Chapter 10 - Olivia
TEN - Olivia
“Here you are. A vodka cranberry for you … and a tropical fruit margarita for you. I’ll be back later to check on you. Enjoy, ladies.”
“Thanks very much,” I reply to the tall, slender waiter wearing a black button-up with a black and white bowtie. He walks away as I start to reach for my cocktail, but Eden’s wide-eyed stare from across the table makes me pause. “Ugh, what?”
Eden twists her mouth, her shiny red lipstick glowing under the lights of the Wonderland Bar.
Both of us are still dressed in our work clothes because after everything that happened today, we needed drinks before doing anything else.
My brain may have had a meltdown if I waited until I got home to have some wine, so we decided to meet at our favorite bar to take a little bit of the edge off, and it helps that Wonderland is just a couple minutes’ drive from each of our houses.
Eden crosses her arms and keeps her eyes on me, even tilting her head for added dramatic effect.
“Eden, I'm not a mind reader,” I say, reaching for my drink again.
“Really, Olivia?” she finally says, arms still crossed, head still tilted.
“You're just going to sit there and act like you don't have any idea why we’re here?
I didn't say anything while we ordered drinks, and even stayed silent while we waited for them, but now that they're here we’re not holding off anymore.
So, take a big gulp of your vodka cranberry, and then start talking about how all of the boy drama today made you feel.
Because I know that you have to be thinking what I'm thinking after everything we saw.”
I pinch my lips together, knowing that I have no choice but to talk about it now.
I guess I've put it off for as long as Eden’s need to gossip would allow.
So I do as I'm told, bringing the glass to my lips and gulping a quarter of it down.
Then I take a deep breath and prepare myself for this conversation.
“Alright, should I go first, or you?” I ask.
Eden sucks her teeth and sits up straight. “You're stalling, so I’ll go first. Did you see the way Quinn handled those three assholes?”
I let out another sigh as the memory rattles around in my mind and causes little changes in my body that I don't want Eden to know about. “Yeah, I did.”
“Okay. So was it or was it not incredible?”
“Yes it was.”
“Wow. Don't get too excited, Olivia. You might have a heart attack.”
I throw my hands in the air as Eden takes her first sip of her margarita. “What do you want from me? I'm his boss, Eden. So all I saw was a subordinate ready to fight three of his coworkers for being disrespectful. It was quite the risk on his part, actually.”
“Oh, bullshit,” Eden snips, her face frowning hard. “You saw a gorgeous man ready to risk his life fighting three grown men in defense of you. Quinn is something else, and I know you see it. He’s got one of those personalities that stands out. One that I know you like.”
“Okay, he has a—dare I say—dominant personality, but there’s nothing else to see.”
“Oh my god. You're really not going to admit it?”
I laugh nervously. “Admit what?”
“That he's into you!” Eden snaps loudly, drawing the attention of two nearby tables.
“That man has been staring at you with lust dripping from his eyes since the moment he stepped foot in the executive wing, and I know damn well that you have noticed it. You know how I know that? Because you have been staring at him the exact same way when you think he’s not looking, especially after he's finished giving a speech that shows how smart he is. And don't you dare say you haven't.”
I have to take a breath after her rant, and not because it was long and emotional.
It’s because I know it’s true. Yes, Quinn is unfairly gorgeous, and maybe I have been staring at him in moments when I know he won’t see me, but it doesn't change the fact that he works for Obsidian, and I need him to help me save my father's company more than I need him for anything else.
“Fine,” I reply, throwing my head back. “Yeah, I look at him from time to time because he's hot, and maybe I'm attracted to how brilliant he is.
I'm a sapiosexual and I can't help it, but it doesn't matter, Eden.
You know better than anyone else that I want to make Obsidian better than it has ever been, and you know how much it means to me to do what my father asked me to do in his will.
So, Quinn can be as fine as he wants, and it still won't change anything.”
Eden takes another drink, shaking her head in disappointment the entire time her mouth is on her straw.
“Why are you shaking your head when you know it’s true?” I ask.
“I know how much you care about your father's will, and I know that all of the breaches are taking a major toll on you right now because they threaten Obsidian’s very existence. However, wouldn't life be a little bit sweeter if you took a shot with Quinn?”
Now it’s my turn to shake my head. “Took a shot? I hope you're talking about drinks, because you know I won't be taking any other shots with him. He's my subordinate, and CEOs don't sleep with their subordinates.”
“Girl, please. Without even mentioning the countless, innumerable, infinite amount of male CEOs who have slept with their subordinates, let’s just save the corporate handbook talk for when we’re in meetings at the office.
This is just you and me, and we both know that you're staring at Quinn for more than just the way he looks.
I know you better than anybody else, and that includes the sexy little things that you're into.
You're a boss all day long, but I know what you really want on the inside, and it damn sure isn't to be the boss. You're wound up so tight that you’re about to snap in two and send both pieces flying across the room, and it’s because you see Quinn embodying everything you want in a man … or should I say everything you want in a Dom.”
I sit up so fast I nearly hurt my back. “Keep your voice down.”
Eden looks around, then leans in closer to me. “Nobody is listening to us. My god, Olivia, for a kinky little thing, you sure are scared for anyone to know about it.”
“Because it’s my business, and yes, I am a boss. The second a man hears that a woman is submissive, they think they can walk all over her or get her to do anything they want, and I’ll be damned if men start treating me like that.”
“I know,” says Eden. “I know you're a bad bitch who doesn't just submit to anybody, but that’s my point.
From what you told me about your last boyfriend and how he and so many other men get it wrong, Quinn is what you're looking for.
Is he or is he not showing you all of the traits that Pierce didn't have?”
I sit back in my chair feeling like my entire mood is flattened by the mention of my ex’s name.
“You know I hate talking about Pierce. He was a fake Dom if there ever was one.
He didn't know how to earn my submission or what to do with it when he finally got it. I was just so desperate for someone to do it right that I found myself leaning into bullshit and ignoring his parade of red flags.”
“Is Quinn showing you the same red flags?”
“No, but he works for me.”
“Ignore that part. Is he showing the red flags?”
I shake my head, not even wanting to admit it. “No.”
“Right. Is he showing green flags with how supportive he is of you? How patient he is? How he’s willing to defend you from other men, even if it means risking his safety and his job?
How he is both intimidating and kind at the same time?
How he dresses well and takes care of himself?
You've always said that a man who can't take care of himself clearly can't take care of a submissive. So, are the green flags still green to you?”
I sigh loud and hard. “Yes, they're still green.”
“Good. Then, case closed,” Eden says before proudly bringing her lips to her straw again and taking a big sip.
She smiles at me and I let out a giggle.
“It’s not case closed, Eden. Obsidian is bleeding.
Clients are fighting to get out of their contracts, and I'm watching as everything my father built gets flushed down the toilet. I have a bird’s eye view of it all, and I know the world is going to blame me if it happens.
I have too much to worry about to add Quinn and another relationship to my plate.
Plus, there's just something about him that worries me. It’s like he's always on edge and ready to hurt someone.”
“Sure, I've noticed that, too. But I thought you liked being hurt,” she says with a mischievous smile.
“Ugh. You know that’s not what I mean.”
“Look, are you stressed out?”
I roll my eyes because she just won't stop. “Yes. Always.”
“Do you need some stress relief?”
“Dammit, Eden.”
“You do, and you know that the best stress relief in the world for you is submitting to a dominant man who knows how to treat you. Everything about Quinn tells me that he would know exactly how to treat you.”
“Just because he has certain personality traits doesn't mean that he's an actual Dom. He might not know anything about BDSM.”
“But you do. So show him. Show him how he embodies all of the traits of a Dom, then mold him into the perfect Dominant for you. Oh my god, that sounds so perfect, doesn't it? You’d get to create the perfect Dom for yourself.” When I don't respond, Eden adds, “It’s okay to be ambitious, and to live out your father's dream. But it’s also okay to do a little something for yourself.”
“And what if it doesn't work out between us, Eden? Now I have an ex walking around the office all day, one who has already threatened his coworkers. That shit is messy.”
“First of all, he did that for you. Secondly, you can't think like that,” she replies. “If you thought that way before starting every relationship, you'd always be alone.”
I let out another sigh before finishing off my drink, taking it all like a shot.
I hate that Eden is right, and I really hate that she knows me so well.
She recognized my attraction to Quinn right away, and she even saw the positive Dom traits I've been telling her about since we became friends years ago.
All things considered, I know she's right, but I just can't bring myself to pull the trigger.
“Listen,” she begins again, denying me even a moment’s peace.
“I know how you feel about Obsidian, and clearly I'm right there with you.
I'm so glad you're the CEO and so proud to support a woman at the top of a company.
You have to keep your eyes on the prize …
but just consider it. I mean, how often does a man like Quinn walk into a room giving nothing but aura and the traits you're attracted to?
And you didn't even have to go to a BDSM club to meet him. He just walked right into the office like it was meant to be.”
“God, you're so dramatic,” I say with a laugh.
“My ex husband said the same thing, so maybe it’s true,” Eden replies. “But I’m also right.”
I take a moment, shaking my head at the audacity of my best friend wanting what’s best for me. Then I nod. “Yeah, you're also right. How about we just let it all play out and see what happens?”
Eden nods her head with a satisfied smirk. “So you're open to it?”
“I guess we’ll see.” I reply with a smirk of my own. Then I raise my finger to get the attention of the waiter, and order another drink.