4. Mason
Chapter four
“You’re… leaving me?” I ask slowly, looking up from the phone in my palm, which shows a real estate listing of a rundown ski resort.
“You are such a drama king,” Steven, my assistant, deadpans as he sits across from me, cool as a cucumber despite telling me he’s handing in his notice after four years together.
Apparently, winning the lotto with your husband so you can buy a hotel in the small town where you met is enough to leave your wonderful boss, but sure, I’m the drama king.
“But what am I gonna do?”
Steven takes his phone back from me as my world falls apart.
Okay, maybe I’m being a touch dramatic, but Steven’s been my assistant since Beth and I started this company.
He knows the ins and outs as well as we do.
He keeps me in line. He keeps me sane. I don’t know how he does it, but he manages my calendar with such precision that I’m able to do everything that needs to be done in a way that satisfies my busy brain and keeps me from burning out, and more than that, he’s a trusted friend.
Outside of my family, that circle is pretty small.
“Obviously, I’ll help you find a replacement,” Steven says, standing from his chair.
I watch as he walks over to his desk just outside my office and picks up his tablet before rejoining me.
“I’ve already started drafting an ad for the position, so we can start interviews right away.
” Steven hesitates as he glances over the tablet at me and mutters under his breath, “I need to be in Port Yarra in two weeks.”
My palms fall to the desk, catching me before I pass out. “Two. Weeks.” I choke.
Steven presses his lips together in a gentle smile.
Some days, it feels like he’s the boss, since he knows so much of what goes on and handles it with such ease, even jumping in to help Beth on occasion, since she refuses to have a dedicated assistant of her own.
He expects me to be okay with not only losing him, but so quickly?
I sit back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. “No.”
“Two weeks is a perfectly reasonable notice period.”
“I reject any and all notice. You’re not going. I need you more.”
“Than my husband?” He quirks a brow in amusement. “It’s plenty of time to find someone and train them to the standard you’ve grown to expect. You know I would never leave you in a bad position.”
A sly grin tugs at the corner of my mouth as I drag my keyboard closer to me, angling my screen just enough so Steven can see me bringing up my emails.
“You’re right. Such a valuable, efficient assistant.
” I beam as I type the opening sentence to my brother Caleb, who manages my investment portfolio.
“I hope you know, no one will ever truly replace you, and I shall certainly miss seeing your loud and wonderful collection of ties.” Some days, they blind me, but I can admit Steven is a lot more fashionable than I am, so what do I know?
His husband is a fashion photographer after all.
I continue to add zeroes to the number I’m typing out for Caleb to move into an investment for Steven’s new endeavour, my finger tapping slow and deliberate so he notices.
“And, of course, I’d love to show my appreciation with a parting gift that should in no way influence you to stay longer than you can. ”
“You can keep typing. My end date won’t change.”
With a huff, I hit the backspace, glaring at him as I go, which only makes him chuckle.
He places a hand over mine. “I have loved working here. I would never have considered leaving if it weren’t for the divine intervention.”
Ah, yes, the supposed sign from the universe. Steven was attempting to book a room for their anniversary at the place they met when he stumbled across their shutdown notice just as Barrett came home, announcing a jackpot lotto win.
“Fine.” I finish my email, still instructing Caleb to arrange the paperwork required for me to make an official investment in Steven and Barrett’s resort. If he’s going to leave me, I won’t have it be for nothing. “I expect there to be a suite named after me.”
Steven’s perfectly groomed eyebrows jump to his equally perfect hairline. “That was a million dollars,” he says, pointing at my screen.
“Like I said.” I lean back in my chair, linking my fingers behind my head. “I expect my own suite.”
“You really are too nice for a billionaire.”
“I’m all about sharing.”
“Oh, god.” Beth grimaces as she comes to a stop at my office door. “Do I need to come back?”
“I was talking about my generous heart,” I say, laying a hand over my chest.
Beth walks in, dropping into the chair beside Steven. “What a nice reprieve for your generous ego.”
“What do you want?” I bark.
“Rude.” She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Are you still cranky over that girl, or that your self-imposed celibacy remains intact?”
My eyes shift to Steven before landing back on Beth. “Shut up,” I say under my breath.
I was ready to break my dry spell Saturday night, convincing myself to get over whatever stage fright I’d adopted following the new jewellery, but I still couldn’t get a reaction from my dick. I talked, flirted, did all my usual tricks. Nada.
Except with her.
She smelled like something sweet, like something I wanted to consume.
Little gold stars were braided through her hair.
She didn’t wear a lot of makeup so I could see every freckle scattered across her cheeks, the little cluster of three under her left eye, and one that sat on top of her lip.
She wore a long skirt, with a big split that came high on her thigh, and at the end of all that glorious, golden skin were high-top sneakers.
She was beautiful, effortlessly so, but that wasn’t what kept me intrigued.
The way she was so unaffected is what truly did me in.
Every time she pushed back, instead of swooning over my charm, like most girls did, my dick did a little happy dance.
She was clearly the perfect one to break my somewhat self-imposed celibacy, but it turned out her playing hard to get was actually no game at all.
I kept an eye on her all night, desperate for her to come back to the bar, but she never did. I could have gone up to her at any time, but she made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested. My brain was fixated on figuring out why.
Not long after she left, Beth walked in, immediately picking up on my mood.
She called me a loser and told me to get over myself with the sarcastic love I’m used to from her.
I laughed it off, matching her teasing, but for the rest of the night, until I left the bar alone, my thoughts were still plagued by the mystery girl.
“Wait.” Steven clutches his temples. “I don’t know what to ask first. Girl or celibacy?!”
I shake my head slightly at Beth. Only my family knows of my recent upgrade, and honestly, that’s a whole family too much.
Beth leans her shoulder against Steven’s. “He… crowned his jewels.”
I lean my elbow on the desk, slapping a palm to my face with a wounded sigh.
Steven gasps. “You frosted the tip? Or are we talking the whole enchilada?”
Beth holds up a hand. “I draw the line at specifics. Honestly, I’m grossed out to even know this much, but I am a nosy bitch at my core, and sometimes that life comes with certain burdens.”
“You could try minding your own business,” I mutter, leaning back in my chair.
“Ahh, have you met me? Anyway, what were you guys talking about?”
“Hang on!” Steven argues. “If you bedazzled the goods, why are you celibate? I’d be testing that out.” He turns his head to Beth. “I’ve never been with someone pierced, but it has always intrigued me.”
“Oh my god—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” I point at my sister. I agree with her earlier sentiment and draw the line at specifics when it comes to family.
“Fine.” Steven huffs, then throws a leg over his knee, bouncing it as his pout turns to a smile. “Then tell me about this girl.”
“Steven’s resigning!” I shout, knowing I could count on my sister’s reaction to completely halt any further questions about my mystery woman from the weekend.
She rears back, clutching the arms of the chair. “What?!”
Steven pulls his phone out of his pocket and types against the screen.
“Barrett and I won the lotto, and we decided to put an offer in on a ski resort in Port Yarra. We move in two weeks to start a full-scale renovation.” He hands Beth his phone, no doubt showing her the same listing he just showed me.
“That’s so exciting.” Beth beams and leans over to pull him into a hug. “Congratulations.”
The two of them gush over ideas, and whilst I’m happy for Steven, I’m not happy with this sudden disruption to my otherwise untroubled world.
Lately, it feels like everything’s so muddled, and I have no clue how to make it right.
***
Steven makes notes on his laptop as he tries and fails to muffle his laugh.
I spin on my chair, glaring at him. “This is your fault.”
“They haven’t been that bad,” he says.
We just finished the thirteenth interview for the week, something I absolutely don’t have time for.
I throw my head back with a groan and run my hands down my face. “I thought I said I wanted someone older. And why are they all women?”
Steven gasps. “Don’t think you can replace me with another gay man, Mason Heart.”
“It would serve you right,” I mumble, my foot bouncing as defeat sets in. “You know, I have other gay friends.”
“Now you’re just trying to be hurtful,” Steven teases. This is exactly what I’m going to miss.
Over the years, Steven and I have built a relationship that’s perfectly balanced between professional respect and light-hearted humour. You can’t simply replace that with a click of your fingers or a handful of interviews.
“I don’t know what to tell you.” Steven starts shuffling through the paperwork of all the applicants we’ve seen so far.
“All I listed were the desired professional qualifications. Surely one of the women we’ve seen fits the bill.
Wasn’t this one okay? Mallory Dodd. She worked for a year with KingTech. ”
I take the resume he hands over to me, immediately setting it face down on the table.
“More like Mallory Dud. She was trying to play footsies with me the whole time.” I have no problem with a wandering foot, but I’m not interested in that shit at work.
I will under no circumstances have a reputation for sleeping with an employee, especially not an assistant.
For starters, it’s a walking cliché, and I pride myself on being anything but predictable or unoriginal.
And secondly, that sounds like a scandal that would not only embarrass my parents, but my Grams. I’m her pride and joy.
Her favourite. It’s never been confirmed, but it’s also never been denied.
I could never bring my Grams shame. She’s worked her whole life to build the reputation and legacy of the Heart name.
People can call me the playboy or the fun and unserious one, but I’d never do something that would make my Grams disappointed in me.
“Maybe someone we already have on staff in the admin team wants a promotion?”
“We’d still need to replace their position and then we’d be right back to where we are now.” I blow out a breath and drop my head to the table as the door to the meeting room bursts open. The unmistakable clicking of my sister’s heels shortly follows. Even her stride means business.
“So what exactly are you interviewing for again? The next housewife of Heart City?” She and Steven crack up, and I hate them both. I’m calling my lawyer to write them out of my will.
“You both suck!” I stand up in a huff, snatching my phone off the table before I go. We don’t have any more interviews scheduled for the day, and I need a break from thinking about this hopeless endeavour for a while.
Before I make it out the door, my phone lights up with an incoming call from my friend, Lee.
“Hey, mate.” I hold the phone between my shoulder and ear as I open the conference room door and walk back to my office.
“Hey, how’s it goin’?” His light, easy drawl filters through the speaker.
I sigh. “I’m so over interviews, but other than that, can’t complain. You?” I drop into my chair, shaking my computer mouse and navigating to my calendar.
“No luck with the new assistant then?” he asks instead.
“Nah.” My mood deflates further as I see how busy the rest of my week is. How am I supposed to fit in more interviews? I didn’t think it would be this hard.
“Good. I think I have someone who could help.”