Damon Read online

  When she came back with the card and the receipt, she looked away as she gave it to me.

  “I’m so, so sorry. Please don’t report me. I don’t want to get hell on earth from my boss again,” she insisted.

  I scoffed.

  “You were reported? For that mistake? Damn, I’m sorry,” I said.

  After all, it was just one mishap. I wasn’t sure why it warranted someone reporting her.

  She flushed, and then she nodded.

  “I should probably get back to work. I hope you have a good day,” she said.

  “Indeed. Oh, here’s the receipt,” I said.

  I slid it back to her and gave her a wry smile.

  “Don’t get too hung up on things. I’m not mad at you, and I never was. You shouldn’t let anyone get you down,” I told her.

  Before she could say anything else, I walked out of the café and back to my office.

  Chapter 4—Amber

  When I grabbed the receipt, the first thing I noticed was the tip amount.

  I almost lost it. A forty dollar tip for a small coffee? What the hell was this? I wanted to say something, but I also knew that letting Patrick know about this could incite jealousy in him, or something worse.

  I knew he was already on edge from when I’d turned him down earlier in the week.

  Still, this wasn’t what I thought would ever happen. Damon was a nice guy, but I expected him to just take his coffee and leave.

  Then I noticed the name at the bottom, the little message, and the number.

  I figured right now wasn’t a good time to talk. If you want, I can treat you to dinner tonight. I’ll be outside at six. Just text me when you’re done.

  I felt my knees wobble and my heart thudded heavily.

  I quickly put the number into my phone and then sent him a quick hello. I clarified who I was, and that I’d love to meet him for dinner later.

  A million questions popped into my head, with the main one being: why me?

  It was probably because he saw me as a nice girl. Regardless, I still couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his head.

  Did he like me as much as I thought he did? I wanted to imagine so, but I couldn’t be sure.

  That one moment completely made my day. I was so happy that this was my off day from school, which meant that I could spend time with him without feeling guilty or distracted. If I had been forced to choose between the two, it certainly wouldn’t be easy. Damon was a nice guy, but I also didn’t want to forego my studies.

  After I finished with the next few orders, I felt like a different person. I noticed that Patrick kept glaring at me, and I simply smiled in response.

  “What’s got you so happy?”

  “Oh, nothing. I’m meeting up with someone after work today. It’s for a big project,” I said.

  “I see. So, you’re fine meeting up with other people, but I guess you don’t want to get dinner with me any time soon,” he said.

  I felt bad for Patrick. He was a nice guy, but totally not my type. He was too awkward, and honestly, he didn’t have that draw that I felt when I looked at Damon. It wasn’t just because Damon was attractive, or that he happened to be a billionaire CEO, there was something else about him that drew me in. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it yet.

  I was about to form some words in response, but Patrick sighed.

  “Whatever, I’m sorry for bringing it up. I guess I misread the situation,” he said.

  He stepped away, and I felt a bit sad. I didn’t want him to feel guilty for harboring feelings for me. Plus, even if something did end up happening between Damon and I, it would probably be limited by our positions in the company. I figured that the offer to spend time with him would be more of a business opportunity than anything else.

  After my shift, I noticed that Patrick left quickly. There was some obvious disdain there, but at the end of the day, it was up to him to figure out his own feelings.

  I followed the instructions on the receipt and waited outside of the building. I saw Damon standing near the corner of the building. He was obscured by the darkness of the alleyway, as if he was blending in with the wall.

  “There you are,” I said.

  “Oh, hi,” he replied.

  We turned towards one another, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact. As he motioned for me to follow him, I suddenly understood that he didn’t do things like this all too often. We walked down a few alleyways until we made it to a small restaurant. As we entered the restaurant, a man began speaking in Italian to Damon, who responded without hesitation. The man sat us near a window, and as we got comfortable, we looked at one another. My heart pounded with anticipation.

  “Wow. I didn’t know you spoke Italian,” I said.

  “It’s thanks to my parents; they were born and raised in Italy. I came here when I was 10, but I still retained much of the language.”

  “Maybe one day you can teach me a few words,” I teased.

  “For you, I’d teach you everything I know,” he purred.

  The way he spoke to me in such a powerful, but somehow casual manner was so arousing. I knew he was just doing this to be nice, but I certainly wasn’t expecting him to have this kind of impression on me.

  “I see. Well, uh, coming here was interesting,” I said.

  “Yeah, I wanted to get to know you, but I can’t do that at the office. Right now, I’m dealing with someone who unfortunately can’t take a damn hint. I don’t know why she keeps pining for me,” he said.

  “I gotta ask though...why? You could have your pick of the litter. Why me?” I asked.

  “I don’t really know, Amber. I don’t want to sound like a moron, but I really don’t know. For some reason, that day when the coffee spilled on me, your gorgeous face made me so nervous. You captured my attention and had me at loss for words.”

  “Please continue,” I answered.

  The truth is, Amber, I like you. You seem different, and honestly, I like different. Plus, for a woman named Amber, your hair certainly suits you. It radiates the beauty of a beautiful ruby,” he said.

  I blushed.

  “You’re so smooth with the compliments.”

  He smiled, giving me a seductive look that sent chills down my spine.

  I didn’t think that I was that different, besides being a workaholic college student. Maybe that’s what he was looking for?

  “So, have you worked at the company’s cafeteria for long?” he asked.

  “Yeah, to help with the bills and such. I also go to school, too,” I said.

  “Really? For what? I don’t blame you for getting an education, but that seems like a lot,” he asked.

  I tensed, feeling his eyes on my own, an expressive interest behind them. It was strange; this was the nicest anyone had ever been towards me regarding my interests and studies. Not even my own mother expressed this much of an interest in me.

  “Well, I study graphic design and communications. I’m trying to go for that nice, high salary job, or maybe even my own company one day,” I said.

  He scoffed, and I looked at him with a slightly affronted glance.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

  “If you needed extra money so badly, I could’ve helped. I’m not a charity, but you seem to be a hardworking employee,” he offered.

  “You’d do that?”

  “Is the Pope Catholic? Of course! Just because I’m the CEO doesn’t mean I don’t care about others. In fact, I’ve been looking for someone to help with some tasks around the office.

  I nodded incredulously. Was he serious? I was just a café worker. Usually CEOs didn’t give people like me the time of day, much less a job.

  “That would be amazing,” I said.

  “I wouldn’t mind taking you on as an intern, either. I’ll see what I can work out. Would you be willing to send me a trial piece or something? Just to see what you’re capable of,” he asked.

  I paused, not believing this was rea
l. Why was this billionaire even here, in this seedy Italian restaurant, asking me for my samples? It felt like I had been nominated for some sort of award. I nodded, not thinking twice about anything but the end goal.

  “Is there a place I can send you my samples?” I asked.

  “I’ll text you my email address. You can contact me anytime. If I don’t answer, it’s because I’m in a meeting,” he explained.

  I stared deeply into his eyes. “Damon, what do you suppose will happen if I do get to work with you? Why me? There must be a million other graphic designers who would give anything to intern at Grant’s Design.”

  “Well, Amber, I don’t really know how to say this...” he said, turning away slightly.

  “It’s okay, I won’t judge you,” I said softly.

  “The thing is, the first time we met, there was just something about you. Everyone at the company, even my friends, are always on my ass about me meeting someone. They’re constantly telling me to find someone to settle down with, to share my life with. I know we’ve only just met, but I see something in you. I don’t know what it is, but I know I want to work with you. I want to get close to you, to get to know you better,” Damon said hurriedly.

  My eyebrows lifted. I could genuinely relate. After all, he worked so goddamn much that he probably wouldn’t have any time left in the day for dating, let alone something as serious as a family.

  “I totally understand. I figure you’re under a lot of pressure. If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m around. I can’t really talk during work hours, but I’ll text you during classes and stuff,” I said.

  “Oh, geez. Thank you, I appreciate that. If you need a raise or something to help with bills, I can help,” he said.

  “You don’t have to do that—”

  He put his index finger to his lips, silencing me.

  “It’ll be our little secret. I know how to take care of the system so you can get what you need. I’ll give you a nice little tip,” he said with a smile on his face.

  I felt like there was something else in those words. It was more than just a “tip,” that was for sure. He was giving me so much, and yet, I wanted to take it all.

  I couldn’t believe this. Here he was, an attractive man, bailing my ass out. And for what? I was slightly shocked by everything that was happening here, but at the same time, it strangely made sense.

  “Thanks,” I blushed.

  “You’re most welcome. Anyways, let’s get some food. We can talk while we eat,” he said.

  To my surprise, talking to Damon wasn’t any different from talking to my own friends. We actually got along a lot better than I thought we would. Damon talked to me about his personal life, and he seemed more down to earth than most people. I definitely wasn’t regretting my decision to meet him for dinner.

  I was having better conversations with him than I’d ever had with Patrick. Damon and I got along well, and I liked that a lot about him. After we finished dinner, he turned to me with a smile on his face. He threaded his hands through his dark brown hair, his green eyes gazing into my own.

  “I had a wonderful time tonight, Amber,” he said.

  I blushed, then nodded.

  “Thank you, me too.”

  As we were about to part, I felt Damon’s hand grab mine. I moved my body around, only to be embraced by him. I stood there for a second as shock settled through me, and I hugged him back.

  I could feel his manhood rising like the sun. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. He let his hands move through my hair, and as he held me close to him, my entire body was suddenly covered with goosebumps. I felt heat and excitement rise between my legs as his manhood straightened like an arrow ready to shoot. Everything was so unreal, and he smelled utterly amazing. I could stay here forever, holding him and inhaling his scent.

  I was shell-shocked by everything that was happening. There was something refreshing about all of this, and in that moment, I wanted Damon so badly.

  When he pulled away, he looked me in the eyes, with a serious look on his face.

  “If only you knew what was going through my mind,” he told me.

  I chuckled, knowing quite well what he meant. “Why don’t you tell me?” I replied.

  He smiled. “I will, but not tonight.”

  As we exited the restaurant, he gripped my waist. His hands felt warm, and I wanted nothing more than for them to be all over my body.

  “I hope you have a good evening, Amber,” he said.

  Oh... I will have a good evening.

  As soon as I arrived home, I quickly uploaded the samples to the email address that Damon had given to me. For some reason, I felt more inspired than ever to get through my work. After all, if I did get a better job, I wouldn’t have to take as many hours at the café. I could also finally make a name for myself in the process.

  I could only hope that this would work.

  Chapter 5—Damon

  I had finally figured out what had been missing from my interactions with others. It was that down-to-earth feeling that Amber had about her.

  I had felt so strongly about this feeling that when I went back home and found her samples in my email inbox, I immediately contacted her and told her that I wanted her on the team. I would make her the lead graphic designer for all of the company’s logos.

  I didn’t have anyone doing that currently, other than Lisa. Amber’s work was far better than anything I had ever seen Lisa do. I decided to hire Amber officially, even though I could already tell this would upset Lisa.

  After entering the hiring invoice into the system, I heard a knock at the door.

  “Come in,” I said.

  Lisa sauntered in, placing a piece of paper on the desk in front of me.

  “What the hell is this?” she asked.

  “It’s a notice for a new position, for a graphic designer,” I explained.

  “Yes, but why? I thought I was good enough for the job,” she asked.

  I could see the frustration in her eyes, and I sighed.

  “Sorry, I just wanted to find someone who could handle the workload. You don’t need to overwork yourself. Plus, you’ve been busy with meetings. I figured a new graphic designer for the company would be important,” I explained.

  I could see her fighting the urge to argue with me, but she shut herself up.

  “Fine, I see,” she simply said.

  “I’m just trying to ease the workload, you know?” I explained.

  She looked at me with a wry glance, and then nodded.

  “Well, thanks for caring, Damon. By the way, Gabriel called again. He asked if you were still coming to the gala, and if you were bringing someone. You know, I could help and—”

  “No, thanks. You’ve done enough,” I simply said.

  The annoyance plastered on her face said everything. She didn’t like hearing the word “no,” and while I felt bad for her, I was still the one in charge.

  I was also somewhat afraid of commitment. I knew that far too many people had their eyes on me, which meant that I didn’t have any room for mistakes. But I also knew that if I didn’t live the life that I wanted for myself, I would never truly be happy. I sent Lisa to process the hiring request, much to her dismay, and I put my head in my hands.

  I knew that the clock was ticking. I couldn’t keep holding back my feelings.

  I texted Amber to see if she wanted to hang out after work. I wanted to drive her to a place where we could just talk.

  She responded with a text saying “ok!”, followed by a smiley face.

  When I talked to Amber, I felt a strange sense of happiness. She always seemed to know how to keep my attention and to make me curious.

  After a few hours, I headed out of the office. I noticed a note on the door from Lisa. It was a simple “call me” message, followed by her number.

  I crumpled it. I didn’t like Lisa like that. Whenever I was around her, I always felt like everything was one-sided. It was different with Amber, thoug
h. With Amber, I felt like there was something more.

  As I made my way down the stairs, I bumped into someone. He looked familiar, and when I stared at him, he grimaced.

  “Watch where you’re going,” he snapped.

  “Sorry, my mistake,” I said.

  “Yeah, I figured. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. Typical,” he muttered.

  I didn’t understand what his problem was. I was about to say something back to him when the little punk spoke again.

  “You’re the one Amber likes, right? Well back off. She doesn’t need someone like you around. You’ll give her the wrong idea, that she has a chance in hell with a guy like you,” the guy said.

  “What’s your problem—”

  Before I could say anything, he was gone. I felt insulted, but I also didn’t understand the meaning behind his words. What sort of problem could he possibly have with me?

  Was he seeing Amber? I didn’t think so. Amber didn’t mention having a boyfriend. I made my way down to the café, noticing that Amber was there finishing up. I motioned toward the doorway and went out to my car. As I sat in the car waiting for her, I tried to process the interaction that had just occurred.

  The man had displayed a significant hatred for me for some reason, and I didn’t know why.

  After about fifteen minutes, Amber knocked on the car door. I opened it and let her in.

  “Sorry, I had to clean up,” she explained.

  “No, it’s fine. By the way, there was some guy who came up to me in the stairwell earlier. He was incredibly charming and told me to stop talking to you,” I stated.

  I figured it probably was nothing, but Amber’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “What did he look like? If you don’t mind me asking,” she stated.

  “Short black hair, blue eyes, with kind of a youthful face,” I replied.

  There was a pause, and then she sighed.

  “That’s Patrick. He’s this guy at work that keeps trying to ask me out, and I keep turning him down. I guess he found out that I like you and all, and he’s jealous. I wouldn’t be too worried or anything,” she explained.