Playing With Power - Book 2: New Adult Office Romance Read online

  “I like you,” he said. “You remind me of my first ex-wife.”

  “I’m not sure how to take that. Is that a good thing?” Lauren sipped her drink.

  “Sure is. She left me but I never stopped loving her. She was my high school sweetheart. We got married before we even graduated college, if you can believe that, but we divorced only a few years later.” Something in his expression led her to ask why. “See, even at eighteen I knew she was the love of my life. There wasn’t a more perfect woman for me in the whole world but Cathy...naw, she wasn’t meant to be anyone’s wife,” his gray eyes growing wistful.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You gotta understand, this was the late 70’s. People were all mixed up from all the drugs and fighting. The ink wasn’t even dry on our divorce papers before she was on a plane to Europe, traveling around by herself. A year later, I heard she was working in an Indian orphanage Mother Teresa had started. Five years later, she was working for the UN doing humanitarian work in Ethiopia.”

  “That’s incredible! Did she ever come back? Do you still talk to her?”

  “I ran into her once back home, at a grocery store or the mall, can’t remember. She didn’t recognize me at first but I knew it was her instantly. She was still so beautiful. Her face had aged but her eyes sparkled the same. I’d heard everything she’d been up to through mutual friends and it was nice enough to see her again. Don’t think she ever got remarried, which I always took as a compliment. At least she didn’t leave me for some other guy!”

  “I have to ask...in what way am I like her?” Lauren asked hesitantly.

  Paul considered her for a long moment, as if carefully picking his words. “I think sometimes you meet people and you get a sense they’re destined for great things. Cathy was never going to be happy tied down; she was pure momentum. I can see that in you.” It was one of the oddest and most perfect compliments she’d ever received. Before she had time to process it Paul continued. “Say, you didn’t tell me how know Landon? I know he goes out to New York for business every once in a while, is that where you met?”

  “Actually, we just met yesterday at a conference.” A small bubble of nerves cropped up in her stomach.

  “Oh really?” Paul said, his eyebrows rising. “Huh.”

  “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” she replied playfully.

  “Thing is, I’ve known Landon for a long time. Known him since he was a kid, actually. Hell, after his parents split he spent more time with me than his father.” Lauren’s apprehension grew. For the first time it occurred to her that Paul wasn’t just an acquaintance at a barbecue; he was important to Landon. “In all that time, as far as I know, the only people invited to this house here are close friends and family.”

  “Well, he’s interested in the company I work for,” she suggested, the explanation feeling weak even as she said it.

  “Could be...but I don’t think he’s been looking over here every couple minutes because he sees an investment opportunity.” Lauren glanced across the pool and caught Landon’s eye. He smiled and gestured, asking if she needed another drink. She shook her head and blushed. “Aw, now I’ve gone and made you all self-conscious. I’m sorry, darling. Don’t mind me, I don’t know when to keep my mouth shut.”

  “No no, I’m fine. I feel even more honored that he invited us up here. I’ve never been someplace so beautiful.”

  “Lauren!” Ali called out from the doorway. “Do you want to play a doubles match? Dane needs a paddling.”

  “Go on,” Paul said. “I haven’t quite had my quota of hot dogs yet. I think I’ll get that cook there to fire a couple up for me. It was a pleasure talking with you, Lauren.”

  “You too,” she replied. As nice as Paul was, she breathed a sigh of relief as she walked away. Was he really watching us talk? Ugh, I can’t figure out what he actually wants!

  Several hours later, the sun below the horizon and the stars emerging, the party gathered for the fireworks launched from the valley below. Watching from so far up the mountain, they seemed to burst at eye level. The water-weary children were eating bowls of ice cream, oohing and ahhing with each pop of color. Lauren and Ali sat on the edge of the pool and dangled their legs in the water.

  “Better than a rooftop in Manhattan, eh?” Ali asked nudging her shoulder.

  “Oh gee, I don’t know. There is something about waiting hours in line to pay for overpriced drinks in an over crowded bar I do enjoy.” She paused as a burst of glittering gold fell from the sky. “Today was a good day. I complain enough about the bad ones; I need to acknowledge the good ones too.”

  “Awesome day. Day for the record books.”

  They watched the fireworks in content silence and soon after the finale, Landon’s guests began to leave. Carrying drowsy kids to their car or burdened with armfuls of leftover potato salad, most of the party left quickly.

  Lauren was busy collecting bottles from around the pool when Paul came over to say goodbye.

  “Best of luck back in the city. Make sure you let me know when your brother applies to Cornell. I’ve got friends there and I can put in a good word.”

  “That’d be amazing, thanks Paul. It was really nice meeting you.”

  “You too, sweetheart. Take care.” As she continued to tidy up she happened to notice Paul stop and speak with Landon in the kitchen. The brightly lit house made them completely visible while safely cloaking Lauren in darkness. Paul patted him on the shoulder, a fatherly gesture that hinted at their closeness. Landon seemed intent on what Paul was saying, as if he didn’t want to miss a word. Lauren’s ears started to burn. Oh god, what if they’re talking about me? Don’t be so full of yourself. They’re probably talking about all sorts—Landon looked up into the darkness of the patio, startling her so badly she almost dropped the garbage bag. She busied herself, gathering bottles in double time.

  Ali and Dane were cozy in the living room. Sat on the sofa, Ali’s long legs stretched over his lap, his fingers absentmindedly running along her skin. He was whispering in her ear when suddenly she let out a yelp of excitement and sprang off the sofa.

  “Wren! Put that bag down, we—ow! Shit!” Ali stubbed her toe on a chair, her eyes not yet adjusted to the darker patio.

  “Careful!”

  “I’m fine!” she said limping over. “Where are you? Oh, Wren! We’re gonna go in the hot tub. Come with us!”

  “I don’t know. It’s been a really long day.”

  Ali pulled her close, her breath smelling of strawberries and rum. “Come on, it’ll be fun. I can’t go by myself with him cause it’ll seem too forward. You and Landon can be our buffer.”

  “You’re right. You don’t want to appear forward,” Lauren giggled. Despite her roller coaster emotions about the man, she was intrigued by the idea of sitting in a hot tub with him. “I suppose since everyone’s gone and it isn’t that late...what about Nick?”

  “What about the creep?” Ali spat. “Leaves you on the side of the road. I didn’t want to say this but what an asshole. You’ve been together for years and he just up and abandons you like some sort of unwanted puppy!” she continued, her voice growing to almost a shout.

  “Will you shush! I’d rather not announce to the world that I was abandoned like an unwanted puppy, thanks for that.”

  “Sorry.” Ali threw her arms around Lauren’s shoulders and squeezed her tight.

  She’s freakin’ trashed, Lauren thought. She patted her back soothingly. “It’s alright, you’re just looking out for me. Let’s go hot tubbing.”

  “Really? You rock! She’s in!” she shouted into the house. Grabbing her hand she said, “Come on, let’s get changed.”

  “I uh, I don’t need to. I actually have my suit on underneath.”

  “Alright, well give me a minute and we’ll be right out.” Ali scampered away into the house and down the hall to her bedroom, Dane following after.

  Quickly scanning the area to make sure she was still alone, Lauren whip
ped off her clothes and stepped into the hot tub. She didn’t want to risk climbing in while other people were inside. Knowing me, I’d slip or somehow pull my top off, something equally embarrassing no doubt. In her haste, she hadn’t noticed the hot tub wasn’t actually on. The water was warm enough but none of the jets were working. The tub itself was on the same level as the pool, only a small lip separating the cool and warm waters but there weren’t any controls or knobs along the edges. As she searched for the on button the water suddenly came to life, a deafening torrent of bubbles and lights bursting to life. Lauren jumped up in surprise.

  “Looking for this?” Landon said waving a small remote.

  “Yeah, I couldn’t figure out how to turn it on, thanks,” she nervously laughed. Landon slowly stepped forward and crossed his arms, a knowing smile on his face. Feeling exposed standing in the tub, Lauren sank back down into the churning water, attempting to look as casual as she could. “It was Ali’s idea. Dane’s coming too.” Why do I sound like a guilty little kid?!

  “Oh yeah? Not a bad idea really. I suppose I should nab a prime seat before they get here.” He pulled his shirt up over his head, revealing his lean torso and several more tattoos. He tossed the shirt to the ground and unbuttoned his shorts. Now almost naked and standing in black boxer briefs, Lauren panicked internally, not knowing where to put her eyes. She didn’t want to seem prudish and look away but didn’t want to obviously watch him strip either. He stepped down into the water and settled in the corner opposite. “Mmmm, this feels amazing. I don’t use this nearly as much as I should.”

  “I’ve never been in a hot tub like this. I suppose it’s less efficient sunken in the pool like this, depending on the water temp.”

  “I guess it would be. I’ve never thought about it before.” He closed his eyes and dipped under the water, his shoulders disappearing beneath the rippling water. He resurfaced, wiped the water from his eyes and tilted his head. “You’ve got a pretty scientific brain, don’t you? I’ve owned this house for years and never once did I wonder about the design of the hot tub.”

  “It just popped into my mind but pretty much, yeah, I’m a nerd. Most of my job is looking for ways to optimize things. Faster, smaller, slicker.”

  “You own it. I like that.” He ran his wet fingers through his hair and sat up. “I can’t stand women that pretend to be vapid around men, as if that’s something we want.”

  “I think most girls have a phase like that, mostly in high school but college was the exact opposite for me. I fought for people to acknowledge my intelligence and not my gender. You remember Sahra Gilson from the conference yesterday?” Landon rolled his eyes and nodded. “She was actually pretty clever in school but decided it was easier to get the boys to do it for her. I guess that in itself is clever but I could never.”

  “It’s a cheap trick that she won’t be able to use much longer. You’ve got the real skills. It’s rare to find someone who is both intelligent and socially fluent. It’s a powerful combination. People like you run the world. I hope you’re planning on taking over the world one day.”

  “Oh god, I don’t know about that,” she laughed. “I’m afraid all the power would go to my head.”

  “Look at you two all snug in there,” Dane called out as he approached. Ali was two steps behind securing her hair with an elastic. With a secret smile and bright pink face, Lauren instantly knew she’d just given him a taste of what was to come later.

  They each took a corner of the hot tub, Ali sitting diagonally across from Lauren, Landon to her left and Dane to her right. Snug was a good word. Between buoyancy and the powerful jets, it was difficult to stay in one place. Legs tangled in the center, feet found their way to awkward crevices, but it added to the sensual mood already brewing. They chatted about the party and the rest of the weekend. Lauren discovered that Dane and Landon had been roommates just after college in Berkeley but now Dane owned a rock climbing gym and also played bass in a local band. Oh here we go, Ali’s gonna fall in love with this one. He and Landon were incredibly funny together and before long, Lauren’s stomach hurt from laughing.

  “You really don’t want me telling any stories about Dane, trust me.”

  “Dane doesn’t want you telling any stories about Dane!”

  “No, I have to hear these stories. I know! Let’s play Never Have I Ever,” Ali declared.

  “Oh come on, Llama. That’s as bad as Spin the Bottle.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever played it,” Landon said looking at her with a mischievous grin.

  “Yay! It’s easy. Basically we all take turns saying something we’ve never done but suspect someone else in the group has. Buuuut if you have done it, you have to drink. For example, I’d say ‘Never have I ever had sex in a rowboat’ and she’d have to drink.” Both men looked at Lauren with something akin to surprised approval.

  “Thanks,” Lauren said sarcastically.

  “Okay, this is happening. I’m getting drinks,” Dane said leaping out of the water.

  “Just grab the cooler! It has a load of beers in it still,” Landon called after him.

  Lauren kicked Ali under the water. “Okay, we’ll play but on one condition. You aren’t allowed to bring up you-know-what.” She flashed her eyes and gave her a knowing look, as if trying to communicate telepathically.

  “The thing that happened with the stuff on the you-know-where?” Ali said with a frown.

  “No...well, that too, but the other thing. The one that ended up in the ER...”

  “Oh yeah! Okay, fair enough. Nothing about my time with you-know-who then. Like, literally nothing from that period of my life.”

  “That doesn’t give me many options, hon.”

  Landon had been looking at each girl in turn as they spoke, finally interrupting with, “Yeah, so what game do we play where I get to hear those stories? Those ones sound good.”

  Dane returned and handed out a can of beer to each person, wheeling the cooler close to the edge.

  “Who wants to go first?” Ali asked.

  “Wait, can the questions be just embarrassing or do they all have to be sexual?” Dane asked.

  “Whatever you want, we’re all just getting to know each other. But I think you know which is more fun.”

  The game started off slowly. Each pair of friends obviously knew each other so well the first round of beers was polished off in less than fifteen minutes. The group discovered that both Ali and Dane had lost their virginities listing to Metallica, albeit different songs. Landon apparently wet himself on a ferris wheel when he was a kid and Lauren was forced to admit she’d been in marching band. By their third beer, their tongues had been completely loosened and things started to really heat up.

  “Never have I ever...taken it up the butt,” Ali said.

  “That’s a lie!” Lauren shouted. “You’re a lying liar and you know it.”

  “Excuse me, but that’s my asshole we’re talking about and I’m positive that it’s been used for one thing and one thing only.”

  “I hate that I apparently know more about your asshole than you do, but you really don’t remember? Rick?”

  After a pause, Ali’s eyes went wide. She slapped the water and laughed. “Holy shit, Tiny Dick Rick! You’re right. I can’t believe you remembered that! God, right. So, I was with this guy and he was, let’s say, on the small side.”

  “The name Tiny Dick Rick kind of gives it away,” said Dane.

  “Right? Normally I don’t give a shit about that kind of thing but he was so terrible at everything else plus he wasn’t even that nice of a guy. One day I figured I’d lose my anal virginity to him cause, how bad could it be? Probably wouldn’t even feel it.”

  “And?” Landon asked.

  “And that’s how I discovered Ali doesn’t do anal,” she said matter-of-factly. Lauren couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh at how proud she was of that statement.

  “Okay, question’s void. I’ve got one,” Dane said with a twinkle in h
is eye. “Never have I ever slept with identical triplets at the same time—yet.”

  They looked at each other, grinning, until Landon closed his eyes and groaned. Ever so slowly, he raised his beer and took a sip.

  “No way!” Lauren exclaimed. “How?”

  “You really want to hear?” Everyone eagerly nodded.

  He sighed, as if he couldn’t believe he was actually going to tell them.“So it was years ago, just when I was first starting out. There was a big release party for a friend’s business and someone hired these three girls to perform. They did this incredible aerial show on ribbons that blew everyone away. After, they worked through the crowd taking photos in these insane poses. I guess they were contortionists too? I can’t remember. Anyway, I was irresponsibly drunk and thought it was a good idea to hit on one of the girls after we took a picture together. I honestly don’t remember much from that night but I will never forget this for as long as I live.

  “She looked right at me and like a line out of a porno said, ‘My sisters and I like to share. Is that okay?’ Is that okay. So, clearly, that was okay.”

  “Very impressive! But wait, did they like, do stuff to each other?” Ali asked grimacing.

  “No, definitely not. That was actually part of the problem, not that I’m into incest or anything. It was all about me and I was so out-of-my-mind drunk, it wasn’t even that much fun. I like a little give and take in the bedroom. Plus, I woke up the next morning and couldn’t remember any of their names. One night stand, one awkward moment, you get over it. One night stand with three pissed off women, would not recommend.”

  A lull in the conversation fell when they stopped laughing and it was then Lauren noticed Dane massaging Ali’s neck. Ali’s arm was stretched out, hand invisible under the water but clearing touching Dane somewhere. The sexual tension between the two of them had started to boil over. After a day of flirting and a sexually charged game of find-out-how-raunchy-I-am, they really only had one thing on their mind.

  Lauren and Landon looked at each other, wordlessly understanding the drinking game was now over.