Thank you for your continued interest and support. I appreciate it. I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Cocky Client.
MERCEDES...THE PUBLICIST
"Here is where you'll be free to bring your staff to the property for onsite staff meetings whenever necessary," Steven Evans said, as he showed me into a massive meeting space that was at least three times the size of our entire firm. "If you follow me across the hall, I'll show you our world class spa and fitness facility that you'll be free to use whenever you're here as well."
I smiled and tried my best to look like I was giving him my full attention, but all I could think about was Sam...
About how, when I first stepped into his office, I had to completely resist the urge to tell him to take me against his desk and fuck me again...
About how my panties were instantly wet the second he hit me with his smile...
And about how his jaw clenched when he realized I was going to reject his offer...
I had to... Despite the fact that the man was practically walking sex, his contract was nothing but red flags from the very first page.
And I knew the moment I read it over last night that there was no way I could agree to it.
Three million on the line or not.
"Do you have any questions for me, Miss Jones?" Stevie led me onto the elevator.
"Not at the moment," I said. "I really appreciate the tour."
"I'm glad to hear that." He took off his reading glasses and let out a breath. "I have to be honest with you for a minute, Miss Jones. I didn't have much faith in a small firm handling Sam well, and I figured you'd be out the door within minutes of meeting him. But before I walked in on you two, I had called around this city to get references from both your current and former clients. They all had nothing but great things to say, and a couple of your former ones even admitted that they regretted leaving you." He paused. "That said, I'm assuming you're looking to become a larger, full service firm in the future?"
"Yes, definitely."
"Good." He led me off the elevator and into the glittering lobby. Then he glanced at his phone. "I tell you what, Miss Jones. I'll draw up exactly what me and the board are going to need to see from Sam over the next ninety days, and then I'll send a temporary contract to you tonight. You can email and call me with your concerns at any time, but I'll need an answer about the job in a week. Fair?"
"Almost," I said honestly. "If you're going to insist on a temporary contract, we need to renegotiate the financial terms for tax purposes. He already paid us for the year, which I'll happily refund. I just don't want to keep more than what you're willing to pay for a shorter time."
"How much has he paid you?"
"Three million."
"That's it?" He looked offended. "We've spent more than that killing negative press. I'll double that for the ninety days."
"What?" I was certain I misheard him.
"I'll double it." He smiled. "I'll be sure to get the first draft of the contract to you tonight. My apologies for not being able to sit down with you anymore. I have to go put out another fire."
"I understand." I shook his hand. "Thank you for the tour, Mr. Evans."
"I'll accept your 'thank you' after you accept my offer."
He laughed and returned to the elevator.
When the doors opened, Sam stepped off and immediately stopped walking when his beautiful eyes met mine.
I tried to turn away from him and rush out of the building, but I couldn't will my feet to move.
He made his way over to me, giving me a look that made me wet all over again.
"I would say that I look forward to potentially working with you, Miss Jones," he said. "But that would be a goddamn lie."
"I feel the same, Mr. Evans." I ignored my frantic heartbeat. "I can admit that it was a pleasure seeing you again, though."
"It was a pleasure seeing you underneath me two nights ago," he said, his voice low. "And it'll certainly be a pleasure for me if that happens again."
"I can promise it won't."
"Then that's too bad," he said. "Because once again, I think you're lying to me. This time it's about not receiving my note." He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "I'd be more than happy to leave you another one..."
I stepped back once I realized I was on the verge of giving into him again.
"I hope you find whatever person you keep talking about, Mr. Evans. Have a great day."
I turned away and rushed out of the lobby before he could respond, realizing that new terms or not, the tension between us was going to make this job more than impossible.
Later that night, I sat on my couch with a glass of wine in hand, reading over the new terms for the umpteenth time.
The board of Evans International Estates & Realty only want me to complete three main things over the next ninety days...
One... A successful press tour for Sam without incident since he's the face of the company and everyone loves a changed man story.
Two... A strategic and public reveal about his private charity donations as behavior aside, Mr. Evans has donated over three hundred million dollars to various charities he holds dear over the past few years.
Three... An atonement style interview with one of the anchors at RMC-TV, for an incident that was thankfully never seen or revealed to the public, but an incident that has caused a huge strain between the company and one of their lead suppliers.
I was certain I could get Sam through a successful press tour... And even more certain that I could make sure every person in this city swooned over his impressive charity record... But I was confused about the atonement style interview.
I've asked every person on my team to see if they could find out more about the incident, but they've all come back to me with nothing but confusion.
Curious, I sent Stevie an email...
Subject: Atonement Interview
Good evening, Mr. Evans,
I've read over the contract thoroughly and I am close to making a decision, but would you mind giving me a bit more information on the incident you want Sam to be forgiven for? I was unable to find any information on this.
Mercedes
His response was immediate.
Subject: Re: Atonement Interview
Mercedes,
See the attached video and promptly delete it after viewing.
Steven Evans
With that, I clicked on the video and saw a grainy image of Sam standing in a green room. He was attaching a wired mic to his suit jacket, smiling as a female producer handed him a stack of notecards.
For three straight minutes, he simply nodded his head as the producer went over a few facts with him...
I was about to ask Stevie if he'd sent me the wrong video, when in the final thirty seconds of the clip, a man in a blue suit entered the room...
He extended his hand for a handshake, but Sam simply stared at him...
Then punched him in the face.
The tape ended as the man in the blue suit fell to the ground, just as Stevie sent me another email.
Subject: Re: Re: Atonement Interview
Mercedes,
The man Sam assaulted...i.e. the TV host who was supposed to interview him that day...is the son of BJ Brentwood, the CEO of Brentwood Bedding. They supply all our linens at every international property, and we begin negotiations for a renewal term soon. So, surely you can understand why Sam apologizing for what he did is key to defrosting our relationship with Brentwood.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Steven
I watched the video a few more times and did a quick info search on BJ Brentwood and his son. Then I looked over the final clauses in the contract once more, confirming that most of the terms were in my firm's favor.
"I don't understand why this is such a hard decision for you, Merce." Jake plopped down on the chair across from me. "They're offering to pay you double for half the work in half the time...all for one client. What part do you really need to think about?"
"The part where I've previously slept with this one client and there's an automatic termination clause in the contract for any fraternization."
"You only have to worry about that if you plan on sleeping with him again. And your first time together doesn't count." He set his beer on the table. "You don't want to sleep with him again, right?"
"Right."
The lie rushed out of my mouth.
"Well, problem solved. Besides, I highly doubt Sam Evans would continue to bring up the fact that you've had sex while you're working for him. Hell, given the fact that he really needs good PR right now, I'm willing to bet he'll be a complete professional."
I poured myself another glass of wine and steered clear of that line of conversation.
"You know, the terms of this contract are more than amazing, and six million is more than enough to keep my firm afloat for a long time. And with the money, I can even hire a few part time assistants and outsource some much needed research help for any incoming clients."
"Six million will also allow you to buy me a much-deserved Tesla for Christmas, so thank you in advance." Jake joked, but then his tone changed completely. "It would also help you get rid of a certain someone, sooner rather than later."
"Huh? A certain someone?" I shrugged. "Who are you talking about?"
"Did the two of you wipe off the bottom of your shoes before coming into the living room today?" Sondra stared at Jake with a panicked look on her face, wielding a tube of wipes.
"Yes." Jake uncapped another beer. "I'm pretty sure I did that, Sondra. I also sanitized my hands before grabbing my beers from the fridge and wiped down every surface I touched in the kitchen. Would you like me to start taking showers in your guest bathroom before sitting on the furniture as well?"
"Would you really do that?" She smiled. "That's amazing and so very thoughtful of you."
Jake shot me a "What the hell?" look and I immediately emailed Stevie...
Subject: Client Representation Offer
Mr. Evans,
I happily accept the terms of your offer and I can start ASAP.
Mercedes Jones
SAM...THE CLIENT
Subject: M. Jones & Associates
Sam,
Mercedes has graciously accepted our financial package in exchange for representing you for a limited time. She will officially begin this morning, so PLEASE try to make this work. With the date now set for the global initiative launch, we don't have room for any unwanted media attention.
In the interest of not repeating the same thing again, perhaps you should treat her to breakfast so you two can get on the same page and begin this partnership in a different way from all the others.
Steven
This partnership has already begun in a different way from all the others...
I wasn't sure how I was going to manage working with Mercedes at all, since simply catching sight of her in the lobby this morning was more than enough to get me aroused.
Shaking the thought of her away, I stepped off the elevator and headed straight to my office. I had enough work this week to keep me completely distracted...
For some reason my door wouldn't open... I swiped my keycard against the panel repeatedly, waiting for the light to turn green, but it only flashed an "access not granted" red.
Annoyed, I walked over to Lisa's desk...
"Lisa, do you know if IT reset all the key pads last night?"
She shook her head, not looking up at me.
"They didn't reset the pads."
"So, all of your keycards work?"
She nodded.
"Well, can I kindly borrow your emergency key to my office so I can get to work, please?"
"Well, I... It's kind of..." She stuttered, finally looking up. "I don't have it anymore."
"You lost it?"
"No, it was taken, and your keypad is the only one that's been reprogrammed." The words rushed out of her mouth. "I told her it was a bad idea and I didn't want to do it, but she insisted. She even threatened me."
"Who is she?"
Lisa didn't have to answer that question... Because right at that moment, Mercedes stepped off the elevator and walked over to us, her silver heels clacking against my marble floors with her every step.
"Good morning, Mr. Evans." She smiled at me. "It's good to see you here on time today. I've heard that you normally come into work two hours late."
"There's no such thing as late when I'm the goddamn CEO." I glared at her. "There also shouldn't be such a thing as getting fired on your first day, but you're pretty damn close right now. Reprogram my keypad and let me into my office. Now!"
"No!" She threw my glare right back at me. "I've talked to quite a few people in the building over the weekend. They all say that you immediately go to your office when you arrive and you hardly come out and personally talk to them."
"That's not a criminal offense, so reprogram my keypad and let me into my office. Now!"
"Even though my plan calls for us to fix your outer image for the public..." she continued talking. "I think it's quite necessary to work on your inner image as well. So, this morning and every morning for the next ninety days, you are going to personally greet the global department heads that work for you, before starting your day. You will also join me for interview preparations in the morning for at least one hour, and then and only then, will I allow you to retreat into your office."
"Did you just say you would allow me?"
"I don't believe I stuttered."
"Lisa," I said, keeping my eyes on Mercedes. "Could you please leave the floor so I can talk to Miss Jones privately?"
"I think you should stay right there, Lisa," Mercedes said. She crossed her arms. "Just in case I may need a witness."
"The only thing she'll be witnessing is the CEO putting his new publicist in her rightful place," I said.
"This new publicist has already signed a contract saying that her place is actually above the CEO for the next ninety days..."
"I don't give a fuck what that contract says!" I stepped closer to her. "I had no hand in writing it, so I'll have no hand in following it."
"You're going to do exactly what I say and how I say, or there are going to be some consequences."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, I'm warning you..."
Lisa stood to her feet, looking back and forth between the two of us, and then she rushed towards the elevators...
The second I heard the soft ping and the doors close, I spoke very slowly so Mercedes could perfectly understand who the hell she was dealing with.
"Miss Jones," I said, ignoring the fact that she looked sexy as fuck in her grey dress today. "You're going to let me into my office within the next ten seconds, or else."
"Or else, what?" She raised her voice. "Who's threatening who now?"
"Ten..." I started counting backwards, knowing damn well she would come to her senses before I reached one. "Nine..."
"Eight..." Her face was a dark red. "Seven... Six... Don't make me fucking continue..."
She stood completely still, not batting an eye.
"Five... Four..."
I hesitated on four. No other publicist has ever made me think of doing something as childish as this before. And they almost always gave in to my demands.
"Three... Two..."
She didn't move.
"One," I said, completely confused as to why she was still standing there.
"Are you ready to be an adult now, Mr. Evans?" She stepped closer to me. "Or, since you've made it to the end of your childish countdown, would you like to give me a punishment of some sort?"
I simply stared at her.
"Glad we could clear that up," she said. "Now, if you would like to follow me onto elevator so we can greet your department heads, I would greatly appreciate that. If not, I can have the IT team pull our encounter from the security cameras and show your board how you've treated me on my first day."
I glanced at the security camera above us and smiled. Then I stepped even closer to Mercedes, matching her step for step until her back was against the wall.
"First of all, even if you did ask the IT team to pull our current encounter from the cameras, there wouldn't be anything to see," I said. "And that's because by reprogramming my keypad behind my back, you've disabled the cameras. And the CEO is the only one who can reset them. They can't see a goddamn thing right now."
Her cheeks turned an even darker red.
"Mr. Evans..."
"Second of all..." I said, gently pressing my finger against her lips. "I'm not sure what type of game you're trying to play, but I want you to know that you will lose every time. Every. Single. Time."
"I've never lost, Mr. Evans." She bit my finger and I moved it. "And I don't consider my contract with your company as a game, but I'm willing to predict that you'll eventually give in and lose to me."
"Is that a bet?"
"It's a guarantee."
I covered her mouth with mine to prevent her from saying anything else, to finally alleviate the thick, sexual tension between us.
She murmured as I bit her bottom lip, making her briefly shut her eyes.
"This is why you shouldn't have locked me out of my office..." I felt her unbuckling my pants. "Now you'll have to settle for me fucking you in the hallway."
Pushing her dress up her waist, I admired the sight of her dark red lingerie.
"I didn't wear this for you..." she whispered, ducking her head.
"I'm sure you didn't." I spun her around so she was facing the wall, kissing the back of her neck. "You won't need them for much longer anyway."
At that, I pushed her panties to the side and slipped a finger deep inside her wet pussy, groaning as she let out a soft murmur.
I pulled a condom out of my back pocket, but the sound of the elevator stopping on the floor broke my focus...
Mercedes gasped and I turned her around, smoothing her dress back over her thighs before adjusting my pants.
"There you two are!" Stevie walked toward us, smiling. "I heard the CEO is about to start doing daily greeting tours for the department heads who work their asses off for him. Is that true?"
"Yes..." I was still upset about this, near-sex with Mercedes or not. "Yes, that is very true."
"Great! Well, if you two don't mind, can I join you?"
"Absolutely!" we said in unison, and we did our best to avoid looking at each other for the rest of the day.
Broken record I know, but I didn't read over.
Season's Greetings!
Stay safe!