Lauren nodded with eyes closed. “He’s gonna take it personally. I know Parker. What then? What about Faith and Amit and Percy?”
“You have an employee named Percy?” he asked with a laugh.
“Yes! It’s his nickname though. I can’t remember his real name right now...”
“I guess if Parker’s an ass about it, StyleSpur will probably close down pretty quickly after we launch. I know it sucks, but you can’t look at it like that. It’s just business.”
“It’s not just business though,” she said, a despondency creeping into her voice. “They’re people with lives and dreams and...Amit is getting married soon! I can’t do this.”
“Alright, it’s okay. What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to find them jobs. Maybe they can work for us or someone else or I don’t know, but I can’t just leave them stranded.”
Landon breathed into the phone, the sound loud and hot in her ear. “Wren, I don’t know how you expect to be able to—”
“You have their profiles, I sent them to you! You’ve got their work history and everything. I’m sure you’ve got connections that can help. Please help me with this? It really means a lot.” She was pleading now, her woozy mind filled with desperate images of her friends homeless and hungry, hating her and her success.
“Alright, alright. I’ll see what I can do. I’m sure we can work something out,” he said softly. “You should go to sleep.”
“Yeah, probably.” Lauren rolled onto her back and giggled, her mood shifting completely. For right now, the issue was resolved. “I used both phones to text you.”
“I know you did. You’re pretty drunk, huh? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you this drunk.”
“I’m not that drunk!” she declared indignantly. After a pause she continued, “What are we? I mean, what are we really? Are you my boyfriend? I don’t even know which phone to use to call you.”
Landon burst into raucous laughter. “That’s one of the best ways I’ve heard someone try to define a relationship. I think that’s something we could talk about tomorrow when I come over. What do you think?”
“Oh that’s right! You’ll be here tomorrow, no—you’ll be here today! Tomorrow is already today. That makes me happy,” she cooed. She was tired, the sound of his deep voice lulling her to sleep. “I have the spins,” she whispered into the phone.
“Aw, put one foot on the floor and your hand on a wall, that’ll help. Go to sleep and I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Mmmhmmm,” she mumbled already drifting to sleep. Dropping the phone beside her ear, she was gone before the light on her screen went out.
15.
Lauren woke up early with a pounding head and a sour taste in her mouth. After taking a long shower, she slowly made her way into work and thankfully wasn’t the only one in such a state. Nearly the entire office was hungover and miserable the following day. Even Faith felt rough yet still managed to take care of everyone. She’d arrived first to the office with two big boxes of fresh coffee, headache medication, Gatorade, and an assortment of sweet and salty snacks. Lauren wanted to nominate her for sainthood as was only fair. As each person walked in, a cup of coffee and a goody bag were thrust into their hands. Even with the extra tender loving care, it was close to noon before everyone had perked up enough to speak above a whisper.
After recovering her appetite at lunch and eating far more than she needed, Lauren sat at her desk attempting to concentrate. Countless times she found herself staring through the computer screen, thoughts drifting from work. Lauren’s hands rested on the keyboard for several minutes as her mind floated from topic to topic. I really need to stop going out so much. Every time I do, I’m just ruined the whole next day, it’s ridiculous. Hopefully I’ll feel better by tonight. Oh! He should be in the air by now. I can’t wait to see him...I hope I wasn’t too much of an ass on the phone last night. I think I remember everything I said but you never know...
“Hey Lauren,” a voice said behind her. “Can I talk to you real quick?” Rochelle stood beside her, a sweet smile plastered on her face. It took a lot of energy to keep her expression neutral. Lauren had been trying to avoid her as much as possible since finding out who and what she was. It’s probably part of the reason I feel so guilty about everything. I’ve known about her for almost two weeks now and haven’t done anything about it.
“Oh hey, what’s up?”
The young girl crouched down, her hands on the edge of the desk for balance. Her eyes were bright and wide as she looked up at Lauren. “I just really wanted to thank you for all your support. I think I might actually add a computer science minor to my degree. I was always interested in it but it seemed so difficult, I don’t think I would’ve had the guts to try it until I came here.”
For several reasons, Lauren resisted the urge to vomit. “That’s really great to hear, Rochelle,” she said emphasizing her name. “We always need more hard working, honest women in the sciences.”
“Totes! I’ve already talked to my adviser and he thinks it shouldn’t be a big problem. He even showed me all the classes I’d have to take. There’s only one thing,” she said biting her lip. The expression was so practiced Lauren nearly laughed. She’s such a little Sahra mini-me.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I haven’t gotten much experience working on database stuff, you know, with huge tables. It’s really overwhelming when you see millions of columns of data, ya know? Do you think I’d be able to look at something like that before I’m done with my rotation?”
Lauren smiled caustically. “Oh Rochelle, I wouldn’t worry about that just yet. I’m sure your professors will be able to walk you through any issues you might have with it. You just keep doing your lessons online and help Amit.”
For a brief moment, Lauren thought she might have seen a flash of anger or suspicion in her expression. She kept her gaze steady, mentally willing the young girl to crack. Instead, she quickly recovered and turned up the wattage on her smile.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t worry about it. I’ve got loads of time to prepare.” She popped up and looked down her nose. “Thank you so much again.”
As Lauren watched her return to her desk, hips swinging and ponytail swishing behind, she made up her mind. Parker probably would react badly when she left to start her own business, but maybe if she told him about Rochelle he wouldn’t go after her. At the very least, it was worth it to be able to walk away with a clean conscience.
A couple hours later Lauren declared the day finished. She told everyone to go home early and get a jump start on their weekends. A chorus of groans met Josh when he suggested getting a drink at the bar. She’d made the announcement as she left for the bathroom and returned to a nearly empty office.
“God, that was quick,” she laughed. “Didn’t have to tell them twice.” She waved to the last people as they walked out the door and sat down to finish one last thing. As she waited for her work to compile, she texted Landon to see if he’d landed.
Are you here yet? You’re probably hungry, do you want to grab something to eat first?
...
Just got my bag, walking to grab a cab. I was thinking we could meet at the office first. I’m pretty hungry for something else...
Lauren’s heart fluttered as she read his words. There was no questioning what this weekend was going to be filled with and the way she felt right now, she wasn’t sure they’d leave the bedroom at all.
Me too ;) Just have to take care of a few things here. I’ll see you soon!
Leaning back to see through the conference walls to Parker’s office, she noticed the light was still on. I might as well get this out of the way now. I know Landon won’t be happy about it but I think I owe Parker this tiny respect.
She simultaneously thought about how well she’d handled the whole breakup with Nick and the conversation she’d had with Landon’s adviser. She’d never been in a relationship that ended like that but she’d coped su
rprisingly well. Sure, it didn’t hurt that she was finally seeing success with MyBFC and Landon was amazing and over-the-top supportive. Walking in on Nick in that position has been incredibly difficult, but she was proud of how she reacted. The thought bolstered her confidence as she was about to confront Parker. Although he was an asshole, he was intimidating and highly unpredictable.
Just as she stood to walk back, an idea occurred to her in a flash. She never believed in the idea of guardian angels or anything like that but the intensity of the image in her mind startled her. She took out her phone, thumbed through the apps and found the built-in recording device. Some intuition, something inside told her it’d be a good idea to leave it running as she spoke with Parker. The only problem was she’d never done anything like this or even tested the strength of the microphone. Shit, no pockets! Where am I gonna put it? she thought frantically before tucking it in the cup of her bra. Making sure the microphone pointed to the open space of her cleavage, she took a deep breath.
Approaching his office, Lauren saw he was sitting at his desk through the glass door. He leaned back in his chair, hands tucked behind his head with his eyes closed. Lauren gently knocked.
“Come in,” he replied without moving.
“Hi Parker, do you have a sec? I’ve got something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Hmmm?” He opened his eyes and zeroed in on her, the smallest devious smile spreading across his lips. “Oh Lauren, it’s you. Come in, have a seat,” he gestured to the chair opposite as he leaned forward, shifting to the edge of his.
Lauren took another deep breath and sat, still unsure how she was going to start. “Just a few things, really. Wanted to let you know we finished Sahra’s code review today.” Parker’s eyes went wide and his smile deepened but remained silent. That’s an odd reaction. “Anyway...um, also I know you aren’t into the whole employee of the month thing but Amit has really been doing a great job. Do you think I could get him a—”
“What about Rochelle,” he said through gritted teeth. Paired with his strained smile, he looked like a primate baring his fangs. “How has she been...performing?”
Lauren noticed a line of sweat forming on his brow. “It’s funny you should mention her. She’s actually who I wanted to speak to you about. See, I can’t really tell you how—”
As she spoke, Parker released a small moan and she put it all together. Lip curling in disgust, Lauren leapt to her feet and backed away.
“Oh come on! While I’m in the room, seriously? That’s so disgusting. Faith, we talked about this last night.”
“Faith?” an indignant voice screeched from under the desk. There was a huge thud and Parker was propelled backward as Rochelle scurried out from below, thankfully fully dressed. The look on her face was comical. “You’ve been fucking Faith, too?”
Parker made no effort to cover himself, his pants still around his ankles. “Aww sweetie, you thought you were the only one?” He looked at Lauren who crossed her arms and grunted. “Let’s not make this awkward, ladies. I think we can figure something out that works for everyone.”
“Jesus,” Rochelle spat. She pushed past Lauren, leaving her with a lasting glare, and stormed out of the office. She probably knows what I was going to tell him. I’m gonna have to deal with that sooner or later.
“What an entitled little bitch. Comes in here practically begging for it, I’m kind enough to give in and this is how she repays me?” he said watching her walk away. “Hey, I heard you got rid of that grease monkey. I’m still ready if you are.”
Lauren turned her back completely. “Just get dressed, Parker,” she said, her words dripping with contempt. “I don’t feel like contracting anything tonight.”
“Like you’d be so lucky,” he growled. His belt buckle jingled as he pulled up his pants. “Maybe a course of penicillin would dissolve that icicle in your cunt.”
She spun around and closed the distance in purposeful strides. “I don’t know what’s worse, the fact you’re a certifiable douche bag or that you’re so proud of it.”
His tone grew icy. “You watch yourself there, little miss. I don’t appreciate you coming in here, ruining my blowjob, and insulting me. Do you need another reminder of who’s the boss?”
Just months ago she would’ve been frozen in place but she wasn’t the same Lauren. She had just reached the end of her tether and wasn’t in the mood to play his games anymore. It was about time she started to play a few of her own. She shifted her weight to her back leg and crossed her arms.
“What’s our tech stack?”
“Wha—?”
“Who hosts our servers?”
“This has nothing to—”
“Who’s our biggest client?”
“Juniper! I know that one.” His excitement was short lived.
“Wrong. They pulled half their product range after you made a scene at one of their parties. Apparently you threw up in a fountain.” Lauren could feel the cool, glowing anger pulsing inside. She was upset, yes, but completely in control. “You don’t deserve to be the boss. You’re a joke, Parker, and I think you realize it. You don’t know the first thing about keeping this company going but I do. Your junkie brother is nowhere to be seen and I’m the only thing holding this place together. I deserve to be CTO.”
He stormed around the desk and got up in her face, choosing to physically intimidate when he realized he wasn’t going to win a battle of wits. Lauren tried her best to stand her ground and appear unflappable, but she felt her legs turn to jelly. Thankfully her voice remained strong.
“What, are you gonna hit me? You gonna pin me up against the wall again? You’re just a sad little man. You know I’m not scared of you.”
“You probably should be,” he growled. A distant part of her mind laughed. Did I just walk into a really bad action movie or something? Started off as a weird office porno but both have the same cheesy acting.
“Yeah,” she chuckled dismissively. “You’re gonna make me CTO and I’m not going to tell every tech reporter that you’re fucking a corporate spy. None of this would be happening if you just got your head out of your ass every once in a while.”
He squinted at her. “What are you talking about?”
“That girl you had tucked under your desk right now, yeah, her real name is Rachel and she actually works for Glitz and Swag. She’s pretending to be an intern so she can take intel back to her company. You didn’t actually think she was on her knees because of your charm and charisma, did you? I was coming in here to tell you, give you fair warning and see how you wanted to handle it, but then you went and acted like an ass.”
He puffed up his chest but she could see in his eyes she’d gotten through. “No one would believe you.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Audio recordings are pretty hard to fake though...” He looked her up and down, fully comprehending his position for the first time. That was enough. She knew there wasn’t going to be any resolution tonight. He was too headstrong to acquiesce so quickly. She’d managed to stand up to him and plant a niggle of doubt in his mind. “Tell you what, I’ll give the blood a chance to return to your brain and you can think about it. Take the weekend, let me know Monday.”
A final thought popped into her mind as she walked out of his office. Pausing as she held the door open with one hand, she spoke in measured words. “It’s funny, isn’t it? You once told me if I played my cards right I could become CTO. Looks like I ended up screwing you for the promotion anyway...although I’m sure it’s not exactly what you had in mind. Whatever you decide, I am going to tell Faith what I saw here tonight. She deserves better.”
Holy shit, that felt amazing! I can’t stop shaking but yes! I’ve wanted to do that for years!
16.
Lauren wiped the sweat-soaked hair from her brow. She reached above her head and fumbled for the air conditioning remote control. As the unit beeped and fresh, cool air flowed over their bodies, she and Landon looked at each other and grinned. He shifted t
o his elbow and kissed her softly on the shoulder.
“I really hate saying goodbye to you but I could definitely get used to the hellos.”
“Oh, now there’s a line,” she said poking him in the side. “Just imagine how nice it’ll be when I move out to California. We can say hello morning, noon, and night.”
Landon’s face lit up. “Oh really? I didn’t realize you’d made up your mind. I guess I should clean out the guest room then.”
“I’ll leave the sleeping arrangements up to you. I think I have enough to figure out on this end, not least of which is how I’m going to tell Ali I’m leaving.”
“I’ll clean out both guest rooms,” he laughed.
Lauren traced the tattoo on his left arm, a colorful design that resembled a watercolor painting of a bird. It was so beautiful and smooth she couldn’t believe a needle had created it. She’d always thought asking people about their tattoos was in bad taste but she wished he’d offer up their meaning. Eventually I hope to know almost everything about him, she thought dreamily.
“We should get showered and head out soon. I’m absolutely starving, what is it? A little past eight?” Lauren stood and wrapped herself in a bathrobe, her legs shaky and unsteady from riding him for so long. The pleasant soreness between her legs was like a secret reminder of their time together.
“Yeah, let’s just grab some pizza and get a drink. I promise I’ll fold it in half like a real New Yorker so you aren’t embarrassed to be seen with me.”
“Deal,” she said tossing him a towel.
There was no need to sneak across the hall to the bathroom. All the other guys in the house knew she and Landon were together, but Lauren still checked to see if the coast was clear before leaving the bedroom. She hung up her robe and stepped in the shower, Landon following behind.
“So we’ll have to coordinate your move with closing down these offices. Shouldn’t be a big deal, those guys are used to moving wherever I need them to go. After that we really need to—”
Playing with Power - Book 4: New Adult Office Romance Page 10