THIRTEEN

Derek

Finally, the end of the work week rolled around, something that had seemed so far away just a couple days before. I loved my company, but I needed a break with the amount of work we were putting into these new projects. I was barely getting any sleep at night, and I missed having Skye in my bed when I woke up in the morning .

I climbed out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, where I shaved and showered, but I took my time doing so. It was Friday, and I deserved a little bit of relaxation just like everyone else at the office .

When I was done with that, I picked out a nice Armani suit, a dark teal button-up, and a dark gray tie, nodding in approval at myself in the mirror. I did my hair slowly and methodically, not wanting to look like a mobster with slicked-back hair. When I was done, I made a cup of coffee and put it in a travel mug, not wanting to deal with the lines at the café, especially since Skye didn’t start working until the afternoon .

I walked quickly through the lobby, nodding at George, the doorman, as I walked through. I climbed in my waiting car and headed off to the office, ignoring the chaos of people out in the city. It was getting close to the peak of tourist season, and I was glad I never had to drive myself through that mess .

When we pulled up, I sighed, staring out at David standing in front of the building. I sat there for a moment, staring at him before he could realize it was me, trying to figure out what the hell he wanted. He looked cleaner and more put together this time, but he also had mischief in his demeanor. I took a deep breath and stepped from the car, keeping my eyes on the ground and away from David. I straightened my suit and tipped the driver before turning and walking toward the doors. As I approached, I attempted to walk right past him, but he stepped in front of me and smiled .

“Good morning, David,” I said, looking down at my watch. “Out here harassing people on the corner like a hobo again ?”

“Cute,” he said, grimacing. “You think you are so smart. Look, I’m here to talk to you about something you are going to think is really important .”

“All right, I’ll bite. Give it to me .”

“Not here,” he said like a crazy person. “Come have breakfast with me .”

I sighed deeply and shook my head. I didn’t have time for whatever stupid game it was that he was playing. I could tell he had something he really wanted to talk to me about, but going to breakfast with him was just a waste of time. His threats were weak, and I was really exhausted with fighting back against him. There was nothing he had to tell me that I had any interest in listening to. At least, that was what I thought .

I pushed past him and chuckled, watching his face grow angry. I walked toward the doors, contemplating sending security out to handle him, but I figured it was a waste of company dollars. As I reached for the door, I stopped upon hearing the words he yelled out over the crowd .

“You sure about that, Derek? It’s about Skye .”

I whirled around and looked at his snide smirk, anger growing in my belly. I walked quickly toward him, grabbed him by the collar, and pushed him backward. Just like the coward he was, he put his hands up in the air and couldn’t look me in the eyes .

“Calm down,” he said .

“Never speak her name,” I growled. “Do you understand me ?”

“Sure, sure,” he said as I let go. “I suggest you come to breakfast with me, though .”

I stood there staring at him angrily before nodding my head, agreeing to hear him out. We made our way down to a small diner off the beaten path and grabbed a booth at the back. I didn’t order anything. I just sat and stared at him as he talked to the waitress. I would give him another couple minutes before picking him up and tossing him out into the street .

“No appetite?” he asked .

I reached across the table and grabbed him by the tie, pulling his face down against the table. He looked up at me in a panic as I stared him angrily in the eyes. He reached up and grabbed my wrist, not breaking eye contact .

“You might want to let go,” he said .

“What do you want?” I let go of his tie and watched as he loosened it, irritation on his face .

“I want you to reinstate me,” he said, sipping his coffee .

“And why the hell would I do that ?”

“Because if you don’t, then I’m going to go to your bestie, Spencer, and let him know you are fucking his daughter behind his back,” he replied. “Oh, and the media for good measure .”

“You fucking little worm,” I replied. “Do you know how many people’s lives you will ruin with that information ?”

“I don’t give a fuck,” he whispered. “You ruined my life when you decided it was a good idea to go to the board behind my back and get me kicked out .”

“I don’t get it,” I said, leaning back. “You have all the money you will ever need. Why do you want the job back? You never did anything with it when you had it .”

“Because it is rightfully mine,” he said, gritting his teeth. “And I’m tired of watching you get all the glory for a company that was started by both of us. You need someone to give you shit from time to time, and that someone is most definitely going to be me .”

The waitress walked over and placed the food and ticket down in front of David, smiling at him sweetly. He picked up his fork and started to eat, glancing up at me every now and again. He was enjoying watching me sweat, and I had to admit, he might have just had me over a barrel. He took a deep breath and sipped his coffee, that same smirk leaking out across his mouth .

“You will never get away with this,” I said angrily .

“Does that mean it’s a yes ?”

“Hell no,” I said. “You aren’t going to run my life .”

“All right,” he said, shrugging his shoulders and picking up his phone. He dialed a number and put it on speaker phone .

“This is Elizabeth at the New York Times,” the voice on the other end said .

“Yes, I have an exclusive story about a famous business owner and his very young lover,” he said .

I sighed and reached forward, ending the call. He smiled at me and went back to eating, occasionally glancing up at me again. I stood up from the booth and buttoned my jacket, staring down at him. I pulled some cash from my wallet and threw it on the table to cover the bill .

“I’m not saying yes yet,” I said. “I need to think about it .”

“Fine. No problem,” he said, chuckling. “I will meet you back here at the same time next week for your decision. If you don’t show, I call them back immediately .”

I nodded angrily and walked out the door and down the street. I was livid, and I wanted to go back there and beat the ever-loving shit out of David, but I knew that was not a good idea. The last thing I needed was a story about me beating him up for no apparent reason at the same time the media was latching onto me for dating someone half my age. I hated being threatened and backed into a corner. And I hated having people invested in my personal life. Skye had become one of the most important people in my life, and there was no way I was going to let some disgusting pig wedge his way between us. At the same time, I had to think about everyone involved in this scenario. They all had something to lose from David coming out to the press .

I walked down the street and then stopped, turned, and walked through an alley. I stood in front of a dumpster and punched it as hard as I could, screaming out in anger. I never felt this unguarded and helpless to make a change. Even if I decided to let David come back, I couldn’t make that decision without the board’s approval. I shook my hand and bent over, grasping my knees and trying to get my heartbeat to slow. I was going to get David, no matter how all this turned out. He’d just made an enemy of me, and he had no idea what that meant for him .