The CEO & I

We get to the restaurant, and they seat us immediately.

We’re a few minutes early. Enough time to appear courteous, but not so much that we look desperate. The potential clients arrive shortly after. Four Japanese businessmen. They speak perfect English. All of them have been to American colleges before returning to Japan. I’ve done my research on them before coming here.

We start with some small talk and a few drinks to loosen everyone up. This part is easy. All I do is ask a lot of questions. It makes the client feel like I’m interested. I am interested, but this is how I communicate that to them.

The hard part is deciding when to start to sell. I don’t want to rush it, but I don’t want to take too long either. Normally, I have a natural feel for when it’s time to strike, but not tonight. I’m trying to listen to the client, but all I can think about is Jade sitting next to me.

She sits so close to me her thigh is almost touching mine. Once she moved and her flesh felt soft against mine. Her hand brushes my sleeve and I fucking get hard. Christ, I have it so bad for her. I shift slightly to hide my growing arousal beneath the table. I don’t think Jade notices.

If she does, she’s not showing signs of it.

If anything, she’s more on her game tonight than I’ve ever seen her. Cool, confident, and fun. Before I know it, she’s transitioning the conversation smoothly into our sales pitch.

I stare at her impressed.

She is different, and it’s not just her looks. I realize that it is her appearance that brought about the change. She’s not pretending to be something she’s not tonight. This is her. The real her. Now that she’s not hiding behind her dumpy clothes, she’s confident and sure of herself.

I like this new version of her. I wish I’d seen her like this before. It’s a shame my hang ups about beautiful women forced her to hold back. Her initiative triggers something in me, and suddenly, I get into the groove, and focus on business again.

I don’t stop her, though.

She’s on a roll and it’s beautiful to watch. The clients are eating out of her hand, and they’re engaged with what she’s saying. I jump into the conversation without interrupting her rhythm. For the first time, the sales pitch is an equal effort between Jade and me. We make a good team. We’re picking up each other’s ideas and running with them, almost like we’d rehearsed this. Except it feels completely natural.

Like we’re in sync.

The clients are on board with what we offer them. They haven’t agreed to anything yet, but I’m sure they will. They order us another round of drinks. I’ve already had too many sakes. I’m not drunk, but I’m close.

I need to keep my wits about me, not just because of the clients, but because of Jade. Things between us are getting complicated. Or, at least, they’re getting complicated for me. I can’t stop thinking about her as more than just my assistant tonight. I can’t stop wanting her to be more than just my assistant. Any more alcohol and who knows what might happen?

I’m about to decline the next drink.

Jade tugs on my arm. Her eyes are glittering and her cheeks look flushed.

I’ve never seen her like this. It makes the blood in my veins sing. I lean in close to her. The smell of her perfume surrounds me. I inhale it like a drug. She smells like an exotic garden. For a second, I can’t remember why I leaned in at all.

“You have to drink,” she whispers.

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“No,” she says quietly. “In their business culture, real conversations only occur when everybody is sloshed. The next morning all is forgotten on the surface, but the subtext and the friendship is not.”

I shake my head and snap back to reality. “Right. Shit. I knew that. Thanks for the reminder.”

This is the exactly the kind of distraction I don’t need. I studied my prospects. I know the protocols. But I lost sight of that because I have other things on my mind tonight. Better things. Hotter things. I have to refocus. This deal is almost closed. I can’t screw it up now.

When the next round of drinks came, we all lift our glasses and drink. My head is foggy. I hope this is the last one.

It isn’t.

We stumble out of the restaurant. It’s hot outside. It matches the inferno burning in my veins and the need pounding in my body.

Our Japanese clients are singing tunelessly. They can barely stand. They clap me on the back. We are all best friends now.

The deal is in the bag.

I try to help them into the back of the two black Mercedes Jade arranged for them, and almost fall in myself. They think that is hilarious and cannot stop laughing at Remington San.