"Another," I tell the bartender after setting down my empty glass of Scotch for the fourth time. He refills it from the bottle within seconds.
"Same here," Ryker says, pointing to his empty glass of gin tonic.
"Looks like the two of you are having it rough," Asher remarks as he takes a sip of his martini. "It's that Swiss acquisition, isn't it?"
"The question is: Why don't you seem as anxious?" Ryker asks him. "Or have you forgotten that if this acquisition doesn't push through, it will be bad for the whole company?"
"I know, but it will still be worse for the two of you," Asher says.
Ryker frowns.
"Maybe we should just leave him here when we go to Switzerland," I say.
"What do you think, Ryker?"
"Hey!" Asher complains. "No fair. I've already made plans for Switzerland."
Ryker raises an eyebrow. "Plans?"
"I've heard Swiss women are gorgeous."
Ryker rolls his eyes. I know what he's thinking — that some things never change.
"We are going to Switzerland for work, you know," I remind Asher. "Do I have to tell you that you have to be on your best behavior?"
"Oh, I'm always on my best behavior around women," he answers.
I give him a stern look. "Asher."
"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist." He waves his hand. "I won't do anything that will tarnish our beloved company or mess with our business in Switzerland."
I wish I could believe that, but it's hard to when he's already been embroiled in a scandal once before.
Asher puts up his hand. "I promise."
Well, he looks sincere enough.
"I'll hold you to that promise," I tell him.
He sighs. "You're such a party-pooper, you know that? I know you're CEO and whatnot, but you don't have to be so serious all the time. You're rubbing off on Ryker. Or he's rubbing off on you, I can't figure out which."
"Hey!" Ryker takes offense. "I know how to have fun."
"And I don't?" I ask them both with a little more irritation than I intended.
Ryker doesn't answer. Asher tries not to laugh but ends up doing it anyway.
"I know how to have fun, too," I say defensively.
"Tell me, then," Asher says. "What have you been doing on weekends?"
"Drinking with you two," I answer. "By the way, it's your turn to pay for drinks tonight."
"I'm already aware of that, and I've already anticipated that the two of you are going to drink more than usual as a result, and I've already calculated the cost."
Of course he has.
"Anyway, this routine doesn't count. What else do you do on weekends?"
"Bike, hike or go surfing somewhere," Ryker answers, even though Asher wasn't asking him. I guess he wants to prove that he does know how to have fun.
"Sleep," I give my answer. "But that doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun. I've just been busy."
"Too busy to get laid?" Asher asks.
I don't answer. Why does it always have to be about sex with him?
He pats my shoulder. "You, my brother, I need to get some. I know Dad is still on your case about settling down..."
That's putting it mildly.
"But just because you sleep with someone doesn't mean you have to marry her. And if you don't want her to get pregnant — though, frankly, I think Dad wouldn't mind, marriage or no — you just have to be careful. You know, wear a condom. I've got a few extra ones right now if you want some."
"Extras? Sounds like somebody didn't get as much action as he anticipated," I jibe.
"Hey, I buy in bulk. Come on, there's nothing like a good fuck to take the stress off." He looks around the bar. "And I can see some women here who won't mind if you take them to a room upstairs. What's your type? Blonde? Brunette?"
Felicity's face pops into my head, her brown hair cascading over her ears with a few strands stuck to the corner of her voluptuous mouth.
"Tall? Petite? Slim? Curvy?"
I remember how she looked in that thin white blouse, how her breasts seemed to pop even more with that black bra she had underneath.
Was she aware of how hot she looked? Did she do it on purpose?
No, I don't think so. That's the thing. She's not aware of how attractive she is, which makes her even more so. She's never tried to seduce me, and yet I can't stop thinking about having sex with her.
But I have to.
"Leave him alone, Asher," Ryker says.
"What?" Asher turns to him. "Would you like me to pick a woman for you instead, little brother?"
Ryker frowns. "Stop calling me that."
I finish my Scotch. "Cut it out, Asher."
"Fine." He lets out a sigh. "But promise me that the two of you are going to have some fun in Switzerland."
"Sure," Ryker says.
I don't answer because I don't make promises I can't keep. I'm going to Switzerland with one goal in mind — to make sure this acquisition goes through. Then again, who knows?
Something tells me things will be more interesting now that I've decided to change my plans a bit.
I just have to let Felicity know on Monday.
—
"Come in," I tell Felicity after she knocks on the door to the office.
She steps into the room. She's back in her usual attire — crisp gray dress with a thin black belt around her waist. The strands of her hair are confined in a bun.
Too bad. She really does look better with her hair down. But maybe this is better. Maybe this way, I won't have a hard time remembering that she's my assistant even though I know more about her now.
I listen as she informs me about my schedule for the day. As always, when she's done, she puts the tablet down and meets my gaze.
"Is there anything you would like me to change about that, sir?"
"No. It's fine."
Even though I want to take it easy, I still have a lot of things to do to prepare for the trip to Switzerland. Also, I need to take care of some things so the company doesn't fall apart while I'm gone.
"Anything else I can do for you?" Felicity asks next.
"Yes, actually." I lean forward on my desk and keep my eyes on her face in anticipation of the change in her expression. "I want you to pack your things."
Her eyebrows arch and her jaw drops. Disappointment spreads Over her features.
"Am I... getting fired? If this is because of what happened last..."
"No," I cut her off. "You're not getting fired. In fact, I'm giving you a raise."
Her eyes grow wide. If she's surprised and thrilled now, I just know she'll be over the moon when I give her my next bit of news.
I draw a breath. "The reason I'm asking you to pack your things, Felicity, is because I'm taking you with me to Switzerland."
Shawn is taking me with him to Switzerland? I can't believe my ears.He's never brought me along on his business trips before. Why now? Why all of a sudden? If he was planning on bringing me along, he could have told me weeks ago. I've already made all the arrangements. He didn't think of it then, so why think of it now? What made him change his mind?"I know it's a bit sudden," Shawn tells me. "But I've realized that this trip is even more important than I thought. I've never handled an acquisition this big. I want to be prepared for anything, so I need you there."Perfectly understandable, but I still can't bring myself to believe it. My fingers clutch the edges of the tablet in my hands, afraid that like this dream come true I've just been handed, it might slip away and shatter.Can this be real? Is it really alright for me to go to Switzerland with Shawn? I mean, we'll be traveling together and we might find ourselves alone together. What if I lose my composure again like I did la
The flight from Chicago to Zurich takes a little less than nine hours.I spend the first half hour marveling at the inside of Shawn's jet - well, it's owned by the company, actually, but this one is for the exclusive use of the CEO.It's a Gulfstream, or so Henry, the lone flight attendant on the plane, tells me. It's supposed to carry only eleven passengers, so I thought it would be small and cramped. Boy, was I wrong.Sure, it definitely looks like a dwarf on the outside compared to the gigantic commercial planes, but inside there's enough space for a kid to run and kick a ball around. And that's just the seating area. There's a dining area with a bar, a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower and a conference room.More than the space, it's the atmosphere of luxury that has me gasping and gaping in awe. The soft leather seats that come with neck massagers and convert into flat beds. The thick, burgundy carpet. Ambient lighting. My own 15-inch TV. Then there's the service designed to make
"I don't think I've ever eaten anything quite like that," I say as I dab my lips with the table napkin. "Is this what you eat all the time?""Not all the time," Shawn answers. "But it's one of my favorites. The chef who designed this, he was serving his food in a small hut when I first met him. Now he has an empire not just all, over Asia but all over Europe, to — ""And he's here?" I ask with arched eyebrows."No. He hates flying, But the chef who cooked for us this evening trained under him, among many others. He's very skillful,"I put my hands up. "No need to convince me. If the next dish is as good as this, I'll be very happy."Shawn grins. "I think you will be."Moments later, the second course arrives — a pair of pot stickers with a bit of salad on the side and a dark dipping sauce.The moment I see it, my chest tightens. I grip it as I draw a deep breath."Is something wrong?" Shawn asks me.I shake my head but fail to conceal my emotions. "It's just that this is one of the th
I guess those heaps of energy ran out.I turn off the light above Felicity's seat and press the button to push it back a bit further so she'll be more comfortable. She stirs but remains asleep. I drape the fleece blanket over her, Wrapping it around her shoulders. She gives off a sound of contentment like the purring of a cat. It makes me smile, but at the same time I feel a sliver of anxiety as I stare at her sleeping face.Felicity, what am I going to do with you?I've never met a woman who could make me feel so many emotions all at once. Earlier, while she was working, I couldn't help but admire her for working so hard. Her fingers were punching the keyboard like crazy, her eyes boring holes into her screen. It made me feel almost ashamed because it felt like she was working harder than I was. But it also inspired me to keep working hard myself. At the same time, I wanted to wrench her laptop away from her and tell her to stop working so we could continue with the conversation we h
The first thing we do is take a cruise across the sparkling lake, which is right next to the hotel.Afterwards, we head to the Old Town. We explore it on foot, starting from the Bahnhof on Main Street. Then we take a stroll past the colorful houses on Augustinergasse, drop by the Lindenhof and stop by the Uraniastrasse Police Station to see the vibrant murals by Augusto Giacometti.Through it all, I notice that Felicity still seems wary of my company. She keeps her distance from me and doesn't speak unless spoken to. Every now and then, she slips and drops her guard, especially when something interesting catches her attention and she forgets that I'm there, but when she remembers, she's quick to put it up again.I still don't understand why, but I don't mind. I'm still glad I decided to accompany her. It's evident she's excited to explore Zurich, even though she's trying her best to hide it, and the more she sees, the more she seems to fall in love with the city. As she takes in the s
I shouldn't have offered to share my umbrella with Shawn.It was a bad idea, a recipe for disaster. My umbrella is designed for one person, not two, and Shawn is a big guy, so right now my shoulder is getting wet from the rain, which means it's getting cold, though I'm trying hard not to draw Shawn's attention to it.Also, Shawn's taller than I am, more so since I'm not wearing heels, so he's the one holding the umbrella. In one way, that's good: I think my arm would fall off if I was the one carrying it. The problem is that every time the breeze blows, drops of rain land on my cheeks. Thank goodness the rain isn't that hard — a gentle shower rather than a downpour — or I'd be completely soaked from head to foot by now. But that's not why I think I made a bad decision.Shawn wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to him.His hand rests beneath my armpit, close to my breast. "You're getting wet."I pull my arm tighter towards my chest so it doesn't bump against his firm stomach in
I smile at him. I give up. There's no way I can still act so composed around him when he's just seen me with caramel between my teeth, nor can I act distant towards him when he's just told me an embarrassing moment from his past to make me feel better. I don't know why he's being so kind, but I know I have to return the favor."Don't worry." I tell him. "I won't tell anyone about your mustache if you don't tell anyone about my...""Chocolate tooth cap? Deal."He glances at the display. "So, do you want to try something else? I'm guessing you're not buying the one with the caramel.""I am actually," I reply. "But not for me. For a friend.""A friend?""Randy from IT."Shawn's eyes narrow. "I thought you didn't have any friends from work."I touch my chin. "Did I say that?"I don't remember."You just haven't mentioned anyone before," Shawn says.Well, until last night, we'd never really talked about each other's personal lives."But I'm glad," he adds. "I'm glad you have friends."I no
"That was lovely," I tell Shawn after dinner as I dab my moist lips with the table napkin. It may not have been a four-course meal at a fancy restaurant, just a hearty main course — a flavorful pork stew - and a simple dessert — the best apple strudel I've ever tasted — at a cozy little place by the side of the road, but it was just as satisfying."I know," Shawn agrees. "I can't believe I've never eaten here before.""I can." I reach for my glass of wine. "Don't you usually eat in restaurants where they have at least four sets of utensils?"He leans back in his chair. " Believe it or not, the most expensive meal I've had was a single platter of sushi which I ate with a pair of chopsticks.""And the least expensive?" I ask curiously after taking a sip. Shawn touches his chin as he pauses to think."I bet you've never had a burger and fries from a fast-food chain," I tell him. "Or eaten at your school cafeteria.""I did eat at the school cafeteria, actually. "I lean forward. "Let me g