"Sir, this is—"
"Ash," I said, suddenly weary of this conversation. "It's just Ash."
Sally pressed her lips together, her face pinching. "Ash, we need you to choose by the end of the month if we're going to organize the launch ahead of the float. Can you do that?"
I shoved my hands into my pockets, giving her a sharp nod. "I promise to agree to something by the end of the month." I looked meaningfully at the fellatio trees still on the screen. "So long as it's not another like that." I turned back to the table. "Is that all?"
James nodded, rising from his seat, one hand buttoning his suit jacket. "I think we can take it from here. Will you be in the lab?"
I shook my head. "My office. I need to fix the issue with the intake for the engine."
James nodded. "I'll have lunch sent in."
With one last look at the board room, I turned on my heel, heading for my office.
Seven years ago, this business had just been me, James, and some seed money from our former foster brother, Jay. Now we were in four countries, a billion-dollar company, and talking acquisitions, while serving caviar at bullshit functions where people who wouldn't let us in the door fawned over us, desperate to lick out shoes.
Maybe James enjoyed it, but I didn't. All I wanted was more time to create. If I could, I'd leave all this shit to the suits we hired. But James wanted me to be hands-on and today's meeting reminded me of how important it was to have my finger on the pulse.
In the hall, I passed employees who offered me greetings as they did God only knew what, their faces blurring together until I couldn't tell one from the other.
I used to know everyone by name. Used to know their birthday, their partner, their kids. Now, I don't have a fucking clue.
My chief of staff, Dylan, looked up, sending me a grin. "I take it Sally was a nightmare?" They asked, watching me stalk towards my office.
"When isn't she? Who hired her?"
"I believe it was Hazel. She said it would be good for the company to have an older influence."
"Remind me to forget to cut her a Christmas bonus."
Dylan laughed, following me into my office. "What do you need?"
"Quiet. I need this afternoon to get this intake issue sorted."
They nodded. "Got it. I'll bar the door and breathe fire on anyone who attempts to enter."
"Thanks, Dyl." I settled at my desk. "Oh, and you're still on for beers at Yaluna tonight, right?"
They nodded. "Of course. All those delicious executives just waiting to sweep little old me off my feet?" They grinned. "Bring it on."
I rolled my eyes. "It's a work thing, Dyl. Something, something, new potential contract, remember?"
"Doesn't mean I can't look." Dylan sent me a wink then backed out of the office, shutting the door firmly behind them.
Finally alone, I leaned back in my chair, loosening my collar as I breathed freely for the first time all morning.
Who would have thought I'd hate being the boss?
Determined to sort out the intake issue with our prototype engine, I began to drw on my pad, losing myself in the familiar flow of curves and lines as I sketched out the biggest problem I was facing—finding the woman whose underwear haunted my dreams.
Wait. What?
I sat back, staring at the face on my sketch pad.
It's burger babe.
I'd drawn her gorgeous face from memory, surprised that I'd noticed the beauty mark at her temple, and the fly-away hair that tickled the curve of her cheek.
