of his replies, and I can’t help but allow a smile to take over my lips as I realize that Malcolm is a quick-witted man. I like men who are more than just a pretty face, you know?
“Women know how to hide their true feelings. But I see what they meant now… You’re too full of yourself, aren’t you?” My question could be a rhetorical one; the moment I saw him walk into my office, I knew he had an ego big enough to fill a ballroom.
“Maybe, I guess,” he tells me with a shrug, and this time he catches me off-guard. Is he really admitting it?
“Are you trying to play the humble card with me, Malcolm? Because I’m not the kind of girl that falls for that.” This time I decide to play defensively, test how thick the ice is before I put both of my feet on it.
“The humble card? I don’t even know what the hell that is, Athena,” he tells me, that innocent expression on his face. “I know I can be quite the asshole sometimes, but I don’t apologize for who I am.”
Jesus Christ, is he opening up to me? Or is this how he usually gets inside a woman’s panties? Careful, Athena, I hear a whisper echoing inside my head, and I have to resist the urge to bite down on my lower lip.
“I’m not in the habit of apologizing for who I am, either. So that’s something we have in common,” I tell him, and this time I really mean it. Running the tip of my tongue between my lips, I try and remind myself that I have to keep my guard up—men like Malcolm are dangerous. Very dangerous.