Boss

by Scarlett Ross

  I find myself tightening my thighs more. I hear clashing and clanging as I’m sure he is sweeping his desk off. I’m thrown down on the desk, the smooth cold cherrywood barely cooling me. He stretches my arms out and my legs out. I feel a faint nip on my left breast and then on my right. Merrick rubs his stubble between my breasts and laves my belly button. I buck up, but he pushes me back down. Scratching his way down my stomach I hear a groan.

  “Make a note, Miss Adams. A wax may be in order.”

  I surge up to tell him to fuck off when I feel his tongue slide down my entrance. He is whisper soft. I feel breath and the tiniest sensation of touch from his tongue. I stop breathing.

  “You see, Miss Adams, this is the note I wanted dictated the most.”

  I gasp. “What?”

  “How quickly do you come?”

  Merrick plunges into me with this tongue. I shake and convulse all over his thousands of dollars of desk. He’s exploring me in every way. He sucks at my clit, and I’m gone. I scream out, and I suddenly am breathless as I have his hand over my mouth.

  “Ainslee, enough please.”

  “Take it off, please.” My voice is muffled behind his hand.

  “I need to see you when I come. Please, take it off.”

  Merrick rips off my torn skirt, and I’m amazed at how undone he is. He looks genuinely shaken, and I could almost come from that alone.

  “You have to be quiet. I need both my hands for this.”

  He takes my legs and throws them over his shoulders. His grip is so tight I wince slightly. But his delicious tongue is ruthless, and I gaze down at his beautiful hair. I wish I could run my fingers through it and press into his tongue more. But my hands are still bound so I writhe against his face.

  “You are so sweet. I imagined you so many times. So many times,” he mumbles against me. I explode from his admission and he goes whisper soft again. Eventually he unwraps my legs from his shoulders and stands. His smile is mischievous and genuine. I am falling for him more in every moment.

  He leans me up to his massive chest and undoes my belt binding. “Okay, Ainslee we’ve just scratched the surface. Are you ready for more?”

  I grab Merrick and press him into me.

  “Fuck me, please I can’t take anymore. I’ve been wondering when we would have our moment, and after the other night, it was replaying in my head again and again. I want you so much I ache from it. I’m just glad the men gave me a little relief because it took you so long to come to your senses.” I go to kiss him, but he moves his head away. Merrick frowns and pulls back leaving me spread eagle. A cold wash comes over me. I can literally feel the change in temperature in the room. His face is stone.

  “They said you were eager.”

  I gaze dumbfounded at him. Who said what? He reads my mind.

  “PJ, Evan, Jamison. They had you pegged. You’re just a nymphomaniac, right? I’m just another guy in line.”

  I’m so startled I close my legs and sit up. “What exactly did they say?”

  “Always down for a throw is what I heard. I mean good for you. But I’m not stud service, Miss Adams.”

  They have been talking to each other about me. Even PJ has given insight into our moment.

  He pushes me off and straightens his jacket. I can’t believe I’m spread out like a Las Vegas buffet, and he’s still completely dressed, not a wrinkle in sight on his Armani suit. What just fucking happened? Why is so mercurial with me? Am I just imagining the times I see him start to break his cold facade and give me a glimmer of hope?

  “Why are you like this? Why am I so repugnant one minute and so arousing the next? This was your game all along. I played, because I wanted to. I’m not a whore or a simple-minded woman who thinks this ends up with me happily married to one of you megalomaniacs. I want you. I wanted Evan when he was there because he wanted me too, and I needed the comfort. I could see myself with PJ, but he’s too good for me ,honestly. Jamison is more interested in making me want him than actually giving up the goods. But you, Merrick, I just want you for you. So, do me a favor, and stop with the act. It’s no good. We’re going to happen whether it’s now or next week. It’s just a matter of time. And as anyone knows, I’m a very patient lady.”

  I sit up and saunter to the door as much as I can with my wobbling legs. Wrapping my skirt around my naked bottom area, I wink at Merrick. The confidence lasts until the door clicks shut. I run like hell to the bathroom, collapse into a stall and cry my eyes out. What seems like hours later, I peer hesitantly around the bathroom door. How in the hell am I going to walk around with my torn skirt wrapped around me like an apron? I head to my desk to see a skirt on a hanger laying across my desk.

  The sad thing is I love it and the asshole got the correct size. I guess he would know from our recent activities what size I wore. Or maybe he just keeps a variety of skirts in his office for such occasions. I put it on and send an email to Merrick telling him I’m ill and taking the rest of the day off. I stand to leave and my email pings with a response.

  Merrick to me:

  Fine. I won’t dock your pay. You did good work today.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  I CALL in sick the next two days. My mental state is kaput. The past weeks have shattered me, and I need a break from Monroe Enterprises and their men. Friday, I move into my new apartment and spend the weekend huddled up in bed in flannel pajamas. I watch Secretary with Maggie Gyllenhall and alternate between crying and laughing. Sunday, I try to find the strength to open some boxes to unpack but can only muster the strength to pull out an outfit for work the next day.

  Monday, I debate on the best transportation to getting to Monroe Enterprises and decide to splurge and cab it. My resolve to go in was nearly lost this morning when I realized there was going to be a meeting with the men in the boardroom. I had taken my laptop home and saw my calendar. Puking up the instant macaroni and cheese I gorged myself on, I told myself it was fine. So, we shared a little banter like men do together, so what? It was again a new day and any thoughts I had of who they were have been clarified. They are all the same. PJ may be the sweet one, Evan the brooding one, Jamison the narcissistic one, and Merrick the volatile one, but at the end of the day they were the bosses. Of course, my thinking I meant anything more than just a toy to them was a mistake. I wasn’t innocent either, they had been nothing but marks until last week when I had my revelation at dinner with Dad. In Gone with the Wind, Rhett Butler tells Scarlett, “It seems we’ve been at cross purposes doesn’t it?” We have all apparently been doing the same. Prophetic that it was on TCM Sunday and I watched it. Mom loved the movie and watching it was the closest thing I knew I would get to comfort. Savannah wasn’t calling me, and I didn’t want to call Dad for fear he would hear my grief.

  Riding into work, I feel numb which I consider to be a positive thing. Any emotion on my face will be a strike against me. They won’t get any more from me. My mistakes have been dealt with this weekend, and I have decided it is time to probably move on. I make a mental note to grab a paper and search the want ads later this evening. Monroe Enterprises will be nothing but an albatross around my neck, and I’m ready to lift off the weight around my shoulders.

  The floor is deserted when I walk in, and for a moment, I wonder if I missed the meeting time. Walking to my desk I log on to my computer and see that yes, the meeting has been spontaneously changed by thirty minutes earlier. Shrugging off my jacket and purse, I grab my iPad and race to the elevator. The door opens and still there is no sign of anyone. What is going on? A sense of dread envelops me as I bridge the distance toward the boardroom door. Opening the door, I see all four men standing at their normal places around the table. But I also see two very disturbing sights. One is Regina Marlo, looking at me with disdain. The second is Simon. Dressed like the rest of the men and without any traces of the appearance he had when we were meeting. He stares at me and looks away quickly.

  “Ainslee, please come in and take a seat.” Regina gestu
res for me to close the door. I do with shaking hands, and then I see it. Encased in a large vanilla folder that could potentially house the Constitutional Amendments in lower case, single-spaced script. Brash bold black lettering that spells out, DISCIPLINARY FILE OF MISS AINSLEE AGATHA ADAMS. I know then I’m not here for any ordinary board meeting. I’m here to see my demise at the hands of the men who have betrayed me and played me like a fiddle.

  “May I ask you again to take a seat please, Ainslee.” Regina points to a seat in the middle of the table. Scattered around all the men, her and Simon are thick folders, ominously spread to meet end to end. Essentially where one folder begins, another ends. This is reminiscent of an impeachment hearing, and I apparently have become Donald Trump. My chest heaves, and my vision gets blurry. Sitting down at my assigned seat, I look to see if I can make eye contact with any of the men or Simon.

  Simon is looking down at the folders in front of him, he doesn’t make a move to even glance at me. Evan is flipping a pen between his fingers like a poker chip and purposely looking out the boardroom window. PJ is clenching and unclenching his fists rapidly and looks to be in a similar state to what I’m feeling. And Merrick is sitting tall, impassive and sparing me a single glance devoid of any sort of emotion.

  Regina sits proud and smug. She picks up the disciplinary file and begins to rifle through papers. This is not happening, please let this not be happening.

  “Ainslee, when you first came to be employed by Monroe Enterprises, you were given a clear understanding of the policies we adhere to at the company. You were given documents by myself during our orientation to sign to make sure you were aware of all these. Can you confirm your signature on these documents?”

  Sliding a sheaf of papers over to me, I don’t feel the need to look them over. Yes, I signed them and there is no forgery.

  “Ainslee, for the record, I need you to acknowledge whether or not that is your signature. Can you please confirm or deny?”

  “Yes, that’s my signature,” I whisper. What little breath I am struggling to hold onto will not be wasted on something so trivial. She knows that’s my signature.

  “Okay, let us move on then. You were informed that your employment within the company was contingent on a ninety day probationary period. I told you that during this period, any infractions violating company policy made you subject to immediate termination. The reason for this meeting is I have been made aware and further given documentation to support multiple infractions upon your part. We will go through these one by one, and I suggest you take note of each one I mention. You will have a chance to respond after we have reviewed each. Do you understand?”

  Nodding, Evan hands me a pad and pen. I look at him and he winks. Judas.

  “I will now read off the infractions. You displayed inappropriate behavior at our company fundraiser. You were still on the clock as an employee at the time. In a fit of rage, you threw your donation basket onto the floor and walked away without making a superior aware you were leaving. A bonus was offered to the hostess with the largest amount of donations at the end of the night. Mysteriously, a donation in the amount of one hundred thousand dollar payable by cashier’s check was found in your basket and you were awarded the subsequent bonus. The check was submitted anonymously. The check in question has since been returned from the bank as it is a forgery.”

  I glance to Merrick. Anonymous check, secret donor my ass. He set me up. The look he gives me lets me know this was a plan set in place far before I arrived. Apparently, we have each had our own revenge fantasies brewing for some time.

  “Secondly, a large sum of money from a company-issued charge card was used to purchase over twenty five thousand dollars in merchandise from a large department store. The purchase has been identified as women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. A search of your desk found that all the items were located there and you had them sent to your attention. Additionally, the courier slip was signed by you.”

  I glance at Jamison. He smiles at me sweetly. The second set up.

  “It has also been determined that you used false pretenses to a security guard to gain entry into one of the officer’s offices. A statement given by the guard said you implied valuable IT equipment was inside the office. However, there was no equipment within, and the guard was adamant that you smelled smoke and mentioned a potential fire hazard. Our offices are equipped with state of the art smoke and fire systems. None of the systems alerted any hazards on the day in question.”

  I glance at PJ. He is clenching and unclenching his fists still. I expect he’s drawn blood at this point. I hope so at least. Third set up.

  “We have also gotten a statement from Simon Galloway that you hired him to obtain confidential information. He claims to have given you nothing in the way of this, but that you offered him a larger sum of money to attempt to continue to try to gain such information. Mr. Galloway, would you like to make a statement?”

  I glance at Simon, and he shakes his head. “No, I don’t have a further statement to give at this time past the one originally given.”

  He used me. He lied to my face and made me believe he was a friend. A confidant. Is Savannah wrapped up in this also? She introduced us. My stomach heaves, and I put my hand over my mouth in case I vomit.

  “Finally, and in my personal opinion the most grotesque, is implications of sexual harassment by each of the officers. Monroe Enterprises has a strict no tolerance policy on this. Additionally, to prevent these circumstances, we have installed a state of the art security system in every floor and every office. If someone can please cut the lights?”

  Merrick stands up and goes to hit the switch as an enormous screen pulls down from the ceiling of the room. Regina pushes a button and images begin to flood the screen. Some grainy, some in full resolution, all of them horrific. The images have been edited in great detail. I see myself walking to the terrace with Evan already present, arms outstretched onto the terrace. I see myself undulating my ass against him and then it cuts to him walking away. Granted, the image doesn’t show that he was following me as I walked away, and that it was previous to our dalliance. I see Jamison in his private office bathroom and me bursting through the door and watching him shower. PJ holding up his hand as I unbutton my blouse and advance toward him. And finally, me launching myself at Merrick and him catching me with a look of surprise on his face. My heart is broken. My soul is broken. My mind is broken.

  “Fucking turn it off!” PJ shouts and goes to pull the screen up. The others don’t move, and Regina is so startled by his outburst she clicks the feed off.

  “Mr. Haywood, I understand how humiliating this must be.”

  “No, you don’t know. You don’t know shit.” PJ slides his folders and throws his chair back with so much force it topples over. He goes to look at me and starts to speak. I give him a look of death and shake my head ever so slightly. He has no comeback from this. He’s one of them now to me. And they are all as good as dead in my mind.

  He exits the room and slams the door.

  “Well as you can see, Ainslee, we have documented evidence of all your infractions. Granted, one alone would warrant termination, but combined, it’s all too grievous to not take immediate action. While a formal investigation would normally be opened, we all agree there is no need since so much evidence has been brought against you. An appeal can be filed, but we would like to offer you the chance to resign. Thirty days severance pay has been offered, which I consider to be more than generous given your short time here. Upon resignation, you will have your security clearance revoked and be expected to vacate the building by the end of the day. A recommendation will not be given to any future employer, except for us to verify your dates of employment. Additionally, the company will not seek to press charges for the monies you obtained legally from the bonus or credit card purchases. This is a more than fair offer, in my estimation. I would recommend taking it. You have a chance to address these allegations now, or if you would like an at
torney present?”

  It’s happening all over again. I’ve been ruined just like my family only by the next generation. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Now I know Simon’s assessment was just told to me to throw me off.

  Game’s over. It’s time to leave while I still have the strength to do so. There will be another day in the near future to regroup, replan and recalculate. Revenge will once again be the business order of the day. But for now I just need to leave.

  “Fine. You win. I resign effective immediately. Please send me the paper to sign,” My breath is coming in quick bursts, and I have to get out of this building pronto.

  Throwing back my chair like PJ did, but for an entirely different reason, I make for the door and fling it open. The sight of an exit calms me some but not enough to make my heart stop palpitating.

  “Ainslee, there’s still more to discuss.” Regina sings out to me in her sing song “we got you, bitch” tone.

  “Fuck you, Regina. I’ve resigned; you don’t call the shots now. I am leaving. Do you hear me, I am leaving!” I scream as loud as I can possibly without fainting from a lack of oxygen. But I have one more question before I go, and I will hear the answer so help me if I am taken out of here in an ambulance.

  “Why? Why did you all do this to me?”

  Merrick stands and leans forward onto the boardroom table. “Because we could. We’re the bosses, after all.”

  I hear his words, and that’s all I can take. I run. I run to the elevator, jabbing the button and straight out of the lobby.

  I shove the double glass doors aside. I am a mess. I see my reflection, once described as beautiful, breathtaking, and awe-inducing by my mother and father. I look like a nobody. I feel like a nobody. My bite has become a soft and pitiful whine. They did this to me. I believed a fallacy. My hopes and dreams seem like nothing more than a dime novel. I am a loser. Just like Dad, they spit me out to make way for a better cut of meat. I stumble some more and remember my purse, phone, and all sundry possessions are up there. In their glistening ivory tower of lies, betrayal, and hate. Damn, I’m the epitome of a bad bully romance novel. I turn to the building deliberating the possibility of retrieving my belongings, but I physically cannot make myself step back inside the door. I resolve that if I can help it, I will never step through the doors of Monroe Enterprises again.