her. “Bring him in when he gets here.” With a quick spin, I walk into my office, and just like she said, my coffee is on my desk along with the paperwork needed for today.
Not long later, the client arrives, and Jacinta laughs at something he says before they sit. I keep my eyes off her while she sits there and takes notes, and when we’re finished, she stands and escorts him to the door with her hand on his shoulder as she giggles. Dammit! I have to remember not to call her out. To act professionally. But when she continues to walk with him, I call her back. She says goodbye, and when she returns, the smile that was on her face is still there.
“What can I do for you, sir?”
“Stop trying to fuck my clients for one?”
Her smile falls and fast. “What did you just say?” Her hand goes directly to her hip.
I get out from behind my desk and walk over to her. “Did I stutter?”
“Beckham.”
We both turn at my name being called. Archie walks in, and he smiles at me, and when his eyes fall to Jacinta, I see the glint of admiration in them. He likes what he sees.
“Do you not know how to knock?” I ask.
Jacinta’s eyes go wide, and she pastes a welcoming expression on her face, playing it off when Archie looks at her.
“No, not when I pay you what I do. Now, where the fuck is my money?”
“Where you left it! In the bank, in a trust account. How much have you fucking smoked today?”
“I’ll just head out,” Jacinta says quietly while pointing to the door.
“No need, sweetheart. I’m just here to pull his balls. Someone needs to since it seems the only people who like to give him a taste of his own medicine are his sisters. Everyone else is too scared to tell him how it is.” Archie smirks.
Archie and I went to school together. Our lives took different paths, mine on the straight and narrow, Archie’s not so much. Archie’s mother went bankrupt after we finished school, and while I was drowning in my own pain, Archie decided to create his own business.
Boosting and selling stolen cars.
He’s good at it too.
Among other things, I’m sure.
“She can leave,” I snap at Jacinta, Archie doesn’t get to say if she stays or not.
“Yes, yes, I will. Seems you don’t need me for the rest of the day since you seem to think I have ulterior motives anyway. I’ll be on my way. Have a good day, sir.” Jacinta goes to leave, but I catch her before she can, my hand circling her wrist. She’s angry from my earlier comment, I like it.
She pulls it back, and her eyes zoom in on me. “Don’t you fucking touch me again,” she says with venom coating her tongue.
“You didn’t seem to complain last weekend,” I reply with a smirk. “Speaking of that—” She puts her hand up in front of my face, effectively halting where I was going. “No, we shall not speak of that. That is the last thing I ever want to think about again. Good day, Beckham. I’ll see you tomorrow when you decide to come to work with a bit less attitude.” She stalks off, and I hear laughter behind me. Archie is sitting in a seat in front of my desk with a cigar to his lips and smoke drifting up like billowing clouds, one leg crossed over his knee.
“I like her,” he says. “Keep that one around.”
“Did you simply come here to annoy me?”
“No, I’m your next client. You would know that fact if you bothered to check your itinerary.”
Shit, I forgot to check my client list.
Jacinta takes care of it, but for some reason, I didn’t check the list she left on my desk this morning as meetings were one after the other. Usually, Jacinta lets me know, but I guess with everything happening, she either forgot or was so angry she didn’t care.
“So, who’s the hottie, and have you fucked her yet?” Archie is smiling, and his eyes are sparkling with mischief.
“Fuck off.”
“Oh, so you did.” He rubs his hands together. “Mixing business with pleasure. Never thought I would see the day.” The laughter is deafening, and his whole body is shaking with the power he has put behind it. He is, of course, laughing at my expense.
“This is something you’re familiar with?” I question, knowing full well how many personal assistants he has lost