Page 5 of One Taste
“Evidently, my father and sister don’t feel I’m a suitable CEO for Midtown at the moment,” I explain while dribbling the basketball, waiting for Jax to get in place. “My sister dropped the bomb on me this morning. She’ll be conducting interviews at the behest of my father to find an interim CEO until I change my public image.”
“Fuck,man. That’s rough. I can’t say I’m surprised though. Your dad takes nobullshit from anyone.”
“Tell me about it.” I dribble past him, but he blocks me. He steals the ball quicker than I can blink and slams it in the hoop.
“I may be your friend, but youoff your game is good for my wallet,” he taunts. We’ve been doing this since Jax moved back to the city after college.Twice a week we meet at a court and play a game. It started as just being something to do but being the competitive assholes we are, we made wagers. Now, we play for keeps. One hundred bucks each.
“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off.
He trots off to grab his water, and I follow.“What are you going to do about it? You going to do what Madison says or you going to tell her to fuck off?”
I want to tell him I’ll ignore her—keep doing my thing and tell her to fuck off because I’m great at my job.Only both of us knowit’d be a lie. I have a soft spot for my sister. She’s the first person I’d take a bullet for. Or punch someone in the face for. Jax has witnessed it firsthand.
WhenTodd Baxterstood her up for her sophomore homecoming, Jax and I went to his houseand kicked the shit out of him to teach him a lesson. Broke his nose and gave him ablack eye. We had to make sure he understood the message thathe was to stay the hell away from my sister since he broke her heart. If not, the next time I had to chase him down for hurting her, he’d be in much worse shape. I got grounded for two weeks, but it was worth it because that little shit made Madison cry.
“It doesn’t seem like I have a say in the matter. My father doesn’t mess around when it comes to business.” I sigh.
Jax shoots me an understanding glance.“I know, dude. You don’t have a choice at all. That’s your old man, you know?”
I nod. “Before the heart attack, I’d try to fight Dad on this, but I can’t right now. The heart attack terrified the hell out ofeveryone. Mom worrieshe will drop dead due to critical thinking or at the taste of bacon.”
“Your dad loves bacon almost as much as he loves your mom.” We chuckle because it’s so fucking true. “I don’t know how he’s doing it.He’s trying to keep his sanity withMomhovering,as if losing bacon isn’t bad enough. I can’t add to his plate right now. If this will make him feel better, I’ll do it.”
“You know what’s strange though?” Jax questions.
“What?”
“How come there was no issue with your lifestyle before now? It’s not like all this tabloid shit hasn’t been around for a while now.”
“No clue.” I shake my head. “I was thinking the same thing. I’m still the same competent man with a degree from Cornell and an MBA from Wharton, so what gives?”
Jax shrugs. “You got me. It’s not like you haven’t had a relationship with these clients since high school. You started there, what, senior year?”
I nod. “Yup. Dad and I both agreed being out on the town and a part of the nightlife seems to give me an edge when angling campaigns to reach the twenty-five to thirty-four demographic. Hell, it even comes in handy for the thirty-five to forty-four age range sometimes too.”
Jax snorts and shakes his head, as if he can’t imagine the thought of being me right now, before tossing the ball my way. “You realize you’ve been this ‘you’ for the last ten years, right? Now, you have to quit partying and easy pussy, cold turkey.”
“Yeah, thanks, dick.”
I’m a twenty-nine-year-old single man living in one of the best cities in the world; why wouldn’t I live the life I’m living? I don’t have to try hard. Women throw themselves at me. I’m tall, lean, good-looking as hell, and have a nine-inch cock perfect for porn. What’s not to love?
Since the moment I turned twenty-one, I’ve spent most of my free time in clubs and bars hanging with my friends and enjoying the finer things in life. If I’m being honest, it started at eighteen. We’ve bounced from place to place all over the city without a care in the world. Whatis your youth for? Living it up.
Then my face popped up all over the gossip rags afterThe Postran that stupid article three or four years back about NYC elite. Then “thirty under thirty” happened and shit got really intense for a while. I have no clue how I got on the damn list. Yeah, sure, I own a penthouse condo in Hell’s Kitchen, drive a Tesla, and have a lot of zeros in my bank account, but this is New York City. I’m just a drop in the bucket around here.
Regardless, none of it matters. Jax is right. There’s no way I’llbe able to quit being me cold turkey. I’m not a man happy to sit at home every night watching reruns ofSportsCenter. I need entertainment, something to do. “I need to keep shit low-key and out of the paper. “No one said anything about giving up parties and pussy.”
Jax busts out in a fit of laughter. “You have no clue how to live low-key, dude. Two weeks ago, you bought the entire bar a round of shots and did yours off the blonde bartender with the huge tits while everyone watched, remember? I think you have your own hashtag on Instagram, man.#brookstheman.”
My lips tip up in a smile as I remember how loud that chick screamed as she came around my cock not once, not twice, but three fucking times. After she sucked my dick like it was a Bomb Pop, I gave her the ride of her life. Just before I was about to come, I pulled out of her tight pussy and pushed her to her knees. I was stroking my cock, ready to blow, thinking she’d look hot with a nice pearl necklace, and then she sucked me back into her mouth like a fucking Hoover and swallowed every damn drop of cum she could wring out of me.
“I don’t have to give up the bartenders who have spectacular fellatio skills, just the rounds of shots and attention.”
He tilts his head and raises an eyebrow in question. “Listen, I know a thing or two about cleaning up images. I’ll help you out the best I can. It’s a commitment for the unforeseeable future. We live in a gossip-hungry world where everyone has camera phones and is looking for a quick payday.”
Jax knows all about fixing fuck-ups and public perceptions. He’s an in-demand sports agent who works with top athletes all over the country. Just this spring, he got a quarterback who is a PR nightmare drafted number one in the NFL draft. The guy is a cocky asshole who thinks he’s God’s gift to professional football and has zero restraint in telling an entire section of fans at an away game to suck his dick. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s a damn magician sometimes. I’d be stupid to not take him up on his offer.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
