Page 41 of Irresistible Temptation
Chapter 18
Chester
The meeting with Mr. Craddock had gone as I anticipated. Two men puffing their chests at each other, waiting to see who would cave to the other’s ideas and demands. If he was thinking we would be able to work together to monopolize the industry, he would have to think again or at least come at me with a better tactic.
I had never gone into business with anyone as an equal partner, and I didn’t intend to start now unless it was absolutely necessary or would be some real financial gain. People tried. Often. Pitching ideas at meetings or charity events or randomly on the street, as if that last one would really work. I always entertained the idea, but truthfully, I was doing just fine on my own with Will as a silent partner.
The meeting had dragged on and on. It didn’t help that I was still completely distracted by Juliet who had left quite an impression with the show she put on playing waitress. I still couldn’t get over the fact she had strutted in there with nothing underneath that ass-skimming skirt. Mr. Craddock’s face was as red as a tomato, and he hadn’t even seen what I saw, which was the bottom of her beautiful, bare ass. The sight of it made anything Mr. Craddock was saying sound like he was underwater.
And then her little antic in her office…
Was that a hot pink thong?
She was getting more creative with her teasing gestures, and I was growing more and more impatient with myself for keeping my composure. Eventually, I was just going to snap and take her into my office to fuck her brains out. It was just a matter of time, and judging by the measures she was now taking, she wanted it just as badly. She wasaskingfor it.
Now, alone in my office, still feeling annoyed by my meeting with Mr. Craddock, I wished I hadn’t sent Juliet home early. The whole waitress thing had been fun, leaving me fully erect for most of my meeting, but the deal was she got to go home. I now regretted it because I had some tension that needed some release and I knew she could give it to me. I looked across the hall toward her office. Her desk was empty and the rest of the office was beginning to clear out. I drummed my fingers against my desk, unsure of whether I wanted to go home or stay late with a glass of bourbon to go over business plans.
I eventually opted for the small bottle of bourbon I kept in my bottom desk drawer, taking a swig straight from the bottle. I propped my feet up on my desk and started going through potential business partnerships I had been eyeing, figuring out exactly who I needed to schedule a meeting with. It wasn’t like I needed any more mergers or acquisitions, but this was what I did. This was why Mr. Craddock’s ego couldn’t handle being in a room with me. I was a titan.
As I took another swig of bourbon, the liquor sweet and strong as it ran down my throat, my phone buzzed on my desk.
Will.
I picked it up and swiveled my desk chair around to take in the view of the city, dusk settling over the buildings and Central Park.
“Hey, rockstar,” I said.
He chuckled. “Hey, CEO.” I could hear music playing in the background and a crowd of murmurs. I assumed he was playing another show.
“Where are you now?” I asked curiously.
“Colorado.”
“What the hell are you doing way out west?”
“I got a gig out this way,” he said casually, as if he weren’t over a thousand miles away.
“Things are really taking off for you, huh?” I asked.
“Ahh. It’s no big deal. A small venue out here asked me to play. A booking agent saw clips of my New York show and called me up.”
“Seems like a big deal, man,” I said.
“We’ll see.”
I could tell from his voice that his nerves were getting to him. He wasn’t his usual cocky, sarcastic self, so I let him change the subject.
“What about you? Where are you on this fine night?” he asked, the sound of music fading in the background, and being replaced by the sound of a car horn. He must have stepped outside the venue.
“Work,” I muttered, taking another sip of bourbon.
“What? Why? It’s like eight o’clock your time,” he said.
“I have nothing better to do.”
A ridiculous statement when all of Manhattan was literally at my feet.
“How are things going with the new company?” he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. I wasn’t sure if he was asking as a friend or a business partner.
