Grounded

I’m qualified, or anything else about me."
    "Are you qualified, Patty?" He purred and she felt something , hi m , flow through her like hot oil.
    " Ye-yes," she stuttered. "I have my resume right here." She quickly handed him the page.
    Dion accepted her resume and sat back in his chair, reading over her qualifications. Her education was remarkable—a master’s in business from Columbia—but her work history hadn’t allowed her to really use her skills. That would change, he thought. She would be using all of her known skills and probably many more she had no idea she even had.
    Putting the resume aside, he leaned forward, extending his hand, and she took it. The electricity that shot up her arm this time made her jerk back. What Patty didn’t know
    was that she wasn’t the only one feeling it.
    "Congratulations on your new job," he told her, but even as he extended the offer, he started having second thoughts.

~ 3 ~
New Possibilities
     
    Dion was not happy. Not at all. He was a dedicated hedonist and this feeling inside of him was not conducive to such pursuits. How on earth could this human female have such an effect on him? In all his eons on earth, he’d never experienced such a reaction.
    Th e onl y reaction he wanted to have to a woman was a stiff cock, nothing else. There was absolutely no reason for him to be having an emotional response to Patty James. What was wrong with him?
    He paced his office, shoved his hands deep into his pockets and paced some more. And then the thought hit him . Mother ! This had to be her doing; it was the only plausible answer. He could not possibly be falling in love. It was a ludicrous idea.
    "Alright, Mother," he said aloud. "Knock off the shit. I know it’s you, so you can stop now." He waited. No answer. " Mothe r ! Show yourself!" He waited. Still no response.
    Taking a deep breath, Dion tried to keep his temper under control. He tried one more time. "Mother, please, I need to speak with you." After a few moments, he was sure she was not going to grant his request; he shook his head and muttered aloud, "If you won’t come to me, then I’ll come to you."
    When he appeared in his own world, he pushed open the door to his brother’s private offices without knocking. "Where is our mother?"
    "Hello, brother, nice to see you. How are you?" Ira said mockingly and frowned, without bothering to look up. "You could at least address me politely before starting in on demands."
    Dion sighed. "Hello, Ira, how are you? Now, where the hell is our mother?"
    "I have no idea. What do you want with her, anyway?"
    "Just tell her to stay the hell out of my life. I don’t need her meddling."
    "What do you think she’s done?"
    "I don’ t thin k she’s done anything. I kno w for a fact she’s done it, and I want her to butt out. I’m a grown-ass man, and unlike you, I don’t need my mommy butting into my life."
    Ira tapped a pencil on his desk and gritted his teeth. What he would give for just one shot at his little brother! Just one good old-fashioned right cross to the jaw! He took a deep breath, blew it out, and then said, "Fine, Dion. I’ll tell her that you came by."
    "Tell her I said back the fuck off!" With that, Dion disappeared from his brother’s office.
    "That went well," Ira said as he downed a glass of nectar. "I told you he’d know it was you."
    Aurora waved one hand in dismissal. "No, he only thinks he knows it’s me. This was a fishing expedition and he caught nothing."
    "Mother, you’re meddling and he’s going to find out the truth, then we’ll both be in for it. And frankly, I’m sick and tired of cleaning up after him."
    "Don’t worry yourself," she said and patted him on the head, "by the time he does figure it out, it’ll be too late. You and I will both have what we want." With that, she was gone, leaving Ira shaking his head.
    ~ * ~
    Dion strolled out of his office. He wa s no t getting emotional over the human he’d just hired as his assistant. And why had he done such a stupid thing, anyway? Hired her!
    What had he been thinking? His mother had to have meddled, because if she hadn’t, the alternative was too terrible to even think about! As he walked toward the elevator, he heard a voice calling to him.
    "Mr. Vine," Ms. Reed called. "Mr. Vine, please, you have appointments! Where are you going?"
    Dion ignored her and kept walking.
    "Mr. Vine! Stop and answer me," she demanded.
    Dion suddenly stopped and turned, "I’m sorry, Ms. Reed.