Brain Development Enterprises Ch. 10

"Silly," McKenzie muttered. She bit her lip and straightened the tie.

I checked the clock and nodded to her. "We have time." I said, then sat back down on the edge of the bed and glanced at her. "Just enough time to clean up and go over the plan."

McKenzie nodded. "The plan," she said, somewhat dubiously.

I smiled. "Well, what I've been able to come up with..."

* * *

It was impossible to miss the other couple. Well, if I could consider them a couple without a twist of unpleasant tension in my gut. Aaron Burns and my wife, Barbara, standing side by side, greeting the arrivals along with two other couples.

Since the company was Brown, Burns and Keohane, I assumed the first and the last names were the other men — a shaggy-haired man just a tad overweight and a shorter guy who looked like a frat boy who'd aged 20 years, badly. It was evident that work colleagues were used to seeing Aaron and Barbara this close together. Saying hello, one of the women leaned in to kiss each of them on the cheek.

"Steady, John," McKenzie warned, her warm expression wavering as she pressed gently on my forearm.

I took a breath. "I'm good," I affirmed. "Remember your role?"

She nodded.

Arm in arm, we walked toward them.

Aaron Burns and the other heads of the company were impossible to avoid. All of us guests were funneled to the double doors of the ballroom-style hall where the party was taking place. At the entrance, the three couples held court and greeted their employees. We merged with the line of incoming guests, other men in suits and women in slinky cocktail dresses. I hadn't spent enough time around Barbara's company to know any of them, and none of them acknowledged me or McKenzie.

The greeting committee was occupied with each individual and couple as they entered, so it wasn't until McKenzie and I were right at the front of the line that Barbara and Aaron noticed us.

"John!" Barbara's reaction wasn't what I expected. I would not have been surprised by anger or shock. But, at most, my wife seemed only mildly surprised to see me. "And McKenzie," she turned to her daughter with a smile curving across her full, red lips.

My wife was leaning against Aaron Burns's side, with a familiar arm behind his back and curving around his hip. Her spectacular body was sheathed in a light blue cocktail dress. It clung to her breasts and hips, falling in several folds that looked simple but were probably a wonder of modern fashion. The dress looked so perfect for her that I could only imagine it was outrageously expensive. Was I imagining it, or did her eyes look a little glazed, unfocused? Was her voice more monotone?

"Hey, Barbara," I answered. I hadn't anticipated how strong my reaction would be to seeing her. I could feel my body responding, my heartbeat quickening and a heat flushing my neck and face. I could smell her perfume, sweet and inviting, hovering in the air around her like an aura of seduction. But I could also smell something else, a sharper scent. It wasn't entirely unpleasant but had an edge like vinegar. Everything, the sensations and the situation, hit me at once in a jumble. I wasn't ready for it, and I was probably going to say more, something unplanned and unhelpful, but luckily I was interrupted.

"John." Aaron Burns's hand slid into mine before I could react. Then, he was pressing my palm warmly and clasping his other hand around it. "So pleased you could make it," the charming salesman told me, the perfect gentleman. "And..." he raised his eyebrows, glancing at McKenzie. "With such a stunning... date?"

McKenzie gripped my forearm a little harder.

Aaron Burns knew my family well enough to know McKenzie. I wasn't sure what he was playing at — Trying to put me off balance by asking if I'm here on a date with my stepdaughter? — but I knew that if I was going to beat this man I had to be smart.

What do you say in that situation? When you're talking to the man who stole your wife. I wasn't sure. But my only advantage, I thought, is that he doesn't know that I have the same tricks he does. So I just laughed gently.

"No, no," I explained. "Just here to spend time with my stepdaughter and maybe run into Barbara." I tried to come off as unthreatening, like I'd accepted the fact that Aaron Burns had taken my wife. Like I wasn't resisting the urge to try and win back my woman right then and there. I tried, in other words, to push down every Alpha instinct that was rising in my body. Every instinct that told me I wanted to assert dominance over Aaron Burns, every word and facial expression and twitch that wanted to convey my inner strength.

But I had to ignore them. I had to play the beta male, the beaten man who just accepted his lot.

"Ah, of course," Aaron Burns nodded, his tone smooth. He gestured vaguely to the side. "I don't think you've met before, so let me introduce my business partners. Teddy Brown and Jude Keohane."

At the wave of his hand, the other two men stepped forward. Maybe my personal transformation had made me more attuned to these things, but it was obvious to me that Brown and Keohane were under Aaron's Alpha thrall. Their body language was more submissive, and I could tell that they were both eager for Aaron's approval. Usually social situations like this make people nervous, almost subconsciously uncomfortable, but either Brown and Keohane had no idea that I was actually Barbara's husband or they did and were completely immune to societal conditioning.

The overweight man muttered, "Teddy," and shook my hand briefly. His hair was speckling with silver at the temples. It might have looked distinguished but his face was too round and jowled.

The other man looked a little more energetic, and he smiled as he pumped my hand up and down several times. "Jude Keohane," he said, his grip firm. "Happy to meet you. You know Aaron and Barbara, do you?"

Hearing it that way, Aaron and Barbara, was another sucker punch to the gut. But I just had to bear it. "Actually," I said, giving what I hoped was a sheepish smile and not a sick grimace. "Barbara is my—"

"I'm sorry," Aaron interrupted, patting me on the shoulder in a friendly way. "But we've got to keep you moving. More guests to greet, and all." He gave me a handsome smile that looked welcoming on his lean features. "But hopefully we bump into each other later."

No one else seemed bothered by the fact that Aaron had interrupted and rerouted the interaction. Jude Keohane and Teddy Brown melted into the background as Aaron once again took center stage, Jude not even seeming to notice how easily his business partner interrupted and moved him around like a chess piece.

McKenzie was holding my forearm in a tight grip while we walked on, her fingers digging into the fabric as we skirted around the edge of the hall looking for a table or place to stand. There were a bunch of round, white-clothed tables scattered across the floor and along the walls were taller, smaller tables for the cocktails we hadn't yet retrieved. In three of the four corners I could see bartenders in shirtsleeves behind tall wooden bars. Arriving guests were heading straight for the booze, so men and women in evening attire were stacked two or three deep around the drinks station.

My stepdaughter still hadn't spoken, but once we were several paces beyond the doors her hands relaxed around my arm. She blew out a sigh.

"So? What did you think?" I asked, leaning down a little so my normal speaking voice could be heard over the background chatter of dozens of conversations. From a safe distance, I took a minute to look Aaron up and down. He was taller than average, and fit, two qualities that were clearly accentuated by his tailored grey suit. His hair was dark, like mine, and also cropped relatively short, but unlike mine his facial hair was sculpted into a brief beard that clung to his cheeks. It gave his jaw a rough, manly look.

I glanced back as dark-haired teenager shook her head and glanced up into my face. Her expression was concerned, her pink lips parted. "Wow..." she managed to mutter, then blinked several more times.

I raised my eyebrows. McKenzie's first part to play in my, admittedly not-so-elaborate, plan was to try and gauge Aaron Burns's relative levels of Alpha-ness. If it was possible, I had hoped that she might be able to sense the invisible strength of his personality and dominance. Like how they use canines to detect drugs. "What does that mean?" I said.

McKenzie wet her lips nervously. "He's..." she trailed off and I could tell she was resisting the urge to glance back over her shoulder. She swallowed and then said, "Like a magnet. I can feel this pull toward him. Stronger than anything else in the room."

"Even me?" I asked.

My stepdaughter looked uncomfortable. "Well..." she muttered. "Yeah..." She glanced up into my face helplessly. "I don't want to want someone other than you," she tried to explain. "It's just like my body and brain are fighting me, making me—"

I held up a hand to interrupt her before she got too upset. "It's okay, angel," I told her, nodding. "I expected this." I wasn't sure exactly how much longer Aaron had been using his BDE products than me. But given how much progress I'd made in a few weeks, even if the other man had only had a month or two to get a head start... I was in trouble.

McKenzie nodded, brushing her chestnut hair back behind one ear. She took a step closer, her fingers playing with my lapel. "You're the only one I really want," she said. Her voice was low, and her fingers pulled at the jacket emphatically. I sensed that she was trying to say more than that, but I didn't have the time or focus right now to read into that kind of subtext.

"Thank you, darling," I murmured. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently.

Her eyes drifted closed and I could see some of the tension leaving her slim frame. "What next, then?" she asked, seeming calmer.

I took a breath, glanced around, and picked out a standing table by the wall. There was a man standing there alone, leaning on his elbow and making a phone call. I gestured with my chin. "I'll be over at that table," I turned McKenzie in my hands so she could see.

The teenager nodded and leaned back against my chest. Her shoulders slumped a little as she blew out a breath.

"And you," I kissed the top of her head, "go and get us some drinks."

McKenzie turned back around and looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. "But Daddy," she murmured, soft enough that only I could hear. Her voice had lost all of the upset from before. "I'm not 21."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "You're saying you didn't bring your fake?"

McKenzie's hazel eyes sparkled and she bit her lip as she smiled. "Fine, you caught me."

I shook my head. "Get going," I chuckled, and McKenzie winked at me before turning and sashaying away. I was lucky no one knew that she was my stepdaughter, because I watched the sexy sway of her hips in that purple dress for a good half dozen seconds before blinking several times and taking back control of my brain.

I centered myself before I started moving toward the tall, round cocktail table. I sauntered up slowly, eyeing the man who stood there. He didn't seem to notice me when I approached, and it was only when I grew closer that I realized he was talking in another language.

"— et je crois que tu ferra très bien si..."

I paused a moment, uncertain, then I squared my shoulders. I had no reason to be nervous. I was an Alpha Male. I took charge of situations. "Mr. King," I said, reaching out and touching the other man lightly on the shoulder. "I didn't know you spoke French."

Mr. Silver Fox turned his head slowly, evidently still listening to the voice on the line. His eyes sparked and his eyebrows rose as he saw me. There was none of the momentary hesitation you usually experience when you bump into an acquaintance. Instead, a welcoming smile rose on his lips. He held up one finger for me to wait, then spoke rapidly into the phone. "Pardon moi. Je dois continuer demain..." He waited a second and I heard a muted voice respond. Then he said. "Oui, merci. Au revoir."

Oliver King lowered the phone and tapped the touch screen, ending the call. Then, it was like a ray of sun struck his face because all of a sudden he was beaming at me with a broad smile and his arms were opening in a gesture of friendship.

"John!" he said, his voice low enough not to startle anyone around us but loud enough to convey his excitement. "I'm so pleased to bump into you." His arms wrapped around my torso while I was still trying to puzzle through the etiquette of hugging a virtual stranger at a party where I had been invited by accident.

I went with it, and hugged him back. "Mr. King," I said, my voice muffled by the shoulder of his jacket. I pulled back and asked. "You speak French?"

"Oh, yes," he said, widening his eyes and grinning. "When you've unlocked this much mental potential? Things like learning languages become easy and fun. No, it's true!" he added, when he saw my look of skepticism. "And once I started learning languages I was able to unlock entirely new markets for the company. That was my French business partner. I'm doing my recordings for the French market and he's helping me perfect the product." The older man clapped me on the shoulder and kept his hand there, looking me up and down like how an uncle might admire his favorite nephew after several years apart. "You're looking good," he said. "You must be working out a lot."

I couldn't help but feel a glow of warmth at his words. I shrugged, felt a little flush of pride, and then, "You know. I do what I can."

Mr. Silver Fox squeezed my shoulder and nodded. "Excellent," he said. And then, raising his eyebrows and releasing me, "Forgive me. In my excitement, I forgot that I had never expected I would see you here." He laughed softly. "Were you already coming to this event and forgot to mention it to me on our call?" He winked. "Or did you sneak an invite just to come and meet me?"

My brain flew back to the evening, earlier this week, when the head of Brain Development Enterprises had dropped the bomb that Aaron Burns was using BDE products. I had barely said anything else to the man before hanging up our call. I wasn't surprised that I had neglected to mention I would be coming to the same party.

I realized that the other man was watching me closely. It didn't feel like an interrogatory look, though. More like the expression of concern you might give a friend dealing with tough news. "I'm afraid my joke may have had the wrong effect," he said. "Is everything going alright, John?"

My jaw tightened as I thought of Barbara and Aaron. I nodded, then shrugged helplessly. I cleared my throat, and finally spoke. "Well, Mr. King..." I started talking. I hadn't intended to say this much. I couldn't have said why I was laying out my situation for a virtual stranger. But I felt like I could trust him. I knew I could trust him.

Mr. Silver Fox had an easy way about him. He was a good listener, and knew just how to nod and grimace and murmur acknowledgements at all the right moment.

I was finishing my story when I saw the other man's attentive gaze dart away from me for the first time. His expression opened up in astonishment as he looked over my shoulder, then closed up again so quickly that I could almost have missed it.

"So that's why I'm here tonight," I concluded, shrugging. I felt the nudge of a hip against mine, and I glanced around. McKenzie had arrived, a tall glass in each hand with ice and several sprigs of something green. "Why we're here tonight," I corrected.

Oliver King blinked as he looked at my stepdaughter and I felt something. It was almost like a seismic shift beneath my feet, the movement of a force that was all around me but I hadn't seen before. His eyes were focused on McKenzie and there was a light behind them, a strange weight to his concentration. The man's invisible aura of power was refocusing, altering its flow to head in the 18-year-old's direction. I could tell that on a deep, primal level he was thinking that she was attractive and that he wanted her and that he was thinking of taking her. In that moment, if Mr. Silver Fox had told me he was going to fuck my stepdaughter I don't think I would have had the ability to protest.

Then, the CEO shook his head slightly and the tension in his face eased. The strange, shifting sensation settled and I felt like my feet were underneath me again. I looked at him with something close to awe.

Is that what happens when you take BDE to the next level? Your shifts in emotion become like a physical force that you have to keep in check? Is that what's in store for me? My thoughts raced, and I wasn't sure whether to be excited or terrified.

I glanced sideways at McKenzie, realizing that she must have felt it too. Her hazel eyes were wide, and they watched Mr. King with a powerful intensity. I could practically hear the speed of her heart bounding in her chest and hear the panting of her breath between parted lips.

"Angel," I murmured gently.

My stepdaughter jerked her head away suddenly, like she was breaking free of an invisible restraint, and averted her eyes from the man. She glanced up at me instead, her expression uncertain. "John?" she asked.

I nodded. "It's okay, Kenz," I said quietly. "This is Mr. Oliver King. He's the founder of BDE." I took one of the drinks from her hand. I sipped it, just to give my body something normal to do.

Mmm... Mojito.

I wasn't used to feeling all these strange social forces pushing and pulling and flowing all around me. But I couldn't help but be aware, now, of the silent aura that radiated outward from the BDE CEO. It was in the way people stood around him, like anyone within a dozen yards could turn and give Oliver King their full attention in an instant if he asked for it. And there was a subtle tension in their bodies, like they were waiting for someone to pull their puppet strings or tell them what to do.

McKenzie nodded slowly, several strands of chestnut hair falling across her face. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. King," she said demurely.

The other man inclined his head, slowly. "It's my pleasure," he said, and he pulled off the difficult feat of making those words sound gallant instead of contrived.

"I was just telling Mr. King about why we're here tonight," I commented to my stepdaughter.

McKenzie gave me a surprised look. I could imagine her thinking, Why would you share that information with a stranger?

But it was obvious to me that Mr. King was a trustworthy source of insight and a potential ally. After all. Everything I have... it's all thanks to BDE. I trust BDE.

The other man nodded again to McKenzie, and now his expression hinted at something grave. "I'm afraid one of my clients has used his new talents to break apart your family. I'm sorry."

McKenzie shrugged. I wasn't used to her being so shy, but she glanced from me to Mr. King before saying, "Well, I guess your products have pros and cons. Just like anything."

The CEO nodded and said, "So I can see."

I wasn't sure quite what he meant, but he switched his glance from my stepdaughter to me and he rested his hand a final time on my arm. "It seems like you have enough things to think about and deal with at the moment," with his free hand he reached into his jacket and tugged out a simple white business card. "But when things quiet down, I'd love if you looked me up." His eyes sharpened slightly. "I think we could do great work together."

I nodded distractedly and accepted the slip of paper. "I'll do that," I answered, but I really couldn't focus on this right now. Even in the captivating aura of Mr. King's presence, my brain kept falling back to the same worry. Where is Barbara? I needed to find my wife so I could convince her to leave Aaron.