Chapter 4
By noon I’m halfway through one of those crappy romance novels I picked up at Duane Reade. It’s dirty and makes me horny. I’m also hungry, and I remember the ton of Thai food we have in the refrigerator. I head into the kitchen and almost bump into Nathaniel, who’s exiting his room.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I say.
“It’s noon, so it’s not morning anymore.”
“Thank you, grumpy. What’s the matter? Didn’t you sleep well?”
“I slept fine. My mouth feels like a desert. I need a drink.”
I hand him a bottle of water and take out several containers of Thai food. We sit down at the little table and begin to eat.
“I can’t date, Jordan.”
“Why the fuck not? He seems like a good guy.”
“His father is Robert Scarborough. Well, his stepfather.”
“Shit, you’re kidding me? That means his stepbrother is the devil’s spawn.”
“Exactly. How the fuck did I miss that? Why didn’t I check?”
“So, who cares?”
“I can’t date him. How would it look? ”
“You think he’s going to blab about how you are in bed?”
“Maybe.”
“Seriously? The man doesn’t strike me as that kind of guy. He has to be ethical at the very least. I think you should give him a shot.”
“I think I should just thank him for the orgasms and end it before I get in too deep.”
“I think you should let him go deep. You have to trust a guy one of these days.”
“It’s too close to home. You ever hear that saying don’t shit where you eat?”
“How does that apply to this?”
I’m just about to answer when the door downstairs buzzes. I get up to answer it and hit the intercom.
“Delivery for Emma Stanford.”
“I’m not expecting anything. Who is it from?”
“Miss, I’m not sure. The address is for here.”
“I’ll be right down.”
“You want me to go down to get it?”
“In your boxers?”
“Who gives a fuck? I’ve answered the door in a towel before.”
“Then go get it.”
Nathaniel gets up and exits the apartment. I wait at the door, anxious to see what the delivery is. Three minutes later, he comes out of the elevator, and I can’t see his face because the bouquet of red roses he carries is so big. He plunks it down on the Formica counter of the kitchen island.
“That shit is heavy. There must be two dozen roses, and the vase looks like its Waterford crystal. What’s the card say?”
I pull the white envelope that’s taped on the vase and slip the card out of it.
Emma ,
Can’t stop thinking of you. Roses are the best I can do even though they’re loveliness can’t compare to you.
Looking forward to seeing you again.
Jordan
“What a cheesy card.”
“I don’t care. It’s sweet of him to think of me.”
“I bet he sends roses to all the women he gets off.”
“Nate, I thought you wanted me to go out with him?”
“I want you to get laid. It doesn’t have to be him.”
“You’re so confusing sometimes.”
“But, I’m rarely wrong.”
It was true. Nathaniel had a keen sense of judgment, and very rarely was he wrong. He told me it was because he grew up with instability. You learn how to read people when you don’t trust them.
“So, what should I do?”
“Fuck him and let him go.”
“That’s horrible. I can’t let him use me like that.”
“You’re using him. Not the other way around.”
“I don’t think I like that idea. I want to be an adult about this. I’ll just tell him that I’m not interested.”
“Baby girl, that sounds so childish. Just tell him the truth. You work for the devil who happens to be his stepbrother. It would be a conflict of interest.”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
“You’re such a flake sometimes. ”
“So everyone tells me.”
“I’m going back to bed.”
“Aren’t you working tonight?”
“Nope. My next gig is Tuesday at Stackhouse. Then I’m off to the Hamptons for a few weeks. Have you decided to visit me?”
“Not sure. I need to put in for the time.”
“Remember, it’s all expenses paid. You stay with me and take the Jitney out, which I’ll get you a ticket on.”
“Nate, I can afford a bus ticket.”
“I know, but it’s my treat.”
“You’re always so good to me.”
He cups my face and tenderly kisses my lips, then turns to go back to his bedroom. Sometimes I wonder what Nate’s true feelings are towards me when he does things like that. I consider us best friends, but I don’t know if he considers us more.
Monday morning has me dragging myself out of bed at six. I stayed up too late with Nate watching old movies and eating popcorn. He always does that to me. His schedule is for late nights, so on his days off, he’s up until the wee hours of the morning. I went to bed after midnight, and I feel horrible from lack of sleep. Tonight I’m going to bed by ten to make up for it.
Nathaniel is not up when I leave the apartment. Who knows how late he went to bed? I’m surprised he didn’t have one of his “girlfriends” over so he could fuck her after I went to bed. Not that it would bother me. I have unfortunately had the pleasure of walking in on him fucking some fake boobed woman on the couch a few times. One even had the nerve to invite me to join them. Threesomes are not my thing.
I can’t keep my mind off Jordan. I feel shitty that I wasn’t able to thank him for the roses. I could call his office and leave a message. I expected to hear from him on Sunday, but he never called. It was nice while it lasted.
When I get to my desk, I find another large arrangement of roses in the same type of vase. I pull the card just as Angie walks in.
“Who are those from?”
“Where the hell were you? I didn’t hear from you all weekend.”
“I’m sorry. I got back together with Charles.”
“I thought you got murdered or something.”
“Charles is not a murderer, I promise.”
“Well, obviously since you’re here.”
“Who are the roses from?”
“Jordan.”
“The guy from the club? Did you finally?”
I shake my head just as Nicky walks by and then backtracks.
“Emma, those are personal. I’ll allow them for the day, but you need to take them home.”
“Thanks, Nicky.”
Angie mouths “What a dick.” after Nicky leaves.
“I’m not going to date him.”
“Why not? He seems great.”
I whisper into her ear about his familial relationship with Nicky.
“You’re shitting me?”
“Nope. I find a good guy, and he’s related to the devil.”
“Why would it be a problem, anyway?”
“It’s too familiar. I can’t date him.”
“When are you going to tell him?”
“Whenever I speak to him.”
“Aren’t you going to call about the roses?”
“I’m an idiot. I gave Jordan my number but forgot to get his. I’ll call his office, but I might not get him. He’s pretty busy. He worked yesterday. ”
“Sounds like the perfect catch to me. You sure you don’t want to give it a try?”
“I like him, but it’s all wrong. I need to end it now.”
I sit down at my desk and type in Jordan’s company, Grayson Enterprises, in the search bar. I found it online. I dial the number, and a receptionist answers.
“Grayson Enterprises, can I help you?”
“Can I speak to Jordan Grayson?”
“Is he expecting your call?”
“I’m not sure. You can tell him it’s Emma Stanford.”
“Please hold Miss Stanford.”
I wait for what seems like an hour though it’s only a few minutes. I half expect the brush off from his assistant saying they’ll take a message.
“Emma, how are you? Did you get the roses?”
I’m shocked that they put me right through to Jordan. It makes it harder for me to talk than just leaving a voicemail.
“Emma?”
“Uh, hi.”
“Are you okay?”
“Thank you for the beautiful roses. We need to talk. Can you meet me tonight?”
“That doesn’t sound good. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I just have something to say, and it’s better done in person.”
“I’m tied up until about seven tonight. Can I stop by your place?”
Do I really want him to come to the scene of the crime? Then I remember that Nate will be home, so I at least have a buffer.
“We could meet for coffee.”
“Very well. Text me the address.”
I’m about to hang up with him and realize I still haven’t asked for his cell number.
“Jordan, I need your number. ”
“I thought I gave it to you.”
“No, I never got it.”
“What’s your email address? I can send you all my contact information.”
I give him my email, which I can check on my phone. I don’t need my business going through the Scarborough Publishing company server. I tell him goodbye and hang up. I can feel a cloud hanging over me about what I have to do. I don’t want to hurt him since he’s been so lovely.
I know that Angie is anxiously staring at my back, but I don’t want to engage her. There are too many ears in this place. I’ll call her tonight after I end it with Jordan. My stomach tightens with nervousness, and it’s hours away from when I’ll see him.
The stack of manuscripts on my desk beckons, and I pull the one I was previously working on about some fictitious spy group in Europe. I have about a quarter of it to go before I’m finished. It was a hard edit with over five hundred pages to read. It goes to Nicky after I’m done. I hope the little shit doesn’t give me a hard time.
I’m finding it hard to concentrate because I keep running scenarios in my head of what I’m going to say to Jordan tonight. He sounded depressed when I told him we had to talk. I want to make it short and sweet. If I had him come to my apartment, I might not have gotten out what I want to say. A public venue is a better place to do it.
My phone pings, and I check to see an email from Jordan with all his contact information. His office is in the Ballard Building in Midtown, which is a mix of office space and residences. I’ve heard of it because Robert Scarborough maintains a private office there since Scarborough Publishing is not his only business. I guess he got Jordan a good deal on space.
I’m surprised to see that Grayson Enterprises maintains the entire forty-eighth floor. I click on the link included in Jordan’s signature, and it takes me to the Grayson website. The offices are beautiful and full of glass, luxurious dark wood, and leather. He must be bringing in good money, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve never been swayed by wealth.
The about page has pictures of all the executives, and Jordan looks sexy in a blue pinstriped suit standing in front of a wall of windows overlooking the city. His smile is soft and genuine. I begin to feel horrible about what I’m about to do in a few hours. That is until I hand in the manuscript to Nicky.
A half-hour later, he’s calling me into his office for a little chat. I slide into the straight-backed cushioned seat in front of his desk and wait for him to shred me. He has his glasses perched low on his nose, and he’s examining some pages of the manuscript I recently returned to him.
“This work is subpar and not what I expect from you. You were given this position on your skills and referrals. I’m beginning to think those were exaggerated.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I worked my ass off on that manuscript. The head editors tell me that I’m one of the best assistant editors they have. Yet to hear Nicky tell it, I’m not worth much. I’m so angry I could spit nails, but I hold my tongue from what I want to say.
“Nicky, what exactly is wrong with the manuscript. I did the proper edits.”
“I found things that you should have caught in the first chapter. The first chapter, Emma. What am I going to find in the rest of it since it’s forty-five chapters? Take it back and go through it. I expect perfection when you give it back. Oh, and since you already went through it, you have until Wednesday to finish the second edit even if you have to stay late.”
He practically throws the manuscript across the desk, and I want to tell him what a sniveling little shit he is, and no one can stand him, but I don’t. This exchange makes me think that ending it with Jordan is the best thing possible. I can’t date him knowing Nicky is his stepbrother, and eventually, we will meet in some social situation.
When I get back to my desk, my face must be bright red because Angie is looking at me with worry.
“So, what did dickhead want?”
I hold up the manuscript, “He said the work was subpar, and I need to go through it again. I have until Wednesday to hand it back to him. Can you believe that asshole,” I whisper.
“Yeah, I can. He has had an erection for you since he got here. I don’t think he gives anyone as hard a time.”
“I agree. I have no clue what I did to him.”
I sit down and bury my nose in chapter one. I find one or two missing edits by the time I hit chapter six. I’m not sure what bug crawled up Nicky’s ass, but my edit is the first. The proofers would catch things that were missed though so far I haven’t found much.
I manage to knock off twenty-six chapters by the end of the day. So that’s good because I have two more days to get the rest finished. I decide to stay and work on as much as I can. My office is not that far from Jordan’s, and I already texted him the address of a small coffee shop near his place.
Angie hugs me goodbye and tells me to cheer up. Maybe Nicky will get hit by a taxi on his way home. I can only hope. By 6:45, I manage to work my way to chapter forty-one. Really, there were twelve slight edits that I missed but nothing major. I head to the bathroom to freshen up my makeup before I leave. The entire floor is deserted, but as I near Nicky’s office, I hear noises.
As I get closer, it’s obvious some kind of sex act is going on inside. He stupidly left the door ajar, and from my vantage point, I can see him fucking one of the interns. She’s bent over the desk, and Nicky is slamming his hips against her ass, just what I didn’t want to see. I search my brain for her name, Sasha.
I hurry away before they catch me. I can use the lobby bathroom to fix my makeup. Ugh, I can’t get that sight out of my head. Why the hell couldn’t he take the girl home? I’m right about his penchant for young women. The one he was fucking is just nineteen. Sasha assisted me with one of my spreadsheets a few weeks ago and told me she was a freshman at NYU. She’s an English major.
The lobby bathroom is being cleaned when I get down to the main floor, so I’m going to have to make do with my compact mirror while sitting on a bench. When I finish, I head to the coffee shop several blocks away. It’s a beautiful evening, and the sun is just starting to sink in preparation for darkness.
The coffee shop is only half full, and I order a large cappuccino and find a seat in the corner away from other patrons. I don’t want to be in earshot when I tell Jordan it’s over. He’s late, and I wonder if he decided that I just wasn’t worth his precious time. Fifteen minutes later, he walks through the door dressed in a black suit, crisp white shirt, and black tie with his phone pressed to his ear.
Jordan scans the shop and zeroes in on me. I give him a small wave, and he holds up his finger then turns to order from the counter. My stomach is in knots. I’m not sure if it’s from the scene at the office or that I have to hurt Jordan. I don’t want to, but it’s for the best.
Jordan comes to the table with a large cup of coffee with no top. Steam rises from the hot liquid as he sits down.
“I would say that it’s a pleasure to see you again, but I have a feeling that this is not for pleasure. What do you need to talk to me about?”
His voice is stern and businesslike. I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, or he hasn’t switched gears into his private mode yet.
I lower my voice, “This is hard for me to say, but we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”
“Why?”
“You neglected to tell me a few things. ”
He runs his hand through his thick hair, “Such as?”
“Your stepbrother is my boss, and your stepfather is the owner of the company I work for.”
“Emma, did you ever tell me what publishing company you worked for?”
I think. Did I tell him that I worked for Scarborough?
“I thought I did,” I quietly say.
“You didn’t. I would have told you that I was related to them. You’re going to hold it against me for having a relationship with my stepfather and brother?”
“It could get messy.”
“How so? I have nothing to do with Scarborough Publishing.”
His phone rings, and he almost violently jams the button to send it to voicemail, then powers it down.
“Your brother hates me. He makes my life miserable on a daily basis.”
Jordan gives me a wry smile and crosses his arms. It looks like he’s holding back laughing at me, but I can’t be positive.
“He’s more than likely attracted to you.”
“What? Are you insane?”
“Nicky doesn’t have very good social skills with women that intimidate him. You’re beautiful, intelligent, and I’m sure, quite capable at your job.”
“But why?”
“Nicky wants what he wants, but he’s been given so much that when he does have to work for it, he’s ill-equipped. He wants you, Emma.”
“That’s absurd.”
“And more than likely, true. Now am I going to have to give you up to him, or are you going to let me take you home.”
I sit there, gaping at him, not knowing what to say.
“Is that a yes?”
“Uh, yes. No. I guess. ”
Jordan picks up his phone and powers it up, then types something.
“Come, the limo should be here shortly.”
He holds his hand out to me, and I take it, leaving my cappuccino on the table as we walk out the door. Jordan presses a kiss to my cheek. The minute his lips touch me, my body begins to flame. The limo pulls up and the driver, the same man that drove us home from Haze, holds the door open for us. I slip inside with Jordan behind me. Once we're settled, the car pulls away from the curb. Jordan hits a button, and black glass rises to cut us off from the driver.
“Now that we have privacy, I plan to kiss you long and hard.”
I have no time to protest as he closes the length of the seat between us and takes my face in his hands. His kiss was urgent and exploratory. His tongue tangled with mine, and I gave into him freely. I want him to touch me. Jordan once again leaves me breathless and weak. What is this man doing to me?
He pulls me against his body, and I curl into him. I’m shuddering, and I welcome his warmth against the cold air conditioning.
“Are you chilly? I can ask Albert to turn down the air conditioner.”
“No, I’m just happy.”
“Why are you happy?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you. You deserve better.”
“Hurt me?”
“I was breaking it off. Wouldn’t that have hurt you?”
“It would, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for you.”
“You mean you would have worked on me until I gave in?”
“Every problem has a solution. I don’t care if you work for my family. I can date whomever I wish. It’s not a conflict. I have nothing to do with their business just like they have nothing to do with mine.”
“But, you borrowed money from Robert. ”
“Paid back in full and then some. I’m not in debt to my stepfather. He owes me for some expansion dealings he recently had.”
“What about Nicky?”
“What about him?”
“He’s not very nice to me.”
“Ignore him. Nicky’s bark is worse than his bite. He’ll find a new plaything, and you’ll be old news.”
“You’re brother fucks young women.”
“Excuse me?”
“He fucks the interns. The teenagers.”
“He has a fiancée whom he loves very much.”
“Nicky can’t love her very much when he screws around.”
“Emma, starting rumors is not in your best interest.”
“Jordan, I saw him. Tonight before I met you.”
“You saw what?”
“Your brother fucking one of the interns in his office. He left the door open a little, and I was working late to finish a manuscript. I was going to the bathroom, and I saw them.”
“Oh. Nicky is making his own choices, but I will have a talk with him.”
“Not very good ones.”
“I agree, but do you want to talk about him or talk about us?”
“Us.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“Would you like to come to my place for dinner? I have a chef on call, or I can order some take out.”
“Sure.”
I’m curious to see what his apartment looks like. From what I saw of his offices, I’m sure that his home is just as opulent. He hits the button for the glass divider and tells his driver to head back to the Ballard Building.
“You live at the Ballard?”
“It’s the easiest solution for me, especially when I work late. I can just take the elevator to the penthouse and not have to worry about traveling.”
Shit, he lives in the penthouse? Why didn’t I know that? I should have read through the articles about him more. I was so interested in the gossip and his relationship to the Scarboroughs that I looked no further. I’ll have to check when I have some free time.