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She’d been formulating the plan in her mind for weeks, and it was finally time to set it in motion. She’d tried to be analytical, considering the idea from every possible angle, weighing the risks and benefits, but her impulsive side won out and decided one morning that it was time, fuck the consequences.
And she was sure there would be consequences. Given that the head of the network and a formerly-beloved Morning Show host had both recently been fired due to a scandal involving the latter’s inappropriate relations with his coworkers, she was at times hesitant to even consider her own inclinations.
But fuck it. She wanted this, it was of her own volition, and she’d handle the consequences later. This wasn’t Mitch assaulting someone or Fred covering it up. The man she was interested in had been caring, compassionate and charismatic, not to mention extremely attractive, and she knew he seemed interested in her as well. So she was doing it.
She knocked on the hotel door and was bowled over by a sudden wave of nerves that she hadn’t anticipated. Twirling her fingers through her brunette locks, she glanced away from the door, not wanting to make eye contact with him when he opened it. What if he was busy? Of course he was busy – he was the new president of UBA. What if –
“Well, good morning, Bradley Jackson!” Cory exclaimed, grinning widely as he swung open the door and looked her over (whether this was flirtatious or analytical was anyone’s guess). There wasn’t much to see. She was clothed in sweatpants and a ragged, wrinkly T-shirt from the pre-Morning Show era, before her friends had the means to open Barney’s for her late at night just so she could update her wardrobe.
“Hey,” Bradley said, her voice clipped as she smiled at him nervously. She was acting like a flustered schoolgirl, she realized, and she hated herself for it. If he noticed her weakness, her vulnerability, maybe he’d realize she wasn’t worth his interest and move on to something newer and more exciting. On the other hand, he’d held her hair back while she vomited up grilled cheese and sobbed into his shoulder, so he’d already seen her at her worst and hadn’t backed off. Cory cocked his head, narrowing his eyes and looking a bit worried.
“Everything okay?” he asked, a hint of concern in his tone. “Come in and sit down. You can have some cereal. Or, even better, I’ll cook eggs!” He grinned and gestured towards his room. The offer was tempting, but she had business to attend to. If she gave up now, she doubted she’d have the courage to try again. How did he do it? Everyone else had been so stressed by the situation that overturned UBA’s whole hierarchy, but he’d been upbeat and cheerful throughout. Nothing ever seemed to faze him.
“No,” she said, squaring up her shoulders and looking directly at him. He nodded, staring back into her eyes just as intently as he tried to figure her out. Good luck with that, she thought sarcastically. She couldn’t begin to figure out her own motivations right now.
“No’s fine too. So, did you just want to stand here? Enjoy this beautiful Saturday morning from the comfort of an immaculate hotel hallway?” She could almost feel the nervous energy radiating off of him, more anxious than excited for once. She’d discomfited him. So something could faze him. It was oddly reassuring to know that she had that power over him, that this network executive who was often cold and calculating had a weak spot. She wasn’t like him – she didn’t crave power for its own sake, only in terms of its ability to help her pursue the truth – but there was admittedly something heady about knowing she was the chink in this man’s seemingly unbreakable armor.
“No,” she said again, more firmly this time. “I have something to ask you. Instead of spending such a beautiful morning inside, let’s have that rain check now. Want to go out and ride a carousel, eat some terrible food, and do some incredibly stupid stuff?”
Well, that was that. He’d offered to do it initially, so she’d assumed he’d accept, but now she began to doubt herself. He had a ton to take care of right now, probably, more than she did when she’d initially declined his offer. She didn’t want things to be awkward between them, and she’d probably just made them awkward.
“Oh, Bradley Jackson, I thought you’d never ask! Let’s go!” As if he’d been expecting this (the confident bastard probably had been), he stepped out and closed his door behind him. She noticed now that he was already dressed and ready to go. He was even dressed a bit more casually than usual, dark jeans and a fitted tee and coat on in place of the weekday suits.
She’d expected him to accept, but hadn’t planned for him to be ready to leave immediately.
“Hold on a sec,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to go get dressed, then we can go.” He pouted comically but sprung over to stand next to her. Apparently he was tagging along to her room. That conjured up a few images, none of which were appropriate or relevant to the situation.
She wondered what this was to him. A fun outing with a friend? A way to relieve the stress of everything that had been and was still happening at UBA? A business meeting? Or something a bit more meaningful than any of those? She hoped for the latter, as it was getting more and more difficult to view her interactions with him outside of work in a strictly professional lens. She hadn’t taken to anyone else like she had to him. There was the group of girls who supported her, like Claire, and they were quickly becoming strong friends. She didn’t know what she had with Alex – it varied from minute to minute – but they ultimately had the potential to become close.
None of it compared to her relationship with Cory, however. She’d felt indebted to him at first for giving her a chance and seeing something in her that no one else had (and that she often questioned the existence of), but in time that had faded and been replaced by a strong bond, equal parts flirtatious and trusting. He was the only one she trusted fully, and he was vulnerable with her in ways that he never was with anyone else. To the rest of the world, he was the whip smart, slightly manic businessman, but he’d shown her his compassionate, caring side. He’d gone out of his way to look out for her as they executed their plot to take Fred down and had even asked if she really wanted to go through with it when she knew he wanted nothing more. And she’d certainly been vulnerable with him, she thought, thinking again of that night when she’d stumbled drunkenly into his arms.
Talking about arms, right now he was offering his arm to her jovially, and she decided that she’d think more about this later. She’d always been a fan of living in the moment, after all. She tucked her arm into his, and he swung them together and smiled as they walked up to her room.
She stepped out of her bedroom to find him lazing on her sofa, texting someone or other. She wondered who. He was always on his phone when he wasn’t speaking with someone (or when he was speaking with someone, if he didn’t care much for them). He looked up, glanced over her body in a way that was almost certainly flirtatious this time, and grinned. Throwing his phone in his pocket, he stood up.
“Looking good, Bradley Jackson,” he said. She laughed.
“It’s just a T-shirt and jeans like you’re wearing. Not the fancy wardrobe we spent $30,000 on at Barneys.” The T-shirt featured an album cover from a band she liked, one that she still listened to on the way to work.
“You look good with or without a fancy wardrobe,” he replied. Apparently they were openly flirting now. Bradley decided she didn’t mind that one bit.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “Now, let’s hurry up before the line gets too long. Plus I’m hungry.”
Cory jumped off the couch and opened the door for her. She stepped through and locked it after he followed behind her. Taking his arm again, they strode downstairs and onto the street.
“Want to walk there?” she asked, pretty sure she knew the answer already.
"Do you even know me?” he asked, mock offended. “Of course I do! I may be a rich asshole, but I’m not a lazy rich asshole.”
“Still haven’t gotten used to the whole rich asshole thing myself,” she said. “Well, the asshole part isn’t new, but the rich thing is.” She really hadn’t gotten used to it. Her gigantic contract still seemed unreal to her, although her rapidly ballooning bank account was proof that it was very much real. She still looked for deals when she was buying stuff online, despite the fact that she had enough to buy thousands of whatever she was purchasing at full price.
“Did you know that I still clip coupons?” she asked Cory, and he laughed.
“Talking about cheap stuff, how does some greasy street food funnel cake sound?” he suggested, pointing out a funnel cake stand half a block down. It looked heavenly, particularly since she was starving.
“That sounds wonderful,” she replied, her mouth starting to water. “Did you know that that was one of the things I’ve always wanted to try in New York? I’ve eaten street food burgers, pizza, and those little cups of nuts, but I’ve never had a good funnel cake.”
“Well,” Cory said, “let me treat you to some of Manhattan’s finest culinary delights then.” He went over to order a funnel cake, and Bradley hung out nearby. Luckily, they were both up early enough that there wasn’t a line, and he came back with a glorious-looking funnel cake a minute later.
They crossed the street into Central Park and located an empty bench. Cory sprawled over half of it, placing the cake in the middle of the bench. Bradley sat down on the other end.
“You know, I honestly prefer street food over the expensive meals I get at our endless business meetings,” Cory pondered. “There’s just something authentic about it, like with you. Fancy restaurants display their food nicely, label it with obscure but captivating names, and charge you ridiculous amounts for it, and it’s not always even that good. Street food, on the other hand, is real. It’s American, it’s unhealthy, and it’s downright delectable.”
“Are you trying to say that I’m American, unhealthy, and downright delectable?” she asked teasingly. He chuckled.
“Well, yes to the first, no to the second, and yes to the third.” His eyes danced with amusement as he watched her process his response, and he smirked when she got it. He was really doing this. Well, two could play at this game.
“How do you even eat this stuff?” she asked, pointing to the funnel cake that lay between them. His jaw dropped.
“Wait, did you mean that you’d never had New York funnel cake before or that you’d never had any funnel cake before?”
Of course she’d had funnel cake before, but that was irrelevant to this conversation.
“This is my first time ever having funnel cake,” she lied. He chuckled.
“Well, in that case, watch and learn, Bradley Jackson. It’s not hard. Just tear a piece off, pop it into your mouth, try not to get too much sugar on yourself, and chew. And swallow, of course. Possibly the most important part of eating.”
“Oh, I always swallow,” she murmured. His eyes widened slightly, and she resisted the urge to grin. If there had ever been any doubt that he was attracted to her, today had dispelled that notion.
She grabbed a piece of the funnel cake and chewed it, then slowly wrapped her mouth around each of her fingers and swirled her tongue around them to get every last bit of sugar off. She looked up to see him watching her lips hungrily. He noticed her looking at him, but his eyes didn’t move away until she’d finished cleaning every digit. God, his confidence was intoxicating.
They ate the rest of their funnel cake in a state of bliss. No wonder he’d chosen it for breakfast. It was messy yet wonderful. Once they were too full to keep stuffing themselves, they tossed the rest of the cake and stood up.
“Well then, what do you say we go ride the carousel and try not to vomit up all that funnel cake?” he asked giddily, bouncing on his heels.
“You’re like a kid with a sugar rush,” Bradley giggled. She hadn’t had this much fun in ages. She usually spent her weekends working on new material for the show nowadays, and she was starting to realize that that was a mistake. Cory saw the fun in life in a way that most people in her orbit didn’t, and it was oddly addictive.
“Hey, I take offense to that. I’m like an adult with a sugar rush,” he said as they walked towards the carousel.
“You don’t think you’re just a bit child-like at times?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not at all. Humanity’s just convinced you that being an adult means not ever having fun or loving life, and that’s a notion I don’t believe in. If you combine the freedom of adulthood with the joy of childhood, you’ll live your best life. Like right now we don’t have to go ask our moms if we can ride that carousel. We just get to do it!”
“And we get to pay for it,” Bradley reminded him, pointing to the sign stating that carousel rides cost $3.25 per person.
He scoffed. “You make more than that in the time it takes you to brush your teeth in the mornings.” He probably wasn’t wrong, she realized, although she wasn’t in the headspace to do that sort of mental math right now.
Despite them both making more than enough for a carousel ride, Cory paid for both their tickets. The ticket salesperson seemed unfazed by two grown-ass adults buying tickets for a carousel, but Bradley figured they probably saw a lot of weird shit in Central Park.
They stepped onto the carousel as swarms of kids flowed around them. A few other pairs of childless adults – likely couples – were boarding the ride as well. Bradley looked around at the horses and found a gorgeous gray one that she gravitated towards.
“Which one will be your noble steed?” she asked Cory. He jumped up on the horse next to hers.
“I’m going with this one,” he said. She laughed, not because what he’d said was funny but because she felt overjoyed to just be spending a day with him free of the constraints of work and the heavy atmosphere that overshadowed all of their actions at UBA. Cory watched her and smiled, naked affection visible in his gaze.
“I like you, Bradley Jackson,” Cory said, unprompted. Bradley opened her mouth to reply, but the ride started moving before she could say anything. She focused on staying on top of her horse and not falling ungracefully onto a child. She doubted Cory would care for her much after that.
They’d ridden the carousel three times before deciding it was enough. Cory had stumbled off his horse and nearly hurled his breakfast into a bush, and Bradley had had to run after him. After he’d overcome the initial wave of nausea, she’d led him to a bench and sat next to him, rubbing his back as he curled into himself with his head between his knees, taking deep breaths.
“Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea,” Bradley said. Cory was too out of it to reply coherently, but he nodded.
She continued stroking her hand comfortingly in circles along his back as he regained his composure. His breathing returned to a more normal pace, and she lifted her hand up.
“You don’t have to stop,” he muttered, barely audible. Unsure she’d heard him correctly, she hesitated. “I liked it,” he said a bit louder, lifting his head up so he could look at her. “If you want, of course. If you don’t want any of this, just tell me and we’ll stop. You know that, right? Whatever this thing is, whatever today was, it’s all up to you.”
“I know,” she responded quietly, smiling gently at him. He still looked a bit weak from the earlier nausea. He seemed vulnerable like this. She supposed he always had a vulnerable side, but it was so totally veiled by his confidence and charisma that no one ever got to see it. It felt reassuring in a way, seeing that even he was ultimately just human.
She placed her hand on his back again, idly rubbing patterns into it. He sighed happily and shifted closer to her. He eventually settled his head on her shoulder, resting against her side. They sat there for a while in comfortable silence, a stark contrast from earlier. Apparently a bout of nausea could calm even Cory down.
Not for long, though. After a few minutes, Cory jerked his head up and watched her intently. She looked back, trying to read his mind.
“I’d really like to kiss you right now,” he said. “However, that wouldn’t work out well given that we’re surrounded by people who’d just love to portray me as another Mitch Kessler. I propose that we go back to my hotel room, cook some grilled cheese, and make out.”
“Such a romantic,” Bradley said, laughing. “I like that plan. You good to walk?” She stood up and offered him her hands to help him stand up.
“Oh, I’ve been good for a while. I just really like backrubs,” Cory said, grinning. She rolled her eyes but still offered him her hands. The bastard.
He was oddly hesitant to do anything once they got back to his place. He took his coat and shoes off then mentioned something about making grilled cheese.
“Fuck it, I’ve been wanting to do this for ages,” Bradley said. Cory turned around to see what she was talking about, and she slammed him into a wall, kissing him eagerly. He froze for half a second before kissing back, lips moving against hers greedily.
“You’re eager,” he murmured, stopping the kiss so he could start nibbling her ear. She gasped, and he chuckled.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” she murmured. “Ever since I first met you honestly. You said you only slept with women you were attracted to, and I was thinking that I’d really like to fuck you right then. Then I got to know you better and wanted it even more.”
Cory laughed again, breath tickling her ear. “Why do you think I brought that up? I wanted you too. Just was waiting to see if you felt the same way.”
“I do,” Bradley responded, then shut up him by turning his face back towards hers and kissing it hard. She opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss, and he happily accepted. Their tongues danced against each other. His was thin and agile, like a snake, and it was absolutely intoxicating.
They stayed wrapped up in each other like that for a while until Bradley broke the kiss to gasp for breath. Cory was just as out of it. She looked up at him and couldn’t glance away. His eyes were nearly black pits, drawing her in and never letting her go. She’d never seem him like this before, and she wanted to completely unravel him.
“Did you just want to make out or did you want to sleep together?” Cory asked, ever the gentleman even as she could see him struggling to maintain control over himself. His hands clutched her hips tightly, clenching and unclenching as if he wanted to pull her against him.
“I very much want to sleep together,” she responded, and he grinned.
“Good. Because I could have stopped but really would prefer not to. In fact, I’d like to fuck you into that mattress right now.”
In response, Bradley grabbed his hand and drug him into his bedroom. It was neat and perfect, and she planned to make it an absolute mess. She sprawled out onto the bed, posing in what was hopefully a sexually-appealing way. His gaze, sweeping up and down her body hungrily, was proof that it was.
Cory ripped off his shirt haphazardly, throwing it to the side. Bradley did the same (albeit a bit more cautiously, as she really liked that shirt). He laid down on the bed next to her and reached a hand out towards one of her breasts curiously, as if seeking permission to touch her. She nodded, and he stroked it gingerly. Hearing her moan, he grinned and got more confident, kneading it between his fingers. He leaned down towards her chest and pulled the bra cup out of the way, sucking her nipple in between his teeth.
“Oh god!” she cried out. He chuckled, warm breath drifting over her nipple and causing it to peak up even more.
“It’s not God, Bradley. It’s Cory,” he murmured against her. She would have rolled her eyes again if she had the composure to. Instead, she rolled her whole body on top of his and returned the favor, licking near one of his own nipples. His breathing quickly got more ragged. She ventured closer to the fleshy bud, finally taking it into her mouth, and he let out a deep, delicious moan.
“No more snarky remarks, huh?” she asked him, smirking. He groaned wordlessly in response. She kissed her way up to his throat, nibbling his clavicle, and she grinned into his skin as his breathing got more and more heated.
“Bradley, if you keep this up I’m not going to last the whole time,” he said, chuckling. “You may think I act like a child, but I’m definitely not one anymore.”
Fair point – neither was she. She pulled back and let him take charge. He rolled them back over so they were both on their sides then reached behind her and unclasped her bra single handedly. She lifted her body up and he pulled it down, fingers stroking along her arm as it came off. He threw it off to the side somewhere, focused more on looking at her.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, amazed. “Like a bright, brilliant, unpredictable fire burning through everything in its pursuit of the truth. You’re chaotic and crazy and I just love it.”
And I love you. The words hung in the air, and Bradley knew they’d be addressed at another time.
She wasn’t as much of a wordsmith as he was, preferring facts over eloquent wordplay, so she responded through actions.
Leaning over, she gently kissed him, their lips moving together gingerly, conveying unspoken feelings in the spaces between breaths. His hands clutched at her, pulling her against him. One trailed further and further down her side, reaching her waist. Without breaking the kiss, he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled the zipper down, then slid them off her hips. She kicked them off, kicking his legs in the process, and she felt him giddily laugh into her mouth.
In retaliation, she removed his jeans, managing to slide them part of the way down. He yanked them off in one smooth movement then returned his hands to her hips. Now that they were mostly unclothed, he took over, shifting so that he rested above her. One of his hands slid back to her waist, and his fingers moved eagerly to the spot she'd been yearning for him to touch. She jerked up into him, moaning loudly as she brushed against him.
“Oh god, Bradley, you’re so wet,” he moaned.
“Not God, Cory,” she replied, smirking. “Bradley.”
“I’m going to fuck you up for that,” he said, laughing breathlessly. “And by that, I mean I’m literally going to fuck you.” He quickly discarded both of their underthings and settled himself between her legs, kissing her again as he guided himself into her.
She didn’t take long to get comfortable, considering it hadn’t been that long since she’d fucked the bartender, and she quickly started moving against him. He responded in turn, bracing himself with one hand as he thrust into her repeatedly. His other hand slipped down to her clit, fingering it in time with his thrusts.
He certainly knew how to fuck. Bradley’s fingers dug into his back, clutching his shoulders as their pace grew more and more frantic. She clung onto him, hanging on for dear life as she reached her peak and cried out his name. A few seconds later, he followed her over the edge, moaning wordlessly. They held onto each other as they rolled over. He pulled out of her and laid down on the bed, sweaty and out of breath and absolutely gorgeous. She rested her head on his chest, smiling into his skin. One of his arms curled around her.
They laid there for a while peacefully. She glanced up at his face, intending to say something, then grinned when she saw that he was knocked out cold. Men were different in so many ways, but in a few ways they were all so similar. Deciding she was okay with that, she curled up in his arms again, drifting into a deep and dreamless slumber.
She woke up cradled against an unfamiliar body, but didn’t immediately feel the urge to push it away, so she figured she was safe. She groaned blearily and opened her eyes to see the smiling face of Cory Ellison watching her. He looked wide awake.
“Good afternoon,” he said softly. She smiled back, still half asleep.
“Hi,” she responded. She shut her eyes again, intending to fall back asleep on his chest. He laughed a bit too loudly and slid out from underneath her.
“Hey. You’re my pillow,” she moaned. He laughed louder at that.
“Well, your pillow has stuff to take care of today, unfortunately. No rest for the wicked, right?”
“You’re not wicked,” she mumbled. “You’re just a cocky bastard. Do you really have to go work right now?”
“Who said anything about work?” he asked, strolling out the door and walking back in with a pan. “I meant that I need to cook us lunch. After that, I got some wonderful seats for Hamilton. How’s that sound?”
“That sounds amazing,” she said, truly meaning it. He flashed a toothy grin back at her and wandered off to start cooking them lunch.
There was a lot they had yet to figure out about this new relationship, and she knew HR would have something to say about it, but, for the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful for the future.