Page 24 of Flawless Foundations

"Hey, sexy," she purrs as I hand her a glass of the house white.

I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her into me and kiss her temple. "Right back at you. Sorry it took me so long. I ran into Charlie."

"Oh, is he here? I would love to meet him." They've both been in my life for years now but have never met. I think they will get along alright.

Just as I suggest that we go find our table, my father saunters up.

"Levi, nice to see you, son." He looks over at Becca and I can see just as he realizes that he knows her. The smile he gives her is paternal, "Becca, dear, how are you?" He leans in and gives her a hug.

"Hello, Mr. King. I'm great. You?" She smiles up at him.

He takes a moment to leer at me before answering.Oh shit.

"I've been better. Trying to get my affairs in order at the office before I retire. This one," he nods in my direction, " is making it difficult."

"Not here, Dad," I warn under my breath.

Becca flickers her gaze my way. "Oh, that's right, congratulations on the retirement. Emmy told me the news."

He leans back. "Oh, Emmy talks about me, huh? I didn't know she cared." I look away, trying to find an escape.

I hear Becca draw a breath and can practically see the smoke coming from her ears. She's about to say something that doesn't need to be said right now, out in public like this.

"That's enough, Dad. We are going to go find our table." I hope like hell we are seated at a different table than him and my step-mother, Kitty. I nudge Becca forward with my hand on the small of her back.

As I take a step past my father, he stops me with a hand to my arm.

He nods to Becca. "Glad to see you're finally taking this seriously." She looks over her shoulder right as he says it. I give him a dirty look and continue on.

Great, now he thinks I'm playing his stupid as fuck game.

Chapter 13

Becca

Ipush open the glass door into the fortieth-floor office of King Cosmetics, it's nearly six and I'm surprised I can even get in. "Hi, welcome to King Cosmetics. May I ask who you are here to see?" A young twenty-something redhead asks from behind a sleek, circular reception desk.

"Yeah, I'm here to see Levi King," I tell her as I look around the stylish lobby. I've never been to King, but it's exactly how I pictured it. Sophisticated, sexy from the leather seating in the lobby to the minimalist style of the decor.

"Is he expecting you?" she asks kindly.

"He's not. But he'll see me." I wanted to surprise him with my visit, but I realize now it might not be doable.

"Hold on, let me call his assistant. Your name?"

"Becca Nicely," I tell her. I pick up a marketing flyer on the counter next to me. It's an advertisement for an upcoming showcase the company is doing. Hmm. I wonder if I could get an invitation to this. It would be amazing material for my site. I could probably get some inside scoop.

"Ms. Nicely, please sign in here. Mr. King's assistant, Heather, is on her way out to get you." She hands me a clipboard. I scribble down my name and hand it back to her.

"How late does the office stay open on Fridays?" I wonder out loud and eye the name tag to see I'm talking to Melissa.

"We work from nine to six. So, it's not too bad. Had you arrived five minutes later, I would have already locked the doors," she says, and I chuckle.

"Well, good thing I popped in when I did. So much for a surprise, if I couldn't even get in the front door." She nods and I ask her about her evening plans. She's telling me about a new bar she and her boyfriend are checking out when an equally stunning young woman saunters up to the reception desk.

Damn, is Levi surrounded by only beautiful women? I wonder if he's slept with any of them. By the way his assistant is eying me, she's clearly sizing me up.

"Are you Becca?" I nod at her snooty question. Clearly, I'm her as I'm the only one here. "Follow me."

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