Chapter 5: Ungrateful Ass

Kieran woke the following day at six o'clock. After having a shower, he dressed in a pair of basketball shorts. He made his way down the hall to Alijah's room and knocked on the door. He figured she would already be awake. She had been an early riser throughout the week, and he was hoping that rang true for the weekend as well.

He waited a few minutes before the door opened. There she stood, in a pair of black yoga capris and a black form-fitting tank top. White and black Puma's adorned her feet. Her hair was in its usual natural curls, haloing her head.

"Good morning, Alijah. I was coming to see if you wanted to go to the gym today."

He watched her eyes roam over the contours of his chest and abdomen before coming back to settle on his. He smiled at her, letting her know that he was well aware that she had been checking him out.

"Um…yes. Thank you."

Kieran stepped to the side and allowed her to exit her room. He then followed her to the door. His gaze locked onto the swaying of her hips. Once out of the condo, he followed her to the private elevator and allowed her on before getting on himself. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved his keycard, placing it into the slot and hitting the button for the roof.

Once on the roof, he led the way to the gym and put in the code, allowing them access. He held the door open and stepped aside, letting her walk in before him. When he entered, he closed the door, hearing the automatic lock.

"This is your gym?" She questioned, looking around the room.

"Yes. You don't like it?" He inquired as he watched her curiously.

Alijah shook her head. "No, I like it. It's perfect. When you said you had a private gym, I thought you meant a small room with a few machines. This is an actual gym."

Kieran smiled, amused by her amazement. She should have known he would have nothing short of the best in every aspect of his life. Money was no object to him.

"Well, I'm glad it surpassed your expectations."

He headed over to the bench press and took a seat. He watched as Alijah made her way over to the treadmill. Kieran was aware of her muscle definition, but he also knew that it didn't come from free weights. She'd told him the night before that she was one for cardio, so it didn't surprise him.

He lay back on the bench as she began pressing in the settings she wanted on the treadmill. He figured it would be creepy to sit on the bench and watch her. In the middle of his first rep, he heard her feet begin to make steady contact with the treadmill.

Kieran finished his reps and decided to move over to the squats. They had been there for about thirty minutes, and she was still steadily jogging on the treadmill.

Making his way over to do his squats, he ensured he was at the best angle to watch her. Her hair moved up and down with each step that she took. Her ample breast bounced ever so slightly as well as her perfect, round ass.

Shaking himself from those thoughts, he put all his energy and focus on his workout for the next hour.

He glanced over at Alijah and saw that she was getting off the elliptical. Making his way to her, he admired the way her body glistened with perspiration.

"Are you ready to head inside?" He questioned. She merely nodded, and he led the way out of the gym.

Once inside the condo, he made his way to the kitchen and removed two bottles of water. He handed her one before opening his own and taking a generous drink.

"I'm going to shower, and then I'll start on breakfast," Alijah informed him before turning and heading down the hall.

Kieran turned to look at the clock on the mantle. It was a little after eight. He headed down the hall to his bedroom to have a shower.

After his shower, he felt refreshed. He dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a Versace t-shirt. He slipped on some socks before making his way down the hall to the kitchen. There he found Alijah preparing a cup of coffee for him.

Sitting at the bar, Kieran decided to watch her as she cooked. She handed him his cup of coffee and went about her task. Once she'd gotten all the ingredients out, he watched as she went about making omelets.

When she finished, she handed him a plate before taking a seat with her cup of hot tea. They ate in silence, and when finished, he offered to help her clean the kitchen. He knew that he had caught her by surprise with his offer. However, she declined, telling him that it wasn't much and she would be done in a matter of minutes.

Kieran contemplated staying and making small talk with her but decided to retreat to his office. He had a bit of work he wanted to get done before the gala that night.

He'd been in his office for a couple of hours working when his phone rang. He glanced down at it to see that his close friend Nik was calling.

"Hello." He answered after another ring.

"Hey, man. What's been going on with you? You haven't been to our weekly games." Nik stated, getting straight to the point.

Kieran had known Nik since the summer after his first year in college, being introduced to him by Paetyn, another one of their friends. He was used to his friend's always direct approach. He had never been one to beat around the bush.

"I've been working. I'm looking to expand before the year is out." Kieran informed him.

"You work too much. I bet you're working now."

"When you have a company to run, your life consists of it, but I wouldn't expect you to know about that since you play more than you work."

Nik snorted on his end of the phone. "I work just as hard as you. I know how to balance work and play."

"Yes, and you play more than you work."

Kieran spoke to Nik for a bit longer before getting back to work. It wasn't long before delicious smells were wafting into his office. He glanced at the time on his computer and saw that it was twelve-thirty. He knew his little assistant was in the kitchen cooking something delicious. Deciding that she would come to get him when it was ready, he went back to work.

Just as he suspected, there was a knock on his door about fifteen minutes later. He called for her to come in, and she opened the door.

"I made lunch if you can drag yourself away from your computer screen long enough to eat it,” she informed him.

Kieran cocked his head to the side. He was well aware that she was teasing him. The smile on her face gave her away, but it also made him want to tease her in other ways.

"I'm sure I can spare a few minutes for your mediocre cooking." He then threw back. Alijah simply rolled her eyes and left down the hall. Kieran smirked to himself before following behind her.

Kieran sat on the couch in his living room while waiting for Alijah. It was six o'clock, and the gala was due to start at seven. He was dressed in a black Armani suit with a black shirt. His shoes were black and of the same designer as well. His wrist housed his black and gold Hugo Boss watch.

It was another ten minutes before he heard steps coming down the hallway. He turned his attention in that direction, and his breath caught in his throat. Yes, he had seen Alijah in the dress when she tried it on at the store; however, now she looked stunning.

She had paired the dress with a gold doubled chained necklace and gold dangling earrings. She had on a pair of white and pink shimmering heels and a matching purse. Her hair was in its usual curls, but she'd pulled them up on the side and pinned them out of her face for tonight. Kieran was speechless.

"I'm ready,” she informed him as she smoothed her dress down with one hand while holding her clutch in the other.

He couldn't speak. Kieran was too entranced by the deep caramel-skinned goddess before him. To keep from making a fool of himself, he took the safe approach and just nodded at her words instead of attempting to speak. Opening the front door, he gestured for her to lead the way out. As always, Kieran found himself focusing on her perfect ass.

They took the short ride to the lobby in silence. Once outside, Timothy opened the door, and they slid into the back of the luxury vehicle. The car slowly pulled into traffic, making its way to the event.

"Did you bring your tablet?" Kieran asked after a few moments of silence. When he didn't get a response, he turned his attention to Alijah, only to find her looking at him as if he was stupid.

"And where exactly would I have put it?" She questioned, looking over her person dramatically.

Kieran could feel his lips twitching but stopped himself from smiling. "How do you expect to do your job effectively if you aren't bringing the tools you need?" He questioned. His tone was a bit clipped, but he was a little annoyed with his assistant for the first time. She was showing her first signs of incompetency.

"I guess I didn't plan on doing it." Came the smart response that greeted him.

Kieran turned in his seat to glare straight ahead. It wasn't lost on him that his mood had gone from hot to cold, which was usually the case. His closest friends often stated that they thought he was bipolar. While Kieran always adamantly denied it, it might have been mildly accurate.

The rest of the ride was silent. The only sounds were that of the wheels on the road and the surrounding traffic. It was half an hour or so before the car came to a stop. Instead of waiting for Timothy to come around and open the door, Kieran opened it himself and stepped out. He headed directly for the entrance leaving Alijah behind.

He was mad. Alijah could tell from the tensing of his body. She would have said to him that she was only messing with him if it weren't for the fact that he seemed to be giving her the silent treatment like a child. So, instead, she allowed him to think that she had no intentions of doing the job she'd been hired for.

When they reached the building, the gala was held in; instead of waiting for Timothy like he usually did, Alijah watched Kieran open the door and storm out of the car. At that moment, she decided that she would put him out of his misery, but not before giving him a piece of her mind and telling him where he could put his little attitude.

Getting out of the car, she smiled at Timothy as she bypassed him, walking hastily to catch Kieran. When she made it to him, he was about to open the door. She placed her hand over his, and he immediately snatched his away before glowering down at her.

Alijah, never one to be intimidated, leveled him with a glare of her own. Her clutch tucked securely under her left arm; she placed both hands on her hips.

"I understand that you may be menstruating, but you need to come off it. You hired me because I'm good at what I do. Just because I didn't bring that stupid tablet doesn't mean I don't plan on doing my job. It means that I have another means of doing it. You also need to learn how to take a joke.” She gritted out before batting his hand, which he'd placed back on the handle, away and making her entrance.

A few photographers were inside taking candid pictures when she walked in, but Alijah paid them no mind as she followed the elegant signs leading to her destination.

When she arrived, she found that the large room was decorated beautifully. She stood in the entrance for a moment just admiring the décor. There were people all over, dressed in various colors.

Alijah felt a presence behind her, and she knew it was Kieran. The man just gave off an aura of power, and when he was pissed, you could feel it tenfold. At that very moment, she felt like it was suffocating her.

Instead of acknowledging him, she made her way into the room and began to walk around. It only took her a moment to spot one of the three people she'd hope to encounter at tonight's event. Nathaniel Golding.

Nathaniel was in his mid-fifties, had no kids, never married, and had a thing for the younger woman. He was also the Chief Founding Operator of Golding Technologies. His company was the number one leader in overseas technological advances. However, what made his company special was that production took place in the United States and was merely sold and marketed there and overseas.

Alijah knew that Kieran wanted to become an investor in the company that had, in fifteen years, become known around the world. She knew he wanted to sit on the board as well, but tonight, she would be taking baby steps.

Making her way over to the bar, she ordered a Scotch and coke and a glass of champagne. With her clutch still tucked neatly under her arm, she grabbed both drinks and made her way over to Nathaniel. She stopped a few feet from him, and when he turned to look at her, mid-sentence with whoever he was talking to, she smiled at him and raised the glass of Scotch slightly.

She could only assume that he'd excused himself from the young man he was talking to as Alijah watched him pat the man on the back before closing the short space between them. She extended his drink and watched him take a sip as he eyed her.

"Scotch and coke,” he stated after taking his sip. "How did you know?"

Alijah shrugged indifferently. "It's a real man's drink,” she replied before taking a sip of her champagne.

Truth be told, Alijah had done a bit of research when the invitation to the gala had first been presented to her boss. She felt that it was her job to know about the possible business opportunities beforehand. It's what made her good at what she did. She researched each person. Got to know them a little intimately without their knowledge, but when presenting it to said person, it was almost as if it were coincidental—second nature.

"Well, Miss…" Nathaniel started, trailing off.

"Douglas." Alijah supplied.

"Ms. Douglas. To what do I owe the pleasure of such alluring company."

"I wanted to congratulate you on opening your new technical research center, Mr. Golding,” she replied casually, taking another sip of the cold liquid.

"Thank you, and please, call me Nathaniel."

Alijah smiled at him. "I would love to, Mr. Golding; however, I'm here on business,” she responded, gazing up at him.

"I see, and what is it that you're going to offer me?" He inquired.

Alijah took another drink of her champagne, slowly swallowing to build the anticipation. Her eyes locked on his when she brought the glass down from her lips. "A big fish."

Alijah had spent the past hour and a half talking business. The first thirty minutes of it had been to Nathaniel Golding. She'd spoken to him about what an asset Kieran would be as an investor while also pointing out to the man what he could gain from such a business relationship. She had made it sound like he was the one gaining everything, and Kieran would merely get a small piece. When in all actuality, it was a win for both of them.

She did not doubt that all Kieran would need was an initial business meeting with the older man to get his foot in the door as far as being on the board went. Being ever effective at her job, she was able to get a meeting scheduled. It wasn't as soon as she wanted and was actually over four weeks away, but she knew that Mr. Golding was a busy man and, therefore, she would take what she could get. After all, it was better than anything Kieran had accomplished on his own or with his other assistants.

However, there was a catch. Alijah had to agree to be present when the meeting took place. That wasn't a big deal to her. She was always present at her boss' meetings, taking notes and doing fly by her seat research. The difference this time was that he wanted to have a meeting at the country club, and she knew that meant golfing.

The next forty-five minutes had been spent talking to Wayne Farley. Wayne was a man around Kieran's age who'd just taken over his family's solar energy company. They were currently looking for ways to maximize the solar industries and lower the costs of everyday products while going green.

Alijah knew that Kieran was looking to get into the organic fruits and vegetable business. It was one of the reasons he'd made the trip to the agricultural plant earlier in the week. He wanted his entire building to run on solar panel lighting. Farley Solar Enterprises was leading the way with their revolutionary products, and she knew these were the people Kieran would want to enlist to get the job done.

Her approach with him had been different than it was with Mr. Golding. Wayne was far more interested in looking at her breast than hearing what she had to say. She grabbed his chin at one point, forcing him to look at her. She told him if he wasn't going to take her seriously, she could take her chance of a lifetime business somewhere else and give it to someone more deserving.

He had sobered up and given her his undivided attention at those words. Just like with Mr. Golding, she knew that getting the initial appointment was the thing standing in the way. There was little time to take on new projects with control switching hands recently without Wayne getting overwhelmed.

However, she persuaded him to sit down, even if it was only for half an hour, and listen to the idea Kieran had. She hadn't gone too much into detail, feeling that wasn't her place.

After a while of thought, he agreed and set their meeting for two months. Alijah wanted to push for something earlier but knew that Kieran was just in the beginning phases of finding the contractors for his latest business endeavor.

Unfortunately, she hadn't seen Corey Wexler. Then again, she knew she shouldn't have expected to. She had heard the man was hard to get in touch with, and the rumors were proving to be true.

Making her way to one of the tables, she grabbed a glass of champagne off of the tray of a passing waiter before having a seat. She had already put the meetings in her calendar and saved their contact information. Each had given her their direct office line, claiming to have liked her drive. She was sure Mr. Golding probably had. Wayne, however, she figured liked her breast more than anything.

Alijah sat sipping her champagne and listening as they called out the names of the businesses in attendance and the hefty amounts they gave in the pursuit of higher education. She was impressed by the amount they had raised in that single night.

She had just finished her glass when she felt that presence again. Kieran's aura was unmistakable, and he was just as mad, if not more so than he had been in the car.

"We're leaving." Was the only thing he said before she felt that dominating aura retreating.

Sighing, Alijah rose from her seat and followed him leisurely. She'd had about enough of his attitude. When she made it outside, he was already seated in the car, on the far side by the door.

She smiled at Timothy as she got in, and he closed the door behind her.

The silence was thick in the air, but she wasn't going to be the one to break it. She didn't feel inclined to apologize to him for her earlier words, and she wouldn't. It wasn't her fault that the man couldn't take a joke and seemed to have rattlesnakes up his ass.

When they arrived back at the condo, the ride on the elevator was pure agony. Alijah could feel him staring a hole into the side of her head, but she refused to acknowledge him, and it took everything she had not to snap at him. As they walked into his condo and the door closed, the silence was broken.

"Do you want to lose your job?"

Turning on him, Alijah had fire in her eyes from his audacity to ask her that question. "Are you serious right now?" She fired off.

"I told you that your purpose in accompanying me was for business prospects. I didn't even want to go to that damn thing in the first place." Kieran grounded out through clenched teeth.

Alijah looked at him as if he were crazy because she just knew he had to be. Bringing up the calendar on her phone, she pulled up both of the meetings she'd set up for him before slamming the phone into his chest. She then brushed past him, heading to her room.

"What the hell is this?" Kieran snapped.

Alijah stopped walking and took a deep, calming breath. "Meetings I set up for your ungrateful ass with Nathaniel Golding and Wayne Farley. You're welcome.” She threw over her shoulder, adding the ever-present sarcasm to her last two words.

Once in her room, Alijah began to undress and headed into the bathroom. She felt that she deserved a much-needed shower and the privilege of sleeping in tomorrow. He could find himself something to eat for breakfast, and if not, she was happy to watch him starve.