Chapter 5 Fiscal Pettiness

Monday, 9:13 am

"This is a lot," I said, staring at the ream of paperwork that lay before me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up into the soft green eyes of the young brunette just above my right shoulder. She leaned forward to place a thin collection of papers in front of the large stack. My eyes traveled down to her cleavage tastefully displayed thanks to the plunge of the neckline of her blouse. I glanced up just in time to catch her eyes on mine, a small smile playing about her lips.

I'd learned that the younger brunette I'd met briefly on Friday was named Ashlee. She was a twenty-three year-old paralegal who was still attending law school and working for the company part-time. To say Ashlee was stunning would have done an injustice to her. Ashlee was otherworldly with a heart-shaped face, smoldering green eyes, and plump, pouty lips all framed by luxurious chocolate-brown hair that hung loose around her face.

I cleared my throat and looked down at the papers she'd laid before me, noticing several yellow tabs where I would have to sign or initial. That didn't prevent me from noticing the subtle squeeze her fingers did at my shoulder before slipping free. I glanced back up at her, but she'd already turned and begun a retreat.

"I assure you, it's as succinct as we could make it while trying to be thorough," Karl said as he scanned his own set of documents. He looked up at me and smiled, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes cutting deep furrows. "If you're concerned that there's something you're missing, you're more than welcome to hire an independent lawyer to come in and take a look at the paperwork. Whatever you need to feel comfortable with the situation."

I glanced around the room at the dozen or so lawyers sitting at the large conference table, most watching me to see if I'd sign the paperwork and continue to do business with them. Karl seemed cool and relaxed. William Price, on the other hand, was sweating profusely. He'd made absolutely sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed, obviously hoping that having Ashlee serve me soda in a tumbler with a block of ice shaped like a rapidly melting swan would be the deciding factor that made me choose to stick with YPV.

Yes, the stack of paper was massive, but the thing I found really unsettling about this meeting was the lack of Roger VanCamp's presence in the room. I'd been dreading meeting the guy who knew I'd been boning his wife for almost twenty-four hours straight. After we'd sealed our agreement late Friday night with another round of sex, I'd asked Helen to stay with me and was surprised when she agreed. I'm a cuddler, and I was delighted to wake up the next morning to Helen VanCamp curled up against my side, sound asleep. I was even more happy when she fucked my brains out three more times that day. It was Saturday evening before she walked out of my apartment as gracefully as if she hadn't been railed constantly by me. Me on the other hand... I'd needed half a day to recover from what we'd just done to each other.

I glanced over at Helen to gain any sort of guidance in how I should proceed. One perfectly manicured eyebrow twitched slightly and I barely picked up the slight nod of her head, encouraging me to go through with signing everything. I kept my eyes locked on hers for a beat longer than anyone else's and then looked back down at the papers in front of me.

"Yeah... I think I'd like another lawyer to look these over," I finally said after another few moments of hesitation. There was a collective sigh from several of the people around the table including Helen.

"Sorry I'm wasting your time. I just didn't realize how much I would need to go through here. This is a lot to process. I guess it was my fault for not really thinking it through." I looked back around the room, "Can I use the bathroom real quick?"

"Certainly," Karl said, the smile a little more tight around the eyes, "And don't worry about it. We understand this is a lot to consider. You let us know who you would like us to send all of this to, and we'll have it to them within the hour. Ashlee." He looked over my shoulder at the girl who had placed the papers in front of me. "Would you be so kind as to show Mr. Upton where the facilities are?"

"Yes sir," she said.

I stood up from my chair and followed the young woman out of the office, glancing at Helen to feel her out, but she was too busy talking to William, who looked like he was going to burst like an overfilled balloon of sweat at any moment.

A few minutes later, I found myself washing my hands in the sink as I was still going over my options, wondering why I was hesitating, given my connection with Helen. There were so many people in that room making six or seven figures a year all waiting on me to make a move, and it was intimidating. Nevermind the fact that I was worth nearly thirteen figures. A few days ago, I'd been concerned about rent, student debt payments, and saving up to go to Vancouver with some of my friends. I wasn't used to being in the position of having everyone wait on me to make a decision like their lives hung in the balance. I didn't know what I was doing.

"They understand, you know."

I glanced up at the mirror to see Ashlee standing beside the door, hands clasped behind her back as she leaned against the wall. Her blouse hung precariously on her shoulders as if it would slip off them at any moment, and even standing, her neckline plunged in a way that displayed the shadow of the valley between her breasts. Her hair hung over one shoulder, leaving the other side fully exposed and giving me a full view of the contours of her creamy skin along her collarbone and neck. Her bright green eyes held much more than intellect. That look reminded me of the looks Helen gave me the last time I had my cock buried in her.

My pants were getting tighter as I was reacting to the sight of the beautiful woman casually leaning against the wall of the men's restroom. How did my law firm have so many incredibly gorgeous women?

"Yeah. I just feel like I'm wasting their time," I said. Despite my better judgment, I ground the new half hard-on into the counter as I stared at her. The tip of her tongue flicked into view to wet her lips.

"You shouldn't," she said as she took a few steps toward me. I didn't dare turn around in case she noticed the tent in my pants. "You're the most important man in the room, and they work for you."

She reached the sink and turned, leaning against it and looking up at me, those lovely green eyes staring into mine through dark lashes. "We work for you. Or we would if you wanted us to."

I stared at her for a long moment, unsure of what to say.

"I-"

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Marcus? Are you in here?"

It was Helen on the other side of the door.

"Um... yeah."

The door opened and Helen popped her head in, scanned the room, and then slipped all the way inside. She stood by the door, arms crossed and leveled a gaze at the younger woman standing beside me, "Ashlee, would you mind giving me a few moments alone with Mr. Upton?"

"Yes ma'm," Ashlee said, her demeanor had shifted entirely from what it had been a few moments ago. Her cheeks gained a little color, her head was slightly bowed, her eyes downcast, and her hands were clasped in front of her. She gave me a last look and a small, apologetic smile as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Then she headed for the door. As I watched her reflection leave, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder and I immediately knew that demeanor was put on - her gaze was loaded with all sorts of unsaid implications.

"Be careful of that one," Helen said as soon as the door fell shut behind her. "She's trouble."

"And you're not?"

Without taking her eyes off my reflection, Helen reached up and flipped the lock on the bathroom door. Then she slowly started to approach me, a half-smile on her face, "Oh I certainly am, but I can keep it on a leash until the appropriate time. That privileged little brat barely knows what a leash is."

The image of Helen on her knees with nothing on but a collar around her delicate neck and presenting me with the leash attached set my blood boiling. Due to the teasing from Ashlee and now Helen, my constrained cock was fully hard.

"Marcus," she said, "you're the wealthiest individual in the entire world by a fair degree. Forget companies. You could buy cities. Your entire world's different now, and you're in completely unfamiliar waters. Before yesterday, mistakes and missteps didn't mean much. You can't lose things you don't have, so I understand your hesitation. It's decision paralysis like you've never experienced."

She reached me and slipped her arms around my waist, pulling me back against her as she continued to make eye contact through the mirror. Her right hand sank lower and she began to grind her palm against my erection, giving it a firm squeeze that made me groan. She pressed her body firmly against mine, and I could feel her breasts pressed against my back. Still watching me, she bent her head forward and began leaving slow, deliberate kisses on the side of my neck. "But your first move was to buy me. I'm yours. I'll take care of you, baby. Trust me."

Helen didn't wait for a response. Still manipulating my cock with one hand, she grasped my chin in the other and pulled my face toward her until our lips met in a languorous kiss. While kissing me, she gently nudged my shoulder and I complied, turning until I was sandwiched between the sink countertop and my gorgeous blond lawyer. Our tongues lazily explored each other's mouths and lips slid slowly over each other. We were savoring more than passionately devouring each other.

The pressure of her hand on my groin dissipated, and then I felt her work the zipper on my pants free. With a final gentle suckle, Helen broke the kiss and followed it with a flick of her tongue across my upper lip before sinking to her knees to pull my cock free of its confines. The tip was already damp with precum and Helen nuzzled it with her nose as she let out a little hum. She then proceeded to kiss it, the tip of her tongue slipping lazily across it before engulfing half my cock in a single fluid motion. I leaned against the bathroom counter and let out an audible groan. My head rolled back, and I closed my eyes as she set to work, pleasuring me with her tongue and lips.

My mind raced with images. Helen on her knees with a leash. And then Ashlee appeared next to me in my imagination, kissing me with those sweet, plump lips. Eyes still closed as my mind wandered, I reached down and wrapped my fingers in Helen's hair, encouraging her gently to take more of me into her mouth. She complied, and I kept the tension on her head. I could feel the head of my cock hit the back of her throat, and my grip tightened.

I'd never behaved this way before.

I liked it.

Helen was right. My world was different now. I had power. Limitless resources. I owned it all. It was time I realized that and stopped being so indecisive. Sure, I had a lot to lose, but I could also afford to lose a lot in the process of getting what I wanted. Fuck the second opinion lawyer. I would sign Karl's paperwork. I would shit and get off the pot, and move on with my life.

Because I knew what I wanted.

"I know what I want my second purchase to be," I said, looking down at the angel sucking my dick. I released her hair and stroked the side of her beautiful face as I explained everything. I'd need her help. I would need the entire firm's help with this one.

Monday, 4:00 pm

I emerged from the back of the black suburban holding my breath... trying anything to hold down the churning in my stomach. I was excited and terrified at the same time for what was about to happen and hadn't been able to concentrate on anything else since the moment the idea surfaced in my brain a few hours ago.

"Whenever you're ready," Helen said next to me, causing me to tear my eyes away from the building in front of me. I glanced behind me to see the suburban had already driven away without me even noticing.

Helen gave me a knowing smile, "You know the fact that you wanted to actually go through with this on day two of being a billionaire really says something about you."

"Yeah? What does it say?"

"That you're smart and decisive once you take that first step. It also says that you're just as petty as the rest of us."

"Petty?" I asked, not sure how to take that.

"Oh, don't think for a minute that you did this for financial reasons. This is completely personal. No one here is going to blame you for that." Helen looked back up at the building, "But if you're going to be petty, might as well do it in a way that makes you money."

I sighed and nodded, looking back at the building I'd just bought... and the company inside. "Alright. Let's do this."

Have you ever tried to buy property? It takes weeks. You have to get approved for a loan, find the house, negotiate, get it inspected, pay the taxes, get the paperwork taken care of. It's a long, arduous process that can take weeks if you're lucky. Sometimes it can take months.

Not if you're rich.

I'm not talking about millions of dollars. Even really rich people have their issues.

But when you have obscene levels of wealth and an army of powerful attorneys at your back, it's amazing what you can get done in a morning. When you have the ability to turn others into wealthy people on a whim, paperwork and red tape seem to just disappear.

As soon as I'd told Helen what I wanted and she'd finished fellating me, she'd immediately set to work while I signed and initialed my way into making Yunger, Price, & VanCamp my official law firm. Within an hour, I had the owners of Marduke and the building Marduke inhabited on the phone. We offered them well over what both were worth, and a healthy fee to drop everything they were doing to work immediately with us. A few more calls and donations later, and I was the proud owner of Marduke LLC. As someone who can barely stand to get my license renewed, the whole process had been a sight to behold. When it was all over, I could have kissed Helen. And I did just that on the way to see my new company.

You really haven't lived until you've made out in the back of a $100,000 SUV with your lawyer after buying a company.

I led the way up the steps to the front doors of my building followed by Helen, a paralegal named Vikram, and two security specialists that my law firm had graciously lent me for the week. Helen had orchestrated it, stating that I would need to organize a security detail of my own at some point in the near future. I hated the idea, but when Helen cited statistics of what a lot of wealthy people went through, I couldn't really argue with her.

I led the way into the lobby and nodded at the two people manning the security desk - Andrew and Henry. Andrew had been at the company longer than me and was actually the head of security for the building. Henry had been in his position for less than a year - both good guys.

"Hey guys. Did they fill you in on the situation?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Upton," Andrew said as he came around the desk. He passed me a badge with my picture on it, then handed one off to Helen. "Your badges are ready to go and you've been provided full clearance."

He glanced at the other three I'd brought with me, "I don't have badges prepped for your people. Would you like me to escort you up?"

"That'll be fine." Andrew was a good guy and we got on pretty well. I didn't want to upset the way he did things... his sudden change in manner was jarring enough as it was.

Andrew escorted me and my entourage to the elevator, and it was a quiet ride up as I scrambled to collect my emotions. All my co-workers were about to see me in a completely different light, and the very thought cranked my anxiety up to eleven. Fortunately, I didn't have a lot of time to dwell - my floor was only seven stories up, and before I knew it, the elevator door opened, revealing the familiar sea of cubicles, with office-like cubicles further back. My eyes immediately tracked to the right near a back window where mine was as I followed Andrew onto the main floor. He wasn't a usual sight up here, so his presence among a group immediately attracted the attention of half the floor. I could see heads popping up like prairie dogs coming out of their holes, wondering what the unusual activity was all about. Some immediately recognized me, and I got more than a few curious stares.

"Where would you like to set up?" Andrew asked.

I saw Natalie emerging from the bathrooms to the left. She glanced in my direction and did a double take, a look of confusion on her face at the sight of me among several others being escorted by Andrew. I gave her a small wave and a smile and she returned it bemusedly. I looked everywhere, but couldn't see Bobbi. That was a disappointment. I was almost more excited to see Bobbi witness my moment of glory than Natalie. Almost.

"Is Gina here?" I asked.

Andrew smirked at that. Gina didn't have many friends at Marduke. "She's on a late lunch. She should be back soon."

"Her office," I stated.

Andrew complied, and in a few moments we were at her office door. I felt the stares of every single worker on that floor as Andrew unlocked the door and allowed me to lead the way in. Helen halted Vikram, asking him to pick up some coffees from downstairs for everyone. The security stayed at the door with Andrew. Helen entered behind me and shut the door behind her.

"Well?"

I walked over to Gina's walnut desk, running my fingers over it as I glanced over at her, "I don't know. I was ready to do it as soon as I walked in here, but if I have to wait for her to get here, I'm afraid I'll lose my nerve."

Helen rolled her eyes a little at that, "What are you so concerned about?"

"I don't know. A week ago, she was my boss and could have fired me. This was a pretty decent job, and I was terrified of losing it. You'll find this hard to understand, but losing a job is devastating. And god forbid I blow out a tire or need a doctor's visit while I'm out of work. My fight or flight instinct is always in gear... it's that way for a lot of people. It's not something I can just switch off on a dime. That's called a personality disorder." I was annoyed. I could tell she was getting a little impatient with my hesitation. It probably wasn't much of a turn-on, but she had to understand my point of view if we were going to have any sort of professional or personal relationship. Getting used to doing things like this was going to take some time.

Apparently she could tell I was a little annoyed with her. She slinked toward me, placing her hands on my shoulders and giving them a light squeeze as she pulled me toward her so my back pressed against her chest. I turned in her arms so that her face was inches from mine - her bright blue eyes were liquid pools staring back at me. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, rubbing her hands over my chest. "I know this is a lot. It's why I'm here." She tilted her head up and brushed her nose against mine before doing the same thing with our lips. A soft kiss followed. "Let me help."

I swallowed. I knew she was manipulating me, but god was it fun! "Help how?"

She took a step back, immediately professional again, "Sit in her chair, wait for her to show up, and then simply tell her that she no longer has a job. Do it dispassionately. Don't let her see any insecurity or nervousness. Act like ordering take-out would be more exciting than this. Give her the feeling that she's insignificant." The look in her eye suggested she'd lived the experience before, and I was suddenly grateful she wasn't an enemy.

A knock interrupted us before I could even think of a response. Helen arched an eyebrow at me in an unspoken question, and I moved behind the desk to have a seat in Gina's chair.