Claudette Reed

e conversation. I was refusing to show the sl

e the title of “Baddest Bitch in

need you, it’s

ed with a sinister look and leane

our partn

ne and slight snarl on the corner of his lip as h

and I’m pushing too hard. Should I flirt? No, he would

start with a

ead closer to m

ses would work better together if we have some so

parted as she shifted his jaw. “Alright.” He sat up str

broadened

ghtly, a nervous habit of mine that I need to break out of. The minutes passed by

ared his throat before downing the rest of his

ake your

he menu that I hadn’t e

rd Dominic say to the waiter, “I thin

waiter turned his head to me with a nervous loo

ty on his face. He was silently asking if I really wanted to stay in this suffocating space with hi

er something or I’m going to feel weird.” I adjuste

he waiter then

his menu as well

e with an unreadabl

ow,” and took a

ly, and I need to be in my right mind during this lu

just stand up and l

ven't. And

is head, “How ca

both know th

lip twitched into

the type of guy who would leave a

ed and shook his head gently, his eye

efill of his drink. What was it? Scotch? Bourbon? I couldn’t be sure, bu

ws rose. “You’ve been in the position of CEO for less than

continued, “I have to sa

lish in another year’s time, especially with certain conta

as a model,

ents and then some other brands unt

ass again and frowned, “So you wer

nd sleep fashion.

hu

hat and my eyebrows furrowed when I saw the calcu

re a pr

as he answered my question, “I just wonder…” he trailed off and

onder…

as good a

sed, not t

oning me becaus

line still between his slante

le of anything a man in my position would

oing. “If I were a man, you wou

and looked me up and down over the

. “If a man had climbed to success the way I have in les

me to treat y

w me the same respect

re in our eyes and neither of us looking aw

ink, sir?” The wai

ound out as his eye

nce and only stole glances of ea

tion to let the servers know we were done. I was slightly fascina

each other any longer, Dom

k a dramatic pause and his face beca

e nothing but prof

, “I want to see

…k

, meet your people, your i

my water,

bout to get involved in if we partner

an understand that.” I looked down at the table and smoothed out a crease that

mbarrassed

isn’t embarrassed

s head. “One

b

0% of the

my mouth with my hand and look around to be sure that I didn’t disturb anyone with m

no d

ha

hink I got so

camming peopl

know my

do

moments before he cracked a

have

ave a