Just Me (You & Me 1)

“Oh, don’t worry about covering up now. You’ve already shown everyone my goods,” Tim shrugged, speaking about her like she was nothing more than a possession.

Back in the present, her eyes closed as her shoulders dropped a bit, the relief evident in her belly. When her breathing finally regulated, Katherine walked to her bedroom, plopping down on the comfortable king size bed as she took a deep breath, finally safe in her own place.

“It’s going to be okay. You’re finally safe,” she continued, speaking in a soothing tone.

Chapter Four

Ben

THE DAY HAD GONE EXCEPTIONALLY well for Ben. After his meeting, he had closed a few deals on the new product launch, lining up vendors that wanted to sell his latest pet accessories. Over the years, he had learned that there was very little that dog owners wouldn’t do for their furry children, and when new lines were designed, he often thought the possibilities were endless.

Initially, Ben’s company focused on catering to smaller breeds of dogs, since their owners had the tendency to buy more costumes and accessories. What he had learned was that large dog owners also wanted to accessorize their pups, they just didn’t know how.

The new line for larger breeds was projected to increase sales dramatically, and Ben was excited to see what new opportunities it would lead them to.

Sitting at his fine mahogany desk, he typed out the last of the emails, thanking those who attended the meeting. As he said in the email, it was an exciting time and he was grateful to have all of their ears and eyes dedicated to a project that had been years in the making.

It was only a matter of time before the market research alerted his research team of other gaps in the market place, and he looked forward to dominating every field he could get in. Ben wanted to be the face of pet accessories, regardless of the animal or breed.

Dogs were only the beginning, and the more opportunities he identified to grow the company, the more excited and aggressive he became. Clients were already sending their suggestions and requests, which was always a good sign.

When someone didn’t like a design, there wasn’t much you could do to change their mind. But alterations meant that there was a way to change the product into something that would be more useful or beneficial.

Scrolling through the emails, Ben read every word of feedback, always dedicated to learning as much as he could about his products, and providing the best customer service. He enjoyed being a personal CEO, a rarity in any industry.

Truthfully, he worried that his success would change him. It was important that he remain the same ambitious kid just looking to create a useful product. It was that drive and ambition that motivated him to keep pushing, to continue setting and reaching new goals.

Most people would be satisfied with the incredible level of success he had achieved, but not Ben. Those things didn’t matter to him. It wasn’t about having the biggest house, or the newest car, but instead he wanted to be the best in the business.

Competition was fierce in the pet industry, so he could never take his foot off the pedal, or his eye off the road. New developments were constant, so Ben always tried to stay ahead of the curve, keeping the smartest people around him.

As if on que, Rachel appeared in the doorway of Ben’s office, slowly knocking on his door three times as she nervously looked across the room at the boss who was more like a friend.

“Come on in, superstar,” Ben called out to one of his oldest friends.

It had been Rachel’s idea to branch out to larger breeds, so he liked to give her the credit. Her paycheck reflected how valuable she was to the company, but in many ways Ben felt he could never repay his assistant for all that she did.

Watching her closely, he wondered what was bothering her. Rachel was so easy to read, always wearing her heart on her sleeve. Ben assumed she must still be worried about how late he had been to the meeting, so he prepared himself to read her the great feedback he had received, hoping to put her worries to bed.

“I just wanted to talk a little,” Rachel explained, settling into the leather loveseat across from his desk.

Her short and stout frame fit comfortably in the expensive furniture as she crossed her ankles while rubbing her fingers together. Whatever it was she wanted to talk about was seriously bothering her.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked, cutting to the chase. He hated to see her so stressed out, although it seemed everything caused Rachel to freak out with concern.

“It’s your schedule,” she began, and Ben felt a lump ease in his throat, glad it wasn’t about the meeting.

“What about my schedule?” He wondered what was up, trying to remember what meeting could be worrying her. Rachel usually got uneasy about competitor meetings, but because there weren’t any scheduled for weeks, he knew that wasn’t the problem.

“You’re here too much!” Rachel exclaimed, her tone suggesting it should have been an obvious concern.

Ben knew that people thought he was too involved in the business. Most CEOs did more supervision than actual execution, but he was the opposite. The way he saw it, anyone could watch after other employees to make sure they did what they were instructed.

What set them apart was his passion and commitment to creating the best products on the market,

using environmentally sustainable materials with the least negative impact. His charisma and easy-going personality helped put investors at ease, while pushing the company to the top of every metric in the industry.

“You want me to take a vacation?” Ben finally answered, his tone laced with amusement.