HATE LOVE

To be honest, it was. The red strands were intricately braided, ending in a poof on top of her head with a couple bright clips thrown in. I got it. Women’s hairdos could take a lot of time, but I much preferred Mia’s natural wash and go style. I wanted to wrap her curls around my dick at night, and not have to disentangle it first from tons of spray and gel, not to mention the sparkly things that held it together.

“Okay, great,” I said dismissively, standing up again. “Just wanted to be sure.”

“All’s good, Mr. Wainwright,” she cooed. “We’re good here.”

But there was something about her tone that made me jerk around and look at her sharply. Something about her words had been eerie. Was she laughing at me somehow? The sparkle in her eye assured me that wasn’t the case, but I have a sixth sense about these things.

Shit. I was wasting time on secretaries and mundane stuff that shouldn’t have taken more than five seconds. Heaving my big form around, I strode into my office, putting the uneasy thoughts away.

And work did it. There was nothing like some solid work to get your mind off the small stuff. I went through my emails and checked the status of the latest Pictogram build. Everything looked great, and Mia’s changes were remarkable. Hiring her had been my best decision this year by far, not to mention the impact she’d had on my sex drive.

A glutton for punishment, my eyes scanned the latest news articles about me. Total bullshit with allegations that some of the girls had been “pressured” into the orgy, but whatever. At least the gossip was dying down a bit compared to the shitstorm from five months ago.

My interview with Jimmy Fallon helped. It was a chance to humanize myself instead of coming off as some god-type that no one could identify with. As a result, we’d had a two percent uptick in account sign-ups. Pure publicity magic.

Just then, a knock sounded.

“Come,” I said.

Brandon bounded in like a giant Golden Retriever, complete with a huge smile and lolling tongue.

“Yo Theo! You check out the latest build?”

I nodded with a grunt. “Sure did.”

He chortled then. “Your new employee is doing a fantastic job, we never thought of that until she came on-board. Any chance the girl can come on full time?” Brandon asked hopefully.

I sighed.

“Doubtful, my friend. She wants to finish her degree. Trust me, I asked.”

“Why?” he asked puzzled. “Good programmers don’t need degrees; their work speaks for itself.”

“True.” I nodded, swiveling my chair around to look down at the company floor. Ah, there she was, hunched over a desk. “But it’s something about her mom and being the first to go to college in her family. You can’t say no to that.”

Brandon’s nose scrunched. “Yeah, I guess,” he said reluctantly. “Family pressure will do it to you, I tell ya. Listen,” he said, plunking down a stack of papers. “Here are some proposed changes for the next build.” He made his way to the door. “Whatever you do, Theo, don’t let her go.”

I grunted, looking downwards. I had no intention of letting Mia escape. Ever. She was perfect.

Suddenly my head jerked upwards. Because what the hell? Ever? As in “forever”? What in the world was happening? I was a short-term guy, the kind of person who used women. Hell, I wouldn’t even say I’ve had a real girlfriend before because the ladies I used were more love ‘em and leave ‘em types. So what the hell was this “forever” thing? Had I lost my mind?

With trembling fingers, I called the one person that came to mind: Gabe. Once upon a time, we’d been two lost boys together in the orphanage, scrabbling for food and getting in fights. Now, thirty years later, things were different. I was a corporate tycoon whereas Gabe was married with a kid, leading a happy, stable life in middle-management. But best friends are best friends, and we never lost touch despite our divergent paths.

My buddy picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, Theo! Caught you on TV the other day. Nice work, dude. Teeth look good.”

I had to snort because Gabe was a dentist and never hesitated to give his professional opinion on someone’s molars.

“Thanks, Dr. Stevens. I’ll make an appointment. I promise,” I replied.

“You got it, big boy. Now, what’s up? You caught me right between patients.”

“I know, I know,” I apologized. “But just hear me out okay? Because…” I took a deep breath. “I think I’ve lost my mind.”

Gabe let out a raucous laugh. “You mean with that orgy stuff? Naw, forget it, buddy. Nothing illegal happened, and besides, it’s dying down. You’re going to be fine.”

I shook my head. “No, not that. Or not just that,” I said in a low voice. “There’s more. A woman.”