“I could bring some other people in on this,” he suggested. He was hoping he didn’t have to. He liked having her all to himself.
Steph quietly declined, “I think we can handle this on our own. I just hate being the subject of gossip. I just don’t see the fascination in me or my life.”
“I think it’s, more or less, who you’ve been interacting with as of late,” he smirked. John knew they were in for the gauntlet of rumors. He was ready to take it on. Steph, on the other hand, didn’t look so sure. It wasn’t much people could do to him as the CEO, but Steph had a lot more to lose in this.
“Of course, make this about you,” she replied sarcastically as she continued to work through her documents, “I just don’t get why people have to be so nosy. I’m probably the least interesting person I know.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I find you refreshing,” John’s grin was subtle. He didn’t want to make her uneasy, but he couldn’t help wanting to be close to her. He moved around to the back of the couch to see which papers she was working on. He leaned over to point a few things out to her. His scent was a mixture of manly musk and coconut oil. John’s face was so close to hers that if they turned to face each other in the slightest, their lips would connect. A few of his locs drifted down onto her shoulder. She yearned to run her fingers through them.
“Ahem,” a feminine voice disturbed their moment before it begun, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
John stood straight up in shock while Steph merely glanced up from the paperwork. They weren’t doing anything wrong, but John’s response suggested otherwise.
“Addy,” John welcomed the woman into his office with open arms, “I didn’t think you were coming.”
“Don’t I always come for you, Johnnie,” she quipped with a devilish smirk. Steph didn’t appreciate her inappropriate humor and wondered if she and John had an inappropriate relationship. Her eyes glanced to her shoes, red bottom, more than a year’s salary for Steph, had adorned her slender feet. Her tall legs and porcelain skin wore couture better than the models who garnered them on the covers of magazines. You would never think she lived through the things she’d written about in that manuscript. And, if she was willing to write about those things, Steph could only imagine what she kept to herself. Her feelings were conflicted. She wanted to like Amanda but found herself getting jealous over how close she and John were.
“Addy,” John shook his head with an awkward laugh. Steph was sure he was blushing but his flawless chocolate skin wouldn’t give that away. Another three men stepped in behind the woman. Two were dressed in suits with earpieces, and wreaked of law enforcement. Her dealings with Bobby had given her a sixth sense about those kinds of men. The other man was tall, handsome, and full of distain. His disgust radiated from the look in his eyes as he scanned the room.
“How much longer do we need to be here?” the grumpy man whispered to Amanda.
Steph remembered her manners and stood from her seat. She extended her hand to the both of them to introduce herself. Amanda smiled and brought her in for a hug, while the man with her simply sneered at the thought of touching Steph’s hand. Amanda released Steph from her embrace to answer her companion.
“We’ll be going as soon as we discuss a few things, darling,” Amanda pinched his cheeks. He snatched away from her, exiting the room with a series of inaudible grumblings. The two suits didn’t move.
“What’s Rico’s problem now?” John inquired as he fought to hear what the angry man was doing outside of the office.
“Nothing a good blow job won’t solve. Now enough about my emotional fiancé, I need you two to handle this. It came certified mail this morning,” she handed an envelope to John who then handed it off to Steph. Steph unfolded the paper reading through its legal jargon.
“It’s a gag order,” she grumbled wishing she could crumple it up to throw it away.
“I like her Johnnie, she’s delightful,” Amanda remarked happily. “Yes, and apparently someone doesn’t want me spilling the beans about our torrid past. But what’s mine is mine and my truth is the only truth that matters to me.”
“We were expecting this,” John told her, “Everyone isn’t ready for your truths. It could get some people into some deep shit. You’re messing with people’s money, Addy.”
“Johnnie, you worry too much,” Amanda pinched his cheeks. “Just fix it!”
“Mrs. Dahl, he’s right. I’ve looked over your sources and they aren’t keen on confirming any of the information you’re putting out. Many of them don’t even want their name mentioned,” Steph stepped in trying to make her understand.
“It’s Miss Dahl, darling,” Amanda corrected Steph, “And that’s why I’m paying you and your firm, Johnnie. Fix it! Now I don’t want to waste any more time here. I have an appearance to make that I’m already two hours late for, and an angry fiancé who needs to feel my wondrous mouth around his cock. Toodles dolls.”
Amanda sashayed out of the office. The two suits did an about face to follow her out. Steph and John could hear them arguing all the way to the elevator.
“Wow, she is something else,” Steph giggled as she returned to the chair.
“Yeah Addy is some kind of amazing. Outside of taking an immense amount of joy in making me uncomfortable, she’s a great girl. She deserves this deal,” John told her somberly.
“Why do you call her Addy?”
“We gave each other nicknames one drunken night and they stuck. Her initials are A. D. They read ad so Addy it was. We’re the only people who call each other by those names. I mean do I look like a Johnnie to you?”