Chapter 18Silas
Chapter 18
SILAS
“ D epending on the size of the business, you might be more hands on. For every fifty people, it's advised to have a manager to oversee.” Professor Derringer, my Business Administration professor, drones on about small businesses while I sit in the lecture hall, trying to avoid falling asleep. While this class has been helpful, it hasn't helped in my struggle with taking over an existing business. The professor is speaking on Operations Management, so I'm trying to pay attention, but the topic today is extremely draining. Professor Derringer has been talking about balancing departments between marketing, finance, and day-to-day operations when starting up a business. Considering I'm about to acquire two clubs with at least two-to-three hundred employees, I wouldn't consider that a small business.
I set my phone to record the rest of the lecture while I message the person I'm going to have helping with marketing, giving him instructions to meet me within the hour outside this lecture hall. Brent Huntington is the son of one of Father's acquaintances, and he's currently enrolled here. I had to do some research last week to prove he was reliable, but he seems to be alright. He's one of those kids who tries just a little too hard to be the popular guy, but that's okay. It'll only help his ambition to succeed in this role.
As the professor wraps up his lecture, I check the schedule to make sure he has office hours after this class. Confirming what I have planned for this club is crucial. I've spent the last several days trying to work out how to schedule so many people while balancing budgets for payroll and marketing. I can't seem to grasp the concept of how to float the income long enough to pay the employees.
As soon as he dismisses the class, I'm rushing downstairs to be the first at his office door. One student arrives as I do, but one glare, and she backs off. I step up right as Professor Derringer opens his office to invite the first person in, and I greet him with a smile.
“Professor, excellent lesson today. I'm so thankful you're speaking in Business Administration, because I recently found out I'm taking over a business for my father. It turns out he planned on expanding this club he purchased, and it will now be my task to add this additional club into the fold. Do you have any advice on how to make this merger run seamlessly?”
“Hmm,” the stodgy man postures as he settles into his office chair behind his desk. “That's oddly specific. Have you talked to previous owners? Or maybe interviewed someone in a non-competing location?”
“No, I haven't. I could reach out to some of my father’s business associates in Fallodorn, but they would likely require compensation. I know my father would never agree to paying someone for advice.”
“You'll need insight on that style of business model and a sample of their ledgers in order to get a better perspective of where you can go with this project. I'd be happy to help guide you if you had more information.” His advice doesn't help much, but it does remind me of a direction I can go.
“Thank you, professor. I'll try to get that information as soon as I can and return to see you later this week,” I say, standing and offering my hand. He stands, returning my handshake.
“Good. I'll see you soon, Mr. Oramar.”
Gathering my things, I rush outside. The sunslight beats down from the sky, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. I turn my head, trying to look for the lackey that is helping me, but the only thing to catch my attention is my nightmare. Fucking Harbor Aquino approaches me, but her head is down as she types away on her phone. I quickly jog over to the shade of a huge tree in the field across from the lecture hall, desperate to avoid her while I take refuge from the heat.
She’s such a ghost, constantly haunting me. I still haven’t come up with a form of payback fitting for her venomous nature. I swear, there are some days that I am thankful I never paid attention to her as a child. That's what made it impossible for me to recognize her. The shock of her calling my name opened my eyes to the deceptive web she was trying to snare me in, and I escaped just in time.
While watching her walk past without a care in the world, my anger builds and my hands ball into fists. She’s a pretentious princess and nothing matters except her little world. She’s oblivious to anyone else that may have cared for Beth, but that’s why I have to be the one. The one that finally puts her in her place. No one else seems to fucking care. And why not? The school hasn’t investigated any of the issues on campus. From the explosion outside of Bromberg House, to the scorch marks inside. And then there was the “attack” that Harbor was a victim of…
“Fuck!” I scream out loud. I wonder if she was involved with the two incidents at the dorm?! It would make sense. She was acting out; it has to be that. But, then, does that mean that she killed Beth? She could’ve beaten herself up. It’s not that hard. And then, what if Beth found out that Harbor was responsible for all the other issues?! That would be plenty of motive to force Beth to not say anything. I bet that is what happened, if I could only prove it.
“Hi, sir.” The words startle me out of my rambling thoughts. I take a deep breath before turning to meet the man who might as well be my assistant.
“Huntington, it's good to see you,” I say, clapping a hand on the smaller guy's shoulder. “Are you ready to become the guy everyone comes to, to find out where the best party is?”
Brent grins, obviously excited about this opportunity. “Yeah, man,” he says as he bounces on his feet. “This sounds like an amazing idea, and I can't believe you offered it to me!”
“Well,” I say, about to drop the details, “it's still a job. There is a lot of hard work that will have to go into this. Are you ready to work hard?”
“Yeah, man,” he repeats, “I am!”
“Alright, so you're going to want to take notes.” I pause while he opens an app to type in. “I'm putting you in charge of a lot, and I expect good quality work from another dragon. First, you'll need to design tickets. These tickets will be for free entrance into the club and free drinks. Then you will be recruiting others to hand these tickets out. These free drink tickets will be for students here at Terranea who currently visit Erotic Dreams and want a more exclusive experience. It will be more interactive, allowing them to participate with the entertainer on a higher level.”
“Excuse me, sir,” Brent says. “Interactive?”
“That's what I said, isn't it?”
“Yes sir, of course,” he stammers, “but I'm not sure what to tell the recruits when they ask for more details.”
“I knew you were going to ask that,” I say with a grin. “That's where your second task will come into play. You’ll have to organize an enormous party. A party fit for dragons, if you will. This party will be ten days from now, the night before this new club opens. My father is interviewing the employees and entertainers, finalizing who will be working. We will arrange for the employees to come to the party and give a demonstration of what the club will be like.”
“Yes sir, this sounds fantastic,” Brent simpers. “We'll need venue, music, alcohol. Anything else, sir?”
“All of that will be in the budget. The only thing you will have to source elsewhere would be drink infusions. Those will be for sale.”
“Understood, sir. Is there anything else for me?”
“I want a message with a detailed ticket completed within two days. Once I approve, you can send it off for printing and cutting. Then start recruiting. I'm hoping to find ten to twenty hyper-motivated people. Every recruit will have an ID with us, and they can earn their own free entrance and drinks, because we know they'll want to be included in the hottest club in town. This goes for you, too, Brent,” I say. “You'll earn a wage, of course. I always take care of other dragons.”
“Thank you, sir,” the weak dragon gushes. “You are honorable, and I'm very lucky to work for you, sir.”
“Alright, let's finish this up. I've got dinner plans, and I still have to make a phone call. This club will be called Carnal Desires. It is right next to Erotic Dreams, but it won't be hard to confuse the two. Carnal Desires will look nothing like its neighbor. I want a dark and dirty aesthetic for the tickets and any other advertising. You’ll have to make dirty look high end, though. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” he says, head bobbing back and forth.
“Alright. Get on with these tasks and keep me updated. You don't want to disappoint me, Brent.”
“No, no sir, I don't. I'll be in touch right away, sir.” He rushes out that last bit before scurrying off to whatever hole he lives in. It's such a sad state when dragons are that uncoordinated and awkward. As soon as he's far enough away, I pull out my phone and dial the number.
“Erotic Dreams.” I've learned Monica is the name of the woman who answers the phone with the soft and sultry voice. She's also the owner's assistant, so she's become my assistant, since my father wants to only be the investor.
“Monica, darling,” I croon. “It's Silas Oramar. Is Frederico still working?”
“Good afternoon, sir,” she coos. “Yes, Frederico is staying on to manage everything for the next week.”
“Great, please schedule an appointment tomorrow for him to see me regarding the financials. I need to be brought up to date on the yearly and monthly expenses.”
“Yes, sir. What time would you prefer?”
“Late afternoon, if possible,” I say.
“Yes sir, I have an availability for five in the afternoon.”
“Thank you, Monica. You're a doll. I'll see you tomorrow,” I say, forcing a flirty smile into my voice as I disconnect the call. She's an attractive woman, a water mage of a higher level. I feel like she is someone who would suit me, but something isn't right. I can't figure out why I don't like her as much as I think I should, and I'd love to get her underneath me. Her long blonde hair and golden eyes give me hot-lay vibes, but every time I'm near her, I just can't turn on the charm like I usually do.
Re-entering the lecture hall building, I utilize the halls to pass through and exit the other side. I turn the corner to head down the hall, trying to type out a message to Father, when I bump into someone and stumble, dropping my phone. When I look up and see Talon Blackwood bracing himself, I can't help but stand a little taller.
“Watch yourself, Blackwood,” I say, reaching for my phone with a growl. His cold, defiant stare is the only response, so I step into his space, ensuring my challenge is received. “Do you have a problem?” I ask, and he only continues to stand and stare.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“I'm just confused,” he says.
“How can I enlighten you today?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
“I’m just trying to find out why you have a stick up your tight as hells ass all the time. You’d think Kane knocked it loose, but I could try, if you want.” The asshole has the nerve to smirk at me after throwing that situation in my face, and I'm in so much shock that someone else knows that I can't even form fucking words. Then the blond bitch turns to walk away, but fuck that. There isn't any way in hells that I'm letting him walk away like that.
I shove him against the wall, lean into him, and kiss him furiously. After a moment of surprise, he matches my energy, our tongues twisting in a fierce battle. I grip his arms, finding corded muscle hiding beneath his clothes, and fuck if that doesn't surprise me. My dick twitches as I consider what he's hiding from everyone. As soon as I consider the thought, my cock grows, thickening against my leg. I'm so close to him, I know he can probably feel it, and that is not the fucking thoughts I want him thinking about.
I break the kiss, pushing away from him. “Stay out of my fucking way. You and your princess mate,” I snarl, before storming through the doors. As soon as I exit the building, I know I have to return to my dorm, because there isn't much hope of getting my dick to deflate right now. Fuck, it's uncomfortable as I have to adjust my shorts to hide the obvious tent.
Storming up the stairs of Bromberg House, I run as fast as I can to my dorm. I unlock the door and quickly shove it closed. Gods dammit, why the fuck is the princess’s mate getting me this worked up? I strip off my clothes and turn the water on, knowing I need a cold shower. At this point, I'll do anything to help.
It seems as if everything about this is a warning. I've never in my past reacted like this toward men, and here I am, hard over another. Fuck, Talon is surprisingly fit and gods dammit, I'm craving his touch. My skin is burning, hot and feverish as I step into the cool water. It chills me, but my hard as steel cock won't relent. I reach down, taking my length in my hand and squeezing to relieve pressure, but it only worsens my situation.
My pulse pounds, my heart fluttering fast with desire, as my body continues to direct all of its attention south. Damn it, I don't want to jerk myself to thoughts of the dark mage, but I can't fucking get him out of my head. I shudder when I slide my palm up my length, unable to restrain myself. Arousal floods my body at the image of his plump lips against my own, and my hand strokes my cock despite the warring thoughts in the back of my mind. Punching the shower wall in an attempt to distract myself doesn't help, as my imagination offers me Talon falling to his knees in front of me. I can see myself running my fingers through his hair, the soft waves silky in my grip. His eyes looking up at mine, the icy gray piercing and vibrant with a lust I've only seen twice before. My mind wanders as my hand pumps faster, and I can't help but think about what his hands would feel like.
Need surges through my body, and I realize this won't be enough. This desire I'm feeling right now isn't something that can be easily remedied. I know what will work, though; I just have to focus. Concentrating, I call on my dragon to come forward, to share my space for a moment, and allow me access. He knows; we've done this once before when I was lost in desire. I was too far gone, and he came to the surface, sharing my body. My body grows in size all over, barely fitting into the shower, but it allows my dragon's dick to emerge through the cloacal slit above my own very hard cock. Both jut from my body, hard and throbbing, and my other hand gravitates to the new appendage.
Fuck, the sensation of double pleasure ripples through my body, and I fight to work with my dragon to control our size. I can't release him all the way; I'd damage my room, and my human dick would disappear. And now that I have both, the need is overwhelming.
Fuck, two dicks mean double the orgasms. Double the hands and mouths. And now I'm thinking about Talon and his fucking princess, Harbor. Gods, together, I can see them on their knees, worshiping both of my cocks. As I imagine their tongues and lips sucking and licking along both shafts, my hands grip and pump, my hips bucking to the image dancing behind my eyes. I still can’t get her gorgeous body out of my fucking head, and I think that’s what drives me insane
My mind conjures Kane at Harbor's back, and her eyes roll back as he sinks his delicious dick into her tight pussy. Yeah, it was tight. I remember that. I continue to stroke myself with both hands, watching with my mind's eye as Kane guides Talon to suck the dragon dick just a little deeper. I run my hand all the way to the tip, squeezing like I'd imagine his throat would. Licking my lips, I know I'm almost there when a fire deep inside me surges like lava toward my balls. I never expect my mind imagining Harbor's voice, crying out 'Silas', to force my body to erupt like a volcano, though.
“Fuck. Fuck!” I growl, my dragon deepening my voice as my body releases from both cocks at the same time. As soon as I hit my peak, my dragon retreats and my body reduces in size, happily sated. It takes several seconds for my body to come down from my high. I sink to the floor, realizing my hands are covered with my seed. The shower wall is coated as well, but the cold, refreshing spray soon washes it all away.
It's then I'm left with my mind. Fuck, why is Kane showing up in my fantasy, too? Is it because he introduced me to being with men? Is it the fact Kane and Talon both have come on to me, and I've reacted to both? These two men draw something from within me, and now I feel like I need them both. The princess continues to haunt me, and now I can only wonder why she is what pushes me over the edge. I think that's what confuses me most of all.