by Jordyn White
Probably nothing’s wrong and I’m fussing over nothing. It was late so he was probably just tired. But I’ll feel better after I talk to him anyway.
One of my fellow banquet workers, a leggy brunette who I tend to avoid due to her penchant for gossip and drama, comes into the room and leans her hip against the counter.
“Crazy day, huh?” she asks.
Her tone feels like gossip bait, which is doubly likely since she has no reason to be in here. She’s supposed to be taking inventory of the linens. I don’t want to encourage her, so I stay focused on bringing the next few stacks of salad plates down from the cupboard. “Yeah, nothing crazier than counting plates.”
“So you didn’t hear then, did you?”
Yep. Called it.
Before I can stop her from going any further, she says, “Mr. Rivers is getting sued.”
I turn toward her, forgetting my plan to not take her bait. “Which one? Not Rayce.”
She nods.
What? How would I not know about this? And what on earth would he be getting sued for? She’s gotta be full of crap.
“Huh,” I say, reaching for the next stack. I’m hoping she’ll take the hint that I don’t want to talk to her, but she just keeps going.
“The paper said it’s for wrongful termination. He was having an affair with an employee and fired her when he was done with her.”
I tried to carefully set the plates on the counter, but I must not be as steady as I thought because there’s a jarring clatter. Chills crawl down the back of my legs. I tell myself not to pay any attention to her gossip, but what in the hell? This can’t be right.
I glance at her sideways and her face lights up, pleased to have my attention now. “But that’s not the worst of it. Apparently it might be more.” She leans in and lowers her voice. “Sexual harassment.”
I start shaking my head. No. He wouldn’t do that.
“Can you believe that?”
“No,” I say flatly. But in spite of myself, my mind is turning on all gears, trying to sort out exactly what she’s said. “Wait, did it say he’s getting sued for sexual harassment or not?”
“Just for wrongful termination, but she hinted there might be more.”
“Who’s ‘she’?” Then a ripple of relief breaks up the tightness in my chest. “Is this that stupid gossip columnist? Because if it is, it probably isn’t even true.”
She shrugs. “Some of the stuff in there is true and I know that for fact.”
Sure she does.
“So it is the gossip columnist.”
She confirms with a nod.
“Then we don’t know if it’s true and we shouldn’t be spreading rumors,” I say pointedly.
She straightens and frowns at me, her feathers ruffled. “I’m not spreading rumors. This is in the paper. And I’m not saying he did it. I mean, how do I know? But people can surprise you and there have been rumors about him. Though, I have to say, he’s never done anything like that to me.” She gives me a shrewd look. “Has he ever done anything like that to you?”
Why do I get the feeling she knows something? Then I remember how obvious he was acting when I got cut and wonder if I’m part of the rumors flying around right now.
“No,” I answer firmly, so as not to leave any doubt in her mind. Yes, we’ve been sleeping together, but it wasn’t sexual harassment so it’s not what she’s asking about.
Right?
“Yeah, me either,” she says again, unnecessarily. “He’s always super professional. Like, aloof. Even when I’ve tried flirting with him.”
“You’ve flirted with him?”
She waves a hand in dismissal. “Not that seriously. And everyone flirts with him a little. Who can help it?” She nudges me with her elbow and gives me an annoying smile. “I’ll bet you have too, even if you won’t admit it.”
My cheeks start to burn.
“But, you know, a year or two ago, I can’t remember how long, there were a lot of rumors about him then. Not for sexual harassment, but that he was sleeping with some employees here, including that Taylor girl who worked in banquet. She’s the one suing him. I didn’t really know her that well, but I have to say, she was always screwing up and then looking to blame somebody else. I wasn’t surprised when she was let go.”
She gives a self-important tisk, then goes on.
“But she wasn’t the only one. There was talk about him and a girl who used to work in housekeeping. Oh and another one about someone from the spa. So maybe the wrongful termination part is right because none of those girls work here anymore.”
I blink at this astonishing report. I shouldn’t be talking to her about any of this, but I can’t stop now. “You really think he’d do something like that?”
“You never know about these things, right? Maybe he was taking advantage. Couldn’t be hard. I mean, look at him. He’s a god. What woman doesn’t want to drop her panties just at the sight of him? A man like that can have anyone he wants, and if he ever decided he wanted an employee, well he probably got it.”
A familiar dread settles over my shoulders, just like before.
But no. Rayce isn’t Chad. He hasn’t been sleeping with employees then tossing them out when he was finished. He couldn’t.
“And you know what else?”
But I’ve heard enough. “Look, none of this is my business. I just want to do my job, okay?”
I lean closer to the plates and tick my finger on the edge of each one, working up the pile. As if I have the wherewithal to actually be able to count anything right now.
I ignore the huff she tosses in my direction and straighten when she leaves the room, not seeing the plates or anything else that’s in front of me.
I press my palms to my eyes.
The dread that’s been draped over my skin starts to settle deeper into my body. Every objection Aaron and Pierce have had about him echo through my head. ‘Men who hide their relationships cannot be trusted,’ Pierce has said.
But he doesn’t know Rayce.
But... do I? There have been rumors about him for years.
What if I’ve been played again? What if this whole time I thought I was something different, but I really wasn’t?
I shake my head firmly and try to get a hold of myself.
“This is ridiculous,” I say aloud.
The whole thing is probably just made up. Gossip rag trash passed on by a gossipy bitch.
Leaving my unfinished work behind, I march toward the door. I’m not giving thought to one more word of this until I talk to Rayce myself.
I grab my phone out of my locker before I head down and see I’ve missed several calls from him, as well as a text. We need to talk. Come to my office. This does not help.
I tell myself it’s nothing. All lies. He doesn’t make a habit of sleeping with employees. He wouldn’t. I just need to calm down. But in spite of all my stern self-talk, dread is churning in my stomach the whole way down to his office.
It doesn’t help matters any when, as I’m approaching his open door, Ms. Rivers comes out of her office and stops abruptly when she sees me. We’ve only crossed paths a few times but I was impressed when she remembered my name the second time; other employees have since remarked on her incredible memory for names.
She blinks at me, then tosses a scowl in the direction of Rayce’s office and walks on. Okay, this is starting to feel bad. Very, very bad.
I slowly approach his doorway, not sure what to think or what to do. I’m not sure I want to know what comes next. If it’s bad, I really really really really really don’t want to know.
Why am I letting a stupid rumor scare me so much?
Because this is way too similar to last time, and Rayce is supposed to be different.
He’s behind his desk, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. In fact, he looks like hell, and as soon as I see him, the dread I’ve been feeling is gone.
I’m numb. The expression on his face says everything. Something horrible
is definitely going on.
Please God, not him, too.
He spots me and rises to his feet immediately. “Emma,” he says, but quietly, so no one in the outer offices can hear.
Because we’re a secret.
As he hurries over, I drift out of the way toward the credenza so he can shut the door behind me.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” he says, still unnaturally quiet. He comes toward me. I take a quick step back, my rear bumping into the wooden edge.
He stops, looking as surprised as I feel about what I just did. But he looks apologetic too, like he knows full well I have a reason to back up and he has a reason to be sorry.
I shake my head.
No. No. No. No. No. This was supposed to be different.
“Tell me it isn’t true.”
He takes a breath. “Tell me what you’ve heard.”
“Oh my God.”
“Emma—”
“It is true.”
“It was not wrongful termination.”
“But you did have sex with another employee? Multiple employees?”
This accusation doesn’t even seem to surprise him. What in the fuck?
“Honey, please keep your voice down.” He comes toward me again but I’m on the move, going around the back of his desk. He sees I’m backing away so he doesn’t follow, but he keeps talking. “People will hear.”
Is that what he cares about? That people will hear?
The numbness is gone and now horror is pulsing through my body. I run my hands into my hair and clutch at the roots.
He tentatively reaches toward me. “Emma, listen. Come here. I was going to tell you.”
I drop my hands and narrow my eyes at him. “Yeah, once you got sued.”
“No, I was going to talk to you last night.”
Last night.
This is the thing. This is what it was. Suddenly I realize something. He didn’t say he wanted to say goodnight one more time. He said one last time. Was that because this whole thing is over?
I sway a little on my feet. “Oh my God.”
The whole disaster with Chad runs through my mind. I honestly wasn’t shocked when that relationship, or whatever it was, went nowhere. But I was shocked when I found out he was married and I was shocked when he went after me with such cold venom. I never fell in love with Chad, but I also never would’ve imagined him capable of being so heartless until it was too late.
And of course nothing shocked and hurt me more than finding out my own father stole and gambled away enough money to put the company he worked for out of business.
Except this. This is beyond shocking. Beyond horrifying. I don’t even know what this is.
But if I know anything, it’s that sometimes people are not what they seem. And now it’s happening all over again, but this time with Rayce.
Rayce.
A dark knot clutches at my heart and I run my hands into my hair again, grabbing the roots. I pinch my eyes shut, already cringing at the answer to a question I haven’t even asked yet. “How many of us were there?”
There’s the briefest hesitation. “Four.”
My eyes fly open, somehow still shocked to hear him say that number even though I already knew it. Because sometimes rumors and papers have it exactly right. “Four?”
He glances at the door, no doubt worried about the people outside hearing because I’m not keeping my voice down at all and god forbid anything happens to tarnish his precious image. Why isn’t it me he’s worried about? Why isn’t he worried about us?
Maybe because there’s been no us. There’s been a secret, and a player, and a gullible, foolish woman, and that’s it.
“Oh my God.” It really is happening all over again. I press my fingertips against my temples, pacing away from him again. “Oh my God.”
“Emma, let’s talk somewhere else. Let’s meet at—”
“Oh my God.” My pulse is pounding in my ears. I can hardly breathe. I think I’m going into a full-blown panic attack. How could he do this to me?
“Emma—”
Something in me snaps. I spin on him. “Four? You fucked four different employees?”
This time he doesn’t shush me. “It hasn’t been like that with—”
“Don’t you do that.” I jab a finger in his direction. “Don’t you dare lie to me.”
“I’m n—”
“No!” I can’t believe this is happening. I never should’ve opened myself up to him. “No, I’m done believing your bullshit! You stay the fuck away from me!”
I dart past him, throw open his door, and storm through it. The sound of his door slamming against the wall draws the attention of a few people nearby, their heads popping up from their desks to stare in our direction.
I don’t care.
I stop on my heels and spin. Mr. Rayce Rivers looks like he has no clue what kind of damage control to do next and I don’t fucking care.
“By the way,” I spit out. “I quit.”
Chapter 43
Emma
“I thought he was different,” I say, grabbing yet another tissue out of the box. If I keep crying like this I’ll need to buy stock in Kleenex.
“Well, he’s not,” Pierce says.
A fresh stream of hot tears make their way down my cheeks. I blot them with the tissue.
He and Aaron have come over to commiserate with me. Aaron and I are on the couch and Pierce is perched on the folding chair. One day I’ll have to thank them for not saying “I told you so,” but I’ll have to stop crying first. Poor Aaron’s shirt is soaked.
I feel so gutted. And shocked. And shocked that I’m shocked. Why the hell should I be surprised that it turned out exactly the way I knew it would from the get go?
This is what I get. With Chad I could chalk it up to my own naiveté, but with Rayce? I walked into this with my eyes wide open. I should’ve known better, but I instead I let him make me feel special when the truth is, I was just like all the other girls.
It kills me that there were other girls. A long fucking line of them and I was just one more.
It kills me that he’s been lying to me this whole time.
God, and that crap about wanting to protect the resort’s image? Sure. He cared so much about it that he was willing to risk it over and over again for whichever employee he fancied at the time. What bullshit! He just wanted his secret flings and that’s it. He never intended to bring us into the light.
He’s just another selfish bastard after all.
This thought just makes me cry even harder. I tuck into Aaron’s chest again and he holds me against him. When is this going to stop? Why am I hurting so much over such a selfish bastard?
Why am I hurting so much when he’s not who I thought?
God, I’m so turned around with wanting him and wanting to pummel him, that I hardly know what to do with myself.
“Emma, you’re better off without him,” Pierce says firmly. For the past hour, he’s been clenching various muscles and grunting as often as he speaks. I wouldn’t put it past him to go find Rayce and start throwing his weight around.
I nod into Aaron’s chest. “I know.”
“Do you?”
I peek over at Pierce, who’s watching me closely. He’s angry, but I know he’s not angry at me. He’s just protective of me, like Rayce was.
Or like I thought Rayce was.
And at that thought, the aching hole deep in my chest throws up a fresh batch of tears. I blot at them furiously. “God, I’m a mess.”
I feel Aaron laugh and Pierce offers a sad smile. “Yeah, you are.”
I blow my nose and sit up, determined to get myself together. “I know it’s better that I found out. I just...I don’t know he just...” I look from one friend’s concerned face to the next. My throat gets tight again. “He made it feel so real.”
Aaron rubs my back.
I sink back against the couch again. “And I was so, so happy.”
“Emma,” Pie
rce says firmly, holding my eyes. “Some guys are master manipulators.”
I get a sinking feeling in my stomach at that phrase, master manipulator.
“Do you hear me?” He’s still holding my eyes.
I nod slowly. I hear him. It just sucks.
“You would be best off assuming anything he’s ever said to you was a lie.”
Everything a lie.
That’s exactly what makes this hurt so much. I keep replaying all the amazing moments we had together. To think he was just coldly feeding me whatever lines he thought would get him what he wanted...
It kills me.
I’ve heard about guys like this, but... even now my heart is in stubborn, foolish denial. I so want to believe I meant something to him, too. How could he do this to me?
“God, I’m right back where I started. I don’t know who I hate more, Rayce or myself.”
Pierce doesn’t miss a beat. “I hate Rayce.”
Aaron pats my shoulder. “Hey,” he says gently. “Don’t hate yourself. At least you’re out of it now.”
Here’s yet another I told you so opportunity they’re allowing to pass by. All they’ve ever done is look after my best interests. Why didn’t I listen better before?
Because you were already caught in his web.
His beautiful, beautiful web.
“Uuuuggggghhhhh,” I groan, sliding down in my seat until I’m practically lying down.
“Let yourself cry it out,” Aaron says. “But then you just have to pick yourself up and move on.”
“I can’t cry too long. I’m back to job hunting.” God, I’m such a loser. Yet again, I’m left with rent to pay and no job and no references. “Maybe I shouldn’t have quit, but—”
“No.” Aaron’s lack of hesitation is reassuring. “You did the right thing.”
Finally.
Pierce reaches over and nudges Aaron’s knee. “Hey, tell her about that job.”
Aaron shakes his head sharply, like he didn’t want Pierce to bring it up. “Later.”