14. Messing With My Chi
14
MESSING WITH MY CHI
SUMMER
I sat cross-legged on Meadow’s couch, my laptop balanced on my knees as we watched Basil’s town hall meeting.
The video had gone viral—millions of views already, with hashtags like #LearnFromThisCEO and #BeLikeBasil flooding social media. It took a week for me to get to it—and finally, I was because Meadow browbeat me to it. She’d watched it, and she wanted me to as well.
“I’ll give him this”—Meadow stretched out beside me—“he knows how to make a speech.”
I was unable to tear my eyes away from the screen. Basil stood at a podium, his voice steady and expression serious, his tone authentic, genuine, and open. He was owning his mistakes, the toxic culture he had let fester in his company, and the fact that success had made him blind to what really mattered.
Then came the announcement.
“It’s bittersweet for me to let you all know that Drew Ritchson is leaving Stratos to explore other opportunities.”
Meadow let out a low whistle. “Well, damn. Didn’t think he’d actually do it.”
Neither had I. But he did, and that meant only one thing—he was taking the process of eliminating toxic people from his life seriously .
I looked at him all serious and earnest and so handsome that he made my mouth water, and for the first time since I walked out of his apartment, I felt myself waver.
I wasn’t ready to forgive him. Of course not !
But …he had done exactly what he said he would, which was to do and be better so he could deserve me. I felt guilty. I wasn’t anything special. No one had to work so hard for me.
My phone buzzed, and Meadow leaned to look at who it was. “Speak of the devil,” she teased in a sing-song manner.
I stared at the screen for a long moment before opening his text. It was a video with a short message: These are not my friends.
I hesitated for only a second before pressing play.
Basil sat with Karen, Ajay, Lola, Gareth, and Felix—no, Drew. They were at some upscale cocktail bar, where overpriced cocktails and loud tech bro conversations reigned supreme.
Although the camera was focused on one side of the table, I could hear all of them.
“I cannot believe you fired Drew,” Karen snapped, crossing her arms.
“It was a business decision,” Basil replied firmly.
Karen scoffed. “She’s our friend.”
“No,” Basil corrected, “she’s your friend. She was my employee.”
Lola rolled her eyes. “Oh, get over yourself, Basil. We all are running our own businesses, just because your video went viral doesn’t make you king of the tech world.”
“Is that what you think is going on here?” Basil asked. I couldn’t see him, but he sounded angry. Really, really angry.
“Then what is?” Ajay asked. “Felix, what the fuck, man?”
Felix shook his head. “I got a question for all of you, and I guess myself as well. What was our problem with Summer?”
“He’s Drew’s,” Karen said flippantly.
“Are you saying I belong to Drew?” Basil asked.
“Well…I mean you’ve both been together forever.” Karen sounded chagrined.
“As friends,” Basil pointed out. “You treated my girlfriend like shit. You stood by while Gareth insulted Summer to her face, while Drew humiliated her in front of everyone, while the rest of you laughed at her behind her back.”
Ajay scoffed. “You were laughing right there with us.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Basil said, his voice heavy with regret. “I was stupidly trying to keep both—my friends and the woman I love. I didn’t realize it was a choice. But I do now as I finally have pulled my head out of my ass.”
Karen threw up her hands. “Like this is even a choice. I’m texting Drew, asking her to come over. You both can make up and ? —”
“Were you part of the whole get rid of Summer scheme where Drew made remarks to make my girlfriend feel like shit?” Basil asked.
“Your ex is too fucking sensitive, man,” Gareth slurred.
Was the man ever not drunk? He needed to go to an AA meeting stat , I thought. I had thought of Gareth as a social screw up but great at his job. Now I wondered if he was a piece of shit in his personal life, he’d be the same in his professional.
“You talk about a woman’s pussy, Gareth and you’re wondering why she’s sensitive? It’s fucking rude,” Basil snapped.
“So, what’s the thrust here? You’re done with us?” Ajay demanded.
“Yeah,” Basil said.
I looked at Meadow who was grinning widely. “I think your man has finally found his balls.”
“So, you’re throwing all of us away? Just like that?” Karen demanded.
“No.” Basil stood up and dropped some dollar bills on the table. “You threw me away when you decided to fuck with my woman. This friendship is done. I came here to tell you that to your faces.”
“Felix?” Ajay asked.
I couldn’t see Felix, but I heard him clear enough.
“I don’t want to be an asshole. Seeing how I treated Summer…it was awful.”
The video ended. I stared at the blank screen, my pulse thudding in my ears.
Meadow let out a breath. “Well. I gotta admit, that was hot. He was hot.”
I shot her a look.
She held up her hands. “What? A man cutting off toxic people to become a better person? Sexy .”
“Are you talking about Felix or my man?” I demanded.
“Your man?” Meadow chuckled.
I gave out an exaggerated sigh. “Slip of the tongue.”
“Freudian slip I’d say.” Meadow put her hand on mine. “Babe, it’s okay if you want him back.”
“Of course, I want him back. I love him! I also want to eat a whole chocolate cake, but I don’t because it’s not healthy.”
“Have you ever done oral with cake icing?” Meadow asked, her eyes bright.
I gave her a dry look, barely hiding my irritation. “Can we focus on the man and not the dick for a minute?”
“Men are dicks, babe.” Meadow chortled, cracking up at her own joke.
“You think I can trust him again?” I mused, feeling an indescribably strong urgent need to talk to Basil.
“Yes, babe, you can,” Meadow assured me. “He fucked up, no doubt about it. But the man went viral telling the world he fucked up, but mostly he was telling you. What more do you want?”
“Him on his knees?” I suggested glibly.
“He good at eating pussy, is he?” Meadow licked her lips salaciously.
“Woman, get your head out of the gutter!” I exclaimed.
Meadow let out a long breath. “It’s just been some very dry weeks for me. I miss sex.”
“Tell me about it,” I said mournfully.
Sex with Basil was top notch.
Meadow was right, Basil was good at eating pussy. He was also good at making me come like never before and making me feel like a queen. How could a man who worshipped me in bed fuck up so badly outside of it?