the door behind her. If there
was one thing I had figured out in this short time, it was that Renee was
loyal, to Apolo and now to me as well.
“Okay mother, what is it you want. This is my first day, and
I’m swamped.”
“What do I want? I’ve texted you for the past two days, and
you’ve had the courtesy to respond to only one of them. I was just worried.”
“If you’d read my reply, you’d have known how busy I knew I
was going to be and that I would be calling you this evening. You weren’t
worried. You merely want to know all the details of my evening with Apolo Choice.”
“Well, it’s not every day a daughter of mine goes out with
one of the most influential men in the country, not to mention world. And one
of the richest, too.”
“And as I told you, it was to a fundraiser, a way for him to
announce my promotion. There was nothing more to it, Mother. Understood?”
“Oh no, you’re not going to do me like that, Caitlyn White!
I saw the pictures and the fodder about the two of you and what went on
afterward.”
“Mother, if you believe everything you read, you’re going to
be sorely disappointed,” I replied.
Just as I did, Apolo stormed
through the door. I didn’t think he was angry, but then, I couldn’t tell. He
was a hard man to read.
“It’s okay, Apolo . I was just
giving my mother a lesson in office etiquette. Mother, this is my boss, Apolo Choice. Apolo , my mother,
Susan Pickett White.”
“I know all about you, Mr. Choice, and your ways with women.
Just because I’m older, don’t think I don’t keep an ear to the ground.
Especially when it comes to my daughter.”
“Mrs. White—”
“ Apolo ,” I interrupted, grabbing
hold of her shoulder. “My mother was just on her way out, weren’t you?”
“No, I wasn’t!” she retorted. “Caitlyn—”
“Mother, give it a rest. I promise to call you this evening.
Don’t nail me down on a time. We’ll plan to go out for dinner. That’s the best
I can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this is my first day, and I have people to
meet and things to learn.”
Renee popped her head in as though on cue to escort my
mother from the building. I nodded in her direction and turned back toward my
desk.
“The reason I actually came in here, Caitlyn, was to
introduce you to another member of the executive staff,” Apolo said.
“Yes, of course. Who is it?”
“Don Turner. I believe you’ve met him before when you were
downstairs. Don works a lot with the acquisitions department.”
“Yes, of course. That’s why his name is so familiar to me.”
“He’s in my office. Shall we? Oh and dinner tonight?” He
extended his arm. I caught a whiff of his cologne. It wasn’t the same as what
he’d had on the other night. This was much more subtle. More musky, more
masculine, more raw.
I didn’t have a chance to respond to his request. No sooner
than we left my office, we were at his threshold. He pushed open the door and
seated in front of his desk was Don Turner. Ah yes, I did remember Mr. Turner.
Prick, male chauvinist, and from the look on his face, I should probably add
none too happy that he was passed over for this promotion. Passed over for a
woman. This ought to be interesting.
“Caitlyn.” Apolo proceeded to the
other side of his desk. “I’m sure you remember Don Turner from when you were
down in acquisitions. Don, Caitlyn.”
“Ah yes, nice to see you again, Ms. White. And
congratulations on your promotion. I’m sure you’ll be fantastic at whatever it
is Mr. Choice has in mind for you.”
Oh wow! Let’s cut to the nasty, sexual undertones right out
of the gate! Yep, still the same prick, and one I wasn’t going to be able to
let my guard down around. If my instincts were right, Don Turner would be
trying to oust me before I got my seat warm.
The next hour was spent pouring over a project left behind
by my predecessor. When Apolo wasn’t adding his
concerns or comments to the conversation, I noted he
was one thing I had figured out in this short time, it was that Renee was
loyal, to Apolo and now to me as well.
“Okay mother, what is it you want. This is my first day, and
I’m swamped.”
“What do I want? I’ve texted you for the past two days, and
you’ve had the courtesy to respond to only one of them. I was just worried.”
“If you’d read my reply, you’d have known how busy I knew I
was going to be and that I would be calling you this evening. You weren’t
worried. You merely want to know all the details of my evening with Apolo Choice.”
“Well, it’s not every day a daughter of mine goes out with
one of the most influential men in the country, not to mention world. And one
of the richest, too.”
“And as I told you, it was to a fundraiser, a way for him to
announce my promotion. There was nothing more to it, Mother. Understood?”
“Oh no, you’re not going to do me like that, Caitlyn White!
I saw the pictures and the fodder about the two of you and what went on
afterward.”
“Mother, if you believe everything you read, you’re going to
be sorely disappointed,” I replied.
Just as I did, Apolo stormed
through the door. I didn’t think he was angry, but then, I couldn’t tell. He
was a hard man to read.
“It’s okay, Apolo . I was just
giving my mother a lesson in office etiquette. Mother, this is my boss, Apolo Choice. Apolo , my mother,
Susan Pickett White.”
“I know all about you, Mr. Choice, and your ways with women.
Just because I’m older, don’t think I don’t keep an ear to the ground.
Especially when it comes to my daughter.”
“Mrs. White—”
“ Apolo ,” I interrupted, grabbing
hold of her shoulder. “My mother was just on her way out, weren’t you?”
“No, I wasn’t!” she retorted. “Caitlyn—”
“Mother, give it a rest. I promise to call you this evening.
Don’t nail me down on a time. We’ll plan to go out for dinner. That’s the best
I can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this is my first day, and I have people to
meet and things to learn.”
Renee popped her head in as though on cue to escort my
mother from the building. I nodded in her direction and turned back toward my
desk.
“The reason I actually came in here, Caitlyn, was to
introduce you to another member of the executive staff,” Apolo said.
“Yes, of course. Who is it?”
“Don Turner. I believe you’ve met him before when you were
downstairs. Don works a lot with the acquisitions department.”
“Yes, of course. That’s why his name is so familiar to me.”
“He’s in my office. Shall we? Oh and dinner tonight?” He
extended his arm. I caught a whiff of his cologne. It wasn’t the same as what
he’d had on the other night. This was much more subtle. More musky, more
masculine, more raw.
I didn’t have a chance to respond to his request. No sooner
than we left my office, we were at his threshold. He pushed open the door and
seated in front of his desk was Don Turner. Ah yes, I did remember Mr. Turner.
Prick, male chauvinist, and from the look on his face, I should probably add
none too happy that he was passed over for this promotion. Passed over for a
woman. This ought to be interesting.
“Caitlyn.” Apolo proceeded to the
other side of his desk. “I’m sure you remember Don Turner from when you were
down in acquisitions. Don, Caitlyn.”
“Ah yes, nice to see you again, Ms. White. And
congratulations on your promotion. I’m sure you’ll be fantastic at whatever it
is Mr. Choice has in mind for you.”
Oh wow! Let’s cut to the nasty, sexual undertones right out
of the gate! Yep, still the same prick, and one I wasn’t going to be able to
let my guard down around. If my instincts were right, Don Turner would be
trying to oust me before I got my seat warm.
The next hour was spent pouring over a project left behind
by my predecessor. When Apolo wasn’t adding his
concerns or comments to the conversation, I noted he
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