The CEO's Tender Touch

Episode Three

It's Saturday, and to say I'm scared is an understatement; I'm terrified of heights, and I have never boarded a plane before.

The entire trip to Florida was a disaster, I was sick through all of it, and I couldn't bear the flight fright. I fell asleep during the ride to our reservation in Florida and woke up in a luxurious suite, I didn't get the time to think about how I got here when I heard a knock on my door.

I mumble a small "come in" and the door opens to reveal Mr. King, I would have jumped out of the bed if I could but I was too lightheaded.

"You are awake, good, get ready and meet me outside in 20 minutes."

I don't waste time in getting dressed despite my still present exhaustion.

I'm in his f*****g penthouse.

"Where are the rest?" I whisper at Mr. King as he leads me out of his penthouse.

"They are downstairs, on a different floor."

"Why am I staying with you and not them?" He's quiet for a while before replying.

"I need you close to me for work." He sounds unsure of himself and I ignore it.

"Where are we going, Mr. King?" I ask again.

"Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?" His voice sounds stern but he's not looking upset in the slightest, he looks more carefree than he ever has in almost a month I've known him.

"Not Sir," I tell him discreetly, hiding a smile.

"We are heading to meet my clients." I almost gasped.

"The ones we are preparing this project for?" I ask to be clear. Mr. King doesn't say anything, he just stares at me, I could have dressed more professionally and it's my designs we are about to go show them.

We meet the rest of my work colleagues downstairs and I learn that this hotel also belongs to Mr. King.

There are people dressed like this introductory meeting was a magazine photo shoot everywhere in the big board room.

A man walks towards us, he's quite the sight.

"Nick." He calls smiling.

"Adrian." Mr. King goes tense.

"It's been a while, my friend." The claps Mr. King's back.

"It hasn't been long enough." Mr. King mutters dryly. He doesn't seem too fond of the man.

"My, my, who's the beauty, Nick?" The man smiles charmingly at me. without giving Mr. King time to respond, he raises my hand and gives it a long peck.

"I'm Adrian, what's your name angel?"

I blush crimson. "Kimberly."

Mr. King angrily heads towards a group standing looking like a family, their back towards us, I wonder why he's upset.

He beckons for me to join them after a while.

"Kim, this is Maximus Martins, my VIP client and friend, Maximus, this is Kim, the brain behind the copies of the designs I sent you." Mr. King introduces.

I was frozen, I couldn't breathe, it couldn't be him, it could not be him standing here before me. Mr. King nudges me to take his outstretched hand, my hands are trembling when I shake him.

"You're such a talented beautiful young woman, my dear, your designs are outstanding, I've never seen anything like it, I'm sure your parents would be proud." He says smiling widely.

"Thank you." I managed to say.

"This is his wife, Luisa, and his youngest daughter Rose." He points to the woman and teenager beside him and my throat clogs, the woman looks me up and down before looking away.

"Uhm, excuse me." I quickly say, practically running from the room.

I couldn't breathe, he didn't recognize me, was I that easy to forget? After all these years, it was true that he did abandon my mother for another woman. I broke down on the floor.

I didn't realize Mr. King followed me out till he picked me up from the floor, and took me inside. I couldn't stop crying, it felt like old wounds being opened back up with a knife.

I don't know how long I laid down on the couch with Mr. King, staring into nothing, he didn't utter a single word, not even to ask questions and weirdly I spoke first.

"I was 14 when my Father left, no explanations, no goodbyes, I just woke up one morning and he was gone." I look at him drained.

"I always wondered, what I would say to him if I ever crossed paths with him again, I imagined screaming at him for how much pain he inflicted upon us, I imagined hugging him so tightly, telling him how much I missed him, and begging him to come back home with me." I sighed, sitting up.

"I finally saw him, he looked me in the eye and didn't recognize me. I-I stood there like a coward and couldn't do anything, I couldn't say anything." Mr. King looks surprised after putting two and two together but he masks it.

"Doing something was not your responsibility, having a father who constantly disappoints was not of your making." He says it more like he's saying it to himself.

Mr. King tucks me into bed before leaving for his room.

The next morning, I make a note to thank Mr. King for last night. I'm too embarrassed thinking of how emotional I was.

I see him approach the team for our morning meeting.

"Good morning Sir." I greet him.

"Good morning Kim, sleep well?"

"Yes Sir." After last night, I still can't help but be surprised by his concern.

Before I can get a word out, a woman clad in barely what can be called a two-piece material excitedly runs towards Mr. King.

"Nick!! Oh my God, I've missed you." She says hugging him.

"Hello, Kat." Mr. King returns her hug.

"Daddy told me you were here on a business trip so I came with him to see you."

"How have you been?"

"Never been better, who's this?" She asks, looking at me like I am worth nothing more than dirt.

"This is Kimberly Martins, the interior designer for your father's project." I go stiff, she's his daughter too? Has he always been cheating all along?

Her father appears and in a few hours, we conclude the meeting.

"Excuse me dear, I didn't get your full name." Maximus walks towards me looking distressed.

"Kim, Kimberly Martins," I tell him with a straight face. Does he know? He keeps analyzing my face, he doesn't look too well.

"W-wait." He says quickly as I turn to leave. "K-ki-Kimberly? Is that you?" I don't give him an answer.

"You've changed so much since Nicholas told me your full name, I couldn't stop thinking about you." He looks desperate but I don't care.

"You recognized me by my name but you didn't at least have the decency to recognize my face." he flinches at that.

"Kim, I missed you, I swear I did, every day."

"Shove your lies into your ass," I tell him angrily. "You're nothing to me, right now you're just a client, nothing more," I tell him trying to walk away.

"Kimberly, please." He tries to pull me back.

"Leave me the f**k alone Maximus, you never, not for once tried to find us, so don't stand there and act like you would have cared if you didn't come across me here by chance," I scream at him, my pent-up anger bursting. He has a lot of nerve to tell me he missed me.

"Kimberly calm down, you're causing a scene." Mr. King whispers at my side, gently holding my arms.

I barely have time to apologize before my head is whipped to the side. The woman from earlier screeched at me. "How dare you filthy thing raise your ragged voice at my Father."

Before I can control myself, I'm hitting her back, twice harder. How dare she put her hands on me.