“You’re worrying me,” he says, a finger tapping on the oak desk. “Let’s hear it.”
Instead of saying anything else, I simply pull out my phone, and begin to play the audio.
By the end of it, Dad’s face is tomato-red, and I know he’s feeling murderous. “This is unbelievable. The most shameful thing our family has ever been through.” He pushes himself out of his seat, hanging his head and taking a few deep breaths before announcing, “I’m going to speak to our PR director. Just stay here until I’m done, alright?”
With a small nod, I say, “Um, okay.”
It takes a long time. Longer than I would have thought, but I don’t feel comfortable getting up, or even touching my phone until he returns. What I have revealed is the epitome of a bombshell, and I don’t want to even give off a hint of possibly tampering with anything.
Finally, Dad returns with Greg, the PR director, in tow. Both men look grim and serious, and I sit up quickly when they enter the room, back ramrod straight.
Greg sits across from me, putting his fingertips together and sighing. “Look, Elise, I know that you didn’t want to speak at the shareholders’ meeting, but this new revelation makes me think that we’d all benefit from you having a more active role.”
My stomach drops. I know that, in the future, I will be more responsible for things like speaking engagements, but this is only my first few months with the company. The idea of speaking at the shareholders’ meeting with people that have been involved with the company for years… even decades… is daunting.
“Greg, I really don’t—”
“Elise,” Dad interposes, stopping me in the middle of my sentence. “We want you to tell the truth about everything you just showed us. It will take so much heat off of Karl and the company as a whole. It will prove that the only reason that Patricia went forward was because of money, not because she felt like she was a true victim.”
He’s right, I know that he’s right, but I also know that it will be the end of any hope I have of fixing things between my brother and me if he gets to know what I did.
“Will the media be there?” I ask immediately.
“Of course,” Greg answers with pride in his tone. “That speech will catch their attention and help the company’s and Karl’s reputations very smoothly.”
“Oh gosh, I don’t know…”
“Dear,” Dad insists, his hand lying on top of mine. “I’d be very grateful if you did this for us.”
Fuck! If the media broadcasts my speech there’s no way my brother won’t get to know about it. I have to choose between him and the company, and in this moment, I just can’t make the call, so to escape I straighten my shoulders and nod.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
7
Amsterdam, April 26, 2022
Dan
Here,alone in the darkness of my bedroom with Jessica I can lose myself for some time, and what a delicious distraction it is. She writhes under my hands, breathing in sighs and sounds of pleasure in the brief moments that my mouth separates from hers.
Jessica’s clever hands unbutton my shirt, sliding it down my arms before skating her palms over my bare chest. I break out in goosebumps, letting her press me backward onto the bed until she’s straddling me, grinding herself against me.
“I’ve missed this,” she purrs, between kisses. “You’ve been so busy, I feel like you never have time for me anymore.”
I grab her hips, pulling her down harder. “I’m here with you now, though, can’t you tell?”
She grins wickedly, feeling my hard length underneath her body. “I can.”
I push my hands up her shirt, but right before I can go any further there is a hesitant knock at the door.
“Mr. O’Brian?” my maid says from outside the room.
“Whaaaat?” I groan.
“Ms. Van den Bosch is downstairs in the foyer demanding to speak with you. I tried to tell her you were…otherwise busy, but she wouldn’t leave. What would you like me to do?”
What a shit show. Jessica, hot and needy on top of me, and Elise, my secret obsession, both vying for my attention at the same time. My body screams for me to stay here in the soft bed with the equally soft woman on top of me, but my heart is pulling me in another direction. What if Elise is in some sort of trouble? What if she needs me?