Marcus steps up while enjoying a little coffee shop flirtation
Friday, September 13th, 10:37 am
The door opened, and I stepped out on the sidewalk and looked up at the sign showing a coffee cup surrounded by a mound of azure beans.
That’s new, I thought to myself as Chloe shut the door behind me. John stepped out of the passenger seat next to me, closed his door, and then the dark SUV sped off.
“Everything alright?” Chloe said, peering up at the sign I stared at.
“Yeah,” I said. “Looks like they’ve just updated a little.”
“You’ve been gone a month,” Chloe said. “This place moves fast.”
That was very true. As I took in the sights and sounds around me, I was almost overwhelmed with the bustle—New York was very different from the lonely forests of Norway or the Scottish Highlands. I remember my heart beating in time with this place before I became wealthy.
Now, after everything, I felt isolated… removed. I felt like a stranger in my hometown.
Helen’s words rang through my head—You’ve changed.
I didn’t feel all that different, but I kept running into things that seemed to bring out different reactions in me than before. Small things, but they added up.
“Guess I’ll just have to keep up,” I said. “Let’s get inside. Charity already has a table.”
Chloe took the lead with John following behind me. Both wore earpieces and had their heads on swivels.
Since my return, security had tripled, and they’d completely overhauled their processes. Erin was now required to submit a daily itinerary so that Chloe could coordinate with Hannon for security sweeps prior to my arrival. I didn’t want them making a scene everywhere I went, so whenever possible, they opted for something more subtle. Somewhere high up was probably a man with a sniper rifle watching the entire area. I knew for sure that a couple of agents had arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes earlier and posed as regular customers, communicating to Chloe that the Blue Beans was safe before I arrived.
At this point, it felt like Chloe and John would be needed more to keep the paparazzi at bay than to protect me from bad guys.
We entered the shop and I looked around—the sights, smells, and sounds were exactly the same and reminded me of all the other times I’d ordered coffee or a quick breakfast on my way to work. They transported me to a different time—poorer, but simpler. The most worrisome things in my life were dealing with Gina and Bobbi, or wondering when I would see Jessica next.
I hadn’t seen Gina since I’d fired her. Bobbi had essentially become my property, and Jessica now cleaned my toilets.
Maybe the city wasn’t the only thing that moved fast after all.
Then my eyes fell on her.
She was standing at the counter, talking to a barista. Her black hair fell down her back in a glossy sheet—I would have recognized it anywhere.
“Hey,” I said to Chloe. “Hang back a minute.”
Chloe followed my gaze and then said, “Ah. Yeah.”
I slowly approached her, stepping around a line of three other people, barely aware of their existence.
“Hey,” I said. “What are the odds of bumping into you here?”
Natalie turned and looked up from her phone, her big, gorgeous eyes focusing on me. Mild confusion melted into a wide smile.
“Oh my God! Marcus!”
She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight, and I was suddenly very aware of her generous breasts pillowed against my chest. Her cheek warmed mine as she said softly into my ear, “I’ve missed you so much!”
I slipped my arms around her waist—she felt as good as ever. My fingers pressed into the small of her back, pulling her a little tighter into me, and for a moment, I was transported back to those times we almost became a thing. What would my life have been like if we had dated? Would I have gone to Vegas? Would I have ended up in Norway? If I'd had a dedicated girlfriend like Natalie at the time, would I have made a different decision when Carla asked me for a date?
So many questions.
We held each other for a few moments and eventually pulled away, staying within close proximity. I looked her up and down as she smiled radiantly up at me, looking fantastic.
From the day I first met her, I thought Natalie was stunning.
She held my attention hostage. Her hair—sleek, just past her shoulders, the color of wet chestnuts, framed a face that was striking—like a model’s, but soft and youthful. Her skin was a rich, honeyed brown that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
And those features... big, expressive eyes framed by thick lashes, a gently arched, subtly Nubian nose, and generous lips that always seemed to hover between a clever smile and a confession. I still remembered their taste.
She never seemed fully aware of how beautiful she was, but that only added to her allure.
It amazed me that Tyler had spent any amount of time with her and hadn't immediately given up his vendetta against me just to keep this prize.
"I've missed you, too," I said.
"Really?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at me in mock accusation. "I could tell... all those wordy texts."
I could feel my face heat a little at the unspoken accusation.
After what happened with Tyler, Natalie and I seemed to come to a truce. The tension between us had abated, and what was left was an uneasy longing for what we had.
At least, that’s what I had felt.
After I disappeared to Europe, I would occasionally send her a picture of some of the sites we visited, and we would exchange brief text messages. That was all, though. I never got the impression that she was missing me or particularly interested in talking to me. She gave as good as she got.
I felt my hands go to the back of my head, my fingers scraping along my scalp as I looked away—a typical reaction when I was feeling on the defensive. Then I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and said, “Yeah, sorry about that. After everything that happened between us, I thought I should give you some space.”
Her smile became tinged with a bit of sadness as she said, “Maybe I did need a little space, but I wouldn’t have minded less.”
There wasn’t any accusation in her tone or the look she gave me—just warmth. We stayed like that for a beat, and then the barista behind her called out her name and set a to-go cup on the counter.
“Thanks!” she said, picking up her coffee. Then she turned back to me, looked around as if trying to find someone else, and asked, “So what brings you to my neck of the woods? Checking on your employees?”
“Oh,” I said, glancing around. “Meeting with my PR team. You know, doing damage control. Trying to keep my reputation clean.”
“Sounds fun,” she said. “Well, I need to get back to the office. I have a couple of staffers out sick, so I need to pick up the slack.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll have to stop by and see how things are going.”
“Do you have some time after your PR meeting?” The way she looked at me with those big eyes—there was no mistaking the hopefulness.
“Probably,” I said.
“I have some work to do as soon as I get to the office, but I’d love to catch up with you a little more if you have time. Maybe a couple of hours?”
“I’ll see what I can do—but I’d like that.”
Natalie reached out and placed her hand on my arm, squeezing it as she gave me another smile.
“Good,” she said. “Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”
Her fingers on my arm squeezed a little more firmly, as if trying to send a message without actually saying anything. She leaned in, lifted herself onto her toes, and pressed her lips to my cheek in a swift kiss.
And then it was over as quickly as it had begun. Natalie gave me one last smile, then turned and headed for the door.
I just watched.
“How’d that go?” Chloe asked.
I felt my head snap to my left of its own volition, her sudden presence surprising me a little.
“I…
I didn’t want to talk to Chloe about Natalie. I didn’t want to confide in her about any of the women in my life. It felt weird after what happened between us… like talking to an ex about my love life.
She looked me up and down, and one corner of her mouth quirked in some hidden thought I couldn’t decipher. “Actually, don’t answer that. I just came over here to let you know I found Charity.” She nodded toward a table in the back corner of the shop where my director of public relations sat drinking from a glass filled with a purple smoothie.
She was in a loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt, a pair of jeans, and had a cardigan draped across her shoulders. Her jet black hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she was staring intently at her phone.
“Thanks,” I said. “You gonna be around?”
“I’ll be over there,” Chloe said, nodding to another table where a lean, handsome man sat. I didn’t recognize him.
“A date?” I asked before I could stop myself.
She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “One of yours. A new guy. He came here early to make sure everything looked good for you.”
“Oh.”
I studied him, taking in his perfect, chiseled jawline.
“I can’t fraternize with them,” Chloe said.
“I didn’t say anything,” I snapped.
Even I wanted to cringe at how defensive I sounded.
“You didn’t have to,” Chloe said and then left me to join a table with the new guy.
I watched her walk away and mentally flogged myself. If I wasn’t careful, I could push Chloe right out the door, and I’d have no one to blame but myself.
I also wasn’t being fair. Here I was sleeping with more women than I had fingers but get jealous as soon as I catch sight of Captain Jawline. Chloe deserved to have someone just as much as anyone else, and while I didn’t agree with her reasons to break things off with me, she deserved to have those reasons. I’d cut things off with Danni because I could tell she was envious of some of the other girls, even if she kept it under a pretty tight lid. Chloe was being infinitely more patient with me. I needed to get my shit together.
I shook my head, vowing to talk to her later. In the meantime, I had another woman whom I’d promised my attention to. Putting Chloe out of my mind, I approached Charity, who spotted me as I approached the table.
“Mr. Upton!” She said as she stood up.
“Whoa,” I said. “That’s not happening. You can call me Marcus.”
She smiled at my response, looking particularly pleased, and I, in turn, was pleased by the cute dimples in her cheeks.
“I guess when we’re in private,” she said. “It might be weird to do it around others, though.”
“Works for me,” I said. “Is this private enough?”
She closed the distance between us, gave a furtive glance around, and then grabbed my shoulders as she stood on her toes and pulled me down for a quick kiss on the cheek, followed by a light hug.
“Close enough,” Charity said, peering up at me. She was roughly between Shea’s and Erin’s heights—on the shorter side.
We sat down, and a waitress came over to take our orders. I poured myself some coffee from the pot at the table while ordering a short stack and a couple of fried eggs. Between the workouts with Tara and living off rations in the forest, my appetite had grown considerably. Charity ordered oatmeal mixed with peanut butter and topped with chia seeds. Between that and the smoothie, I got the impression she was fastidious about what she put in her body, and it showed. She was small, with a typical influencer’s physicque—tiny waist and firm ass. Her makeup was flawless and leaned more toward Erin’s style.
I suddenly imagined the two women with their wicked, dark painted lips leaving kiss marks down my stomach, taking turns sucking on my cock. And the thing was… that was a very likely possibility in the not-too-distant future.
“So,” Charity said, leaning forward conspiratorially. Her shirt slipped just enough to suggest a cream bra—lace-trimmed, soft against skin that made me forget I hadn’t actually seen her completely naked yet. “What happened in Norway?”
“How much do you know?”
She took a sip of her juice, watching me over the rim like a cat deciding whether to pounce. I let my eyes drift—not long, but enough. She caught the glance, smiled, and sat back, cutting off the view like a curtain dropping mid-act.
“Not much. Helen said it was serious, but she held a lot back.”
“You’re going to be my spokesperson,” I said, stroking my chin. “That means you’ll need full access.”
The way she smiled at me, you’d have thought I’d given her access to state secrets.
“That will definitely make my job easier,” she said.
“Look, I need to have a conversation with you about that real quick,” I said. “I’m letting you know a lot more than most. I know you signed the NDA Helen put together, but I need to make it abundantly clear…”
“I know,” Charity said, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable.
I glanced at her phone. “Can you turn that off?”
She looked a little confused at the sudden turn the conversation was taking. She wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable. I hated that I had to have this kind of conversation with someone who hadn’t transgressed, but after Astrid…
Once the call ended, I looked back at her. “We both know what I’m about to say. But I need to say it anyway.”
I let it sit a beat, then added, “A lot’s gone sideways lately. And it’s starting to mess with who I trust—and how much.”
She didn’t flinch. Just waited.
“Charity, I need someone who knows the dirt. All of it. The skeletons, the fuckups, the stuff Helen’s still afraid to say out loud. And I need that person to know how to spin it.”
She nodded and looked like she was about to say something, but I cut her off, looking her dead in the eyes.
“You have my trust. Please don’t do anything to break it.”
She swallowed visibly, nodded, then shook her head. “I won’t.”
The words sounded so different than the flirty tone she’d adopted earlier. They were meek… fragile.
“Good. Because I’m done getting played. I need people I can trust without looking over my shoulder.”
I met her eyes. “We don’t know each other well yet. And I’ve had more than one person tell me I’m taking a risk with you. I’d like you to prove them wrong.”
“Marcus…” She looked cautious but not defensive, and I got the feeling that she wasn’t taking this as personally as many others would have. That spoke volumes. “You’ve given me more than I ever expected. My bills, this job, school… I know that’s not nothing. I don’t take it lightly. I’m not going to screw that up.”
I nodded. “Good. Because I’m not asking for blind loyalty. Just honesty. If someone tries to buy you off—I don’t care who or how much—you come to me. No games. No secrets.”
“Got it.”
“As long as you’re straight with me,” I said, “you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Charity seemed to relax a little with those words, so I decided to press on and get the rest over with.
“These skeletons… they include things that might skirt the law. If there’s anything I’ve learned over the last couple of months, it’s that you don’t get wealthy without your hands getting a little dirty.”
She began playing with her straw, as I could tell she was mulling over my words. “Have you… y’know…”
“Broken the law?” I asked.
She nodded.
Let’s see. I’d blackmailed Bobbi and basically taken away her freedom. I was fairly certain that if she were ever asked, she wouldn’t tell the story that way, but that didn’t erase the facts.
I’d taken drugs… bribed an Eiffel Tower guard to have sex at the top. I’d paid to have sex in the Napoleonic exhibit of the Louvre, which I’m pretty sure broke a few rules, if not laws.
I’d killed at least two people in Norway, and a lot of others had died on my behalf.
I was currently holding a person prisoner in my building and having him tortured.
“Yeah,” I finally said. “You’ll know the details I think you need to know when we’re not eating pancakes in the Blue Beans, but most of it’s been done with good reason in mind.”
“Most?”
“I mean, I’m not perfect,” I said, feeling a little bit of shame creep across the edges of my mind. “I’ve done a few things I’m not proud of, but I’m not a psycho or anything. I haven’t started a slavery empire or hunted people for sport.”
I saw the waitress approaching with our food. “Just think about it while we eat, and let me know if you’re in or out. If you feel like you can’t stomach this kind of thing, then no hard feelings. I’ll get you set up in Vegas or wherever else you’d like to go. I won’t leave you hanging.”
She stared at me for a few moments, and then we both dug into our food. There were only a few moments of silence before she said, “I’m in.”
“You sure? You’ll probably be taking creative liberties with the truth to cover up some questionable stuff.”
Despite herself, Charity snorted as she swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal. “Yeah. This is too good an opportunity to pass. Besides… after everything you’ve done for me, I don’t think you can be that bad. Just… make sure that honesty goes both ways, okay? I get that there might be some things I can’t know, but just don’t lie to me. I can’t do my job if you do, and it’d be unfair.”
I studied her for a long moment as I thought it over. The truth was, I needed her. She clearly had a good head for communicating with the public, and Julia had already told me she was smart. I needed someone with talent. Two attempts on my life had already been made, and they had both failed. I was collecting powerful enemies like Pokémon cards, and if they couldn’t murder me, they might try to destroy me in other ways. One of those was the arena of public opinion.
I needed to get ahead of that.
Julia had already expressed disinterest, and while I suspected part of it was that she liked her job, the other part might be because she knew the kinds of things that super-wealthy people needed hidden. Charity, on the other hand, didn’t have the options Julia had, so she was probably a lot more willing to ignore some of the more distasteful things she might find out and help me manage my public image.
It wasn’t that I intended on becoming a monster, but if I’d learned anything, it was that I needed to become a pragmatist. There was a difference between the two, even if it was sometimes hard to tell.
“Deal,” I finally said. “I’ll have Erin send you a detailed report of everything that happened in Norway, as well as what happened during the kidnapping. There’s some stuff that I don’t think you need to know—mostly personal things that won’t affect your job—but you’ll have everything you need.”
“Can you give me the highlights of what happened in Norway?” she asked.
“Astrid Håkansson set up a talk between me and someone I’ve been having problems with. On the way out, someone hit my helicopter with a rocket. I had to jump out and parachute to the ground. I found Chloe, found Astrid, managed to call for reinforcements, there was a fight, and then they extracted us.”
Charity’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Holy shit!”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Wait… Astrid Håkansson? She lives in Norway?”
“Yeah,” I repeated. “You know her?”
“She has a decent online presence,” Charity said. “I’d love to meet her.”
“That probably won’t happen,” I said sourly. “She’s one of the reasons I’m having trust issues.”
“Oh,” Charity said, sitting back in her chair. Then she leaned forward again as if anticipating hearing something juicy. “Did something happen between you guys?”
I hesitated. Information about me and Chloe was off limits, but I wasn’t sure about Astrid. To be honest, it was a little embarrassing that I’d gotten so close with someone so unhinged. Then again… I hadn’t known Astrid had an online presence. Perhaps it was something Charity needed to know.
“Eh… there might have been a little something,” I admitted. “It was over before I left Norway. We had too many disagreements.”
“So, you guys aren’t a thing?”
“No,” I said. “We never were, and whatever it was ended in that forest.”
Charity eyed me. “Is there anything serious?”
“You mean, am I in a relationship?”
“Yeah.” The smile on her face was positively feline. There was a hint of Helen’s cool calculation behind it, but with Erin’s glint of playful audacity. It was a dangerous, charming combination.
I couldn’t help but return her smile. “Why do you want to know?”
She shrugged. “Call it professional curiosity.” Then she took a sip of her smoothie, dark-painted lips wrapping slowly around the straw without breaking eye contact. She knew exactly what she was doing.
“No,” I said, meeting her gaze. “I’m not seeing anyone. At least, no one serious.”
Charity eyed me thoughtfully, and I had a sneaking suspicion she was sizing me up as more than someone to sleep with. The look she was giving me was the same one I’d seen on Danni’s face. However, Charity was less doe-eyed and more thoughtful.
The thought of having to deal with another woman who wanted more than I could give her made me uncomfortable, especially considering I was going to be working so closely with Charity.
“Look,” I said, putting down my fork, “We should probably just lay all our cards on the table. What are you looking for?”
“Looking for?” Charity echoed, like I’d just broken the unspoken rules of whatever flirtation she thought we were playing.
She looked genuinely surprised—like she’d expected banter and misdirection.
But we hadn’t done that. Not at the club… not in her house when I offered her the job. Not when I’d had her legs over my shoulders and made her come without asking for anything in return.
We were past pretending. First-date coyness didn’t fit whatever this was.
“I’m talking about what’s going on between us. Are you looking for something more than just sex?”
“I…” She let her spoon go and placed her hands in her lap, her eyes fixed on the bowl. “I’ve thought about it.”
She lifted her gaze to me. “I mean, you’re a handsome guy, you’re loaded, you’re kind… what girl wouldn’t dream of snagging you? But…”
“But?”
“But,” she continued, “I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for right now.”
I suddenly found myself relaxing and realized that I’d been tense while waiting for her to finish.
She must have seen something change in my expression. “Don’t get me wrong… if anyone could get me to change my mind, you’d probably be one of them, but I get the feeling you were about to say the same thing.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I was.”
“Good,” she said, relief washing over her face. “Then that’s settled, and we don’t have to talk about it anymore.”
“So, just friends?” I asked, wanting clarification.
“And associates, of course.”
I felt myself breathe a little easier. I wasn’t going to have to go and find someone else to hire for my PR. I’m sure I could have, but I’d already invested a lot into Charity, and there was a lot to do.
“Don’t think that gets you off the hook,” Charity said, leaning in. “I still expect you to fuck me.”
I raised an eyebrow, not shocked—just impressed by her follow-through. I figured she had an appetite, but the timing surprised me. I would have thought the talk about relationships might have put a damper on things.
“You sure?” I asked. “I’m your boss, so you don’t have to feel obligated—”
“Please,” she said. “I’ve never been eaten out like that. You think I’m letting you haul me across the country without at least one ride? No chance.”
I laughed.
“And let’s be real,” she added. “I doubt I’m the only one getting serviced.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Well, I’d be surprised to find out you weren’t sleeping with Helen. No woman talks about her boss the way she talks about you unless she’s getting some. Cool customer or not, she’s definitely getting some.”
“Pretty good observation,” I said.
“And Erin?” Charity asked. “The way she looks at you? You’re giving it to her.”
Charity surprised me—in a good way. Sharp, steady, and not easily rattled. So I gave her a little more. She’d asked for honesty, after all.
I told her about Helen, Erin, and Bobbi. About Shea. About that wild weekend at The Starlight where I met Natashya. I walked her through Vegas and even mentioned Danni, Natalie, and Jessica.
I didn’t give her everything. Left out how dark things got with Bobbi. Didn’t mention that Natashya’s dating my sister, or how I’d fucked several women in front of my ex in a hot tub. Charity got the shape of it, but not the details.
“So… Helen and Bobbi are yours? Like, you own them?”
“In a way,” I said. “Helen gave herself to me outright. Bobbi... she chose me too. But when you’re at the bottom, how much free will is involved is open for interpretation.”
I paused. “They’re mine, though. No question. And yeah—either one of them would do anything I asked.”
Charity whistled low.
“Too much?”
“No,” she said quickly. “It’s hot, to be honest.”
“It doesn’t freak you out?”
“No. I’ve been in poly relationships before. Me and two guys. Then me, a guy, and another girl. I’ve also done a little bondage and a few other things.”
“How old are you again?” I asked.
“Twenty. Why?”
I hesitated. At twenty, I’d barely scratched the surface—One woman, one heartbreak. Charity? She spoke like someone who’d lived three lives already—and slept through two of them.
“Just surprised,” I said. “Didn’t expect someone your age to have that much experience.”
“I got started early,” she said, tilting her head. “That a problem?”
“No,” I said quickly. “Not unless I want to out myself as a massive hypocrite.”
“Sorry! I’m late!” a woman said.
I looked up to see Julia Lyons hanging her purse off the back of an empty chair before sitting in it. She immediately reached for an empty cup and poured herself some coffee.
“Traffic,” she explained. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
Charity shook her head, biting into a piece of toast before launching into a recap.
I watched her closely as she filled Julia in, skimming over the landmines without being obvious about it. She skipped most of what we’d said about my relationships and anything that seemed even questionable.
Twice, she glanced my way—subtle, like she was checking a mirror. Not for approval but alignment.
She chose her edits well. I didn’t say a word.
Another point for Charity.
“Jesus,” Julia breathed. “And like with the kidnapping, you don’t know who did this to you?”
“Not yet,” I lied, “but we’re following up on some leads.”
Julia took a sip of coffee, her eyes darting back and forth between Charity and me, thoughtfully.
“Well,” she said, smacking her lips. “What are the next steps, Miss Manalo?” She sounded like a teacher asking her students a question about the subject material they’d just discussed.
“Nothing’s leaked yet about the crash,” Charity said. “We should prep a few versions of a statement—one soft, one surgical. The soft version frames it as a private retreat now that things have stabilized. The surgical one? A survival story—controlled, inspiring—if the crash details surface.”
Julia smiled, clearly pleased. “Smart. Standard protocol—but nicely adapted.”
“I’d like to go ahead and release what happened to the public,” I said.
Both ladies looked at me in surprise. Julia spoke up. “When you say ‘release what happened,’ do you mean…”
“Everything,” I said. “I was shot down… chased through the forest. My bodyguard and I got out alive by calling for backup… we saved Håkansson… all of it.”
“Wouldn’t that put a lot of attention on you?” Charity asked. “I was under the impression that you preferred to keep things under the radar.”
“You know who was after you,” Julia said thoughtfully, tapping her finger to her lips.
“Maybe,” I said noncommittally. I wasn’t going to insult her intelligence by continuing to lie, but that didn’t mean I had to tell her who it was. I’d decided that I wanted the world to know that people had tried to kill me. I didn’t want everyone to know it was Tanaka till I had a chance to see if he was willing to deal now that I had his son.
“Either way,” I continued, “I don’t want the story getting out without me controlling the narrative. I’m also hosting a low-key party tonight with just a few close friends. Charity, I’d like you to be there and make sure a lot of good material finds its way to the socials. I want everyone to see that I’m doing well.”
“I can do that,” Charity said. She pulled out a pad and began writing down notes, listing the names of people to talk to in order to disseminate the story strategically. I sat back and let them work, sipping my coffee and simply enjoying the sight of the two lovely ladies at work.
I examined my strategy one more time before committing.
Hiro Tanaka was after me. Roger VanCamp was on the loose and had a benefactor who had helped him escape. My brother was still out there somewhere, and he hated me.
And then there was Amber Bell, who was capable of murder, according to the information Chloe and Psalter had acquired. Whoever she was working for had it out for me and had a flash drive belonging to my grandfather— one with unknown information on it.
So far, I’d been trying to keep to the shadows and travel in relative obscurity. I’d seen how far that got me—nearly killed. Perhaps what I needed was to have more eyeballs on me. It would be harder to sneak up on me if I were standing in a blazing spotlight.
Besides… it was time I started doing things with my money other than buying jets and castles.
“That’s not all,” I said. They both looked back up at me.
“What can you tell me about philanthropy?”
Over the next half hour, we discussed various charities and organizations that I could establish. Erin would have been helpful for this piece, but I was sure Charity would loop her in later.
We decided on a few different avenues—I would start a couple of foundations for medical research, provide accessible healthcare for underserved communities, support housing for veterans, and establish about half a dozen others. Charity promised to work with Erin to make it happen, and Julia offered her expertise in ensuring the right people were aware of the endeavors to drum up support for them. I knew that part of the reason to do this was because I was playing games with other wealthy assholes, but honestly… the thought of helping all those people…
I felt my soul getting lighter by the minute.
“The last order of business,” Charity said, “is that Karly Titus wants you to help her develop a movie.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking another sip of coffee. “Erin showed me her notes on that. Something about some missing workers at a ski resort? Sounds like a cheap thriller. Not sure about it.”
Charity shook her head. “No… that’s what it used to be. It’s actually better than you think, but she’s setting it aside for now. She has a new project she wants to work on that she thinks you would be really interested in.”
Julia looked like she was on the edge of her seat. Obviously, Charity had waited for her to arrive before telling me this bit of news.
“What is it?” I asked, doubting it after reviewing the brief notes on the other screenplay. It might as well have been set on Crystal Lake.
Charity’s eyes flashed. “It’s about you!”
***
Friday, September 13th, 12:52 pm
A wave of nostalgia hit me as I stepped onto the floor of the Marduke building where I used to work. Eight hours a day, five days a week—so much of my life spent under bad lighting and worse management.
Like most people, I had a few good memories scattered through the drudgery. But being back made it all feel deceptively golden. Nostalgia was a liar. I remembered hating this place—yet some part of me still wanted to run my hand along the edge of my old cubicle like it was sacred.
I paused by my old spot, mostly hoping to see Gerald. I’d lucked out with him—quiet, generous with coffee refills, and patient as hell when I was new. But he was out sick.
In his place, I found my replacement: Jeremy. Charismatic, eager, full of questions. He spent ten full minutes grilling me about the job and why I’d left. I smiled, nodded, and looked for exits.
By the time I reached the supervisor’s office and knocked, I’d already exchanged greetings with half the floor and ducked three different questions about Bobbi and Gina.
“Come in!” a familiar voice called through the door.
I found Natalie behind her desk, and the moment she saw me, she broke out in that wide, bright smile again. It felt like the first spring thaw after months of winter.
“Marcus!” she said, standing from her office chair and circling her desk to stand beside it, just a few feet away. “I’m glad you came!”
“I told you I would,” I said, closing the door behind me.
“I know. It’s just that with everything… I wasn’t sure if you would.”
I sighed. “Yeah…”
And that was the giant elephant in the room.
After what happened at my grandfather’s—no, my vacation home—Natalie had withdrawn from all of us. She locked herself in a guest room, skipping meals, skipping the pool, skipping me.
Meanwhile, I ended up in a goddamn foursome with Helen, Bobbi, and Erin.
She was probably crying herself to sleep while I was getting off in the master bedroom.
The next morning, we were two of the first ones up. It started tense and awkward, but the silence eventually broke, and we began to talk. Really talked. We both admitted the feelings were still there, but that we were so raw after everything.
So we agreed: friends for now. See where things went.
And then I vanished for a month.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I was just so caught up in everything… if it makes you feel better, my mom is mad at me, too. I think I only called her once.
“I thought you were still mad at me,” she said, unamused as she looked up at me with those big brown eyes.
“I told you I wasn’t.”
“I know, but just disappearing like that after what happened… it didn’t feel great.”
Part of me wanted to remind her that being ditched for my brother hadn’t felt great either. I decided on restraint.
“You could’ve texted me more, too,” I pointed out.
Natalie winced. “I felt so bad after what happened… I guess I was afraid to text you. I thought about doing it several times, but I couldn’t.”
“I get it,” I said. “But I’m here now. Can we just pick up where we left off before I left?”
“And where is that?”
That was a loaded question, and one I wasn’t ready to answer, so I decided to pivot. I closed the distance between us and placed my hands on her shoulders so I could make sure I had her full attention.
“How are you doing?”
It took her several moments to answer. Then she said, “I’m… doing okay.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” she said. “It still hurts when I first wake up, but by the time I’ve had a shower, I’m usually better. It’s been over a month. I’m healing.”
I eyed her skeptically. Natalie had been quite a mess before I left. If I ever got my hands on Tyler, I would waterboard him in my pool before throwing him off the roof of my apartment for what he did to her. She was too good a woman to be treated like that.
My brother didn’t know what he had lost.
I did, though.
Standing this close to her, I could smell her perfume—earthy with a hint of spice. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she stared up at me with some of the biggest, darkest eyes I’d ever seen. All those feelings I’d harbored for the better part of a year writhed just under my skin, trying to take me over and abandon all self-control.
I felt an urge to kiss her that was so overwhelming… it was a small miracle I resisted.
“Seriously,” Natalie said, watching me closely. It might have been my imagination, but it almost seemed like she had leaned in a little as if inviting me for a kiss. “I’ve spent a lot of time on my own trying to heal, and it’s doing me a lot of good. I’m figuring myself out.”
Her tone
“That’s good, Nat,” I said, my throat suddenly a little dry. I studied her lips—plush… moist.
She licked them.
And then took a step back, grabbed one of my hands in both of hers, and squeezed it, the intensity beginning to drain out of the moment.
“I’ve even started helping out someone else. It helps gain perspective when you’re not always focused on yourself. You remember Wendy? The girl they left behind at the vacation home?”
Bringing someone else up broke some of the spell she was holding over me, and I managed to regain control over myself.
I felt my eyebrows furrow as I tried to remember who she was talking about. “Tall? Short hair? Pretty?”
Natalie nodded. “That’s the one. Her life was a mess, and I’ve been helping her get back on her feet. I got her a job here. It’s been fulfilling.”
“I’m happy for you.”
Neither of us said anything as the moments stretched on, and I could see a pained expression in her eyes. She gave my hand a light squeeze and let it go. “Things can’t be like they were, can they?”
Could they?
The interest was still there between us. We’d just shared a moment. I could kiss her right here in this room, and I she would probably kiss me back—I knew that much, at least. There was a good chance I could leave this office in a relationship.
But…
No. No matter how tempting Natalie was, whatever dynamic that had existed between us had shifted. She had gone her way, and I had gone mine. I had changed so much since I left the country. I had grown, and I had also made commitments of a different sort. Commitments to Helen and Bobbi. I couldn’t give them up.
Charity and I had some unfinished business.
I wouldn’t give Erin up.
And I knew Natalie well enough to know she couldn’t live with that kind of situation.
We had grown too different.
I gave her a sad smile. “I don’t know, Nat. We’ve both changed so much.”
Natalie’s lips tightened. “I don’t want us to drift apart.”
“Haven’t we already?”
She stared at me in silence, chewing feverishly on the inside of her cheek and looking as if she were trying to keep herself from crying.
“I don’t have a lot of good men in my life, Marcus, and you’re a good one.”
“I’m not that good,” I protested. “There’s Bobbi.”
She huffed. “We all make mistakes.”
That made me laugh—couldn’t help it. The idea of Natalie cutting Bobbi even a sliver of slack? Not a chance.
Still… her saying it meant something. Enough to stir that part of me that wondered, Maybe.
Maybe not now. Maybe not soon. But maybe someday.
My laugh earned a fleeting smile from her, but it faded fast.
“Seriously,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Hey.”
I closed the space between us and wrapped her in my arms, hands warm against her bare shoulders. I kissed the top of her head.
“You won’t,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
No more near-misses. No flares of lust. Just two people sitting with the ache between them.
She cried, and I held her until the tears were gone.
***
Friday, September 13th, 1:40 pm
Half an hour later, I exited Marduke with Chloe on my left and John on my right. We were halfway down the stairs where the SUV waited, engine running, when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Unknown number.
I used to decline those. Now, with an ex-spook on payroll, I answered them.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Upton.”
I stopped mid-step.
Chloe gave me a sharp look. “Who is it?”
“Mr. Tanaka,” I said into the phone as I glanced at my bodyguard and put the phone on speaker.
“How was Europe?”
“Nice,” I said. “Good food. Good beer. I bought a castle.”
“Hm,” he said flatly. “I hear that is not the only thing you acquired. I am told that you found something of mine while you were there.”
Chloe gave me a sharp gesture of her hand across her neck—cut it short.
“Don’t know what you mean,” I said.
“You know very well what I mean,” Tanaka said, his tone growing menacing. “And you knew I would—”
“Hiro,” I cut in. “I’m a busy man. You want to talk? Make a fucking appointment.”
“This is—”
I killed the call and powered down my phone.
Chloe was right. I shouldn’t talk to him over the phone, where conversations could be intercepted—especially not about kidnapping Ryo. If he wanted his kid back, he could talk to me in person.
Chloe gave me a look—cool, unreadable, but with a flicker of something close to approval.
“Let’s go,” I said, heading toward the car.
I felt good after hanging up on Tanaka.
I knew I still had a lot of growing to do, but I finally felt like I was wising up and starting to take control. I could do this. It wasn’t the first time I’d taken on someone who had threatened me.
I didn’t know this world.
But I was learning.
And now, it actually felt like I was starting to call the shots.
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