Playing with Power - Book 4: New Adult Office Romance Read online

  She woke hours later to a dark living room. The TV and fire were both dark and she found herself still wrapped in Landon’s arms on the floor. She roused him slightly as she rolled to her left, his arms sliding around and pulling her close. Lauren fell back asleep feeling completely at peace.

  The sun was beginning to peek through the windows when Lauren stirred again. Blinking awake, she managed to shimmy out from under his arm without disturbing him and tip-toed to the bathroom. Glancing at a clock on the way back, she saw it was just before six. Well, nine for me, I’m still on New York time, she thought. Henry came over, his little tail wagging in excitement that someone else was awake. Lauren crouched down and patted him.

  “What do you say we go for a little walk? Let Landon sleep a bit longer?” Henry jumped at her words as if he’d understood. “Alright,” she laughed. “Let me just get my sweatshirt.”

  She stepped softly back into the living room, pausing for a moment to watch Landon sleep. He’d taken off his shirt at some point in the night and was now hugging a pillow in the void Lauren’s body had just left. Finding her hoodie underneath a blanket, she quietly made her way to the front door and slipped on her white tennis shoes. She hooked Henry up to his retractable leash and headed out.

  The morning air was as crisp as she’d imagined it would be. As the sun rose above the gray clouds, Lauren knew it’d only be a matter of time before it burned through the fog. The weather in San Francisco seemed to operate like clockwork. The streets were mostly empty, only a handful of people walking back to their apartments with newspapers tucked under their arms. Where is everyone? she wondered, again struck by how sleepy this city felt compared to home. It wasn’t something she found entirely unpleasant but was a bit jarring to have so much space to herself.

  Walking Henry made her homesick for her family dogs back in Lake George, a part of her life she dearly missed. After a thirty minute walk around the neighborhood, up and down some of the steepest hills Lauren had ever seen, they returned to the house. Without thinking, she unclipped the dog before checking if Landon had woken up. She heard him shout in surprise as Henry jumped on his stomach.

  “Sorry!” she said, poking her head in the room. Landon sat cross legged, half naked, scratching the dogs belly. “We just went out and I didn’t think.”

  “No worries,” he smiled sleepily. “There are worse ways to be woken up. Did you two have a nice walk?”

  “I definitely got my work out already. I’ll go make us some coffee,” she said and walked to the kitchen. I agree, there are definitely worse ways to wake up than in your arms...

  5.

  Christopher Liche was an intimidating man in an imposing office. Landon had warned her his senior adviser was a tough man to please but she hadn’t taken the advice too seriously. Lauren had felt so confident coming out of her meeting with Gary the day before, how bad could this one be? Ten minutes into this meeting, she realized she’d made a critical mistake.

  “He’s a pretty gruff guy,” Landon had told her at breakfast. “He doesn’t take the time to think about the nice way to say something. He just comes right out and says it.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Plus, you’ll be there so it can’t be that bad.”

  “No, that’s just it. I don’t sit in on these meetings. That’s his entire job, to vet people for my company,” he’d explained.

  “But you own the company. We already have funding. Isn’t this a little backwards?”

  “I know it seems that way, but Chris is a really influential adviser to a lot of very successful firms. Just having his name attached to Inspiration Partners is huge. I don’t want to step on his toes, so that’s why you’re meeting with him.” He’d paused, looking at the plate of toast in front of him. “Please don’t hate me afterward.”

  The clean room reminded her of something out of a James Bond movie. Everything seemed a little too big, a little too stark. Mr. Liche was an older man but extremely physically fit making it difficult to pin a specific age to him. He was probably close to seventy but could pass in his late forties. He sat at a huge mahogany desk, his back to a bank of windows that overlooked the bay. With unwavering black eyes and smooth skin, he looked as though he rarely smiled. Lauren had just finished walking him through her very short resume and felt painfully aware of her hands. She didn’t know where to rest them, how to look natural, how to stop fidgeting. Her palms were sweaty and she recrossed her legs for the fifth time since sitting.

  “MIT, huh?” he asked flatly. “Why not Stanford?”

  “Well, I believe the computer science program at MIT is ranked higher than Stanford—”

  “But that’s not what I asked, was it? I asked why you went to MIT and not Stanford.” He’d already cut her off several times, a habit that normally irritated her. Coming for him, she was left feeling chastised.

  Lauren took a hard swallow. “I liked the campus, thought the program was a good fit, and it was close to home.”

  “Closer to your boyfriend?”

  “Well, yes, but that didn’t really have anything to—” Lauren’s temper finally spiked as he interrupted her yet again. What the hell does Nick have to do with anything? Besides, we started dating after I started college.

  “I’m assuming that’s why you moved to New York City for work. You graduated from one of the top schools in the country, one of the top in your class, yet you didn’t come out to Silicon Valley to look for work.”

  “I’ve only just come to California a couple months ago. I felt comfortable applying to jobs in an area I knew well.”

  “Right.” The way he said that word made her grit her teeth. It was as if she were a child explaining her reasoning to an adult only to have him ridicule. Who the fuck is this guy judging my decisions anyway? “So, here are my concerns. You’re young, both in age and in experience. You’re close to your family and while you may think you’ve made sacrifices for your career, you’ve actually played everything safe. I’m not confident you have the emotional ability needed to run this company. Technical, sure, probably.”

  Lauren’s cheeks burned red hot. Although she got the feeling he wasn’t looking for an explanation, she opened her mouth to respond, not even knowing what she intended to say. Before she could sneak a word in, Christopher continued.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming you. It’s not your fault you’re young. I know it might seem like you’ve grown up but you haven’t tasted half of what life can throw at you. Have you been through the death of a close family member? Have you lost your job? Have you ever had to eat peanut butter and crackers for two weeks straight because you were broke?”

  He looked at her, apparently wanting an answer to this series of questions. Afraid she might scream or burst into tears, she shook her head.

  “I didn’t think so. You’ll get there one day but for now, you’re still so inexperienced. Starting a company like this is very much like starting a family. There are so many ups and downs, horrible nights where you question why you ever got into it in the first place. I don’t know if you’re tough enough to stick through all that. I can’t trust, judging from your past experiences, that you won’t just quit when it starts to get tough. Sure, you’ll tell me how committed you are to this project, how you’ve worked so hard to make this dream happen. You can sell me all those platitudes but really? If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know deep down you have no idea what you’d do when the shit hits the fan. You’ve been with your current company for what, three years? It’s a blip.”

  Lauren sat speechless. This man, whom she’d only known for twenty minutes, had just ripped her apart without even breaking a sweat. She’d never realized all her weaknesses and insecurities were so glaringly obvious. Hating herself for wanting to cry, she looked over his shoulder to the bay. Urging her heart to slow and temper to cool with long deep breaths, Lauren didn’t mind the silence building between them.

  Christopher cleared his throat and sat forward in his seat. “I d
on’t say these things to hurt your feelings. These are business decisions and unfortunately, as a businessman, that’s how I see it. You’ve lived knowing there’s always a safety net. There’s no safety net in this.” His voice carried no compassion or sympathy. “Do you have any questions for me?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  Lauren forced herself to meet his eyes as he coolly regarded her. A heartbeat later, he extended his hand and they said a quick goodbye. She managed to hold herself together long enough to reach the sidewalk when the adrenaline in her body took over. Shaking with anger and kicking herself for not standing up to him, she blinked back tears as she walked beside the wide street. Her mind raced as she just walked, following her nose and the flattest path she could find, not ready to face Landon again. She hated to admit it, but the adviser’s words cut deep.

  What a pompous asshole! Who the fuck does he think he is? Yeah, okay, I’m young but so are more than half the guys running companies out here. I saw a guy driving a brand new Lamborghini the other day, couldn’t have been a day over twenty. Since when did that make a bit of difference in Silicon Valley? Even he admitted I was going to be good enough on the tech side, so isn’t that why I’m partnered with Landon? He balances out what I don’t know on the business side.

  God, I feel about two inches tall right now. I know he’s influential and important and all that but he doesn’t know everything. He doesn’t know me. Why would Landon make me meet with him?

  Her stomach lurched as that thought rolled back on her.

  Why did he make me meet with him? Was it some sort of test? Like, was he seeing if I’d get scared off? No, I won’t believe that. He gave me fair warning about the asshole, if he was trying to screw me he would’ve sent me in cold.

  One foot place in front of the other, on and on she walked.

  I know this is going to be hard. It’s already been hard and I’ve pretty much sacrificed my relationship for the sake of this company. What more do I have to prove to this guy or to anyone? Shit, I’ll make it on my own. Pull the funding, whatever. I’m sick of being stuck in this place where I’m too old to feel young and too young for people to respect me.

  As always, walking calmed her down. Weaving between the crowds, she found herself wondering if there hadn’t been some merit to what he’d said. To be fair, she didn’t actually know how she’d react if the business started falling apart. She was smart enough to know she didn’t know everything, so perhaps there was something there. Too many times she’d discovered the words of wisdom she’d once scoffed at were more true than she’d ever imagined, a realization she wasn’t ready to confess to her mother. Maybe he actually had a point. As much as she liked to believe she’d be able to handle it, the fact was, she wasn’t sure.

  Look at me and Nick. Things start getting shaky there and I’m immediately jumping into bed with another guy. Things start getting shitty at work and I’m ready to jump ship.

  Like a voice whispering in her ear, another thought came through.

  Damon believes in me. If a man like Damon Kael thinks I’m capable and strong...it just proves opinions mean nothing. Either he’s right or wrong, just like that jackass Liche. Maybe I can have him call Christopher, set him straight. I wonder what he’d think of me then?

  Mulling these thoughts over, Lauren wasn’t paying much attention to where she was heading. She didn’t realize the road she’d been walking down led straight into the Tenderloin, a particularly sketchy part of the city. Finally, the lack of crowds did catch her attention. Like a fog lifting from her eyes, she noticed all the abandoned storefronts and boarded up windows, the color seemingly drained from the world. Everything was drab, dirty, and vandalized. She was suddenly aware there were no tourists, just small groups of mostly men hanging around on the street. She pulled out her iPhone to figure where she was, trying to casually turn around and walk back the way she’d come in.

  “Hey, can I make a call?” a voice said beside her.

  Lauren looked over to see a young white kid, no older than eighteen, walking beside her. Greasy hair hung limply from his head, his once handsome face pockmarked with scars and scabs. When he smiled, she saw gaps where his teeth had fallen out. Above all, he was desperately skinny.

  “Uhh, I don’t think so. I’m just trying to—”

  “Aw, come on. My battery died and I need to call my mom. She’s gonna be really worried if I don’t call her soon. It’ll only be a second.”

  Lauren knew this scam. The second she handed him her phone he’d be off in a flash down the street. It wasn’t in her to say no outright. “What’s her number? I’ll give her a call for you.”

  “Oh, I don’t know it by heart. I have to see the keypad to type it out,” he said. His eyes were darting all over the place and Lauren picked up her pace.

  “That’s too bad. I’m sure she’s gonna be really worried about you.” They kept walking without saying another word, Lauren’s panic now growing heavy in her stomach. She tucked her phone away in the front pocket of her purse. “Hey, are you hungry? Someone handed out these bars and I’m allergic. Do you want one?” she asked presenting an energy bar she always kept in her bag. The young man eyed it suspiciously, looking at it as a hungry animal might look at food in the hand of a stranger. He glanced at her, Lauren praying her eyes didn’t reveal how scared she really was.

  Out of nowhere, a man about her age with very tanned skin appeared. His clothes were dingy and the look he gave her could only be described as predatory. The one moment their eyes met shook Lauren to the core.

  “You givin’ handouts? Whatcha handing out cause if I get dibs, I know what I want first,” he said clicking his tongue. Lauren ignored him, hand still extended toward the first kid, her muscles tense except for her swiftly moving legs.

  “Whatever, bitch,” the first kid said, grabbing the bar from her hand and walking away in the opposite direction. The second man stuck with her.

  “Where’s mine?” he asked, leaning in close enough she could smell his sour breath.

  “I’m sorry, I only had one.”

  “Aw, that’s alright sugar. I’ll let you make it up to me.” Lauren ignored him. “I’ll let you suck my dick.” Clenching her jaw to suppress a shiver, Lauren didn’t respond. “Naw, you ain’t into that are you? Pretty little girl like you don’t suck cocks. It’s alright, I’ll teach you, you little puta.”

  He ran a finger around her ear and down her neck. Lauren didn’t think, only reacted, the violation triggering a response.

  She spun on her heel and shouted, “Don’t fucking touch me! You don’t ever get to fucking touch me.” Taking advantage of his surprise, she turned back around and continued onward.

  Up until now, he’d kept pace but as she continued to further ignore him, he started to hang back. Barely able to hide the terror inside, Lauren kept her eyes forward and a steady pace only a couple beats short of running. Her heels clicking on the pavement, in only a few blocks she could see the crowds thickening. She just had to make it to that spot. Her pursuer yelled something out she couldn’t hear before ending his chase. Lauren plunged into the crowd until she felt sure the threat had diminished, finding herself in Union Square, a large hub of shopping and tourism. At least here, in the middle of the day, she had little chance of being assaulted. With a shaky finger, Lauren used her phone to hail a cab and within ten minutes was back at Landon’s apartment.

  As she let herself in with the spare key, she called out, “Hello? Are you home?” The only response was a soft thud on the floor above and the blur of a Jack Russell running down the stairs to greet her. Maybe he just didn’t hear me yell. After grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and stopping briefly in her room for her book, she made her way upstairs to his office only to find it empty. Henry followed her out to the patio and gladly joined her on one of the green lounge chairs.

  Lauren was a quivering mess but had managed to hold it together until she knew she was alone. Between the wretched meeting wi
th Christopher and being scared out of her mind on the street, she collapsed in a crying fit. The dog nuzzled her elbow as she wiped the tears from her cheeks and laughed despite her fear. Like Landon, Henry had a way of instantly making her feel better. She began speaking quietly to him as her sniffles diminished.

  “I’ve never had anything like that happen to me in my whole life. You’d think, living in New York City, I would’ve had something happen but I’ve always felt pretty safe there. Aside from some sleazy guy at a bar, I’ve never had anyone come up to me like that. I didn’t know what to do.” She took a big chug of the cold water, feeling calmer by the minute. “I didn’t know what to do,” she repeated softly.

  “That’s right, I didn’t know what to do but I figured it out, didn’t I? Maybe I was dumb enough to wander in there but I got myself out.” She stopped speaking aloud as the thoughts moved quicker through her mind.

  I’ve never run a company either but I’m confident I can figure out whatever comes up. If people only stuck to the things they knew, nothing would ever get done. So screw him. What the hell does he know about the future? And seriously, if Parker can do it, I can do it. If I have Landon by my side, all the better.

  Lauren eventually calmed down, her confidence returning. As the adrenaline wore off and she relaxed in the warm sun, a blanket of exhaustion fell over her. She found it easy to slip into a deep meditative state, her mind focused and open to suggestion. She clutched the book to her chest like a protective shield.

  6.

  “Hey, no rest for the wicked,” Landon whispered as he brushed the hair from her face. Lauren turned to see him crouching beside her, his gorgeous face so close. In her dreamy state, she wanted to reach out and pull him into her.