Fighting Seduction by Claire Adams Page B

to speak at a local TED talk, so the fact that he was willing to come
over here and take the time to address these people for the sake of cancer
research was oddly heartwarming. He was definitely a much better person that he
led himself and everyone else to believe. As he spoke with passion and
intensity, I began to feel a very uncomfortable knot in my chest. It was a knot
of feelings beginning to develop. I always thought he was attractive, but
that’s simply an objective fact; he was attractive like the sky is blue, and I
was also certainly very grateful for all that he did for me. But somehow, it
was beginning to feel like there was more, like I appreciated him for who he
was outside of who he was with me.
    I was in trouble.
    When he finished his speech there was an applause
that lasted for minutes. People were cheering him on and screaming his name.
    “Now let me invite Ms. Cameron Elizabeth, the head
organizer of tonight’s grand event, to begin the auction,” Zayden said and
stepped aside to speak with an older blonde women on the stage. I was surprised
to feel a tap on my shoulder, since I didn’t really know anyone else at the
party. I turned around to find Mr. Kirk smiling at me.
    “That speech was quite something, huh?” He asked.
    “Absolutely! Zayden is passionate and a wonderful
speaker.”
    “I’m sure you think so,” he shrugged in a way that
made me uncomfortable. “How much is he paying you anyway?”
    “Excuse me?” I felt a fit of rage begin to spread
inside me.
    “I’ll write you a blank check to fill in as you
please for one night. But I have some very specific requests. Things not every
girl is comfortable doing. Even though you’re a professional.”
    “What the fuck are you talking about?” I was so
angry I didn’t even care about my language or creating a scene. “I am not for
sale.”
    He laughed. “Oh, he’s taught you well. Come on. I
have known the kid since he was ten years old, you’re not going to convince me
that he’s just taking out a lowly employee because he likes your personality.”
    “Actually, that is exactly why I brought her here
tonight,” I heard a different voice say. Zayden was standing in front of us and
he looked like he was about to commit murder. “And why you should now exit this
event. South National will no longer be dealing with your company.”
    Kirk’s face turned to a deep shade of purple. “Come
on, Zayden! Are you really going to side with a whore?”
    “Watch your language or I will have you thrown out
of here in a manner that will make it impossible for you to ever show your face
in public again. Aria is a beautiful young woman with a deeper intellect at her
age than you have acquired in sixty years. I would rather spend the very little
free time I have in the company of somebody like her, than do business with some
sick bastard who has no respect for another human being. Call her a whore again
and my lawyers will ruin you until you’re on the streets. Now get the fuck
out.”
    People had begun watching and I wanted to draw a
hole underneath me and disappear. This must have been embarrassing for him, yet
he was fighting for my so called honor, and I was completely paralyzed in
shock. The truth was that he was, in fact, paying me, even if it wasn’t exactly
for sex. But the fact that he was still supremely offended by Kirk’s behavior
made a small part of me ridiculously happy. The rest of me kind of wanted to collapse and never see humanity again.
    When we finally left the Gala, every single person
was apologizing to me for Kirk’s behavior, and I realized that not all rich
people sucked, contrary to what I had convinced myself of. In fact, Zayden
seemed to run around circles of some truly nice people. All in all though, the
evening ended on a nice note, and by the time we made it back to Zayden’s car,
I was tipsy, tired, and in a much better mood than I had expected to be.
    “I’m sorry about Kirk again, Aria,” Zayden said