Deceptive Nights

by Sylvia Hubbard

  “I was just informed by Kyle in Lansing that they are missing twenty six reports from Monday afternoon. Did that delivery go out?”

  Playing the role, she checked her delivery sheet. Simon had not signed the board when he had left. She looked up at him accusatory, but she didn’t want to let on that he was in the room, so she said, “I’m positive it did.”

  “Did you make sure?” Madeline asked. Her voice clearly said she was perturbed about something.

  “No ma'am and I didn’t check the board to make sure it was signed, but Simon told me that the FedEx man arrived early for the Lansing copies.”

  “And did you do a confirmation with Lansing?”

  “We haven’t had to do a confirmation in a long while.”

  “Well that’s probably why Lansing is missing these reports and Kyle has reported them to me. How do you know the FedEx man made the pickup if you are just taking someone’s word and not finding out yourself. I gave you a job, to do and I don’t think I’m asking for too much. You do know your job don’t you?”

  This was clearly said to make Phoebe look dumb and if Phoebe didn’t know what was going on, it would have certainly worked. “Madeline, I’ll look into it.”

  “There’s nothing to look into. I’ve checked the system and I can’t find a report from Monday that was sent out. On top of that, the reports from Monday have been purged and we can’t go back and get them.”

  “I’m sorry, Madeline,” she apologized. “I’m sure I can request the copies from the girl’s computers. Give me an hour and I’ll look around for the numbers we need.”

  “One hour, Phoebe. If I don’t hear from you in an hour you can kiss your ass goodbye.” The line clicked and Phoebe looked at Simon.

  “You are going to help me find these reports.”

  He smiled to comfort her. “I’ll do all I can to help you out,” he promised.

  Phoebe decided to try to see if there were copies of the reports and learned Carolyn and Rhonda had typed all the reports that were needed. Her heart would have sank in disappointment if she didn’t know what was going on. She went to the bathroom to give herself some privacy. Pacing the bathroom like a caged tiger, she cursed a vindictive at the ceiling fully knowing Madeline had arranged all of this to get her fired. Madeline was clearly going for the jugular with her sharpest blade of deceit.

  When she returned to the office, Simon asked if she was all right. His concern was so phony she wanted to again punch him, but closing her fist so tight she felt her nails digging in her palm, she shook her head and went into her office to call Madeline back. Simon followed and sat down on the other side of the desk.

  “What are you going to tell her?” he asked.

  “The truth. The reports are missing. The computers they were typed on have crashed and the audio is purged.”

  “She is not going to be very happy.”

  “Well, I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Why don’t you lie? Say that Rhonda and Carolyn have to see if they typed at home or another typist has them. This should put everything off until Friday, but first call Leslie, Kyle’s boss, and tell her you need until Friday in order to find the reports. She owes you favors, she’ll give you the time.”

  If she had been in trouble, she would have taken this suggestion blindly thinking Simon had her best interest in mind. “Alright, thank you Simon.”

  “No problem. I only want to help.”

  It took all her control not to slap him, but instead she picked up the receiver and called Leslie.

  “Hey kiddo, how’s it going?” Leslie’s perky voice asked.

  “Hi Les, this is Phoebe about the reports you are looking for?”

  “Yes?” Leslie said, matter of fact.

  “I need to speak to a typist offsite. Can you give me until Friday at least?”

  “No problem. Talk to you then.”

  Simon looked a bit perturbed and Phoebe was sure after she had hung up with Leslie, Simon had thought that Leslie would refuse. Phoebe called Madeline next to tell her what Simon had instructed her to say. Madeline seemed a bit put off, but with Leslie in agreement with Friday’s date, that meant Madeline had to put off firing her until then. Phoebe would just have to pretend she was stressed out until Friday. That would be easy to do because she always looked like that around the office.

  Patricia looked through the copies Wednesday night when Phoebe got off work and sighed tiredly. Phoebe had informed her mother of what was going at the office and Patricia was quite amused.

  “This is over a hundred grand, Phoebe,” Patricia noted after briefly surveying the papers. “I don’t have a final total right now from just glancing it over, but the large numbers do stand out.”

  “I know. Can you add it up for me, including the payroll tax?” she asked.

  Her mother was great at accounting, which was her part time job. Patricia had always wanted to have her own accounting company, but never had the money to do it.

  “I can do you one better and even check with this payroll company that your company uses and see if there is any suspicious activities. I know a couple of people that work there.”

  Phoebe was excited because with this money she could give it to her mother to help her afford to work at home. “I need the car again to go into the office. No one should be there so it should be alright. I was reading something in Simon’s file and the more I think about it, the more I think I should get a copy of what I saw.”

  Patricia looked skeptical. “You have enough here to go to any lawyer and get what you deserve.”

  “I still want to, Mother. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” She kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thanks for everything.” Grabbing the keys off the desk she headed to the office. This time when she came in, she checked everywhere. No one was there and she went back into the employee’s cabinet.

  The agreement Simon was promised at his time of employment was that he was on an annual probation. If by that time, which was in a month, his performance improved he would be given a salary that would match hers along with benefits without any added responsibilities. On top of that he would be appointed co-manager of the Detroit Offices.

  She had to wonder how had Simon gotten this agreement out of Madeline when he was about the laziest office assistant she had ever met. Staring at Simon’s name, she frowned immensely wondering if her suspicions were true and went into Madeline’s office. On the wall was a newspaper clipping from the Lansing Journal Newspaper of Madeline standing in the middle of two other people at a business awards dinner. Underneath the picture, the byline read, “...outstanding business woman of the year, Madeline Porter, stands next to Cynthia Reed, Editor-In-Chief of the Lansing Journal, and Joel Bowen, her co-business partner.”

  Cynthia Reed, a light blonde, deep tanned stick looked reluctant to be in the photo, but Joel looked ready to burst with happiness standing next Madeline. Phoebe went into her office and got online to look up Joel Bowen. His name came up as a wealthy investor living in Lansing. A picture of his family came up and her eyes went wide as saucers as she saw Simon standing next to his father, Joel.

  Phoebe went back to the copier room and looked in the other drawers to find papers on P&B communications. Madeline only owned thirty percent of the company. Joel had put the money up for the business while Madeline had the know how to run it.

  Phoebe’s brain was going a hundred miles an hour. If Madeline was screwing Phoebe out of some money, Phoebe would bet her life she wasn’t the only person Madeline was screwing. She searched more through the papers and decided that she needed her mother to have a look at all of this. Replacing the key to the file cabinet, she went to the back server and found herself in the Lansing offices computers by routing through the servers, which were connected. Finding Latrice’s computer was easy because the technicians had set up the computers by name. There was a recently updated accounting spreadsheet. When she tried to go into it, the computer would not let her.

  At first sh
e decided not to press the issue, but it nagged her to death not knowing what was this spreadsheet about and decided to try Latrice’s son’s name Roger. The spreadsheet opened up and she printed the entire spreadsheet to the printer. It consisted of a three year record of the Detroit office payments for the FIA account, but why would Latrice need to keep record of the payments the FIA made to P&B Detroit offices when all the accounting procedures were outsourced. Latrice was just supposed to send the checks off.

  A noise in the front of the offices startled her. She closed the programs down she had opened and signed Simon off the computer. Quickly packing up her things, she heard the fax alarm going off. She was going in there anyway to pick up what she had sent to the printer. Standing in front of the fax machine, Jacoby wore a nice pair of Bugle Boy khaki pants and a plaid shirt. He looked as if he had thrown on his clothes, but he sure as hell looked damn fine in those clothes. Phoebe stood there admiring the firm backside of him and enjoying the view as she became aroused at just looking at him.

  He cursed quite violently and was about to yank the paper out the machine.

  “I hope that’s not your only copy,” she said startling him.

  An expletive shot out his mouth as he turned around to glare at her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “We are not about to go through that again. Is that your only copy?”

  “For now it is until I can get to my damn computer next Monday.” His tone was sharp and filled with annoyance. Again he tried to yank the paper out the jammed fax.

  Quickly she went over to him and moved his hands out the way. “You’re going to tear it and break the machine too.”

  “Then you get the damn thing out.” He stepped away from the machine to give her room to help him out.

  She gave him her back as she properly removed the fax from the machine with a simple click. He reached around her once the machine was cleared and punched in the telephone number. Phoebe was very aware that a few times the front of him brushed up against the back of her and her breath caught in her throat. Her arousal was evident and she hoped he couldn’t sense it.

  Jacoby stepped back and watched as she feed the paper through the machine. He couldn’t take his eyes off her backside and fought to keep his hands from touching the voluptuous portion of her body. His heart rate increased and his body came to attention as he imagined pulling that skirt up and moving the stockings away, then finding the warm moistness and hearing her cries of passion as she pressed back against his heat.

  She turned abruptly and handed him his fax. “Even an stupid bitch can fax a report.”

  He had to swallow before he spoke. “I never called you stupid.”

  “You didn’t have to, you just made me feel that way.” Moving around him, she gathered her brief and coat by the door and turned back to him. “Make sure you lock up, Mr. Knight.”

  Just as she reached the glass doors to go out the office, she heard him calling her. He wasn’t too far away she assumed without turning towards him, but not going out the doors, knowing he had followed her to the front of the office.

  Jacoby’s voice was almost a desperate whisper as he called her name again taking steps towards her. She turned to see him only inches away and his cinnamon brown eyes blazed with so much desire. There were no words needed to know what he wanted, so when his arms wrapped around her waist and his mouth engulfed the skin on her neck, she was not surprised.

  There was a need coursing through his body so powerful it seemed to radiate into her own bloodstream and feeling his touch was almost a relief. Everything in her arms dropped to the floor as she pulled his mouth down to her own and their lips fused as if they were meant to be. They couldn’t move fast enough opening a blouse here, unzipping pants there, lifting a skirt and practically tearing off her stockings and panties.

  He cursed viciously in a very sorrowful tone of voice and she knew what he was feeling. Neither could deny they wanted each other badly, yet they both knew they would regret what they were doing. Even as this realization dawned on them, they could not stop the pleasure enveloping them as he pressed her against the glass partition and drove deep inside of her as if his life depended upon her. His teeth gently nibbled on each breast igniting her flames of passion way past the conscious level and she blissfully enjoyed the roughness, grasping him for dear life. The convulsions peaked inside her as her nails clawed his back and she felt him erupt deep into her. They were oblivious to the outside world as sweet pleasure and serenity surrounded them holding and bonding them together.

  Phoebe didn’t want this moment to end, but reality was cruel and she regained her equilibrium first. Releasing her legs from around his waist, she nudged him away. He carefully let her down releasing her only when he was sure her feet were on the floor securely.

  She didn’t look at him as she quickly fixed her clothes, but when she noticed the torn stockings she gave him an accusing look. He had already adjusted himself and smiled foolishly.

  “I’ll buy you some more,” he promised.

  “I don’t want anything from you, Jacoby.” She picked up her coat and brief. “Stay the hell away from me.”

  “Phoebe, it doesn’t matter about the money. You know it doesn’t make a difference and I didn’t mind paying-”

  She covered his mouth not wanting to hear another word. “Please just stop it. I don’t want to hear another word about money for sex. I don’t want your money anymore, Jacoby. It served it’s purpose and this time was just ...” She couldn’t find the right word.

  He removed her hand smirking. “For pleasure?” he finished.

  “Shut up!” she snapped angrily as he began to chuckle. Phoebe stormed out the office and decided to take the stairs wanting to get as far away from him as fast as possible.

  Upon getting home, she went to her room to shower. When she had finished, she put Stephanie and Stephen to bed, and then came down unexpectedly seeming to startle her mother, who got up quickly from the kitchen table and put the ledger away as if she didn’t want Phoebe to see what was going on. Phoebe was about to ask her mother why was she acting so strange over the ledger when the doorbell rung. It was ten o’clock at night and a very odd hour to be expecting guest.

  Phoebe hoped it wasn’t Jacoby because she didn’t know if she could handle him when her bed was so close at hand.

  “I’ll get it,” she said to her mother and went to the door.

  Patricia went upstairs quickly as if she were trying to get away from Phoebe.

  Opening the door, she looked as if she had seen a ghost. “Daniel?” she asked not believing her eyes.

  Daniel had lost a considerable amount of weight, except in his stomach and he seemed frail. He was always lean of nature, but the man she saw now looked almost malnutrition. He had grown a thick moustache over his lips and his hair was unkempt. His clothing looked borrowed from the Salvation Army and outdated. On top of that he wore some old cowboy boots. Daniel never wore cowboy boots. Matter of fact, she had never seen him wear boots even in the wintertime.

  “In the flesh, love,” he said excitedly. “How’s it going?”

  “How’s it going?” she asked tightly between clenched teeth. “You bleed me dry, you leave me penniless with two babies and drowning in so much debt, and you have the audacity to ask me how’s it going?”

  “Aw love, don’t be like that,” he said cajoling.

  Placing her hands on her hips, she said, “If you don’t get out of my face, I’m going to call the police.”

  “I just came here to help you out. I know it ain’t that bad for you anymore. I saw your credit report yesterday. You’re as clean as they come.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked confused.

  “I mean, you got them rich niggars paying your shit off. What’d you do to them, baby?” He smiled wickedly and came closer to her. “You put a spin on it like you use to do me?”

  Phoebe didn’t know what he was talking about, but she didn’t want Daniel anywhere near
her or her children. “I don’t need your help, Daniel. I’ve never needed your help. Because of you, I’ve turned myself into a tramp. I’ve degraded myself. I’ve had to lay down all the morals and values my mother instilled in me, just to get by because of you. I will never make that mistake again.”

  “Love, you know you’re my first, my last, my everything. Remember that was our song.”

  “I will always remember that you’re my first damn mistake, my last damn mistake and I’ll always remember you will be the most stupid mistake I’ve ever made in my life. Get off my property now because I still have the restraining order against you.” She turned to look behind her and yell, “Mother, call the police!”

  “Aw love, don’t be like that. We were so good together.” He tried to touch her with his grubby hands and she stepped away.

  “Daniel, I don’t want anything to do with you ever again and I suggest you leave now, because since I do have a restraining order against you, I have grounds to shoot you. I won’t go to jail as long as I shoot you in the front and plead self defense.”

  He started to get upset. “You’re crazy! Why don’t you just listen to what I have to say.”

  She looked behind her and yelled, “Mother, bring me my gun!”

  When she looked back around at him, Daniel had bolted off the porch and was running down the street. The sorry ass couldn’t even afford a car to get away in. She slammed the door just as Patricia was running down the stairs.

  “What is going on, Phoebe?” she asked out of breath.

  “That was Daniel at the door. I bluffed him and told him I was going to shoot him,” Phoebe explained.

  “I would have tried very desperately to find some kind of weapon to help you out,” Patricia agreed.

  Phoebe told her mother what Daniel had said. “He was saying my credit is all cleaned up. That someone had cleaned it up.”

  Patricia looked a little guilty. “How did he know?” she blurted out.

  Phoebe frowned. “You knew. What is going on?” She went over to the ledger as Patricia immediately started to stammer. Looking at the totals, she saw that they were down to all zero. “Who did this?” she demanded to know. “Is this true?”