Now that the stock market had closed, all six screens were focused on a spirited volley, rehashing the volatility of any given security during the day’s trading. He never had the volume high, just loud enough to drown out anything other than the numbers constantly running through his head. To Greer, they were like an orchestra playing the finest symphony. He loved everything about the chatter of the stock exchange.
A quiet knock on his open door drew his mind away from his inner musings. He cast a glance over his shoulder as he took his suit coat off the hook behind his desk. “You asked me to remind you it’s five thirty.”
“The days fly,” he said by way of acknowledgement, not as any sort of conversation starter.
He shrugged on his suit jacket as his assistant, Kailey, stepped fully inside his office. She was a sassy woman who always dressed sharply and stood ready to give him a hard time. She crossed her arms, the pointy fingernails of one hand drumming on her bicep. They were freshly polished in the same color as her shoes. Every day she coordinated her fingernail color to match something in her ensemble. All the time it must take to accomplish that seemed exhausting to Greer.
Kailey was also married to his best friend and silent business partner, Beau Harris. They were newlyweds. Deeply, if not a bit sickly, in love.
“Are you signing on to BikeBro tonight?” she asked.
“I am. Skye texted, asking me to.” Greer barely spared a glance in her direction as he made sure his collar lay down correctly.
“Good. They’re all excited. They’re doing their first site-wide competition. They’re giving away big prizes—a year’s free membership.” Kailey waggled her perfectly plucked brows as if that were a huge incentive.
Skye had become Kailey’s best friend. She was also Greer’s personal trainer and latest “maybe” sexual interest. It had been a while since he’d been interested in a woman. So long in fact that he thought he had tipped the Kinsey scale all the way over to gay man. Skye drew him in with her tight athletic body, long dark hair, and even longer legs. Her thick black eyeliner—man, he had a thing for eyeliner—had captured his attention.
They had been dancing around one another for a while now. Skye claimed to have a strong moral compass. She wanted to get to know him before taking things to the next level. Greer didn’t doubt her sincerity, but he wasn’t looking for long-term anything. He only wanted to fuck her. The idea of having to date someone just to get inside their pants seemed its own kind of tedious hell, and that was probably why he preferred men in the first place. Men never had a three-date requirement for sex—at least none he’d met. Hell, opening the front door could be foreplay enough for the men in his life.
In January, right after meeting the captivating Skye, Greer had allowed her to talk him into giving each of his thirty employees a BikeBro box for a New Year’s health and fitness challenge. All came with the added expense of a year’s membership to the company’s social networking site. Greer had ponied up the cash, bought the boxes, and yet still hadn’t been able to talk Skye over to his way of thinking.
Honestly, it hadn’t taken him too much longer to learn Skye was better friendship material than anything more. He just liked to watch her dance around his audacious prodding.
“Tell the staff, if they win tonight, those are my winnings,” he teased, reaching for his cell phone.
“BikeBro has a new leaderboard they’re debuting tonight,” she said as he walked toward her.
“Woohoo.” He feigned excitement.
Her brows shot up, playing along as if he hadn’t just been patronizing. “The second and third place prizes are a personal training session with Skye.”
“That’s second and third prizes? She’s expensive.” Greer stopped in front of Kailey, extending a hand to encourage her out the door before him.
“She just increased her hourly fee. I can’t afford her,” Kailey quipped. He might have bought into her little white lie if he didn’t know Beau’s extensive net worth.
Besides, she had a regular joke she teased him with, something she’d done for years now. A joke well played and growing old by Greer’s estimation.
“Don’t say it,” he warned. Greer took her elbow to move her through the doorway, and followed her out, closing the door behind him.
“If I got a raise…” she continued happily as if he hadn’t warned her. Her grin mocked him as she watched him pass by.
“You’re the worst assistant in the world. Why would I give you a raise? I feel like you should pay me for letting you work here,” he interrupted her. He’d used those same words at least once a day for the last four years. If she could tease him, he could certainly dish it right back, tenfold.
“It’s not my fault you literally have nothing for me to do,” she answered defensively.
Luckily, she couldn’t see his giant grin. He slowed, letting her catch up as he walked toward the center stairwell, leading to the first floor of his refurbished two-story Victorian style home. The very place he now called an office.
“I remembered to remind you of the time so I’m not the worst ever.”
“And what else did you do today?” They took each step down in unison, approaching her workspace in the center of the entryway foyer. Her personal laptop sat on the reception desk, blocking her company workstation. Last year, Greer had blocked all access to social media sites and YouTube on company computers. The current political climate had too much controversy that distracted his staff. Work production had dropped by a third. Everyone but Kailey seemed willing to follow his simple rules.
“Well, Kate and Meghan are rumored to have been fighting over Charlotte’s tights. Meghan wanted Charlotte to wear them at her wedding, and Kate didn’t think those were a good choice for her little one. Tights are difficult for children, so she probably made the right decision.”
Greer blinked, processing her words. He had no idea who those women were and wasn’t entirely certain if Kailey had pulled his leg or not. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“The royal family, Greer.” Kailey’s hand flew out and her eyes grew wide as she took the last step down, staring at him in complete disbelief. “You need to pay attention to the world. No wonder you don’t have anyone important in your life. How do you not know who Kate and Meghan are?”
Kailey was insane. How Greer had been talked into hiring his younger sister was beyond him. A headache threatened to form. He could feel the slight throbbing starting to take hold. “You know I should fire you, right? You sit in the middle of the office. Everyone has to see you breaking all our company policies.”
Just like every time he suggested Kailey find new employment, she scoffed at him. “But you won’t. Who are you going to hire to sit here all day and do nothing because you handle your whole life yourself? Beau takes his silent partner status too seriously. There’s nothing for me to do. Hang on. I’ll walk out with you.”
Greer didn’t wait for her. He kept heading for the front door, even picking up his pace a little. As the founder and CEO of EnviroCapital, Greer had gone to great lengths to make his own offices as eco-friendly as he could. His reputation depended on his success and looking successful seemed a false sense of security to his investors, the people who trusted him with their money.