“Thank you for calling Riley’s Computers, how can I help you?” Brittany says cheerfully into the phone. Every time Brittany or myself answer the phone, I cringe at the name of my business.
The name of my business was made on a bet with my best friend, cousin, and partner in Riley’s Computers, Brittany. She is the face of the business while I get to do what I love: building computers and tearing them apart to fix them.
“Just a minute and I’ll get her.” I look down at the phone in my office to see it blinking. I sigh out loud because I know that that call is for me and I’ve got too much work to do than to deal with customers. Brittany knocks on the doorjamb lightly.
“What?” I don’t look up at her as I’m surfing the internet for prices. I need to get an invoice together for a major project I’m doing in the next few months.
“Riley, it’s him again.” Him being the man who I need to do the invoice for, and he calls me every other day with more questions. I can’t avoid him because this project will either make or break me. I take a deep breath and slowly let it out before answering the phone.
“Mr. Aragon, how are you today?” My tone is chipper while my eyes are rolling.
“Miss Jenkins, I’m fine.” He’s always straight to the point—no small talk in the middle.
“What can I do for you today?” I grab my pen and notebook with Lance Aragon written at the top. It has every question he’s called with so I can remember his concerns. Lance is having his entire office redone, computers built from scratch, upgrading the internet lines and firewalls. It’s going to take me three months to buy, build, and install, so I can understand his nervousness.
“I’m reading over the contract, and I have some concerns. Are the numbers correct?”
“Let me get the contract so we can be on the same page.” I get up from my desk to go to one of the five gray filing cabinets. I find the drawer marked with Active Projects to pull the contract out. “Okay, Mr. Aragon, what numbers were you talking about?”
“Ninety days to finish a project this big? I don’t believe that.”
“Sir, the longest part of that ninety days would be building the thirty computers and waiting on the parts to arrive. I build them one at a time and that takes about two days. Once they are all built, I’ll let you know two weeks before so you can make sure it’s safe for me to come in, take the computers out, change the T1 lines, and get the computers ready which will be a full twenty-four hours. I would think Saturday to Sunday would be great then have someone come in to check out the speed and no crashes. Monday will be a day of testing it out and fixing any errors.”
“It says you need the money up front to order the parts, is that correct?”
“Yes, I can’t—rather, won’t—spend my money for it.”
“Why?” Lance’s tone was curious.
“I had a company when I first started my business doing a similar project. I bought everything and she ended up pulling out at the last minute. I didn’t have a contract so she didn’t pay. Now I put in the contract it has to be paid up front.”
“Did you sue this woman?”
“No. My business was new and my first client. I chalked it up to a loss and a very valuable lesson.”
“Well, Miss Jenkins, you’re a better person than I am.” He chuckles, and I can’t help but join in with him. “Getting back to the main reason for the call. Today is December 1st—did you factor the holidays in this time frame?”
“I’m only taking the week of Christmas off so I’ll be working some weekends to make up for that time loss.”
“Your husband doesn’t mind you working on weekends?” I usually don’t like to talk about my private life but listening to Lance’s deep voice in the phone has me wanting to spend hours talking to him. What I wouldn’t give to listen to him when I pull out my rabbit most nights.
“I’m not married. Was there anything else you needed from me?” I ask him, and I hear this thud on his end of the line. I hear him cough then come back to the phone.
“A messenger will be by with a cashier’s check for $20,000. Is that enough to get everything ordered? There will be a $15,000 bonus if you can get it done by the end of January. Have a good day, Riley’s Computers.” He hangs up, and I look at my phone in bewilderment. I shake my head hanging up the phone to go tell Brittany about the bonus and weird phone call.
Lance - 2
Was there anything else I needed from Riley? Why, yes there is—her mouth on my hard cock. Ever since London told me about Riley doing the work for her and to have me work for me on this product, I’ve been finding stupid questions to call her with just to hear her voice. Adjusting myself so I’m not sporting a tent all afternoon, I hear a light knock on my door. I hurry to sit down behind my desk until I can will it to go away. “Come in,” I say in a gruff voice. I don’t mean it but I’m the CEO and can’t really be seen like this.