Grumpalicious by Mia Faye
Chapter 14
CAYDEN
I knew she didn’t want me around, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want her out of my sight. As soon as I got back to the office, people had already started to talk. Who was the hot girl in the studio? Why had I come back with her on my private jet? More the general consensus around the office was that they liked her. I didn’t sit around listening to them, but I did have ears on the ground, and they’d email me tidbits of what was heard. I had to know where I was in the game, so I sent my second assistant, Anne Marie a text.
Genni, a new artist, is recording in the studio with Joe. Make sure she gets all that she needs. Also, make her feel welcome. She’s very special to me.
‘Special to me,’ was our code for MINE, which meant she had to make sure that no one else got near her when I wasn’t around.
Read you loud and clear, boss. Word has it, she’s really good-looking, so I made sure people knew she’s already spoken for. She’s nice though, not your type at all.
I loved how snarky Anne Marie was. She was young, probably exactly Genni’s age and I thought about dating her for a minute, she was sure cute enough, and brave. She often stood up to me, but in the end, my cock just wasn’t interested. It did nothing when she was around. Even fantasizing about her naked did nothing, so Anne Marie dodged that boss/assistant office romance bullet. She also had little interest in dating me, which made our platonic relationship a lot of fun.
I thought I’d play a little with Anne Marie since my poor neglected cock was aching for Genni so hard, I had to distract myself. There was no way I was going to let Genni out of my sight that night. If I had to settle for another go with her magic wand, I would but I needed to get in bed with that woman, I was desperate.
And why would nice not be my type? Careful—I sign your paychecks.
Because you like to get your hands dirty
Oh, that was very diplomatic of my assistant to keep it vague.
Later, sitting with Genni in the town car she was none too impressed with my plans. That stung a little, but I planned on being the most charming man in America. I was gonna win that woman over even if it killed me.
“What I’m saying is, I don’t really want to go to someplace fancy,” she sighed as we got out of the car.
“Oh, what do you have against Broccoli au Fromage? Come on it’s not that bad, we’re meeting a few friends of mine and then I’ll get you home to that bath.”
“No…” she whined as I linked arms with her and dragged her into the restaurant.
We were meeting another rock-n-roll couple. They were clients of mine, Mark and Magenta, they were rap stars and all-around fun people. The dinner was already on the books, but I wasn’t going to let Genni get away that night. We had fun despite the fact that I knew she didn’t want to go. She and Magenta got to talking music and they were in their own little world leaving Mark and me to talk business and marvel at how fast women made friendships. I was a little worried that Genni and Magenta might get too close. I didn’t need anyone who could potentially be recruited to her side.
I’d known Mark and Magenta for a few years. I met Mark when he was just starting out, trying to get off the streets. We had a similar backstory, and he was easy to like. He met Magenta while he was in the studio, she was one of the backup singers and both he and I realized pretty quickly that her voice was better than backup. As soon as they started singing together they fell in love. It was a romantic story and one I was happy Magenta told Genni when she asked about how the two of them met.
They were both rolling in money and were two of my most successful artists. Because of this, I took them out to dinner now and then to catch up and show my appreciation. I didn’t mind the kick-back I got for the record sales either, we were all just up to our necks in money. For some reason, the talk of money quieted Genni and I made a note to ask her why later.
The dinner was pleasant, and we were in the car back to her hotel when she looked at me, with surrender in her eyes.
“That was nice, unexpected. But I really do want a bath and I don’t want you there for it.”
“Your apartment will be finished next week. I can’t wait that long to see you naked, sorry.” I thought honesty was the best policy right.
“I thought we were only ‘dating,’” she commented using air quotes.
“We’ve been naked together; I’ve already scored that base. I certainly don’t want to go backward.” I made a face that got her to laugh, that felt good.
“Come up, have a drink. I’ll flash you before I hit the tub. Deal?”
She said to come up to her hotel room, so hell yes, it was a deal.
“Sounds good to me.” I was surprised she was even letting me get that close to her, but whether she wanted to admit it or not, we were having fun.
She ordered us a bottle of wine which we drank on the balcony overlooking the city in her ridiculously expensive suite.
“This is all kind of a fairytale,” she admitted after drinking a glass and a half of wine.
“It is, only I’m not the evil villain.”
“You’re not?” Her expression took on a look of surprise.
“No. I’m the handsome prince who turns you into a queen with true love’s kiss.”
And... she choked. “Sure you are.”
“Finish your wine and I’ll prove it to you.”
She threw her wine back and stared me down. “Okay, Prince Charming, do your best.”
I loved how playful she could get. “I can’t kiss you in a chair.” I raised my eyebrows.
“Well, you’re going to have to.”
She wasn’t planning on making any of this easy.
I stood up, lifted her out of the chair, and threw her onto the bed. I wasn’t gentle, but not forceful either.
“What the hell kinda prince move was that?” She laughed through her feigned anger.
“All the princesses were already on their beds when they got their true love’s kiss. I was just setting the stage.” I then pounced on top of her.
“Um, I don’t remember the prince jumping the princess.”
“Shut up and kiss me.” I placed my mouth on hers.
She slid her tongue into my mouth, and she tasted like Chardonnay. My damn cock stood at attention needing her in the worst way. When she ended our kiss, she pecked me softly on the lips and looked at me with those liquid blue eyes.
“Was that how the prince is supposed to sweep me off my feet?” she asked in a whisper.
“You are driving me crazy, Genevieve.” And I meant that.
“Princes are supposed to have their shit together.” She propped herself up and propelled herself off the bed faster than I could catch her. She then whipped her shirt off, tossed off her bra, swooped her skirt, underwear onto the floor. She then shimmied her naked ass at me and walked down the hall to the bathroom, yelling behind her. “I’m going to take a bath.”
The moment burned me, that was no lie, but she was staying true to herself—no sex until something deeper between us developed. She knew as well as I did if she stayed on the bed with me, we’d be fucking. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she liked what I was doing to her body, mind, and spirit. She was falling for me, but she’d be damned before she capitulated. Her surrender was only to the circumstance, but not to me. I still had work to do. So, I stayed in the bed and did work on my phone while I heard the bath water run in the bathroom down the hall.
She had an ensuite bathroom in the bedroom where I was laying waiting for her, but she chose the guest bath, she was smart. She didn’t say goodbye, so it would almost be rude if I left. This is what I told myself. We weren’t going to screw until there we were in love, or there was love...or whatever her requirements for fucking with love entailed. The only issue was love wasn’t ever going to be on the menu for me. I was likely going to lose interest, having never had a deep relationship before.
“I’m not sure I’m going to survive this,” I knocked on the bathroom door and said when she hadn’t emerged after an hour of being in the bath.
“You can’t give yourself a hand job?” she asked, still in the bathtub.
“Not being with you physically is going to be the death of me,” I said through the door.
“You’re doing fine,” she giggled. “You got this.”
And as much as I wanted to hate her I couldn’t.
“Aren’t you all shriveled by now? And isn’t the water cold?”
I then heard dripping on the tiles and rustling around before she came out wearing a fuzzy bathrobe.
“I’m pretty pruney.” She offered me a delightful smile. “Kind of look like a wrinkled ol’ troll and now I’m going to bed.” She passed me and walked into the bedroom, dropped her robe, and got into bed. “Hit the lights on your way out.”
And that was it. I could have gotten into bed with her and tried to convince her to let me stay, but she’d told me what she wanted and within moments she was quiet so I turned off the lights and left. My heart felt heavy getting into my town car and driving away from her.
The next day I put pressure on the people renovating her apartment. I lived in a brownstone in the Upper West Side. I had the top three stories of an enormous building that took up half of the block. I had too much space and so I made the bottom two floors rental units to offer musicians I represented or people who I knew who needed security and a place to live in New York. Each of the rental units was two stories; one was a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment, and the other had one bedroom and one bathroom. Both had a large living room, kitchen, and dining room.
My apartment had six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a rooftop garden and pool, an indoor gym, sauna, screening room; the basics. I laughed at how much space I had, especially because I was working all of the time and was rarely ever home. When I was in a relationship it was an amazing place to sequester. When I was done with the woman I just changed the locks.
I entered my cold, dark home and suddenly it felt too big and so I texted Genni, knowing she was probably already asleep.
I can’t stop thinking of you.
I occupied myself with a whiskey on the roof as I poured over unanswered emails that I should have responded to days before. She was doing something crazy to me. The next morning, I texted Genni again.
Want me to bring coffee?
This time she did respond.
In the studio. Maybe next week.
What the fuck? Next week? Oh, hell no, she had no idea what dating, even if it was faux dating was like. There would be no ‘next week’ in our vocabulary, so I had a driver take me to the studio so I could take her to lunch and set her straight. When I entered the studio, she was already eating a salad and laughing with her backup singers, a group of three immensely talented women who I had partnered with her. The look of shock on her face was a little unnerving as she clearly wasn’t expecting me.
“Cash, hey.” She stood up from the group and walked over to me. “We’re just taking a quick break.” She then proceeded to give me a quick peck. “To what do I owe this honor?” She was fun and flirty, nothing at all...like her.
“Well, I thought I’d take you to lunch but it looks like you beat me to it.” I acted sad and put out.
“Sorry,” she said, playfully knocking my shoulder.
While the act was refreshing, it was also maddening because the more she played, the more the distance grew between us. There was no way her apartment was going to be ready until at least the following week at the earliest. I wanted to replace the floors, paint, upgrade to a smart house, I needed her to have every modern convenience, because yes, I was bribing her with everything in my arsenal.
“Well, maybe I’ll order some salad too and just hang out and hear you sing.” I was resolved if I had to cancel my day again, I would, nothing was going to stop me from sleeping with Genni that night and so that’s exactly what I did. I ordered a salad, which was hardly enough food for me, canceled my day, and stayed in the studio as Genni worked her ass off to learn and perfect a new song they planned to record the following day. They were in a rush because we wanted to break Genni ahead of Grammy season. If we could get something on the radio and go hard on her debut there was a chance she’d make it in time to be considered for the best new artist category. She would have to kill herself to do it though. When she finished for the night I was there to abscond with her.
“Cash, I’m wrecked. I can’t spend the night in the bathtub to avoid you. I really just want to wear ugly sweats and chill. I don’t want to worry about you or what you’ll do tonight. I’ve been working my ass off today. I just want to be me tonight.” The sound of her voice was sad.
“Do you hate me?” I was really starting to wonder.
“No, you’re just so intense. I can’t really take too much of you.” She looked down at her feet, probably feeling bad for saying it, and then I knew it was the truth. “Can’t we just have fun together?”
She was right, hounding her for something she wasn’t willing to give wasn’t fun. I looked her in the eye and called a truce. “Yes. Let’s just have fun together. You go to the hotel and get some rest and? Tomorrow maybe you can come to my place and see the work they’re doing on your apartment and have dinner with me. I also want you to know I ordered name tags for everyone who lives and works with me. I promise I’ll use names more. Just for you.”
“That sounds amazing, but I hope it’s for you too.” And there was her gorgeous smile.
I’d take amazing any day, so it was a plan. I only had to live without Genni for one more night and then she’d be on my turf.
