The man was a walking bad penny. I sighed and adjusted some items on my desk, anything to look busy so he could say what he wanted to say and get the hell out of my office.
"No, but have a seat," He took a seat across from me and began speaking,
" I saw that the ex-beauty queen is still the face of Numero Jewelries. Hasn’t she used up the publicity from the contest "
"I guess, but the advertisement team hasn’t brought a replacement option to my attention, nor have we recorded a drop in our sales since she began to influence us," I explained, genuinely open to suggestions.
"One would think you were keeping her on because she has some personal intimate relationship with you," he pointed out but I could hear the challenge in his tone. I remembered Nita’s words about buttering him up but he was making it extremely difficult.
"Don’t believe everything you read in gossip magazines,"
"I’m just saying. I was brought here to evaluate how well you can handle being the CEO of a major organization like Numero Companies. The board needs to know that their finance is safe in your hands which means they sent me in here to piss you off. You may not like it, but I am just doing my job. I will pick apart every decision you have made since you came into this office and report back to the board about my opinion." He finished and got up, adjusting his suit.
"I understand," I said. "But I also need you to know that I was brought up inside these walls. My father raised me in here. I lived and breathed this empire. Managing this ’major organization’ has been drilled into me since the moment I could talk. It is all I know and I do not plan on failing. Every decision I make, I properly analyze,"
"Do you?" he asked like he had something up his sleeves."The moment you were officially announced to be the heir apparent, you brought in your cousin as the COO, you made your wife Chief accountant, and you are sleeping with one of the influencers,"
"I trust them and I put them in positions where I need capable, competent, and trustworthy people. You seem to want to latch on to the ex-beauty queen drama, I could give you her number if you are interested," I was trying to not show my anger and I must say, I was doing a great job.
"No thanks, I like my women interesting and brilliant," he gave a mock smile and left the office.
If that wasn’t a shot at my woman, I don’t know what is. I got up from my desk a few minutes later and headed to see my wife. I felt like an insecure child but if she would just agree to stay married to me, I wouldn’t be this way, would I?Why can’t she see that we were perfect for each other?
I entered her office and found her already hard at work at her desk. "You’re back," I said walking over to her and kissing her on the forehead.
"I wouldn’t go so far," I teased.
"you’re such a jerk,"
"And you married a jerk. And might I add, you weren’t drugged, high, or crazy when you did,"
She laughed a little, "How can you be so sure? Your mother may have slipped something in my drink when I agreed,"
I thought for a second, making a funny face. "You know what? I can’t even argue with that? She is capable of something like that... so how was the tour? Do you think our almighty evaluator is going to write me up?"
"uh... actually I think he is secretly impressed." She said dipping a pen in her mouth with a thoughtful look on her face.
"What?... You’re kidding,"
"No. I get the feeling that he is impressed so far but the board paid him to find faults, I guess hejust has to find something,"
"I will take your word for it. I should get back to work. I just came down to say hi, and to get some sugar," I bent over to kiss her on the lips briefly before I started to head out. "Oh don’t forget about dinner tonight with Sam,"
"Sure," but I saw the reluctance on her face. I just needed to get them together. They were both great people, they will figure it out.
Nita set the dining table while I helped fix the flickering bulb in the chandelier, the aroma of baked beans and vegetables filled the air. I glanced at my phone once more, hoping to God that Sam was going to show up. Nita went back into the kitchen to check on the dessert when Sam arrived with a bottle of wine in hand escorted in by Martin.
"I almost thought you weren’t going to come," I nodded to Martin to leave us and collected the bottle of wine.
"I almost didn’t but I thought to give this a chance and to maybe clear the air," he said, taking off his jacket and hanging it up beside the door.
Nita emerged from the kitchen, her apron still wrapped around her. "Good evening, Sam. Nice of you to join us." She said but even I could hear the sharp edge to the simple greeting. I don’t know what was going on between them but they had to fix it tonight.
"Evening, Nita. Smells amazing in here," Sam replied.
I clapped my hands together, cheering up the atmosphere a little. "Wine, anyone?"
When we eventually sat down for dinner, we caught up on some work conversations and discussed some of our old high school friends.
After dinner, myself and Sam retired to my study while Nita said goodnight and went to bed.
"Wasn’t so bad now, was it?" I said pouring him a glass of whiskey.
He chuckled slightly, "So, your dream actually came true, didn’t it?"
"what dream?" I asked settling into the sofa.
"I remember back in school, you used to talk about how you would marry Benny someday,"
I laughed when I remembered how childish I actually was back then. "I did, didn’t I?—we’ve had our ups and downs since the wedding but I think we are in a good place now,"
I paused for a moment. It’s not that I couldn’t answer the question, it’s just the word ’love’ didn’t seem adequate enough to explain my emotions. "Remember when Damon had her at gunpoint, when I looked at them, I thought my soul left my body before her. I wanted to die before anything would happen to her because I didn’t want to live to see her get hurt,"
"You really are whipped, man! Goddamn!" he laughed. "the almighty Numero Heir, reduced to putty by a woman,"
"I wear that badge proudly, Sam. I want to be the best man she has ever known, I want her to be constantly happy," I continued.
"I will try to see her through your eyes, Richard. I will discuss the discrepancies in the accounts with her tomorrow," he downed his drink and got up.
"Actually, there is one more thing I wanted to ask you." I got up to stand beside him, speaking low enough for anyone hanging around not to hear. "Remember when Rachel died and I had to leave school right before our final exams/"
Sam nodded, his posture attentive.
"I need to know who had my stuff,"
Sam thought for a while, "Shit! It’s been so long ago. I can’t remember but I think it was left in school. I and the other boys left a few days later, I don’t think anyone took extra luggage,"
"Did you need something retrieved?" he asked.
"never mind, Sam. I will give you all the information you need at the right time," It’s not that I didn’t trust Sam, I just didn’t want him blabbing to our old schoolmates after a few drinks inside of him.
After Sam had left, I headed inside my room but didn’t find Nita in there. I was sure she wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room. I changed into more comfortable clothes and headed in the direction of her room where she was already sound asleep.
I got into bed beside her, draping an arm over her body. She moaned and sighed before moving closer to me. This is what contentment felt like. I kissed the back of her head and allowed myself to drift off with the woman I love safely snuggled in my arms.
I felt Nita’s hands sliding up and down my organ making me smile as I gradually woke up. I pulled her into me and kissed her neck, "Naughty girl,"
"I thought that might be an effective way to wake you up. It’s time to prepare for work,"
My hand holding her in place, I whispered in her ear, my voice still groggy from sleep, "You wake me up by stroking me and you think you are going to get off this bed? How naïve you are, Mrs Numero,"
She tried to get off me giggling and begging that she didn’t want to get to work late twice in a row but I didn’t listen. I pinned her to the bed and found myself staring at her pink underwear. I kissed her through it, wondering what she would taste like.
Still holding her in place, I pulled the flimsy thing down her legs and bent my head to taste her but her hands quickly reached down to stop me.
"Richard, what are you---?"
"stay still, Woman!" I groaned. "you wanted me to teach you, didn’t you?" I felt her body settle down and her thighs unclench and I got to work kissing her in her most intimate place...