“So? I always smile.” Even I don’t believe the words the moment they come out of my mouth. “It’s Courtney. I invited her over tonight. Is that okay?”
“Depends. Will you be in your nighties having pillow fights and gossiping about NFL players?”
I nearly spit my juice out.
“You’re such a moron sometimes,” I say as we both laugh. The first time I’ve seen a smile on his face all morning.
Chapter 22
Travis
Even though I’m exhausted, I go to the gym bright and early. Before I leave, I wipe Alyssa’s message off the back of my car. Lipstick is a bitch to clean off, by the way. I work out for an hour to clear my mind. It’s an outlet I need, and I’ve missed the past few days, so it feels good to lift again.
Every time I blink, my eyes scream out in protest. By the time I get to work, I’m amped up on caffeine and adrenaline, and it’s the only thing that gets me through the morning. Well, that and the thought of Viola crumpling under my touch.
I click through countless folders on my computer and open my shared drive. It’s obvious Alyssa hasn’t contributed to our project because the last change was made yesterday by me. I suck in a few deep breaths and try to regain control and come up with a solid plan of execution. For hours, I rush around with hopes to finish the report by the end of the day because it’s due in less than twenty-four hours. I sort through previous project requisitions, contracts, and even research competitors because if my name is going to be put on something, it needs to be top-notch.
Fuck.I’m mentally and physically exhausted. Just like every other day since I received thisblessingof a project, today is shit.
I run my fingers through my hair, then glance down at my phone and see it’s nearly lunchtime, but there’s no time to eat actual food, so I grab an emergency protein bar from my desk drawer and wolf it down.
Alyssa sashays outside of my office, pulling me back to the situation at hand, and I’m half tempted to follow her and tell her exactly what I think. Between the pictures, my tires, and her not pulling her weight, she deserves it. Just the thought of everything she’s put me through makes my blood boil. I’ve had enough of her shit. Just as I begin to stand, she turns around, steps in, and closes my door. She’s smiling, sweetly, which I know is a big fucking act. She’s the devil in designer clothes and lipstick.
I clench my jaw, the sight of her bringing the worst out in me.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit, Alyssa?” Sarcasm drips from each word as I sit back down in my chair.
“How’s our project going?” she casually asks, sitting down on the edge of my desk. She looks entirely too comfortable as her skirt rides up her thighs and then has the audacity to look me up and down, like she used to, but I know better. She uses her body to get anything she wants. Too bad her looks are trumped by her bitchy attitude.
“Myproject is going fucking wonderful. It’s due in the morning, and since you’ve done less than your part, I’m scrambling to finish it. I should’ve expected that from you anyway.” I cross my arms over my chest and lock eye contact with her. “If only you took your job as seriously as you took sucking my dick,” I say dryly.
She laughs as if I told her a fucking joke. She stands and smiles. “Oh, Travis.” Her voice is thick with pity. “I turned in the project yesterday.” She taps her fake nails along the top of my desk.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I dig my nails into my palm.
Her face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Daddy wassoimpressed by it.” Her face contorts. “But it’s a pity you weren’t able to contribute anything useful. He couldn’t believe you wouldn’t put in the effort for something so important. If I remember correctly, I believe he said, ‘Travis King is a disappointment,’ and I agreed with him.”
“What the fuck did you do, Alyssa?” With nostrils flaring, I push my chair back and stand.
Her evil grin doesn’t falter. “Some lessons are learned the hard way, Travis. This one you should’ve learned a long time ago.”
Unbelievable.Un-fucking-believable. My mind is reeling, and I’m so pissed I can barely control myself. Alyssa takes a step toward me. She’s standing so close that I can smell the stench of her overpriced perfume. She slides her hand down my chest until my dick is cupped in her hand. I’m trying to control my anger, but it’s beginning to spill over.
I grab her wrists and force them tight to her side. My thumbs dig into her skin, and she squirms before relaxing. It takes everything I have not to drag her from my office and throw her into the hallway. I release her arms, needing to control my temper before it gets out of hand.
“You’re the biggest fucking mistake I’ve ever made,” I say, realizing how much she disgusts me, even if I’m partially to blame. I knew I was playing with fire by messing around with her, but I didn’t deserve this.
“And I’m sure I won’t be your last.” She throws her head back and laughs, like fucking with my career is some sort of fun game to her. The sneer on her face and the gleam in her eyes make her look insane, but I don’t even flinch. She’s the epitome of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde right now. Her actions could ruin my future, ruin everything I’ve worked so hard to accomplish. Considering she’s never worked a day in her life, it brings me to a level of anger that I haven’t felt in a long time. Before I can speak, a knock rings out on the door and interrupts us. She narrows her eyes at me.
“I think that’s your cue to get the fuck out.” I glare at her.
“Aw, Travis is mad,” she says in an exaggerated pouty voice but then instantly changes her tone to a more serious one. “You could at least congratulate me on my promotion before I leave. Meet your new Global SalesDirector. Respect the title, Travis, because eventually I’ll be your CEO.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You were promoted? Your father must have finally lost his goddamn mind.” I’m shocked. There’s no way she’ll be able to handle the responsibility. She has no experience and is as trustworthy as a used car salesman. She could single-handedly ruin any and all chances the firm has of expanding further into the global market. Unfortunately for her, she won’t be able to suck dicks to get out of it. Good. Great. Grand. Fantastic. Alyssa is a goddamn director of the firm.
“You’re such a bitch,” I say between gritted teeth.
Before she can respond, the door swings open, and Blake steps in. The room grows silent. He’s so worked up that he’s heaving with flared nostrils. He freezes, trying to gain his composure, and takes a deep breath before completely dismissing Alyssa. He’s gripping a single sheet of paper so tightly in his hand it’s crumpled.
