I did initially consider interrupting Marvin and his date, but like all good books, the whole “show not tell” notion popped into my head. It was then I decided I was better off showing Ava that Marvin is a dawg rather than telling her. After a quick word to Isaac, requesting him to grant Marvin and his date access to his capacity-filled club, I headed back to Rochdale.
All my best laid intentions flew out the window when Ava opened her front door in nothing but a teeny tiny and completely hideous-looking bath towel. I didn’t even attempt to put up a fight when my brain signaled for my eyes to run the length of her barely covered body not once, but twice.
It was a battle I was never going to win, so why fight it? Ava was wet, exposed, and had a doe-eyed look of innocence that forced X-rated thoughts to run through my mind quicker than I could process them. After a stern reprimand to myself that Ava wasn’t some tail I was chasing for the night, my initial game plan kicked back into gear. I may have selected the shortest dress Ava had in her wardrobe for her to wear, but that wasn’t just for my benefit. That was to show Marvin exactly what he lost by fooling around.
I tried to keep my eyes off Ava’s legs for the five-mile trip from her apartment to Primal, but they incessantly peered down to the generous portions of skin displayed on her smooth caramel thighs. I couldn’t help it; I am a man, and Ava has a stellar pair of legs that would only look better if they were wrapped around my head.
I plop into the leather chair across from Isaac and rest my ankle on my opposite knee. “What’s your surveillance like in this club?”
Isaac leans back in his chair. “Lacking. That’s why I’m knee-deep in negotiations to secure a manager of operations. Once I get him to stop pussy-footing around and sign on the dotted line, I’ll have him organize new state of the art surveillance to be installed in all six of my clubs.”
My deep chuckle bounces off the walls of his well-designed office. That manager of operations he is referring to – that’s me. The only reason I haven’t “signed on the dotted line” is because the final negotiation of my salary has yet to be discussed.
Although Isaac has advised on numerous occasions that I'll be well compensated if I become a member of his empire, until I see a dollar amount written down, my signature will remain void on the 100+ page employee contract my advisor (aka Jorgie) is still combing through.
Isaac arches his brow. “Why, what were you after on the security tapes?”
“I figured since Ava missed the opportunity to see Marvin as the dawg he is in person, showing her on tape might be just as effective.”
Isaac shakes his head. “I disagree. Seeing it for herself is one thing, but you forcing Ava to see it, that’s just going to cause you trouble.”
My brows meet my hairline. “I’m not the one who pretended I had to work and then went out to sharpen my pencil with another lady’s sharpener. How could this cause me any trouble?”
My brows become lost in my hair when Isaac’s deep chuckle bellows through my ears. This is the first time I’ve heard his true laugh.
“There are two people in the world, Hugo,” Isaac says once his laughter dies down. “Healers and hurters. You, my friend, are a healer.”
He runs his index finger across his brow when he spots the odd expression on my face. “When Ava discovers what Marvin is up to, you will help her get back on her feet. Until then, you have to wait.”
“What if she never finds out?”
Isaac’s brow arches high into the air. “Give her some credit. She is a woman. They are very perceptive. For all you know, she could already be aware of his indiscretions.”
My eyes follow Isaac as he stands from the chair. “Now, unless you are planning on signing on the dotted line, get the fuck out of my office. Some of us actually have to work for a living.”
From the neutral expression on his face, I can’t tell if he is being serious or not. Not wanting to push the boundaries of our newly developed bro-bond, I stand from my chair and make my way to the door. Just before I exit, I crank my neck to peer at Isaac. When he senses my presence, he stops ruffling through the papers on his desk and lifts his dark gray eyes to mine.
“Write a figure on a piece of paper. Any figure. I don’t care how much it is. Just write it down and I’ll sign the contract.”
When someone hands you a golden ticket, you should grasp it with both hands, not make the ticket manufacturer jump through hoops to prove its authenticity.
Music blasts my eardrums when I exit Isaac’s soundproof office. When I lift my gaze, the first thing I see is Ava’s bright smile. My lips curl when her head flies back and laughter spills out.
Although I can’t hear her laugh over the thumping music blaring out of the speakers, I can recall how angelic it sounds. Ava has a beautiful laugh, the type that shreds straight through to my soul. When I was younger, anytime I would hear it, my good intentions would waver. Tonight is no different.
I pop my head back into Isaac’s office. “Can we change our meeting tomorrow morning to the afternoon?”
His brow arches high.
“She’s just a friend,” I say, my tone as unconvincing as the grin twitching my lips.
His gray eyes bore into mine. “Friends don’t want to shred off other friend’s panties.”
“Who said I was going to shred them? I’m more a pull them to the side type of guy,” I reply with a saucy wink.
I just set a new record. I’ve made Isaac smirk more the past ten minutes than I have the entire time I’ve known him.
“Although no official documents have been signed, I'm happy to accept your verbal confirmation on joining my empire. But with me returning to Ravenshoe tomorrow morning, the finer details of our agreement will need to wait until I return.”
