Chapter 2

~Thursday January 02, 2025~

The January air was cold and strong, forcing Steven to tighten his coat as he approached the office building in Lower Manhattan. Rushing inside to escape the chill, he greeted the receptionist before taking the elevator up to the ninth floor. The large Sphinx that served as the company logo was on full display on the glass doors, along with the company name. Using his badge, Steven accessed the offices of Sphinx Accounting and Bookkeeping Services.

There were only a couple people working this early and they greeted Steven as he made his way to his office. Once there, he removed his coat and took his computer out of his bag to set it up. His meeting with Megan was scheduled to start at 8:00AM, so he had another hour to prepare. Or so he thought.

“Good, you’re early,” a female voice said from the doorway.

Steven looked up, his reply dying in his throat as his eyes fell upon the most beautiful and terrifying woman he had ever seen. He wasn’t the type to read about celebrities, and the Bauers were notorious for their ability to stay out of the press. Of course, everyone knew about Megan’s wild summer back in 2018, and Steven had seen a couple pictures of the heiress over the years. They did not prepare him for the gorgeous, commanding presence standing in his doorway.

Megan Bauer was a towering figure, likely at least a few inches taller than Steven when not wearing heels. Her build was svelte and her posture exuded confidence and grace. She was wearing a professional business skirt and jacket with a stylish purse slung over her shoulder.

“Good morning, you must be Megan,” Steven said politely as he stood up and walked around his desk.

Steven truly was stunned by this woman. Long raven hair fell to her butt in a shiny, midnight wave. Her legs were long and lean, her stomach was flat, and her business jacket did little to hide that she was absolutely stacked. Megan had a model-perfect face with high cheekbones, clear skin, and symmetrical features. Despite all this, her intelligent blue-gray eyes were drawing Steven in more than anything else. Her eyes reminded him of ice; cold and ruthless.

“Hi, yes, I’m Megan,” she nodded, stepping forward to shake his hand. “Steven, right? Pleasure to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Steven replied, shaking her hand.

Steven noticed two guys standing just outside his office. They were both carrying several boxes, and the one closest to Megan had a long black coat draped over the top box. It looked like Megan was wasting no time moving in. Her office would be right next to his.

“Just leave those on my desk, thanks!” Megan called over her shoulder before releasing Steven’s hand and walking with him into his office.

“Getting an early start?” Steven asked.

“Yeah, we have a lot to get through. I’m really glad you’re here early,” Megan replied with a smile, revealing straight, pearly-white teeth. “Sorry if I’m ruining your morning.”

“No trouble at all, I’m eager to get started,” Steven said. “Is your office ready?”

“No, it isn’t,” she shook her head. “I have all my logins, but I’m still waiting on a computer.”

“We can use mine for now,” Steven offered. “Let me get you a chair.”

“Thank you,” Megan replied while Steven set up a spare chair next to his so they could both see his monitors. “So, I read that you started as a staff accountant?”

“That’s right,” he confirmed with a nod as he politely waited for Megan to sit down before sitting down himself. “Then I got promoted to senior accountant before moving over to financial analysis.”

“Sounds like they sent me to the right person,” she said happily. “I know my father had people go over things when doing due diligence, but he decided not to let me see any of it. So, I want to do a full review of all our finances.”

“Okay, let’s get started,” Steven responded, opening the first report.

They began with a very broad overview of the company’s financial statements. The balance sheet was perfect, the income statement showed high profitability, and the statement of cash flow covered all sources and uses of cash. Sphinx had a lot of money in the bank, a healthy amount of debt, and a positive outlook.

A few minutes after 8:00AM, Steven happened to look up just as Noah and Theo were approaching his open office door. The two guys froze when they saw Megan, their eyes wide. They immediately nodded to Steven before backing away slowly and disappearing. Fortunately, Megan was engrossed in a report and didn’t notice.

“Uh, excuse me, Miss Bauer?” a nervous guy called out as he knocked on the door. “We have your computer.”

“Oh, great! Thanks!” Megan grinned, getting to her feet before glancing at Steven. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Steven nodded as Megan headed for the door.

“Didn’t I tell you to call me ‘Megan?’” she asked the IT guy, the two of them disappearing.

Taking advantage of the break, Steven checked his email and his text messages. Leslie had sent him an email that was work related and Jane texted him that she had arrived at the office. A text from Camilla said she was making collections calls to try and get as many payments as possible. Sienna jokingly asked if she should stop paying the company’s bills to keep more money in the accounts.

“Hey, is she gone?” Theo asked, knocking on the door just as Steven was replying to the last message.

“That was a stupid question,” Noah grumbled. “We saw her leave!”

“I was trying to get his attention!” Theo hissed back.

“And ‘hey, Steven’ wasn’t an option?” Noah argued.

“Just get in here!” Steven called out, making both guys wince and look over their shoulder to make sure no one heard.

Theo and Noah entered the office before carefully shutting the door, wincing again when it made a noise. Steven finished his last email while the two of them approached his desk, looking nervous. He sent the email before looking up at his friends.

“So, when’s my last day?” Theo asked sadly.

“Today, right now. Just leave,” Steven rolled his eyes and pointed at the door.

“Seriously, what’s happening?” Noah wondered.

“Did you two wait outside for Megan to leave?” Steven asked instead of answering.

“No,” Noah shook his head while Theo answered, “Yes!”

“Nothing happened yet,” Steven sighed. “We’re only just starting to go over things. This is a massive company and we’ll likely be in all-day meetings for weeks.”

“Gross. That sucks,” Noah made a face. “Doesn’t she want to meet with anyone else?”

“She will,” Steven nodded. “But, I’m her main contact.”

“Hey, this could work out for you,” Theo spoke up.

“How so?” Steven asked.

“Dude, did you see how fucking hot she is?” Theo raised his eyebrows. “And she’s rich. You could date an heiress!”

“She’s taller than him!” Noah countered. “Even short girls want a guy who’s at least six feet tall. Steven, you’re what? Five foot three?”

“I’m five feet seven inches,” Steven rolled his eyes. “And she’s as tall as Theo.”

“Right, that’s why I’m the only one with a shot with her,” Noah declared proudly.

“She’s a gorgeous billionaire, man,” Theo pointed out. “It isn’t enough to be tall and in good shape. You gotta be rich and famous, too.”

“She did date that quarterback for a few months,” Noah acknowledged. “I need to hit the bar and find a girl that looks like her so I can fantasize.”

“Smart,” Theo nodded.

“Is she coming back?” Steven asked, pretending to hear something and looking over at the door.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Theo gasped as the two bookkeepers ran for the door.

It was actually over half an hour before Megan returned. Steven got back to work as he thought that Theo and Noah should have chosen to work from home. He looked up when she finally reappeared and took a seat beside him again. Their meeting resumed.

Steven was biased and wanted to find Megan incompetent, but he was forced to admit to himself that she was clearly highly intelligent. Her questions and observations were intelligent, and she didn’t act condescending in the slightest. In fact, she seemed to genuinely enjoy their meeting and was being very friendly.

“Oh, is this your daughter? She’s cute!” Megan gushed, reaching out to lift the framed photograph off the desk.

“No, that’s my sister,” Steven answered while Megan looked at the school picture of a seven-year-old girl. “Julianne.”

“Wow, that’s quite the age difference!” she commented.

“That picture isn’t current,” he explained softly. “That was the last one taken of her before she died.”

“Shit! I’m so, so sorry,” Megan stammered, biting her lower lip as she put the picture back down. “Great way to build a rapport, I’m an idiot,”

“No, you’re not. You couldn’t have known,” Steven smiled softly.

“Can I ask what happened?” she inquired carefully.

“Brain aneurysm,” he explained, leaning back in his chair. “I was in the fourth grade, she was in second. She complained of a headache in class and our mother left work to pick her up. Julie laid down in bed to take a nap and never woke up.”

“That’s horrible!” Megan gasped.

“A week later our school pictures came in,” Steven continued, gesturing toward his desk. “That was one of them.”

“You were in the fourth grade?” her eyes were wide in shock. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on you.”

“It wasn’t easy for my parents, either,” he sighed. “Teachers, parents, everyone came to the wake. They sent letters home with parents about how to explain death to their children. And I think we got enough casseroles that there are still some in my parents’ freezer.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Megan admitted, unable to meet his gaze. “Uh, I’m all about an equal exchange; anything you wanna know about me?”

“How’s your father?” Steven asked with a shrug.

“Fine,” Megan answered with a laugh. “I’m just another part of his empire to him; if we aren’t talking about business we aren’t talking.”

“Ouch,” Steven winced. “My turn to make things awkward, I guess?”

“Nah,” Megan laughed. “It’s fine, I’m used to it. I haven’t lived with him since I left for Europe after high school.”

“I always wanted to go to Europe,” Steven replied.

“You should!” she insisted. “It’s amazing. You can tour other countries as easy as going from state to state in the US. My friends and I went to every wild party we could and some of my best and most crazy memories are from that time.”

“I’m not much of a party guy anymore, not at my age,” Steven laughed.

“You’re how old? Twenty-seven? Twenty-eight?” Megan asked, examining his face carefully.

“Just turned twenty-nine yesterday, actually,” he answered.

“Well, happy belated birthday!” she smiled charmingly. “I’ll have to get you a present.”

“Random guy you just met today?” Steven raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you owe me a present.”

“You’re gonna be stuck with me for awhile, unfortunately,” Megan giggled. “Maybe next year?”

“Yeah, maybe,” he laughed lightly.

They continued working until lunch when Megan took her leave to eat lunch in her office and call her father. Noah and Theo ate in the break room while Leslie, Sienna, and Camilla went to a nearby cafe. Steven had brought a sandwich for lunch and unwrapped it at his desk. He was about to take the first bite when there was a knock on the door.

“Want some company?” Jane asked, standing in the doorway holding her lunchbox. “Unless you wanna be alone, of course.”

“I’d love some company,” Steven smiled, gesturing with his hand. “Please, come in.”

“How’s it going with Megan?” she wondered while they ate lunch together.

“Are you asking as a friend or as a coworker?” he inquired with a smirk.

“Both,” Jane shrugged.

“It’s alright,” Steven answered. “We’re just at the overview stage, so the hammer hasn’t dropped yet.”

“Hopefully it doesn’t,” she replied.

“It’s just a matter of time,” he sighed. “How are things in HR?”

“Fine,” Jane responded after swallowing a bite of her sandwich. “No one is doing interviews because of the hiring freeze, so we can all focus on the acquisition. Everyone came into the office today instead of working from home. It’s crowded. Oh, and a few people gave their notice.”

“Who’s quitting?” Steven looked at her curiously.

“You know I can’t answer that,” Jane giggled, shaking her head.

“Did anyone tease you about staying to have lunch with me?” he asked, switching subjects.

“Camilla, a little,” she blushed slightly. “But, she can go fuck herself. I can eat lunch with my friend without it being weird.”

“Good,” Steven nodded.

Jane and Steven continued eating while talking and laughing. Steven lost his bag of cheese crackers when Jane snatched them from him. He got some potato chips in exchange, along with a flirty smile. Lunch was almost over and Jane started bringing up Megan more and more.

“Do you think she’s pretty?” Jane asked, trying to seem uninterested.

The question surprised Steven. Jane had never seemed the slightest bit jealous before. Of course, he hadn’t spent any time around a beautiful woman who wasn’t Jane or a part of The Gang of Eight. The thought that she might be feeling slightly possessive of him made Steven happy.

“She’s definitely attractive, but she’s not my type,” Steven answered.

“Tall, hot, with big boobs isn’t your type?” Jane gave him a look.

“Self-centered and spoiled isn’t my type,” he explained.

“Is she really like that or is that how you expect her to be?” she challenged.

“The second one,” Steven grumbled. “Either way, I’m not attracted to her. And she certainly wouldn’t go for me anyway.”

“What is your type?” Jane questioned, looking at him curiously.

“Cute, sweet, smart, sassy, bit of a pain in the ass,” Steven smirked, his eyes locked with Jane’s. “You know, like you.”

“Can I come over tonight?” she asked suddenly.

“Of course you can,” he smiled.

“Good,” Jane nodded. “I have an empty space deep inside of me that only you can fill.”

~Friday January 10, 2025~

“She still hasn’t told you her plans?” Noah asked in exasperation.

“Nope.” Steven shook his head. “I have no idea what she’s thinking.”

“Fuck!” Theo groaned, tossing his head back. “We are so screwed!”

“D-do you really think it’s that bad?” Sienna wondered, looking anxious.

The Gang of Eight were all sitting around two tables that had been pushed together. They were in a nearby bar, having drinks after the first full week of work in 2025. Rumors of layoffs and pay cuts were getting worse by the day and everyone was feeling the pressure.

“Stop scaring the young one,” Leslie admonished before turning to the redhead. “Layoffs happen all the time in companies. Even if that happens, you’ll find another job. You still live at home, you’ll be fine, okay?”

“O-okay,” Sienna nodded, swallowing weakly.

“What are you two actually doing in those meetings?” Jane inquired, looking at Steven in confusion.

“Fucking?” Camilla suggested.

“We’re not sleeping together,” Steven rolled his eyes. “Megan’s being really thorough. We went through everything. Literally everything. Hundreds of spreadsheets and reports, all the bank accounts, every expense.”

“Looking for places to cut costs?” Conner suggested, holding his wife’s hand while raising his beer to his lips.

“It’s possible,” Leslie admitted.

“Stupid fucking nepo hire,” Camilla growled, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder while holding her small glass of tequila. “Thinks she can just flounce in here with her perfect hair and her amazing tits, looking like she just walked out of a magazine! Just because she can have anyone she wants by batting her eyes doesn’t mean she can have any job she wants by flashing those ice cold eyes! Fuck! I hate those perfect lashes of hers. They curl and they’re dark without any makeup!”

“Jeez,” Sienna grunted when the fiery Latina finished her rant. “Jealous much?”

“Of her? No fucking way!” Camilla hissed angrily.

“Every guy at the office does wanna get in her pants,” Theo points out.

“People are even coming in instead of working from home so they can check her out,” Noah adds.

“Why the fuck would that make me jealous?” Camilla glared at the guys.

“You do like getting attention,” Jane replied with an innocent smile.

“I do not!” Camilla gasped.

“Whatever you say, Miss Cleavage,” Leslie teased, gesturing toward Camilla’s low-cut top that was barely appropriate for the office they just left.

“Fuck off,” Camilla blushed slightly, looking down at her drink.

“Lean forward a little more, I can almost see your bra,” Sienna giggled, craning her neck.

“Stop!” the Latina whined, crossing her arms over her chest to protect her modesty.

“No, no! Please, lean forward,” Theo grinned happily.

“Are you a virgin?” Sienna asked out of nowhere, looking at Theo.

“No! I’m not!” Theo insisted quickly.

“Paying for it doesn’t count,” Jane grunted.

“That totally counts,” Noah interjected.

“I didn’t pay for anything!” Theo shook his head quickly. “I just use humor as a defense mechanism.”

“What are you defending yourself against while leering at our friend’s titties?” Leslie inquired with a raised brow.

“Sienna looked first!” Theo reasoned.

“I have a pair!” the redhead countered.

“Uh, I, ah, um...” Theo stammered, looking at the other guys one by one. “Help?”

“There’s nothing we can do for you,” Conner shook his head.

“Yeah, you’re fucked, buddy,” Noah laughed.

“Sorry,” Steven sighed in mock-sympathy.

“You guys suck,” Theo grumbled.

“Or they’re trying to help,” Jane spoke up. “Theo, maybe leering at girls doesn’t make them wanna jump into bed with you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Theo admitted.

The usually-outspoken guy was more subdued as the conversation continued over drinks. Everyone knew Theo wasn’t a bad guy, but he had a tendency to make crude jokes and speak without thinking. The girls all liked him well enough, but they understood why he had so much trouble with women. He needed to learn not to rely on humor so much.

Conner was the only one who didn’t see how things were at the office, so he was asking a lot of questions. Leslie was smiling at her husband, casually touching him and sitting as close as possible to him. It was obvious to everyone that they were both in a mood and would likely be heading out soon for some alone time.

“I’ve seen pictures of Megan, and yeah, she’s attractive,” Conner commented at one point. “I’m just shocked people are coming to the office just to see her.”

“She’s, ah, much more attractive in person somehow,” Noah smirked. “She just has a presence, it’s hard to explain.”

“It’s called being horny,” Camilla rolled her eyes. “And it’s caused by you guys, not her.”

“Jealous,” Sienna said in a sing-song voice, earning her a swat on the arm from the Latina.

“Her face, her body; Megan really is gorgeous,” Theo spoke up.

“A body you’ve never seen,” Jane snorted. “And never will.”

“I saw it last night,” Theo announced.

The four women all spoke up at once, insisting that he was full of shit. Theo just kept smiling happily with a dopey look on his face. Noah seemed to understand, while Steven and Conner were as confused as the ladies.

“Bullshit,” Steven finally said when the girls quieted down.

“Seeing her in your head while jacking off doesn’t count,” Jane added.

“Never heard of the internet, Silver?” Theo laughed. “It is for porn, after all.”

“Wait. What?” Camilla frowned.

“You didn’t know?” Noah asked, seeming surprised.

“Know what?” Jane demanded.

“Megan Bauer had a very wild summer in Europe after graduating high school,” Theo explained. “There are a handful of leaked nudes and a sex tape out there.”

“You masturbate to naked photos of our boss?” Leslie looked disgusted.

“No, not at all,” Theo replied with a smirk. “I masturbate to a naked video of our boss.”

“Gross!” Sienna exclaimed.

“Pervert,” Jane added.

“Ew. Just, ew,” Camilla shook her head.

“I had no idea,” Conner said, shocked.

“Megan mentioned a wild summer in Europe, but nothing like that,” Steven interjected. “I didn’t notice anything on the internet when I looked her up.”

“Her rich daddy probably buried it as well as he could,” Camilla suggested.

“But once it’s on the internet, it’s there forever,” Jane winced in sympathy.

“You shouldn’t watch that,” Steven said. “If it’s online without her permission, watching it is a huge invasion of her privacy.”

“Why do you care about some spoiled rich girl you hate?” Sienna frowned.

“No woman deserves that,” Steven explained. “And I don’t hate her.”

“Wait, do you like her?” Camilla wondered. “Like, wanna date her, like her?”

“Of course not!” Steven rolled his eyes. “She’s just not as bad as I thought.”

“Holy shit, he does like her!” Conner gasped.

“I’m not invading her privacy!” Theo finally spoke up. “Everyone agrees she let that stuff get leaked on purpose to piss off her father. She was a rebellious teenager.”

It was the truth. There was a sex tape of Megan Bauer on the internet from when she was eighteen years old. Leaked nudes could be career-ending, but Megan Bauer was powerful and well-connected. In addition, her personality commanded respect.

“Well, she probably regrets it now!” Jane exclaimed. “And we’re not talking about that anymore, we’re talking about Steven wanting to fuck Megan Bauer!”

“I don’t want to sleep with Megan!” Steven insisted.

“Someone’s protesting too much,” Noah smirked. “Hey, I don’t blame you, man. I’d hit that.”

“You’re a pig, too,” Sienna rolled her eyes.

Camilla, Leslie, and Sienna all watched Jane while Steven was teased about Megan. They were looking for any signs of jealousy. Jane seemed unsure about how she felt and started overcompensating by teasing Steven more than anyone else.

“You gonna be on your knees with your head between her legs while she signs off on our layoffs?” Jane suggested with a smirk.

“Absolutely not,” Steven grunted. “And big talk from the woman from HR; you know, the one who would probably be delivering the news to those poor people.”

“I’m in HR, it’s my job to help employees!” Jane countered.

“Please, HR exists to minimize lawsuits,” Steven teased.

“And to make sure the company can win any that do happen,” Leslie giggled.

“Not you, too!” Jane growled. “I got into this career to help people!”

“Help them pack up their desks?” Camilla wondered.

“Bitch,” Jane grunted.

The group talked and drank for a little while longer before deciding to go their separate ways. Steven went back to his apartment while Jane and Camilla got on the subway to head to their place. Sienna was going to her parents’ house while Noah and Theo decided to have another drink. The girls wished the guys good luck in their pussy hunt before leaving.