Infuriated, yes, that was how she felt. In the mirrored interior, her displeasure was clear upon her face and reflected in her eyes. Lacey had never been so infuriated by a single person in her life. He was the most egotistical, arrogant, manipulative, and outrageous man she had ever known. These were the words that rang in her head as she rode the private elevator to the penthouse apartment in an exclusive district in upstate Green Grove, New York.
The 'he' was Daniel Robert Mitchell Desai. He was part of the Desai family, the owners of one of the country's largest acquisitions companies (Marrick Industries). They owned businesses in real estate, oil, and land conservation. That family was also known for their philanthropic work around the world. Like all families, there were those who were upstanding, wonderful members like Cole Desai Worthington, Lacey's friend, and the living co-founder William Robert Desai. Likewise, the recently deceased co-founder Eli Daniel Desai, had been one of the "good" family members.
Then, there was the other side of the family tree: the scoundrels. The scoundrels were Vikram Robert Desai and Charlie Desai McBride (adopted but scoundrel blood still ran through his veins and Lacey could not stand him). To be fair, there were a few family members who skewed in the middle between saintly and downright rotten. Those were the ones often caught in the cross-hairs of the politics of this complex family. These members were either born within or married to the family: Karen Mitchell Desai, Naomi Desai McBride, and Teresa "Tara" Elaine Desai.
While they could unite and defend themselves against any external threats, that family thrived on playing games amongst themselves. Internal corporate escapades (that seemed unnecessary to Lacey) were often considered a 'rite of passage' or healthy competition to this group. The family relished on competition to keep the members driven - always hungry for the next accomplishment. While this trait was instrumental to becoming a leading, highly-recognized conglomerate, Lacey wondered about the ultimate cost to the Desai family. At any rate, Lacey always tried to keep her nose out of those family politics. 'Just do your job, mind your own business, and stay out of the fray' had been her constant motto early on when she joined the company three years ago.
This was why she was incensed that she had been used as a pawn in one of those inane Desai internal competitions. She fumed "I bet he isn't even sorry that he involved me in this stupid bet. I'm just his senior analyst, always at his beck and call, to exist only at his bidding. Well, I have had enough of his crap! He picked the wrong person to be thrown in the fire with him."
As she exited the elevator, her heels clicked rapidly against the grain of the corridor's floor, she hurried to the front of his residence. She didn't even ring his doorbell in courtesy. She used the key he had given her two years ago for the times she would assist him in his state-of-the-art home office. Such instances were when he worked on some highly confidential project or else for emergencies - aka errand runs to his penthouse – as if she didn't have enough 'real' work). Again, these were more examples that he thought very little of her time and her life – just to be readily available whenever he deemed a selfish need.
She knew he would be home. She had heard his executive administrative assistant tell another assistant that at the latest family function, Danny drank several bottles of his mother's expensive champagne and then ended the evening with whiskey before someone dragged him home. She originally had no idea what cause Danny, normally a responsible drinker, to become intoxicated on that particular night. Sometime during that night, he had made a decision which would affect Lacey and his future at Marrick Industries. Luckily, Cole had informed Lacey of the bet which involved her, Danny, and Charlie.
Lacey stomped through the foyer of the penthouse, bypassing the spacious living room with its high ceiling and exquisite panoramic view of the city and Green Grove Pier in the distance. She continued past the kitchen area with black rhodium appliances, charcoal granite counters, a gorgeous onyx dining table, and accents of stainless steel throughout that area. As she passes by, she sarcastically thinks "I doubt he even cooks…probably just uses that room to impress the ladies as he wines and dines them with catered meals."
Lacey passes by the home office where she has spent countless hours working by his side faithfully whenever he needed her. "So much for loyalty from him…oh, he shows his appreciation monetarily but did he even consider my feelings when he made that bet last night?" Lacey knows that Danny Desai only thinks about winning. Heck, he was reared on being the best at everything. He doesn't fail very often. Even with his few losses, he has always managed to profit from those defeats eventually. Thus, she is perplexed why he would let Charlie goad him into this situation.
Finally, she arrives at the end of the corridor at his bedroom (or 'lair of iniquity'). Lacey mildly wonders how many countless victims have crossed this threshold with Danny anticipating a night of fantasies fulfilled only to encounter their visions of a future dreams dashed hours later. Lacey recalled the time when his admin assistant was sick two weeks with the flu and Lacey had to answer calls (when he could have hired a temporary). While most of the calls had been related to the deals on which Lacey was working, she had to deflect several calls from Danny's past conquests. "My job description doesn't include sending flowers and messages to assuage disappointed souls and broken hearts" Lacey mutters under her breath.
She flings open the door. She could care less if he sleeps nude or if he is entertaining another conquest. She is 'ready for bear' to yell at him for involving her in his games. The room is pitch-black thanks to the eclipse window coverings which blocked the rays of the warm sunny day outside. She relished drawing back all the curtains to the large floor to ceiling windows on one side of the room. "These windows for his voyeuristic escapades, I am sure, when he brings unsuspecting victims here at night" Lacey imagines aloud.
The light from the sun has exposed her young boss still asleep nestled in his California King bed with some pillows occupying the bed with him while others were strewn on the floor. Well, she sees he has no guest today in his bed. If she were honest, he made an arresting sight there in that bed. He looked like a dark angel as he slept on his back. His long hair was in a disheveled mess over a pillow with some hair falling over his face while one arm was thrown up covering the other side of his face.
Since his family owned the company, he was allowed to look as he pleased. While he always dressed professionally in the finest tailored designer suits, he often sported his hair pulled back in a hair tie forming a slick bun. Moreover, he wore a cartilage piercing in one ear (a sign of his rebel youth) and he often alternated between sporting groomed facial hair and being clean-shaven.
This morning, he had a deep stubble forming around his mouth and on part of his chin. She could definitely sympathize with what his conquests saw: dangerously handsome, successful, rich, charming with a quick wit, and yes, he had a nice muscled body. That body was exposed this morning showcasing nice pecs and biceps with hair sprinkled down the lower part of his stomach leading towards places hidden under the sheets (wait, what did that tattoo on his side say). Lacey read aloud those two lines of beautiful inked script " 'Buy the ticket…take the ride'." She sarcastically adds "Of course, he would have a tattoo like that…makes perfect sense to a player like him."
Lacey snapped herself out of the ogling…no, she was observing him in this undisturbed, vulnerable state…a state she had never seen of him. Lacey reminded herself "Lacey, you are mad, remember?" With that, she had an idea and she retraced herself to the kitchen and found something she wanted to use: a copper pan and a metal long-handled, heavy spoon. She returned to Danny's bedroom, she relished using that pan and spoon to illicit the loudest banging sounds she could made on them – all right into one of her boss' ears.
"What the f***?" Danny awakened startled by the loud sound while he clutched his head and quickly rolled to one side away from that offending sound. He turned back to look grumpily at the culprit who caused that noise. It was Lacey Porter, his beautiful, intelligent, and icy senior analyst. At first he is puzzled by appearance in his bedroom. "Lacey, what are you doing here?" He struggled to become more awake.
Lacey put down the pan and spoon on the bed. "Why did you do it?" she yelled.
Danny was still groggy and fell back on the bed while scrubbing his face with one hand. "Do what?"
"Don't even pretend ignorance. I know all about last night." Lacey would not be swayed by his obvious hangover.
"Lacey, whatever it is that you're made about, can we talk about this later today?" Danny just wanted to take something for this splitting headache and sleep late into the afternoon – at least until he felt functional.
"Get up!" Lacey demanded.
"Lacey…" Danny tried to speak.
"Get up, now!" Lacey pulled on Danny's arm to yank him out of bed while Danny resisted. The two struggled until Lacey fell on top of him. Both froze for a moment as they reacted to feeling their bodies pressed together in such a compromising position. Lacey also felt that Danny didn't have anything on underneath the sheet. Lacey looked into Danny's eyes which had widened as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. She could see something forming in those eyes (maybe lust) because she could feel that she was probably reflecting the same back to him. Lacey forced herself to remember she was angry and that he needed to be punished. He was also her boss…a boss her own age…but a boss nonetheless and she didn't need messy entanglements at work. Her sister had been the victim of one of those messy entanglements and Lacey wasn't going to repeat that pattern.
Lacey reacted first by detangling herself from Danny's form as she rose from the bed. "Get up" she repeated.
"I don't have anything on underneath this sheet. I am sure you are aware of that." Danny smirked.
Lacey looked around the room and spied a pair of pants. She grabbed them and threw them on the bed. She turned around as she stated "There. Now, get dressed because we have a discussion we need to have."
She heard the rustling of the bedcovers and the sound of him putting on the pants. "I'm decent" Danny signaled so that she could turn back around to face him.
When Lacey turned around, she saw that he was sitting down on the side of the bed with his head held in the palms of his hands with his elbows propped on his knees.
"Oh, now you don't….you need to pay attention to what I am saying."
"Lacey, could we talk later? I'm not in the best shape right now to listen to whatever it is that you think is important." Danny mumbled.
Maybe it was his statement that her thoughts may not warrant his attention this early in the morning. At any rate, she became more irked and a little crazy (she must admit) as she jerked his arm and yanked him towards his master bathroom.
Danny, very surprised at her behavior, was caught unaware and that was how Lacey was able to half-drag him to the bathroom. He was still fuzzy from the drinking last night and suffering from his headache as she pulled him into the shower stall. "Wake up so I can talk to you. I am so mad at you! How dare you do that and involve me in that mess with your cousin!" Lacey yelled these sentiments as she proceeding to turn on the water, grab the nozzle and fully spray Danny in the face and over his upper body as she continued to yell "Wake up!"
"I'm awake! S**t!" Danny yelled back.
Lacey, a little horrified at what she just did, but still upset, dropped the nozzle and said "Fine then. I will let you shower and get dressed. I will be waiting in your living room to discuss this ridiculous bet with your cousin in which you involved me." Lacey turned and walked out of Danny's sanctuary while she tried to collect her thoughts and calm down.
Danny was shocked at his ice queen's behavior. As he stood in the shower, he muttered "Well, well, who knew that there was that much fire underneath that ice. Interesting…"
DimplesValntina