4. Jareth
The door shut firmly behind me. Well played, Hazel.
My steps quickly ate up the distance to my desk, and I let out a bark of laughter. Hazel may have a soft and tender heart, but she was shrewd. At times like this, I realized how well she’d come to know me.
I forced myself to get rid of the frustration churning in my gut. I was pissed that Hazel hadn’t called me to help her, pissed that no one responded to her request for assistance, and pissed that she didn’t let me exact some type of revenge on the assholes who denied her.
My cell rang. “Answer call,” I instructed my earpiece.
There were no pleasantries. We didn’t need one for this. This call came in every first Monday at 9:00 a.m. on a secured line. “Give me your recommendation for our next gathering.”
I had a name ready. Although, I wished I could change it to one of the companies that ignored Hazel. “Perennial Prose Publishing Inc.”
“Reason.”
“Exploitation of female staff from the head of the company. Whistleblowers are being paid off or intimidated.”
“Noted. You will receive the list to choose from in four hours. Turn in your pick by next Monday.” The silence from the other end of the phone indicated the line was dead.
Hazel had correctly guessed that I didn’t let slights slide, but she had no idea about this. Once a month, associates of mine and I curated a list of businesses that deserved punishment for their part in illegal activities, and we found ways to destroy them. I didn’t miss the irony that I was one of the people dealing out this particular form of judgment.
When we met in person at our next meeting, the third Wednesday of the month, our choices would have been tallied, and the one with the highest votes was the person or company we’d go after. We couldn’t pick our own recommendation to make things fair.
I rubbed my forehead. I had twenty minutes until my next meeting. I needed to find someone to fix Hazel’s plumbing issue.
“Dial Wolfe Construction,” I said into my earpiece.
“David Wolfe.” The familiar male voice spoke through the phone after two rings.
“David, it’s Jareth Vizier.”
“Jareth. What can I do for you?” Loud bangs echoed in the background, indicating he was on a job site.
“I need your best plumber within the hour.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that, right?” His laugh grated on my nerves. People did what I asked.
“And you know I have enough money to make it happen,” I retorted. Why was David not like the others? And why did I still employ him when I needed to? Because he’s the best, my internal voice whispered to me, and you only work with the best.
“Jareth, listen?—”
“This is non-negotiable. Hazel had an issue this weekend, and I need it fixed immediately,” I demanded.
David gave a hearty laugh that went right up my ass. He was one of the few people who wasn’t threatened by my wealth or the power I held in the business community. “Well, why didn’t you say so? I’ll call in a favor I’m owed to get it done.”
I grit my teeth. “The key to get into her house is likely in the potted plant by the door in a fake rock.” I had a real problem with Hazel’s lack of security. She insisted she was fine. I knew better.
David groaned. At least he agreed with my assessment.
“In fact, let me know when the plumber arrives and give them a heads up that a security company will also be there.” This was my chance to do what Hazel had chosen not to do. It was a way for me to make sure she was safe. I’d deal with the fallout from her later.
“Will do. Take care, Jareth.”
“You too, David.” We hung up, and I immediately dialed the head of my security team. Once I’d given him my instructions and Hazel’s address, I checked the time. I had less than fifteen minutes until my meeting. Plenty of time to decide how I was going to fire an individual from one of the hotels I owned.
A knock rapped at my office door, and Hazel walked in without waiting for me to acknowledge her, letting the door slam open. My first indication she was angry.
Her curvy body, accentuated by the tight jeans, had my cock pressing against my zipper. Thank fuck I sat behind my desk and could hide my growing attraction to her.
“Hazel.” I tapped my fingers against the mahogany surface to distract myself.
“Jareth,” she snapped out my name in anger.
She propped her hip against the doorjamb. God, she looked good. I wanted to pick her up, splay her across my desk, and make her cry out for me. Instead, I allowed my traitorous eyes to linger for a second on her body until I forced my gaze to her face.
Her tightly pursed lips were my second indication she was unhappy. “Avery Wolfe called and said her dad was sending a crew to my house.”
“He is,” I confirmed.
Hazel had created a network of friends, including the Wolfe family, after I began helping Jessamine run her new company. The one I tried to destroy after learning her parents had framed my father twenty years ago for an embezzlement charge that led to his death. “Yes. I informed him of where your extra key is.” I responded not bothering to hide my sarcasm.
“You worry too much.” She rolled her eyes. We’d discussed her lack of security multiple times.
“You don’t worry enough.”
“We’ll agree to disagree.” She shrugged. Sometimes, I wondered how she kept her eternal sense of optimism going in a world that continuously beat people down.
“Back to my house. Jareth, I told you that you could call a plumber. This seems like way more than that.” She forced her words through clenched teeth. She stalked toward me, and I had to avert my gaze. That damn kiss at the company holiday party wrecked me. Now, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It didn’t matter that I’d told her it was a mistake. It didn’t matter that I knew I was no good for her. It didn’t matter I vowed never to touch her again. I relived that moment more in the last two days than I’d care to admit.
“Hazel.” I sighed.
She plopped down into the seat across from me and leaned forward. With her elbows propped on her knees, her intense stare snagged mine, and so did how her biceps cupped her boobs.
Damn it.I had to focus.
“Jareth. I can’t let you jump in and help like this,” she said softly.
I bristled at her words. “I don’t see why not.” Hazel had no one else to take care of her. If not me, then who else?
“I chose to buy the house. It’s up to me to figure out how to fix things and I have a feeling you’re going to do more than what I thought I was agreeing to.” She bit down on her bottom lip.
I stifled a groan at her movement. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help,” I reminded her.
The corners of her eyes crinkled as she laughed and lowered her voice, likely trying to imitate me. “You’re one to talk, Mr. Broody, I can do it all by myself.”
I forced myself not to join in with my own chuckle at her mockery, knowing it would encourage her. “Hazel, I can’t have you worried about your living situation. Helping you fix it, all of it, is in a way, helping me.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the seat. I didn’t miss the hurt that flashed in her eyes.
I was a fucking asshole.
“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this one. Tell me how it helps you?” Her green eyes now sparkled in mirth. She never let disappointment get her down for long.
It still amazed me that she questioned me like she did. No one else dared. But I had to admit, it was also one of the reasons we worked so well together. “You were late today. Until this problem is under control, it will continue to affect your job performance. I need you here and focused.” Even I could see how thin my excuse was. Why couldn’t I just admit that I wanted to help her? That I wanted, no needed, to be the one to fix anything that troubled her.
Her face softened, and she gave me a gentle nod. “As long as you let me pay for it.”
She should know better. I turned back to my laptop, ignoring her statement. “Is that all?”
“No, but we will talk more about this later.” Hazel paused, and her breathy laugh filled the room.
I groaned as my cock jumped at the sound.
“Wait, hear me out.” She waved her hands in front of her, clearly misinterpreting the reason for my groan, and I was not about to correct her. “I did have something else I needed to ask you about.”
She didn’t need to say anything else. I had a pretty good idea of where she was headed with this.
“Did you hear about the cheese factory explosion?” She grinned, clearly loving the joke of the day she’d chosen. She didn’t think I knew about her mission to get me to smile more. I overheard her conversation with Jess when she exposed her big plan and how she would achieve it. One joke at a time. I didn’t have the heart to tell her to cut it out.
“No, Hazel. I did not,” I answered deadpan.
She let out a loud guffaw. “There was nothing left but de-brie.” She laughed a little louder. “Get it. De,” she paused, “Brie. Like the cheese.”
A faint smirk graced my lips. “I see you’re still on the terrible dad joke kick.”
She pointed at me. “You thought it was funny. You can’t hide it from me, Jareth. You just want everyone else to think you’re a natural grump, but I’m on to you.”
I ignored her statement. She still didn’t get that it wasn’t an act. This was who I was. I had little in my life to be joyful about. “Is that all? I have a meeting I need to prepare for.”
She still had a faint grin on her face when she responded. “For now. Would you like a coffee or anything else when I bring your report?”
“No, thank you.” I shook my head. Did she have some kind of magic up her sleeve? I rarely thanked anyone, yet after only a few months of working together, Hazel convinced me to add it to my regular vocabulary even if I only said it to her. Now, three years later, it rolled off the tip of my tongue.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Your godfather Terri called. He wanted me to schedule time to meet you for lunch. You had Thursday free.”
I was close to my godfather who had been my dad’s best friend. After Dad died, he tried to be there for me when he could. It was my fault I pushed him away, afraid I might be tempted to replace my father’s role in my life with him. But Terri was relentless. He gave me the space I needed, but always popped up to make sure I knew he was there.
Now, I made a point to meet him for lunch at least once a month. Hazel sometimes came with us. They got along really well. Although, why wouldn’t they? Both were upbeat and optimistic people. I had a feeling some of the dad jokes she quoted me came from him.
He was one of the last connections I had to my father. He was successful in his own right and used his influence to help me uncover details about Dad’s death I might not have found otherwise. My godfather had worked at the factory too and had been well-liked. People often opened up to him because of the connection he’d built with them.
He was one of the few people I trusted.
“Jareth?” The deep male voice of Lance Scott, VS Productions, spoke through my earpiece. We co-owned the music production company after I bought into it when he was struggling to keep it afloat ten years ago.
I’d been distracted by a text and picture sent through by David Wolfe.
Fuck. Hazel hadn’t told me how bad the damage had been.
“I’ll look at the contract and call you back later.” He was blathering about moving quickly before someone else signed the incredibly popular band, The Lost Boys. I hung up, not bothering to say goodbye. Not that I typically did, but I was more abrupt than usual.
I scrolled through the snapshots David’s plumber sent me. He wanted to know what to do with the furniture they needed to clear out to tackle the job. They would have a dumpster there the next day and could toss it inside. I remembered how excited she was to buy that sofa set. Poor, sweet, Hazel. She was going to be devastated. A headache formed behind my eyelids.
Jareth
Tell Avery I need her to decorate the space before Hazel gets home. Same furniture. If she can’t find the exact piece, upgrade it in the same color. Money is no object. The only thing that needs to stay is the coffee table.
DAVID
I’ll see if she’s free.
JARETH
I’ll triple her pay.
DAVID
Money isn’t always going to get what you want.
Money usually did get me what I wanted, and for Hazel, I’d make sure of it.
DAVID
She’ll do it. Not for the money but for Hazel. And I expect you to honor your verbal agreement to triple her pay.
My assistant had everyone wrapped around her little finger. And for today, I was grateful for that.
DAVID
I hate to break it to you, but even with my guys there all day, we can’t fix this before Hazel gets home. Did you want to tell her, or should I ask Avery to let her know? She can’t stay here tonight. It’ll take us a few days at least to repair everything.
I ran a hand through my hair. I wanted to tell David and his crew to work through the night, but something held me back. If Hazel couldn’t go home, she’d need a place to stay. Maybe even my place. I knew I’d be unnecessarily torturing myself, but that seemed like the name of the game when it came to Hazel. I couldn’t have her, but I’d take every bit of time with her I could.
JARETH
I’ll tell her. Can she stop by to pick up her things?
DAVID
It might be better that she doesn’t see it like this, and it’s not safe. The floors are completely ripped up, along with the ceiling.
My phone dinged with another few pictures showing the damage. Shit! He was right.
DAVID
The leak started a while ago, and there’s additional work I’d like to see done to fix this. We also need permits. I’ll send you the list and the cost.
JARETH
Do whatever you think is necessary. You have my permission.
David was one of the few business people I trusted implicitly.
DAVID
Understood. I’ll keep you updated.
Now, I needed to ask for another person’s help. I ran a hand down my face. I’d rather ram a pencil into my eye than make this call, but I’d do it for Hazel.
The phone picked up on the third ring. “Jareth, always a pleasure.” Jess greeted me.
“Jess.” I forced my jaw to unclench. I hated being in someone’s debt.
“Jareth.”
I cleared my throat.
“While listening to you breathe on the other end is a wonderful way to start my day, I”d rather you used words.” I imagined her rolling her eyes.
“I need your help,” I responded in a clipped tone.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you correctly. Can you repeat that?” Jess’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on me.
I gritted my teeth. “I need your help.” Jess was the only other person besides Hazel who gave me shit like this. A trademark of our relationship.
“Tell me more. I love knowing you need my help with something.”
I would’ve hung up on her already if this wasn’t for Hazel. “I need Hazel’s measurements.”
Silence. I checked the phone to be sure we were still connected. “Jess?”
“Have you pulled your head out of your ass since yesterday and decided to make a move on our sweet Hazel?” I swear I heard fucking clapping from her end of the line.
“Jess,” I growled. This was more of a headache than it was worth.
“You know she can’t be bought? Money isn’t the way to her heart. But who knows, maybe some sexy lingerie might sweeten the deal.”
“I’m not making a move on Hazel.” I wished she’d stop talking. And now, all I could picture was Hazel in lingerie. Goddamnit. I pounded a fist against my desk. Jess’s laughter through the phone had me wondering if she’d said that, knowing what my reaction would be. “Hazel’s house flooded. She can’t go home and get her own clothes.”
“Uh-huh.” Her laughter only got louder.
I glared at my phone. “She needs to wear something.”
“Don’t you pay her well enough for her to buy her own clothes?” Of course I paid Hazel well. I also knew that most of her money went into that sinking ship of a house and to pay for her grandmother’s assisted living bills. And against my wishes, her deadbeat parents.
“Will you cooperate or not?” I seethed.
“I might for the right price.”
“Price?” Jess was a billionaire in her own right. I knew she wasn’t going to ask for money. It was no less than I expected since many of my dealings with her went this same way.
“You owe me a favor of my choosing at a later date,” she answered far too quickly. The glee in her voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard. This request had been waiting on the tip of her tongue for a while. She’d just been biding her time.
“Last time I checked, you and Hazel were friends.”
“Don’t be a fucking idiot, Jareth. Of course, she and I are friends. One has nothing to do with the other.” What she didn’t add was that this was a way for her to hold something over me.
Silence was my response.
“Tick-tock,” Jess said in a sing-song voice.
“Fine,” I bit out.
“Interesting.” A light drumming sounded through the phone as though Jess was tapping her nails on something.
Against my better judgment, I asked. “How so?”
“You didn’t negotiate our terms,” she answered. “Oh, Jareth. You like people to think you’re made of stone, but I’ve figured out the truth.”
At that moment, I knew I’d made a mistake. Jess had been testing me once again to determine how I felt about Hazel. And I’d foolishly given her the answer she sought.
“She’s an employee. A valued one at that. I need her mind on the job, not worrying about other things.” If I said it enough, maybe I’d even start to believe it.
“Sure, how long are you going to keep telling yourself that?”
“The measurements,” I growled, completely ignoring her question.
Jess was silent for a moment before responding. “I’ll text them to you for you to use at a future date. This time around, I’ll purchase her clothes and make sure they’re delivered to your penthouse by the time you get home. You’ll be sent my bill, of course. For my time and the purchases.”
“Of course,” I responded dryly.
“It’s always a pleasure doing business with you, Jareth. Toodles.” Jess hung up.
I shook my head. Why did I have a bad feeling about this?