Ryan held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean it like that, Hunter. It’s just we had to go through a lot to get this distribution deal in Europe and I wanted this to go off well."
I gaped at the both of them. "Well, lucky for you, I can do my job without fake marrying my assistant."
Ryan scowled. Kellie stood and took his hand, giving me a cheery smile that she soon gave to Ryan as well. "Maybe we should go. He can figure this all out."
"Yes, you should go and let me do my job." I waved my hands, shooing them out of my office.
I was relieved when they both turned and headed towards the door. Ryan exited before Kellie, but she turned back to look at me. "You know you should talk to my sister, Natalie. She's very artistic. Plus, I'm sure she could use the opportunity to expand her portfolio."
I gave Kellie a nod and said thank you, and then watched as she left my office shutting the door. I considered what she'd said. I met Natilie briefly at the wedding. She definitely was the artistic type. In fact, upon first introduction, I sort of regretted having brought a plus-one with me to their wedding in Thailand. Natalie was a looker, just like her sister, but in a very different way. She had her sister’s same round slate-gray eyes, and high rosey cheekbones. Kellie had long wavy brunette hair, but Natalie had a head of short wild curls that were some shade of purple. It should've looked ridiculous, but it hadn't. Natalie's mouth wasn’t quite as wide, but her lips had that perfect cupid bow shape making them perfect for cocksucking. The final difference was that whereas Kellie was more professional and tailored in her dress, Natalie wore wildly colorful clothes that were usually baggy, except during the wedding where she wore a dress that hugged her body like it was painted on. In fact, it was the image of her in that dress with this Cupid bow lips that got me off that night when I was fucking my plus - one date. See I was an asshole.
I considered Kellie’s idea for a moment, but then when I remembered how I fantasized about Natalie, I knew it wouldn't be wise to bring her on staff. I was a strong man, but I also was smart enough to know that I needed to stay away from temptation. I had a powerful libido that sometimes got the best of me. I kept in check by following strict rules, such as only one woman one night. Another important rule was to never hire anybody that I wanted to fuck.
2
Natalie
I finished putting on my eyeliner and stood back looking at the end result. I looked like a million bucks, I thought as I grinned at myself. I put my eyeliner away and ran my fingers through my thick large curls. They looked a bit wild, but it actually took a little effort to make them look like this.
I was excited for my date tonight. It was only my third date with Stephen, but the first two dates had gone so well I was eager to see where things went between us. He was sweet and smart and interesting. I'd been nervous about finding a date through a dating app, and to be honest, I was not quite sure why I signed up. I wasn't the type of woman to think she needed a man to complete her life. But now that my sister was married, it was a little lonely here in the apartment all by myself. And while yes I had girlfriends I could hang out with, seeing my sister Kellie and her husband Ryan, I supposed I had a longing for a love in my life as well.
Ryan was the perfect guy and I wanted to find one just like him. He had three brothers, but as far as I could tell, none of them were like him. Hunter was basically a horndog fucking any and every woman he came in contact with. At least that was what the gossip was. His other brother, Carter, I couldn't get a good read on, but he seemed too stuffy for me, so he was out. Noah could be interesting. He was the wild child, the black sheep of the family. But Kellie said Andi warned her about him, and didn’t think he was a good choice, so all the other Strong men were out. Hence signing up for a dating app and meeting Stephen.
If things went well tonight, maybe he'd bring me home and we could take this relationship to the next logical step. It had been a long time since I'd been touched by a man, and longer still since I’d been touched by one who really knew what he was doing. Stephen seemed to have confidence in all areas of his life, so surely he must be confident in bed as well.
I gave myself a glance in the full-length mirror at my ensemble. The slinky dress that highlighted my assets without showing too much skin, the cat eye makeup and my wanton curls. If Stephen couldn’t take a hint, he was going to be a lost cause.
I was just spritzing on some perfume when my phone rang with my sister’s ringtone. I picked it up and poked the answer button.
"Hey Nat, how are you doing?" Kellie's voice came through the line.
"You're interrupting my date prep routine."
She laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to let you know that there's an opening in the marketing department at Strong Incorporated that I thought you'd be perfect for."
I rolled my eyes. Sometimes my older sister could be like my mother, always trying to get me into a real job. "You know I'm not a corporate type." I was the epitome of the free spirit. Putting me in an office setting would be like trying to shove a round peg into a square hole.
"Yes, I know that, but this is a lead artist position that would have a lot of creative freedom. Plus it pays well."
Resentment bubbled up at my sister. I knew she meant well and was looking out for me, but I didn’t like that she was highlighting my financial insecurity. I wasn't making a living on my art yet and my job as a part-time barista didn't support me either. Now that Kellie moved out and was living with her husband, I couldn't afford the rent on our apartment, and I hadn’t been eager to find a new roommate. That meant, Ryan was paying the part of the rent I couldn’t afford. As much as I appreciated both of them and their support, I hated that I needed their help. He'd been nice enough to describe the situation as his being a patron of the arts and that I was to pay him in artwork, but we
all knew what it was. Kellie's little sis couldn't support herself.
"I’ll think about it," I said.
She let out a sigh like she didn't believe that I would. But in truth I was going to think about it. No, I wasn't a corporate type, but having a job that would allow me to support myself would be nice and I owed it to Kellie and Ryan to at least make an effort. Plus it could be something I could put on my portfolio, so it could be of benefit in the future. At the very least I could apply. It's quite possible I wouldn't get the job. While many corporate companies needed people who were artistic, they didn't usually like to hire people who were free spirits with purple hair. So I could submit an application and maybe I'd even get an interview, but when I didn't get the job I could at least say I tried.
"I'll submit my application tomorrow. I promise. Now go have fun with your husband so I can go have fun on my date."
Kellie laughed. "You've got a deal."
I met Stephen at the restaurant at the appointed time. As usual, he was already there. He smiled in that sexy way he did, and gave me a kiss on the cheek as we were led to our table.
"So, did you paint any naked people today?" he asked after he gave the maître d' our drink order.
I waved my hand dismissively. "You know, when you've seen one dick, you’ve seen them all," I said, joking.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "You think so?"