Page 2 of Totally Played (Love In Play #5)

Chapter two

Ashley

I glare at the hotel room bed as I drop my key on the table and kick off my shoes.

I want so desperately to climb into bed right now, but Jennifer insisted we meet back at the hotel dining room for dinner with the client, so now I have to somehow not look like I’ve gone a week without sleep.

While she might be keen to keep schmoozing with the clients, I can think of nothing worse than putting on another performance when I would much rather be curled up with room service and some made-for-television movie.

Something with a happy ending. Fuck knows, I’ve been searching for mine for long enough.

My phone chimes, and the nerves in my neck actually tighten at the sight of her name.

Why the fuck did my boss insist on my taking Jennifer on this trip?

I’ve been the alliance manager for RED Tech since its inception in a college dorm room in Texas five years ago, and we’ve only grown.

The trials for our new app for farmers are well underway, and the sensor patent cleared last week, so it shouldn’t take much for me to convince the investors and software partners to stick with us.

I’ve been handling these clients on my own fine until now.

I don’t need help. At least that’s what I tried to tell my boss and best friend, Redmond Summers.

But she’s his kid sister and just graduated from college with a degree in Art History and no clue what she’s going to do with it, so into big bro’s tech start-up she goes.

It’s nepotism at its best, but then again, I only started out in this job because I was best friends with the guy who started it all, so can I really be that pissed about her getting a leg up, too?

I swipe open the message.

JENNIFER: I’ve made reservations for six. The client is now bringing his wife and their son. I’ve checked and the restaurant had a separate section set aside for all their GF meals and have been made aware of your allergy.

Okay, so she’s not so bad.

ASH: Thanks, you’re a star.

That gets me a thumbs-up, and I stop putting it off any longer and strip out of my suit and jump under the shower.

I blast the cold for five seconds to wake myself up and while it sends my cock and balls retreating into the warmth of my body, it does give me a clearer head.

This dinner was a clever idea. While we signed on these investors for another year, they usually support other companies on long-term contracts.

Something about RED Tech is making them nervous to commit to longer than twelve months at a time.

If this dinner can help bridge whatever gap there is, then we might be able to extend the support further.

I throw on my dark blue Henley, white chinos, and slip on my blue trainers.

The restaurant is casual, and my stuffy work shoes need to air out if I’m going to be in them all day tomorrow after we fly back to Savannah, that is.

I make it to the lobby just as the client, Mr. Grey, opens the door for his wife.

It’s sweet, actually, seeing a guy still interested in being chivalrous.

I can’t remember the last time a guy opened a door for me.

Though I can’t remember the last time I opened a door for a guy, either.

She smiles up at him, taking his hand to help her out.

Then the back door opens and out climbs a tall, slim guy that is basically a younger, hotter version of Mr. Grey.

When Jennifer said they were bringing their son, I guess I figured they were bringing a kid.

Hopefully, Jennifer didn’t, though, or he might get placed in front of a coloring page and a box of crayons.

I laugh at the imagery and attract their attention.

“I was just thinking of something I saw earlier, sorry. What were you saying?” I ask, trying to deflect attention to anyone else.

“Ashley, you’ve met Vivion,” Mr. Grey says, and I give her hand a little shake.

“Yes, nice to see you again, Mrs. Grey.”

“Please, Viv is fine.”

“Don’t even try, dear, he’s been calling me Mr. Grey for a year now, no matter how many times I tell him he can call me Bertie.”

“Old habits die hard,” I say, and then his son clears his throat and Mrs. Grey takes his arm.

“This is our son, Albert Junior, or AJ.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say, holding out my hand. He hesitates for a second before shaking it.

“Ashley, that’s more of a girl’s name, isn’t it? I guess your parents had fun choosing your name, too,” he chuckles, but there’s no real joy behind it.

I try to lighten the mood. “Mom thought I was going to be a girl, and when I came out, she figured the name still worked. Plus, it’s one of those names you can shorten. Most of my friends call me Ash.”

“Yes, that’s what we thought too,” Mrs. Grey says, releasing her son’s arm and taking mine.

I lead her into the restaurant, her husband and son following close behind.

“Albert can be Al, or Bert, or Bertie, too,” she explains, like she’s trying to convince me that the name she gave her son was a good one.

“I like it,” I lean in and whisper to her. She pats my arm a couple of times, the smile growing on her lips.

Jennifer is waiting with the hostess and wearing the tightest dress in the world. She immediately blushes at the sight of AJ, and I wager to guess, she knew the Greys’ son wasn’t a child.

“They’ll be with us in just a minute,” she says with a soft smile directed AJ’s way.

“This must be your son, Albert, isn’t it?” she asks, reaching out her hand. He shakes it politely with a thin smile. Whatever this guy’s issue, I am just hoping he keeps it bottled up through dinner. The last thing I need is for this to go badly.

“Your table is ready,” the hostess interjects, and we follow her through to a booth at the back. I pull out the chair so that Mrs. Grey can sit on the booth seat beside it and then take a seat.

Jennifer sits on the booth seat in the middle and is noticeably dismayed when Mr. Grey sits beside her, and AJ takes the chair beside mine.

“So, RED Tech’s farm trial is going well,” Mrs. Grey says, and I lean back in my seat so that I can turn her way without looking like I’m ignoring AJ. I start telling her all about the data we’ve collated so far.

“The sensors are working great. They are tracking health, eating, and drinking habits, plus breeding cycles, including pregnancy in cattle. One of the farms hooked up a sensor to a donkey, and the readings were surprisingly clear. We are sending out a trial pack to a horse ranch to see if the technology can be adjusted and give the same results.”

“What would be the point? Don’t they like, put all their horses in stables at night?

Can’t they just check them over then?” AJ asks, and I turn my head toward him.

He’s waiting for my reply with raised brows, sipping his water through a straw like a total douchebag.

I resist the urge to snap at him, though, given how little sleep I am running on, my tone probably isn’t all sunshine and roses.

“Not exactly,” I begin, and he picks up his menu, not even interested in my reply, but I give it anyway.

’Cause, fuck you, man. “Just like cattle, horses run across acres on a ranch, it’s impossible to get a good look at all of them without wrangling them up and penning them for a time.

With one of these monitors, a rancher can be alerted to a horse in distress and its exact location on the ranch as soon as something happens. ”

“Like the emergency alerts for old people?” he asks, and fucking hell, the urge is strong.

“Not exactly. Those have to be pressed to work, and they don’t tell the first responders what is wrong with the person, just that something is wrong.

These sensors monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood flow, hydration level, and so many more things I can’t even think of.

It’s been a long day. You know what, I’ll send you the literature if you’d like to know more,” I finish, and he opens his mouth to reply, but the waitress arrives to take down our order.

Mrs. and Mr. Grey order first, then Jennifer and me.

“I’ll have the gluten-free shrimp risotto, please, and a glass of house white.” AJ looks at me like I’m a puzzle he’s trying to decipher, a small smile on his lips. It’s unnerving.

“And for you?” she asks, turning to him.

“The same,” he replies. No, please or thank you. He doesn’t even look at her. While Jennifer is all moon eyes across from him, I’m trying everything in my power not to shoot him daggers. Fucking entitled asshole. Though Mr. and Mrs. Grey seem so nice, how did they raise a douchebag like this guy?

“It must be nice for you, Ashley, to have some company on the trip,” Mr. Grey says, and Jennifer blushes a little.

“It’s good, yeah. Travelling alone can be well…lonely, sometimes. But I love being able to see you all when I’m here.”

“What does your wife think about all the travel?” AJ asks as the waitress returns with our drinks.

“I don’t have one. But my last boyfriend was fine with it. He knew what my job was when we started dating.”

Mrs. Grey sips her wine. “It’s important to support each other,” she says, taking her husband’s hand. He brings it up to his lips and places a soft kiss on the back of her hand, and it’s the sweetest thing.

“So true,” I reply, and then AJ’s knee connects with mine under the table. I shift mine away, but he follows with his. Glancing his way, I’m surprised to see a real smile on his lips for the first time tonight.

By the end of dinner, I’m almost sure that AJ’s attitude is some weird form of flirting for him.

Like, he thinks asking me a billion questions, trying to trip me up, and look bad in front of his parents is going to get him anywhere with me.

When I said we’d secured the support of three government vets, he asked, “Which administration were they hired under?” Like I know. Fucking hell, does it matter?

When dessert arrives, I’m so exhausted I don’t notice the waitress has placed a slice of cheesecake in front of me instead of the gluten-free lemon tart I ordered. I spoon a helping into my mouth and swallow half before the flavor registers, and I grab a napkin.

“This isn’t mine,” I say, and Jennifer holds up her plate.

“I think you have mine,” she says.

“Oh, I’m not sure if that is one of the gluten-free desserts,” Mrs. Grey says, reaching for her bag under the table. “Here, here,” she says, pulling out two bottles. “AJ, pass him some water.”

AJ thrusts a glass into my hand as she passes me one pill from one bottle and two from another.

“What are they?”

“Caricain and latiglutenase. They will help break down the gluten.”

I’m glad she came prepared. I really should carry some with me too given I’m the one who is intolerant to gluten. I throw them back and fill the glass of water again and drink it all down.

“I think I should probably go back to my room before….”

“Yes,” Mr. Grey says, waving over the waitress. “You should get some rest.”

“I’ve got the check,” I say, but he’s shaking his head.

“I’ll not hear of it. And when you’re recovered, send over the extension contracts. I think RED Tech has a promising future, and we’d like to be a part of it.”

“Thank you, I will,” I reply, and Mr. and Mrs. Grey head over to pay the bill.

“I’m sorry, Ash,” Jennifer says.

“I was the one not looking at what I was putting in my mouth. I’ll be fine with some rest.”

“And a few hydration drinks,” AJ says. “I saw a mini-mart on the corner. I’ll go get you a few and bring them up to your room. What number is it?”

“That’s so nice of you,” Jennifer coos, and before I can tell him it’s not necessary or can stop her, she’s telling him my room number. “He’s in one zero seven.”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” AJ says before jogging toward his parents. He stops to tell them something, then leaves the hotel.

“Go on, off to bed,” Jennifer says like she’s my mother, but it’s late, I’m tired, and I might be spending half the night with my head in a toilet, so I don’t argue.

I’m in my room for all of two minutes when AJ knocks on the door.

“Thanks, but you didn’t need to,” I say as he strolls past me with a white plastic bag.

“I got everything you need,” he says, putting the bag on the coffee table and sitting on the couch.

I close the door and join him, then tip the bag onto the tabletop.

A packet of condoms, strawberry-flavored lube, and two energy drinks roll out.

“I’m not sure how these will help me hydrate after being glutened.”

“You weren’t glutened. The cheesecake was gluten-free, so was half of the other desserts on the menu. You really should learn to pay closer attention,” he says with that same unnerving smirk.

“So was dinner all about you hating that your parents dragged you along, or was it some weird negative foreplay?”

“Neither. Though if it turns you on, we’ll go with that answer.” I sit on the arm of the couch and fold my arms over my chest.

“I prefer being showered with praise and compliments,” I reply, and he laughs.

“I’ll remember for next time. But, seriously, every question I asked was valid, and it helped you, didn’t it?

My father agreed to a longer contract. The only thing I hated was having to sit for an hour and listen to all the boring information about your boss’s tech when all I kept thinking was how good your mouth would look around my cock. ”

As tired as I am, my dick apparently is now fully awake, and while I don’t often engage in one-night stands, I’m not totally opposed to them either. Do I really want to fuck this asshole? My cock throbs. Apparently, the answer is yes.