3. Emerson
Emerson
Ihad never loved or hated anyone more than Pearl Meadows.
Even her name rubbed me the wrong way. I hated her from the moment I saw her walking through the hallways with her face shoved in a book.
I found it annoying that she was trying to hide herself.
Like she was trying to make herself invisible even from the few so-called friends she surrounded herself with at school.
But I saw her. And that made it even more goddamn annoying.
I wasn’t sure when that annoyance turned to infatuation.
It must've happened pretty quickly because before I even graduated, all I thought about was her.
All I wanted to do was seek her out, in any way possible.
Get close to her. And back then, the only way to do that was to force her attention to me through cruel words and bullying.
But it did the trick. No matter how much she didn’t deserve it.
She has never left my mind from the moment I first saw her at school to our night together at Club Pétale.
When she told me on the night of the bonfire all those years ago that she would be moving to New York to get away from our town… I was furious. Hurt.
She left. Forgot about me.
I had never been angrier. It had felt like the only person worth it in my miserable life was gone. And what for? School? I told her back then she was running away, and maybe she had been.
But it wasn’t long until my anger turned to determination.
Maybe one day we’ll meet in New York, she’d said. And I realized that could happen. I could follow her just as easily as she’d left.
So I did.
I worked my ass off in college. Got my degree in Business Management. I joined a failing company. Worked myself to the top until there was no other choice for CEO when the previous one was suddenly fired for embezzlement.
I have no idea how those slides got in that presentation, I swear.
From then on, money made money. I bought every company I could that had even the slightest bit of potential and not enough money. I was hungry. Devouring them like I was starving, and they were crumbs.
I would have never guessed that was how conglomerates started, and while we were nowhere near the highest grossing, we were steadily moving into Forbes’s Fortune Global 500 list. Thanks to my one-track mind and unwillingness to misspend even a dollar, we were soaring.
I was soaring.
More money than I ever imagined. More businesses and thousands of employees, which I used as the perfect excuse to relocate our headquarters to New York.
Because there was always one thing I was missing. The one thing I couldn’t get away from because she was inside me.
Pearl Meadows.
I wanted Pearl in my life, and I wasn't going to stop until she was mine. Back then, I’d been just a kid with no idea what I was doing. I knew I wanted the shy little girl who had been cast aside by everyone in her world, but when she said she was moving, it left me… empty.
Not anymore. My resolve was solidified. Meeting her at the club had been no coincidence.
Just like sitting down at a table in a posh steakhouse I would never have set foot in prior to this was no coincidence either.
I had done my research on Pearl Meadows. I was ready.
I shifted in the comfortable seat as I waited for my server.
They were annoyingly slow at this restaurant. Maybe the rich assholes in New York liked to take their time, and that was what they were accustomed to. Or maybe I just didn't look rich enough to them, even though looks could definitely be deceiving.
I couldn't tell which rubbed me the wrong way more.
My fingers ran across the smooth beaded bracelet I had on my wrist. The same one Pearl had left in my car after I’d driven her home, with NYU spelled out in what had once been black letters.
Yes, it had seen better days. But that was because I had never been able to take it off.
A girl padded up to my table in her standard waitress uniform. A crisp white button-up with a black vest on top, slacks, and a matching short apron. On her tray, she had water and her notepad. She gave me a smile as she placed the water on the table.
“Hello, ma'am. My name is Mais—”
“I don't care. I don't want to be served by you. Get me Pearl.”
I looked her straight in the eyes as I said it, not moving an inch. My tone caught her off guard, her eyes widening like no one had ever dared talk to her like that.
Weird since she’s essentially in customer service.
“Pearl is assigned to another section, but I’m sure I can help you—”
“Then get your boss if you won't do it,” I spat, still not tearing my gaze away from her.
She hesitated a moment before jerkily turning around and disappearing into the next room. The restaurant lighting was dim with chandeliers hanging overhead, and I could hear a waterfall somewhere in the background, but I couldn’t see it.
This was the main room, so it had to be in one of the other, more private rooms. I ground my teeth thinking Pearl was in there, serving assholey, rich people with no one looking out for her.
The girl came back, but Pearl was now by her side.
I hated how much better she looked in the same uniform.
The button-up was tight, giving me a full view of her plump chest and cinched waist. The apron tied tightly, giving her more of an hourglass figure.
She wore her hair up in a long ponytail and a headband to pull it all back, though her bangs still poked through.
I hate it all because I love it too much, damn it.
“I'll leave you to it,” the server said as Pearl just stared at me.
I motioned for her to sit at the seat across from me, saying, “I think it's time we have a chat, don't you?”
She pulled her lip between her teeth. My mouth watered, remembering just how delicious those lips tasted against mine.
I regretted not biting her lip just like she was doing now.
Pearl had been everything I dreamed of for so long that I would've been satisfied just having her. But knowing she wanted to be degraded like that?
It was like she was made for me.
“I'm working,” she said in a whisper. “I can’t sit down. Can't you just let her serve you? I don't think there's anything we need to talk about.”
Even as she said it, redness crept up her neck, telling me she was thinking about a lot more than just talking.
“Bring me whatever your favorite is,” I ordered, not even glancing at the menu. “A side of fries and a Manhattan.”
She paused, her hand going to her notebook.
“Anything else I can get you?”
Yes. You. Clothes off. Bent over the table. Everyone else gone.
I hummed and looked her up and down. Her uniform was stained, no doubt from a long day of work. She was shifting side to side, which told me her feet were hurting from standing for so long.
“How’s the lobster?” I asked.
“Customers seem to like it.”
“Then add that,” I said. “And make it quick. I’m starving.”
She nodded and turned. I watched as she disappeared to an area where several other waitresses were inputting their orders and paid attention as some of her coworkers came up to talk to her, no doubt asking her about me.
When her face started to redden, I felt happier than I had in days.
She ducked out of sight a few moments later, and it allowed me to take a look at my phone for a few minutes. I had about thirty new emails, half of them requesting a response ASAP. I started tapping through them one by one, replying as needed.
Stepping away from the office wasn’t easy. Especially when the company was getting more and more attention.
I almost missed Pearl setting down my plates in front of me. Almost. There was no chance this woman even breathed without me noticing it. I wouldn’t lose her again.
I looked up just as she gave me a sheepish smile.
“If that’s all, I need to go tend to my other tables—”
“I said we needed to talk, didn’t I?” I asked, grabbing the drink from the table and taking a slow sip.
Heat coated my throat, and a slight sweetness danced across my taste buds. Not half bad.
“There’s nothing left to talk about,” she replied under her breath. “Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
“Making a habit of running away, aren’t you?”
This stopped her in her tracks just as I was taken back to her words that night. Yes. I’m running away. I have nothing else keeping me here.
Maybe she was thinking the same thing, because anger pricked at her expression.
There she is. Sometimes it took a bit of a push, but I knew my Pearl was hiding in there.
“I’m not running.”
I smirked at her and placed my drink back down.
“Are you sure there’s nothing we need to talk about?” I leaned forward but didn’t lower my voice. “Have you forgotten how my tongue felt against your cunt? Don’t tell me you didn’t want it because you were screaming—”
Pearl clapped her hand over my mouth, her gaze cutting over her shoulder just in case anyone heard that.
“Oh my god! Stop. I work here.”
“I’ll stop if you sit down with me,” I said, my words muffled against her hand.
The childish side of me was happy she was even touching me to begin with. The crueler side of me wanted to embarrass her in front of them so she wouldn’t ever doubt who she belonged to.
Wait… Why am I holding back?
I got up and grabbed Pearl by one shoulder as she let out a gasp and looked up at me with a shocked look. Her breath hitched as I leaned down to pull out her chair for her before standing to my full height.
“Sit down, Pearl. Good sluts get rewards, bad ones get punished. Unless that’s what you want?”
“We aren’t in the club anymore,” she whispered. But this time she didn’t bother checking if her coworkers were witnessing this. She was too pissed off to care. At that moment, she was fully mine.
“Then say the safe word.” She pushed her lips into a thin line. “That’s what I thought. Now sit.”
She took the chair, adjusting it so she was closer to the table, and just sat there, like a good little toy waiting for instructions.
With a satisfied smirk, I sat down and motioned for my original waitress to come over. She was still watching but had stayed on the sidelines, letting Pearl do the work.
“Get your boss.”
She swallowed thickly before nodding and running away.
I took another sip of my drink.
“Well, aren’t you going to eat?” I asked and pushed the plates toward Pearl.
Apparently, her favorite was a simple ribeye, which, combined with the side of fries and the lobster, should be enough for her.
“You ordered this for me?”
I didn’t dignify her question with a response. After a few seconds of hesitation as she shifted under my stare, Pearl slowly picked up the fork and knife, digging into the steak first.
I leaned forward and grabbed one of her fries just as her boss came.
He was a wire-haired man with a scowl on his face. I hated him immediately. Especially when he ignored me and went straight to Pearl.
“Pearl, what are you—”
“She will be dining with me for the rest of her shift,” I said and grabbed the wad of cash I had prepared from my pocket. His eyes widened and a smile pulled at his lips, telling me his hesitation was all for show. “This is more than enough. I’ll give her her tip personally.”
Pearl looked like she was going to say something, but her boss happily fucked off with a small “Enjoy” and nothing else.
“Bastard,” Pearl muttered under her breath and stuffed a fry in her mouth.
“When was the last time you ate?” I asked, ignoring my phone buzzing on the table.
“At the start of my shift… five hours ago?”
She eyed my water, and I gritted my teeth.
“They don’t give you breaks or are you just a masochist?” I hissed as I pushed my water over to her.
“Too busy for breaks. It’s a Saturday in New York.”
She had a point there. But that didn’t make it legal. Or humane.
“Eat more,” I said, leaning back. “You’ll need the energy for what I’m going to do to you later.”
She choked on her food, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Is that what you’re here to discuss?”
I nodded.
“I’ll make it simple for you, Pearl. I want you to be mine. I’ve waited long enough, and I don’t plan on letting you go now that I’ve had you.” I paused. “I’m offering you a contract. On the outside, it will look like you’re my personal assistant, but behind the scenes…”
I let it hang there and watched closely as she licked her lips.
“You don’t want me,” she finally said. “Not really. Not like that… Right?”
I leaned forward, dropping my voice, and she followed suit.
“Did it feel like I didn’t want you last night, Pearl?”
She looked down at the table.
“Answer me.”
“No,” she whispered.
“Good. You’re smart enough to understand what I want. I certainly know what you want—and like. With the money from the auction, you can quit working here. Stay with me. I’ll even give you time to restart your classes. Just tell me your schedule and I’ll block out that time.”
She dropped her fork and sat back in her chair, a frown marring her beautiful face. I hated seeing it.
“How did you know that?”
“I know a lot of things about you, Pearl. The only thing I don’t know is why you dropped out of NYU in your fourth year.”
This got a reaction from her, but not the one I wanted. She looked… scared.
Anger burst through my veins.
What the fuck happened there?
Who the fuck hurt her?
They’re dead.
She shook her head and stood abruptly.
“Thank you for the meal, but this was a mistake.”
“You didn’t finish,” I all but snapped.
“I’m full.” She took a step back, creating distance between us. “Last night was… everything, but this… What you’re saying… I can’t.”
She turned around and walked away, just like she had done all those years ago.
With a sigh, I leaned back in my chair and threw back my drink.
“How was our service—”
“Don’t fucking talk to me,” I growled at her boss as he came up to my side with a smile that told me he had gone to the back to count exactly how much I’d given him.
I still had Pearl’s tip in my pocket, but I didn’t trust him to give it to her.
“Sorry, did Pearl say something wrong—”
“Pearl did nothing wrong. She’s obviously the best server you have in this goddamn place. The problem is your shit food. Hire better chefs.”
With that, I grabbed my phone from the table before storming out.
You’ll be mine, Pearl. Just you wait.