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Chapter 99: Job Loss
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The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 100: Celebration Time
"How will it be a celebration if there's no alcohol?" Ashley asks."Because it's a sober celebration," I say emphasizing the word sober.She whines, sitting on the couch. "It would be a lot more fun to celebrate with alcohol."I can't disagree, but Ashley has been drinking too much lately and if staying in one time will help her, I'm willing to sacrifice. "We are going to have a lot fun.""But, Kens, how? This is your big celebration for moving to marketing. You really need alcohol.""We don't need alcohol." Only boring people needed liquor to make a night fun."How about wine then? That's a barely a liquor."I can tell we'll argue over this for a while, so rather than spend the entire night listening to Ashley complain, I give in easily. "Fine, one glass of wine.""Two.""I think there's a new rule in this friendship. No using your negotiating skills against me."She laughs. "Does that mean I win? My student loans have to be good for something.""Two glasses. But
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 101: Transferred
I finish signing the last piece of paper, making my transfer to the marketing team official, and then pop the top of my brand-new company-provided laptop. It's a new week and a new department. Sitting floors below Vincent has left me hollow. I'm aware we're in the same building, but this space is so much different from the one I've shared with him for the last few weeks.The marketing department is a wide-open floor with basic carpeting and white walls. Gray soft padding lines each of our cubicles, but otherwise it's plain and boring. Nothing like the almost homey space I used to call an office sitting right outside Vincent's door. He even had a plush leather couch in his office and two bookcases full of reading material.While he used to drive me nuts with his fingers clicking over his keypad as he smashed them into oblivion, now the whole floor is full of various people tapping away at their devices. I'd much rather it be replaced with the sound of his angry death strokes.But
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 102: Not Off to a Brilliant Start
Nothing I can do will make up for not going on another date with him. If he dislikes me for that, I guess he'll dislike me. It's his choice if he holds a grudge for the rest of his life.I have enough boy problems. I don't need to go adding more to the mix.With my laptop turned on, I put in the company-provided password and check the large clock on the login screen. 9:01. Already an hour into work and I've spent most of my time thinking of Vincent.Not off to a brilliant start.I brought nothing personal with me into work because I was constantly aware I wasn't staying as Vincent's assistant. Either I'd quit or he'd fire me. The slimmest chance went to ending up exactly where I am now. The desk outside Vincent's office was never mine. It belonged to someone else, and I was merely renting it for a short time.Now, with a spot in my own area, I can move into this position and decorate. Make it mine with a plant—probably best to go with fake—or my favorite picture of Ashley and
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 103: Money Problems
I hit refresh, certain they're having a problem at the bank. My account has extra zeros. Not so many as it puts me into rich terms but more money than I should have at this point in the month. Something has to be wrong. My blood pressure rises in my panic as I try to work the math in my head.With another quick click, I scan my transaction history to find out when the money came in. There were the normal things I remember, items that took money out of my account rather than put it in—an extra run by McDonald's for Ashley one afternoon, a second trip to the store to buy more ice cream and then the auto deductions for our rent. But one very large payment is missing.Shit.The bank didn't take out my student loan payment four days ago when it should have. As it has every month for the last two years. Most of my student loan payments won't come due until I'm six months out of graduate school, but a few of them have been accruing interest the entire time I was in college, and I've bee
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 104: Midnight Oil
THE FLOOR slowly empties of people, the tap tapping growing softer as the day wears on."Burning the midnight oil on your first day?" Dawn, who I found to be an absolutely wonderful person, says stopping by my cubical. The high-top bun she started the day with has a few flyaway hairs, but her eyes are bright. I want to be her one day.She stopped in today on occasion, making sure I didn't find the training videos too boring.I did, because they were horrible, but I kept that secret on lockdown. It's a golden rule that training videos in a new job have to be the worst things you ever witness in life. I still have nightmares of what they made me watch when I spent the summer working at a hardware store. The small chain was locally owned, and the videos were home produced."Yeah, I'll be leaving as soon as I finish this last video. Have a good night."She waves goodbye and I hear the elevator doors open. I wait another ten minutes to make my move. In one fluid movement I rise fr
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 105: Time to Discuss His Mother
The light kiss on my forehead is the first thing that rouses me from sleep, but the whispered, "Good morning," in my ear causes one eye to flutter open."Hmmm." I roll over, trying to get away from the man working so hard to wake me up, even if he smells of clean aftershave and a fresh shower. "Ten more minutes."The smooth vibration of his laugh fills my soul with something it's been lacking for longer than I knew, but it's quickly doused with water when he flips me over on the bed and reaches across my body to grab ahold of my ass cheek. His wet hair drips on my face and I use a hand to pull the covers up, shielding me from his onslaught. To my dismay Vincent tugs them down easily and then crawls back underneath them, not resting his head on a pillow."My mom likes you," Vincent drags me to him and I nuzzle my head against his chest, preferring that over a pillow any day. His skin is smooth, and he smells of fresh soap and shampoo."Why are we discussing this now?" Sun peeks
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 106: "Oh Shit" is right
I stop in my tracks, my eyes wide, taking in the scene before me. Crap. Crappity crap. For a moment I consider backing up and pretending this hasn't happened, but two sets of eyes find mine before I'm fast enough to move.Vincent leans across the table, holding a stack of papers as his assistant Amy points to various parts. Whatever they've been discussing ends and both stare at my half-clothed form standing in the doorway.Vincent pushes off the counter and crosses his arms against his bare chest, shaking his head. "It's okay. Amy, you've met Mackenzie."She bites her lips together and nods, doing her best not to smile or let her eyes dart back between the two of us. Amy doesn't need a second look to figure out what's happened here.Crappity. Crap. Shit. Fuck.This is exactly what I didn't want to happen and I'm the one who did it. There's no one to blame but me. I've already become too complacent in Vincent's space.My hand clutches at the fabric on my chest. "This doesn'
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 107: Sneaking Home
Most of downtown is deserted as the state employees try to get out of the city early on a Friday afternoon. The warm sun hits my face and I smile up at the bright sky. It's the first time I've been out of Vincent's building in the last three days. The glorious thing about having a mega-rich billionaire for a boyfriend—if he is my boyfriend—is that he doesn't care how much it costs to have food delivered every single night. Between going to work, back to his place, and then back to work I've only viewed the outside through his floor-to-ceiling windows.But now it's time to go home to my own place. Check in on my roommate and maybe institute a girls' night Friday movie-fest. Past the church on the corner of North Ottawa, I turn left, my apartment building looming on the street when my phone dings with a text.V: What do you want for dinner? I'll have it waiting.I palm the phone between my two hands and smile. The one person I didn't warn I'd be returning home this evening was Vinc
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