Page 91 of Savage Bosses

He met Nina in his last year of graduate school in Boston. She was a journalist with the BBC working on a story at MIT, and he was smitten.

It took him two years to realize she just used him for his family connections to boost her career, and once she got what she needed from him, her true colors were revealed.

He really didn’t want to go down this rabbit hole, but something about Selene made him want to examine if he could ever open his heart up again.

The knock at his office door was loud and obnoxious but welcomed.

God does answer prayer.

“Alright, man, you’ve got to tell me; who is that fine piece of ass you walked through the office with earlier? When I saw her walk by, I wanted to set my Venti Mocha on that ass. She’s unbelievable.”

Emir couldn’t help but grin even though he wanted to bash his best friend’s head for talking about Selene that way. He may be ignoring her and plotting the quickest ways to make her quit, but she was his. Plain and simple.

On the other hand, Jamel’s crass humor was exactly what he needed to take his mind off this afternoon’s shit show.

Jamel was KJR’s Chief Financial Officer and the penultimate ladies’ man. Emir couldn’t name a pretty woman at the firm that Jamel hadn’t bent backward. He was relentless, and the women loved him for it.

Jamel swore they couldn’t get enough of his dark chocolate frame and bald head. Emir wished he had half of his boy's charisma, but he didn’t envy the drama that came with it.

He sat upright, dapped Jamel up, and offered him a seat beside him.

“Listen, Mel, I’m only going to say this once, so listen well. Her name is Selene Dubois; she’s the new Design Principal for Global Diversity Initiatives, and she’s absolutely off limits to you and any other knucklehead in here getting ideas.”

Mel cocked his head to the side, then put his fist to his mouth and laughed. “Wait a minute! Is that your shorty or something? I’ve never heard you lay down the law like that about one of the firm’s fresh deliveries. Shit, with a body like hers, you may as well be spittin’ outdoors. Everybody with a dick and a few without one is plotting on that sweet ass right now.”

Emir clenched his fists at his side and took a deep breath through flared nostrils. “Stop talking about her ass. That’s not cool, man. It’s the last warning I’m going to give.”

Seeing that his friend was deadly serious, Jamel held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, man, I got it. That’s your toy, and none of us can play with it. But you have to give me something, man. You’re the straightest arrow I know around here. Women throw their pussies at you left and right, and you act like you’re blind. If I didn't know how many random women you fuck on your personal time, I would have thought you weren’t interested in pussy. Shit, most everyone else here thinks you’re either celibate or swinging for the other team.”

Emir rolled his eyes at Mel’s last comment. “What if I was? There’s nothing wrong with it, and it would be my business.”

Jamel nods. “Naw, I feel you. That’s why I don't comment on it either way; I know you like your privacy, and you don't mix work and play. You never have. So what about Selene Dubois, got you all hot and bothered. I know this isn’t love at first sight shit; you’re zipped too tight for that.”

Emir fell back on the couch and laughed. “Yeah, well, life can surprise you.”

Jamel’s face turned stone serious. “Don’t fuck with me like that, bro. Are you on that love shit? What’s up?”

Emir took a deep breath. “Look, man, you remember that one-night stand I had in Atlanta a year ago?”

Jamel rubbed his bald head and thought for a moment. When he looked at Emir again, his eyes were wide. “The one that left without a note or anything? She had you fucked up for a minute. Are you telling me that’s her!”

Emir nodded. “Yes. Somehow, my father must have found out about our rendez-vous and my small obsession because, you know, I don't believe in chance when it comes to Abdel Kaplan. He hired her to take over that World Bank Library project I refused to support.”

Jamel slapped his thigh. ‘Ah, I see. He thought Shorty would distract you or keep you in line enough to help her get that project off the ground. That’s real slick.”

“Exactly! He dropped the bomb two days ago. She was supposed to report to him, but since he’s sick, she’s reporting to me, and I’ve got to get her to quit. It’s day one, and she’s already got my dick in a vice, ready to kill dudes and shit. Because I want names; who was talking about her ass?”

Jamel cracks his knuckles and leans back. “Ahh, man forget about it. You don’t have anything to worry about. She hasn’t talked to anyone except you since she got here. She went straight into her office and got to work. That woman is about her business.”

Emir released a sigh. “Good. Now help me think of ways to make working for me so miserable, she’ll quit”

“Why would you want to do that? I thought you liked that girl. You even tried to track her down for a few months. It’s like fate brought y’all together.”

Emir shook his head. “No, Abdel Kaplan brought us together. Anyway, she made it clear she likes to keep her love life light, and I’m not about to make a fool of myself. Even if things were different, I have a lot on my plate right now. I have to keep Baba and this company on the straight and narrow. So, I have no time for love. Help me come up with a plan.”

Jamel laughed and stood up. ”Brother, you don’t need my help for that. You know your ass can’t keep an assistant. You’ve been through three this year alone. You’re a demanding jerk when it comes to work. Since your dad’s not here, treat her like an assistant, not a design principal. You’re the boss. That will get her out of here quick.”

His best friend was right; few could work directly for him, so he preferred working alone.

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