“He’s not that bad.” I always try to keep the peace between them. “Is this about the investment into EC Security?” He nods in response, and pockets his hands in his suit trousers, his shoulders rigid and brows furrowed. A painful lunch with those two isn’t quite the calm and quiet day I had in mind, but it will have to do. I can always rely on work to shut out the demons.
Charles claps Jeeves on the back and heads towards the door. “And he is that bad if you’re his son and not his gifted protégé,” he spits out, unable to hide his emotions.
There has never been any bad blood between Charles and me, but I know he often resents his father’s focus on my education when we were growing up.
I grab a shower and get ready for the day, trying my best to put all thoughts of Reilly aside. The ray of sunshine that blinded me for the evening is another example of why I shouldn’t trust anyone. It’s a good job she didn’t find out my full name. I’ve had horrendous experiences with women holding on to me for a quick payday. There was the Harriet Pemberton debacle; a fake pregnancy that sent me on an emotional rollercoaster ofhell I won’t let myself experience again. I can move on with my life, focus on Neive, MJ and continue to build my empire. Reilly can bake her cute little cakes and walk her cute little dog and carry on with her cute little life far away from me.
~
Our lunch meeting continues well past a natural ending. Charles and William argue nonstop. They cannot see eye-to-eye, constantly trying to outdo each other and point-blank refusing to agree. The truth is we don’t need William’s investment, but he knows our plans and wants to be involved. I’m not convinced it is the best idea. William’s idea of a silent investor is pretty loud, and despite making a name for himself, his business mind has remained firmly in the twentieth century. He’s not scared of technology and has actively embraced it, but his understanding is lacking. William’s problem is that if he doesn’t understand something, then he will fight it every step of the way. As much as I like to be a peacekeeper, I can also be hot-headed. My temper often sparks before I can fully rationalise a situation. It’s both a hindrance and an advantage. I try not to let my emotions lead business though.
William retired five years ago when Charles was ready to take over as CEO. There was a firm place for me within the company, but Fox Industries is my baby. It’s under my control and requires my full attention. Starting as a small tech company and slowly branching out into finance. Now, we mainly deal with acquisitions. My personal investments, however, are all properties. I like my portfolio of buildings, restaurants and apartment blocks. There is of course mine and Charles’s personal project: Waterside Hotel.
Work has become stagnant for both of us. Michaelson Inc. and Fox Industries are pretty much self-running and don’trequire much input from either of us. Plus, Waterside Hotel is run like clock-work with the management team we’ve put in place.
We’ve decided to take a jump into the security industry. With my background in technology and Charles’s overall thirst to get out from under his father, we are joining forces. It will be nice to be on the same team again. Lord knows William has tried to pit us against each other on occasion.
“Call Diane, she misses you!” William slurs slightly as he finishes off another scotch.
“I will,” I assure him. Diane was my saviour when she fostered me; I should make more time for her. Never having her own children, she put her heart into those without their own families. She always said she would have taken in MJ, but social services were reluctant to allow a young girl in a house with the selection of other teenage boys Diane fostered. So MJ was left in the group home, while I lived the life with the Michaelsons.
“And you.” He points at Charles. “Call your mother.” Much harsher words for his son.
“Why do you care? You divorced her,” Charles bites back.
“I know that! It doesn’t stop her from ringing me to try and get hold of you.” His housekeeper slips in and silently hands him a piece of paper. William likes to keep a formal household.
“Boys, I’ve got further business to attend to.” A woman, probably. “I’ve enjoyed lunch. Send me over the details on EC Security. I’d like to glance at the finances.” And the not-so-silent silent partnering begins. “I’m proud of you boys. You both continue to surpass my expectations.” He rests a hand on Charles’s shoulder and smiles down at him. Charles pats his hand in return. They snipe at each other a lot, but there is love there. There always has been. Family is everything to William, like it’s everything to me.
FOUR
Reilly
Sarah is shaking another round of Espresso Martinis while Thea sets up her “Villain Era” playlist with Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” blaring out. I swear little Miss Prim-and-Proper likes to try and damage eardrums. She rebels in her own way, but you can’t take the posh girl out of Chelsea. She is sitting cross-legged, clutching her antique family heirloom pearls while swearing like a sailor. “Elton Fox can suck a donkey cock!”
Sarah had helpfully informed me of who my charming one-night stand was. He owns the fucking hotel! That puts SkyLounge and Waterside Hotel on the no-go list, not that I often find myself there unless the girls drag me out. She swears blind she didn’t know he was attached, and only recognised the name on his licence and was vaguely aware of him. She accosted him on our way out, demanding photo IDas well as giving strict instructions to take care of me in every way possible. Both safety and sexual satisfaction are important to us all.
“Sarah, cut Thea off, she’s in desperate need of water,” I beg, but Sarah just chuckles and pours us all another glass of her overly strong cocktails. I’m hoping she’s swapped over to decaf coffee. I’ve got an early start and need sleep. Waking up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in icing cupcakes for Sienna’s twelfth birthday party before working my arse off for minimum wage will be painful anyway, even if I manage to get a full eight hours. Taking on private side gigs should boost my monthly income, but it doesn’t. My tiny kitchen can only do so much. The real money is in the big stuff. I need decent premises for that, which requires funds I simply do not have access to.
Sarah haphazardly wipes gravy on her sheer chemise, which pulls me out of my pity party and into the slightly bizarre reality. It has been a long-standing tradition that after any man disaster, we put on scandalous lingerie, make cocktails and order copious amounts of takeaway. Tonight’s choice is KFC. It sounds insane, but picture it: three gorgeous scantily clad women wearing corsets, baby doll dresses and stockings, chowing down on drumsticks and KFC gravy. There’s probably a whole algorithm on OnlyFans for it.
My girls are special. They are the sort of girls you could only dream of having as friends. Sarah is wild, she will push you out of your comfort zone and carry you through it, kicking and screaming. We lived in the same halls at university, and after our first night sinking three bottles of wine, we were inseparable. Her crass Liverpudlian accent compliments her brash, fiery personality.
A few months into university, we found Thea, stumbling upon her giving a guy some shit for trying to take advantage of a drunk girl at a party. There is nothing more ridiculous and terrifying than being berated and called an “irreparable spinelesspiece of shit” by someone who speaks with an accent that can only be described as the Queen’s English.
Despite her fierce loyalty to feminism and the plight of women, Thea is meek and mild, raised in Kensington by a horde of nannies and staff to have impeccable manners and to be well-spoken. She is her family’s greatest disappointment after choosing to study drama in the arse-end of Dorset.
Our little trio wouldn’t be complete without me. Quirky, clumsy, basically a hot mess. I bake cakes, read smut and live with my mum and my three-legged rescue dog, Chip. Yes, as in chocolate chip. I’m that predictable.
I grew up here, just Mum and me. Finding these two along the way made life even more enjoyable.
As a group of friends we could not be more different, yet we match in our own special little way and – after three years living together at Bournemouth University – they stayed and made their home here, much to my delight.
We are at Sarah’s tonight, and she has already filled us in on her night with Charles, which shockingly didn’t go past a PG kiss before he put her and Thea in a taxi home. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. I believe the word she used was “clit tease”, which doesn’t feel particularly feminist of her, but who am I to judge?
“This is why you need to lower your expectations of what men can actually give you.” Sarah is a self-proclaimed slut, seeking companions for a night or two and never taking it further. She has a couple of long-standing flings who come and go, but ultimately she has vowed to be forever single. Sarah’s parents had a messy divorce, and she now has multiple step-siblings from both sides. You wouldn’t need to pay a therapist to work out where her fear of commitment comes from. “Who has time for these complications? You get all the emotional support from your friends. You’re lucky that your job is yourpassion, so that fills most of your time. Men are for when Little Reilly is shouting for attention. And, only when Ann Summers isn’t quite cutting it.”
I don’t particularly like Sarah naming my vagina Little Reilly.
