Chapter 1 1

“You can do this, you got this, get through today. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.” That was the mantra that played on a continuous loop in my head. It was early and I was at work way before anyone else would be in the building.

My name is Emerald Jade, I am an executive assistant to two of the most beautiful, yet terrifying, CEO’s on the planet. I was recruited right out of high school by the marketing manager. I worked in sales and marketing as an intern for one year, then hired on full-time. After two years in marketing, I was transferred to the accounting department and worked with Jason Campbell until he was fired for embezzling.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Luckily the internal audit and investigation cleared me of any wrongdoing. However, it did put me right in the line of fire when it came to the dual CEO’s, Jet Obsidian, and Spinel Bloodstone. Two years ago, after the house-cleaning in accounting, I became their personal executive assistant. All the others quit shortly after being hired. The hours were long, no real days off, and I was at their beck and call. The pay was worth it, so I stayed.

Shortly after my promotion to the executive floor, my mother and father were in a skiing accident. My mother died, and my father has been on life support. My family and I weren’t poor, but we weren’t rich either. My father’s health insurance refused to renew his policy seven months ago. Keeping up with the medical bills burned through what little savings my parents had. I sold their house to help pay my father’s medical bills. I was currently living in a cheap, shitty motel, that was within walking distance of both the hospital and my job. I have a small storage unit that I put the things I wanted to keep in.

Every day after work, or when I can sneak the three blocks over to the hospital, I go and see my dad. I just can’t bring myself to turn off the machines, even though I know it’s quickly bankrupting me.

My CEO bosses know nothing of my predicament, I don’t discuss personal things with anyone and I’m definitely not about to tell two men who have been on the billionaires list the last six years running about my financial woes.

I think they are a gay couple, but I can’t confirm my suspicions, for all I know they might be brothers. They ride to work together, eat lunch together, leave together, everything they do, they do it together. The part that throws me off is I’ve never heard them call each other by any type of pet name, and I’ve never seen any type of romantic gesture between the two of them. I’ve also never seen or met a significant other of any type.

Spinel (pronounced Spin-El) Bloodstone is scary. Something about him is haunting, he has pale skin that reminds you of a piece of polished  pearl nectar and these grey eyes that if he looks at you long enough, it feels like he’s imprinting himself on your soul. Spinel is tall, lean but muscular. He’s over six feet tall, they both are. Spinel has salt and pepper waist length hair that he ties up in a low ponytail that he wraps around itself and ties it up to itself so that it sits at the nape of his neck. Spinel has tattoos on his arms, chest, and his hairline around his face. Spinel doesn’t speak much, he has a temper, everything about him from the way he dresses to the way he walks is cold and calculating. He doesn’t give off CEO of Peridot Industries vibes, he gives off  serial killer, biker gang leader vibes.

Jet Obsidian is the complete polar opposite of Spinel. Jet is warm and funny. Jet is tall like Spinel but built like a solid brick. Jet’s eyes are shiny black, like polished glass and they have silver flecks in them. Jet’s hair is a dark golden blonde color, and he wears it long and in a loose man-bun. Jet’s skin is sun-kissed tan and he smells like Sandalwood and outside.

Beep. “Delivery at front door.” The robotic voice removes me from the trance I am in thinking about my way-to-pretty bosses. I hit the intercom button, “On my way down.” I notify Juniper from the bakery across the street.

We have a standing Monday-Friday order with Juniper’s bakery. She brings over a coffee tote of cold brew espresso, a dozen fresh bagels, a dozen cream cheese pastries, and a dozen cupcakes.

I get out of the elevator and open the door for Juniper. “Hey Juni, how’s business?” I ask, as I do every morning.

“It’s ok. I would like to be a little busier on the weekends but being located in the downtown corridor’s business district I don’t think that is going to happen.”

“What about the hospitals? There are like seven of them up on pill hill. It’s less than a mile from here.”

“Hold on… Is that why the locals call that area “pill hill”, because of all the hospitals and medical clinics?” Juniper asks as her eyes light up.

“Yep. Hey, put together a small menu and make some copies. I go up to General a few times a week, I have a family member there. I’ll leave some with the nurses and in the waiting rooms.”

“Ah Emey, thank you!” Juniper says, as she reaches to give me a quick hug.

“It’s the least I can do, Juni. You make my morning so much easier.” I reach over and grab the load of goodies. Juniper hits the up-elevator button for me and sees her way out the front door, making sure it closes and locks behind her.

Once the elevator reaches the executive floor, I take the coffee and baked goods to the kitchen, make two large, iced coffees with vanilla syrup for Jet and Spinel, I open the boxes of baked goods, place napkins and small paper plates in front of each box.

Just as I finish my kitchen duties, I hear the elevator ding announcing the arrival of my bosses.

“Emerald, good morning.” Spinel greets me as he takes his coffee from my hand and makes his way to this office.

I nod my head in acknowledgement; he’s still acting weirder than normal.

“Hey Emey, how was your evening?” Jet asks, as he takes his coffee from my other hand and makes his way over to the pastries, choosing one of each, same as every other morning.

“It was an evening.” I respond, flatly. I wasn’t about to tell him that I spent most of it at the hospital with my father until the nurse kicked me out. I went to the cheap-ass, motel off Aurora, barely got three hours of sleep before the police kicked in the door to the room next to me.

I was still looking at Spinel’s closed office door.

“He’ll be ok, I’m working on it.” Jet whispered in my ear from behind me, causing me to jump. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, his Sandalwood scent was calming, I leaned back slightly my back touching his chest.

“Emey… I need to go to my office.” Jet whispered into the shell of my ear, sending shivers up my spine and prickling my skin with goosebumps.

“Shit, sorry, my fault, I don’t know what came over me…shit, sorry for cussing…fuck. You know what I’m walking away now.” I quickly walked to my desk, feeling my face flush red and my ears get warm.