“Alright then… he showed me an interesting estate development proposal that he would like us to invest in. A fully serviced condominium would be quite remarkable in Charlestown. Especially with the community college planning to take on executive programs for company CEOs both local and international. Perhaps it would be the move we need to lure more investors to Charlestown … but I’m surprised to see you strike it out as not viable. I told him that must be a mistake—”
“I saw the proposal, and I already gave Mr. Anderson my reply,” I said and pointedly checked my time. “Would that be all? I have a plane to catch--” I added, impatiently.
I knew I was being a bastard, but I seriously can’t be in the same room with my father for more than ten minutes without wanting to kill him. ‘I need to get this over and leave,’ I thought to myself.
“I was hoping your father could influence your decision—” the other man said, looking a tad taken aback. I supposed his planned intervention wasn’t going his way. If only he knew he had just severed himself from every future opportunity with my financial and engineering institutions.
“Edward Sterling doesn't run or own Evan Sterling Banks and Industries. And if you have done your homework very well, you will know that I don’t allow sentiments to impact my business decisions. I refused to fund your business proposal because there are lapses and consequences I could not afford. I assure you if I had thought it a perfect fit with Evan Sterling Bank's Vision, I would have signed it immediately.”
“Um… Anderson, could you please give me and my son a moment? Please,” my father said. Ringing for a maid to take the other man to the visitors’ waiting room. Anderson looked a little lost. I’m certain he knew he could have approached another investment bank other than mine, but mine has the resources he needed with the expertise to undertake such a large project in no time, and take it on in full force. But I haven’t driven myself like a mad man these past years to attain the level the company was at the moment to let some sentiment and greed put me and my team in a bad light.
Once the door closed behind them, leaving me alone with my father, he said, “You know it is rather rude to pointedly ignore me in front of a visitor.”
“My apologies, I thought it unnecessary for forced sentiments,” I said, looking him straight in the eye, something I knew he hated and considered an act of disregard.
“Did you really refuse him for all that nonsense you just spewed or did you do it just to spite me?”
“Don't flatter yourself, Edward Sterling,” I said, noting how calling him by his real name made him grow red in the face with anger. “I don’t do business like you — I make sure I never do business like you. The land he is planning to use for his proposed estate is already occupied by low-income earners. Partnering up in such a project will bring a lot of headlights on the company, and angry people, a lot of angry people—”
“And since when has that been a problem?”
“Since a particular Sterling decided to do an under the table business with a drug lord, and got himself involved in money laundry which I had spent the last years burying, and making sure it stays buried to keep my mother’s family legacy and your fucking family name clean with my very own blood!” I snapped.
I saw him blanch for about a minute, looking away, and then he reverted his gaze to meet mine and said, “Is that really the problem, Evan? Or you just hate me for making you lose her?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about. And if you are done wasting my time, I will take my leave,” I said, walking briskly to the door as if I couldn’t wait to escape him and the memory he was trying to provoke inside me.
“I could say I am sorry, but then see us all now — scandal-free, highly reputable, and still filthy rich. We are like demigods in this country. I thought it was the right thing then, and now, I know for certain it was—”
“Goodbye, Edward,” I said, pulling the door open. And if not for the fact that I knew the house was swimming with servants, I would have run. But I forced myself to hold my head high and strode out of my childhood house of nightmares. I even stopped to exchange pleasantries with the footman before slipping behind the wheel of my car.
I didn’t know I was holding my breath until I drove out of the estate. I gripped the steering so hard my knuckles turned white. Letting out a shaky breath, I felt my eyes blur with tears. I shook my head sharply like a bloody junkie and took calming breaths. ‘I will not let him drag me back to that memory lane. I have survived thus far and I will continue to do so till I draw my last fucking breath,’ I thought with determination.
A few minutes later, I was already on the tarmac. I checked my time as soon as I settled inside my Jet, and let out a sigh of relief, then groaned when my phone rang with an incoming video call.
“Yes?” I said, arching a highbrow at the idiot.
“Good, you made it. Do I need to put a tracker on your phone?” Jacob said and I couldn’t help laughing. He was relentless. I gave him that.
“See you soon, fool,” I said fondly as he laughed. I ended the call. The smile wiped off my face immediately. Pressing a button on my armrest to summon one of the waitresses, I sat back and powered my tablet to find some pending work to occupy myself with.
“Yes, Mr. Sterling?”
“Evan!” I snapped, raising a stony gaze at the brunette, she grew red in the face and mumbled an apology. “Get me a bottle of brandy,” I said dismissively, returning my attention to the tablet screen.
In no time, I got lost with work and managed to eat what the stewards served without being cognizant of where I was.
My work tends to do that for me. I love working with numbers. It has the ability to make me shut out everything and immerse myself in it for hours. So, when the pilot announced we had reached New York hours later, I was a bit taken aback. Checking my time again, I saw it was already 12 midnight. I sat back, feeling a bit tired. It’s been quite a day. I rubbed my eyes as the plane made its descent.
I chuckled to myself when I exited the jet and found two drivers waiting for me. One was the one I arranged from my New York office, the other was from Jacob. And as soon as my feet touched the asphalt floor, his call came in again.
“You are beginning to worry me, Jacob,” I said in exasperation, and he roared in laughter.
“Let my driver take you to the hotel and send yours home. I told you I got you covered!”
“Alright, see you in a bit,” I said in resignation. My driver was already packing my stuff in the boot of the Jeep he came with, and I signaled to him to follow the Bentley Jacob sent. I thought it best to have my own driver at my disposal in case I needed to get away earlier than planned.
“Welcome to New York, sir,” the chauffeur greeted me, and I nodded politely, slipping into the car. I chuckled when I saw an unopened bottle of brandy tucked on my side of the seat with the tag, ‘for Evan’, dangling on its neck. I felt a tad bad that he had to try so hard to make me attend his wedding.
I decided then I was going to try and enjoy whatever he had planned. Even though it's been a while since I found anything enjoyable. A pang of profound sadness filled me inside.
The hotel Jacob prepared was one of my regulars and as soon as I stepped in with Jacob’s and my driver following me with my stuff, the concierge who was attending to some other guest immediately dismissed them and hurried my way. “Mr. Evan! How lovely to have you,” the average-height man said loud enough to attract the attention of everyone in the lobby. I nodded. “Thank you, Adam. How is your lovely family? And little Emma, I believe she must be a big girl now,” I jest. He laughed with his eyes gleaming. I have learned in my dealings with people, especially folks like Adam, that remembering their names and little details they had dropped here and there about their lives or family always goes a long way in making them feel special. After all, they say people never forget the way you make them feel. And I am a strong believer that no one is insignificant to have in your corner. “I can’t believe you remember Emma! She is not quite a big girl just yet, and I can't wait. Her teenage de
I was literally the mule, breaking my back for her and her father with their fifty per cent share of my family’s company, and taking away my choice of who to spend my life with, invading my space! Just because of that bloody Edward…! I took a deep breath to calm myself, breathing hard. It’s been close to six years now and I still get riled up by the recollection.I recalled pointedly facing the old gizzard to tell him right there and then that Mary Antoinette was free to fuck anyone she likes, because I do not intend to be a saint myself, but I would definitely not be burying my dick in her gut. I immediately regretted my outburst for about a moment when I saw Mary Antoinette blanch, directing a dismayed gaze at me, then her father had the bright idea to threaten me some more and then lunge at me and that was the end of my remorse. If my mother had not been present, I would have done something I would definitely regret. Back then, I was really raw with the card life had dealt me. I w
The lady wore her witch black hair in full fringe and, for some reason, a torturous scene from the past flashed in my head, making me tense up with the intense emotion that came with the memory. For the life of me, I found myself unable to take my eyes off the girl and spaced out. I swallowed hard when Jacob said, “They are really eye-catchers aren’t they?”Then I heard myself say, “Can I get a private dance with the one in the middle facing us?” My voice sounded a bit different and I wondered if Jacob caught the intensity. “You have to be a gentleman and ask her yourself. We asked them to stay for the party, so go and mingle, Evan,” he teased, and walked away to attend to some other guests. The sound of my heart pounding was quite loud in my ears, even though I knew the probability of the woman I knew turning out to be a stripper or dancer was nil. But then I was never given the chance to even ponder on the probability of what she did to me and yet she had, blowing my heart sky
“Estie—you are still here…” I said in a low, deep voice ridden with feelings. “Yes…” she said in almost a whisper. “Small world, huh?” I said, letting out a pitiful chuckle. “Evan…” she said and looked as if she wanted to say more, then stopped. “Were you really going to run off without as much as a word to me, baby?” “I don’t know. You scared me!” she replied in an emotional tone. “Please… please tell me you went ahead and went to med school.” “I'm in my intern year!” “Then why the hell, Estera, are you in that getup, acting like a fucking stripper? What is that about? Do you need money?” “No, I don't need money. I’m doing this for a friend.” “How much?” “No, Evan. No. Just leave it be—” she said, still standing so far from me. I felt like I was in some bizarre dream and the need to touch her to assure myself it was real and she was actually there overtook me. “Come to me, Estera,” I said in an intense, commanding tone. “I shouldn’t… Evan—” “Don’t make me beg,” I said p
After the first round of our sexual indulgence, I bundled her off of the bed with her squealing with surprised delight to have a shower with her. I later left her in the bathroom to change the bedsheets, then returned to her to have her again in the shower stall. I was like an insatiable Stallone and I could only blame it on the alcohol, and the adrenaline caused by the chase and the escape from reality.With the few drinks that I had—okay, more than a few drinks—coupled with the emotional roller coaster and the pleasure of release with the only woman that I have ever wanted so desperately, it wasn’t a surprise that I slept off after getting her back in bed. Wrapping my arms around her firmly like I was afraid she was indeed a dream, nothing but a cruel play of my faculties. The sound of my phone ringing jolted me out of sleep, and I saw we had repositioned ourselves. She was now having her back to me, pressed snugly to my front in a perfect fit. Even with the blaring sound of the in
“Doctor Roberts?” the familiar voice of one of the nurses made me halt my strides. I had just finished assisting one of the attending physicians in major surgery and I was pretty satisfied it had gone well with no hiccups.“Yes?” I responded, turning around to face the dark-skinned skin, average-height young woman. She was about my age and I could say part of our clique. Most of the interns in Memorial Hospital often band together for one activity or the other to the point that we even have a popular bar a few blocks from here that we go to unwind at least once a week for a drink and a good time. Meredith was one of the few nurses that had somewhat drifted into the gang. She smiled at me and offered me a file.“Dr. Yen had a family emergency but was supposed to perform an Appendectomy this evening, she called and asked that you cover for her.”I took the patient’s file and flipped through it deftly. “Harrison Michaels…” I read the patient’s name aloud, “Is he here?”“Yes, Doctor.”“Ok
The surgery didn’t take me more than an hour, and we were on our way out of the hospital's main entrance by seven-thirty in the evening.“What’s the plan?” I asked as we walked past the parking lot heading away from Madison Avenue to Riverside Boulevard walking towards E 99th St.“We go home to change, and join the girls at Sapphire nightclub,” Ashley said, “They want us to watch them perform, before giving us a few pointers. And tomorrow we go shopping!”“It’s a good thing tomorrow is Saturday, I am beat!” I said, sounding like I felt -- tired.“Thank you, Estie for doing this,” Ashley said and I waved her off.“We need something fun for a change anyway,” Ameera said.“Are you saying our lives are boring, Doctor Ameera?” I said in theatrical shock. She giggled and rolled her eyes.“Our lives are a boring routine, Doctor Roberts, we are in dire need of an adventure,” she said with a sigh.About ten minutes later we were already at our apartment building. We chatted animatedly as we he
“It is nice to officially meet you all,” Anna said, the Hispanic beauty placed her hands on her ample hips and openly assessed us.“Wait till I tell my mum, we have doctors working at the strip club now,” Tamika said, taking us all in. Ashley quickly made a sound to negate the claim.“Just like I said, my friends are involved because they want to help me and it’s only going to be a one-time thing,” Ashley explained in a rush, letting out an awkward laugh.“That’s all they all say,” Tamika replied, throwing Ashley a skeptical glance.“Ignore Tamika, she is messing with you,” Anna said and cut her eyes at her friend. She responded with a raised eyebrow. Ameera shared a look with me. “I already told my boss about you and he has something huge coming up you might be interested in, but he would like to see what you can do before he can hire you three for the gig.”“And since we are to train you, and serve as agents, we get a 20% cut, aside from Bobby’s 30% of course,” Tamika interjected.“