Board Stiff by Jessica Jayne Read Free Book Online

BOARD STIFF
     
    Taking Advantage, 1
     
    Jessica Jayne
     
    Copyright
© 2013
     
     
     
    Chapter One
     
    “Where’s today’s
agenda?” John Dorsey asked as he sat down in one of the many black leather
chairs in the board room.   He reached for
the stainless steel coffee carafe and poured the dark brown liquid into his
white porcelain coffee mug.   Despite
having had a cup of coffee on the way into the office, John usually needed
about a carafe of coffee to make it through a board meeting day.   He wasn’t used to sitting so many hours at a
time.   Heading up Dorsey Construction
meant he was in the field assisting his construction managers with various
projects.   Sitting in a
chair for six to eight hours listening to presentations on company matters, discussing
and approving company budgets and sorting through the financials of Advantage Insurance
Company made for long days.   John was
honored to be asked to sit on the board of directors a year ago.   He was the youngest member of the board at
thirty-five, and it was good for his business to have such a prestigious role with
one of the Tampa Bay area’s best known companies.   Luckily, the board only met once a quarter.
    “Here you go, Mr.
Dorsey,” Suzie McCormick said with a smile.   She handed him a blue folder that he knew contained the day’s agenda and
the most current quarter’s financials.   All
of the presentations could be seen on the individual iPads at each seat.
    “Thank you,
Suzie,” he said.   He took the folder from
her hands and set in front of him on the mahogany table.   Suzie stood there smiling at him for a few
seconds before turning around, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder
and walking around the table to place the same blue folder at each seat.   John watched as she finished up and left the
board room for her desk in the executive suite, which was just outside of the
boardroom.  
    Suzie was
attractive, albeit a little on the skinny side, at least for John.   Suzie was tall, probably 5’10” without heels,
and slender.   He preferred his women with
a little meat on their bones.   He loved
women with curves.   Women were supposed
to be soft.   Suzie had made it known that
she was attracted to John.   She flirted
with him relentlessly every meeting.   A
few of the other board members teased him.   They encouraged him to ask her out or at the
very least, “take her for a ride” they’d say.   Even Suzie’s boss, Michael Herron, the CEO of Advantage, would
occasionally joke with him about her excitement on board week.
    “She’s got the
hots for you, Dorsey,” Mark Olson said, walking up to John and extending his
hand.   Mark was the next youngest member
of the board at forty.   He had recently
divorced his wife of fifteen years.   Rumor
was that he had had a mid-life crisis and his wife couldn’t deal with it.   John wasn’t positive of Mark’s real story,
and he never really felt comfortable enough asking him.   But Mark was now hot-to-trot for any woman
that was good-looking and younger than thirty.   “You should really consider it.   If she showed me half the attention she shows you, I’d be all over
it.”   He shook John’s hand before taking
a seat next to John and pouring himself a cup of coffee.
    “Knock it off,
Mark,” John said with a little laugh.   “You look a little tired.   Late night?”   He
figured a change of subject would be good before the rest of the directors took
their seats, and Mark did look a little tired.
    “You could say
that,” Mark said with a wink.   He brought
his coffee mug to his lips and took a sip.   “I met a hot little number last weekend down at the Beach Club.   I’ve had a few later nights than I’m used
to.”   He chuckled.
    “Gentlemen,”
Phillip Barker said, walking into the room in his crisp khaki pants and green
country club polo shirt.   All the other
board members wore dress slacks and a button down shirt, but