The Decent Proposal (Trust In Me)

The Decent
Proposal

Trust In Me
, Part 1

LB Shaw

Copyright
© 2013

All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval
system without prior written consent of the author.

This
is a work of fiction. All names, places, characters, and incidents are either
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or
locales is entirely coincidental. All sexually active characters in this story
are over 18 years of age.

This
book is for sale to ADULTS ONLY. It contains sexually explicit scenes and
graphic language that might be considered offensive to some readers. Please
keep this book stored where it cannot be accessed by minors.

Cover
design 2013 by Jasmin (jw12792 on Fiverr.com)

View
additional works on my blog:

www.lbshaw.blogspot.com

Prologue

Her cheek pressed into
the ground, searing, as the sun continued to scorch her bare skin. She could
feel the sand pressing into her face, feeling like hundreds of tiny pinpricks.
At this point, she wasn’t sure how long she had been trapped, but it was long
enough that if someone didn’t find her soon, she would probably die. The pearls
that Rob had given her—clutched between her fingers—felt sticky,
and she couldn’t remember how they ended up in her hand.

Ana was amazed at her
stupidity. Her own pride had landed her here, in the middle of where-the-hell
Arizona. And the ironic thing was, after everything she had gained in the last
few days, it was all for nothing.

If only she had left a
message with that lady who had answered the phone, then at least Rob would know
she was here. But she panicked and hung up. Hell, if she had just told him how
she felt before he left town, she wouldn’t even be here. Well, she might be
here, but she wouldn’t be stranded like this. She would be with him—they
would be together.

She rolled her head
over, squinting in the bright sun, trying to figure out what time it was. But
she was too weak to keep her eyes open, much less form a rational thought that
required figuring out the location of the sun in relation to the horizon. It
was late-fucking-o’clock, that’s all she knew. As her head rolled back over,
she lost consciousness once again.

One

Ana walked into her studio apartment and tossed
her bags on the table, knocking over a stack of unpaid bills and spilling
paintbrushes everywhere. Tripping over a pair of shoes she had left in the
middle of the floor, she swore under her breath. She was exhausted from yet
another long day of school and work, and she wondered if she would survive
another three years like this.

“Christ, something’s gotta give here,” she
muttered, sadly aware there was no one around to hear her complaining.

Her stomach growled as she opened the fridge and
took out a grease-stained pizza box and a bottle of Riesling. After setting
them on the counter, she rummaged the drawers for a corkscrew. The first glass of
wine was gone before the microwave beeped, and she quickly poured another.
What the hell? I don’t have class ‘til noon
tomorrow.

She pushed some unfinished paintings aside to clear
a spot on the table and flipped through a magazine as she ate. While idly
cramming food into her mouth, her cell phone rang. She really wasn’t in the
mood to talk, but when she saw it was her best friend, Beth, she answered right
away.

Ana put the phone to her ear and attempted to
answer with, “What do you want, slut?” But with a mouthful of pizza, her words came
out as, ‘whuffyoowanslud?’

Beth burst out with laughter. “Slud?” she
repeated, knowing exactly what Ana had tried to say as ‘slut’ had been their
pet name since high school. “Don’t call me a slud
when, clearly, you’re the one who sounds like you have a cock in
your mouth.”

“It’s pizza. If I had a cock in my mouth, the
last thing I would be doing is talking to you. Besides, we both know who’s had
cock in their mouth most recently,” Ana joked. “So who’s the slut now?”

“Whatever. I’m calling with some very important
information.” Ana laughed at Beth’s serious tone. Her important information was
never much more than what their weekend plans were.

“I’m listening.”

“You know that banquet Signify is having for
their employees this weekend? One of their big managers doesn’t have a date for
the dinner, and of course Rich mentioned you and was wondering if you wanted to
go. What do you think? Oh, and I should probably tell you, he’s
loaded
.”

Rich was Beth’s boyfriend of several years, and
she continuously pressured him to keep his eyes open for available bachelors
they could set Ana up with.

“What’s wrong with him?” Ana asked. “Or better
yet, what’s in it for me? I want cash monies delivered to my bank account by
midnight Saturday, or I’m turning Rich’s pecker into a pumpkin.”

Beth let out a snort. “So does that mean you’ll
do it?”

Ana loudly flipped a magazine page. “You’ll be
shocked to know my social calendar is empty. You’d think between my forty hours
at work and ten hours in class I’d meet all kinds of guys. Have I mentioned I
haven’t gotten laid in six months? It’s turning into the Mojave Desert down
there, Beth. Very hot with low humidity.”

“We’re going to fix that for you real soon, hun,
maybe this weekend. You never know! Do you want to meet for lunch tomorrow so I
can give you the details?”

“Sure. One-thirty at The Grind?”

“I’ll be there.”

Ana hung up and tossed her crust into the overflowing
trash, sending the uneaten pizza and some empty soda cans falling to the floor.
Pretending not to notice, she spun around and walked to the bathroom. Already
feeling a bit lascivious at the thought of going on a date, she drew a bath,
watching the bubbles foam beneath the faucet as she undressed. She lit a few
candles and grabbed her glass of wine from the countertop before slipping into
the warm, wet suds. The candlelight cast a soft glow on her breasts as they
swelled above the water’s edge.

She took a sip of wine and fantasized about her
mystery date. Maybe she could at least find out what he looked
like. She hoped he wasn’t a total dog.
What kind of bigwig manager at a major corporation like Signify can’t get a
date to his own company dinner? Ana had a hunch she shouldn’t jump the gun on
this one. Maybe he wasn’t a reject, just really busy like her. Or maybe his
date cancelled at the last minute.
Great,
I’m second choice…

She allowed herself to indulge in some lustful
thoughts, and her hand made its way down to the part of herself that—had
she not been submerged in water—would have still been wet with desire.
Not the Mojave now, is it?

She imagined him between her legs and placed a
finger where his tongue would be, teasing herself lightly back and forth until
she came. She rested her head on the slope of the tub as the last of her
tremors faded. It rarely took more than a minute to get herself off, even when
she tried to delay gratification. But it was late, and tonight was not the
night to delay anything. She got out of the tub to towel off, thinking of the
bed awaiting her in the next room like an unopened gift.

Two

Rush hour traffic in downtown Los Angeles was
always a beast to contend with. But at that moment, Rob Goings was only
listening to the buzzing of cars filter through the office window as he sat at
his desk, spinning the diamond between his fingers. The brilliant, 1.5-carat
estate ring had been in his family for years, but only several months ago had
he placed it in his office safe. If he left right now, he could go ahead and return
it to the safety deposit at the bank. It wasn’t like he was going to need it,
not anytime soon anyway. He slipped the gold band into the felt slit inside the
box, stood up, and tucked it neatly into his coat pocket. He was unusually
restless and ready to go home, even though there was no one to go home to.

Normally, Rob was happy to put in fifty to sixty
hours of work each week. He loved his job as head of accounts at Signify
Corporation. But this had been a difficult week with anniversaries and memories
he was ready to put to rest. As he rummaged through the drawer to find his
keys, his desk phone gave a quick double ring, signaling an internal call from
his boss.

Stephanie…
What the hell does she want at this hour?

“Yeah?” he answered.

“Hi. Could you stop by before you leave?”

“Sure, I’ll be right there,” he grumbled,
tossing the keys back into his desk.

When he walked into her office, he could hear
the sound of metal clinking around in her mug.
That coffee will turn to wine as soon as I leave
, he thought. After
setting down the spoon, she pressed the front of her suit with her free hand
and motioned to Rob.

“Have a seat. I’ll try and make this brief.
Coffee?” she asked.

“No thanks.” He had an idea of what she was
going to say, and really, he just wanted her to get to the point. There had
been a lot of talk among some of the other managers about a possible buyout. If
it was a real threat and Stephanie knew about it, she needed to speak up.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the rumors that have
been circulating here lately,” she began. “This afternoon, Ridley Global
attempted a merger with us, and we rejected their bid. I’ve been keeping a
close eye on the numbers and talking with Carl. Things are starting to look
real here. We’re in trouble, and I’m afraid we’re going to have to take massive
action in order to prevent a hostile takeover. I have a task for you, sort of
off the grid if you get what I’m saying.”
           
Rob’s
chest tightened at her words. Ridley Global had a reputation for acquiring
large, financially struggling companies and replacing the entire staff with
their own. They were ruthless, yet prosperous. If they were successful in
taking over Signify, he had no doubt he would be out of a job.

“Sure, just let me know what you need me to do.
I can get someone to take over the Spaulding account. That’s been taking up
most of my time these days,” he replied.

“Great. Go ahead and do that, would you? I have someone
for you to investigate.”

“Investigate? This really is off the grid. What
exactly am I investigating?” he asked.

“I don’t have all of the details yet, but she’s
related to the founder of Signify. I’ll need you to be ready when I say ‘go’.”

Rob was somewhat familiar with William Ross, the
man who had started the corporation almost forty years ago with little more
than the help of a single, small investment company. Within seven years,
Signify had exploded into an international investment firm. He wasn’t sure what
Stephanie had in mind for him, but he was willing to do whatever it took. He
had been with the company for fifteen years. It was his bread and butter, and
he would not go down without a fight.

“I’ll be ready. You know I’ll do whatever I can
for this company,” Rob replied.

“Great. And just so you know, this conversation
stays between the two of us, understood?”

“Of course.” He pulled Stephanie’s office door
closed on his way out. The walk back to his desk was heavy, now burdened with
the weight of an uncertain future. Was a brief reprieve from all the bullshit
and stress so much to ask for? Happy times were looking further and further
away.

Three

The Grind was Ana and Beth’s favorite sandwich
shop, and they ate there at least twice a week. After settling on a Reuben
sandwich, Ana picked a booth next to a group of businessmen and sat down,
strategically placing herself in a position to flirt shamelessly with one of
the men seated across from her. He must have been in his upper thirties and
looked like a cross between Robert Downey, Jr. and Mel Gibson—very sexy,
distinct features. It suddenly occurred to her how desperate she was for a date.
Maybe the Downey/Gibson hybrid should be the lucky recipient of her unremitting
desires.

“Ana! Are you even listening to me?” Beth
snapped. “I can see you checking out Braveheart over there. Why don’t you just give
him your number?”

“Because he’d probably call me and ask me out.
And then I’d have to explain I don’t have time to date because I work six days
a week and go to school and don’t have time to—”

“You really need to get over this ‘poor me, I’m
so busy’ thing. I mean, really? We have time to hang out. Make some time for a
guy in your life. Or you could find the perfect hook-up—someone to pop
over a couple of times a week, take care of your carnal needs, and be on his
merry way.”

“Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind
more than once.” Ana pinched off a piece of her sandwich and dropped it into
her mouth. “To be honest,” she said, peeking at Braveheart. “I have this secret
fantasy of finding someone with a pile of money who would put me through school
so I wouldn’t have to work so much. You know, your basic, run-of-the-mill sugar
daddy. Working forty hours a week to barely pay my bills is wearing me out.”

Beth cocked her eye. “Welcome to reality.” She
pointed her fork at Ana and added, “But great fantasy. You’ll have your chance to
hook that sugar daddy tomorrow. Wear that red dress and show off those hot boobs
of yours. Even Rich has commented on how nice your rack is.”

“Why is Rich talking about my boobs when you
have an ass to make any man stand at attention?”

“It’s no secret that Rich is an ass man, but
every ass man appreciates a great set of hooters like yours.”

“You know that word offends me,” Ana said in
mock hurt. “I prefer to call them Abbott and Costello.”

“As I’ve told you, that’s a reference to humor.
There’s nothing funny about your tits, Ana.”

“Okay, then, B-one and B-two. How’s that?”

“If you’d had that boob job like I suggested,
they’d be called B-three and B-four.”

“Airbags,” Ana replied.

“Dairy pillows.”

“Baby feeders.”

“Flapdoodles.”

They both began laughing hysterically, drawing
attention from the other patrons. Ana’s mouth turned up in a sexy smile at the
Downey/Gibson look-alike, and he returned the grin.

“Okay, I give up,” Beth said.

“No matter what you call them,” Ana said, “most
men would agree they get the job done.”

Ana took a sip of water and wondered if her
breasts had come up while Rich and Beth were in the bedroom. The thought made
her see Rich in a whole new light. Not wanting to push the topic further,
revealing a sore spot, she decided to quickly change the subject.

“So what do you know about this guy you’re
hooking me up with? Have you met him?”

“Yeah, several times. He seems nice, had a
girlfriend for a while, but I guess they recently broke up. I think he’s dated
a little since then but nothing serious. He didn’t think he was going to be
able to make it to the banquet because he’s been having problems with one of
the satellite branches in Colorado, but he told Rich yesterday he’d be there.
That’s everything I know about him at this point.”

“Everything but his name,” Ana corrected.

“Oh, he doesn’t have a name,” Beth said, looking
hard off into the distance. “Come to think of it, he doesn’t have a face
either. Dammit! Or arms or legs… shit!”

“Oh great! Guess I won’t have to worry about him
groping me all night then,” Ana replied, making air quotes around ‘worry.’ “Now
seriously, indulge me,” she laughed.

“He’s attractive, for an older guy anyway. I
know you go for that sort of thing, one foot in the grave and all.”

“Jesus, I don’t like them
that
old. Thirties, mid forties, tops. Breathing, pulse, and a
hard—”

“You can stop right there.” Beth held a hand up.
“I’m sure he’s perfect for you… late thirties I believe, treats the employees
well. Why do you think Rich has stayed with the company for so long? Sometimes
he takes the managers out for lunch or dinner and drinks, the works. The last
time they went out, Rich didn’t get home ‘til after one in the morning. I’m
pretty sure they went to a strip club. He wouldn’t admit it, but a woman knows
these things.” Beth looked up at Ana and said, “You know, sometimes men think
we’re so stupid.”

“He probably knew you figured it out. How pissed
were you?”

“Hah! I was only pissed that I wasn’t invited,
but I couldn’t get too mad. Rich came home that night in high gear. We had some
really wild sex. I think we broke the bed and maybe a lamp. Now you tell me he
was just out with the guys having drinks. I don’t think so.”

They finished their lunch, and Ana tossed her
napkin on the plate. “I have to get to work.”

“I need to get to the shop myself,” Beth said,
jotting something down on a napkin. “We have our new summer line coming in. We’ll
pick you up tomorrow at six. You need any help getting yourself
super-sexified?”

“I need help looking sexy now? I thought I had
the hottest boobs in town.”

“I never said the hottest in town, but you
definitely do not need help,” Beth said smiling. She stood up, walked over to
Braveheart, and gave him the napkin she had scribbled on. “She’s single,” Beth
said to him as Ana sat and watched in horror. Beth just smiled and turned
around as Braveheart stared blankly at Ana. Ana shook her head and jumped up,
dashing out the door, and Beth followed close behind.

“What the actual fuck was that? Are you crazy?”
Ana cried once they were outside.

“Hey, you’ll thank me later. That just may be
the future Mr. Anabelle Ross.”

“Jesus Christ, Beth! Sometimes I really wonder
about you. What if he’s a serial killer or something?”

“He’s eating lunch at The Grind with his
co-workers,” Beth replied. “Serial killers eat soup made from body parts in
their basement next to their dead mothers.”

“Oh dear God. I’ll talk to you later,” Ana
mumbled. “If I’m still alive.”