Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
HARRISON
N o one was more shocked than me when Aaron said yes to Ollie’s suggestion. And to say I was surprised by the turn of this meeting was putting it mildly. Minute by minute, the uptight Aaron Taylor-Ladner was slipping away. But I didn’t like it. I didn’t trust it, or him. Sure, Aaron introducing me as Harrison Fucker was hilarious, but it was all done by accident, and I was not going to be charmed by his fumble.
No worries there. When Ollie excused himself to take a phone call, Rian wandered off to the washroom, and Aaron ambushed me.
“How the hell did you know about the redesigns?” Aaron demanded in that pissy tone that set me off again. “You spoke to Gillian in marketing without telling me?”
“Are you shitting me right now?” I snapped. “What do you think I’ve been doing since you hired me? Staring at myself in the mirror? I’ve spoken with the VPs and directors in each department. It’s called due diligence.”
“No one told me.”
“That’s because there’s nothing to tell. It’s all for my knowledge. Anyone working in sales does the same. It’s my job to know the product and everything about it, including marketing,” I replied. “Why is this an issue? I’m here to help you sell the deal, Aaron. Make it make sense.”
“Moving forward, I want to be copied on things like that,” he continued. “I need to know exactly who you’re?—”
“No, you don’t,” I interrupted. “I’m establishing a rapport with my colleagues and gaining as much knowledge of the business as I can. I’m not plotting anything other than a way to close this deal. And you’ve been marinating in that office tower of yours for too long. It’s making you paranoid.”
“I’m concerned.”
“About what?”
Aaron stared at me but said nothing in response. His reaction was off. Way off. The gears in my head started grinding, and then it hit me.
“Wait, is this because of your father?”
Aaron’s face paled.
“I know that he insisted on hiring me and so, you think what? That I’m his spy or something?” I asked.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Aaron scoffed. “This isn’t some stupid melodrama.”
“Are you sure? Because your reaction is telling. You really think your father would do that? That I would?”
Aaron leaned forward, his gaze locking with mine.
“I don’t know. It’s been a shit year. And I know how he works. Let’s just say I wouldn’t put it past him. Our family dynamic is a bit?—”
“Fucked up?” I offered.
Aaron shrugged. “That too. He wants me out. And I don’t know you. Maybe he gave you an extra signing bonus to report back to him?”
“Fuck you,” I spat out.
No way in hell was I going to take any more of his shit. I didn’t lie, and I wasn’t a snitch. I made to leave, but Ollie and Rian rejoined our table, and I had no choice but to sit back down and let Aaron’s comment go. For now. Inside, I was a seething, furious mess, so fucking angry that I wanted to scream. And I had to pretend like nothing happened. Never mind sales, I should consider a career in Hollywood. My gut told me the rest of this night was going to be full of more freaking fun.
Then I figured, fuck him. Instead of letting Aaron’s dickhead comments ruin my night, I turned my attention to Ollie and Rian. Once we finished our beers, we headed to a club called Bad Decisions. I certainly felt like I was in dangerous territory, so the venue was entirely appropriate. Ollie knew the owner and suddenly, there was a full-on party happening, with more and more people joining us. Aaron sat in the corner, keeping to himself, with the occasional chat with Rian or Ollie. If they noticed any tension between us, they didn’t say.
Not wanting to be anywhere near my boss, I hit the dance floor with Ollie’s friends. There were several European expats and lots of friendly Canadians. It was a huge relief. A few of the guys flirted with me, but I wasn’t going to go down that road. Not with someone Ollie knew. Did I need to fuck away my frustration? Hell yes, but maybe later, when I got back to the hotel. I’d pick up a hot stranger in the bar. Hopefully, an overnight stay so I wouldn’t have to go back to that room and my dickhead roommate.
Sweaty after a half hour of dancing, I headed for the bathroom to wash up. I hit the head, washed my hands, then splashed water over my face to cool down.
While I was drying my hands, the door behind me opened and shut. I heard a click, and I glanced over my shoulder to see who it was.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Don’t even think about shitting where you eat,” Aaron grumbled.
“Excuse me?”
I turned away but it was pointless; I could see his scowl in the reflection of the mirror.
“I’m watching you,” Aaron warned. “You better not bang one of Ollie’s friends and fuck this up.”
Taking a deep breath, I swiveled around and gripped the edge of the sink, hard, so I wouldn’t be tempted to reach for Aaron’s neck.
“I just can’t get any lower in your eyes, eh? But guess what? I was dancing, end of. If I need to fuck, I’ll find a stranger. I’m not an idiot. And I don’t need you following me around,” I hissed. “Now get out of my way.”
Instead of listening to me, Aaron shook his head and stepped closer. God, I wanted to wipe that freaking scowl off his face.
“Ten minutes and then we’re out of here,” Aaron demanded. “And stop flirting.”
“Jealous?”
“Are you out of your mind?” he bit out.
“No, but apparently you are, since you think I’m plotting your demise or some crazy shit like that. Believe it or not, Aaron, I just want to do my job, get my commission, and then get the hell away from you.”
I pushed off the sink, but Aaron made no move to get out of my way. Trying to intimidate me was not going to work. And if he wanted some stupid alpha male showdown, he was going to get it.
“I said, move,” I insisted.
Instead of doing as I asked, he stood there, frozen. His face was suddenly too close and all I could do was stare at his deep, dark eyes and those full lips. Why did this jerk have an obscenely hot mouth? Hot? Jesus Christ, I was angry at him, but even more pissed off at myself.
“If you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to make you, and I don’t give a shit how many HR rules I break.”
Aaron finally took a step back and turned away from me. I nearly slid to the floor, my legs shaking, my palms damp. He reached for the handle, and pulled, but the door wouldn’t open.
“What the fuck—” He jiggled with the lock.
“You locked the door?” I asked.
“I didn’t want anyone to walk in,” he bit out.
He tried again. The handle rattled, but the door stayed firmly closed.
“Well, hurry up and unlock it,” I demanded.
“I’m trying, but the lock is stuck. Shit.”
Against my better judgment, I stepped closer to him and batted his hand aside. “Let me do it. Jesus, this is a rotten joke.”
“Me being locked in here with you? Yeah, the universe is laughing alright.”
“Argh!” I yelled out as I fiddled with the lock and the handle, to no avail. It wasn’t budging. It was stuck, and we were fucked. “Call Ollie.”
“What?”
“Call him so he can get someone to get us the fuck out of here,” I snapped.
“God, this is embarrassing?—”
“Can it be worse than you introducing me as ‘Fucker’?” I quipped.
Aaron rested his forehead on the door and closed his eyes.
“Might as well just give up now,” he muttered.
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
Aaron sighed and pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. A few taps later, he placed the phone to his ear.
“Ollie? It’s Aaron. I’ve got a problem?—”
I barked out a laugh, but Aaron’s side-eye was so cold I almost froze on the spot.
“Harrison and I are stuck,” he paused and looked up at the ceiling. “We’re in the bathroom at the back of the club. The door’s locked and we can’t get out?—”
I couldn’t hear what Ollie said in response, but I heard the rumble of his laughter.
“—Yeah, okay. Thanks,” Aaron replied, tapped his phone, and slid it back into his pocket.
“This is the most humiliating day of my life,” he declared. “Well, the second one.”
“Stop being dramatic. It’s an accident. Didn’t you ever do stupid shit like this in college?”
“Don’t go there,” Aaron hissed.
Woah, what was that about?
“I’m trying to engage in a multi-million-dollar business partnership, and this happens?” He shook his head. “I’m a colossal fool.”
“No argument here,” I replied, and Aaron gave me a choice finger in response. “Look, he’s a nice guy. Just laugh it off. It’s no big deal. And think of it this way, he’s never going to forget who you are.”
“Right now, I’d like to forget who I am. Forget this deal, forget you?—”
“Me? Not possible.”
Aaron scoffed. “I’m surprised there’s room in here for me, you, and that huge freaking ego of yours.”
“Huge is right.” I smirked at him.
Wait. What? Was I…flirting? No. Stop it. Flirting with my boss was hot in theory but disturbing in real life. And for all I knew, Aaron was straight. Maybe? Aaron bit his lower lip, a dark flush staining his cheeks. Was he gay? Bi? There was never any mention of his personal life in the media or from what I could find on socials. He was always solo at events and parties. And it made me wonder…
“Stop trying to distract me. Just try and sell our way out this,” he scoffed. “He won’t take me seriously. I flushed eight months of work down that toilet over there.”
“Enough with the doomsday shit, Aaron. It’s going to be fine.”
Aaron got up in my face again. “You don’t know that.”
“I know people, and I can read Ollie and Rian. They’re cool,” I insisted. “And this isn’t the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever witnessed. Fuck, I have tons of stories like that from college. People doing stupid shit, like getting caught bare-ass naked in front of half the campus. Just run with it.”
“Stop it,” Aaron snarled. “Just shut up.”
“Hey! Calm the hell down,” I retorted.
“Make me.”
I lunged forward, and Aaron’s back hit the door with a loud thud. With my hands on either side of his head, I caged him in, his fiery gaze locked on mine. And when he looked down and stared at my lips, lingering there, suddenly, I had the answer to my earlier question.
“Don’t ever dare me,” I warned him. “And for the record, Mr. Taylor-Ladner, you’re the one who needs to shut his fucking mouth.”