But why had he kissed me? I couldn’t deny the thought that he had kissed me just because he could. Because he was just another one of those entitled jocks who assumed he could have any woman he wanted. But a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he kissed me because he wanted to kiss me, and not just any woman.
Then there was also the business about selling my company. He was crazy to think that not only would I sell my company to him, but that I’d actually go and work with him too. Especially after this! After he’d kissed me! The best plan of action would be to simply ignore him. Move away from Silicon Valley and try and start a new life somewhere else!
I stood up from my chair with a jerk and paced the floor of my office. I had to be going mad to entertain the thought of running away from San Fransisco because of one kiss! One kiss that didn’t mean anything to him. But it meant a whole deal to me. I’d spent so long fantasizing about Grant, that this kiss was capable of completely breaking me.
A sudden knock on my office door snapped me out of my thoughts. Sasha stuck his head in.
“I’m gonna head out. It’s nearly eight,” he said and I nodded my head. He didn’t leave. He could see that I was working up over something. Without me inviting him in, Sasha stepped into my office and shut the door behind him. Sasha had been my first hire. Even though we weren’t exactly friends, I had known him for four years now and he was one of the handful of people I actually knew well in San Fransisco. Clearly, he believed we were friends because he walked up close to me and I stopped my pacing, in surprise.
“Bev,” he said in a soft kindly voice.
“Sasha?” I said, confused by his behavior.
“I can see you’re still thinking about Lonex’s off
er,” he said, tipping his head to one side. I crossed my arms over my breasts and glared at him.
“Well, it’s my company. I built it up from scratch. I have to put some thought into it,” I told him. My brows were crossed. I was annoyed that he thought he could talk to me about it. I didn’t need his help. I didn’t need anybody’s help.
“Yeah, but it has to happen. You have to sell. And who better to sell than Lonex? Especially if they’re offering you that amount of money,” he said and I noticed the concerned look on his face. I took in a deep breath and nodded my head. There was no point taking my temper out on him. Sasha hadn’t done anything wrong, in fact if anything, he was the model employee. The least I could do was lend him an ear.
“I know what you’re saying, it’s just that…” I said, looking about me. I couldn’t find the right words to use to explain the situation to him.
“Do you have some kind of complicated history with Grant Jennings?” he asked and I couldn’t do anything but stare at him in surprise. How had he figured that out? Did I really make it so obvious?
“Well, kind of,” I said and licked my lips. I suddenly felt vulnerable. If Sasha had been able to figure it out, did Grant also know how I felt about him? Why I was being so resistant to sell to him?
“For your sake, Bev, I suggest that you just work it out with him or work it out by yourself. I don’t think you’ll come by an offer like this again,” Sasha said and placed a friendly hand on my shoulder. My arms remained crossed over my breasts and I looked at him with my eyes widened.
“Thanks for the advice Sasha, I’ll think about it,” I said and he nodded his head. I realized in that moment, that my employees…the three of them, were also confused. Me selling the company could mean anything. If the new buyers didn’t want to keep the original team intact, it could mean that they were going to lose their jobs.
“Sasha!” I called out to him as he began to walk away. “Will you please tell Susan and John that I’m going to figure it out? That I’ll do what is best for you guys,” I said, in a weaker voice. Sasha passed me a half smile and nodded, before leaving my office.
I was alone again, but I remained standing where I was. I knew I needed to figure things out soon. The longer I took, the deeper this web was going to get. I wasn’t magically going to be able to rescue my company out of a financial crisis. Sasha was right, Grant had given me the best offer I could ask for.
And also, he had kissed me. Which in its own way was also a game changer. I had some big decisions to make and to make them quickly. And all these decisions could have disastrous consequences on my life if I didn’t make the right ones. But suddenly, I was up for the challenge.
Chapter 8
Grant
I stood on the balcony of my brand new house, cradling a crystal glass of whiskey in my hand. I was pleased with what I saw. I’d worked hard with the architect to come up with a contemporary and sleek design for this mansion, made entirely out of wood and glass; and I was happy with the result. The driveway was flanked by manicured lawns and brick paths, while on the back of the house, an infinity pool was newly constructed. The house was spread over two stories and decorated inside in accents of white and wood.
When I looked up at the sky, I noticed that it was an exceptionally starry night. I breathed in the cool fresh air and allowed it to energize me. I was still thinking about Beverley.
It was the end of a busy work week. Every other day, including weekends; I stayed in the office till at least ten in the night. Except on Fridays. On Fridays, I allowed myself the pleasure of coming home by eight and enjoying the house I had spent so much time and money in building it.
It was a big house no doubt, and I was its sole occupant. I had a staff of four full-timers who looked after the maintenance of the grounds and the workings of the house, but I rarely ever saw them. Because I was away all the time, and because they never made an appearance in the evenings; I was all the more aware of being completely alone in the house. It was peaceful on most nights, but tonight I was feeling restless.
I knew it was because of Beverley, not only because we had kissed; but because I’d seen her after so long. I’d forgotten that feeling of excitement, that adrenaline rush I got every time I was around her. She kept me on my toes, she motivated me in college to work hard and prove myself. Even though, like she said, we didn’t know each other…she was the one I secretly wanted to impress.
The initial feelings of guilt of buying her company, were now replaced with the excitement of seeing her again. I knew I should have been slightly more concerned by her reaction to the offer and the kiss, but if she had reacted in any other way, it would have only surprised me. I appreciated that she never took anything at face value. That Beverley didn’t make any decisions without closely calculating the risks and putting thought into it. It’s what set her apart. It was what made her brilliant.
I walked away from the balcony and went back inside. Taking the spiral stairs down, I went into my den where I sat down with my whiskey. On other Friday nights, I would have enjoyed a movie by myself, or read a book, but tonight I couldn’t concentrate on anything apart from having Beverley’s body pressed up against mine.
I had traded in a busy social life a couple of years ago and replaced it with work. Nobody in college partied as hard as I did, in fact, I carried on that habit even when I moved here. But as my business took off, my success made me more ambitious and greedy and I couldn’t think of anything other than work. And now, just the thought of meeting a large group of people at a club and getting shit-faced and sleeping with a girl I didn’t know…just made me feel sick.
I was sitting on the couch with my legs spread apart, still thinking about Beverley. I could feel her soft skin on my fingertips. She had all but melted in my arms. She was small and delicate in my arms, even though she was fiery and strong to talk to. A complete contrast and another thing about her that made me shift in my seat.