To Have and To Hold Ch. 01

To my lovely readers: this story involves mature content, explicit sexual depictions, foul language and sheds light on low self-esteem.

24-year-old virgin Alexandra Summers has to face the biggest challenge of her life, when a powerful billionaire family shuts down the community center she works for. 34-year-old Christopher Levenson will find his life being disrupted by an achingly beautiful young woman looking for justice. Determined to possess her, he awakens her sexuality only to realize she has awoken something even deeper inside him, something he has sworn to never let out.

Looking forward to share chapter 2.

All my love.

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One: Do I know you?

Alfred's head hung low as he finished telling the latest news. Our community center was being shut down because of the lack of funds. The place where I had fallen in love with this amazing group of people that I call colleagues. The same center that held the hope of so many people that only wanted to feel like they belonged somewhere.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" I ask as I feel my eyes welling up. It's not only my job on the line, but all of our hard work. And the people here, the clubs in our center we had been able to open with sweat and tears.

"I'm afraid not. Their lawyers were very much to the point about the closing date. I couldn't even get a word in," Alfred, our manager, was really moved by this situation. "I feel like I have failed every one of you, every neighbor, every helper, everybody. I'm so sorry," he said with his voice trembling.

''What about trying to get investors involved? What if we came up with a plan to reach out to potential funding? We can't just give up!" I was raising my voice now, clearly frustrated.

"Lexie, they didn't give us options here. They asked for the building to be ready for occupation by the end of the month. That's this Friday, as in 4 days," Alfred looked at me with defeat. "Now, I am as heartbroken as you are, but if there's anything I can tell you with full reassurance is you can't fight big corporations like the Levenson's alone. They own this place, and to be frank, they have funded our community center for twenty years now."

I was shocked. Alfred Lloyd, one of the most driven men I've ever met was giving up. I shot him a look of anger and disbelief.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, Lexie. I'm too old to be a fighter for the common good. I'm exhausted. Not only that, but I've dealt with the Levenson family as a manager for ten years, so they could keep throwing us crumbs to run our center," he pauses to breathe in, "I just, I can't and won't fight them this time," he rose from his chair and left my office.

Three years ago when I graduated from college, I never thought I would have to face my first career blow so soon. All of my hopes and dreams were in this community center.

On the people we had convinced they could trust our counselors and change their lives around, on every family we fed on Saturdays and Sundays, on the kids that had free swimming classes, on my wonderful Scrabble Club... I don't think I've ever felt so defeated in my entire 24 years of life.

I look at the clock on the wall, and it's a little past six in the afternoon. I sigh, and walk over to the window to see the outside of my building. "My building... our building," I say to myself as tears start falling down my face.

I start to let the memories come back and think of the wonderful, yet hard times, when I had first joined the staff here. A fit of rage begins brewing inside me. How can this family just shut us down like that. They are already billionaires, what's it to them to at least let us find a way to lease the building by having a third party potentially help. Maybe we could find a way to self-fund. They didn't even give us that.

Levenson Holdings, I immediately approach my laptop and start typing. I find the website and go through their board of director's tab. Daniel Levenson, Founder, Christopher Levenson, CEO, Bradley Levenson, Director of Operations, Matilda Levenson, Marketing and Sales. Soon I began to grow tired of their last name. I wonder if their dogs have a position in the company. It's clear they trust no one for hierarchy positions.

With no photographs on the description, except for Daniel Levenson, the Founder, I decided to just go for Operations. Because we are an extension of operations I assume. So, with a brave face, I dial the number on the bottom of the web page.

"Levenson Holdings, this is Alicia. How may I direct your call?" I hear a cheerful voice on the other side of the phone. Just what I needed this eventful afternoon.

"Hi, Alicia. This is Alexandra Summers, from Little Topher Community Center," I clear my throat, "I was wondering if I can get a hold of Mr. Levenson this afternoon."

"Which Levenson are you trying to reach, miss?" she says in her super polite tone.

"Right, uh Bradley Levenson... sorry about that," I'm clearly an idiot.

"Do you have an appointment with Mr. Levenson or is he expecting your call?" gosh, Alicia just put me through.

"I'm afraid neither. But this is a matter of emergency. You see our community center is part of your active holdings and we have a serious matter to discuss. It's kind of urgent we get a hold of him," I went a little overboard, yes, but she doesn't have to know.

"Well, unfortunately I can't connect you with Mr.Levenson directly, but I can put you through to his assistant, Lucy. Please hold."

Well, that wasn't so hard. Ok, time to charm Lucy's pants off. I wonder if I should have studied this in more depth and not just call without any clear wireframe.

"Bradley's office, this is Lucy," I hear her say, sounding too informal calling her boss Bradley.

"Hi Lucy, this is Alexan-"

"Alexandra Summers from the Little Topher Community Center, I know," she cut me off.

"Exactly, I, well it's a matter of urgency that I get a hold of Mr. Levenson to discuss a surging problem here at the center, is there a chance I can communicate with him?" My heart is pounding so fast, what am I supposed to say to him?

"Unfortunately, no. I can't put you through. He doesn't take unsolicited calls," she almost snapped at me.

"Well, can I get his email address?" I'm getting a little upset now at her blatant apathy.

"You cannot," she remains quiet. "Maybe I can take your information and pass it on to him, if he finds it to be relevant, he'll reach out to you in a given time."

"That's great, thank you," I fake gratitude and give her my information hoping to God she really is typing it down. I hang up, grab my stuff and head home.

-

Two days have now passed, and I haven't heard from Mr. Levenson or his assistant. Here at the center we had to break the news to all of our membership and staff about the imminent closing of our doors to the public. Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. I can't remember having cried so much ever. And today is no different, a ton of heavy hearts and a ton of packing.

"Let me help you with that, Lexie," I hear Tom before I can see him take the heavy box filled with books from my arms.

"Thanks, Tom. I was about to just give up and drop these here for anybody to take," I say wiping off my wet forehead. It's a hot day here in L.A.

"You got it. I can't blame you. It's like the public library back there. Way too many books."

"Was ..." I started to feel saddened, "it was like the public library. I managed to collect all those books and organize them into what we had, did you know?" I look at his apologetic look and smile.

"It was one of the first projects I got from Alfred. He never thought I could make it, but somehow it ended up being better than what he had in mind. All that hard work in getting resources for our kids, our membership... for nothing," I'm crying again.

"Hey, no, Lexie. It wasn't for nothing. Look at what this place meant for kids who didn't have access to the internet, or needed to get their homework done. How many papers were turned in because of this library. We all gave it our best shot. We all worked really hard to keep this place afloat. And ultimately, we made it work while it lasted."

Tom hugged me tight, and whispered encouraging words to cheer me up. I could feel his sadness too. We were all broken.

"Thanks, Tom. You always know what to say," I tell him with an honest smile.

"We better hurry and finish loading the truck with the rest of this stuff. We only have till noon to finish the library," he said. I saw him go through the door, and I just stood there taking in the empty shelves and the chairs placed upside down on each table.

I fished for my phone to check for any missed calls or messages, hoping to hear from Levenson Holdings. Nothing. A missed call from my mom and a couple of messages from Karen, my roommate.

I could hear the stepping and stomping from all of our staff and members helping out to vacate the building. They were moving stuff from everywhere to the moving trucks that Karen's dad owned. He offered his drivers to help us take our furniture to the rental place we were able to fund by pitching in. We could only pay the deposit and one month's rent. After that, if the place wasn't paid for, either we took our things out or we lost them.

That rage that started brewing inside me two days ago felt like exploding. And on a whim, I decided to take my ass down to Levenson Holdings and get a hold of Bradley Levenson myself.

I called an Uber and headed to Palo Alto. I was determined. And I was going to do this myself. If I had told Alfred or Tom, or any of the staff, I would've been discouraged. I couldn't let anybody interfere.

I hop off my cab and cross the street where the entrance is situated. The tall building is intimidating. The outside walls resemble mirrors where you can see your own reflection.

Only then I realized how disheveled I looked. My hair up in a bun, my dress down jeans all dusty and ripped to the knees. I was wearing Chuck Taylor's, for goodness's sake. I guess I didn't think this through, but I wasn't going to stop. Heck no.

I untied my hair and let it fall cascading over my shoulders. Luckily I washed it this morning. I patted off the dust on my T-shirt. "Seriously, Lexie, you had to wear this shirt today?" I tell myself almost irate at my own bad timing. I took one last look, and off I went.

The minute I go through those doors, the power that the Levenson's represent hit me like a ton of bricks. I could feel the atmosphere shift. You could only hear typing and subtle tapping of high-heeled shoes. Everything else was silent. No talking, no voices at all.

I walk over to the front desk and hear a young blonde tell her spiel in a familiar voice.

"Levenson Holdings, this is Alicia. How may I direct your call?"

Ah, Alicia. BINGO. I approach her; a sudden feeling of self consciousness grows in me as I take in her beauty. Blonde hair tightly tied in a bun. Grey formal suit, bright red lips and her lids perfectly eye lined.

She looks up at me and doesn't flinch. "Welcome, can I help you, Miss?"

"Yes, Alicia! Hi, nice to meet you," I blurt out. Clearly I'm not ready.

She stares blankly at me, almost emotionless. "Excuse me, miss. Have we met?" Shoot, she doesn't remember me.

"I'm sorry, I'm Alexandra Summers. I called a couple of days ago asking for Bradley Levenson," I smile at her to ease the situation.

"Oh, yes. Of course. I'm sorry I couldn't recognize your voice. I get so many calls every day, Miss Summers," she smiles back and flushes. Furthermore, I can tell she's being honest. So I put my guard down because she's actually being nice.

"It's ok, Alicia. I'm sorry to approach you without notice. I'm actually here to see Mr. Levenson," I state matter-of-factly, "I was wondering if you can point me to the right way," I say as confident as I had it in me.

"Sure, Miss Summers, what time is he expecting you?" she starts typing something on her laptop.

Crap. I knew it, I knew it! These people are trained to keep the dogs leashed.

"Well, he isn't, I'm here because his assistant said he would eventually reach out to me, and he hasn't. So I decided to come to his office and maybe set an appointment personally."

Smooth, Lexie, real smooth.

"I see," she stares at me and smiles. "Alexandra, I'm going to be honest here. If Mr. Levenson hasn't reached out yet, it's probably because he isn't interested in the matter you need to discuss. I only want to save you time." I could tell she was being nice, and worst of all, she actually meant every word.

My heart felt like sinking. I wanted to burst into crying. A second defeat in less than three days. Suddenly, I heard the elevator open, but I was so caught up in my self-loathing that I didn't notice another woman approaching the front desk. She was very attractive. Tall, slim and also blonde with her hair tied in a bun. What is up with this company's dress code?

"Alicia, Mr. Levenson needs you to be ready to welcome the Egyptian investors tomorrow. Just call my extension and I will come down to get them, ok?" her tone was so aggressive.

I know that voice. It's Lucy, Bradley's assistant.

"Mr. Levenson," I hear Lucy say as she nodded to someone in the distance. I turn my face around and then my world stops. Everything around me just... stops.

There he stood. A tall, built, squared jaw man. With dark brown hair, purposely unruly. His black suit only accentuated his perfectly worked-out body. I tried to say something, make a movement. But I was paralyzed. All that rage, all that anger, all sense of defeat suddenly was replaced by this fire inside me; I could feel my clit swell.

I was so in trance I hadn't realized, the man was staring right back at me. His eyes felt like darts in every corner of my body. It's almost as if he could see through me, touch me in the distance.

"Alexandra," I hear Alicia say. "Are you ok?"

I somehow manage to break contact with this man and turn my face to Alicia. "Y-Yes, I'm ok. Sorry about that," I smile at her.

She then immediately looks behind me and I get the feeling that someone is approaching us. Her face turns beet red, and she swallows.

"What's wrong?" I ask concerned.

"Mr.Levenson, good evening," she blurts out.

"Good evening, Alicia. Did Lucy check in with you regarding the Egyptians?" he commanded a clear response with his tone.

"Yes, sir. She did. I'm ready." She nods with false security.

I found myself just standing there, saying nothing. This man had total control over my senses without my consent. That was enough to get some of that anger back and finally speak up.

"Mr. Levenson?" I say to Alicia. She nods. I look back at the man, his beautiful green eyes staring right through me again. What is that feeling in my core? Lexie, get it together!

"So, you're the man that's willingly leaving over 200 people without a community center and over 30 people without a job?" I say raising my voice and fisting my hands to my sides.

I see him smirk. Blatantly smirk in front of me. That's it!

"I'm glad you find me amusing," I say crossing my arms over my chest.

"Alexandra, he's not -" Alicia tries to jump in.

"That's ok, Alicia. I can handle this matter." He says with command. Alicia backs off and looks down.

"Yeah, Alicia. Let him take control over this matter. He clearly takes control of everything else, including people's lives." I say not taking my eyes off of him.

"Do I know you?" he says with that stupid smirk still hanging on his beautiful face. No, stupid face. Stupid face, Lexie.

"I'm Alexandra Summers. I'm the head of Youth Rehabilitation at Little Topher Community Center. The place you and your family have decided to shut down, with absolutely no regard for time or consequences," I told him.

"Little Topher, huh," he said, lowering his voice, almost as if trying to remember something.

"Yes, Little Topher in Glendale. I've been trying to reach you for the past two days with no luck. Clearly you have trained your gatekeepers very well. I'm wondering, do you keep a gun under your desk, Alicia?" I look at her with a straight face. She looks at me and let out one single giggle, quickly composing herself and pressing her lips together as Mr. Levenson looks at her sideways.

"And you think this is the proper behavior to persuade us not to close the center?" he takes a step closer to me. I can feel my legs shaking, but instead of backing down I also take a step forward.

"This isn't just any center. This is the place me and 29 other people have worked so hard to keep running. This is the common good I'm fighting for. Little Topher belongs to the people back in Glendale. Can't you just think of this as smart business? Social responsibility isn't some Platonic intention, you know. These are the actions that can make or break a company's moral compass. And if this behavior doesn't suit your fancy, then I'm sorry. I'm not committed to pleasing you, I'm committed to my people, to the family that we have become."

Everyone is silent. Alicia looks like she's about to throw up her late lunch. Mr. Levenson is just looking at me in silence.

"So, let me understand these arguments you are trying to convey," he takes a step back, "You want Levenson Holdings to take accountability for 230 people who have no way of actively making us gain any revenue, but will engross our moral compass? You clearly know very little about smart business, Alexandra."

The sound of my name on his lips makes my core burn in lust. I'm absolutely drawn to him.

"We haven't built a $150 billion company by pleasing every person in need. Progress and community development isn't the rich's responsibility. The fact that we close your center doesn't define us. We have sustained Little Topher for twenty years; we have gained zero money from it. We are cutting down on passives, and your center is right up there. You can call it ruthless, but I call it smart business," he finishes.

I had played this moment in my head for the past two days. And I thought I had a smart rebuttal for any confrontation, but right now at this very moment, everything inside me broke. My last hope of saving Little Topher has been crushed by a heartless, business driven individual.

Suddenly my face feels wet, and I realize I'm crying. My tears just escaped me without permission, revealing my inner brokenness. I'm looking at this man in his eyes, trying to find something in there. And all I could see was void darkness.

I take a step back and wipe the tears on my face with my hands, drying my palms on my dusty jeans. The realization of my failed attempt had finally dawned on me.

"Thanks for your time, Mr. Levenson. I'm sorry to have kept you," I say, still wiping my tears away.

"Do you need me to call a cab for you, Miss Summers?" Alicia says as she moves to grab the phone.

"I'm good, Alicia. You've been very helpful. Thank you. Goodbye."

I turned to leave without looking at Mr. Levenson who took a step forward as if to say something, but I just kept walking.

The second I hit the street my eyes give in, and I cry. I cry bitterly.