The Dumb Fuck Read online

  “Nice office, Waverly,” he pointed out.

  She shook her head at him, her wild hair was all twisted up and tamed again. He really wanted to see it down.

  “There’s no reason for you to be here, Walker, WestMat will work on your account, I accept your apology. Thank you and goodbye.”

  “I see that you are just as creative with words Miss Matthews, as you are with images. Do you remember moaning when I had my...”

  He ducked easily, as the pen in her hand flew past his head. Walker smirked as she glared at him.

  “Please leave,” she gritted out through a fake smile.

  Waverly stood, he stood as well. She turned and walked around behind her desk, he admired her ass. It was perfect. Leaning over, both hands planted flat on her desk, her silk shirt hung forward showing him her incredible breasts in a sheer, red, lacy bra.

  “What do you really want, Mr. Rike” she asked in a low, breathy voice.

  Pulling his eyes away from her tits, he met her frigid stare. It surprised him to see that she knew exactly what she was doing to him and, was doing it intentionally.

  “We are going to talk,” he said bluntly.

  She heaved a sigh, “If – if I do, then you’ll leave me alone right? I’ll work on the account, but not work directly with you. I’m sure there must be a young, unknowing, girl or two in your office that you have fucked over. Maybe you need to reward or buy them off, let me work with one of them,” she taunted, the anger she was trying so hard to contain breaking through.

  Was this temper new, did he bring it out in her? She looked hot all fired up and feisty, he liked it. Looking up at her, he let his eyes roll hungrily over every part of her, wondering if he could still easily intimidate her. Well aware of his blatant ogling, she fisted her hands on her hips, which forced her breasts up higher, which only encouraged him to take another appreciative look.

  “Well, do you agree, Mr. Rike?” She asked in a breathy whisper and a shameless eye flutter.

  Damn, his Hippie Girl had really changed, flaunting and then taunting him with her lush body. He would hand over the keys to his beloved Porsche Panamera to her right now if she would say yes to spending one entire night with him. He wasn’t going to let her win this. He sensed that she had never actually tried this game with a formidable opponent, and that thought amused him.

  “Fine. But this time we meet at my office.”

  She snorted.

  “Fine, fine, fine,” she chirped playfully at him. He glared at her, sensing a last minute cancellation in her plans.

  “Show up. I will play the client card if I need to. Ignore my request, Miss Matthews, and I won’t be happy,” Walker warned her.

  Waverly glared and rolled her eyes.

  “You don’t strike me as a man who is capable of being happy. Fair warning, Mr. Rike, I’m not as easily intimidate as the poor, college girl who fell for your dreamy blue eyes and expensive suit, six years ago,” Waverly snapped at him.

  The corners of his lips lifted.

  “Good to know you think that my eyes are dreamy and approve of my suits. By the way, Miss Matthews, actually, you do work for me. You might want to read the fine print on the contract I signed”

  With an eye roll, she moved past him slowly, letting him get another eyeful of her ass.

  “You seem very concerned about the past Mr. Rike, it was one time long ago. You made it crystal clear while you stood like a statue, totally uninterested in my welfare, watching me get fired, that it was nothing to you. We’re adults now, I’m sure we’ve both had many encounters like that since then. We can talk about whatever you want tomorrow, but then we’re finished,” she informed him.

  Now Walker was even more intrigued. The very, young Waverly he had first met was cute and hot. This Waverly was sexy as hell, he wanted just one night to revisit their past, to really own her. He wasn’t concerned that she was going to put up a fight, he enjoyed a good fight, he never backed down from a fight. And, he always won.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Watching the floor numbers pass, Waverly stood in the elevator gathering her confidence. She had given serious thought to just blowing Walker off, but him showing up at her apartment or even her office, again would be worse.

  This situation with Walker was becoming difficult to keep from Benn, he had already pressed her a couple of times asking if there was something he should know. Of course, Benn knew the story, knew about the dumbfuck, asshole incident, he just didn’t know exactly who the dumbfuck, asshole was. She absolutely hated lying to Benn, even if it was only by omission. Benn would never have even entertained the idea of taking the account if he knew that Walker was the dumbfuck, and Way didn’t really think it was fair for him, or their business, to pay for her youthful mistakes. She wondered, did Walker know before the meeting that she was the owner. Did he ever…? No. No, no.

  This meeting would allow her to put a final end to any unfinished business between them. The moment he entered their conference room, she should have turned the account down- just gotten up and walked out.

  Unfortunately, something about him, even after all of this time still got to her. She had been such a naive girl, a good girl who came from a horribly abusive family, she had orphaned herself and all she had to her name was her talent and her drive to succeed. He had stood there, his pants barely zipped, as her dream job had been ripped right out of her hands. Done nothing to defend her as Adam delivered his penalty, it had been the catalyst for many changes for Way.

  There was a lot of truth to what Benn and Kate often told her, it was a crappy thing that happened, but it led to many good changes in her life. Waverly had decided that she really didn’t care to be a good girl anymore, good girls got stepped on, they lost out on jobs, on life in general and Waverly not only wanted to win, she had to.

  From then on, she embraced being bad when she needed to, fighting tooth and nail to get ahead. Used what needed to, accepted that her body and her looks could get her the guy, the drink, the better apartment, but she drew the line at treating anyone badly. If anyone was going to walk away in this situation without looking back, it would be her. She kept her heart close and her friends closer, her enemies she put in their place and kept them locked there.

  Did she want Walker Rike, with his perfect looks and perfect loving family and perfect girl of the moment to see that she had won – not him? Yes, she did. So, she would show him that good girl, Waverly Matthews was gone, and if she made him hot under his very expensive collar for her, and if this time, he walked away hurt, well she was just fine with that.

  “Miss?”

  Her elevator companion prompted, forcing her out of her revenge reverie.

  Waverly grinned to herself. Stepping out into an impressive lobby, she introduced herself to the receptionist - a very well put together and attractive woman in her fifty’s. After a somewhat intense once over by the woman – was that a picture of Walker and this woman on her desk? How odd for an assistant to have a photo with her boss sitting on their desk. Was he actually smiling in the photo? Maybe he forced all of his employees to have photos of him on their desks. Ego much, Mr. Rike?

  The receptionist caught Waverly looking at the photo and gave her a kind smile, “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Matthews, I’m Ann Morris, his administrative assistant. I’ve known him since he was eleven,” she informed Way, eyes twinkling, her hand waved toward Walker’s office.

  Waverly smiled and politely thanked her, heading into the lion’s den, shoulders squared and chin up. Well, no expense spared for Mr. Rike, that much was clear, Her eyes widened, floor to ceiling windows, massive dark wood furniture, impressive Tabriz area rug. Of course, the wealthy Rike family had supplied their beloved heir apparent with only the best.

  “I’m surprised you showed up.”

  Walker got out of his chair and walked forward, partly seating himself on the fron
t edge of his desk, legs stretched in front of him, crossed at the ankle.

  “Please, sit,” he motioned to the chair with a nod of his head.

  “As wonderful as it is to see you again, Mr. Rike, I’m very busy. Let’s get started and finished,” she replied.

  His eyes traveled up and down her form.

  “You’re so different now. You look the same, but different than I remembered. ” he said.

  Looking down at herself. She was wearing expensive, black leather, heeled ankle boots, jeans tucked in, a fitted, deep red, cashmere turtleneck that showed off her breasts exceptionally well and, a soft as butter fitted, black leather, jacket by Marc Jacobs. A chic ponytail with a touch of poof on top tamed her hair and smoky black eyes. She would show him.

  “I have no meetings today, I’m dressed down. What. Do. You. Want?” Waverly got to the point.

  He grinned at her.

  “Now that’s not a very nice way to talk to your client, Waverly,” he reprimanded, gesturing for her to have a seat, “You have done well for yourself. It’s quite impressive”.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. Dumbfuck Asshole. He was very lucky that he was her client right then because she desperately wanted to leap out of her chair and slap him. Hard.

  “As you’ve stated, repeatedly, Things have changed, I’ve changed, I’m different now. I’m not nearly as sweet, Mr. Walker,” her chin raised defiantly, “I climbed my way to the top, and then started my own place – with Benn, worked my ass off. As you are aware given your solicitation for our services, we’re quite successful. Thank you for the meeting, goodbye.”

  Waverly rose out of her chair.

  “It is a very nice ass. I can see that it’s important to you that I see you as a savvy woman, and business woman, and on that point I concede. However, I suspect that nice girl I met years ago, is still lurking very close to the surface. Please, sit down,” he ordered her.

  What a dumbfuck, Before she could catch herself, she sat. It surprised and infuriated her that she had obeyed his command and she rose to stand again.

  “I don’t believe that you are genuinely interested in what happened to me after our encounter. You didn’t care then and you don’t really care now. If I dropped this account right now, your life, your business would go on just fine,” Waverly pointed out.

  “Please don’t try to determine what I think or feel about you, Miss Matthews. I do care what happened, and I am interested,” Walker replied tersely.

  Waverly relishing the slight kick of emotion from him leaned back and crossed her legs, enjoying the flick of his eyes to the movement.

  “Okay, - I was fired by Adam, you stood there and watched, said nothing. I was a pariah in the design community, no one would hire me. I had only thirty-seven dollars left in the bank when finally Steve Short hired me. I met Benn there, we made a great team, started our own place, kicked ass all over Chicago, winning awards everywhere. There, now you’re caught up. Happy?”

  The entire diatribe was said proudly and confidently. Walker leaned back on his desk, crossing his arms over her chest. Feeling her face flush, she noticed his arms. She noticed his chest, and he noticed her noticing.

  “And, now you’re a strong, successful, all business, business woman. The young, sweet thing that I met years ago is totally gone?” He asked snapping his fingers.

  She huffed out a breath.

  “Yes,”

  “Interesting. Not married?”

  “I’ve been busy growing my business.”

  “No boyfriend? Girlfriend?”

  “Both,” she responded, rolling her eyes.

  “Hmm.” Now it was his turn to roll his eyes.

  Waverly stared at him for a minute, confused. The great Walker Rike had probably been fucking his way through half of Chicago’s beautiful, blue blood, women. Why did he care about her private life?

  This was beginning to make her uncomfortable, she wanted to get out of this room, far away from him. And, never see him again.

  “Walker, I had only had sex with two other people, before you. What happened that night was... Not like me, then. I was just a naive, young girl. I don’t blame you, everything worked out for the best. In another six years, we’ll bump into each other again and laugh about it.”

  “Do you ever think about that night in the office?” Walker asked.

  Waverly covered her face with her hands and groaned.

  “Are you aware of how self-absorbed you are?”

  He smirked at her.

  “Yes. And, extremely accomplished at getting what I want,” he warned her. “I want you to have dinner with me.”

  Eyes wide open in surprise, Waverly leaned forward in her chair.

  “You want to go out...on a date with me,” she laughed, surprised at his suggestion.

  “Honestly, I would like to skip right to a redo of our office encounter but common courtesy dictates that I at least offer you dinner. And, I thought you might throw something at me if I suggested that without dinner first,” he responded.

  “You want to have sex? With me?”

  Her eyes opened wide at his admission. He had shocked her.

  “Yes, Hippie Girl, I do,” he said, his voice calm, his demeanor very casual.

  Way inhaled sharply and choked a little. Hearing Walker say it, lit something inside her, it did something to her. Taking a deep breath, she looked around his office buying time to gather her thoughts. Why were there no pictures of him with friends or family? Why no mementos?

  “You must be kidding. That is a horrifically, bad idea,” she replied.

  “A horrifically bad idea?”

  “Yes. Horrifically. You were a jerk to me. I’m not an inexperienced and impressionable young girl who will melt for a pair of pretty blue eyes. It’s just a very bad idea, and, stop calling me Hippie Girl,” she demanded.

  Still calm and unruffled, he simply nodded.

  “I was a jerk, and if you recall I have apologized. You might be right, though, I was young then too, and not as exacting about what I wanted. Now I’m used to a certain type of...woman, and as you admitted, you were inexperienced last time,” he said bluntly.

  Her hands gripped the arms of the chair so tightly her fingers began to turn white.

  How dare he. He thought he had her all figured out. She knew he was playing her, that he meant his words as a challenge to her. Wanting to wipe the smug look off of his face, made it hard to say no. That calm, unruffled manner of his, ruffled her, along with that all-knowing, superior look on his rugged, manly, face. Drawing in a deep breath, she steeled her nerves.

  “So to recap, you’re used to supersluts, – good to know. You think that I’m still a good girl, – doesn’t matter to me. I’m too inexperienced for you, – I’ll learn to live with the disappointment.” Waverly sighed dramatically then continued, “Isn’t it lucky for you then, that I’m not interested in your ‘dinner offer’ since I’m so inexperienced.”

  Waverly grinned at him, doing air quotes around the words dinner offer.

  “Humor me, and explain why is it a bad idea,” he questioned.

  “You’re Chicago’s bad boy billionaire celebrity. I’m not interested in becoming notable because of the company I keep. I’m sure that there are many ‘certain type of women’ who proposition you wherever you go. Why me?”

  Waverly asked, reaching down to pull her buzzing cell phone out of her handbag. Glancing at it, to read the text from Kate, ‘Well, what does he want?’. She smiled, then set it down on the table next to her and looked up at Walker.

  He stared at her like he was picturing her naked, like he was superior – it infuriated her and made her uncomfortable at the same time. If it wouldn’t inconvenience her to be out of a phone for the day, she would chuck it right at his over inflated head.

  “I avoid any and all press, I abho
r any type of notoriety, and I would protect you from it, as well. You think I’m a bad boy, and you just told me that you’re no longer a naive, young girl, let’s get together and see how things are between us now that you’re this bad ass business woman.”

  “No, no, no. You coerced me into meeting you here, and I did. You wanted to hear how I’ve been doing, and I told you. Walker, I’ve been as polite as I can be, but this is pointless,” she said, grabbing her bag and moving towards the door at a brisk pace.

  “Goodbye, Hippie Girl.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Finally out of his office, away from his blue eyes, his porn god body and his hypnotizing low voice. She stopped to take a deep breath, trying to slow her racing pulse, and sweaty palms, her thoughts kept flicking back to that night. Was this Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? That dumbfuck asshole caused this. This was not her, she was cool, calm, Zen, she was a runner, she ate yogurt. Oh God, She was a hippie girl.

  There would be no sex with Walker Rike. Fuck, now she was thinking about sex with him. Her cab pulled up in front of the WestMat building, Way paid, jumped out, and stomped into the lobby. Finally flopped into her office chair, she pulled her hair loose from the chignon, shook it and rested her head in her hands, unshed tears burning her eyes.

  Kate popped her head in, her eyes full of concern, “Way you OK? Got your text. Spill it, what did the Dumbfuck Asshole do? What did he want?”

  The questions were rapid fire, as Kate shut the door behind her, plopping down in one of the office chairs tucking her feet under her.

  “You know that I met with him today. He wanted to ‘talk’, at his office. I just got back,” she recounted.

  Feelings and thoughts of that one night, feeling she had buried away bubbled up, heated and right under the surface.