Patricia took a deep defeated breath and sat down at the kitchen table. “Yes, it’s true.”
“How Mother?”
“I didn’t want to tell you too soon. They were paid with personal checks and I wanted to make sure they all cleared because I couldn’t believe it all myself.”
“Believe what?” Phoebe demanded to know. “That some mysterious person just swept in and paid my debts.”
Patricia didn’t answer. She didn’t have to answer as the realization dawned on Phoebe’s face of shock and bafflement all at the same time. Placing the ledger on the table she crossed her arms over her chest.
“How long have you known?”
“Friday afternoon, when I went to the bank to pay off the rest of the loans before we left out of town, I found out someone had come in and paid it off, so I checked other large debts and found out that same person had paid off those debts too. I requested your TRW before we left and they sent it yesterday in the mail.” She got up and pulled out an envelope carefully hidden in one of the cookbooks on the shelf.
“How long were you going to keep this from me Mother? You were planning on deceiving me from the truth.”
“Because I knew what Jacoby Knight does to you and I didn’t want him to hurt you like Daniel did.”
“But he wasn’t, Mother. Don’t you know what this means?”
Patricia scoffed. “It only means that he is trying to hold you in debt to him instead of the creditors. He’s paying you to be his mistress.”
Phoebe shook her head. “No!! Mother, he knows the money means nothing to me. He did it not to keep me in debt to him. He did it so I could finally put the hurt that Daniel caused out of my mind and get it out of my life so I could...” Her voice faltered as she remembered him about to speak about the money and the horrible things she had said to him. Covering her face with her hands, she moaned into them a long agonizing moan.
“Don’t you dare feel guilty, Phoebe,” Patricia said. “He said those mean things to you.”
Removing her hands, she screamed in frustration more to herself than anything. “He thought I had slept with Lawrence, Mother. If I had known Friday what you knew, then you knew I wouldn’t have went on the trip with Lawrence. I did deceive him, because I should have told him about going on the trip so he wouldn’t get the wrong idea,” she cried starting to pace. “I should call him. I should at least go see him again to apologize for what I said.”
“What about what he said to you?!” Patricia cried.
“Mother, I deceived him! Don’t you get it? He thought I betrayed him with his best friend.”
Patricia sighed in frustration. “Alright Phoebe, I’m sorry. I thought I was doing right by you by keeping this information from you. I should have respected your wishes and kept out of it.”
Phoebe calmed down and hugged her mother. She knew her mother was no more deceitful than her and that Patricia was only looking out for Phoebe’s best interest because her mother cared so much for her. “I understand what you thought you were doing for me, Mother, but you have to understand that what is happening between Jacoby and I. You’ll help me won’t you, despite how you feel?”
Patricia stared long and hard into her daughter’s eyes so unlike her own. Phoebe knew her mother was only concerned with her happiness and if Jacoby made her happy, Patricia would stick by her. “I don’t want you to be hurt again, Phoebe.”
With great relish, Phoebe said, “I know Mother, but like Jacoby said, in order to experience life, I’ve got to appreciate all that life has to offer. Up until now, despite Monday’s events, Jacoby has been just trying to make me happy and I’m not expecting anything like marriage from him, I just want to live for the now and enjoy that.”
Bowing her head, Patricia’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Fine, I’ll stand by you, Phoebe and support your decisions from here on out concerning this young man, but the minute you aren’t happy anymore, promise me you will stop seeing him.”
Phoebe laughed as if the weight on her shoulders had finally been lifted. “Yes Mother,” she promised.
Patricia hugged her again. “You won’t be going out tonight to see him. You have a lot of work to do tonight for tomorrow. You should also get some rest before tomorrow when all the crap hits the fan. I’ve finished with everything and complied it all. I even made copies for you. In the morning I will do the necessary faxing and contacting for you.”
“Thank you Mother. I love you so much. When this is all over I want us to use a little of the money and take a nice long trip with the kids away from here. Can we?”
“Yes, Phoebe,” Patricia promised. “Maybe you can invite Jacoby along,” her mother hinted with a wicked little grin.
Chapter 23
Coming in to work on Friday two hours early, Phoebe had not slept a wink. Madeline would be in the office that day and had shot an email to Phoebe Thursday night with a silent threat concerning those reports and her job. Phoebe had put the reports on disc after she had emailed them over to Leslie on Monday and now was coming into the office before anyone was to even think about getting here to print off those reports.
She knew this was judgment day and she wanted to rub all of this is Madeline’s face. After putting the reports in the print queue, she checked all the offices and was surprised to see Jacoby in his office. He was speaking on the phone, but once he saw her, he hung up.
He had changed his clothes from the night before and was in a hand fitted Armani suit.
“I wasn’t trying to bother you,” she said.
“You didn’t. It was my mother and I was really looking for an excuse to get off the phone. You’re as good as anyone for an excuse.”
Phoebe wasn’t about to let his snide statements perturb her today. She had to stay focus. “Do you sleep here?”
“China markets are open at night and my father wanted to speak to me since he was there about some family decisions. He’ll be selling the house in Lansing once I have found a house here. Do you know someone in realty?” He leaned forward on the desk.
She didn’t know if he was being a smart ass or serious, but she was not in the mood to help him out. “No.”
“I figured you would say that.” Standing up, he came around the desk and looked at her up and down from head to toe. He didn’t press his proximity to her, but he could still smell her sweet perfume despite the five-foot distance. Coolly, trying to ignore his arousal, he noted, “You didn’t get much sleep either, Phoebe. Did you miss me?”
“Far from it, Mr. Knight.” She said full of cockiness. As much as she believed he was still angry with her, he didn’t look at all put out. Yet, knowing what Phoebe knew about the money he had paid on her debts and Jacoby’s forgiving nature, he was more interested in being with her than anything. Now would be a perfect time to speak with him about what she had said the other night and her own selfishness. “I think we should talk.” She closed the door ensconcing them into them in the office alone.
Jacoby raised a wary brow, but took full advantage of her need to be private. “Come a little closer and we can or are you afraid of me?”
She stepped forward until she was arms length from him. “I know what you did for me-”
He placed a finger over her lips to stop her from speaking. “How much time do we have until the first person gets here?” he whispered, removing his finger from his lips, but cupping her face in his hands.
“About two hours,” she figured with a slight shrug to her shoulders.
Jacoby gently pressed his lips against hers in a simple kiss, but the look in his eyes told her a wealth of information. Moving her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes, she smiled knowing what was to come and the eroticism of everything was overwhelming.
As they kissed he turned her around to sit on the front of his desk. They took their time removing parts of their clothing careful not to rip anything knowing they needed their clothing for later.
He whispered in her ear, “I missed you, Phoebe.”
She smiled, “I missed you too, Jacoby.”
These words alone seem to unleash even more of his passion and he knelt down spreading her legs and burying his face down below her stomach. Phoebe was in pure heaven and didn’t care about where they were as she cried out his name. She peaked several times before his oral onslaught was over with and when he stood up, his pants were already opened. When he entered her easily, Phoebe knew only he could make her so susceptible to lovemaking. There was no competition to keep his attention or make him stay, every touch with his hands, lips, and body told her that he wanted to be no where else, but in her arms. Making love to him made her feel like a queen in his life and there was no other place she would rather be than here in his arms.
An hour and a half later, she found herself sitting in his lap, while he rested back in the chair behind his desk. They were silent as her head rested on his chest and his arms wrapped around his waist. She listened to his heartbeat enjoying how the rapid beat was slowing down and would immediately speed back up whenever she wiggled around on his lap. He was still partially hardened deep inside of her and although he was spent, he was still aroused.
How they had gotten on the other side of the desk was completely obviously to her. She remembered him lifting her, but she was so consumed in pleasure, she really had not cared where they ended up.
Looking up at him, she used the tip of her finger and traced her fingers around the edge of his lips memorizing every centimeter of skin and the feel of it on her fingertips. When she would make her touch light as a feather, it tickled him and he would try to nip at her. Once he caught the tips in his mouth, she tingled as he suckled softly. She replaced her tongue with her fingers and immediately their passion was ignited.
Suddenly the door opened and Madeline stood there, eyes as wide as saucers and looking like a dark skinned Cruella DeVille.
“What the hell is going on in my offices?!” she screeched.
Phoebe didn’t know what to say, but the feeling of Jacoby’s arms tightening around her protectively made her feel a little secure.
“I can explain this, Madeline,” Jacoby said. “This is all my-”
“This is all the workings of a tramp who can’t keep her legs closed around my office guest to save her life,” Madeline hissed.
“That’s not true!” Jacoby protested.
“I’m guessing that with all your screwing around, Phoebe, you haven’t found those reports,” Madeline guessed.
Phoebe was too embarrassed to speak and only buried her face in Jacoby’s neck.
Jacoby spoke through gritted teeth. “Give us some privacy please to get ourselves together, Madeline,” he ordered.
Madeline’s voice was clearly triumphant as she said, “She has five minutes to get in my office.” She slammed the door behind her as she exited the office.
Phoebe groaned in his neck. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
“Quit now,” he ordered.
Glaring up at him, she said, “I can’t just go in there and quit.” She kept her voice down so no one would hear their voices.
“Yes, you can. Then you can come work for me.”
Narrowing her eyes, she snipped, “I won’t be your mistress.” Moving up and off of him, she started to fix her clothes.
“I don’t want a mistress.” He stood up adjusting his own suit. “I need an office manager.”
“You’ve lost your mind again, haven’t you?”
“No. I know you’re smart and highly motivated. You’d be perfect in running the office, while I’m not there and you can help me with my growing clientele. Keeping them happy while I’m gathering up new clientele. I know you’d make a great manager and I won’t have to worry about anything as long as I have you there.”
“I won’t be your whore either, Jacoby. You won’t pimp me to your friends.”
“I think you need to calm down.”
“Calm down?! Madeline caught us. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“No. Why should it?” he asked.
She huffed in frustration. “Does anything bother you, Jacoby?”
He kissed her nose. “You do, but in a good way.”
She started toward the door trying to put on her shoes as she walked.
“I’ll pay you forty thousand. The amount she was supposed to be paying you.”
Looking back at him over her shoulder, she shook her head. “I won’t work for you, Jacoby.”
“Fifty.”
“No.”
“Sixty.”
“Stop that.” Phoebe faced him.
“Seventy five and that’s my final offer, plus full benefits and a company car.”
“You’re crazy.” Calming herself down, she leaned against the door and shook her head not believing she was actually considering another offer from him. “This has nothing to do with sex, Jacoby.”
“I told you I never mix business with pleasure. I don’t hire you for sexual reasons,” he stated firmly. “I hire you on your business skills and determination to do a good job.”
“Let me handle this crisis first, then we’ll talk.” She started to open the door, but he grabbed her and pulled her in his arms kissing her hard.
“What was that for?” she asked breathlessly when he finally released her.
“Luck and later.” A wicked twinkle in his eye clearly told her Jacoby was a man filled with desire for her, but he also was filled with admiration for her knowledge and intelligence.
Gathering her courage like a thick coat around her, she prepared to face Madeline. Going first to the printer where the reports were all run off, she gathered them off and placed them in an envelope, then went and grabbed her briefcase. Going into Madeline’s office, she looked at the corner of the room to see Jacoby standing by the window out of the way with a sympathetic look on her face and Simon sitting in front of the desk with a triumphant look on his face just like Madeline.
“Are you ready to explain where the reports are?” Madeline asked. “We have Leslie and Kyle on the phone already. Kyle has informed me that they are missing reports from Monday. Do you have an explanation?”
“Yes, Phoebe,” Simon butted in. “You do have an explanation, especially for taking so long to find them.”
Phoebe shot Simon a loathing look. Sitting down in front of the desk, she found herself very able to speak now that she wasn’t so undress.
“Before anything is said,” Jacoby interjected, “Maybe I should leave.”
“Oh no, Jacoby,” Madeline beamed. “I would like you to stay.”
Phoebe knew Madeline wanted Jacoby there and Jacoby looked over at her feeling a bit uncomfortable. Obviously, Madeline must have explained the situation and Jacoby couldn’t find any good reason to get her out the situation she seemed to have dug herself in.
“I would like you to see that Phoebe has incompetently failed our client. With her gross negligence and stupidity she has lost over twenty reports and then never told anyone what she has done.” Madeline leaned forward toward Phoebe. “Now you expect me to pay out of my pocket to doctor’s and the transcriptionists to re-dictate and retype reports that you lost. I don’t think so.” She pulled out some papers from a file she had on her desk. “According to my calculations, you owe this company ten thousand dollars for your ignorance. How do you intend to pay it?”
Phoebe looked at Simon and then Jacoby. Returning her gaze back to Madeline, she said, “I don’t intend to pay it, Madeline.”
“Then I suggest you give us your resignation now or would you just prefer I fire you for incompetence.”
Phoebe ticked her tongue. “I think neither would be feasible for you.”
“Feasible for me?” Madeline cackled. “Have you listened to a word that I’ve said? I don’t owe you a dime, Phoebe Green.”
Taking the information out of her bag that her mother had complied, Phoebe handed the packet to Madeline. She had three more copies. With those she handed two to Jacob and Simon, then kept one
for herself. “According to this packet, you owe me a total of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in back pay including bonuses and the use of a vehicle which you quoted in the FIA agreement of what your office manager would be making and having. In the total I have put in the cost of transportation, extra expenses I have incurred because of what you have not given - this includes late fees for daycare and nonpayment of bills because of decrease living expenses or unable to make payments because I was too busy at work.”
“Are you forgetting the issue at hand? You lost reports!” Madeline screamed standing up. “You have yet to explain what happened to those reports.”
Phoebe tossed the reports on the middle of Madeline’s desk. “I emailed those reports personally to Leslie Monday afternoon because I knew your deceit would know no bounds. Those reports are where they are supposed to be - with the doctors. I asked Leslie to send those reports off and didn’t inform Kyle that I had sent them. All you can fault me on is miscommunication, and you can’t fire me because of that. I got my job complete and that’s all that needs to be said.”
Jacoby chuckled. “According to these agreements, Madeline, if Phoebe gets a good employment lawyer, your ass is grass.”
Stiffly Madeline said, “This does not concern you, Jacoby. You may leave.”
“And miss the going down of the Titanic? I think not.” Jacoby crossed his arms. “I really want to see this.”
“Furthermore, I think Simon’s father would be very interested in hearing about how you have misappropriated some of the funds that the FIA has been sending you,” Phoebe said continuing. “You deliberately deceived the state in issuing out two checks. One for the regular reports and another one for the extra reports requested, then you over billed for those reports from the state.”
Leslie spoke up. “I would also be interested in that as well.”
Madeline picked up the entire phone and threw it against the wall ending the call with Lansing. “Shut up!” she screeched. “You stupid, bitch. You think you can come in here and mess up what I have worked so hard to create.”
Deceptive Nights Page 15