by Alina Jacobs
"This is such a nice park," Josie said in admiration. "I love how they have all the old locomotives and historic train cars displayed."
"My company built this park," I told her. "It was part of the deal for the last research center and factory expansion."
"Not to brag of course," she said.
When the kids had finished eating, only two plates were broken.
"Better than I thought," Josie said. The sweet scent of her bloomed in the sun, and we lay on the grass while the kids played. Her bare foot slowly rubbed against my ankle.
"Why don't you just build another park?" she asked sleepily against my chest.
"Hmm?"
"For the new factory and the meadow destruction."
"We floated the idea, but the city didn't seem to go for it," I explained. "Technically all the land outside of Harrogate is a greenbelt and a heritage area. I wanted to build there originally because of the freight line, the proximity to the hydroelectric plant, and the connection to the commuter rail line."
"Hmm," she said. I could tell she was spinning the problem over in her head.
"Don't worry about it," I told her. "Mayor Barry likes us. Says we're real men who build things. It will slide through eventually."
"Still, you don't want the bad publicity from the community," she said, frowning. I kissed her forehead to smooth down her features.
"I know," I said, stroking her hair. "We're trying to handle it delicately. Meghan isn't making it any easier."
"Garrett mentioned something about her and Hunter?" Josie asked, nestling against my chest.
I nodded. "They had a thing. It was the only time I've seen Hunter really happy. Then something happened. Now they have a new thing where they just try and make each other's lives as miserable as possible."
"It's time," Otis announced. The train whistle blew.
The park straddled the one remaining active freight line at the point where it came right down Main Street and turned to connect to the main line, and it was an impressive sight to be so close to the large machine.
The kids cheered as the train went by. But I was watching something else. Payslee. She was an apparition through the gaps in the train, watching us from the opposite side of the tracks. I was going to kill Hunter.
I obsessively head counted the kids as I ushered them to the bus. "We need to go. We need to go now."
37
Josie
I had wanted the outing to be perfect to distract me from the fact that Anke was back and couch surfing with Marnie. My friend was sure Anke had another scam brewing. I did talk Marnie out of contacting the FBI. I had just finally convinced one man to stop seeing me as a ditz. I didn't need a bunch of FBI agents looking at me like a dumb little girl.
But that particular man was tense on the bus ride back to the estate. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Mace's stony face.
Was he mad about the issue with the facility expansion? I understood why the residents didn't want any more large research facilities, Ida's lust for Bert notwithstanding. I liked taking Henry out into the meadow, and the trees were nice. I didn't want to see them go. But at the same time, PharmaTech had to grow and expand. There were people who counted on Mace's company for jobs. Business owners and restaurants in town would also benefit from new employees.
What absolutely could not happen was a bunch of bad press on how a big, bad pharma company was tearing up a heritage area. An important component of my gene therapy marketing push was tying this innovative method of disease treatment into a larger narrative about how PharmaTech had a holistic approach to health.
After we unpacked and situated the kids, there was a quiet moment, and I thought we were going to do the dirty chocolate kiss. But Mace remained tense. He wouldn't let the kids go outside, and he locked himself in the study with his older brothers.
Mace didn't seem in a better mood the next morning when we went to the office. It was like how I first met him, the tendon on his neck prominent, his back ramrod straight.
I kissed him on the front steps, hoping to bring back the tender man I had started to really like. Mace softened slightly and leaned into me.
A rumbling interrupted us. A flatbed truck drove up the drive with a shiny new car on the back.
"Finally," Mace said as the truck driver unloaded the car.
"Aww, and here I was going to have Remy drive the bus to work."
"Please," Mace said, signing the paperwork. "I am not a bus person."
"Of course! You're an expensive-car person," I joked.
"And you're an expensive-car-destroying person," he teased back.
As soon as the flatbed truck was out of sight, Mace pushed me against the side of the car for a heavy kiss. He slid his hand down my back and ran it over my chest, cupping my tits.
"You want to christen this car?" I gasped against him. His hand was hot through my panties, and my nipples were hard.
Before we could go much further, his phone rang. Mace cursed.
"I forgot I had a conference call," he said and answered. "Yeah just give me a moment." He looked at me critically, then he handed me the keys.
"You want me to drive your new car!" I said gleefully.
"Don't scratch it," he warned.
"Ooh," I said, running my hand over the glossy surface. "I've never driven a fresh car before."
I inhaled the new-car smell as I adjusted the seat.
Okay, Josie, I told myself. Nice and easy.
I pulled out slowly into the road. So far so good. Mace was looking down at his tablet, making notes as he talked into the phone.
I'm not going to scratch this car. I'm not going to scratch this car.
A car coming toward me swerved into my lane. I screamed and jerked the car.
"We're only two minutes from the house," Mace hissed, covering the mouthpiece.
I slowed to a crawl, and we crept into the Svensson PharmaTech parking lot ten minutes late.
"I would be mad if you weren't so freaking sexy," Mace said, pushing me back into the seat, his hand coming up my leg.
"I have a meeting," I gasped, as much as I wanted him to continue.
Ever since Mace gave me the reins on the marketing gene therapy rollout, I wasn't spending much time in the private office. Instead our team had commandeered several large conference rooms and had set up there.
"The notes on the sustainability research are in your inbox," Adrian said when he saw me. "Also, want any coffee?"
"But I thought you weren't supposed to be bringing coffee," I said with a grin.
"Mace said that we needed this launch to go off without a hitch. I'm embedded in the marketing team to get you all whatever you need: information, photos, resources… coffee."
"Yes, that would be lovely."
I was glad to be working on actual marketing again. What I was not glad about was Tara.
"Did you have a good weekend?" I asked her, trying to smooth the tension.
"I was working," she said, turning up her nose. "Unlike some people. You're going to ruin this marketing push. I can't believe they gave so much responsibility to someone with no experience."
"You had ample opportunity," I countered. "Mace chose me, not you. Now if you'll excuse me, we have a deadline to meet."
"You just slept your way up," she hissed.
I turned to her. "I don't sleep my way to get things."
"Yes, you do," she sneered. "You're living in his house, ingratiating yourself with his family. You don't care about him."
"You don't either," I shot back as she huffed out of the conference room.
"She's like this all the time," Willow said as she came in with a puffed-rice round.
"Why are you eating that?"
"It's all they have." She held the rice cake out to me.
I took a bite. "It's so gross."
"I wish they would get better food," Willow said, plucking the rice cake from me and tossing it in the trash can.
"We're ordering in fancy sa
ndwiches for lunch," I told her. "Garrett said I could have an expense account for this project. I can't work off toasted rice puffs."
We worked all morning, tossing ideas back and forth on the marketing. Though I had worked on a basic outline and graphic direction, there was more that had to be refined. Plus we had to write press releases, design, and brochures, and create content for a website associated specifically with the product.
I was starving by the time lunch was delivered.
"Okay, everyone, take a break," I announced. My team looked at me blankly.
"Tara didn't let us take breaks," one guy said after a moment.
"Tara's not here, and I say you need some time to refresh. Meet back in an hour, and be ready to go hard."
"They do have a nice campus," Willow remarked as we walked outside. The view was great, and it really would be a shame if Mace built another factory here. I took a bite of my bánh mì sandwich. The tang of the pork made my mouth water. The bread had just enough bite, and the pickled veggies were spicy but not too much. They had also added a hint of spicy aioli.
"Mmh," I said, taking another bite. "I think this is one of my new favorite foods."
"So," Willow said. "Did Mace stick his hand in your candy jar?"
"Stuck his whole face was more like it."
Willow shrieked and grabbed me, making me slosh my drink. There were other people outside enjoying the sunshine. I shushed her.
"Tara already suspects something," I said in a low voice. "I can't be that dumb, idiotic girl who sleeps with the boss. Everyone will think that's the reason Mace gave me this project."
"He gave you this project because you're good at marketing," Willow countered. "You've accomplished more in the last few days than Tara has in weeks."
"I just hope it goes well. This is a really tight deadline," I said, contemplating my sandwich.
"What's the matter?" Willow asked, petting my head. "You're living large. Isn't this everything you always wanted?"
I sighed again. "I guess." My phone dinged. I ignored it, then it rang. "It's Marnie."
"Put it on speaker," Willow insisted.
"Hey, Marnie!" Willow and I chorused.
"Hey, ladies." She sounded frazzled. Usually our friend was unflappable. She had to be to put up with Greg Svensson day in and day out as his secretary.
"Anke left," she said.
"Okay so…"
"She just disappeared in the middle of the night," Marnie explained.
"Good riddance!" Willow said.
"No, I—she didn't sound right. And she didn't look right either," Marnie said. "You know how she was always so put together? I think she owes a lot of money to people more dangerous than Josie. When people are in that position, they do rash things. She kept asking about Josie and her job. Just be on the lookout. I don't know where she was headed, but it might be your way."
"I doubt it's anything that serious," I said. "How much damage can she really do?"
Willow looked at me, incredulous.
"I know you don't want me to," Marnie said, "but it's time to go to the authorities."
"She sent me five thousand dollars!" I protested. "What if she's going to send the rest?" I had just scored this marketing project. I couldn't have the FBI poking around and tipping Mace off to how stupid I was.
Marnie sighed.
"Just, I think we're overreacting. I don't think she's dangerous," I said in a small voice.
"Famous last words," Marnie said.
38
Mace
I was waiting in the lobby that evening when Josie walked out. She yawned as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"How's everything going? Do you need anything? Are you going to make the deadline?" I asked as I took her laptop bag and let my hand drift down the curve of her hip.
"Of course!" Josie replied. "The only thing I need is fortification. I can't run on seaweed crackers and rice cakes."
"This isn't New York City, with bodegas open twenty-four, seven, but the big wholesale store outside of town is open late on weeknights," I told her.
"Good. I want candy."
This time I drove.
"No Henry today?" Josie asked.
"Garrett has him."
"I'm sure he really likes that!" Josie said, laughing.
I liked her. And I admired her. I had found this old love letter in the house a decade ago, when Hunter first bought it before it was cleaned out. Old Man Harrogate had written all these sappy love letters to someone. At the time I had scoffed, but now I wanted to write her poetry. But instead of a love note, my infatuation with Josie was making me go shopping with her.
I was starting to regret my decision at the store.
"I love shopping! I love clothes shopping and furniture shopping and craft supply shopping, but I really love food shopping!" Josie said as she skipped through the store. I followed behind, pushing an overflowing shopping cart.
"We can just have this all delivered," I told her as she threw more food into the cart.
"But grocery shopping is so much fun!" she exclaimed. "Look! You can buy a whole jar of peanut butter as big as your head and a giant container of marshmallow fluff."
"Who is going to eat all of this?" I exclaimed.
"You have a million brothers," she sniffed. "This is going to be gone in a week."
I surveyed the pile of food in a daze.
"I always wanted a huge family," she said as she directed me to put a giant can of nacho cheese and a big bag of chips in the cart. "With like a hundred kids. The best thing about it would be that you could buy these giant containers of food! My great-aunt would never let me do that."
"But it's all processed junk food," I protested.
"Everything in moderation. Besides, with the food co-op we belong to, there will be a ton of fresh veggies. I'm making ratatouille soon. Ernest says he's going to have eggplants here in another month."
"What food co-op?"
"Oh," she said, grinning. "One of Ida's friends runs it. I put the Svensson family down as members. I figured it would be a nice goodwill gesture with the community."
I looked at her in confusion.
"Because of your land deal," she prompted.
"I told you not to worry about that," I said, taking her in my arms.
"You've rubbed off on me. I'm worrying," she said.
"Just buy all of it," I said when we stood in front of the candy aisle along with a second cart that was quickly filling up.
"There are so many options!" Josie said. "I want them all."
I looked up at the shelves of candy. "Then you're going to be stuck in your tiny house with nothing but candy," I told her.
"I would be okay with that," she said after thinking a second.
"What if you put your factory somewhere else?" she asked as we pushed the carts to the front register. "Right now, you have to run a shuttle up to the research buildings."
"I can't move the factory anywhere else," I said.
"Why not? The train drives right through town. You could put the factory on one of those vacant lots," she suggested.
"We don't own a big enough lot in downtown. We have to have room to build a factory to produce medical devices along with lab space and data-processing buildings," I explained as I handed the clerk my credit card.
Josie winced at the total. "That's a lot of money."
"It's a lot of food."
"Maybe we should put some back," she said uncertainly.
"I refuse to go back in that store," I said, signing the receipt.
Josie argued with me about the factory location on the drive back to the estate house. I was tense and a little annoyed when we finally pulled up in front of the house. Josie looked at me guiltily.
"I didn't mean to make you aggravated," she said. "Actually, I was hoping you would loosen up or loosen me up, at least," she said, squeezing my bicep.
I rubbed my jaw.
"Not having second thoughts, are you?" She asked it flippant
ly, carefully.
"Never. Just, are you?" I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.
"Are you afraid of a sexual harassment lawsuit? I'm an adult professional," she said. "I don't let my feelings get in the way of my work. It's not like it's serious. We're not going to get married or anything. We can be adults, and you can stick your face in my candy jar, and I'll suck on your lollipop."
"I want more than to have you lick my lollipop," I said, staring at her hungrily. "I want to come in your candy jar."
39
Josie
Mace followed me into the kitchen, lugging the bags of food.
I could feel him watching me as I bent down.
"See something sweet you want to eat?" I asked, doing my best Jessica Rabbit pose with a bag of chocolate candy.
"Maybe," he said. He voice was deep, and his eyes were heavily lidded. I didn't know if I wanted him to go down on me or push me against the counter and fuck me, but having him stand there staring was messing up my equilibrium.
I opened the bag of chocolate and took out a few pieces.
"Or are you looking for dessert and a show?" I did my best impression of a sexy dance while holding a bag of chocolate.
Unwrapping a piece of the chocolate, I put it between my teeth and crooked a finger. Mace slowly came over and pressed our mouths together, taking it. It was heady.
"I knew you would taste good with chocolate all over you," I whispered against his mouth.
"You really make me crazy," he said. I could feel him hard through his pants.
Mace pulled at my shirt, undoing it. He pulled out a breast and sucked at the hard nipple, making me gasp. His hands slowly slid under my skirt.
"I love how wet you are," Mace rumbled in my ear as two fingers stroked me through my panties, making me moan.
"We should go to the tiny house," I gasped, pushing at him. "This kitchen is so amazing that if you fucked me here, I think I might just disintegrate from too much awesome at once."
"You think I'm awesome," Mace said, grinning against me then moving back up to kiss me hard.