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“I’ll let her know,” Charles made note on his pad. “Have you heard about Wonderland?”

“The new sex club,” Annabel said. “Yes. Why?”

“It’s somewhere different,” Charles said. “Have you considered trying it out?”

“Not really my thing,” Annabel raised an eyebrow.

Charles saw the eyebrow and knew he needed to tread lightly. “You need to stop dating the alpha males. You intimidate them.”

“How exactly do I intimidate them,” Annabel polished off her fries.

“Annabel Rouch, billionaire, self-made woman who has remade herself over and over. You’ve got a rep,” Charles grinned.

“In business,” Annabel said.

“You do know it’s all connected right,” Charles asked.

She wrinkled her nose. “Men are out for me.”

“Ooooo. Are you switch hitting,” Charles grinned. “I know several women who would LOVE a chance to be with you.”

Annabel rolled her eyes but smiled. “Maybe I’m off sex.”

“Maybe you need to find the right kind of sex,” Charles lay the folders on her desk.

“I want what you and Michael have,” Annabel said.

“Three kids, a dirty house, and interfering family,” Charles shook his head. “Nope. I don’t recommend it.”

“You’re a fraud,” Annabel said. “You love your chaos and crazy. Now get out of my office so I can work.”

“Yes, hermit boss,” Charles turned to go. At the door he stopped to ask. “Annabel, you have to find your jam. You can’t live the way others do. You must find what works for you. You’re strong enough to do it.”

Annabel sat still as she considered his words. “When was the last time I fired you?”

“Last week,” Charles grinned. “It took you ten minutes to hire me back and give me a raise.”

“Get out, pest, I have work,” she ordered.

He frowned as he turned away.

She hated it when he was right.

Annabel sat aloneat the bar of her favorite restaurant. “Scotch, neat,” she told the bartender. When he reached for a bottle, she shook her head and nodded towards the high end decanter. She retreated here after a long drawn out meeting with a blowhard who thought he deserved her money and time. She dumped the check on him and then told him no. She enjoyed the control. She felt sexy and domineering. She wanted a man or maybe more than one who liked her domineering them.

Now she sat alone at the bar and felt better. In the mirror behind the bar, she watched people. The couple out for a fancy night. She tried to get the keys away from him. He stumbled as he shook his head. Annabel saw her order him to hand over the keys. He submitted to her demand. With keys in hand, the woman called the cocktail server over. Annabel noted the moment the woman saw the prices on the menu. Expensive. Probably beyond what their budget allowed. But the womanplaced the order as the man leaned back and let her be in control.

The server walked away and near Annabel. “Excuse me,” Annabel asked her. “What did they order.”

“She ordered the fried oysters.”

“It’s not what they need,” Annabel noted the least expensive item on the menu. “Send them each a plate of your carbonara with roasted broccoli and prosciutto.”

“Ma’am, I don’t think…” the server objected.

“Put it on my tab and take them each a fresh plate. Make sure there’s extra creamy ricotta cheese on it,” Annabel insisted. “Just tell them it’s on the house.”

Before the server objected, the bartender said, “Yes, ma’am, we’ll take care of it.”

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