Monday, 8:29 am
I felt small, gentle hands run up and down my bare chest as consciousness started to seep into my mind. Eyes still closed, I simply stretched and enjoyed the soft caresses, wanting to prolong this lovely moment between the waking world and dreams where every touch felt magnified ten-fold. The fingers making small circles on my chest were accompanied by the feeling of soft lips enveloping mine in a sweet kiss. The tip of a tongue flicked at my top lip, and I tasted a faint hint of mint.
I sighed as I kissed back, careful to keep my mouth closed so I didn’t assault the angel waking me up so lovingly with notorious morning breath. I felt the lips kissing me curl into a smile and returned it with one of my own as I tried my hardest to open my eyes for the first time. They met Erin’s, her dark pools staring back at me with a gratified twinkle in them. Her smug self-assuredness would have started rubbing me the wrong way by now if it weren’t for the fact that she was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
After a pregnant moment, Erin broke the kiss and followed it up with a peck on the nose. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“What time is it?” I asked. My throat sounded coarse from lack of use.
“Eight-thirty,” she said, running her fingernails through my hair. Then she sat up straight and slid her hand to my chest.
I tried to sit up, but the pressure from her hand on my chest kept me on my back. “Eight-thirty?” I asked, “I thought you were going to wake me up at six-thirty!”
Friday afternoon, Erin received a call from Channel Seven requesting an interview with me on Monday morning at ten. She convinced me to go through with it, that it would be better for me to engage with the public to control the narrative as much as possible. She was right. I know I’d only been a billionaire for a little over a week, but it was time I started getting used to it and stopped being so reactionary. I needed to make things happen, not wait for things to happen to me. I agreed, but only if Karl was on stage with me. He was the only one I knew would be up there.
Karl had called me on Sunday to go over a strategy for the meeting and review talking points. According to him, the primary concern was reassuring the world, especially shareholders, that the company was in good hands and would remain stable. The plan was to inform the public that for the foreseeable future, I would let my representatives continue to take the lead and run the company according to Colin’s vision. In other words, business would go on as normal. That was fine by me. VistaVision had run smoothly for a long time without my input. Why should I risk fucking things up now?
As I threw back the bedsheets and sprung to my feet, Erin stood up and walked to a panel near the long stretch of black glass that comprised two of my bedroom walls. She placed her fingers on the panel’s surface and slowly slid them up. The black glass faded into translucence and gave us a view of the early morning New York City skyline. The corner where the two windows met pointed to the Southeast and allowed me a full view of the sunrise, however, it had some kind of special tinting that prevented the full force of morning light. As a result, I received a pleasant sunrise view without feeling the need to murder someone as I grappled with consciousness.
“Ashlee called late last night to let me know that the press conference was pushed back to two o’clock,” Erin said, looking over her shoulder and giving me a sweet smile. “You looked so peaceful that I couldn’t bear the thought of waking you up. Especially after all the work you put in this weekend.”
I swallowed hard as my gaze traveled up and down the young woman standing in front of the window, morning light shining through the translucent film of what was a pointless robe, highlighting her petite but unmistakably feminine assets. Underneath, she wore a matching lingerie set that accentuated her curves.
Natalie had left town for the weekend to attend a wedding, once again leaving the state of our relationship in limbo. I was afraid of spending the weekend with nothing but my imagination running wild, conjuring scenarios of the sort of things a beautiful, single young woman like Natalie could get up to during a weekend at a destination wedding.
As if that wasn’t enough, Helen confessed that she hadn’t been as trustworthy as she originally led me to believe. While not completely surprised, my world was rocked by the revelation. Since coming into my money, she had been my rock, and losing my trust in her had left me flat-footed.
Erin and Danielle rescued me from my dark fate by taking me to a high-class strip club for the wealthy and famous. It cost me three thousand dollars to get the three of us in the door. In my limited experience with strip clubs, I thought they were sad places for lonely, middle-aged divorced chads, but I’d been proven wrong about this one. It was classy, colorful, and packed with some of the most gorgeous women I had ever seen. We ended up in a VIP suite engaged in a six-person orgy, then continued the party back at my new apartment.
It worked. Instead of spending my weekend brooding about Natalie and Helen, I had my every need satisfied by five gorgeous women, the last two days had been a blur of alcohol, lust, and laughter. No one had a right to have so much fun in one weekend. Considering the abuse my cock had taken over the last two days, I wondered if I would ever get an erection again. However, as I watched Erin standing in front of that window, silhouetted by the sun’s morning rays, I felt my dick stir. It looked like my libido survived after all.
“Thank you, Erin,” I said a little breathlessly. “I needed that.”
She spun to face me, clasping her hands behind her back as she did a hint of a curtsey.
“Of course, Mr. Upton. I’m at your complete disposal,” she said, grinning ear-to-ear. As the next few moments passed in complete silence, I felt an understanding pass between us – a quiet echo of her words before we made love for the first time. I only hoped she could read the tremendous gratitude I felt toward her.
I almost called her over to do something about my growing erection, but she changed tact and pointed to my closet as she made her way toward the door. “Now, if you would like to get dressed and come downstairs, I’ve got Joel here to make us some breakfast while I brief you.”
“Marry me,” I called out as she disappeared around the corner. Her amused laugh trailed behind her, fading as she moved away from me.
I quickly walked into the closet and ***********ed a pair of pants and a dress shirt, leaving my bedroom as I was still buttoning the pants and sincing the belt. I slipped my shirt over my shoulders as I made my way down the stairs in the direction of feminine voices drifting from the direction of the kitchen. Two of the ladies had left by the end of the day yesterday, but Danni and Natasha stayed one more night. Were they both still here?
“Oh,” I said, coming to a dead stop as I saw Chloe Tanner sitting at the kitchen island sipping from a mug and looking down at a newspaper. Erin stood near the coffee pot and was pouring a fresh cup of Joel’s finest. She looked up at me with a big smile. Danni was sitting at a table to the side and was currently peeling off part of an orange before popping it in her mouth. Like Erin, she was dressed in a robe, but hers was silk and more opaque than my assistant’s. One side of it had slipped off and down her arm, exposing her bare shoulder. She caught sight of me and gave me a full, radiant smile.
“Morning, Marcus!”
Chloe glanced up from her paper as she was taking a sip and then set down her mug as she said, “Good morning Mr. Upton.” Her dark brown eyes traveled up and down my bare chest, but her expression gave nothing away. “How was your weekend?”
I closed my shirt and started fastening the buttons. “It was good,” I said.
She grunted and took another sip from her mug, which had ‘Don’t talk to me till this is empty or I’ll shoot you’ printed in a bold, black font across the white ceramic. I approached the bar realizing that my bodyguard and I had only shared one conversation. This was supposed to be the woman who was with me at all times, and I barely knew her name.
“Do I need to wait till you’re done with that before I talk to you?”
“What?” she asked. “Oh. The mug. No. This is my second cup, so you’re good.”
“Glad I’m safe,” I replied as I sat at the island bar.
Joel turned and placed a plate of sausages wrapped in fresh pancakes like pigs in a blanket with a drizzle of syrup across them in an artisanal fashion. The amazing smells wafting from my plate coaxed a growl from my stomach and made me realize how hungry I was. Erin set a fresh cup of coffee next to the plate.
“You’re going to love that,” she said, pointing at the sausages. “Joel makes the sausage himself.”
I picked up a fork and took a bite, and my eyes immediately rolled into the back of my head.
“You sure I can’t steal you away?” I asked Joel.
He shook his head and chuckled as he poured out more pancake batter. “Wish you could,” Joel said, “but I’m pretty happy where I am. I’ve made some recommendations though.”
I set to eating the meal Joel had prepared for me as Erin sat at the counter opposite me.
“We’ll need to move on that soon,” Erin said, “Joel’s daughter has a recital on Wednesday, so if you want to be able to eat well, you’ll need to hire someone soon. I’m bad at cooking, and it’s not really in my job de***********ion. I’ll deal with assholes who want your time, and I’ll suck your dick all day long, but I can barely boil an egg.”
I heard Danni titter, but it was Chloe I cut my eyes toward. She gave me nothing, still absorbed in her newspaper.
Erin followed my gaze. “Oh Chloe? You don’t have to worry about her. She heard us going at it all weekend when she was moving her stuff in and caught us fucking by the pool yesterday.”
“Oh.” I paused with a forkful of food halfway to my mouth. I glanced at Joel, but he seemed as oblivious as Chloe. “Sorry about that. I forgot you were moving in.”
“No worries,” Chloe said without looking up from her paper. “If I had half the weekend you had, I’d have forgotten all about me moving in too.”
I could feel my face warming. If it had been Helen instead of Chloe, I probably wouldn’t have given a second thought to walking around naked or being caught fucking the women in various locations, but Chloe was practically a stranger. My first impression of her was cold, aloof, and possibly judgmental with little interest in intimacy. Her little jab at humor was the first I’d seen from her. Granted… this was only the second time I’d met the woman. Still… she was an improvement over the Johns, if for any reason because she was pleasant to look at.
“I filled Chloe in on some of your personal life,” Erin said with a shit-eating grin. “She’s going to be around a lot. I thought it best to just fill her in on all the details.”
“All the details?” I asked.
“All of ’em,” Chloe confirmed behind another sip of coffee.
Danni giggled again at my face.
“I apologize if you’re uncomfortable, Mr. Upton. If I’m going to protect you, I have to be kept in the loop. I need to know who you surround yourself with. Who your friends are. Who your family is. I need to know your schedule, your favorite places… I spent the weekend familiarizing myself with your family, friends, and employees. Erin’s also filled me in on your relationships with her, Helen, Danielle, Natalie, and… Bobbi.” The last name was accompanied by a look I couldn’t quite read. I thought it might be disapproving, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Anyway,” Erin said after a beat or two of silence, “We need to discuss your staff. I’m guessing you don’t want to do any household chores.”
“Oh. Yeah. I’ve had my fill of doing laundry.”
Erin nodded, “I have possible candidates for a few positions so far. If you want, we can go over them on the way to Channel Seven.”
We finished breakfast, each of us recounting our favorite parts of the weekend. Honey had been the first to leave, heading out on Saturday to start her shift, but the other two had canceled their plans to spend the remainder of the weekend with the three of us. Danni was more straight than bisexual, but she’d been somewhat taken with Rose and it looked like they were going to end up becoming fast friends. Natasha and I ended up having the most in common and spent the next two days enjoying each other’s company just as much as fucking.
Once we finished breakfast, Danielle left to get to work. Before leaving, she gave me a fierce kiss and made me promise to call her soon for some more fun. As I stared down into her emerald eyes, I felt a pang of regret at the thought of not being sure when I would see her again. She’d become a staple in my life since she sold me the house. Maybe I could talk to Erin about offering her some kind of job among the list of staff so I could keep her around.
After Danni left, Chloe brought the car around while Erin and I waited outside, flanked by two guards. When she pulled up, there was another member of my security detail who got out and opened the door for us. The SUV we were in was a little different, with a full partition that gave us complete privacy from anyone sitting in the front seats.
“Did we buy this?” I asked Erin.
“No,” Erin replied as she settled next to me and started rummaging through her bag, “this is some of the security firm’s equipment. They’re loaning it to us until you purchase some of your own vehicles.”
“Wow,” I said, popping open a small fridge and seeing it was fully stocked with alcohol, “This is nice.”
“Feel free to pop one open,” Erin said as she dropped a small pile of folders in my lap. I cracked open a beer and looked at the first one marked ‘Elodie Martineau’. Inside was an 8×10 photo of a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late twenties with light brown hair, an elegant nose, full lips, and lovely grey eyes. She had broad shoulders and a large bust that fit her frame. The photo looked more like a glamor shot for a modeling gig than – I skimmed her resume – a chef.
I arched an eyebrow at Erin and said, “Really?”
“Joel recommended her. Did you see the resume?”
“Not yet, but she looks like a model.”
“A lot of model,” Erin said with a conspiratorial smile. “Hot people can be chefs. If you’re going to have a staff, you might as well have someone nice to look at.”
“Is this the only candidate for chef?” I asked, opening the next one. This person was male.
“Yeah,” Erin said as she started to pull her hair into a ponytail. “I assumed you would want to have a final approval on each position. I promise you, everyone I’m picking is more than qualified for the position I’m choosing them for.”
I looked back at Elodie’s file and started reading through her qualifications – School in Paris, studied under some great chef I’d never heard of…
I felt my pants starting to be undone and glanced down to see my assistant’s delicate fingers working the belt loose. She looked up at me, grinned, and said in a husky tone, “No reason you can’t enjoy yourself while you’re doing it. It’s a long car ride.”
Unable to argue with her, I settled back in the seat and started reading through the resumes I’d been handed while Erin took my dick in her mouth. Feeling her soft tongue gently caressing the underside of my cock as her lips kept light, teasing suction on my member, I only made it about halfway through the list before setting it aside to concentrate on what my assistant was doing as she fellated me. Finally, with my hand on the back of her head and the head of my cock buried down her throat, I unloaded within her, giving me a rush of dopamine and clearing my head.
Once completely drained, Erin sat back up, dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a finger, and sucked any residual fluids off while giving me a Cheshire cat grin. We spent the remainder of the ride going through her notes on candidates for a chef, gardener, and domestic manager. The gardener’s job was simple enough – he would maintain the grounds on top of my apartment, including keeping the pool in pristine condition.
Erin managed most of my life; similarly, a domestic manager was meant to manage my home and staff. She would make arrangements to keep food stocked, schedule upkeep and maintenance, oversee maid services, and anything else that would fall into the realm of living spaces. The woman Erin had picked was a Japanese national, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and striking Asian features, appearing to be in her late thirties.
Erin seemed pleased when I signed off on all three of them, and we spent the remainder of the trip talking about the Channel Seven event I was walking into, going over the PR director’s talking points Karl sent over, and schooling me on my grandfather’s company, VistaVision. It was one of the largest corporations dealing in media and entertainment, competing with some of the biggest companies out there for consumer dollars. It now owned one of the most successful streaming platforms, a popular hosting site, financed movies, ran cruises, established theme parks, and participated in many other ambitious endeavors that made VistaVision a household name. According to everyone, it also meant that I had many eyes focused on me.
Finally arriving at the Channel Seven building, the door opened and we climbed out. Erin and I made our way through the lobby of the building with Chloe and one other security guard on our heels while the third drove off to park the car. The men were attired the same in dress shirts, pants, and a matching coat, while Chloe wore navy pants, a white blouse, and a semi-casual jacket. She looked like she could have been a middle-aged mom who had just dropped her kids off at school before heading to her desk job.
We were greeted by a woman in the lobby who handed us badges and led us through security and into a large auditorium. What I saw caused me to stop in my tracks; there had to be over a thousand people in this room. Important-looking people milled about, shaking hands with each other and probably making deals that would change the fates of entire cities. The far end had a lit stage with multiple chairs laid out in a row. Was this where I was supposed to give my talk? Was I supposed to say important things in front of all these people?
Karl Yunger and William Price were both there to greet me, and I saw Ashlee standing just behind William. She caught me looking at her and broke out in a dazzling smile that would have captivated me a few days ago, but between the baggage of being a VanCamp and spending a weekend with a bevy of hot women, I was inoculated to her charms. She was still a knockout, and I would have fallen in bed with her in an instant if she hadn’t if the circumstances had been different, but I was starting to learn that I didn’t have to listen to my penis every time it wanted to lead me into temptation.
“Good to see you, Mr. Upton!” Karl said as I shook his hand. “Did you get a chance to look at the notes we sent you?”
“I did,” I glanced around. “Mr. Younger, I didn’t expect this many people. I thought this was going to be a small gathering of just a few reporters.”
“Unfortunately,” William interjected, “some of the members of the board at VistaVision got wind that this would be happening and insisted on being here. Then word got out to some of the other shareholders, and before we knew it, it evolved into this. There’ll be a Q and A period, but don’t you worry about any of that. Chandler is going to handle that,” he said. “We just need you to read off the statement we gave you and let us handle the rest.”
“Who’s Chandler?” I asked.
“He’s the Director of Operations for VistaVision and the interim CEO until a new one is appointed,” Karl said, directing me to follow him through the crowd toward the stage. “In fact, he’s waiting for you in the green room, if you’ll come with me.”
“I’ve managed to do a pretty good job of avoiding the news crews and paparazzi so far,” I said as I followed him. “Some of my family haven’t been as lucky. Will doing this calm everyone down?”
As we weaved through the crowd, Karl gave me a smile that conveyed pity. “Perhaps, but Mr. Upton, you need to keep in mind that you’re one of the ‘elites’ now. You’ll likely experience a fluctuating degree of media attention, but it’ll never fully go away. It’s an unstoppable force. The best you can do is try to steer it in the direction you want it to go. That’s one of the purposes of this meeting.”
Erin, Chloe, and security guard extra number one accompanied us through the crowd and a door to the right of the main stage. Karl and William led me down a much quieter hall to a door.
“We’ll send someone for you when they’re ready,” William said.
“Don’t worry,” Karl said, “I’ll be up there with you to keep you from making any blunders.”
With that, the pair left me and my small entourage on our own. I entered the room and found two people already present. A man who appeared to be in his late fifties to early sixties… and Helen. My lawyer’s blue eyes immediately tracked me and flashed a tight-lipped smile. Helen’s poker face was usually killer, but today, uncertainty was etched in every line of her features. She was uncomfortable with our new situation, and I couldn’t blame her.
The man turned from the window he’d been gazing out of and gave me a toothy smile as he approached me, offering his hand. “Ah! Hello! You must be the man of the hour himself, Marcus Upton!”
He spoke with a proper British accent that you might hear from a butler in a movie, and smiled with his eyes and mouth. It was infectious, and I couldn’t help but return it despite my feeling of trepidation at being here. I gave him my hand and we shook.
“Hi. You’re Chandler?” I asked.
“Yes! Chandler Grayson. Director of Operations for VistaVision, but I’m sure Yunger has filled you in on myself, so I won’t bore you. Just to let you know, the companies have been in good hands during this dreadful time. Despite the tumultuous news and the fraught waves it’s stirred within the markets, we’ve weathered them quite nicely, if I do say so myself.”
“That’s… good?”
“I should think so, Mr. Upton! I’d even go so far as to say our team has done some of their finest work during this dark hour.”
“Are you going up on the stage?” I asked, unsure of whether or not having this cartoon character of a man on stage was a good thing. Was this really the man who was in charge of my grandfather’s company?
“Of course! Myself and the PR manager, that is. I dare say she’ll do most of the talking. I’m afraid I have a bit of stage fright, you see. Rather useless in front of a crowd, but I’m there for the both of you in a pinch, should you need anything from me.”
Helen approached Chandler and put a hand on his arm, “Chandler, I need a minute alone with Marcus before he goes up. Would you mind?”
“Oh, but of course. I suspect they’ll be needing me soon anyway.” He said. “I simply wanted to introduce myself and assure you that your grandfather’s legacy is quite safe until a proper CEO has been located. Anyway, a pleasure, young man. We shall speak again soon.”
With that, he clicked his heels together, bent slightly at his hips in a semblance of a bow, and left the room.
“Could the rest of you give us a minute?”
Erin glanced at me, waiting for me to give her the go-ahead. I shared a look with her and nodded, communicating that it was alright. She headed for the door. Chloe gave a nod to Extra Number One, who followed Erin. Chloe stayed where she was.
Helen sighed and muttered, “I suppose she wouldn’t be good at her job otherwise.”
It was quiet in the room for several seconds before Helen finally spoke up, “What are you going to say to everyone?”
“I was just going to tell them that while I own a majority of Vista Vision, I had no plans to change anything in the day-to-day activities or influence the current operational structure of the company. I don’t want to disrupt the good people who maintain my grandfather’s legacy.” I had memorized the suggested line.
“And you’re okay with that?” she pressed, “waving your rights to any say in the operation of the company?”
“It sounded fine to me,” I shrugged. “I assumed it was best to keep things running as-is. It’s not like I know anything about business on that scale. It makes sense to stay out of it.”
Helen shook her head, “I understand, but you’ve been too busy to be fully educated, VistaVision is just the tip of the iceberg that is the Gerrard Empire. More importantly, it’s your grandfather’s public persona. If something happened to VistaVision, it could start a chain reaction of events that create a host of problems for you and all the other business dealings your grandfather was involved in.”
Public persona? Other business dealings? I knew that the kind of resources my grandfather had didn’t add up to what VistaVision could have brought in, but I hadn’t seen the need to start asking serious questions about it right now. I was too busy keeping my head above water and my face out of the papers to start asking the real questions. Did any of this have to do with why my grandfather was murdered, or why someone broke into my apartment?
“Moves are being made at the company since it was announced that Colin died,” Helen continued, “and your statement will only endorse those moves.”
“Are they bad moves?”
“I know very little about what’s happening on the board since meeting you. I’ve been locked out. Likely because of how close we’ve become, but one of the things that has been discussed was Colin’s replacement for CEO. One of the top contenders, Kelly Maddox, was someone your grandfather had a real problem with. There was pushback from a few, but most of the board was in favor of it. Chandler led the resistance against the move. Most believe it’s because he’s enjoying his seat at the head of the table.”
“But you think it’s because Colin didn’t like Maddox?”
Helen nodded, “Maddox was fired by your grandfather three years ago. Apparently, it was nasty. Chandler is furious that anyone’s even suggesting the hire.”
I know I just met the guy, but it was hard to imagine Chandler being mad at anything.
“So, what should I do?” I asked.
“We don’t have much time. They’ll call on you soon soon. Look, I know we have our issues,” Helen said, “But this is me trying to show you that you really can trust me. I promise, Marcus, I won’t withhold anything from you again.”
We stared at each other for a pregnant moment as I once more tried to gain some insight into her motives. She founded our relationship on manipulation. What was to say this wasn’t more of the same?
Finally, I nodded. I got the impression she was being sincere when she told me about her husband and how unhappy she was with him. Creating a life for herself seemed like a reasonable response, and allying herself with the new Gerrard made sense. I didn’t have any strong allegiances to YPV or VistaVision. I’d spent more time bonding with Helen than anyone. Besides the fact that she had come clean on Friday, had honored my wishes to leave me alone all weekend, and was trying to share this information with me was a testament to her remorse.
I also really missed her.
“What do you recommend?” I asked.
Helen pulled a pen and piece of paper out of her purse and began writing down some notes, as I watched in silence. Chloe simply walked over to a table that held some snacks and ***********ed some pickles from one of the trays to munch on, leaning up against the spread as she watched us.
“There you go,” Helen said as she handed me the paper.
I scanned the notes she’d made then looked up at her, trying to decide whether I really trusted her. Unlike all the other times she stared back at me, her gaze was open and honest, quite different from the smoldering gaze of a manipulative temptress.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, “But the first chance we get, you’re going to tell me everything you know, Helen. I’m-”
Suddenly, the door opened and Ashlee poked her head in, her dark eyes taking in the three of us. I noticed her eyes lingered a little longer on her mother.
“They’re ready for you, Mr. Upton,” she said, her voice thick with honey.
“Thanks, Ashlee,” I said and glanced at the two ladies in the room with me.
“You’ll be fine,” Helen said. “Just make sure to look in the cameras as much as you can. It projects confidence.”
I nodded, staring into her eyes a beat longer, trying to discern a single hint of deception, but was met with nothing but an open stare. I couldn’t detect anything. Was she truly trying to help me, or was she sending me on a path that could possibly ruin my entire company? Finally, I turned and headed to the door where Ashlee waited. Chloe set her food-filled napkin on a table and followed on my heels.
Ashlee placed a hand on my arm at the door, “You were the only one requested. I’m afraid we can’t let anyone else on stage.”
“Oh,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Chloe. “This is my new bodyguard.”
“I go where he goes,” Chloe said matter-of-factly, “or he doesn’t get to go.”
I looked at Ashlee, who looked as surprised as I felt. I knew Chloe would have to be intimately involved in my affairs, but the fact that I couldn’t go anywhere without her was news to me. I wondered how much of that statement was hyperbole. For the moment though, I decided it was best to agree with Chloe. Considering our limited history, I didn’t think Ashlee would push back very hard.
“She’s right,” I confirmed.
Ashlee looked askance at me for a full ten seconds.
“Relax,” Chloe said, with more than a hint of annoyance in her voice, “I’m not going on stage with him. Just as long as I can stay close and keep him in my sights.”
The younger VanCamp finally turned around and led us toward the auditorium. Was it just my imagination, or had I seen a fleeting glimpse of hurt on her face before she’d turned away from me? Was she really that sensitive?
We followed Ashlee back down the hallway toward the auditorium. Once we reached the door, Ashlee peeked her head through, and I could clearly hear someone on the other side talking through an amplified system.
“…and now I’d like to introduce you to the new king of the empire, Mr. Marcus Upton!”
The door opened and Ashlee gestured for me to head out. I did, and immediately froze two steps beyond the threshold as I was greeted by the thunderous applause of a sea of onlookers. I’d seen them all milling about less than thirty minutes ago, but to witness them all assembled as a group of faceless onlookers staring at me… Seriously, there had to be at least a thousand people in this room! I felt like a deer in headlights who was being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool at a high school in nothing but my underwear. Insert any other overused metaphors that applied.
I felt someone touch my arm and looked to see Ashlee standing on the threshold of the door, nodding toward an empty chair in the middle of the stage, and giving me an encouraging smile. I swallowed and glanced at Chloe, who was peering over Ashlee’s shoulder but wasn’t looking at me; she was scanning the crowd.
I turned, squared my shoulders, and tried to look as confident as I could as I walked out on the stage.
A light glared down on me as I walked toward Karl, Chandler, a thick, stocky woman in her early fifties I assumed was the PR Director, another old white guy I’d never met, and an older, balding Asian man with glasses. A sixth empty chair sat next to Karl. Opposite those six spots sat Julia Lyons. She was one of the famous pundits from Channel Seven News and a total knock-out, which probably hadn’t hurt when they considered her to deliver the news on a massive, national network. She had dirty blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, bright blue-green eyes, and full lips on a generous mouth that gave her a slightly exotic quality. Her crimson-painted lips contrasted appealingly with her fair skin, which glowed under the stage lights. She stood up as I approached the chairs and offered me a smile and her hand.
“Mr. Upton, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Julia Lyons with Channel Seven. Please have a seat.”
“I know who you are,” I said as I shook her hand and then sat next to Karl. I immediately regretted saying it like that, thinking it sounded a little harsh.
“I suppose so,” she said as she regained her seat, “but we don’t know anything about you.”
“Um…” I glanced at Karl, “There’s not much to tell.”
“Well that can’t be true,” she said amusedly. “What’s this we hear about you being the sole inheritor of a massive media empire?”
“Oh,” I waved my hand at her dismissively, already feeling a bit more comfortable with the situation. Julia was not only beautiful but talented. She had a disarming way about her that made me forget that we were speaking in front of a crowd of people and cameras. I barely registered the laughter from the audience as she asked her question. “Well, there is that, but other than about two weeks ago, I’ve lived a pretty boring life. I worked for a finance company. In fact-”
I felt a gentle nudge from my left side as Karl’s elbow came in contact with my arm. It was accompanied by a small cough. The message was clear: stick to the ***********.
“In fact…” I reflexively glanced down at Helen’s paper crumpled in my hand.
“I… haven’t been in touch with the Gerrards in years. We lived a pretty quiet life after the death of my father. Colin Gerrard, I mean.”
I could see Julia’s eyes flicker back and forth between Karl and me, clearly picking up on the fact that something happened between the two of us, but she continued on without missing a beat.
“So your father died and you were estranged from the rest of the family?”
“That’s correct,” I replied. “According to my mom, it hurt Colin too much to keep in contact with us after his son died. He took care of us financially, but cut us off from the family in every other respect. To be honest, I didn’t even know my grandfather was Colin Gerrard until two weeks ago.”
I could feel Karl stiffen in his seat next to me. We had talked about keeping my relationship with Colin to a bare minimum, so me sharing my past freely with Julia was clearly not expected, but despite the tense situation, I was enjoying seeing him flat-footed for a change. Karl seemed like a good enough guy, but sometimes it felt like he enjoyed seeing me flounder like I was a caveman seeing an airplane for the first time. It felt good to see his feathers ruffled.
Thank you, Helen.
“That must have been hard for you, wondering about your father all those years,” Julia said, appearing intrigued. “What do you think about being a Gerrard? Have you met any of the family?”
“It’s been interesting. I’ve been learning a lot about the business this past week,” I lied, “but I haven’t been in contact with any of the family yet.”
Karl was visibly squirming in his seat.
“What about the company? Colin Gerrard was known as a meticulous and detail-oriented businessman. Will you be continuing his legacy by taking an active role in the company?”
“I don’t-” Karl started to say, but emboldened by his discomfort and becoming more convinced that Helen had been honest, I cut him off.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I’m still learning the ins and outs of the company. I want to honor my grandfather’s legacy, but I don’t want my inexperience to get in the way. With the guidance of people like Karl Yunger and Chandler Grayson here, I would like to take an active role in ensuring the success of the company moving forward.”
“Alright,” Julia said, “I think there are a lot of shareholders and employees out there who are going to be happy to hear that.”
“There are a lot of details to work out,” Karl leaned forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. “But rest assured, under the guidance of current executives and the board, we will make sure the Gerrard legacy continues to thrive.”
There wasn’t much left to say after that. The damage had been done, and I could see a subtle unrest from the audience at my announcement. Julia moved on to ask a list of questions that she claimed had been collected from the crowd. I answered a few of the questions directed at me with as much tact and ability as I could, but anything related to the business was intercepted by Chandler or the PR Director. After about fifteen minutes, the segment was over, ending with applause from the audience and a round of handshakes between the people on stage. The handshakes I received from Karl, the PR Director, and the two other men were as stiff as their smiles… I had clearly said things they hadn’t expected to hear. Chandler was the only one who seemed enthusiastic toward me.
Afterward, the five of the people sitting with me walked off the stage and into the crowd, immediately swarmed by dozens of people from the audience asking questions and waiting to hear more details. I was just about to head to where Ashlee and Chloe were waiting for me when I felt someone touch my arm. I turned to see Julia offering me her hand, “Mr. Upton, thank you so much for coming. I understand you’re incredibly busy right now, but if you’re ever interested in a more one-on-one interview, I would love to set up something with my team.”
As she pulled away, I felt a business card in my hand and gave it a quick glance. I looked back up at her and she gave me another smile, “I think the public would be very interested in hearing more of your story. It’s the kind of thing most people dream of, but it actually happened to you. It could be a big hit.”
I pocketed the card, “I’ll think about it. I’m not exactly sure how much of my story I want out there. I don’t feel comfortable being in the spotlight this much.”
Julia nodded, “I understand that, but whether you like it or not, it already is out there. At least, if you work with me, you can have some control over the narrative… tell the story the way you want it told.”
That wasn’t the first time I’d been told that today. Like Erin, she made some good points. It wasn’t like I could hide anymore now that the news had been broken. The only reason I hadn’t been swarmed by paparazzi or reporters was because I’d mostly been staying in places that I had nothing to do with. Except for Marduke, which most people had heard I’d quit, I avoided my old haunts.
“You’re right. Give me some time to think it over and I’ll let you know. I promise. Thanks again for the great interview, Mrs. Lyons.”
“Please call me Julia, and I mean it,” she said, “call me anytime.”
“I will,” I said and retreated from the stage. Chloe immediately fell in beside me.
“Looks like you made a new friend.”
I glanced at her, “What? Julia?”
“It’s Julia already?”
“That’s what she told me to call her,” I retorted. “And it’s not what you think.”
Chloe shrugged, “If you say so. Her body language said something different.”
I was shocked, and my legs forgot to move. Chloe kept moving, and I had to double-time it to catch up with her. “Wait! Seriously?”
Monday, 3:25 pm
An hour later, Chloe and I entered the Dunbar building and were greeted with the strange sight of Bobbi talking to one of Andrew’s security guys. She was leaning against the front desk next to two coffees from The Bluebeans cafe down the street. Today she wore a smart, brown and black jacket, with a matching skirt that went two-thirds of the way down her thighs, appealingly molding to her tight ass. By her body language, I could tell she was flirting with the man; her movements were animated and she gave an easy laugh at something he said. As soon as they both caught sight of me, Bobbi’s smile faded as she straightened and grabbed the pair of coffees. As I approached, she offered me one of the cups.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I took the proffered cup of coffee from her.
Her brows knitted in confusion. “You told me to meet you here with coffee.”
The weekend had been a blur for me… an ongoing, hedonistic haze of inebriation and tits that had resulted in its intended consequences – making the details of last week fuzzy. But as she reminded me, I vaguely remembered my conversation with her. I’d told her to stay away for the weekend and meet with me on Monday.
I looked her up and down. Her outfit appeared to have been tailored to fit her body well, showing off the subtle curves of her slender frame in an appealing way. Under her jacket, the neckline of her maroon shirt plunged to show off a decent amount of cleavage, likely enhanced by a bra engineered to increase the effect her smaller breasts would actually give. I was becoming intimately familiar with everything currently hidden under those clothes.
I bit my lip as I considered what to do with the rest of my afternoon. After the press release, a little release sounded good right about now. Erin had stayed behind with Helen to assess the damage control after my announcement to the press, leaving me with no assistant.
“Come on,” I said and stepped toward the elevator. Chloe followed me, but Bobbi hesitated until I had the elevator doors open. I stepped inside, turned, and placed my foot on the door to keep it from closing as I stared at her from halfway across the lobby. After another beat, she came, taking her sweet time. After she stepped on, I used my key card to *********** the top floor. The entire way up, Bobbi stood next to me in complete silence fidgeting with her coffee cup.
I handed my untouched coffee to Chloe while still keeping my eyes glued to Bobbi. “Could you get rid of this? It’s probably poisoned.”
Chloe took the cup without saying a word. Bobbi simply stared up at me, silently seething.
“He’s married,” I said, turning away from her to watch the numbers on the elevator keypad.
“Never stopped me before,” Bobbi retorted.
I snorted, “That scans.”
She didn’t say anything back.
“You don’t get to sleep with anyone else,” I said. “You know that, right?”
“I assumed,” she replied. “It was just flirting.”
The elevator door opened and I walked down the hall toward my office, “That’s fine. Just making sure you knew where we stood on that.”
“What are we doing?” Bobbi said.
“Going to my office.”
I glanced at Bobbi to see her looking over her shoulder at Chloe, who had taken up a seat on the couch in the floor’s lobby where I’d seen Erin for the first time.
“Just us?” she asked. I could hear a faint hint of concern in her voice.
“For now. Maybe,” I said as I opened the door to my office and strode in, immediately beginning to remove my suit jacket. “Shut the door.”
I heard the door shut behind me. I turned and just watched her in silence as I slowly undid my tie.
Clearly uncomfortable with the silence, Bobbi finally spoke up, “I heard part of the interview.”
I slipped the tie off my collar, tossed it to the side, and leaned against my desk, “What did you think?”
“You’re really a Gerrard?” she asked, shedding her own jacket and dropping it on the floor beside her. Her blouse was sleeveless, leaving her shoulders bare.
“Yep.”
“And you didn’t even know it?”
“Nope.” When she didn’t remove anything else, I leveled a look at her. “Strip.”
She didn’t immediately move, “How much are you really worth?”
I leaned forward, hooked my fingers into the waist of her skirt, and drew her over to me, “You mean how much does the world think I’m worth? Or how much am I actually worth?”
“Both.”
I simply stood there gazing at her for a full twenty seconds. During that time, she didn’t move. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow as if daring me to answer her question.
I stepped forward, reached up with one hand, and closed my fingers around her throat. I pushed her back until she hit the door. Her grey eyes were wide and round as she stared up at me, her defiance melted away and replaced with palpable fear.
“What did I say about obeying me, Bobbi?” I growled through gritted teeth. What was it about this woman that brought out the absolute worst in me? “I said no hesitating. I tell you to strip…” There was still a touch of defiance in her eyes. “… you.” I slapped her across the face just hard enough to leave a red print on her cheek. “Fucking strip.”
I let go of her throat, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and lifted it over her head. She didn’t assist me, but there was little resistance either. She still seemed in shock from me striking her. I tossed it aside and wrapped my arms around her waist, my fingers making little circles around the smooth skin of her back.
“Over nine hundred billion,” I said, my voice becoming conversational again.
My fingers slipped up her spine as I watched her attempt to process the number. They found the catch on the back of her bra and snapped it free; it joined her shirt on the office floor, leaving her soft, pale breasts free. With one hand still pressed firmly to her back to keep her close, I palmed one of her tits with the other, enjoying the give of her flesh under my grasp. I kneaded it firmly almost to the point of being too rough, occasionally tweaking her nipple. Bobbi’s breathing began to quicken.
Bobbi raised a hand and gingerly touched her cheek where my handprint still marked her. In a quiet voice, she asked, “Nine- did you say million? Or billion?”
“Nine hundred billion. With a B.”
“Jesus.”
“I know.”
“What are you going-”
I grasped Bobbi by the hair and brought her face close to mine, “I didn’t bring you up here to talk.”
A light of anger flared in her eyes, “Why the fuck did you come all the way here then?”
With my grip still tight on the back of her head, I pressed on her shoulders and shoved her to her knees.
“Suck me,” I said, keeping my grip on her hair. She immediately took a swing at my cock, but I caught her wrist in my free hand. I released it and drove my hand across her face again.
I grabbed her chin, squeezing it roughly as I forced her to look up at me. I relished the hatred in her eyes reflecting how I felt about her. “You don’t have a fucking choice, Bobbi. Fucking do it or else,” I said
I felt her palms press against my thighs, resisting as I kept the pressure on the back of her head as I undid my belt and let my pants fall around my ankles. I pressed hard, forcing her face to approach my cock. Moments later, I felt the wet warmth of her mouth as she engulfed half my member, slowly sliding her lips up and down my shaft. Keeping a tight grip on her hair, I backed away from the door and back to my desk, forcing Bobbi to walk across the office on her knees as I kept my cock jammed in her mouth. My ass bumped against my desk and I leaned back against it as I began to work my cock in and out from between her lips. I closed my eyes and stopped thinking about Bobbi. She was gorgeous, but after this weekend with Erin and Danielle… she was just another pretty face in a sea of others, a pretty face that I despised. I had so many others. Aside from them, Helen. Natasha. Rose. And then there was Natalie.
She would be returning to work tomorrow.
The thought of Natalie made my blood boil with lust. I could feel my grip tighten on the back of Bobbi’s head as I began to thrust inside her mouth, feeling the head of my dick hit the back of her throat and force its way inside. I could hear her begin to gag and sputter around the girth of my manhood, but the last thing on my mind was Bobbi. At that moment, all I could picture was Natalie. Her lips… I could almost feel them. Her dark eyes… I could almost drown in them.
I groaned and picked up the pace… at some point, it became less of a blowjob and more of me fucking the poor girl’s face. I looked down and opened my eyes, rewarded by the sight of Bobbi staring up at me with my cock buried in her throat, her mascara streaked halfway down her face, and saliva running down half her chin. She’d placed her hands back on my thighs, applying pressure to reduce the depth in which I was plunging my cock inside her.
Seeing Bobbi’s tear-soaked face made me that much closer to cumming.
My office door suddenly opened and Natalie walked in, her radiant smile lit up the room as she saw me, “Hey! I thought- Oh!”
The smile on her face immediately faded as she processed what was happening.
Oh, shit.
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Thanks again for reading another installment of the story. If you have any feedback, please feel free to email me. Or if you’re interested in reading any further installments, check out my Patreon at patreon.com/mindsketch. Chapters up to 25 are posted there already as well as a LOT of extra dirty bonus chapters. Thanks for your time and cheers!
-MindSketch