Livin' the Life

Chapter 14: No privacy

Justine's P.O.V.

"It's come to my attention that your new love interest is a homeless man." Troye says as he leans back in his chair. I fidget with my fingernails and am debating biting them. It's his tone that suggests I may lose my job over my relationship with Aiden. "All due respect Troye. I'm dating Aiden Rossdale." I say emphatically. He scoffs and then says: "Who was cordially replaced by Andy Witer. And who is now a common bum on the streets of New York City. Some who work here saw you at Starbucks. Others saw you stand Max up and later go to Bertolli's with this man. What do you have to say for yourself?" He asks and narrows his eyes at me. I'm burning inside right now and if I was a man Troye would be pinned against the wall gasping for air right now. But I say: "I'm not a child. And your not my father. I can date and love whoever I want Troye." "Did you sleep with him?" He asks as if I'm a common floozy after the first man I see. "That's none of your business." I say firmly, flashbacks of what Aiden and I did dancing around my mind. "Yes it's my business. You work for me and have a semi-prominent role in this company. Not to mention you're the youngest woman to work here. So what you do affects this company and it's affiliates and it's clients. Both present and future."  "What are you getting at?" I ask adamantley. "You're not fired. But consider this a warning. Lose Aiden Rossdale and you can get back in my good graces. Now, you have a luncheon with TorQ  Tech Industries VP Laura Milan. Their coming in as a merger and I need you to close it." "Why can't you close it?" I ask sarcastically. "I have a prior engagement." He says and points to the door. "You meet her at Olive Garden." I feel like lashing out that and saying that he's a pig. A millionaire male chauvinist pig. Whose  "prior engagement" involves him meeting his favorite call girl, Dianna at his East Side penthouse. I know all his dirty secrets ever since the Chinese spilled the beans at our last meet. That's why the deal fell through and Troye knows that, but he played dumb anyways. I storm out of his office and make sure to slam the door before I walk into the elevator.

"Thank God Troye isn't here." Laura says as she stands up to meet me in a tight black BodyCon dress, thigh-high black sheer DKNY tights, black Gucci pumps, and a deep maroon leather jacket. "I refused to close this merger with a man. I wanted a woman." She says as we sit down. "The cheese raviolli and a glass of Chateaux Morrisette." She tells the waitress. "Spaghetti and meatballs and a glass of Chateaux." I say and hand the menu to the waitress. "So, what's it like to have a forbidden romance with Aiden Rossdale." Laura asks. I could kill Max, since I figured out this is his way of getting back at me. He spread my personal life for all to see and now instead of closing a merger I'm discussing my love life with the VP of TorQ Tech Industries. I'm not humiliated by it. In fact it's empowered me. Fueled me for the fight I'm apparently going to have on my hands. "It's not forbidden." I say as the spaghetti and meatballs arrive on a steamy hot plate along with a glass of wine. "I know Aiden. He's a good man. We went to Harvard together. He was law and I was business. And I knew his wife Helen." I immediately want to know more so I ask: "What's she like?" "Horrid. I hate her, and yet she still sends me Christmas cards every year. She broke Aiden's heart and went with some Techie millionaire who bought her and the kids a villa in Malibu." "What's his name?" I ask as the waitress serves Laura her wine and raviolli. Just in case I have to deal with this freak. "Nicholas Moreau. And before you ask, yes you'll be seeing a lot of him." My heart hits the floor. My new "second" boss is Nicholas Moreau. He's on every magazine including Time, GQ, and occassionally his face ends up on People magazine or some tabloid due to whoever he pissed off. But for the most part he stays clean. So now in addition to one male chauvinist boss I have two of them. "Oh boy." I say. "You poor thing. Don't worry us women will stick together." She says with a smile. "Aren't you the first Mexican woman to work at this firm?" I ask, remembering her story in Time magazine when TorQ first started. She scoffs and then says: "Yeah,and it's not easy. I'm sure you catch a lot of slack being the youngest girl to work at TruTech." She says and takes a sip of wine. "Yes, I do. It's hard to submit to Troye's every whim. But I love my job. Troye's just a royal pain I have to deal with." She smiles and then raises her glass and says: "To being your own woman." I agree and raise my glass.

We close the merger and Laura slides in her Escalade then says: "Tell Aiden that I send my love. And all the best to you guys, you're a perfect fit for Aiden." "Thanks." I say and smile as she starts the engine and drives off.