Page 26 of Sex, Lust & Lingerie

“Positive. When I asked him if he wanted to have dinner with me, he told me he had a previous commitment. And right before we left Paris, I overheard him on his cell tell someone he called ‘babe’ that he’d hook up with her as soon as he got to LA.”

“That sucks big time.” Rising, Kevin brushed away my tears. He was one of the few people I didn’t feel embarrassed crying in front of. He had seen me shed many tears over my lifetime.

My sobs subsided a little. “Kev, thanks for listening. I’ve talked way too much about myself. What about you? What’s going on?”

He let out a girlish sigh. “Nothing good. Jaime’s assistant Ray was a great fuck, but it turns out he’s in a relationship.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I truly was. Kevin never had any luck in the boyfriend department. Life was just so unfair. I gave my dear friend a peck on the cheek. “Ray doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.” My Kev tweaked a smile.

“Glorious, I’ve got to get back to work. There’s still a lot of fires to put out.”

Nodding, I pressed my lips into a thin grim line. “Let me know if there’s anything you need from me.” Despite my gloom, a warm feeling radiated inside me. I was so blessed to have Kevin in my life.

“Hey, what are you up to tonight?” he asked at the doorway before exiting my office.

“Nothing.”

A grin lit up his face. “Then you’re invited to a Pity Party for Two at my place.”

“Can’t wait!” My lips curled again into a smile. I had something to look forward to. Kev and I had celebrated—or should I say, moped—together this way before. It meant pigging out on pepperoni pizza, a bottle or two of wine, a tub of Häagen-Dazs… and sometimes a good cry. This deadly combination was a panacea for all troubles, no matter how big or small. It was, before Jaime came into my life, the only way I ever let myself lose control.

After Kevin went back to his office to deal with our stock nightmare—I’m sure the Wall Street Journal among other business periodicals would be breaking the story too—I continued to study the sales reports and forecasts. I focused hard, forcing Jaime out of my mind every time he snuck into it. After carefully reviewing all of the material, I still couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. I was more perplexed than ever about the sudden sell off. Was I missing something? A ping on my computer signaling a new email diverted my attention. It was from Lou Bartone in Finance…responding to my inquiry. I immediately opened it. As I read it, my eyes grew wide. Victor Holden had been among the early shareholders who had traded in the stock. Fifty thousand shares to be exact. I recognized several other names on the list—most were close business associates of Victor’s. A mixture of rage and confusion consumed me. Was Victor playing dirty? Was he deliberately trying to bring me down? With an angry jab of my finger, I forwarded Lou’s email to him. Above the list of investor names, I typed: Can you please explain? What I really wanted to write was: What the fuck?

I stared anxiously at my computer screen waiting for Victor’s response. One thing Victor always did was return emails promptly. Five minutes passed by. And then another. Nothing. Victor was definitely ignoring me. I thought about calling him, but then remembered he was most likely in the middle of a dressage session at his Malibu ranch where he kept his horses. It was odd that Victor would be off playing with his horses and incommunicado in the middle of a major stock crisis. On second thought, perhaps this was a blessing in disguise because the thought of hearing his sinister, calculating drawl was revolting. The last thing I wanted to hear was another one of his intimidating threats or sexual advances. Pig!

By four thirty, the late afternoon sun cast a shadow in my office. I was bleary-eyed. Jet lag was setting in, and I was emotionally drained from the events of the day. Via intercom, I let Vivien know that I would be leaving early.

“Only a half-day today, Gloria?” The thick sarcasm in her voice made my skin crawl. There was only one upside to losing my job—never having to see her or her scumbag father again.

“I’ll be working from home.” The calm tone of my voice masked my fury.

“Then there’s no need for me to stay. See you tomorrow, Gloria.”

I simply ended the conversation. I was too weary to argue with her. And truthfully, if I didn’t have to see her brazen face one more time today, all the better.

As I packed my briefcase with paperwork I needed to catch up on, my cell phone rang. I pressed answer.

“Gloria…”

My heart leapt into my throat. Jaime!

“I’m busy.”

“Bullshit.”

Damn him!

“Hang up the phone and activate your Skype.”

“No.”

“Do it.” A stern command. “I need to see if we can work this way together.”

I submitted. Damn it! I submitted. The effect this powerful sex god could have on me was nothing to be proud of.

I clicked onto Skype, and my eyes almost leaped out of their sockets. Facing me on my large computer screen was Jaime Zander, kneeling on his duvet-covered bed in his hotel suite. His sculpted torso was bare, and a pair of white sweats hung dangerously low on his hips. A sizeable tent bulged between his legs. The air escaped my lungs. I was speechless.

A bemused smile flickered on his heavenly face. “Gloria, you look stressed.”

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