Page 25 of On Your Knees
“Oh, right. I’m getting married. I’ve met the woman of my dreams, and I want you both to come to dinner and meet her and her son. I know it’s quick, but this woman is different.”
Ridge scoffs, but before he can say anything more, I interject. “Of course we will be there. We’re both glad you are happy, even if Ridge can’t show it on the outside.”
“Thank you, Zeland. Without you I fear I wouldn’t have a relationship with my own blood.”
“You know I love you, old man. How about you let Ridge have some time to compartmentalize this and shove it away in a box in his brain? Call me when you pick a night for dinner, and I will make sure he comes.”
“You’re right. I have to meet my future bride for breakfast—she has work in a few hours, so I need to be quick.”
I walk Harrison out of Ridge’s office and wave him off. It really wouldn’t kill Ridge to have a civil conversation with his father.
“At least this one might have some morals if she has a job,” Ridge says as I close his office door. “Hopefully she hasn’t just celebrated her twenty-first birthday like the last one.”
“Why does what he does with his life bother you so much? As far as fathers go, he is half decent. Sure, he could have spent more quality time withyou, but he kept me around, which I think was to keep you company—and look how well that turned out.”
He smirks at me. “I don’t hate having you around, though I could do without you bringing strays home.”
I move across his office, stopping in front of him; he reaches out and undoes my tie, then twists the material into a neat knot. “Don’t lie. You don’t hate having Aspen around. I think she’s growing on you.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe I miss having you all to myself.”
I chuckle. “That is a lie and you know it. You’ve been home more since she turned up than you were for the last six months. Just admit you enjoy the verbal sparring you do with her.”
“I’m man enough to admit it is fun. I haven’t met anyone willing to speak to me the way she does, especially not once they find out who I am.”
“See? Not so bad. What’s on your agenda today?”
“I have a meeting with Wells International. Ford has been on my ass to have a meeting with him and hear him out, though I’m really not interested. He believes one of his men has found a flaw in our security system. I had to remind him of the prison sentence if I find out someone was hacking us. I also have to interview someone this morning.”
“Hold up,” I say as he tightens my tie enough it feels like it’s choking me. If he was fucking me, I would ask him to do it harder. “You are personally conducting the interview? Why?”
He stares me dead in the eyes, and I know he is hiding something.
“You are better off just telling me because I will stay here and annoy you until you do. Worse, Aspen will be here shortly. We have to go over the footage and get everything ready for the launch of her page.”
Ridge sighs. “Fine, but if you read too much into this, I will kick you in the balls. I have that Arlo guy coming in for an interview. And before you even get any ideas, it’s because I want to make sure he isn’t a threat. He seems to ask her a lot of questions.”
“You know as well as I do he’s harmless. He is a stoner who lives at home with his mom. Asking questions is how you get to know someone. When did you become so paranoid? And more so than usual. You know your security is the best money can buy, so this has zero to do with us and everything to do with her.”
“Fine,” he huffs. “Maybe it has a little to do with her, but don’t get too excited. She is like a poor little broken puppy that’s been kicked one-too-many times, and I feel bad for her. What if he is a pervert and becomes obsessed with her? At least if he works here we can watch him. I heard them talking about his likes and kinks, and now you have put this masked woman shit in her head. How long will it be until she wants to chase him?”
“You are a genius! Good chat, I have to go. Let me know how the interview goes.”
I rush out of his office and even use the stairs to race down to my office. When I come barreling out of the stairwell, I also knock Eliott off his hoverboard.
“Hey, boss. You’re in early,” he says with surprise as he rights himself.
“Can’t talk right now. Hold all my calls until I tell you otherwise. Unless it’s Aspen—let her straight into my office.”
Eliott gives me a thumbs-up and I close my office door behind me. Pulling out my phone, I dial Aspen’s number.
She groans. “Zeland, you better be dying. I swear to god, if I knew you would become a stage five clinger after I fucked you, I would have beaten you instead.”
I laugh. “Promises, promises, and I am not a clinger, thank you very much. Ridge just gave me an awesome idea, and he spilled his guts about your gamer friend having an interview here.”
“Oh, I knew he had an interview, but I didn’t know it was with Ridge. He’s just doing it to be a controlling asshole, isn’t he? Does he even care that working for Ridgeland is Arlo’s dream job, one he has been working toward for years? And what, because I’m talking to him?—”
“Calm down. Ridge isn’t a complete dick.”
