His act of keeping it all together crumbled once he returned home. He sank onto the couch and began to shake. Hysterical laughter bubbled up inside. He’d never been home during the week—he’d worked most holidays, didn’t take vacation, and never got sick. Work was his life, his everything.
“Oh, God.” His leg jiggled and his breath grew short. “What the hell am I going to do?” First thing was to check his bankaccount. Boris had paid him well, and as he wasn’t frivolous with his money, spending little aside from mortgage payments, utilities, and food, a hefty balance greeted his eyes.
But for how long?The city was for the strong, not weak. Hayden kicked off his loafers, ditched his jacket and tie, and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. At least twice a week for the last year he’d received calls from headhunters, and he was counting on his reputation for an excellent work ethic to find him a position that if not comparable, was at least similar to that of personal executive assistant to the head of a billion-dollar company.
First call was to Janice Butler at Platinum Executives, who’d originally placed him with Boris. His call was put through immediately.
“I know you’re not calling me in the middle of the workday to wish me a happy birthday.” Her raspy smoker’s voice was strangely comforting. “What’s going on?”
“Happy birthday. I’ve been let go.” Hayden relayed the scene in Boris’s office and listened to her huffs of annoyance.
“What a fucking moron. Another fool being led by his dick and a pair of silicone boobs.”
Despite his panic, Hayden’s lips twitched. He could always count on Janice for her bluntness. That and her street smarts were what had enabled her to build a business matching the highest quality personal assistants with top executives from the city. She was fast-talking, brutally honest, and people, especially men, liked to call her aggressive, which Hayden knew was simply a code word for labeling a smart woman who won’t take their bullshit, as a bitch. Right now, Janice was whom he needed in his corner.
“Forget about Boris and his appendage, please. I need a new position.” Hayden gazed around the condo he loved. High in the sky, twenty stories up, and only four hundred and fifty square feet, Hayden loved every inch of the space. His sanctuary. A place where he could be himself. “I only closed on my apartment three months ago. I can’t afford to be out of work.”
“I hear ya. Look, I’m not going to lie to you and say I’ve got the perfect job.”
His heart sank.
“But,” she continued. “I do have a roster. Give me a few, and I’ll send you over to whom I think is the best match. You’re a prize. Don’t worry.”
“I always worry,” he said with a wry thinning of his lips. “It’s my constant companion.”
“Look, Hayden. I’m going to say something you might not like. You’ve been on autopilot for years. Use this time to recharge. Maybe go to a spa.”
“That’s a waste of money I can’t afford right now. Who knows when I’ll find another job?”
“Didn’t you get severance? Don’t tell me Boris is a cheap SOB who stiffed you on that?” Her outrage on his behalf, despite his fear, made him smile.
“Yeah, but not enough for me to breathe easily. You know how expensive it is to live in the city. Three months’ salary doesn’t go as far as you might think once the bills are paid.” He worried his bottom lip. “And that’s if everything goes smoothly and I don’t get sick.” He groaned. “God. It’s all so damn depressing. I never thought it would happen to me. I gave the man everything I had and then some.”
“Exactly. You gave him every piece of yourself, and you’re worn out. If you don’t want to blow a big chunk of change, atleast promise me you’ll go out tonight. One drink won’t break the bank, and think of it as your last hurrah until you find a new job. Hook up. Relieve the stress for a couple of hours. When was the last time you had a boyfriend, or even a date?”
Hayden lay on his couch and stared at the ceiling, a sudden longing to be fucked senseless sending a thrill through him. “I don’t have boyfriends, or date. You know that. Who has the time?”
“You do now,” she pointed out.
He winced. “Ouch. Thanks for the reminder.”
But dammit, now that Janice mentioned it, all he could think of was hot lips on his and a pair of strong hands on his shoulders. A wet mouth on his. He closed his eyes…could almost taste it. It would be nice to drown his sorrows with a big dick. All his nervous energy had to go somewhere, and Hayden had never had trouble finding men willing to take the edge off for him. After a day spent doing everything for other people, sex was one of the few things he could control for himself.
“The last time I saw you, Hayden, I wasn’t happy. You were pale and jumpy.”
“I’m fair-skinned and always jumpy. It’s part of my charm. I’m nervous so my boss doesn’t have to be.”
Janice wasn’t fooled.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. Okay, so maybe you’re not into a boyfriend. But some random guy who’ll make you forget for the evening can do amazing things for your self-confidence.”
“And you know this from personal experience.” He grinned. Janice had never married and loved to tell stories of her wild partying life when she was younger, and Hayden had to admit he envied her. Sex had become another item to tick off his list of things to do. Shower, eat, get off. Made sense, considering he’dstarted out having sex as if it were a business transaction. It had taken him years to learn to enjoy sex for pleasure.
“Hell, yeah. Just because I’m in my sixties doesn’t mean I don’t want sex. Older doesn’t mean dead, you know. I still got it. And get it.” She cackled.
“Okay, okay. Enough. I get the point. We could meet up for a drink. I haven’t seen you in ages,” he offered.
She laughed. “I’m not angling for an invitation, and I’m not your type.” He could feel her smirk through the phone. “I’ve got dinner reservations at Per Se tonight. All I’m saying is, try it. There’s something to be said about good old-fashioned anonymous sex with someone you won’t ever see again. As long as you’re safe.”
