Silver & Black
Authors: Tyler May
Silver & Black
Tyler May
This Book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
©Text Copyright 2014 Tyler May
Cover By Rue Volley
All rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Special Dedication
In loving memory of my twin sister, Deborah
January 31, 1978 - July 6, 2011
Read her blood clot story and
Find out more about blood clots and Factor V Leiden at:
Awareness saves lives.
Sights for awareness
Suicide prevention:
1 (800) 273-8255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Languages: English, Spanish
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
National Blood Clot Alliance
Organ donation
Find out more about how to become a donor at:
To Michael
A special you thank for always being supportive of my journey and my story. Your friendship means so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to help me brain storm for better ideas and catching most of my mistakes. I couldn’t do it without you. It’s an honor to have you by my side. Much love.
To Julie
Your diligence and professionalism is beyond measure. Thank you so much for working so hard to proofread, and helping me succeed. You’re an amazing lady. A million thanks.
Tyler May acknowledge the use of these copy right items named in the novel, Silver & Black. The author does not own the rights to these products, songs, or brands that were mentioned in the story. The author would like to give credit to the following:
Mercedes-Benz S63 © Mercedes Benz, Germany: Daimler Corp.
McDonald’s © The McDonalds Corporation.
iPad © Apple Incorporated.
Moves Likes Jagger© Maroon 5 released 2011
Don Juan ©
Pretty Woman© Hollywood Studios 1990 Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
Wikipedia © Wikipedia Foundation: Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger 2001.
Neon Trees© Mercury Records
Armani© Giorgio Armani
Ralph Lauren© Ralph Lauren Corp.
Google©
Gucci© Gucci Group 1921
Ed Sheeran© Thinking Out Loud
Converse© Converse Shoe Company
Camaro© Chevrolet, General Motors Corp.
MKTO’s© Classic
Bon Jovi© Wanted Dead or Alive:
Smart Board© Smart Technologies
Bravo Network© Bravo Network, LLC.
CSI©
Crime Scene Investigatio
n
CBS October 6, 2000.
Pinocchio© Disney Company
Lincoln Town Car© Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company
Scooby-Doo© Hanna Barbera Productions
~Chapter One~
I get out of the hot shower. I was hoping it’d help with this massive headache―no such luck. I guess I’m going into work with a hangover.
Again
. Wiping the fog away from the bathroom mirror, I stare at my reflection.
Ugh
,
I look like shit.
My eyes are bloodshot which means I’m not wearing my contacts today. My thick-framed glasses will have to do. It’s kind of a chic-geek look. I run my fingers through my wet hair as I blow dry and fix it the best I can. Thankfully, the messy look is in. That’s about as lively as I’m going to get today. I have no idea why I let that guy buy me so many drinks. This day is going to drag. I pull on my favorite jeans and then my
Silver Coffee
T-shirt. I’m ready to start my day. Today is one of those days that I am grateful to work at a coffeehouse because I sure could use a tall cup right now.
Silver Coffee
is the largest coffee chain in New York and just about everywhere else. I work at a small franchise in Brooklyn. I’ve worked there for a little over two years. I met Jeff, my boss, when I was standing in line to register for classes over at the university. He was there recruiting new employees. College students were perfect for what he was looking for because they never stuck around long, and he liked having young eye candy in his store. Those were his exact words. I’ve tried to leave, but Jeff keeps enticing me with “extras.”
I love when he gives me extras
. I know it’s wrong to sleep with my boss, but we’re adults. It’s never come between us or affected work. It’s what we do and it’s consensual, so it’s not like he’s pushing himself onto me. It’s only sex. Good sex. And to me it’s one of the perks of the job. Jeff is fucking hot and he’s good to his employees. Overall,
Silver Coffee
isn’t a bad place to work. It’s a stepping stone in my life, a stepping stone to my future.
I glance down at my phone just as I reach the storefront. Hey, I’m twenty-five minutes early. Not bad for being out until 3:00 a.m.
Fuck, there are already people in line.
New Yorkers love their coffee
.
That’s why there’s some kind of coffeehouse on every corner. I walk into the small corner shop. Jeff’s already there. He likes to open with me. “Greyson Black, you look like hell.” Jeff is always so outspoken. He’s preparing the coffee pots and filling the canisters of creams. “Out late again?”
“Yeah, I went to that new club downtown, the one that just opened. What was it called? Um,
The Silver Lining.
”
“I’ve heard that place was fabulous. It got a good review in the
Times.
” He circles around me and stops in my face. “You look fucking hot in your glasses.” He smiles.
He could get me off just with that smile alone.
Jeff is eight years older than me. He has only dated women until he met me. We have a very complicated relationship, if you even want to call it that. He was curious and I was happy to help. He says the ‘Bi’ thing isn’t his ‘thing’, but for me he makes the exception. I’ve never seen him hit on any other men. He reserves his man-flirting―
and fucking―
for me. To be fair, he’s told me this will never go anywhere. I can end it anytime I find someone else, but for now I can handle being his mystery lover. Truthfully, I wish it were more, but I play along because being with him is being
with him
, right? And it’s better than being alone. If we see, or do, other people, we’re open about it. That was the only rule when we agreed to this, but for me it’s only been him. “Did you hear me? I said you look
hot
in your glasses.”
He wants me to kiss him; that smile on his face is an obvious clue.
“Thank you.” I pull his shirt roughly and lay a good morning kiss on his impatient lips. “I need some coffee.”
“Well, I have no idea where you are going to find that here.”
Smartass!
He grins while he pours me a tall cup of our premium roast.
He knows me so well.
“Don’t you ever learn not to stay out so late on a work night? Oh to be young.” He hands me the cup and steals another kiss in the process.
“I usually don’t drink that much, but this gorgeous guy was buying me drinks all night,” I say on purpose to try to make him jealous.
“Did you go home with him?” There is a small glimpse of jealousy in his eyes.
Success!
“No, I went to look for him, but he was gone.”
“I’m not too disappointed.” He smirks. “His loss. My gain. What are you doing tonight?”
“You.” It’s what he wanted to hear, and what I wanted to
do.
“Good, I’ll come over to your place. I’ll bring a pizza and a six-pack.” He kisses my lips once more and then makes his way toward the back room.
“Hey, I‘m going to have a quick cigarette,” I say, catching his attention before he goes into his office.
“That’s fine, babe. Just smoke in the back alley away from the customers.” He gives me a wink before closing the door.
It’s a nasty habit, but I’ve smoked for years. I plan to give it up soon, but for now nothing is better than a smoke and a cup of black coffee in the morning.
Well, there’s one other thing.
Propping myself up against the wall of the alley, I take in the beautiful New York view―even the smell of the dumpsters isn’t going to get to me today. I can hear the rustle of impatient patrons waiting for their morning cup of joe in the front of the shop.
We still have ten minutes, people.
As I rest against the concrete wall, I notice some idiot driving his black Mercedes-Benz S63 down the alley.
So, he’s a rich idiot.
The car stops right next to me and parks. A tall, dark-haired man, who looks to be in his late twenties, gets out of the passenger side door.
The rich idiot has a driver, go figure.
He’s dressed in some designer clothes: dark dress pants, a light grey dress shirt unbuttoned at the top, and a pair of silver-framed designer sunglasses to add to the look.
Regular fashionista, this guy.
“Uh, sir, you might want to tell your driver he can’t park there. The cops around here are assholes. They will ticket you.” He doesn’t listen, or he ignores me, and strolls closer. He pulls the sunglasses off his eyes and smiles.
Holy shit, it’s the man from last night that was buying me drinks. How does he know where I work?
“Small world,” I say flirtatiously.
“Is it?” He is looking me straight in the eyes. He has some crystal-blue eyes. “The world’s not that small for everything to be a coincidence.” I can’t tell if he’s serious or not.
“Is that your way of telling me you tracked me down? How is that even possible when you didn’t even know my name?” I puff lightly on my cigarette.
“I’ll take your stance. This was purely coincidental.” His face says otherwise.
“I went to thank you for the drinks, but you had already left. What kind of guy buys drinks for someone all night and doesn’t stick around to reap the benefits of those drinks?”
“Benefits?” he says as his lips curl up on one side. The hint of a smile is obvious through the dark stubble on his face. “It’s a shame I missed that, but some people do have to work early. I sent them all night and you waited. I don’t wait.”
“I have to work. See,” I say pointing to my name badge. I was trying to be cute. “Maybe you should be more patient, but my roommate is very thankful for your impatience,” I lie.
“How so?”
I kind of like this game.
“Someone had to take claim to my drunk, horny ass.” He frowns at my words.
Ok, maybe this wasn’t a game.
“I’d say your roommate owes me then or maybe you owe me.” He studies my expressions as I nervously puff my cigarette. “You know, you shouldn’t smoke. It’s bad for you.” He pulls the cigarette from my mouth, throws it on the ground, and grinds it with his shoe.
“You know,” I mimic his words. “I’m a big boy. I think I can handle deciding what is good and bad for me.” I keep my eyes on his. He lets out a deep breath and puts his sunglasses on his head to feather back his thick, dark hair. “Did you come here for coffee, sir, or was there another reason? I can go get you a cup. On the house since you say I owe you.”
“Do you think coffee will make up for it?” He seems serious. This guy is intense. “I don’t drink coffee. You look like you have a line of people that do, though.” He glances at the growing line of New Yorkers.
“Yeah, I should get in and help my boss open.”
“Is Jeff here?”
How does he know Jeff?
“Yeah, he’s right inside. Are you a friend?”
“Something like that.” He’s short with his answer. This guy is very mysterious.
I’m intrigued!
Just as we were about to walk in, Jeff comes to the back door. He doesn’t notice his “friend” right away.
“It’s opening time, baby.” He leans to kiss me, but stops when he sees him. “Oh! Mr. Silver, what are you doing here?” Jeff fumbles his words. “I mean, how are you?” Jeff looks at me and whispers, “Why didn’t you tell me he was here?”
Because I have no fucking clue who “he” is.
“Do you address all your baristas by
baby
or is Mr. Black just special?”
How does he know my name?
He must be someone important because Jeff is scared stiff right now. “Mr. Harris? I’m asking you a question?”
“Uh, no I usually don’t. Grey, um, Mr. Black and I are….”
Spit it out Jeff. Fucking, tell the smug bastard, we’re fucking.
“We’re good friends. We like to joke around, sir. That’s all it is.”
Coward!
“Really?” I smirk. “Why are you so worried about what he thinks?”
“Because I sign his paychecks, Mr. Black, and yours,” he says and holds his hand out firmly for me to shake. “Brian Silver. It’s a pleasure to
officially
meet you.” I place my hand in his. His tight grip is countered by the soft rub of his thumb over the top of my hand. A shiver goes through me. I don’t know if it is intimidation or pleasure, but I kind of like it.
Brian Silver is CEO and founder of
Silver Inc
.
Silver Inc.
has many businesses, none more famous than the one we are standing in:
Silver Coffee.
Mr. Silver looks at the designer watch on his wrist.
“Shall we go inside? It looks like there are impatient people waiting for their coffee, and it is five after now.”
Shit.
Silver doesn’t like being kept waiting and I’m sure he doesn’t like his businesses to be run that way either.
Jeff goes immediately to open the door and let the rush of people in. I wash my hands and take my place behind the register. One by one, they order and I serve them as quickly as I can. Silver takes a seat at the table in the corner and watches every move I make. I would have never thought the guy from the club was the CEO of Silver Coffee.
This is crazy.
He makes no effort to hide the fact that he is staring. I catch his gaze a few times to see him nod and grin warmly.
I don’t need your nod, sir. I’m good at my job. It’s serving coffee not rocket-science.
He is intimidating for sure and even Jeff is feeling it, although Silver never watches him. Jeff barks orders and screeches at me. He’s trying to make a point and a good impression on his boss. I think Silver gets the point. Finally after about an hour of stares from Silver, Jeff acting like a drill sergeant, and grumbles of anger from New York customers, the place dies down just as two more employees show up. Jeff schedules them later on purpose. He likes it to be just me and him in case he wants a quickie in the morning. Silver makes his way to the counter. He leans his hip against it and looks to Jeff.
“Why do you schedule the way you do? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to have them start at the beginning of the day?”
“I usually do, but they had school stuff this morning.”
Good cover-up, Jeff.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“He doesn’t drink coffee,” I answer nonchalantly. Silver smiles at me. He actually has a nice smile―if he’d use it more.
“Of course he drinks coffee, Grey. He owns the leading coffeehouse line.”
“He’s right. I don’t. I’ll take a cup of tea, though.” He turns his eyes back to me. Jeff watches him stare. “Well, tea?” He glares back to Jeff quickly.
“Grey, get him some tea,” Jeff orders.
“I asked you for tea. Mr. Black will stay with me.”
“Ok,” Jeff says, confused. “I actually just got a fresh supply of the new special blend green tea. I guess I’ll get it from the back.” Jeff huffs and walks to the back room. Silver looks around to observe the coffeehouse full of people. There is no one else in line at the moment. I relax by the cash register trying to ignore his piercing sapphire eyes.
“What kind of guy owns a coffeehouse empire and doesn’t like coffee?” I break the silence. For some reason this was something I needed to know.
“The same kind of guy
that owns a nightclub and doesn’t dance, Mr. Black.”
The Silver Lining, of course he owns that too.