a bar stool out for me.
"Thanks." I take a seat. "Mr. White is running
a little late, so he wanted me to keep you company until he gets here."
He scoots his bar stool closer to me. So close our knees
touch. I think to move over but I don’t want to seem rude. He finishes his
drink in one gulp then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "You can
keep me company anytime." A grin creeps across his face. "Would you
like a drink?" Before I can answer he calls the bartender over. "I
would like another rum and coke and she'll have..."
Both he and the bartender eye me. "Cranberry juice,
please."
"Cranberry and vodka?" Mr. Upton asks.
"No, just cranberry juice. I don't drink alcohol."
"Boo, that's no fun."
I shrug.
"Okay give her, her boring cranberry juice," he
tells the bartender.
"So what type of event are you having, Mr. Upton?"
"Call me Ted, pretty lady." He smiles.
I return the gesture. "Okay, Ted."
The bartender sits a rum and coke in front of Ted and a martini
glass filled with cranberry juice in front of me. "Thanks." I take a
sip of my juice while Ted drains half the contents in his glass.
He looks over to me. "I own a modeling agency and I'm
opening a new location here in Atlanta. I want to have a launch party."
"I think that Trentini & White is the best company to
assist you in planning that event."
"You know, you should think about coming to work for
me." He trails a cold finger along my arm.
"Oh, thanks but I'm very happy with my job. I love
working for Mr. White. So is this a private event?"
He slams his empty glass on the table then leans into me.
"How about we take this upstairs to my hotel room where we can have our
own private event."
I push him back a little. "That's not a good idea, Mr.
Upton. We are here to discuss business."
He stands. "Actually I came here to talk business with
Mr. White." He runs his finger across the back of my neck.
I push his hand away. "Mr. Upton, please don't touch me
like that."
He places both hands on my shoulders then presses his damp
lips against the back of my neck.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing, man?" Mr. Upton
screams out.
I turn my head just in time to find Mr. White grabbing Ted by
his arm and bending it behind his back.
I jump from my seat. "Mr. White! It's okay." My
heart races.
"You like touching women against their will? Huh,
punk?" Mr. White pushes Ted's face down until he’s cheek to cheek with the
bar top. His face turns red with the weight of Mr. White's hand.
"Let me go, man. I wasn't touching her against her
will."
"Oh so now you're lying to me." He bends Ted's arm
even more. "It looked to me like she didn’t want your hands on her,
pal."
"Mr. White, please let's just go.” I place my hand on his
shoulder. “Please, Mr. White." He doesn't acknowledge me.
"Did she not push your hand away?”
“Mr. White, you’re hurting him.”
“Did she not push your hand away?” He crushes Ted’s
face into the bar top again. Ted screams in pain.
"Austin, stop!" Mr. White cut his eyes to me. I
wasn’t sure those words had in fact come from my mouth. I’ve never raised my
voice that high before. I take my hand from his shoulder. "Let's go,” I
plead.
If I Had It My Way
Mr. White finally releases Ted’s arm. All eyes are focused in
our direction. Not one person dared to come to Ted's rescue. Mr. White steps
back. His chest heaves up and down. Ted sits on the bar stool massaging his arm
with his head down. My boss gives him a final look of warning before grabbing
me by the hand. I snatch my purse from the bar just as he's pulling me away.
I'm practically running to keep up with his quick, long strides. We storm out
of the hotel and straight into the parking lot.
He releases my hand once we are near his car. “Get in.”
I stare at him as he makes his way to the driver’s side. I
can’t speak. I can barely breathe. I’ve never been in a fight nor have I been
so close to one before. I open the car door and take my place in
"Thanks." I take a seat. "Mr. White is running
a little late, so he wanted me to keep you company until he gets here."
He scoots his bar stool closer to me. So close our knees
touch. I think to move over but I don’t want to seem rude. He finishes his
drink in one gulp then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "You can
keep me company anytime." A grin creeps across his face. "Would you
like a drink?" Before I can answer he calls the bartender over. "I
would like another rum and coke and she'll have..."
Both he and the bartender eye me. "Cranberry juice,
please."
"Cranberry and vodka?" Mr. Upton asks.
"No, just cranberry juice. I don't drink alcohol."
"Boo, that's no fun."
I shrug.
"Okay give her, her boring cranberry juice," he
tells the bartender.
"So what type of event are you having, Mr. Upton?"
"Call me Ted, pretty lady." He smiles.
I return the gesture. "Okay, Ted."
The bartender sits a rum and coke in front of Ted and a martini
glass filled with cranberry juice in front of me. "Thanks." I take a
sip of my juice while Ted drains half the contents in his glass.
He looks over to me. "I own a modeling agency and I'm
opening a new location here in Atlanta. I want to have a launch party."
"I think that Trentini & White is the best company to
assist you in planning that event."
"You know, you should think about coming to work for
me." He trails a cold finger along my arm.
"Oh, thanks but I'm very happy with my job. I love
working for Mr. White. So is this a private event?"
He slams his empty glass on the table then leans into me.
"How about we take this upstairs to my hotel room where we can have our
own private event."
I push him back a little. "That's not a good idea, Mr.
Upton. We are here to discuss business."
He stands. "Actually I came here to talk business with
Mr. White." He runs his finger across the back of my neck.
I push his hand away. "Mr. Upton, please don't touch me
like that."
He places both hands on my shoulders then presses his damp
lips against the back of my neck.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing, man?" Mr. Upton
screams out.
I turn my head just in time to find Mr. White grabbing Ted by
his arm and bending it behind his back.
I jump from my seat. "Mr. White! It's okay." My
heart races.
"You like touching women against their will? Huh,
punk?" Mr. White pushes Ted's face down until he’s cheek to cheek with the
bar top. His face turns red with the weight of Mr. White's hand.
"Let me go, man. I wasn't touching her against her
will."
"Oh so now you're lying to me." He bends Ted's arm
even more. "It looked to me like she didn’t want your hands on her,
pal."
"Mr. White, please let's just go.” I place my hand on his
shoulder. “Please, Mr. White." He doesn't acknowledge me.
"Did she not push your hand away?”
“Mr. White, you’re hurting him.”
“Did she not push your hand away?” He crushes Ted’s
face into the bar top again. Ted screams in pain.
"Austin, stop!" Mr. White cut his eyes to me. I
wasn’t sure those words had in fact come from my mouth. I’ve never raised my
voice that high before. I take my hand from his shoulder. "Let's go,” I
plead.
If I Had It My Way
Mr. White finally releases Ted’s arm. All eyes are focused in
our direction. Not one person dared to come to Ted's rescue. Mr. White steps
back. His chest heaves up and down. Ted sits on the bar stool massaging his arm
with his head down. My boss gives him a final look of warning before grabbing
me by the hand. I snatch my purse from the bar just as he's pulling me away.
I'm practically running to keep up with his quick, long strides. We storm out
of the hotel and straight into the parking lot.
He releases my hand once we are near his car. “Get in.”
I stare at him as he makes his way to the driver’s side. I
can’t speak. I can barely breathe. I’ve never been in a fight nor have I been
so close to one before. I open the car door and take my place in
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