7. Chapter 5
Iwatched Julie leave with one of her friends, and they both seemed distressed. When they came back, there was a lightness to Julie that eased my worries. Their time together had helped my princess, and I was glad for it. Now, I”m in my new office in New York. This is a small magazine, and it was easy to convince the owner to let it go. It had been a dream for her at one point, but now she wanted a more laid-back life.
So she sold me the magazine and never looked back. I think Julie will be disappointed that her friend sold the business, but I”ll offer Julie a new position here as it’s all she”s done for the past five years. Yes, I”ve kept tabs on her, even from afar. I know I”ll have trouble convincing her that this is a legitimate move on my part. I own a lot of companies, and they are all much larger than this small magazine.
But it”s no use. After that night in Vegas, I can”t be apart from Julie anymore. I know it”s pushing the envelope, but I feel my hands are tied. My thoughts start wondering when I ask myself if my princess would like me to tie her up. There”s so much I want to experience with her, and not just sexually. Julie prides herself on being good. A good friend, sister, writer. Because of that, she never lets go.
My thoughts are interrupted when Johanna Murray, the previous owner, knocks on my door. I call out for her to come in and put a cordial smile on my face.
”Is this a good time, Mr. Matthews?”
”Hello, Johanna. I told you to call me Keith. This is a good time as any. What can I help you with?”
”I thought I could call everyone together at the meeting room and introduce you and say my goodbyes. What do you think?”
”Is everyone here already?”
”Yes.”
”Alright, let”s get started then.”
We walk together towards the conference room and I hear the group of voices coming from inside. Johanna never announced her intentions to sell, so they will be in for a surprise. We walk into the room, and suddenly, there”s a deathly silence. I hear Julie gasp from her seat at the table when she sees me.
”Good morning, everyone. I don”t really know how to say this, but this is Mr. Keith Matthews, the new owner of the magazine.”
I”m standing behind her, and I just nod when she makes the announcement.
”Mr. Matthews will be taking over starting today. He”s told me there”ll be some changes in staff, but all for the better. I know this is a surprise. It all happened really fast, and I am ready to move on. Mr. Matthews, do you want to add anything?”
I step forward to say a few words. I”m used to talking to high-powered CEOs and high-profile businessmen, but this is a more laid-back group of people.
”This magazine has a vision, and just because the owner is a man now, it hasn”t changed. Today, I”ll call you one by one in my office to discuss how you fit into this company and what we can do to make it better. Thank you.”
Everyone is just gaping at me, but I want to get back to work, so I just turn around and leave the conference room. As I walk towards my office, I feel a presence following me. I don”t want to talk to Julie just yet. I have a surprise for her, but it”s not ready. I walk into my office and almost slam the door in Julie”s face.
”What the hell do you think you are doing, Keith?”
”I”m not ready to talk to you yet, Julie. Please wait until I call for you.”
And with that, I gently close the door in front of her delicious but outraged form.
Keith is here, in my office, and he just shut the door in my face. My blood is boiling, and I”m ready to scream at someone, but he”s not ready to talk to me. I can”t believe the devious little shit. I told him no, and he”s found a completely legal way to put himself in my life. This is crazy. I didn”t even know Johanna wanted to sell. How much did he give her?
Besides, he”s a high roller. He doesn”t buy small companies like this one. I lift my fist to pound on the door once more when Johanna walks up to me.
”Hey, Julie, do you have a moment?”
”Jo, of course, let”s go to my office.”
I”m just two doors down, so in no time, we”re there sitting next to one another on the couch where I”ve had so many sleepovers over the last five years, trying to meet a deadline.
”Why didn”t you tell me, Jo?”
”It all happened so fast. I”ve been under so much stress. It was like a miracle had happened when Mr. Matthews approached me.”
”Was it a good offer?”
”It was an amazing offer. I can”t disclose it, but I won”t have to work ever again.”
”That”s great,” I say, my tone neutral.
”I”m sorry for not talking about it with you beforehand. You”re an important part of this place. I made sure to pass that on to Mr. Matthews.”
”Thank you for that. Won”t you miss it, though?”
”Of course, but I couldn”t pass this opportunity up.”
I lean forward and take her into a hug. I”ve learned so much from working in this magazine. I really owe it to Johanna.
”I”m going to miss you, Jo.”
”Yeah, no more happy hours after work. But I might move somewhere warmer, where I can wear a bikini and live my best life. Isn”t that what doing all this was about?”
”And you deserve it.”
Once Jo leaves, I start pacing in my office. I look like a crazy person going round and round in this small space, but Keith has once again made my thoughts go wild. In the middle of pacing, I hear a soft knock on my door, and I go to open it.
”Hey, Jules.”
”Annette! Come on in. Isn”t this crazy?”
”It”s crazier than you think. I just had a chat with the boss, and he rocked my world.”
A pang of jealousy goes through me. What did she mean by that?
”Wha…”
”I was just offered my dream position for a bucketload of money, too. The only problem is I”ve got to move.”
”Move? What do you mean?”
”The position is in Miami, in one of his other companies.”
”Oh my God, everyone is leaving! What am I going to do? What if your replacement is a raving bitch?”
”Wasn”t that what you called me when you first started working here?”
I blush. ”That was a long time ago. We”re besties now.”
”I”m just teasing you. Honestly, I think he”s going to promote you.”
”But I”m just a writer.”
”Don”t do that, Julie. You”re capable of running this whole setup if you want. Don”t sell yourself short. Johanna has mentored you, and you”ve been shadowing her for quite some time. You”re ready for this.”
”I”m going to miss you. Can I tell you a secret?”
”Spill it!”
”I know him. He”s a… a family friend.”
”You know that gorgeous piece of everything that”s good in life?” Annette’s eyebrows rose.
“We hooked up in Vegas.”
“Is that why you were acting so weird back in the conference room?”
“Yeah, he surprised me. This whole thing is incredible.”
“Oh, this is one thing I’m going to miss. The gossip. You have to keep me updated, Julie.”
We hug and only let go when my phone rings.
“Julie Johnson.” I scrunch my face at Annette. “I’ll be right there.” Hanging up, I take a deep breath. ”He wants to talk to me.”
She starts pushing me out the door. ”You”re going to land on your feet. You”ll see.”
I knock on Johanna”s door only to remember it”s Keith”s office now. His delicious voice orders me to come in, and my heart starts to beat faster than usual. I open the door and enter the room. I softly close it behind me and stand there, just ogling him. He”s leaning in front of his desk, his feet crossed casually, like some model from GQ.
”Hey, Jules.”
I”m frozen in place and don”t even dare make a move. If I do, he”ll know. He”ll know I”m glad he”s here and that I want to be in his arms desperately.
”What did you do, Keith?”
”I won”t pretend with you. I bought the magazine to be closer to you.”
”Do you even know how to run a magazine?”
”No, but you do. I”m hoping you”ll help me.”
”This is crazy, Keith. You could have asked me out on a date like a normal person.”
”You would have said no.”
He”s right. I would have said no and gotten the hell out of dodge. But this isn”t Vegas. This is New York, my home, and I don”t want to play those games here.
”How did you even know where I work?”
”The truth? I”ve been keeping tabs on you since I moved back to New York.”
A chill goes through me. ”When was that?”
”Five years ago, when you started working here. I couldn”t take it anymore, being so far away from you, so I moved back.”
”We could have been together since then?”
”It wasn”t the right time—for you or for me. Your career, your life, has changed you. Transformed you into the amazing woman you are today.”
”Are you stalking me?”
”I wouldn”t call it that.”
I don”t know what to feel right now. I”m relieved he”s been thinking about us just like I have for nine years. But a part of me is outraged at the intrusion and violation of privacy.
”Does Mike know?”
”No, but we need to talk to him.”
”There”s nothing to say.”
He comes closer to me, and I shiver a little. His presence has always been overwhelming.
”Are you going to make me chase you, Princess?”
He steps even closer and grabs both my hands in his. He lifts them up and kisses each palm.
”I”ll court you. I”ll follow you like a puppy if need be. Just don”t deny me that pretty pussy of yours.” He says, stroking my face gently.
This is too much for me right now, and I need to turn the conversation to safer topics. I step back from him and move further into his office.
”Annette says you offered her a dream job and she”s leaving.”
”You guys are friendly, right?”
”Yes, of course, we”ve worked together for years.”
”I studied the personnel information on everyone that works here, and when I saw her resume, I knew she”d be a great fit for a company I”m a partner of in Miami. She sounded really happy when I asked her and gave me a yes almost immediately. She didn”t run away from the conversation like you”re doing right now.”
”I don”t want to fight with you, Keith. I just feel like I”m between a rock and a hard place right now.”
I start pacing again right in front of him. He”s very still, but I can see in his eyes that he wants to take me into his arms and make it all better. Truth be told, if he did that, I would give in, but I”m not sure that”s the right thing to do.
”What will my job be now?”
”You”ll take over Annette”s job. But you”ll also be training me for my own position.”
”You should have asked Johanna to do that before she left.”
”I want to work with you.”
I stop in front of him and lift my eyes to see into his.
”You”re unbelievable, overbearing and entitled. I don”t know what the hell I see in you.”
He grins. “Does that mean you”ll let me buy you dinner tonight?”
”Yes, it does.”