The Seduction of Alex Parker(20)
The guy sitting in the chair across from his desk turned and looked at me. He looked oddly familiar.
“I brought you lunch.” I held up the bag. “I’ll just leave it here.” I walked inside and set it on the table. “I’m so sorry.” I started to sneak out.
“Hey,” the guy sitting across from Alex spoke. “I know you.” He slowly got up from his chair and walked over to me, checking me out from head to toe.
I looked at Alex, who was shaking his head.
“You must have me mistaken for someone else.” I gave a small, fake smile.
“No.” He shook his finger at me. “You. That’s it! You’re that stripper from Vegas.”
Alex’s eyes widened as he began to walk over to me. I studied the short man with the dark brown hair and the beady eyes.
“You’re that man that grabbed my ass and tried to pull me down when I was on stage!”
“Excuse me?” Alex harshly spoke.
“Sorry about that. I had a little too much to drink that night. But I would never forget a hot girly like you and I never forget a face.” He smiled. “Are you still stripping?”
“No. I gave that up last year.”
Alex’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.
“How do you know Alex here?” he asked.
“I’m his houseguest.”
“Lucky man!” The guy patted him on the shoulder. “Anyway, our meeting is over, so the two of you can sit down and eat lunch. “I’ll be in touch, Alex.”
I watched as Alex took in a sharp inhalation. “We’ll talk soon.”
As soon as his office door shut, Alex glared at me. “A stripper? Are you kidding me?”
I waved my hand in front of my face. “It was a one-time thing and I didn’t get totally naked. I was wearing those nipple covers and I had my thong on. I made a thousand dollars that night.” I smirked.
He placed his hand on his head as he continued to glare at me. “Why the hell would you strip in Vegas? Or anywhere, for that matter!”
“A friend of mine was ill that night and if she didn’t get someone to replace her, she was going to get fired. She really needed the job because she had a kid to take care of. And I’ll have you know that it was a very respectable club. Not one of those trashy ones.”
“Jesus, Emerson. I can’t even believe you right now.”
I frowned. “Does it bother you or something? Hell, I didn’t even know you.”
“It doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t have done that. Does Adam know?”
“No, and he won’t ever find out. Like I said, it was a one-time thing. Now go and eat your lunch.”
“Are you joining me?” he asked calmly.
“Not if you keep having that attitude, I’m not. So I think you need to apologize to me.”
“Apologize? For what? For a business client recognizing the girl I f*cked as the stripper he groped in Vegas?”
“He said you were a lucky man.” I gave a cocky smile.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Sit down and have lunch with me,” he commanded as he walked over to the table.
I didn’t move and stood there with my arms folded.
“SIT!” He pointed to the chair across from him.
****
Alex
As I sat and stared at Emerson from across the table, I couldn’t get over the fact that she had stripped in a club full of dirty men who only had one thing on their minds. She could have put her life at risk doing that and I was angry. Why the hell was I angry? I didn’t know. All I knew was that it pissed me off.
“Thank you for making me lunch. That was nice of you.”
She tilted her head as the corners of her mouth curved up into a beautiful but cocky smile.
“You’re welcome. Someone has to look out for your eating habits now that you’re on a restricted diet. As long as I’m here, I will be doing just that for you.”
“I appreciate it. But I’m not a child. I’m more than capable of watching what I eat.”
“All men are children, Alex, and you’re no exception.” She pointed her finger at me. “I’ll train you to eat a proper high blood pressure diet. Then, when I’m gone, you’ll be well educated.”
Something stirred inside me when she said “when I’m gone.” There really was no reason for her to leave so soon after Adam returned. She should use that time to reconnect with her brother.
“Have you thought about sticking around for a while after Adam gets back? Maybe try and reconnect with him?”
“Nah. Never stay in one place too long, and three months back in Cali is way too long.”
Her way of thinking was really starting to get on my nerves. After we finished lunch, she left, and I stood looking out the window with my hands in my pockets.
“Excuse me, Mr. Parker?” my secretary Olivia spoke.
“Yes.”
“Don’t forget you have that charity event tomorrow night at Jonathan Place.”
“Shit. I already forgot. Call Jenna and have her make sure my tuxedo is ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
I sat down at my desk and looked through my contacts of women who would want to attend with me. As I scrolled through the names, no one was peaking my interest. I sighed. Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t have Emerson’s phone number.