Текст книги "Something About Lorelei"
Автор книги: Sandi Lynn
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Something About Lorelei
Sandi Lynn
Something About Lorelei
Copyright © 2015 Sandi Lynn
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used factitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Photo & Cover Design by: Sara Eirew @ Sara Eirew Photography
Models: Vincent Moreau & Marie-Lise Therrien
Editing by B.Z. Hercules
Books by Sandi Lynn
If you haven’t already done so, please check out my books. They are filled with heartwarming love stories, some with millionaires, and some with just regular everyday people who find love when they least expect it.
Millionaires:
The Forever Series (Forever Black, Forever You, Forever Us, Being Julia, Collin, A Forever Family)
Love, Lust & A Millionaire (Wyatt Brothers, Book 1)
Love, Lust & Liam (Wyatt Brothers, Book 2)
His Proposed Deal
Lie Next To Me (A Millionaire’s Love, Book 1)
When I Lie with You ( A Millionaire’s Love, Book 2)
A Love Called Simon
Then You Happened
The Seduction of Alex Parker
Second Chance Love:
Remembering You
She Writes Love
Love In Between (Love Series, Book 1)
The Upside of Love (Love Series, Book 2)
Acknowledgements
To my romance readers and to everyone who has found their Prince Charming.
Table of Contents
Books by Sandi Lynn
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Epilogue
About the Author
Chapter One
Jack
“Have you found someone yet?” I asked my friend and Human Resources Director, Garrett.
He took a seat across from my desk and sighed. “Not yet. Your reputation sucks, Jack. You go through personal assistants faster than I can change my underwear.”
I shrugged. “It’s not my fault you hire incompetent women who can’t do a simple task.”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “The women I hire are more than capable of fulfilling the tasks necessary for the job. It’s you who scares them off. Amber was in my office a few days ago crying her eyes out because you were so mean to her. You told her that if she didn’t correct the mistake she made, you were going to bury her alive. You can’t say shit like that, Jack. Are you looking to get sued?”
I picked up my coffee mug, sipped from it, and chuckled. “My thought is if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. I’m a perfectionist and I want things done right. If these women can’t do exactly as I say, then to hell with them. Why is it so hard to understand a simple task?”
“People make mistakes, Jack. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
“There’s no room for error in this business. My mother never put up with it and neither will I. Now find me someone competent, quick. I hate using Coco’s secretary because she’s not any better than the last employees that have worked for me. I pay these people well. More than the average industry pays, and I expect them to do a good job.”
He shook his head as he got up from his seat. “Will anyone ever do a good job in your eyes?”
I shrugged. “Probably not.”
“Fine. I’ll go find your next victim.” He sighed as he walked out of my office.
I chuckled because that was exactly what my previous personal assistants were. Every time I’d walk past their desks, they’d cower and look down in fear. I loved that control over them. But if they had done their jobs correctly in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to be so mean.
As I was looking over the magazine layout for approval, my sister Coco walked in.
“Franny tells me you have her running around town doing your personal errands,” she spoke in irritation.
“Good morning to you too, sis.”
“I’m not having a good morning, so let’s hash this out now. Just because you’re a dick to your PAs and force them to quit, it doesn’t give you the right to use my secretary for your own personal satisfaction. She is one of the best ones I’ve had in a long time and I’m not going to lose her because of your pompous ass.”
“Calm down. I won’t let her quit. I’m just really busy and I need her to pick up a few things for me. I promise if you let me use her until Garrett finds me a new personal assistant, I’ll be as sweet as pie to her. So does this bad morning have anything to do with Joshua?” I asked with the hopes that she broke it off with that asshole.
“Maybe.” She looked down. “He didn’t come home last night.”
“Where the hell was he?” I asked as I leaned back in my chair.
“I asked him that this morning when he finally decided to walk through the door. He said that he fell asleep on the couch at his office.”
“Do you believe him?” I scowled.
“A part of me does. He’s been working long hours and I know he’s really stressed about making partner at the law firm.”
I waved my hand in front of my face. “Believe what you will, sis. You’ve known my feelings about him from day one. He’s no good for you. He’s a cheater, a liar, and a scum-sucking moron who continually hurts you.”
“Hmph. Sounds like someone else I know.” She glared at me.
“That wasn’t nice and I have never hurt you. I tell you like I see it so you’ll wake up and realize that you’re making a mistake by staying with him.”
“Face it, Jack. You’ll never approve of anyone I date. You never have.”
“True. So you need to stop picking the wrong guys.” I smirked.
Rolling her eyes, she walked out of my office.
I loved my sister and all I wanted was for her to be happy. She wasn’t happy with Joshua, as much as she tried to convince herself she was. She was a beautiful woman who stood five foot eight inches tall with long brown hair and big brown eyes. She was slender and fit and could have any guy she wanted. So why the hell was she settling for Joshua? The man was a lawyer and as crooked as they came. I knew for a fact he cheated on her because I saw him once coming out of a hotel room with another woman. I threatened his life after I punched him and he begged me not to tell Coco. He told me that he loved her, but they were having problems and he made a mistake. I gave him one chance and he knew never to cross me again.
As for me, I didn’t get involved in relationships. They never worked and they weren’t worth the hassle of the fights, jealousy, and anger. My mother was a prime example of that after she married and divorced her sixth husband. Women to me were merely toys. They were meant to be played with for my own personal pleasure and, when I was done playing, they got tossed to the side. They knew exactly what they were getting into by getting into bed with me. Some cared, some didn’t. Those who didn’t got fucked by me more than the ones who cared.
Chapter Two
Lorelei
“Now it’s time for you to go to sleep. You have school in the morning.” I smiled as I tapped Hope on the nose.
“One more story, Mommy. Please,” she whined.
“Story time is over for tonight, baby.” I leaned down and kissed her head. “Go to sleep and when you wake up, I’ll have chocolate chip pancakes waiting for you.”
“Okay.” She smiled. “I love you. Good night.”
“I love you too, baby. Good night.”
I got up from her bed, turned off the light, and pulled her door, leaving it open a crack. I poured myself a glass of wine and took it over to the couch, where I opened up my laptop and began searching again for a job.
It had been two months since I lost my job at Praline Inc. The company was going under and they had to cut expenses; me being one of those expenses. My bank account was drained and I had to borrow the rent money from my mom and Nick. I felt bad asking them because they had done so much for me over the past seven years since Hope was born. I was holding my own for the past couple of years until this sudden layoff occurred. I hadn’t been able to find a job since because the fashion industry was flooded with people who had the same ideas I did. As I was looking online, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Stella.
“Hello,” I answered.
“I found something that you might be interested in,” she spoke in excitement.
“Oh? What?”
“A girl I work with was saying that there was an opening for a PA job over at Sutton Magazine.”
“Seriously? Why haven’t I seen that online?”
“It just became available a couple of days ago. Maybe they haven’t posted it yet.”
“How does she know this?” I asked.
“A friend of hers is one of the secretaries there and told her that the last PA just up and walked out without any notice or anything. I guess the guy is a real asshole to work for.”
“I don’t care about that. I need a job now. I had to ask my mom and Nick if I could borrow money to pay the rent.”
“Shit. I know that must have been hard for you. You should have asked me. I would have lent it to you.”
“Thanks, and I know you would have, but I didn’t want to ask. You know I try to do everything on my own.”
“I know you do, sweetie. Here’s the number to Sutton Magazine. Call their Human Resources department tomorrow and see what happens.”
“I will. Thank you, Stella.”
“You’re welcome and if you need anything, you better call me.”
“I will. I’ll talk to you later.”
Stella Bay and I had been best friends since we were ten years old and pulled each other’s hair on the playground in elementary school. It was hate at first sight, but then after the principal of our school made us sit down and talk to each other, we hadn’t left each other’s side since. Stella became like a second daughter to my mom and she spent a lot of time at our house since her father was an abusive alcoholic. He passed away a few years ago from liver failure and she didn’t even attend his funeral. She said if she had, she would have spit on his grave. As soon as we graduated high school, she attended NYU, worked two jobs, paid her own tuition, lived on campus, and had been on her own ever since. Until she met Sebastian, the love of her life who appeared three years ago and rescued her. She had the kind of love I once had, which was quickly taken away from me at the age of eighteen. Then, a new love of my life appeared; my daughter, Hope. She was everything to me and my life revolved around her and her only.
****
The next morning, after dropping Hope off at school, I decided to head to Sutton Magazine in person rather than calling them on the phone. As I stepped into the large building, the nice man at the door smiled at me.
“How may I help you, miss?”
“I’m looking for Sutton Magazine. Their human resources department, to be exact.”
“Take the elevator up to the tenth floor. That’s where Human Resources is located.”
“Thank you.” I smiled as I walked towards the elevator.
Stepping off onto the tenth floor, I opened the door that was labeled “Human Resources” and stepped inside. When I walked over to the redhead who sported some really tight curls, she smiled.
“How may I help you?”
“I’m here to inquire about the personal assistant job that is available.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked.
“No. A friend of mine told me that there was an opening, so I thought I would come down here and apply in person.”
“I’m sorry—” She blankly stared at me.
“Lorelei Flynn.”
“I’m sorry, Lorelei, but you must call for an appointment. We don’t take walk-ins.”
Suddenly, a man appeared and shoved a file inside the filing cabinet. “What’s going on here, Amanda?” he asked.
“This woman was inquiring about the personal assistant job and I told her she has to call and make an appointment.”
“I see.” He smiled as he stared at me. “Did you just walk in here?”
“Yes. I thought maybe I could apply in person. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.” I began to walk away and he stopped me.
“Wait. Lorelei, correct?”
“Yes.” I turned around.
“Come with me. I’ll have you fill out an application and then I’ll interview you. Since you’re already here, why have you come back?” He winked.
“Thank you, sir.”
He held out his hand. I shook it. “I’m Garrett Sullivan. Amanda, get the application and bring it to my office. “Follow me, Lorelei.”
I followed him down the long hallway and into his office.
“Please have a seat at the table and as soon as Amanda brings in the application, you can fill it out.”
“I appreciate this, Mr. Sullivan. It really means a lot.”
“No problem, and you can call me Garrett.”
The redhead named Amanda walked in and handed me the application and a pen. Garrett took a seat behind his desk while I filled it out. Once I was finished, I got up from my chair and handed it to him.
“Have a seat, please.” He motioned for me to sit across from him.
He studied my application for a few moments before speaking. Garrett Sullivan was a handsome-looking man. He stood about six feet tall with short blonde hair and green eyes. He looked to be in his early thirties and he was dressed in a nicely tailored dark blue suit. There was something about him that made me feel comfortable.
“What exactly did you do over at Praline?” he asked with a smile.
“I was the administrative secretary. I did just about everything.”
“How organized are you?”
“I’m a bit OCD when it comes to organization.”
“Are you a perfectionist?” He smirked.
“My mom says I am. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a perfectionist,” I spoke as I reached over and straightened the Statue of Liberty paperweight that sat on his desk.
The grin on his face grew wide. “You studied fashion design at Parsons?”
“Yes. I love fashion and I love to design clothes.”
“And you were working as an administrative assistant. Why?”
“I had to drop out of Parsons because my daughter got sick and I needed to be with her at all times.”
“You have a daughter?”
“Yes, she’s seven. Her name is Hope.”
“I hope she’s better now,” he spoke.
“She is. That was a couple of years ago. I wanted to go back to Parsons, but I had lost my scholarship when I left. I’m a single mom and every penny counts when you’re raising a kid.”
“I understand. You’re twenty-five, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to be blunt here, Lorelei. This job is working for Jack Sutton, CEO of Sutton Magazine. You seem like a great woman with a good head on your shoulders and it seems you’ve had to grow up quick. I’m not sure Mr. Sutton is the right person for you to be working for.”
“Mr.—Garrett, I’ve heard about Mr. Sutton and, to be honest, he doesn’t scare me. I’m not a weak and frail girl. Like you said, I had to grow up quick since I had my daughter at eighteen. I only want what’s best for her and, right now, I’m in desperate need of a job. It’s been two months and my bank account is nearly depleted.”
“You live in Harlem, which is forty-five minutes away. You’d have to be here by eight a.m. and your shift would end at five p.m. with an hour lunch. Would that be possible for you with a daughter?”
“I would do whatever I had to do to make sure my daughter was taken care of. So to answer your question, yes, it would be possible. In a perfect world, I’d love to be able to stay home and devote every single minute to my daughter, but we don’t live in a perfect world, do we? So I have to do whatever I have to in order to give Hope everything she needs.”
He studied me for a few moments before speaking. “I’m sure you get child support from Hope’s father. That should help some.”
I gently smiled at him. “Hope doesn’t have a father. He was killed in a car accident before she was born.”
He looked down and then back up at me with pity. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” I looked down at my sweaty palms.
“You’re hired, Lorelei.”
My eyes darted up at him with excitement. “Thank you. Thank you very much, Garrett!” I exclaimed.
“You’re welcome. Listen, I’m going to give you a separate monthly check for cab fare. It’s for your own good. Trust me. If you take the subway in, you’ll probably end up being late. This is between me and you, and Mr. Sutton is not to know.”
“I promise I won’t tell him. That’s very kind of you.”
“Good. Can you start tomorrow? He’s really anxious to have a personal assistant again.”
“Yes. Tomorrow will be perfect.” I smiled as I got up from my seat and shook his hand.
Chapter Three
Jack
I met Garrett at Ai Fiori on Fifth Avenue for dinner. When I walked in, he was already seated in a booth.
“So what is this urgent dinner about?” I asked as I sat down.
“I’ve hired you a personal assistant and she starts tomorrow.”
“Excellent. Maybe I should have met her first before you hired her. Your track record isn’t very good.” I smirked.
A waitress with a low cut black top and perky tits walked over. “May I start you off with a drink?” She smiled.
She may start me off with something, but a drink wasn’t what I had in mind. “Yes. I’ll have a scotch on the rocks, please.”
“Coming right up, sir.”
I looked at Garrett as he began to speak. “My track record is just fine. It’s you, Jack, that has the problem.”
I sighed. “You do know that if we hadn’t been best friends since the third grade, I would have fired you by now.”
He rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle. “I’m sure you would have. But to let you know, if we hadn’t been best friends since the third grade, I would have quit.”
“Touché, my friend.”
The perky tits waitress set my drink down in front of me and proceeded to take our dinner order.
“So tell me about my next victim.” I smiled.
“Her name is Lorelei Flynn and she has exceptional organizational skills. She even straightened the paperweight on my desk.”
“Oh. I think I like her already. Is she hot?”
He cocked his head at me with a glare. I smiled. “She’s a very attractive woman.”
“How old is she?”
“She’s twenty-five. Why?”
I shrugged. “No reason. Twenty-five is good. Is there a husband or a boyfriend?”
“I know she’s not married. As for a boyfriend, I have no clue. Why are you asking?”
“Because I don’t need some asshole coming after me when I send her home in uncontrollable tears like two PAs ago.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be such a dick.” He smirked.
“Can’t be helped. It’s in my nature.” I held up my glass.
“Actually, it’s not in your nature. I knew you when you weren’t such a dick.”
****
After having dinner with Garrett, I arrived at my penthouse and poured myself a drink. I was feeling stressed from the day and needed to unwind. I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to Adriane.
“Can you come over?”
“Sure. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
Adriane was my go-to girl when I needed last-minute sex. She was the type that didn’t care and she was always looking for a good time. I went upstairs to my bedroom and opened the drawer in my nightstand making sure I had condoms. I was down to two and I needed to get some more ASAP. I heard the elevator ding, so I walked downstairs as she stepped off.
“Good evening. Thank you for coming on such short notice.” I smiled.
“My pleasure, Jack. But we have to talk about something after.”
Uh-oh. I didn’t like the sound of that and, instantly, she killed my mood.
“You just killed my mood, Adriane. What’s up?”
She walked over to me and began unbuttoning my shirt, running her finger down my chest.
“Sex first. Talk later.” Her lips brushed against mine.
I needed to know what she wanted to talk about because I was afraid she wanted something from me. Fear swept through my body, making an erection impossible.
“Sorry, Adriane. You killed it. You need to tell me what you want to talk about.”
She sighed. “Fine. I’ve started seeing someone and I think I really like him. So after tonight, we can’t do this anymore as long as I’m with him.”
I shook my head. “Wait. You’ve met someone and you still came here? Why?”
“I don’t know. One last good fuck with you for old time’s sake.”
I had one rule that I always stood by. Never fuck another man’s girl. And if I fucked her tonight, I’d be breaking my rule and I wasn’t about to do that no matter how much I wanted sex.
“Sorry, Adriane. If you’re with someone, we can’t. I thought you weren’t into relationships,” I spoke and walked over to the bar and poured us each a scotch.
As I handed her the glass, she spoke, “I’m not. I mean, I wasn’t, but Riley came along and sort of swept me off my feet, I guess you could say. He’s a good man and I really like him.”
“If you really liked him, you wouldn’t be here wanting to fuck me now, would you?”
“I’m confused, Jack. Maybe I was using you as the opportunity to see what my true feelings for Riley really are.”
“Thanks a lot, Adriane.” I smirked.
She threw back her drink and handed me the glass. “Have a good night, Jack. I’ll see you around some time.”
“You too. I hope things work out with the two of you.”
“Thanks.” She threw me a smile as she stepped on the elevator.
I sighed and threw back my scotch. “Looks like it’s just me, you, and porn tonight,” I spoke as I looked down at my cock.
****
Lorelei
After I left Sutton Magazine, I headed to my mom’s house to tell her about the job.
“Hi, honey.” She smiled as she kissed my cheek. “I just put on a fresh pot of coffee and I made an apple pie.”
“Sounds good, Mom.”
I followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the table.
“So what brings you by?”
“I got a job.”
“Oh, Lorelei, that’s wonderful. Where?”
“Sutton Magazine. Full-time, more money than I made at Praline, and I even get health benefits.”
“Congratulations. I’m so happy for you. Are you going to need help with Hope?”
I looked down because asking them for help was so hard for me. “I think so. I have to be there at eight o’clock and I don’t get off until five. I can put her in latch key in the mornings before school, but I was wondering if you could pick her up after school.”
“Of course I can, honey. That’s the perk of working from home. I can set my own hours.” She smiled.
“Wish I could.”
She set a cup of coffee and a slice of apple pie down in front of me. “You will someday.”
My emotions were running at an all-time high because the past two months with Hope had been the best and it was going to be hard being away from her again.
“Listen, Lorelei.” My mom placed her hand on mine. “You are an excellent mother and Hope knows that. She understands you have to work hard to give her everything she needs.”
“I know she does, but I still feel guilty.”
“I know you do because I felt guilty too leaving you when I had to work. But you turned out just fine and so will Hope. She has a loving family that will take care of her.”
After finishing my coffee and pie, I had to leave to go pick up Hope from school.
“Maybe with this pay increase, I can find an apartment closer to my job and to you.”
“I still wish you’d move in with me and Nick.”
“I can’t, Mom. Hope and I need our own place.”
She walked over and gave me a hug. “I know you do and I’m very proud of you.”
****
I stood outside the doors of Hope’s classroom, waiting for school to let out. As soon as the bell rang, the doors opened and a flood of children emerged. Hope saw me and ran into my arms.
“Hey, pumpkin.” I kissed the top of her head. “How was school today?”
“It was good. How was your day?”
“It was good and I’ll tell you all about it over pizza.” I smiled.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
We walked hand in hand to our favorite pizza place and took a seat at a small round table. After placing our order, I looked into the happy eyes of my daughter.
“I got a job today.”
“You did?!”
“Yes. I start work tomorrow, and you’re going to have to go to latch key in the mornings before school starts, but Grandma will be there to pick you up every day after school. How do you feel about that, baby?”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind going to latch key. Addison goes to latch key in the morning and she says it’s fun.”
“You’ll have to start getting up earlier because I can’t be late for this job. I don’t have the flexibility like I did over at Praline.”
“Stop worrying so much, Mommy. I’ll be fine.” She grinned.
The one thing about Hope was that she was really smart for her age. But she was just a child and I didn’t want her worrying or growing up too fast. I heard my phone ringing in my purse. It was Stella, so I answered it.
“Hello.”
“Sorry I missed your call earlier. I was in meetings all day discussing a new shoe line.”
“That’s okay. Can you come over later?”
“Sure. I’ll be over after six. Sound good?”
“Six is great. I’ll see you then.”
“Hi, Aunt Stella!” Hope voiced over the table.
“Tell that sweetie pie ‘hi’ and I’ll see her soon.”
“I will. See you soon.” Click.
Our pizza was finally ready and I took a slice and placed it on Hope’s plate.
“Why don’t you date?” she asked out of the clear blue.
I looked at her in surprise because she had never asked me that before.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“I don’t know. Addison’s mom started seeing someone and Addison really likes him. I just want you to know that I wouldn’t mind if you started seeing someone.”
It felt like a hurricane ripped through me when she said that. The thought of dating terrified me and it was something I hadn’t even thought of since Brett. He was the love of my life and I couldn’t see anyone ever replacing him.
“I haven’t met anyone worth dating, I guess,” I spoke as I stared into her baby blue eyes.
“I don’t think you try.”
“That’s because you’re all I need.” I smiled.
“Maybe you should try a dating site. That’s where Addison’s mom met her boyfriend.”
I was floored at this conversation my seven-year-old daughter was having with me.
“Okay. Enough talk about that. Let’s start eating our dinner so we can be home in time for when Auntie Stella comes over.”
