6. Noah
6
NOAH
T he bitch was keeping me waiting.
I shifted in my chair, silently seething as one minute after another ticked past. So this was the game she wanted to play? I had gone out of my way to make it to her office on time, only to sit outside her closed door while a nerdy-looking girl who was probably fresh out of college gave me a sympathetic grimace. “I’m sure she’ll only be another few minutes,” she insisted. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can get for you? Some coffee? A bottle of Evian?”
What I could have used was a stiff drink, something to blunt my irritation before I had no choice but to kick the door down. There wasn’t much I hated more than petty mind games, and starting off this way didn’t bode well for what was to come. The blinds covering the windows looking into Sienna’s office were drawn, giving me no hint as to what she was doing. She might have been on a call, but she could just as easily have been sitting back and laughing, knowing she was holding the strings. I had no choice but to dance if I didn’t want to lose everything.
How much worse would I be if I hadn’t purged my anger last night? Sure, I was irritated as fuck, sitting with my thumb up my ass, waiting for Sienna Black to decide to grace me with her presence. But even that was a mild irritation when yesterday afternoon, I would have torn the place apart out of sheer rage.
I should have gotten the girl’s name. A stupid thought, childish. It was the right decision, leaving when I did. Better to stay anonymous, even if it meant I didn’t take the time to check in with her. I didn’t trust myself to walk away once the fa?ade dropped, and we were nothing but two people who’d just finished coming until they couldn’t see straight.
I knew there was no choice but to leave when I had, but it didn’t stop me from wishing we had done more. Her pussy’s aroma hadn’t left my memory in the hours since I smelled her on my fingers. Ambrosial enough to make my cock twitch while waiting for my meeting to start. She came so exquisitely, shaking and weak. A smile had stirred my lips when I felt her limp body in my arms while helping her to her feet.
What a time for a soft alarm to sound. Sienna’s assistant looked up from her MacBook, this time wearing a smile. “Miss Black will see you now,” she chirped. I expected her to get up, but she only returned her attention to whatever she was working on. It wouldn’t have surprised me in the least to find out Sienna told her to let me see myself in. She wouldn’t want to be cordial or welcoming.
Gritting my teeth, I stood and went to the door. At least her shitty attitude meant the end of the semi that had been growing in my pants. I’d have plenty of time to reflect on last night once the meeting was over.
And if the meeting went terribly, I would have all the time in the world since I would lose my business and personal reputation. I held that image in my mind as I opened the heavy oak door and entered the large, sunlight-drenched corner office.
Good thing I hadn’t expected a warm welcome since I didn’t receive one. “You look a lot better than I expected this morning.” That was her idea of a greeting, delivered in a snide tone that left me biting my tongue. It would’ve been too satisfying in the moment to tell her to fuck herself.
“What makes you say that?” I asked, forcing a brittle smile as I closed the door behind me. Do not fuck this up. She probably craved nothing more than the satisfaction of knowing I couldn’t bear working with her.
“I imagined you’d stumble in here, bleary-eyed and miserable.” Looking me up and down, she clicked her tongue in what could’ve been disappointment. “I’m sure it’s for the best you didn’t drink yourself half to death last night. Have a seat.”
Sienna remained seated, watching closely as I approached. Barely a muscle on her face twitched as I unbuttoned my charcoal gray jacket and sat across from her, but not before pointedly checking my watch. “Busy day?” I asked.
“You should know how unpredictable work can sometimes be. Last-minute emergencies, that sort of thing.” There was nothing remotely close to sorrow in her voice, not that I expected it. So far, she was behaving much like I expected. There was a chip on her shoulder that had only gotten bigger as the years passed.
What a shame she had to act like such a bitch, since she was drop-dead gorgeous and couldn’t hide the killer body under her sleek pantsuit. Then again, it could’ve been for the best. Her bitchy attitude killed any boners before they could stir and kept me out of Colton’s crosshairs.
Could I have brought up that stupid prank and cleared the air? I might have tried, but I doubted I would’ve been successful. Besides, it would’ve looked pathetic to dredge up the past. Like I was scrambling to get in her good graces now that she held a scrap of power over me. That wasn’t going to happen. Not in this lifetime.
Wearing an expression of mock sadness, Sienna rotated her laptop, allowing me a look at the ugly article that had gone live overnight. “Manhattan Real Estate Tycoon Noah Goldsmith’s Business Practices Called Into Question,” she recited, quoting the subheading. “Really, this isn’t as ugly as I expected.”
Considering I practically knew the damn article by heart, having gone over it with a fine-tooth comb at least two dozen times since waking up, I could only snort weakly at her statement. “Easy for you to say. It isn’t your integrity and reputation on the line.”
“All I’m saying is, let’s keep a sense of realism. It’s ugly,” she admitted in a way that left me feeling like she was throwing me a bone. “But it’s not anything we can’t rise above. It will take a little careful maneuvering, that’s all.”
As she spoke, my phone buzzed. I ignored it, though the vibration reminded me of the stakes. Probably another call from a concerned associate or, worse, another call from my sister, Rose, or one of my parents. They were concerned, but it felt a lot more like disappointment to me. I could see through their assurances and could hear the emptiness behind their words. Like everyone else, they thought I was getting what was coming to me.
At least, that was very much how it seemed.
“I’m in your hands,” I told her, no matter how uncomfortable the notion made me.
And she knew it too.
She sat back in her chair, lips twitching. I was used to that smart-ass expression after having it thrown my way countless times. She always acted like she knew something the rest of us didn’t, which irritated me into adding, “I hope you know what you’re doing. Have you ever handled a client like me before?”
I knew I was in for it when she arched an eyebrow. Her blue eyes sparkled, but there was nothing joyful in them. There was more malice behind that glow. Her chocolate waves glistened in the sunlight as she turned her head, gazing through the window beside her. “What do you think of the view?” she asked, deflecting my question.
That was the thing. From where I sat, the view wasn’t bad at all. Sienna looked a hell of a lot like her mom, Lourde, who happened to be my first crush. Nobody knew that, not even Colton. Looking at Sienna now, I admired the same delicate bone structure, her long, graceful neck, and pouty lips that pursed while she was deep in thought, the way they did now. I cleared my throat and glanced out the window before I could forget who I was looking at and start thinking very bad, dirty things. “It’s nice.”
“Tell me the truth. Do you think I could have ended up in this office without knowing what I’m doing? And before you make an ass out of yourself…” she added with a sharp look, “… I did this on my own. No help.”
Something told me her last name and her parents’ ties had a little something to do with it, but I couldn’t risk getting thrown out. Swallowing my irritation, I grunted my understanding.
“I know what I’m doing, Noah. Unlike you, I have an excellent reputation. I’d be more than happy to give you the contact information for a few of my most recent clients, though, if that would make you feel better. But between you and me, I don’t think we have that kind of time. ”
“Which is it?” I folded my hands, lowering my brow. “Will this be easy to overcome, or are we in trouble?”
“Two things can be true at once,” she retorted in a sickeningly sweet voice. One thing was for sure—she spent much too much time with my sister, to the point where they had adopted some of each other’s annoying habits. In a way, Sienna was like a sister, albeit one who hated my guts. The fact that she was stunningly gorgeous was secondary.
She sat up straighter, rolling her shoulders back. I took a moment to appreciate the slim cut of her powder blue suit jacket before she rattled off items from a list on her screen. “The way I see it, there are two options of attack. First, you have the option of issuing a response to these claims. Have you received any calls or messages from the press asking for your thoughts?”
“Are you kidding?” As we spoke, my phone buzzed again. “I don’t bother answering unknown numbers, and that’s virtually all I’ve seen all morning. I haven’t bothered to listen to the voicemails.”
“Forward everything to me… names, phone numbers, text messages, emails. I want all of it. You don’t have to worry about a thing.” She spoke quickly, completely self-assured. To her, this was another day at the office.
“It’s as simple as that?” I couldn’t help but feel skeptical, especially considering our history. “You’re going to handle all of it?”
“That’s what you’re paying me for,” she reminded me. “Let’s face it. We don’t need you shooting yourself in the foot by making some jackass statement.”
She was determined to torture me. Still, the idea of being able to ignore the harassment wasn’t bad.
“In case you’re looking for an expert opinion, it’s better to keep any rebuttal short and sweet. Something like this.” She cleared her throat, then read from her screen. “Mr. Goldsmith is deeply troubled by the accusations made by an anonymous source. It pains him to be denied the opportunity to face his accuser, but he is firm in his unequivocal denial.”
“That doesn’t sound bad,” I had to admit.
“Yeah, well, it’s not my first rodeo.” Still, she was frowning when she looked away from the computer. “I need one thing from you.”
“You mean besides a paid invoice?”
She didn’t bother pretending to enjoy my joke. “Are the accusations false?”
I winced, feigning injury. “That hurts.”
“I doubt it,” she fired back, unflinching, unblinking. “I need to know. If I release this statement, is it the truth? I am not about to destroy my professional integrity for you.”
Indignation flared in my chest. So much for the sense of peace I had enjoyed after my night at the club. “You know it’s not true.”
“No. I don’t know if it’s not true. And don’t get all pissy on me,” she snapped when I rolled my eyes. “Don’t act like you’re some saint who would never swing his dick around like it’s the first prize for a lucky winner. You’ve been pretty free and easy when it comes to who you sleep with. Is it really surprising knowing people might wonder how much of a story like this is true? You mean to tell me you’ve never slept with anybody you’ve done business with?”
“I don’t shit where I eat.”
She stared at me expectantly before frowning. “That’s all you have to say? You don’t shit where you eat? ”
That was the most I trusted myself to say. She had no idea how much self-restraint I was practicing, bearing the weight of her judgment. “I’m not interested in getting into semantics with you,” I replied as evenly as I could. “I said it, I meant it. That’s going to have to be enough.”
“So I won’t be telling a lie when I deny this on your behalf.”
“That’s right.” I maintained eye contact, refusing to look away. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.
With a short nod, she pulled her computer closer before typing. “If you approve of the verbiage, then we’ll go public with the statement.”
“I have to hand it to you,” I observed while she tapped on her keyboard. “You can be pretty cold when you feel like it.”
“I’m sorry.” Her fingers continued to move over her keyboard after she turned her attention to me. It was unnerving as fuck. “Am I supposed to weep and wail? Shake my fist at how cruel the world can be? If that’s what you’re looking for, you came to the wrong place and need to find a new public relations genius to handle this for you.”
“Genius?” I muttered before snickering. “Let’s not give ourselves more credit than we deserve.”
“Keep talking,” she invited, abandoning her MacBook and turning her full attention to me. “Talk your way out of this life-saving assistance I’m offering. And enjoy trying to explain it to everyone because I’ll be damned if I make excuses for your poor decisions to the people we know.”
“Right. Enough.” She was giving me a headache. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, grunting. “Just tell me what you need me to do so we can get this over with.”
“Keep your social calendar clear. I’m going to line up a few events where you can make appearances.”
“Like what?” I groaned.
“Charity events, first and foremost. That’s the low-hanging fruit. Beyond that, what do you think about setting up a sports clinic for underprivileged kids? An event where a handful of pros meet up with them, take a few photos, and show them how to swing a bat. That kind of thing. It will all have your name on it.” She waved a hand. “I’ll deal with the details.”
“Whatever. As long as I don’t have to spend much time with the brats.”
“Way to go,” she muttered. “Be sure to say something like that in public. That’s the kind of attitude people consider likable.”
“I don’t give a shit if I’m—” I caught myself before I finished the statement, but it was too late.
“Yeah, no kidding,” she chortled. “Hence, you being in this position. For what it’s worth, I would also like to find out who planted this story. Any idea who it might’ve been?”
Because it was what she already believed, I snapped, “It’ll take some time for me to compile a list of people I’ve fucked over.” With that, I stood and buttoned my jacket. “You have this under control. I’ll forward you the names, numbers, all that shit.” If I spent another minute with her, I’d destroy everything. She was an expert at pushing my buttons, almost like she’d spent years honing her skills. For all I knew, she had.
“Do us both a favor and keep your mouth shut,” she warned as I left her office. “I’m a genius, but I’m not a miracle worker.”
“I could think of a few other words to describe you.” Her face fell in the split second I closed the door between us. It gave me almost as much pleasure as anything I’d experienced at the club.