AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Vivian couldn’t believe her luck. The sun was shining over the courtyard restaurant and she sat, feeling like a goddess in a new fitted floral dress, under a collection of shady palm trees. It was the hottest little eatery uptown right now, a place she’d just last week read about in the papers as being impossibly booked except for big names. The server was currently refilling her glass of chilled white wine as her companion peered over the menu.
“If you could please bring a round of the chef’s favorites today. Appetizer, entree, whatever he’s feeling like. I trust old Reggie,” Alexander said playfully with a wink. The server quietly disappeared. Oh, yes, Vivian felt very lucky. It wasn’t everyday that your gorgeous boss asked you out to lunch to discuss a “private project” and although she knew Alex was happily married, it was enough to admire his blonde tousled hair and tan skin from across the table. His green eyes glimmered and he smiled as he gestured around them. “Pretty neat spot, right? Do you like it?”
“Yes. It’s really beautiful. Very chic,” she replied with a feigned casual tone. Who was she kidding? She was a bit out of her element, usually preferring to cook delicious meals at home with the family recipes that had given her a full hourglass figure that had been described as “deliciously curvy.” His phone suddenly sounded off and he apologized profusely, running off to take whatever important business had arisen.
She took this time to study her reflection in the table centerpiece, a mod small sculpture that seemed to double as a decent mirror. Her dark brown hair fell down in elegant curls to frame her face and she thanked the stars that her new anti-humidity product was holding up against the summer heat. She brushed a finger over her full lips, which many a date had often complimented before over awkward dinner conversation. The “awkward” part was probably why she hadn’t been on a date in quite some time. Work had kept her busy and she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d put her lips to some good use. It’d sure be nice to kiss Alex, but hitting on a married man was not her style. She sighed softly and sipped her wine. The server popped by with a small selection of cheeses and bread, a portion that looked woefully pitiful but she was almost positive that small plates somehow equated to fancy in the restaurant world.
Alex came hurrying back to the table, running a hand through his hair with a flustered look of exasperation. She raised her eyebrows. “Is everything alright, sir?” She worked for Alex as his executive assistant. It was her job to make sure things in his corporate life ran smoothly for the family-run manufacturing company he headed. She hoped she hadn’t accidentally overlooked an appointment or letter, but she was confident in her work and always did a thorough job in every assignment.
“No, no,” he answered a bit hurriedly and took a swig of his water. Was he sweating? It wasn’t like her boss to be frazzled, even by business. He stole a bit of bread from the plate, but instead of eating it, he merely twisted it in his hands and bit his lip.
“Am I being fired?” the question escaped her mouth before she could stop it. She wanted to slap a hand over her face as her cheeks heated.
“God, no!” he exclaimed with such a strong tone that the three neighboring tables turned to stare. He smiled sheepishly at them and then leaned forward. “Vivian, I would never fire you. Nobody works like you do.”
“Oh, ok, that’s good,” she answered weakly, fiddling with the tablecloth near her lap. He cleared his throat.
“No, actually, this is because you work so well.”
“Um, a promotion?” She let the tablecloth drop from her fingers. The server topped off her wine.
“Well, yes, in a way. It’s a reassignment, actually.” He ran a hand through his hair again. “You get paid more though for certain compensation.”
Certain compensation? Her hand flew to her wine glass, sensing she might need it in a few seconds. It was very unlike Alex, beautiful and just turned thirty Alex with a beautiful wife, to be so worked up. She felt a pain in her stomach.
“Are you aware that I have a younger brother?” He asked. She nodded. Yes, of course. She often had heard various bits about Alex’s younger brother, who she thought was named Ben or Brad, through the office. He worked for another branch of the company and was usually abroad. Alex never talked about him though. Was that strange? She thought to herself, recalling that she pleasantly talked about her loving parents and two sisters to Alex in casual conversation.
“His name is Ben. He’s twenty-seven,” he explained. She calculated quickly in her brain. Three years older than me.
“Well, he's actually in charge of the company’s overseas branch. He typically works out of London, but he’s gotten into a bit of trouble over there…It’s hard to explain, but my brother, he’s a bit of a ladies man. Sort of. He just likes to play around, you know? It was fine when he was in college, but my family and I are getting a bit frustrated with his ways. He does his work well, but, well…Like I said, he’s gotten into some trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” She gripped her glass tighter. All kinds of scenes were running through her head. Drugs, trafficking, smuggling?
He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “He…well, he got into a bit of a spot. He sort of…messed around with a member of the royal family. Not anyone too major, but there were some pictures taken. My family hired a firm to handle the negotiation of the pictures and paid half a leg to get him out of that potential scandal. But, my dad, the head of the company, is very upset with him. Dad took him out of his position temporarily and is sending him over here.”
“So, you’re babysitting?” She asked with a pointed look. The corner of his lips angled up into a half-smile.
“Yes and he needs it, you know. He’s always been too smooth for his own good, but…”
“But, why would you have called me out to lunch if it wasn’t about something more than trying out tiny bits of cheese together?” She ventured. He nodded guiltily.
“This is why. You’re sharp as a tack. I hate to put this on you, Vivian, but you’re the only one I can trust. I don’t have time to clean up his messes right now. Adriana is pregnant. We just found out. She wants to go back and visit her family in France. Her grandfather isn’t very well, lung cancer, and she insists that we have to go now. We’ll be gone for two full weeks.”
Two full weeks of taking care of some womanizing, royalty chasing sleaze? It actually didn’t sound that bad, especially when Alex slid over a check. Her eyes bulged.
“Alex, there are too many zeroes on this.”
“Vivian, to be honest,” he reached out and touched her hand with a serious look, “no amount of money will prepare you for my brother. But, this is what my father feels is appropriate. If you survive, I’ll be sure to get you a bonus too at the end. You’ll be able to build a nice little nest egg after this babysitting job.”
Ok, ok. She pressed her lips together and smoothed her dress. It wasn’t that she couldn’t turn down the money, but she loved working for Alex. Surely, she could learn to work with someone who has similar genetic material, right?
“How bad could he be?” She asked with a small laugh. He opened his mouth and then suddenly jerked his head to look at something behind her. She felt a shiver run through her body and pressed her barely manicured nails into her thighs as her stomach tugged in excitement. As if enchanted by a spell, Vivian's head turned reflexively to gaze behind her.
“Hello, brother.” The voice was deep and rich like a fine wine spilling over
