Drew rummaged through my cabinets as he said, “I didn’t think you would stick to the script, but I guess this girl really did a number on you. Sharing is caring.”
“Absolutely fucking not, you prick,” I shoved my brother away from my fridge, pulled it open, and grabbed a carton of orange juice. My throat felt like sandpaper. The taste of every drop of liquor I drank stained my tongue. I rinsed it around my mouth before spitting into the sink and taking another swig. “Nina is special. I don’t even know her that well yet, but I want to.”
“Aww,” Drew made kissing noises and snuggled up to Kyle, “Can’t believe Colt is in love.”
“Take it easy on him,” Kyle laughed. “I don’t think it’s love. Remember, he’s against love because of what’s her name.”
“Ah yes,” Drew nodded with a finger in the air triumphantly, “Rebecca.”
“Catherine,” I corrected.
“Same thing,” Drew shrugged.
“No, not even remotely. But she did a number on me. I’ll admit that I was a bit blind and didn’t see her coming.”
Kyle snickered like a schoolboy, “Weallsaw her coming. Just didn’t think it would be on a triple x website in front of clients.”
Catherine, also known as Mistress Sun, ran an adult entertainment website and neglected to tell me she was more than familiar with a few people I’ve done business with. I didn’t care about her job or her kinks. I cared about her lying to me, and then making me look foolish in front of people because I clearly didn’t know.
If she loved me like she said, she would have told me we weren’t dating exclusively. She would have told me she was sexually active with people who ran in the same professional circles as me. She would have been honest and given me the option to choose, but she didn’t.
“Endangering my life is always a deal breaker,” I sighed.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Drew scoffed.
I stepped back with my arms folded across my chest. “Dramatic? Fucking multiple people and not telling me you’re exposing me to whatever you’re doing with them is endangering my life. Having one of your minions wrapped so tight and not tellinghimhe wasn’t in an exclusive relationship, so he releases video footage of your sexual escapades at one ofmyfunctions is dramatic. Mechoosingnot to be a participant in that bullshit is not. You’re the last person who should talk about being dramatic. Don’t you make any person you mess with sign a prenup?”
Drew threw a wadded paper towel at me. “That’s the team’s non-disclosure agreement. Outside of criminal activity, they have to keep their mouths shut. Not a prenup, but now that I’ve seen girlfriends make a case for getting paid after breakups, I might have the team attorney draft one of those up too. Would you make this Nina woman sign one?”
“I probably would.”
“Probably?” Kyle asked worriedly.
“Everything isn’t black and white with us, with her. I just met the woman yesterday. I’m taking her out again tonight and if all goes well, she’ll allow me to keep taking her out. Any talks of a contracts will come if we get that far."
Kyle nodded silently, "Do you think you will make it that far?"
I shrugged. “We will, if I have my way. She’s like a drug. One hit and I’m gone.”
Kyle and Drew hung around my place for another half hour before we all agreed that a workout session wasn’t going to happen. Drew wanted nothing to do with training the day after my birthday. Even though he had a few days off, he knew he’d be back in the gym with the Broad City Bears, running plays like he hadn’t been given the time off. He took football seriously and only came out because it was my birthday.
Originally, I had no intention of heading into work, but the office had this hold over me. Making money was even more addictive than Nina’s sweet lips and mouth. Her taste, her scent, it all lingered in my memory, and I couldn't wait to be near her again. However, the deal with Tipping Point couldn't afford to have me away an entire day.
Were there other capable employees at Warner & Associates I could put on the buyout? Of course, there were. Chelsea was a prime example of one, but this was my birthday gift to myself. Buying a company was on my bucket list of things to do before I reached 40, and here I was five years ahead of schedule.
There were a few messages waiting on my voicemail by the time I went into the office.
The first one was from Poppy. Her voice trembled as she spoke:Hi Mr. Warner. This is Poppy Andrews. I was just reading through the contracts again and I see that there’s a clause for clients that are not paying retainers, it states they are going to be released. Please call me immediately to rectify the matter. NONE of Tipping Point’s clients can be released from Tipping Point unless it’s exercised by the client.
I knew she was going to be a pain in the ass. Tipping Point Consultants was a financial assets management firm that bankrupted a few of their wealthiest clients. A few losses playing the stock market was bound to happen, but under Poppy’s watch, the company lost over five million dollars in assets. The clients had to agree to this buyout to be made whole again, which was the part she’d obviously forgotten. If they’re going to take my money and run, I had the final say in who Warner & Associates represented.
I sent a memo to Chelsea to get on it and made sure Poppy and her cowering attorneys paid attention to the contracts they signed.
After that, I pulled out my phone to text Nina.
Are you ready for tonight?
My phone immediately lit up with her response:
