Page 14

Chapter fourteen

“ H onestly, Vic, where’s your head?” asked Paris. It was Sunday morning, and Paris had finally calmed herself enough to agree to meet with him in person. Mya and Chase were also present as they discussed the mess they’d made and how to clean it up. “You have the nerve to talk to me about Tom, yet you run off and screw Angela?” They’d booked a meeting room at Sense of Adventure to stay on universal grounds. Vic was seated at the table, while Paris was standing just inside the door with her hands on her hips as she unleashed her disappointment on him.

Mya walked toward Paris and gave her a look to tell her to tone it down. Paris bit her lip and gave a brief, nearly imperceptible nod to her friend.

Chase stood, raising his palms in the air, and said, “We’re not getting anywhere by pointing fingers. This isn't about Vic sleeping with Angela or Paris diddling Tom. This is about your future with the company. You need to look at this from the perspective that Vic overslept and missed an important appointment. The board doesn’t know you’re sleeping with Tom or Angela, and there’s no need to mention it,” he warned.

“I agree,” stated Mya. “We need to get through tomorrow's meeting without further blowing up this situation. What the board doesn't know won't hurt you two, right?”

Paris nodded her head. “Yeah, but what if they know? What if someone informed them?”

In response, Mya replied, “Do you believe these relationships are genuine? If you do, then there’s nothing to worry about. It isn't like you haven't dated others within the company before. ADG has never had a policy regarding interoffice relations, since obviously, the key players are married and best friends.”

Nodding again, Paris agreed with her. Vic continued to stare at them and say nothing. He felt like an idiot on so many levels. He raked his fingers through the waves of his short, brown hair. Paris had every right to be angry, but at the same time, he was frustrated with her response. As he sat quietly seething, he realized her rejection was the driving force behind his behavior. With yet another epiphany, he recognized that no one had ever rejected him before.

Vic sat and stared back at Paris as she tried to keep calm. Something about her anger stirred further desire within him, but he had to find a way to let it go. He needed to back off and accept that she was not interested in him. He knew that for them to make it within the company; they had to find a way to level the playing field and diffuse their angry feelings.

Paris paced back and forth. Her anger was directed at the wrong situation. Vic had seen her with another man, and it wasn’t something she took lightly. She knew he was not one to show up late, but his decision to sleep with Angela had gotten in the way of his work and then he had barged into her apartment unannounced, putting her in a highly uncomfortable and compromised position. “What do you think will happen in tomorrow's meeting?” she asked Chase and Mya.

Chase stepped forward. “I’m pretty sure we’re looking at a major demotion. This isn't some small client. We’re talking big bucks on the line.”

“He's right. Prepare yourselves for the worst. If they don't demote you, I’ll be shocked,” said Mya. “I’d also wager a change in housing.”

Vic’s eyes dropped to the floor as he shook his head. “Paris, for what it's worth, I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back and erase it for both of us. Please forgive me.” He hated asking for forgiveness, but he knew it was necessary.

“There’s nothing we can do to change what's already done,” she replied. At this point, she was more concerned about the consequences coming on Monday.

Monday morning, Vic and his peers arrived early to the boardroom. He wanted to show timeliness in light of his prior indiscretion. Try as he might, he couldn’t wrap his head around how he’d missed his alarm. He wanted the board to arrive so they could be handed their punishment and move on from the humiliating events of the prior week. Looking at Paris, he ascertained her mutual feelings toward the matter. Lucky for them, the seniors arrived early as well.

“Good morning,” said Jessamine. “We seem to have hit a little roadblock.”

Cutting to the chase, Mikel said, “Vic, would you mind explaining why you were late for the meeting last Friday morning?”

“Sir,” said Vic, “I have no excuse. I don't know if I forgot to set my alarm or what, but my actions were unacceptable. I’m ready to accept the consequences.”

“You’re always prompt,” said Dom. “We raised you to be early. Knowing this isn’t you, even at your worst, we’ve agreed on a suitable response to your misstep. We’re moving you and Paris back into the first apartment you previously shared. Mya and Chase, you’ll go with them to individual apartments on the same floor so you may maintain close contact while they reflect on what it means to be a professional working at ADG.”

“Please, sir,” appealed Vic, “don't punish everyone else for my mistake.”

“Vic, dear,” replied Jessamine, “you need to learn that in a company such as ADG, everyone must work together. Everyone has their part. Your success is their success and vice versa.” True to her nature, Jessamine’s voice was nothing short of empathetic. “The four of you are a team. I believe in you.”

“Now, go on,” said Nicola. “We know you have what it takes, but you need to find it within yourselves.”

The board waited for them to leave. Paris led the foursome out into the hall and shut the door behind them.

Once the kids had gone, Nicola looked at her partners. “What's happened to them? Why have they stopped working together again?”

“I don't know,” replied Dom. “Something’s been off ever since they went to the cabin. At first, I thought they were in better spirits upon their return, but that's not the case at all. We’ve seen a steady decline.”

“Should we have some other employees keep tabs on them?” asked Jessamine.

Mikel shook his head. “Let's wait it out. We already have their coworkers watching for improper conduct within Sense of Adventure. I think if something’s going on, it’ll come to light sooner than later.”

“Has anyone else reported issues?” asked Cristo.

“No. The only reports we’ve been receiving are those that come from Chase and Mya directly. If they know something, they aren't letting on,” stated Mikel.

“Do we need to sit Mya and Chase down to discuss this further?” asked Nicola.

“Look at it this way,” said Mikel, “if they aren't telling us, that means they’re maintaining at least some form of cohesion. They need to protect their own. We want them to protect each other. They’ll work it out. Do we agree?” he asked the group.

Everyone nodded in response. Mikel was right. If Chase and Mya were still on their team, then at least something was going right.

“All we can do is wait and see what happens this week,” said Dom. “I'm hoping there will be an improvement. I’d hate to have to send them back to the bottom again with so little time left. Either way, we’ve seen some positive changes thus far. They’re at least halfway to where we want them.”

“Sometimes, you need to take a couple of tumbles before your feet are firmly planted on the ground,” replied Mikel.

Walking into her office after the board meeting, Paris was greeted by a lovely scent. One dozen white roses were sitting in a vase on her desk. Snatching the envelope from its holder, she gently coaxed it open, being careful not to tear it. The note was simple and set her heart aflutter. Thinking of you and the wonderful time we had. Yours, Tom. Leaning in, she took a deep breath. How she loved the smell of roses. It seemed the man was smitten with her.

As the week progressed, Paris received several other reminders of Tom's affections. A voicemail saying how he was sorry about his last-minute meeting and having to pull out of lunch, but that he missed their alone time and would make it up to her. A quick note on her desk said how he was thinking of her. A box of chocolates sent to her condo with a note saying he would be out of town Friday night but would like her to come over Saturday when he returned. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Would he really make such gestures if he didn’t like her?

Vic's week progressed smoothly, aside from him and Paris trying to stay out of each other's way within their not nearly large enough apartment. They were not mean to each other but still spoke few words. He could tell Paris was angry that they were once again stuck in the same place, but they both knew it was a mild price for Vic’s mistake from the prior week. Most frustrating was that the construction still jolted them awake at six each morning.

Vic tried to quell his anger regarding Paris, still seeing Tom. Unlike Paris and Tom, who seemed to want to become even closer, Vic was doing his best to keep his distance from Angela. He nearly succeeded.

Thursday evening, as Vic returned to his office from a client meeting, he found the door unexpectedly closed. Swinging it open, he peered inside. Someone was sitting in his chair with their back to him.

“Hello?” he called out.

“Hello, yourself,” replied the all too familiar silky feminine voice. Stepping inside, Vic shut the door behind him.

“What are you doing here, Angela?” She spun the chair around to face him, and his jaw dropped.

She was wearing only a black low-cut silk and lace slip. Her breasts were nearly busting out of the top. Vic instantly felt a tightening in his groin. Lord, how he wished his body wouldn't betray him.

“You aren't happy to see me?” she asked with a fake pout.

“I—”

“Be a lamb and lock the door, won't you?”

“I really don't think this is a good idea.”

Standing, she let one strap slip from her shoulder, exposing more of her chest. “Oh, clumsy me,” she purred and then slowly slipped the second strap off, allowing her negligée to slide to the floor. She stood in front of him in nothing but a lace thong, ready and waiting for him to make a move. In one quick motion, he locked the door and closed the space between them. Picking her up, he sat her on his desk and ripped her panties off. Unbuckling his belt, he yanked at the closure to his khakis, and let them drop to the floor.

“Commando? I love it!” squealed Angela.

Vic, reaching up, took one finger and placed it over her lips to tell her to keep quiet, and then grabbing her waist, he urgently pulled her toward him.

It was nearly closing time when Mya arrived outside Vic's door. As she reached out her hand to knock, she heard the sound of a rhythmic thumping emitting from the room. Taking a step back, she paused. If she had any doubts as to what was going on, they were put to rest when she heard a woman's voice squeal, “Oh yes, Vic!” She knew the voice and instantly backed further away, but as the moment lengthened, so did the noise, and it became clear to the few employees nearby that something scandalous was happening.

No one would say that Vic and Angela had been bumping uglies at work because no one saw Angela leave his office. Everyone, including Mya, had cleared out by the time they emerged. Angela was safe and anyone who heard them would place complete blame on Vic. Vic, after all, was the one being scrutinized on his every move.

Mya was appalled by Vic's behavior, but at the same time, felt sorry for the idiot. She was certain Angela was out to sabotage him, though she really had no proof. All she knew was that Angela had never been the type to stick a single toe out of line at work. She never showed her sexuality, and she hadn’t previously been the type to pursue her coworkers. To add to the situation, she recently had made drastic changes to her clothing style. Something was definitely off.

Word quickly got around about the late afternoon rendezvous that happened inside Vic's office. It was midday Friday when his parents caught wind of his indiscretion. Any other company would have fired an employee for such misconduct, but ADG was not any other company. It took the board all weekend to decide how to handle the unfortunate event. Vic's parents were mortified and canceled all weekend plans with him. His morale took a massive hit. He sat in his apartment and drank whiskey on the rocks, trying not to think about the deep hole he’d dug himself into. If he thought he’d been at rock bottom previously, he was sadly mistaken.

Paris heard from Mya about Vic and Angela on Friday night. She was so angry; she had to force herself to leave the apartment so she wouldn’t strangle him in his sleep. Saturday afternoon, she missed a call from Tom, who canceled their evening plans because of something that came up. The weekend felt like a bust.

Saturday night, Cristo asked Mya to go on a date. He had yet another client dinner, which she had no desire to attend, but she felt she had no choice due to his volatile state. At the end of the evening, he demanded he be allowed to walk her to her apartment and come in for a nightcap. She complied, though she felt it was completely unnecessary. Leaning in, he tried to kiss her, and she pushed him away.

“You will comply with my requests,” he declared, “or I’ll make sure your dirty little secret gets out.” The game was on.

Mya nodded her understanding. She didn’t want to give in to him, but she didn’t want to make a scene either. He didn’t press her further but instead swatted her on the butt and turned to walk away. She was left standing there feeling helpless. She knew the situation would be continued at a later date. She’d wait in anticipation, but her anxiety was piqued, still not knowing where they were headed.