Chapter 6
Minnie
I t’s strange because after the intense session in Brad’s office, I haven’t seen him again. I climaxed in his arms, as the billionaire watched with ravenous blue eyes.
“So beautiful,” he crooned, stroking my cheek softly after I was done, panting and sated. “You’re incredibly responsive, sweetheart.”
Then, he lifted me out of his arms and set me on my feet. I was as unsteady as a newborn filly and Brad chuckled, harsh streaks on those angled cheeks as he took in my dazed and flushed state.
“Sweetheart, I’d recommend going to the women’s restroom to tidy up a bit before heading back to your workstation,” he remarked in a deep voice. “You look a little disheveled. Like you just got fucked,” he clarifies.
My eyes grew wide as my hands patted my golden hair.
“I do?”
Brad nodded, smirking with male satisfaction.
“You do,” he said. “I’d definitely say to rinse a little down there too,” he said, gesturing to my pussy area. “Use air freshener maybe? Or sometimes women carry perfume with them.”
I stare at him because is this man telling me to clean my pussy? To rid myself of sex smells after the massive climax he just gave me? But Brad grins again and lifts his fingers to his nose, inhaling deeply.
“Yeah, you’re musky, sweetheart,” he intones. “I’d definitely spritz a little something down there.”
Oh my god, this man is so dirty! With a jerk of my chin, I summon my dignity and stalk with as much pride as I can to the door before letting myself out.
I swear, as it swings closed, I can still hear Brad’s low chuckle in my wake.
That infuriating asshole! I swear, I could slap his handsome cheek, just as soon as kiss it.
But what in the world happened in Brad’s arms?
I was unsteady for the rest of the day, and unable to focus on much at all.
Thank goodness we had no work to do because any finished product would have come out shoddy and riddled with errors.
But I couldn’t hide my dazed state entirely, and some of the other interns noticed.
“Are you okay, Minnie?” Juliette whispered, her eyes filled with concern. “You seem ... um, different somehow.”
I sat up and managed a peppy smile.
“No, I’m totally fine!” I insisted. “Just a little dizzy because of the heat. Is it hot in here?”
Juliette stares.
“No, it’s freezing because they blast the A/C,” she stated.
I pause.
“Well, I definitely feel a little dizzy.”
The pretty brunette thinks for a moment.
“You need to eat more red meat then,” Juliette states in a knowledgeable tone, “because women sometimes suffer from iron deficiencies. Consider eating fish even, if you’re against red meat.”
I nod slowly.
“Yes, thanks. I’ll look into it. By the way, Jules, do you have any perfume with you? Like a little vial? Body spray even? It could help with the dizziness.”
Juliette rummaged in her gym bag for a moment, and came out with a travel-sized facial mist.
“Do you want this?” she asked, her expression concerned. “This helps me pep up sometimes after a heavy workout.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I say, seizing the vial before scuttling off to the women’s restroom.
Then, I locked myself in a stall and lifted my skirt before inhaling deep.
Oh my god, there really was a musky female sex smell, and it’s my pussy juices.
Brad made me come so much that not only do I look just-fucked; I smell just-fucked too.
With trembling fingers, I spritz myself generously with the facial mist, hoping that Juliette doesn’t realize that the scent of ocean is wafting from me down there , and not from a woman’s regular pulse points.
But now it’s been a week, and I haven’t heard anything from Brad.
I haven’t gotten any emails from his secretary, nor been summoned to his office.
Instead, the entire intern pool has been flooded with assignments, and now we’re typing madly away at our computers, trying to analyze competitors, read industry mags, and write research reports while also doing basic analysis and scrutinizing financials.
Oh my god, I brought this on my friends!
But at least they don’t know. I shake my head as the sound of typing and soft murmurs fill the air. God, this summer has already been a whirlwind, and we’re only three weeks in. Suddenly, a message pings in my email from HR:
REMINDER: SUMMER SOIREE TONIGHT! EAST CONFERENCE ROOM AT 5 P.M.
In fact, all the interns are beginning to pack up, smiling and chatting now that the day’s almost over. I turn to Juliette.
“Wait a minute, we have a party? What is this?”
My friend smiles and tucks her curly brown hair behind one ear.
“Yeah, it’s been on the calendar forever.
It’s a mid-summer soiree for the interns, you know for us to chat, eat snacks, and get to meet people at the company.
Otherwise, we’re always stuck in our little divisions.
You in marketing, and me in PR. This way, we can mingle with other peeps, like the folks in Accounting. ”
I giggle.
“You want to meet the people from Accounting?” I ask in a playful tone.
Juliette grins.
“Hey, they handle payroll, so yes, definitely.”
With that, we pack our bags and begin heading over to the East Conference room with the other interns.
On the outside, I’m relaxed and chatty, without a care in the world.
But on the inside, my mind’s going crazy.
Will Brad be there? Is the tall, dominant CEO going to show up to mingle with us lowly interns?
Don’t be silly , the voice in my head scolds. He has a million things to do, like manage a multi-national conglomerate. He’s not going to show up to a summer soiree for college hires. Your little dalliance with him was a one-time thing, so put it out of your head.
The voice is right, and as we enter the conference room, I resolve to be happy, cheerful, and totally normal.
I’m not going to let on that anything’s wrong, or that I’m disappointed by a particular someone’s absence.
Instead, I’ll be the consummate professional.
Evergreen Career Services would be proud.
But when we step inside, immediately my eyes are drawn to a tall form in the corner, and of course, it’s Brad. My heart quickens as my eyes widen imperceptibly. Do I look okay? Pretty even?
Stop being so vain , the voice in my head scolds again. You need to act like nothing’s wrong.
It’s true. So I grab a small glass of fizzy liquid and chat lightly with some of the other interns.
Johnny Little is saying something about Pokémon Go when suddenly, Brent the football player materializes at my side.
Ugh, he must be hitting the roids even more than usual because there’s a streak of seeping acne on his neck, and his bulging biceps look positively insane.
Some guys like to emulate Popeye, and unfortunately, Brent’s one of them.
The young man seems to have no idea that Popeye is a caricature, and that such huge guns in real life are disproportionate and unattractive.
“Yo, Minnie,” Brent greets, puffing up his chest. “How’s the cherry spritzer?”
I look down at the drink in my hand.
“Oh, it’s a spritzer? I didn’t know they were serving alcohol.”
Brent smirks.
“Nah, they wouldn’t do that. Some of the kids here are under twenty-one,” he says with a look of disdain at the other interns milling about. “I’m sure it’s just fruit juice pumped up with sparkling water.”
“Well, it’s delicious,” I say diplomatically. “I’ve always liked fruity drinks, and this hits the spot.”
Brent grins again, shifting his legs into a sturdy vee stance before clasping his hands at his waist and lifting his chin.
He’s assuming a power pose, like he wants to dominate our little group of interns, and it’s working.
Johnny Little shrinks until he’s no more than a mite, and the rest of us clear our throats and look away because the Big Man on Campus is clearly marking his territory.
But then, the air shifts subtly and I know what’s happened. A towering shadow appears behind Brent and sure enough, it’s my stepfather.
“Hey everyone,” Brad speaks in a deceptively mild tone. “Are you guys enjoying your summer at Excel?”
My fellow interns straighten, their expressions attentive.
“Yes sir,” Stanley, a particularly ridiculous brownnose pipes up. “Immensely so. I especially enjoy shadowing the internal auditing team. Their work is fascinating!”
“Internal Audit, hmm?” Brad drawls, crossing his arms across his chest. “That’s an interesting choice.”
“Oh yes!” Stanley burbles, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with enthusiasm.
“I’ve wanted to get into auditing since I was a little boy, and I never envisioned the possibility of joining an internal audit team.
I only knew of external auditors, like the Big 4 firms, but Excel has opened my eyes. Thank you for the opportunity!”
Brad looks amused at the little twerp who’s practically slavering at the mouth in his efforts to ingratiate himself. Then again, I suppose we should all be doing that because we owe our paychecks to the alpha male. Still, Stanley’s annoying with his carefully combed hair and obsequious attitude.
“And how about you?” Brad asks Juliette, who stammers and blushes a bit. “What division are you working with?”
My friend tucks a curl of hair behind her ear self-consciously.
“I’m in PR, and it’s great,” she murmurs. “I’m working with Anna Lazard, and she’s taught me so much about the ins and outs already.”
“Wonderful,” Brad responds with a slight tilt of his hard jaw.
Then, he asks a couple other people about their summer experiences at the firm in a calm and friendly way, while also projecting dominance.
It’s just his way. The billionaire will be an alpha male in any setting, and especially around a group of bumbling interns.
The evening passes uneventfully, and to my surprise, when the event draws to a close, it’s already beginning to darken outside.
People gather their bags, chatting and laughing, as I look around surreptitiously for Brad’s massive figure.
But the CEO’s nowhere to be seen, and my heart drops with disappointment.
Somehow, I was hoping that we’d have a chance to chitchat and talk a bit, but evidently, Brad’s already left the scene.
Don’t be a silly little fool , the voice in my head whispers. Were you expecting something different?
Of course, my subconscious is right, but I can’t help but hope.
I’d like to know what our little dalliance meant, and I don’t know .
.. maybe get his opinion on my internship experience?
That makes me snort to myself because it’s a ridiculous thought.
Brad Landry is a powerful billionaire, and he doesn’t have time to while away on small nothings.
My job, and my experience at Excel, are the least of his concerns.
With that, I step outside of the building and onto the sidewalk, waving goodbye to a few people before Juliette turns to me.
“Some of the summers are meeting up for drinks at Little Ivy. Do you want to come?”
I smile in the fading sun.
“No, I’m good thanks. My dizzy spell passed but I still want to get home and rest before another long day tomorrow.”
“Oh, I know,” Juliette agrees. “Working full-time is not fun, and the long hours are killing me. But you know where Little Ivy is in case you change your mind.”
I nod and wave as she walks off, before turning in the other direction.
The mica in the sidewalk glints in the fading light, and I take a deep breath before beginning my walk to the subway.
Sometimes, I take public transportation, and today, I’m glad to have the long ride because it’ll be good to clear my mind during the commute.
I’ll zone out, and then draw myself a hot bath before turning in early.
That will help calm my nerves and re-set before another day at my stepfather’s company.
His presence is everywhere, and I desperately need to let go of some of this tension before stepping foot in Excel headquarters again.
But as I walk, suddenly an enormous Bentley pulls up to the curb and the door swings open. When I turn, I recognize Brad’s dark figure in the depths of the vehicle.
“Get in,” he rasps, those blue eyes glinting with fierce possession.
I stand for a moment, astonished at this turn of events. But then, with trembling knees, I enter the vehicle ... because the ride of my life has just begun.