The Seduction Process

chapter 1

I'm juggling two jobs. Two lives, completely different from each other. I could never let my coworkers know what I do as last-resort entertainment. I had to save my apartment; of course I was mostly well-off from my secretary position at Reynolds Industries, but that didn't mean I had all the money in the world. Unlike my billionaire sex idol boss, Parker Reynolds. At 24, he had dozens of workers at his fingertips and even more money to blow on whatever he pleased.

I may seem bitter, but honestly, I've given up on childish dreams like becoming a wealthy celebrity. Then, my private business would be out for the world to see, and frankly, I have too many secrets that would ruin my career anyway. For one; the fact that I work at a gentleman's club as an exotic dancer. Call me a slut, or a whore, or whatever makes you feel better. Just know that this is my last option.

The real reason I have so little money and need to constantly check price tags and conserve so frugally is because I'm paying for my little brother's medical bills. I haven't seen my mom or dad in five years, after they went to the Caribbean and never came back. Naturally, I don't let my only family die off like a weak friendship, and I take up the parent role that we never really had. He's honestly a sweet kid, with a sick sense of humor. I've heard so many "delete my browser history before I die" jokes that I'm actually confident he's doing this to prove he has a clean slate. To be honest, I don't think I could summon enough courage to go and look for myself.

I work in an office full of gossip-hungry children, and the second I walk in, Joaquin and Eva pounce on me.

"Bitch, there you are! Remember Daniel's wife's pregnancy? Well, she gave birth a couple days ago, and turns out there's more than one kid that popped out." Eva practically screams into my ear, shaking the only arm that wasn't free. She was in a mid-thigh business skirt, white blouse, and matching blazer. Her straight blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail. I've known her for so long that we've gotten very comfortable with our name-calling.

I calmly snatched my arm away; marks were going to show up and I can't have anyone thinking I'm being beat up on the sidelines. "Where did you hear that bullshit?" I answered, scoffing doubtfully.

Joaquin chimed in with, "From Daniel himself, sweetie. I promise you this is the real deal." His teeth contrasted against his bronzed skin, his brown eyes shining with mirth. He was wearing a full business suit, as a relatively important meeting was to start later in the afternoon.

I grinned at that. Daniel was a goofy person but he wasn't known to lie about such major things like that. Despite the uncertainty I felt, I laughed it off and walked with them to the break room where I was hoping to milk the coffee machine dry. I love Joaquin and Eva, but I think I could strangle both of them before I even started my shift.

Crossing the thin glass border between me and my bittersweet hit of reality, I sprinted enthusiastically to the coffee machine, thanking God there was no line. When I grabbed a cup and pushed the options on the screen, I waited for a good patient minute for something to happen. And something did; the little box of death whirred slightly before full on spasming and dropping completely to the floor. I heard a deep chuckle behind me as I stared wide-eyed at the mess of coffee and broken plastic on the floor.

My jaw slacked even more, as I turned on my heel to find my boss, Parker Reynolds, business mogul, laughing his ass off by the doorway.

"Wha-What? Why are you laughing so hard?" I fumed, embarassed, as he glanced up at me from the literal floor. He proceeded to almost completely fall over again laughing as my face heated up. Crossing my arms, I let out a small smile. Hell, his laughter was contagious. It was like the whirring of the dead coffee machine I just killed, annoying but nothing I couldn't handle. "Can you please stop laughing at me? Sir?"

He straightened up slowly, letting out a couple snickers as he regained his composure and studied me with those famous gray orbs. Parker was easily six-foot, dressed in a-previously-crisp white and black suit. Thin nose, sharp jaw, and pink full lips. No wonder Miranda on the first floor was always excitedly talking about this man. He was a heartthrob. And my boss.

I quickly stooped to clean the destruction, all the while reciting an apology to him furiously, my hand's velocity almost surpassing the speed of sound. My eyes were tracked to the floor until he crouched down with me, long, darting fingers picking up the overlooked pieces, as I met his gaze. It was easy and relaxed and he even gave me a tiny smile as he dumped all the debris into my palm.

"Maybe next time you should read the sign next time, coffee fiend." His bony dexterous fingers gestured to the "Out of Order" announcement above where the coffee machine once sat. I dumbly looked at it and then flitted my gaze to meet his once again, only to stare at a waxed tile where he stood. His footsteps echoed down the corridor before disappearing completely.

"Jesus christ. I'm going to get fired, aren't I? Stupid, cursed coffee machine. I should've just tried to sneak past him and forget this." I mumbled to myself, finishing the rest of the job rather quickly. I rose, and briskly walked to my desk, where I numbed my brain enough to focus and ignore Joaquin's occasional peeping head looking down on me from his cubicle.
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I was practically assaulted by Joaquin as I rushed out of the office's main hall, heading towards the parking lot. Joaquin boxed during his high school and college years, so it was more than necessary that I at least try to protect myself when he collided into me.
"Nice to see you again, Viviene; mind telling me what exactly happened between you and our boss in the break room?" He questioned, sarcastically. I lowered my hands from their offensive stance near his chin; he wasn't a real threat. Not now, at least.
Eva had already scheduled lunch with her manager, so she was absent; meaning it was just us. Joaquin could interrogate me all he wanted.
I smiled sheepishly, shrugging my shoulders. "Nothing really. We just had a bit of a run-in as I was-er, tending to a casualty."
He looked at me disbelievingly as I sped up my pace, hoping to escape his scrutinizing eyes. Joaquin wasn't the kind of person to leave a matter undiscussed, so shaking him off wouldn't be easy.
"Are you sure? Because I don't remember your laughter being loud enough to interrupt an entire conference room. Seriously, you're completely dead inside; laughing isn't something you can do." He slung an arm around my shoulders casually.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the door handle, pushing myself outside before I could tell Joaquin to shut the hell up.
And right then and there, is when I collided into a surprisingly soft, linen-covered wall.