The Ex Games 2

Chapter 4



Meg felt awful that I had stayed in San Francisco because of her losing her job. She knew as soon as I arrived back looking like the creature from the blue lagoon that something was wrong. My eyes were bloodshot and I hadn’t even bothered combing my hair. I knew that I looked like a mess on the airplane, but I just didn’t care. As I walked into the apartment and collapsed onto the floor in tears, I felt like my life was over. I’d only felt this way twice before, and both of those heartbreaks had been due to Brandon as well.

“Oh my God, Katie.” Meg ran into the living room and fell to the floor to hold me. “What’s wrong?”

“It was horrible.” I sobbed. “Worse that I thought it was going to be.”

“So he recognized you?” Meg’s eyes looked worried.

“Yes.” I nodded. “Right away.”

“That’s good then, right?”

“He was going to propose to me.” I cried, the tears escaping me fast and furiously now as my body shook.

“What?” Meg looked shocked. “This weekend?”

“No, silly.” I stopped crying long enough to laugh for a few seconds. “He was going to propose the Christmas we broke up.”

“Oh, wow. I’m sorry, Katie.” She hugged me close to her. “That must have been hard to hear.”

“I slept with him.” I burst out. “And it was wonderful and I thought he still loved me, but I don’t know that he ever really did.”

“What? Of course he loved you.”

“He’s engaged.” I jumped up and hit my hands against the wall. “He’s engaged and I still slept with him. I feel so dirty. I can’t believe I let him hurt me like this again.”

“It’s not your fault.” Meg didn’t try to stop me from hitting the wall, but rather she stood there waiting for the moment she needed to hug me again. “Did you tell him about… you know?” Her voice trailed off, and her words ignited more pain in my chest. A pain that had been long buried and we never spoke about. I shook my head slightly and turned towards her.

“I don’t know how I’m going to face him at work tomorrow. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” I cried out. “I hate him, Meg. He used me. He made me feel cheap. Even cheaper than when he dumped me outside Butler Library. I know I lied, but I didn’t do it maliciously. I didn’t do it to hurt him.”

“He’s obviously got other issues, Katie. I mean, he is starting to sound like a bit of a psycho. Let’s be real here, you never really knew him. You didn’t even date for a year. It was a whirlwind relationship. He was your first love, and he’s turned out to be a jerk.”

“Why would he treat me like this?” I sobbed. “He has a son.”

“Oh.” Meg’s eyes widened and she held my hand.

“He told me he never even had sex with his fiancée, but they have a kid.”

“Are you sure it’s hers?”

“She’s the one that called him and told him that his son was in the hospital. As soon as she called he forgot about me. He dismissed me, like I was nothing. And then he casually thanked me for the f*ck.”

“Oh, Katie.” She shook her head. “If you don’t want to go back, you don’t have to. We’ll figure something out. If I’ve got to break into my trip fund, I will.”

“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “You’ve been working on that fund since you were ten years old. I’m not going to let you use that money on rent.”

“I’d rather do that than have you face him one more time.”

I squared my shoulders and wiped my tears away, while taking a few deep breaths. “Thank you, Meg.” I squeezed her hands. “I’ll see how I feel in a few days.”

“So you’re not going back to work?”

“Not tomorrow, I’m not.” I sighed. “Let him fire me if he wants. I’m going to go in the shower now.”

“Okay, I’ll be out here if you need to talk.”

“Thanks, but I’m feeling pretty tired. I’ll probably just go to bed.”

“I’m going to start looking for new jobs right away, and not just law jobs. I’ll take anything. Just so we can pay our rent.”

“Thanks, Meg.” I smiled at her gratefully and walked to the shower in defeat. It was over. It was definitely over. Every hope and wish I’d had in the last seven years was gone. Brandon Hastings and I were never going to get back together again. I slipped my clothes off and got into the shower, allowing the scalding hot water to burn my back and hopefully wash some of my sins away. There were so many things I regretted about our history together. So many little pieces that I would have changed. I thought back to his phone call and started crying again. He had a son. A baby boy that was probably his pride and joy. A child that he loved with all his heart. A child that came first in his life. And it broke me. After everything, it was the news that he had a child that finally broke me down.



***

“Hello, can I speak to Ms. Raymond, please?” a snooty-voice asked as I picked up the phone.

“Speaking.” I sat up in my bed and put the ice cream tub to the side, not wanting it to fall over while I was on the phone.

“Ms. Raymond, this is Priscilla calling from Marathon Corporation’s HR department. You haven’t been to work in three days, and you haven’t called in, so we wanted to make sure that everything was okay.”

“I’m fine.”

“Then why are you not at work, Ms. Raymond?” Her voice was harsh and I knew that if she could, she would fire me on the spot.

“I don’t know what to say.” I replied honestly and laughed about what her reaction would be if I told her the truth. I slept with the CEO, who’s my ex, found out he was engaged and has a son and he broke my heart again. Oh yeah, and I also let him f*ck my a*shole. Win for me.

“Will you be coming in tomorrow, Ms. Raymond?”

“Doubt it.” I grabbed my spoon and dug into my Ben & Jerry’s. I needed a strawberry cheesecake ice cream fix.

“Ms. Raymond, I have to tell you that...” She paused and I heard some whispering in the background. “One moment, please.”

“Katie.” His voice was silky and smooth and my heart flipped.

“Brandon.” I replied softly, the ice cream in my spoon long forgotten as it dripped onto the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Eating ice cream.” I replied automatically and he laughed.

“Come in to work tomorrow, please.”

“I can’t.” My voice shook.


“I need you on my team, Katie. Please come into work tomorrow.”

“You hurt me.” I whispered. “I don’t want to see you again.”

“Fight for it, Katie.” His voice was urgent. “You worked so hard to get this job. Are you really going to throw it away?”

“I don’t know what to do. I hate you.”

“Think about what you really want.” He paused and then continued. “Think about what’s in your heart and fight for it. Don’t just walk away again.”

“What are you talking about?” My tone grew angry.

“I hope to see you tomorrow.” His voice was soft now. “I hope you’re the warrior princess I always thought you were.” And then he hung up. I lay back on the bed with my eyes wide and my heart beating fast. I was shivering even though it wasn’t cold. I closed my eyes as I remembered the last time he had called me his warrior princess. It had been a Saturday, and we’d gone to lunch at some cute chic restaurant in Soho. We’d shared a salad and a sandwich and had been playing footsie under the table. I’d been going on about some new book I’d read—I think it was A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, so it wasn’t actually new, just new for me. I had never really studied much history, so I had been fascinated by the history of relations between France and England. Brandon was a bit of a history buff, so he’d been telling me about Louis the Fourteenth and his wife Marie Antoinette when I saw the manager of the restaurant run outside and start berating two young boys who were going through the trash can at the curb. The two boys looked tattered and dirty and had taken food out of the trash can to eat. Without thinking, I jumped up and ran outside.

“What’s going on?” I asked the manager, and noticed that one of the boys was crying.

“These two thieves are going through the trash. They need to leave.”

“Thieves? They look like they’re seven or eight.” I shook my head. “And they are stealing rotten food. I bet they’re hungry. Are you boys hungry?” I gave them both a warm smile and they nodded slowly. “You should be giving them something to eat, not chasing them off.” I glared at the manager.

“I’m not encouraging these hoodrats.”

“Everyone is a human being and should be treated with dignity and respect.” I glared at him, my voice getting louder.

“What’s going on out here?” Brandon’s arm slid around my shoulder and his voice sounded concerned.

“These two boys were going through the trash for food because they’re hungry and he won’t let them take the scraps.” My voice was passionate. “I think he should be getting them food from the kitchen and he’s not even letting them take the food in the garbage.”

“I have a business to run. I can’t feed every Tom, Dick, and Harry for free.” He glared back at me.

“These are kids.”

“I don’t care.” He turned around and walked back into the restaurant.

“Wait here with the boys.” I looked at Brandon and then hurried back into the restaurant. “I’d like to order four sandwiches, with four bags of potato chips, and four cookies and four bottles of water.” I marched up to the manager. “And I want them STAT.”

“Excuse me?”

“If you don’t want me to start shouting and letting everyone know how greedy and uncharitable this restaurant is, you will get them ready now.” I spoke calmly. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the food.”

He stared at me for a few seconds but then turned around and put in the orders. I smiled to myself at my small victory and walked back outside with the bags of food as soon as I had them. The boys had huge smiles on their faces as they stood there with Brandon, and even wider smiles when I handed them the food.

“Thank you.” They grinned at me and Brandon and then ran off down the road. I watched them with slight worry. What was going to happen to them once the food was gone?

“You got them food.” Brandon pulled me towards him. “I’m so proud to be with you, Katie. You spoke up for those boys like a warrior princess and then you went back and got them food. You’re everything I want to be when I grow up.”

“Oh, Brandon.” I giggled as he kissed me. “I guess reading this book about inequality in France all those years ago and witnessing how it still goes on has gotten to me. Little kids shouldn’t be searching for food in the streets. There is something wrong with that in a country where we have so much and people are literally throwing good food away. Yet, those two boys aren’t even allowed to rummage for the leftovers. It’s wrong.”

“I completely agree.” He kissed the top of my head. “Never change, Katie. Never stop being my warrior princess.”

I sat up in bed as I remembered that day. I’d been a different girl back then. I’d been fearless. I had believed that nothing could or would stop me from achieving all of my dreams. My life changed after Brandon broke up with me. But it wasn’t his fault that I had lost a part of myself. I had made those decisions. I was the one who was in charge of my destiny and life. And he was right. I had worked hard in college and grad school to get a job like this. Granted, this particular company had offered extra perks, but I still wanted it. I still needed to prove myself. I had let Brandon win the game once before. I wasn’t going to let him win again and kick me off of the board. I jumped off of the bed and walked to my closet. I was going to go back to work. I was going to leave all my personal feelings at home. I was going to show Brandon that I was the warrior princess that he let get away.



***

Life is a funny thing. I went back to work the next day and Brandon wasn’t even there. All the pep talks I had given myself weren’t even needed. I felt tense almost all of the day until my immediate boss told me that Brandon was out of town. I didn’t ask where, or why, or with whom. I was starting to realize that the less information I knew, the better it would be for me. The next day he wasn’t there either, and then it was the weekend. By the time the next Monday rolled around, I was feeling more confident and sure of myself. Maybe he felt bad about what he had done and I would never have to see him again.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I sang along, with the song on the radio that one of the secretaries was playing, as I went through the sales figures from the previous week.

“Good morning, Katie.” Three simple words that stopped my heart. I looked up slowly and my eyes gobbled him in. He looked so smart and debonair in his navy pinstripe suit, with his crisp white shirt.

“Good morning, Brandon.” I nodded and smiled quickly. He walked into my office and closed the door.

“It’s good to see you.” His eyes surveyed my face, but I wasn’t sure what he was looking for.

“It’s good to be back. Sales are going great. Thirty-five percent increase over last year.” I mumbled on about work, hoping that we would keep it professional.

“I noticed.” He sat down in the seat in front of my desk. “You’re doing a great job.”

“I’m trying.” I nodded and looked down. “How is your son?” I groaned inwardly as the words slipped out. Why was I doing this to myself?

“He’s fine.” His eyes shone brightly. “Thanks for asking. He fell off of his bike and hurt his knee. Maria overreacted and took him to the hospital.” He shrugged. “I guess her maternal instinct kicked in.”

“I see.” My heart broke at his words. He was finally admitting it. Maria was Harry’s mother and so that meant that Maria and he had had sex before. He had lied to me. I stared at him and I wanted to shout. How could you lie to me like that? So easily. It burned in me that he had no shame about it and I realized that must have been the way he felt with me. Only a lot worse.

“He’s a good boy.” He stared at me intently. “A very handsome boy too. He has his mother’s eyes and my hair.” He laughed. “There’s no mistaking he’s my kid.”

“Why’s that?” I smiled weakly. “Because he’s so handsome?”

“No, because he’s into everything.” He laughed. “He wants to know everything and do everything.”

“He sounds like a good kid.”

“He’s the best. He’s my life.”

“You and Maria are very lucky to have him in your life.”

“We are.” He nodded and stood up. “I should let you get back to work. Come to my office around 11:30 a.m., I need to discuss some things with you.”

“Sure.” I nodded in agreement as he walked out the door.

“Oh, and Katie.” He turned around and gave me a small smile. “I’m glad you came back.”

I smiled to myself as he walked out of the room. I could handle this. Yes, the pain of hearing him talk about his son killed me inside, but I wasn’t going to die. Eventually, it would get better. And I’d be able to work with him without always thinking of the what-ifs.

My phone rang then, and I grabbed it up without looking at the screen. “Hello?”

“Katie, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you!”


“Oh, Matt.” I bit my lower lip. “Sorry, I’ve been busy with work.”

“I haven’t seen you in close to two weeks.” His voice was accusing. “Can I take you out to dinner tonight?”

“Dinner?” I repeated weakly.

“Yes,” he laughed. “It’s what most boyfriends do every once in a while.”

“Funny.” I faked a laugh. “I guess dinner would be fine.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic!”

“Sorry, just been busy.”

“I see. Well, I wanted to celebrate my promotion.”

“Promotion?”

“Yeah.”

“At the Wall Street Journal?”

“That is where I’ve been reporting for the last three years.”

“Sorry, sorry.” I rubbed my forehead. “I’m a little distracted. Congratulations, that is great news.”

“So dinner and drinks?”

“Sure.”

“Maybe we can go back to my place after and watch a movie.” His voice was light. “And see where the night takes us.”

“I guess so.” I bit back a sigh. This was getting harder and harder.

“I’ll see you tonight then. I’ll text you the restaurant info.”

“Sounds good.”

“See you later, Katie.”

I hung up and stared at the phone feeling guilty. I felt awful about playing Matt, and I knew that I needed to break up with him. Dating him wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair. Especially seeing as I had essentially used him. Maybe that was why it had all blown up in my face. I’d been using people and lying for months. Even Meg didn’t know the truth. I sighed and went back to the files. I was going to have to come clean and move on. I would dedicate my life to my job. That was all I had left right now.



***

“Hey.” I walked into his office without knocking.

“Have a seat.” He pointed to a chair and whispered as he was on the phone. “Bill, I understand that you think that Epsonal is worth five million, but I’m telling you it’s overpriced. I will give you two million and allow you to keep a 1% equity share in the company, and that’s only because I’m being a nice guy.” He paused. “I have to go now, so think about it. You have 24 hours to accept or decline my offer.” He hung up the phone and smiled at me. “Sorry about that.”

“Are you trying to buy Epsonal, the electronics company?” I asked, frowning slightly.

“Yes, why?” He looked at me in interest.

“What you said was wrong. The company is worth at least twenty million, or at least it will be in a few weeks when the government awards them the military contract.” I answered before realizing I had slipped up. I wasn’t meant to know about the military contract. No one was supposed to know. I only knew because I had seen the files on Matt’s computer when I had been looking for something else.

“How did you know about the contract?” Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “No one is supposed to know about that. Bill, the CEO of the company, doesn’t even know.”

“And you’re using that lack of information to buy his company from him early.” I shook my head in shock. “So you can get it cheap.”

“That’s how business works.” He shrugged.

“But that’s illegal, that’s inside information.” My mouth dropped open. “That’s wrong.”

“It can’t be that inside if you’ve read about it somewhere.” His eyes challenged me and I kept my mouth shut. There was no way I was going to tell him that I read it while snooping around in my reporter boyfriend’s laptop.

“What did you want to see me about?” I changed the subject.

“I wanted to let you know that I am going to need you to start working nights.” He leafed through some files. “You’re the best manager I have right now and I need to work with you on some important projects.”

“Okay.” I swallowed hard as he undid the knot of his tie and pulled it off.

“Excuse me, there are some days that ties make me feel like I’m suffocating.”

“No worries.” I smiled weakly and watched as he pulled his jacket off as well. I watched as his chest muscles flexed beneath his shirt and shifted in my seat. He was so sexy, just staring at him turned me on.

“I have a business trip planned for next weekend that I need you to come on.”

“Oh?”

“It’s in London.” He smiled as I gasped. “I know you’ve always wanted to go.”

“Are you sure you need me to go?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “I’m very sure.”

“I’ll try and make it work then.”

“Apologize to your boyfriend, Tom. I hope I’m not ruining any plans.”

“His name is Matt, and no, you’re not.”

“Good.” Brandon stood up and walked to his office door and slammed it shut and locked it, before walking back over to me.

“What are you doing?” I whispered as he stood in front of me, unbuttoning his shirt.

“Disrobing.” He grinned and threw it on the ground.

“But why? I thought you told me to come because you needed to discuss something with me?”

“I do. I need to discuss how hot you are and how my cock is aching to f*ck you.”

“What?” My face heated up as my hand ran to his chest.

“I know you want me too.” He pulled me up. “You can’t deny the unbelievable chemistry we have, Katie.”

“We shouldn’t do this, Brandon.” I shook my head and gasped as he grabbed my hand and placed it over his already hard cock.

“I’m hard just from looking at you. I need to be inside of you.” He growled and his lips came down on mine softly, waiting to see how I would react. I was too weak, I couldn’t resist him and I kissed him back passionately, opening my mouth to let his tongue in and sucking on it. His hands worked their way under my skirt and he pulled it up so that it was sitting on my waist. His fingers slipped between my legs and rubbed me through my panties. I groaned at his touch and traced my fingers down his back and to his ass.

“Oh Katie, I can never get enough of you.” He groaned and ripped open my blouse, burying his head in the valley between my breasts before nudging my left bra cup to the side with his nose and then devouring my nipple. I moaned as my body arched towards him and he moved me back slightly and lifted me onto the desk.

I leaned forward and grabbed his belt and pulled him towards me. His eyes darkened as I undid his buckle and unzipped him. His cock sprang out hard and proud, and desire sprung through me. I couldn’t stop myself from running my fingers along his shaft and teasing him. I couldn’t keep my hands off of this man. Our sexual chemistry was too great. I closed my eyes as he pushed me back onto the desk and pulled my panties down to my knees.

“Sex in the office never gets old, does it?” He growled down at me as his fingers rubbed me gently. I moaned as he fingered me and then lifted my legs up to his shoulders. He pulled my ass down to the edge of the table and then slowly entered me. His cock drove into me slowly and his finger rubbed my * as he slid in and out of me. I groaned at his touch, it felt too good, too intense. My body could barely stand how sweet the pleasure was that was building up in me.

“You feel so good.” Brandon’s voice was tense as he increased his pace. “Your p-ssy was made for me. Each time I make love to you, it welcomes me back with pleasure.” His eyes glittered down on me. “I could get used to these office f*cks.” His hands reached up to squeeze my breasts and I held on to the table as he started moving faster and faster. “Oh, Katie. F*ck. I’m going to come.” He groaned and my body started to orgasm in response to his words.

BANG BANG. The loud knocks on the door made us both freeze.

“Who is it?” Brandon’s went still, his cock still in me as he paused.

“Daddy, it’s me, Harry.” A little voice spoke up and I sat up in horror. Brandon made a face and quickly pulled up his pants and grabbed up his shirt.

“Just a minute, son.” He called out and pushed me to the other side of the table. “Go under the table. Now.” He commanded me and I ran quickly and hid under the table while Brandon quickly got dressed again.

“Daddy,” Harry’s little voice called out as he banged on the door again. “Let me in.”

“Be patient, Harry. I’m coming.” Brandon’s voice sounded loving and patient as I listened to him throwing on his clothes over the loud beating of my heart.

“Daddy,” the voice carried into the room as Brandon opened the door. “You took forever.”

“Sorry, was just finishing up something.”

“We came to take you to lunch.” The boy giggled. “And I want a burger.”

“What do you say?”

“Please.”

“Don’t forget your manners, Harry.” Brandon’s voice was soft. “And I guess I can make time for a burger.”

“Yay!” Harry ran up to the desk and my heart stopped still. What if he decided to sit in his dad’s chair? What if he saw me?

“Come, Harry. Sit on the couch.” Brandon called over to him and I heard the boy’s footsteps retreat.


“Can I get a toy today as well, please, daddy?”

“We’ll see.”

“And some ice cream.” The boy continued and I wanted to laugh. I also really wanted to see what Brandon’s son looked like. His mini-me. His child. It made my heart ache, but I still wanted to see. I guess I wanted to torment myself as to what could have been.

“Now, now, Harry. Don’t you think that’s expecting a bit much?” Brandon’s voice was light and I could tell that he was amused.

“No.”

“There you are, Harry.” A female voice carried through the room and my heart stopped.

“Maria.” Brandon sounded happy and not like someone who had nearly been busted cheating. “Maria, I was wondering where you were.”

“You know your son.” She laughed. “As soon as he’s in the building, he’s rushing to daddy’s office, and he doesn’t care who he leaves behind.”

“Sorry.” Harry laughed and then mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

“Shall we go then?” Brandon laughed. “I’m feeling hungry myself right now. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Yay.” Harry squealed and I heard him run out of the room and then a few seconds later the door closed. I waited for about two minutes before I crawled out from under the desk and straightened my clothes. There were no tears left for me to cry, though once again I felt ashamed of myself. My heart felt heavy as I walked to the door and I knew what I had to do. I had to leave Marathon Corporation, there was no way that I was going to be able to work with him and be okay. I had made my bed and now I had to get out. If I ever wanted to regain my sanity, I needed to get out now.