I need to write this shit down before I forget. I need to know exactly what I’m going to say and do to trigger her response. However, the moment I grab my pen and paper, my phone rings.
“Hello?” I say.
“Are you doing it yet?” It’s TJ, and he sounds frantic.
“No, I’m still planning my attack.”
“Please don’t make a spectacle out of it.”
“I won’t, I promise. I got it covered.”
“You don’t know how she’s going to react. If she knows who you are, she could make it even worse by talking to the press about you … about us.”
“No, I won’t tell her we’re together. Or that I’m working for you.”
“What if she already knows?” he whispers. “Maybe she’s got someone on the inside.”
“What, like a spy?” I chuckle. “You’re overreacting, TJ. Just let me do my thing. It’ll be fine, I promise. Just stay calm and do your thing.”
“I’m not fucking calm,” he growls.
“Obviously.” I roll my eyes.
“I can’t help it. Everyone in the goddamn office is reading that goddamn newspaper. I’m watching them; I can see their reactions. And they’re all looking at me!”
“Then go home. Lay low for a while.”
“And then what? The longer I wait, the worse it gets. Before you know it, the press will be at my door, and then I’ll have no way out. They might even go through my trash,” he mumbles. “Fuck! I dumped some of those panties from my collection in there.”
“It’s still in there?”
“How should I know? I don’t keep track of when the trash guys come.”
I shake my head. “All right. We’ll figure this out. Just go home. Let me handle this.”
“Fine, but I’m not going to relax. I’m going to take my laptop and type out a response. I can’t just sit on this. I have to come out with my version of the story before the damage is irreparable.”
“Do what you have to, but I’m not stopping until I’ve got what I want, which is her lying ass on tape.”
He sighs. “Good luck. And be careful, okay?”
“I will,” I say. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Good.” He doesn’t even say bye before hanging up; that’s how nervous he is.
I sigh and put the phone down, thinking about my plan of attack.
I really have to do this quickly and efficiently. The longer I wait, the more paranoid TJ becomes, and I don’t want to lose him too on top of everything else. He’ll get out of this; I’ll make sure of it.
However, if I go today, it’ll be too suspicious. No, I have to wait until I, the victim, have read the newspaper and decided I wanted to share my story with the girl who brought out this news. I’ll tell her I found out her address from the newspaper she gave the story to and quickly gloss it over, so she won’t even think twice about it.
I’ve got it all covered. And I’m definitely going to nail this bitch.
The next day, when I take Pepper for a walk, I immediately go to the woman’s home and ring the doorbell. My heart is pounding because I know what I’m doing is dangerous and reckless, but I don’t care. I have to make this all go away. For TJ’s sake and for the sake of my own job.
I hold the newspaper and Pepper’s leash tight as I hear someone walk to the door. The moment she appears in view, I just want to smack her on the head with the newspaper … and then maybe drag her outside for another punching match.
But I can’t do that. It’ll only get me into trouble and won’t get TJ out of it. Besides, Pepper would probably run away if I just started punching chicks out of nowhere.
Stay professional, Lesley. You can do this.
“Hi,” I say.
Could that have come out any sillier? Probably not.
“Uh … hi,” she says tentatively, and she gazes down at Pepper, cringing like she hates dogs. I used to have that look too, but now I just feel embarrassed for her.
Still, gotta keep up the appearance that I actually want to talk to this woman.
“I’m sorry, I just … I saw this in the newspaper, and I …” I clear my throat to make my hesitance sound believable. “I just knew I had to talk to you.”
She clutches the doorframe but doesn’t close the door on me, so that’s good I guess.
“A few years ago, I worked for the Morrows, and this story resonated with me so much.”
The look in her eyes changes from skeptical to curious as I explain my fake story slowly.
“More specifically, TJ. I worked directly with him too, and when I saw how badly he’d treated you, I just knew I had to come talk. I asked the newspaper for your information. I hope that’s okay,” I ask, swallowing away the lump in my throat. I hope to god this works. “I’m sorry,” I mutter. “This must be really weird to you. Do you want me to leave?”
“No, it’s okay.” She takes a step forward and opens the door completely now.
Good. No more fear. Bait thrown. Attention lured in.
“Did he do something to you?” she asks.
I nod, biting my lip to put emphasis on the fact that I hate to discuss it. “I … found him sniffing panties. And I think he even stole a pair of mine.”
“Oh, no …” She looks like she’s sorry for me. I’m not. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know, right? I didn’t know what to do. When I asked him to return them, he didn’t want to give them back. Then he fired me on the spot.”
She puts her hand over her mouth and gasps. Furrowed brows and an angry expression follow. “That asshole.”
“I know. I hate him too.” I scrunch up the newspaper in my hand. “Now I have to start all over with my career.”
“I’m in the same boat as you are,” she says.
“That’s why I came to you. I don’t know why, but the moment I realized I wasn’t alone, I knew I had to talk to you.”
She puts a hand on my arm, and Pepper looks like she’s about to snarl at the woman for doing so. “It’s good that you came. He’s too dangerous to be left alone like that.”
“What did he do to you?” I ask. “I saw the piece in the newspaper, but it wasn’t the entire story, was it? I could never tell them everything Morrows did.”
She nods and glances around as if she’s checking if no one else hears. “He didn’t just sniff panties. He acted like a swine around me,” she says. “Kept farting everywhere, especially when I was around.”
I find it hard to keep my laughter inside while I pretend to care about her lies.
“He even flaunted other girls at work.”
“Really?” I ask, trying to sound genuine.
“Yeah, he was always acting like a playboy.”
“True, he does like to show off his charm,” I reply, and it’s not even a lie.
“Not just that.” She leans forward and lowers her voice. “He flirted with everyone.”
“Sounds exactly like how I know him,” I say, and I pause for a second. “God … I really hate him.”
“Me too,” she says. “If it wasn’t for that fucker, I’d still have my job.”
“He fired you, right?” Now we’re getting to the good stuff.
“Yes, after I’d kissed him …”
“That’s harsh,” I say.
“I know, right? I thought he was into me. You know? That he actually wanted me instead of all those other girls he regularly hung out with. But then he gave me the cold shoulder and acted like nothing was going on between us.”
“Huh, strange …” I mumble.
“Yeah, and the worst part is that he never actually wanted my panties. I even offered them to him, but no, he wouldn’t take it,” she growls. “Other girls gave him panties all the time, but he refused mine. Like, I know I said he stole them, but it wasn’t true. I wish he did, but he wouldn’t give me the time of day. It was the ultimate insult.”
“What an ass,” I continue.
“Exactly. That motherfucker deserves to be shamed.”<
br />
“You sure showed him,” I say.
She smiles deviously. “He should’ve loved me back. I told him what would happen if he didn’t, and now look. It’s all on him.”
“Agreed,” I say. “He deserves this.”
She nods and says, “So you wanna come in? We can talk more about that douchebag over a cup of hot, steaming coffee.”
I’m momentarily stunned by the sudden invitation, and I stumble through my response. “Uh, no, sorry. I … have an interview for a job in about a half an hour, and I still have to take my dog home, so …” I look down at Pepper who’s eagerly wagging her tail. If only she knew how dire the situation is … and how much of a doggy-to-the-rescue she really is.
“Oh, of course. Gotta find something better than that dumb shit Morrows, right?” She winks.
I grin. “Yeah, I’m glad I got fired. At least I’m now rid of him.”
“And it won’t be long now until everybody’s rid of him,” she muses, laughing maniacally afterward.
This bitch is crazy. Seriously.
“Well, thanks anyway. I’m glad I found someone I can agree with,” I say, nodding because I really wanna go now.
“No problem,” she says. “It’s always nice to talk to someone who knows what I’ve been through.”
“Likewise,” I reply, and I smile. “Well, see you.”
“Bye!” she says, and I quickly spin on my heels and dash off, pulling Pepper along as fast as she can manage. I don’t ever wanna come back here.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Never in my life have I met a more fucked-up bitch than that woman.
But even as she closes the door, I know she’s not the one smiling the hardest.
Because as I walk back to the car, I take out my phone, which has been recording our conversation all this time.
I grin when I press the button to stop it and do a playback. “Gotcha …”
Chapter 28
TJ
I shouldn’t have gotten into this damn car.
Hundreds of journalists crowd the pavement, trying to get a picture of me inside a car as it drives up to the building and into the garage. They don’t stop shooting pictures, despite the tinted windows being closed and blocking the view.
Fuck.
Why did I decide to go to work again?
Oh, right. I heard my pop’s voice in the back of my head again, telling me to man up and face what I’ve done. Fuck … what have I done.
I should’ve listened to him when he told me to stop feeding my addiction. To act professional and keep it away from work.
When he asked me to take over his company mere days before his death, I never imagined it’d be this hard. I should’ve taken his advice when I still had the chance.
How many more questions could I have asked if I’d only had another minute with him? I knew being a CEO wasn’t going to be easy. He prepared me for that. It was always hard, but never this hard.
I wonder what Pa would’ve done about this. If he was still alive.
I sigh as I drive the car into the parking spot and a hoard of journalists gather around.
I grab my briefcase and open the door. A barrage of clicking cameras are in my face with lights everywhere. I can barely see.
“Sir!” one shouts.
“Mr. Morrows!”
“TJ, over here!”
They’re all fighting for my attention. I don’t want to give it to them, but they’re blocking my path. Everywhere I go, they’re there. They follow my every footstep. Blind me with their flashing cameras. Drive me insane with their yelling and taunting.
“Sir, do you have anything to say about the article that came out yesterday?” one of them asks.
I wish I did. I tried. I honestly tried. But the longer I stared at my laptop, the less I came up with. It ate me up inside. I couldn’t keep hoping for something brilliant to magically pop into my head when I knew damn well that denying it all is denying the truth. I am an addict, yes. I hoard panties, yes. But it didn’t go down the way that woman said it did.
Still, I knew they wouldn’t believe me, which is why I haven’t even tried to respond.
“No comment,” I shout back, holding my briefcase in front of my face to block another photographer from taking a picture.
But speaking only makes them more rabid. They’re like vultures, feeding off the feeble and weak. Poke my eyes out while I’m down, why don’t you?
They don’t even realize my reputation isn’t everything that’s ruined here. And they don’t care either. All they want is the next juicy picture with a trendy tagline for a tabloid. I’m just fodder to them.
One of them pushes a microphone in my face. “Mr. Morrows! How did it feel when you found out one of your employees talked to the press about your panty addiction?”
“I said no comment,” I growl, pushing on.
I try to ignore them, but it’s impossible. They keep harassing me.
“Did you steal more panties? Do you have a specific preference?” one of them asks.
“How many panties did you collect from other employees?”
It’s all just speculation. Ideas. None of it is real or true, but to them it is.
Anything they write can be made real as long as people believe it.
Fuckers.
“Did you grope any of your other colleagues?”
“Enough!” I scream back. “Don’t you people have anything better to do?”
It’s silent for a few seconds, but then the barrage of inappropriate questions and flashes continue, so I give up.
It’s no point trying to argue with these people. All they want is my face on their magazines to get people to buy it. They don’t care about my side of the story. They don’t care about the truth. If they did, they wouldn’t have printed it in the first place without checking the facts.
“Do you people ever think before you print those lies?” I yell as one of them gets all up in my space.
“Mr. Morrows, we asked you for a statement.” It’s one of the ladies from the newspaper that printed the story. “You refused to comment.”
“I didn’t refuse. I never said anything.”
“Same thing,” she says. “Do you want to tell us why you fired a girl after you made sexually suggestive moves toward her?”
“What? Are you fucking kidding me?” I yell. “I never did any of those things.”
“Are you claiming you didn’t fire her?”
I grunt. “No, I didn’t say that.” This is starting to piss me off. So I hold my briefcase in front of my face again and move through the crowd. “Get out of my way.”
“Mr. Morrows! If you want this to go away, you’ll have to start talking.”
I don’t look back as I open the door to the elevator leading up to the lobby. “Talk to my lawyer,” I growl, and I slam the door shut.
The silence that follows is a breath of fresh air. But also deceiving because I know a hurricane is coming … It’s actually waiting for me upstairs.
I’m going to get fired.
There’s no way the other board members will let this pass.
They won’t go down with a sinking ship.
Instead, they’ll chuck me overboard and hope to god it’s enough to salvage the company’s reputation. I would’ve done the same thing if I was in their shoes.
My pops believed in me. He worked too hard to get us where we are now, and I can’t let him down. I’d rather give it all up than be the cause of the business’s downfall.
I will sacrifice my career if I must. There’s no other way.
Lesley
Shit, shit, shit, I’m late!
I rush into the building and walk through the hallways, ignoring everyone around me. I don’t even say good morning or take the coffee I’m offered, even though I’m dying for it right now. I need to get up to the board room. Now.
I pass Gillian on the way to the elevator, and she leans over her desk and yells at me, “Where are you going?”
“Board room?” she asks.
“Yes!”
“They’re in a meeting right now.”
“I know. It’s about that story, and I’m going to stop them from firing him.” I press the elevator button and wait for it to come down.
“How?”
I pull the envelope out of my pocket and show it to her. “With this.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t understand …”
“You will soon enough.” The doors open, and I step inside.
“Are you sure it’ll work?” she yells at me.
“No, but it’s worth a shot!” I stick up my thumb and retreat into the elevator, pressing the button to go up.
“Don’t let them fire him!” Gillian yells as the doors close.
I smile, looking at my reflection in the metal. TJ was right. Gillian does care about him.
Or maybe she doesn’t wanna lose her job, like me.
Whatever it is, we’re both fighting for him. I hope this works.
When I get to the top floor, I step out and march toward the office in the back. I can see them sitting in their leather chairs while staring down TJ. He’s not faltering, though. The look in his eyes is so cold. So strict. I’ve never seen him that way before, and it catches me off guard.
On the surface, he seems calm and collected, but underneath, he’s in complete terror.
Fear that he’ll lose not only his job but also the business he worked so hard for, the business his father started, cripples him. I can see it in his eyes, in the way his nostrils flare as he listens to the unending barrage of accusations coming from their mouths.
He faces it like a warrior. With pride and dignity and in a way I’d never be able to. Because let’s face it, I’m the kind of girl they’d have to call security on because I’d be screaming my lungs out and trashing shit, just to get underneath their skin as a final statement. I don’t go down easily. I don’t go down at all.
But TJ … he takes it as if he knows this would happen. As if he already knew long ago this would happen.
He just didn’t know I’d be here too, watching it all go down …
And there is no way in hell I’m going to let them do this to him.
Unprofessional Bad Boys - Boxed Set (Contemporary Romance) Page 40