Locked by the Alpha Male

“40 Under 40: Duke Miller - How did he rise through the ranks? How did he attain success at such a young age?”

I stare at the magazine cover while my palms sweat. I suppose it makes sense Duke would have a copy of this issue here—this is his office after all.

And soon, I’ll meet him for the first time.

This is my job interview, and I’ve been sitting in the lobby for nearly an hour already. He’s late.

But I’m sure that’s just because he’s so busy. A guy like him must be in meetings nonstop.

Most guys his age would be wrapping up their final year of college. They’d be partying and getting wasted on the weekends. Duke is different though. He founded an app development company several years ago, and it’s already become a household name. At this point, the company valuation is closing in on $1 billion.

And then there’s me.

I’m almost 50, I’ve been divorced for years, and my kids rarely call me. The last decade of my life has been humiliating. My wife left me for one of my old college buddies. It was a painful ordeal. He was someone I thought I could trust, but it turns out he was fucking my wife behind my back. I only found out after coming home from work early to find his thick, veiny cock embedded deep in her greasy pussy. It turns out they’ve been doing this for decades.

Part of me wants to have a paternity test done on my adult children, but I’m not sure I can handle the results.

I feel like such an idiot. I should’ve seen the signs.

But despite my imploding personal life, I’ve still managed to craft a successful career as a marketing executive. One of Duke’s recruiters contacted me online and said I’m exactly what his company is looking for. He gave some generous salary numbers—I would’ve been an idiot not to agree to an interview.

“Scott, sorry to keep you waiting. Duke is ready to see you now.” An older man enters the lobby.

His name is Ethan, and he’s the one who messaged me online. He works as one of Duke’s corporate recruiters, but he apparently has a background in finance. His thick glasses and gray hair certainly give him the appearance of a bean counter. He’s been kind to me though—almost excessively friendly. Something about him radiates an aura of trustworthiness. He seems to truly enjoy working here.

“Perfect, thanks.” I rise and nod at Ethan.

He ushers me into Duke’s office and closes the door, leaving me alone with the boss.

Behind a wide glass desk, a young man reclines in a leather chair. He doesn’t look up at me. Instead, his eyes are focused on the paper in his hands—my résumé.

“You’ve got an impressive background, Scott.” Duke looks up at me.

I freeze.

A pair of emerald-green eyes bore into my flesh with an aura of aggression. Manicured sandy blond hair shines under floor-to-ceiling windows at his rear. His honey-tan skin glows, giving him the appearance of a college boy who works as a lifeguard during the summers.

But his air of gravitas dispels any notion that he’s just a college bro.

A frown rests on his lips, drawing my eyes along his muscular jawline and up to his sharp nose. His bushy eyebrows are raised in a look of amusement. He radiates a sense of calm control that causes my anxiety to spike. He’s half my age, but he’s born for this role.

A natural leader…

“H-hello, Mr. Miller.” I approach his desk and take a seat.

“Please, you can call me Duke.” He tosses my resume on the desk. “Thank you for coming today.”

“Of course! This is a great opportunity. Your company has quite the reputation.”

“It’s been a wild ride, that’s for sure. Only a few years ago, it was just a startup. Now, we’re preparing to go public on the stock exchange.”

“It would be an honor to be a part of that!”

We launch into the interview, and my nervousness slowly fades. I explain my work and education history, highlighting my leadership roles. Things begin to take a weird turn though…

“So, you probably have a lot of money, right?” Duke folds his arms behind his head.

“Yeah, I do alright for myself.”

“A millionaire?”

“Um…yeah.” My cheeks flush slightly. What a weird question.

“Nice. I like to surround myself with success.” He rises from his seat and steps toward me. “Stand up.”

“W-what?”

“Stand up.” His voice grows annoyed.

“A-alright.”

I do as he says, standing before him. He’s a full head taller than I am, and his athletic physique bulges from his slim suit. He moves close and stares down at me, our chests nearly touching.

“Hm…you’re a bit small though.” His deep voice sends vibrations through the air.

“I…um…”

He reaches out, running his fingers through my hair while my entire body seizes up. His skin is hot. His nails rake against my scalp.

“W-what the fuck?!” I force the words out.

“What? You had some lint in your hair.” He drops a tiny ball of fuzz onto the floor.

“Oh, thanks…”

“Don’t mention it.” He pats me on the ass before returning to his seat.

My armpits are drenched with sweat. What he just did…that’s sexual harassment. Maybe he just meant to pat my back though. I might be overthinking this.

“Alright, Scott. I’ll have Ethan call if you receive the roll. Thanks for coming.”

We shake hands and exchange goodbyes before he leads me to the door. Back in the lobby, Ethan is waiting.

“Well, how’d it go?” His eyes are magnified behind his nerdy glasses.

“Good…I think.” I hesitate. “Hey, does Duke ever act…weird? He…um…touched my ass.”

“Oh!” A look of surprise flashes across Ethan’s face. “Don’t feel weird about it. That just comes with the territory when working for someone like him. He treats this place like it’s a sports team—a very familiar atmosphere. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

“That’s a relief.” I force out an awkward laugh.

But as I leave the office, a strange vibe hangs in the air.

There’s something odd about all this, but I’m not sure what.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve decided to hire someone else.” Ethan’s voice speaks through my phone.

“Oh…”