A Rude Awakening

Micah

Going to the nightclub this past weekend hadn’t been anywhere on my list of enjoyable ways to pass an evening, but Shane had insisted. He’d wanted to celebrate our move back home, us taking over the company from my dad, but then his sorry ass had ditched me.

Howbeit, it’d turned out to be a blessing in disguise because my night had ended with a drop-dead gorgeous woman in my bed, the same knockout who was presently fleeing from the room like a bat out of hell as it so happened, just as she’d absconded from my bed the last time that we’d been together.

“Micah?” My dad’s inquisitive voice drew my notice, and I tore my eyes away from Rune’s backside as I met his amused expression.

Yeah, I knew her name but only because Shane had laid eyes on her first, something that ticked me off more than it should. I felt smug as fuck about the fact that I’d been the one to bring her home at the end of the night, but I was also pissed she’d run out the way she had.

I wasn’t usually Mr. Relationship, but I also didn’t bring girls home to my penthouse. I’d wanted far more with her than one night, and it stung having to get her number from Shane, though it helped soothe some of my ire knowing that she hadn’t contacted him either.

Noticing my attention had wavered again, my dad cleared his throat, asking, “Do you happen to know Rune, son?”

“No.” I said emphatically, probably showing my hand with my intense reaction, but I couldn’t get that blonde-haired vixen out of my head in spite of how hard I’d tried to do just that.

He didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press the matter, moving on to introducing Shane and I to the employees here at Griffin Fashion, and the rest of the day passed in a blur as I reacquainted myself with the building.

Dad was getting too old to be slaving away as the head of the publishing house, and I was aware the only reason he’d taken over the role was because it had been a passion project of my mom’s.

She’d passed away from a brain aneurysm a few years ago in her sleep, and Shane had finally been able to convince me to return home to take over the reins from my dad.

Shane and I had been best friends since kindergarten, and we’d been inseparable ever since. His homelife hadn’t been the greatest, but my parents had always treated him as one of their own, even paying for him to go to the same college as me.

While I didn’t know how I felt about us both being enamored by the same woman, something that had never occurred before, I shook off the thought as I spent the day trying not to look for Rune and failing spectacularly. I was assuming she worked here after seeing her in the conference room formerly, but I hadn’t caught a glimpse of her since then.

I sure as hell wasn’t about to ask my dad with his tendency to meddle, and I figured I would cross paths with her sooner or later. This way, I had time to think about what I wanted to say, well aware my pride was likely to get the better of me at the moment in any event.

My dad would still be popping in throughout the next few weeks to check on things, but he was throwing Shane and I to the sharks so to speak.

I remembered enough of my mother’s talks about business to know that most designers were ruthless, exactly like how the natural predators smelled the tiniest drop of blood in open water before they attacked.

Nevertheless, I felt confident I could handle anything that came my way, so long as Shane had my back. He would be taking over as the new CFO here alongside me, and I knew we worked well as a team, so I wasn’t concerned about stepping into my dad’s shoes.

It was inconvenient that he hadn’t been able to start today alongside me, but I knew he would be busting his ass to make up for lost time tomorrow when he came in.

The rest of the day went by in the blink of an eye, and I met more people than names I would recall tomorrow, but I knew I would learn them as I went. My dad was adamant about Shane and I getting to know the employees, insisting that was the best way to run a business.

I was all for creating a positive work environment, and I tried my level best to be affable and charming as we toured the building, all the while keeping an eye out for the woman who hadn’t left my brain for a second since I’d seen her sitting at the bar by herself last weekend.

The day went smoothly, and I didn’t have any concerns by the time my dad was done going over everything. I’d gone to school for business, and I knew my advanced degrees should serve me well with running the enterprise.

Likewise, Shane had majored in finance, so we made an excellent team for taking over the fashion magazine publication that my mother had poured her heart and soul into.

Women’s fashion wasn’t something I was overly familiar with, but I knew my dad hadn’t been either when he’d taken over the company after my mom’s untimely death.

There would be a learning curve at the beginning, but I knew Shane and I were capable of anything as long as we worked together as a well-oiled machine would.

Further, my job was to make sure we stayed in the black, with Shane’s help of course, and to meet the organization’s goals, though I wanted to do far more than the bare minimum in this respect.

We would be meeting with the board members later this week, and I was already preparing my suggestions for ways that we could reinject life into the business my mom had started over thirty years ago at this point.

Nothing would prevent me from making this company an even larger success, not even a certain female whose absence was driving me up the wall.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Rune’s silver-gray orbs, the way she’d come undone under me when I had sent her hurtling over the edge into ecstasy, and I found myself reminiscing about that night instead of setting up my new office space.

My dad had already packed up most of his belongings, and he’d had some of the security guys lug the boxes down to his car for him, so I had a blank slate to work with other than the office furniture he’d left behind.

I was sitting at the wide, oak desk when a knock pulled me out of my reverie, and I shook my head to wash away some of the mental fog, calling out, “Come in,” in a gravelly voice.

Clearing my throat, I looked up as the door opened, holding my breath for some odd reason, but my visitor was not the woman I was dying to see.

A slim redhead with mile-long legs and bright blue eyes came ambling in like she owned the place, and I took in her promiscuous attire without batting an eye.

Unable to recall her name, I didn’t immediately speak as she let herself in, boldly closing the door behind her and helping herself to one of the leather chairs my dad had left behind on the other side of my desk.

Her provocative positioning and flirty demeanor did not go unnoticed, but I remained professional, all the same, asking, “How can I help you, Miss?”

She bristled at my conventionalism, her back going ramrod straight before she’d controlled her reaction, schooling her features as she simpered, “There’s no need for the formalities. I saw the way you were looking at me earlier Micah.”

Now, I was on guard, straightening my shoulders as I met her azure-colored eyes, “I would appreciate it if you referred to me as Mr. Griffin, as I am taking over the CEO role here. I’m not positive what look you’re referring to, but I like to keep things professional here in my workplace. Is there something in particular that I can help you with, Miss?”

“No, I should get back to work, but I’m sure I’ll see you around Mr. Griffin.”

Her expression had wilted momentarily, but I didn’t miss the sneer she’d aimed my way at my repeated use of the word that she’d found so offensive. I didn’t think she comprehended that I couldn’t remember her name, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to point that out when she was on her way out.

She hauled herself to her feet with a huff, waltzing towards the door with an extra swing to her hips, but I wasn’t paying any mind to her cry for attention.

It was obvious she’d expected a different reception, and although I wouldn’t deny her beauty, her wanton behavior was a huge turn off for me.  

Not to mention, a certain spitfire blonde was taking up residence in my mind, leaving little room for noticing anyone else while my head was so wrapped up in itself.

It pissed me off to no end that I couldn’t get her out of my brain, and I already foresaw just how much she would test me with her mere presence as I took on my new role.