Page 6 of The Mastermind

George’s phone rang, and he glanced at it. “Excuse me while I take this call. Make yourself comfortable. My secretary, Teresa, should be in shortly to get you whatever you need.” He strode into an adjacent room filled with computers and printers.

I didn’t need to be present at this meeting, but since I was back in town for other events, I joined Howard. Normally, I trusted him to take care of business during the final stages of an acquisition, but it didn’t hurt to immerse myself in my new company and the energy of this city again.

The spacious office had a gray wooden floor and a high ceiling supported by white walls covered with framed ad copies and artwork. The LED lighting reminded me of my college days at Yale University, where I had majored in business.

A large rectangular conference table sat at the center with ten chrome chairs that looked stylish but were uncomfortable as hell. I had similar chairs in my other offices. They forced the employees to sit straighter, promoting good posture, but in reality, these chairs and the lighting kept the employees attentive while working.

I wandered over to stand in front of two contemporary paintings. One consisted of splashes of white on a black ground. The other was black splashes on a white background. They spoke to me because that was how I chose to see life—two extreme ends of the spectrum that meshed together beautifully.

Yeah, I was aware of the shades that existed in between them, but I preferred to keep things black and white. Simplicity was easier to deal with. The last time I came here, I had been inside a different conference room. Seeing these paintings was a good omen to me—purchasing this business benefited me. Owning Lafayette Marketing and its building had been on my radar for some time. This was the prime location for the WaterFire event in downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

I stepped over to the wide windows that offered the million-dollar waterfront view.

WaterFire was a magical event that lit up the night with hundreds of bonfires on the water. It brought the communities together for the arts. I wasn’t an artist, but I appreciated how they had inspired me to envision the future I wanted. All those braziers lighting up the three rivers that merged in downtown Providence illuminated something in me when I was a child. Just the idea of three rivers merging to create this Waterplace Park was magical.

A flood of memories rushed back to me, crashing into my psyche. Some brightened like fire, and some chilled like the dark, but the bad seemed to have a tighter grip. Fifteen years ago, I witnessed something that changed my life. A single moment in time had altered me dramatically, smearing a permanent stain I couldn’t erase. Over the years, I’d developed a stern exterior that kept my past at bay. You could say I’d worn a mask when facing the world, but didn’t everyone?

Life was a fucking masquerade. This wasn’t new to me. I had plenty of practice growing up in my home. I’d learned, with a mask, I could get things done faster with less drama. The business and political worlds were full of various masquerades, and I’d become a member of those worlds because they made me successful.Untouchable. The more glamorous the façade, the more doors opened for me.

With money came power, and I used that to destroy my competitors or anyone who crossed me. I destroyed my enemy before they could destroy me. I thrived on this high energy, which allowed me to subdue the fear and hopelessness I’d felt all those years ago. Though the fear and hopelessness sometimes crept back unexpectedly.

I had a vision, a mission. As long as I kept my focus on it, nothing could distract me. I’d built a worthy empire that made me a respected billionaire. I didn’t like to waste time and preferred to keep moving because remaining stagnant brought on unwanted memories. I didn’t like feeling trapped.

This eclectic city, which had raised me, possessed a dark past that forced me to grow up fast. I went from an innocent teenager with a dream to a man struggling to survive. A man who needed to protect himself, his friends, and the vision that pumped life into his heart.

People always talked about the past keeping you imprisoned. I hadn’t known what that meant until I couldn’t forget my past. These days, I wanted the past tofearme.

Back then, the only thing that kept me intact were my boys and—

“What would you like to drink, Mr. Starke? We have sparkling water, juice, soda, coffee, and tea.” The redheaded secretary yanked me out of my reverie and invaded my space with her flirty blue eyes and ultra-red lips.

A glance at her manicured hands told me she was unmarried. She had a voluptuous body, a perky chest, a full ass, and plump lips that would normally make my cock twitch, but I wasn’t interested.

I furrowed my eyebrows at this strange occurrence. Perhaps this city still affected me more than I realized. It was as though the atmosphere in this building brought out an aspect of me that no one else knew, an aspect safely hidden behind a secured mask. I didn’t want that clandestine part of me mingling with the outside world.

I knew Audri worked here but I hadn’t expected to see her today, especially looking distressed. I pushed her out of my head because I had no right to trespass into that territory. I respected my best friend too much to go there. Grayson and Audri were family to me.

My attention swung back to the redhead. At another time, in another place, Teresa would have been a delightful partner for an evening. Like my acquisitions, women in my life came and went the way I wanted them to. There was nothing personal about it. It was a sexual transaction—we fucked, then we moved on. If their hearts shattered, that was their fault. I was upfront about what I wanted and needed, and I wasn’t interested in anything more.

I didn’t attach to anyone—too dangerous—and I certainly didn’t allow anyone to attach to me. Keeping life black and white made things simple.

“Sparkling water would be great. Thank you, Ms.—”

“Teresa Sweeny, but you can call me Teresa. I’ll get that water for you.” She flashed a sweet smile, revealing perfect teeth.

I thanked her, returned to the table, and sat down.

She made her way to Howard. “How about you, Mr. Wilson? What would you like?”

“I’ll take water as well. Thank you.”

“Two Pellegrinos and a coffee for Mr. Lafayette. I’ll be right back.”

Flicking her eyes at me before walking out of the room, she swayed her curvy hips as though demonstrating what she could offer me.

Why the hell wasn’t I attracted?

Technically, Teresa would be my employee by the end of the day, and it would be wise not to tangle in that mess.

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