The Seduction of Jac Frost (by Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 2

The Pitch

Aware everyone in the room was staring at her, waiting for her to start, she decided to pick up where she’d started with Percy as if continuing their conversation.

“Okay, well, before you came in, Percy and I were talking. I think I have a way to mitigate what’s going on. Let’s paint him like a lost kid with no support, no guidance, and no discipline from his college. He’s their superstar and they’re bowing down to kiss his ass. I mean it’s not a stretch. He’s the golden boy. They’ve given him everything from the fancy room in the frat house to a freaking hot tub. I can tell you when I went to college, only five years ago, so not even that long ago, nobody had a bloody hot tub in their house paid for by the college. They gave it to him for his muscles. They’re enabling his addictive behaviors. He’s a twenty–year–old man, in his last year of college, with everyone giving him everything he ever wanted.”

Original composition by Tatienne Richard exclusively for My Fiction. If you’re reading this elsewhere it has been stolen from the platform.

“You mentioned addictions. We can’t put out addictions to alcohol or drugs and have him on the Olympic team. This kid is the guy they get to sell merch to other kids.”

“Yeah, but what if it’s sex?”

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The room was quiet while Percy bit his bottom lip as if trying not to laugh.

“You want to paint him as a sex addict.” The quiet comment from Wilder egged her on.

“I want to paint him as a horny teenage boy who the school is doing everything they can to get him on the podium in association with their school. I did some research last night. There’s a retreat in Colorado. About an hour outside Aspen. They cater to people with addictions of all kinds and it’s not going to be a hard sell to get them to take him. If he’s really addicted to sex, they can help him. If he’s not, then he’s cured either way when he leaves. It’s a win–win for the kid. He can come out, healthier, stronger, in a better mindset. It’s a small town at Christmas. We can stage a few photo ops. Have his parents stay at the B&B there because the rehab center prefers to have responsible adults close by in the event of issues and it’s clear across the country from where he lives. Make it a holiday miracle or something. There is a ski resort a twenty–minute drive, which won’t be as great as the one he’s supposed to be on for Olympic training, but it’ll have to do. The rehab center has a strict fitness, dietary and wellness program as well as mental health and addiction recovery. It’s a four–week program.”

“We’re going to paint a kid as a sex addict?” The CFO, DJ Price, questioned seriously. “It’s going to follow him for the rest of his

life.”

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vas programmed by the college who is bas oviding him girls they didn’t bother tower to d the life of a rock star when he was too s too e. It’s not his fault. He’s being groomed med

ith this?”

er made her shrug. “Do you really want want

t–year college when this guy on campusmpus e. He gave her that exact excuse whenwhen . I thought it hilarious that she believedieved ling with him. I was a younger than than ed college early and I wasn’t even naïvenaïve s. They stayed together all fourlyfeausydars of at least twice every semester,camelshod she ; addictions were such a struggleugglenkthink s day I still laugh at berastupiditypidity. It st night.“ight.”

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She was surprised th shrugged. “I hated liv ass off to graduate ay downplayed the facte she was extraordinar wasn’t great with soc her quick temperanc front of herandshe’d

“It’s not a shitayshiety

She foilghfoilghtthes neutraeutral counten

“The The only fly in

Wild Wilder’s comme

“The “The parents?”

Jacq Jacqueline nodo goinggoing to say.”

“Wh “What am I mis

words, and she preproned under their des tapial

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ear ahead?read?”

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very quietly goin

They won’t wan

holiday resort to

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She was surprised this was the question he was asking and shrugged. “I hated living with my foster family. I studied my ass off to graduate a year early in an accelerated program.” She downplayed the fact she was bloody brilliant. The truth was, she was extraordinarily smart and loved to solve problems. She wasn’t great with social situations for the most part because of her quick temper and disdain for stupidity but throw a puzzle in front of her and she’d work herself to the bone.

“It’s not a shitty idea.”

She fought the smile and tried to maintain a professional and neutral countenance.

“The only fly in the ointment is the parents.”

Wilder’s comment made her shoulder’s tense.

“The parents?” Percy questioned. “What about the parents?”

Jacqueline nodded slowly. “Yeah. I know exactly what you’re going to say.”

“What am I missing?” DJ asked curiously.

“Well, if you’d read the file, then you’d know the parents are very quietly going through a divorce. Nobody knows about it. They won’t want to spend time in a B&B together in a room in a holiday resort town in a show of solidarity for their so Wilder

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said as he rolled his shoulders out.

“I thought about simply throwing them under the bus and adding them to the problems he’s having. My suggestion,” she met Wilder’s eyes directly and enjoyed the way he didn’t look away from her, the respect apparent, “is to threaten them with it. Because let’s be real, this is a kid in crisis. Nothing, other than the sex addiction, is a lie. His family life is imploding. College is a bad version of Animal House and the powers–that–be enable the behaviors with no security and no oversight. Everyone is pandering to this kid and they’re failing him.”

“You keep calling him a kid but he’s not that much younger than

you.”

“Yeah. I’m twenty–five.” She looked DJ right in the face aware he had no right to question her age and ready to call his bullshit out. She tucked her hands on her lap in case they started to blue. “I’m twenty–five years old but I promise you, I’m not the kid whose parents are millionaires who gave him every damn advantage in life, with a personal chef, a driver, three different ski coaches from the time he could walk but forgot to teach him how to be a decent human being or an adult.”

“Ouch. Tell us how you really feel.”

Wilder’s comment made her shake her head.

look. I went to school with guys like him. Silver spoq 11:46

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Everything given to him. Not a single person in his life telling him that the word no means no. He’s not a horrible human being but he’s failing at being an adult because he’s never had to wipe his own arse. Going to this rehab center will get him on track, help with damage control, and remind all the people in his world, they fucked up. If they want this kid to make them the millions of dollars in lucrative endorsements we all want from him, then someone needs to step up and make him accountable.”

“You have a problem with rich people?” Wilder narrowed his gaze on her.

Original composition by Tatienne Richard exclusively for My Fiction. If you’re reading this elsewhere it has been stolen from the platform.

“Nope. I’d love to be a rich person. I can’t wait for someday to see my bank account showing seven digits. I have all kinds of plans and dreams of how I’m going to achieve my goals of being wealthy in my own right. What I won’t do, ever, is have a kid who thinks my money is his or hers. Accountability. Reliability. The word responsibility. The fact I’m going to get rich because of the number of people we represent who have never had those words spoken to them before speaks volumes. This guy has a personal assistant who reminds him what time his practices are, arranges his transport to those practices and keeps him on track. He can’t function on his own. What would happen if he broke a Legio

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“Holy shit! Don’t jinx the kid,” Percy gasped.

“I’m not. I’m just saying, if all of those things go away and with Mommy and Daddy splitting up, nobody is going to pick up this guy’s pieces.”

“You feel sorry for him?”

“Yes.” She didn’t deny it. “All the people in the world who should be in his corner, rooting for him and helping him and they’re all dragging him down.”

“You’re coming with me.” Wilder said suddenly.

“What?”

“You’re coming with me when we present this idea to the family and to him later today.”

“I am?” She shot a look at Percy, “um, doesn’t Percy usually go with you?”

“He does but it’s obvious you’re looking at it from an angle we don’t look at it. You’re also, at the risk of sounding like a sexist asshole, a woman. You can make it sound prettier than I can.”

“Bullshit.”

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The word made the room come to a screeching halt and her hands clenched tight on her lap.

“It’s not going to make it prettier. You want me to come with you because you think they’ll be too uncomfortable with the word sex floating around a younger woman to argue too much over

the situation.”

Wilder looked at Percy, “you’re right. She is brilliant.”

Percy chuckled “she’s too smart for our crew.”

“Are you done making fun of me?” she looked down at her hands and noted the tips of her fingers turning a sky color and bit her lip angrily. Why now?

“Hey, we’re not making fun of you,” Wilder said seriously as he perched on the edge of the table next to her. “I’m simply acknowledging you are correct. I do want you there to soften the blow and to make them uncomfortable. They need to repair this kid’s image and having a woman closer to his age, might make him listen more. Human nature is that when you’re dealing with a kid, they think the older people in the room are nagging and they don’t listen. His mother is also a first–class bitch and right now she has a hate on for any man who has money and is decent looking. I’m hot. She’s not going to want to listen to me. She will listen to you because you’re a woman.”

Except her husband was cheating on her with a won

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age. She is not going to listen to me. She’s going to automatically hate me.”

“He’ll like you,” Percy threw out. “The husband will be listening to your every word.”

“I am finding this highly insulting. You’re expecting me to use my gender to make a case.”

“Hey, if I thought for one minute I could sell this with my body,” Wilder waved at himself, “I’d be dabbing cologne, putting on my skinny pants and stuffing a sock in my drawers.”

“You are repulsive.” She glared at him from her seat.

He laughed lowly, “we can call HR in to discuss how I’m violating all the different policies of our enterprise but let’s be real. You’re chomping at the bit to have the opportunity to make this work. You want the win as much as I want the payday. Your first big account. Tell me you don’t want the chance to sweet talk a client into agreeing to be our client.” When she hesitated, he held his hand out to shake. “Come on Jacqueline. You know you

want it.”

“Fine,” she held her hand out and shook his.

Then the most curious thing to ever happen to her before caused her to blink in confusion. Her hand was engulfed in his and a golden rope of what she could only describe as energy circled 6

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their hands and a current of electricity jolted up her arm straight to her chest. His eyes were fixed on hers and she was in

awe.

She stared into his eyes and he stared back, a smile pulling the corner of his mouth. She looked around the room to see if anyone else was seeing what she was seeing, and everyone seemed frozen in time. Was she having a hallucination? Did the barista lace her coffee?

Jacqueline looked back to Wilder and yanked her hand out of his and sat on it. Turning to Percy she spoke loudly to break the weird moment, “I’ll go to gain the experience, but I want it noted that the rationale behind it is sexist and misogynistic.”

The room laughed, the moment faded, and she refused to look directly at the CEO for the duration of the meeting. The instant they started talking about the actor, she took her leave, declaring she needed to prepare for the meeting the following day, all the while the heated stare of Wilder following her out the door.

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