Love and Hate

Gerard POV

I arrived at the office in the morning determined to advance the new advertising campaign for the launch of our expansion in Europe. The line of sandals we were introducing there was not really different from what we did here, but Europe was not America, and I suspected that we needed to make some changes in advertising to appeal to the European market. It's not that we did anything crazy or extravagant. There were aspects of marketing that always worked, no matter where we were in the world. And one thing I had learned was that if something worked, it was better to stick with it. In my life, there were two things that worked; one, my job as director of marketing for Hush Incorporated, and two, having a varied and diverse private life. In other words, I was totally committed to my job, but I didn't feel committed to women.

As I sat down at my desk, I noticed an envelope stamped with Hush. I opened it and took out the letter that was inside. As I flipped through it, I got upset.

Dear Mr. Hush,

I sincerely regret having to tender my resignation. As you know, my boyfriend, Mitchell, proposed to me and we had every intention of staying in San Diego, but now we have realized that there are many things we would like to do together, and that with our talents we can work remotely. We plan to be digital nomads; Travel around the world to the most romantic places and enjoy our lives to the fullest and in marital bliss.

"I crumpled the letter. It was bad enough losing my main artist just when I needed her the most, but having her leave me with this bunch of nonsense made me want to throw up. «Conjugal happiness», my ass."

I had to be surrounded by all that romantic, sappy shit with my brother Ronny and his new wife, Katy. I didn't need it in my template as well. I liked Katy and I was happy for Ronny, but somewhere inside I wondered if it would really last. From my own experience, lasting love was a myth. The only exception was my father, but even his love for my mother had cracks. The perverse part of me believed that his enduring love for my mother was a romantic notion because she had died and he never seemed to get over it. Would they still be together, living in marital bliss, if she were alive?

The statistics said no. However, they were thoughts I kept to myself because they were hurtful and insensitive, and they made me look like a fucking moron. I just wished everyone else who believed in love and fairy tales would stay out of it, just like I stayed out of my beliefs that true love didn't exist.

There was a knock on the door and when it opened, Ronny stuck his head out.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Yes, come in. " I tossed the crumpled letter aside knowing I was going to have to send it to Human Resources. They'd probably wonder why he'd wrinkled it, but oh well.

Behind Ronny, his wife Katy entered. Brilliant. I would have to endure more loving glances.

"I've come to talk to you about marketing plans for Europe. " Ronny offered Katy a chair. She sat down and then he sat in the other chair in front of my desk.

"I also brought you some photos," Katy said. She left a small stack of photos on my desk. I went over to pick them up and looked them over. They are from the wedding. Some are from us, and you can feast on them if you want.

She smiled at me as if she knew me. Of course, that was the case, because she had been working here for a long time. But now that she was married to my brother, I guess I felt like she could poke around at my anti-love stance. Or maybe her friend and my grandmother's personal assistant, Andi, who was the queen of biting, was giving it to her. In any case, I didn't pay much attention to it.

"Also, there are some photos of you and your date. I don't remember her name.

“He probably doesn't either,” Ronny joked.

I remembered her name. Her first name, at least. I also remembered how I had regretted taking her as a companion to my brother's wedding in Thailand. I had broken my one night only rule so I could have a ready and willing woman with me during our stay there. But of course, as often happens, when she got a taste of the lavish life the Hush family offered, she wanted to hold on to it when I was ready to let her go upon our arrival in San Diego. It was a reminder that I had rules for a reason; one woman, one night. That was all.

"Stop trying to sell me all this love shit, and I'll stop reminding you that it's a load of shit." Love and marriage are for idiots.

Katy's eyebrows rose in surprise. Ronny raised a single eyebrow.

"Careful, Gerard. You're precariously close to offending my wife.

I looked at Katy and tried to apologize.

"I'm sorry."

"Falling in love can be scary. Of course, she makes you feel vulnerable, which I guess is similar to feeling deceived or tricked. But it is very worth it. "Katy smiled at my brother. He reached out for her hand and took it, giving it a squeeze. I rolled my eyes.

"You should go find a room.

"Good idea. But first, what about the marketing deal? "She asked.

I sighed and picked up the crumpled letter.

"Liza has resigned. She's just like you: she's going to get married and live in marital bliss in Fiji, or something like that. In fact, that's what her resignation says. Marital happiness. I tossed the letter aside in disgust, wondering if she could write him a not-so-good recommendation based on her use of "marital happiness."

"Is it marital happiness that bothers you, or the fact that she has resigned? Ronny asked.

"Both".

"You have a whole team of people, Gerard. Surely one of them will think of something. But it has to be good. The best job you've ever done."

I looked at Ronny wishing I was ten years old and could punch him.

"You know you're not my boss, right? We are all equal in this company. I know how to do my job".

Ronny raised his hands in surrender.

"I didn't mean that, Gerard. We've had to go through a lot to get this distribution deal in Europe and I want this to go well”.

I was speechless at both of them"

"Well, lucky for you, I can do my job without pretending to marry my assistant”.

Ronny frowned. Katy stood up and took his hand, giving me a cheerful smile that she soon gave to Ronny as well.

"Maybe we should go. He can solve all this”.

"Yes, you should go away and let me do my job. I made a gesture with my hands, throwing them out of my office”.

I was relieved when they both turned around and headed towards the door. Ronny left before Katy, but she turned to look at me.

"You should talk to my sister, Silvia. She is very artistic. Plus, I'm sure she would be good to expand her portfolio of work”.

I nodded and thanked Katy. Then, I saw how she left my office, closing the door. I considered what she had said. I met Silvia briefly at the wedding. Without a doubt, you could tell she was an artist. In fact, when I showed up for the first time, I regretted bringing a companion to the wedding in Thailand. Silvia was very beautiful, just like her sister, but in a very different way. She had the same round, slate-gray eyes as her sister and high, rosy cheekbones. Katy had long, wavy, brown hair, but Silvia had a mane of short, wild curls of some shade of purple. It should have been ridiculous, but it wasn't. Silvia's mouth wasn't that wide, but her lips had that perfect cupid's bow shape that made them perfect for sucking penises. The last difference was that, while Katy was more professional and modest with her clothing, Silvia wore wild-colored clothes that were usually baggy, except during the wedding, where she wore a dress that hugged her body, as if was painted. In fact, it was the image of her in that dress and those Cupid's bow lips that turned me on that night as I fucked my date. You see? He was an idiot.

I considered Katy's idea for a moment, but when I remembered how she fantasized about Silvia, I knew it wouldn't be wise for us to work together. I was a strong man, but I was also smart enough to know to stay away from temptation. I had a powerful libido that sometimes got the best of me. I kept myself in line by following strict rules, such as having only one woman per night. Another important rule was to never hire anyone who wanted to fuck me.