Hell in a Handbasket - The Journey

by Damara Blackthorne

  "The food was recently put out. We got word when your plane landed and made adjustments accordingly. The others will be in momentarily, so help yourself."

  "Thank you." I smiled meekly.

  She huffed and began placing notepads and pens in front of each chair. I was intently watching her while I stood in front of the buffet. She glanced up at me, snorted, and left the room. Seriously, someone needed to help that girl keep a better watch over her cornflakes or medication!

  * * * *

  I hadn't had a chance to get anything to eat or drink when people started streaming into the room and taking seats. All of the seats filled up but two, one at the head of the table facing the window and one next to it facing the buffet sideboard and me, with its back to the wall. I stayed right where I was waiting to see who would fill them up.

  "Ahem…" A short plump elderly man with gray hair was sitting in the other chair beside the empty head chair. His chair was facing the wall, and he had to turn in order to see me. "Miss Bendis?"

  "Yes…" That came out sounding more like a question as confidence eluded me.

  The plump gentleman motioned to the empty seat across from his, on the other side of the head seat. "Please take a seat. We have much to discuss. There will be plenty of time for refreshments when we are done." Man, he and Miss Perky-Snot must share the same corn flakes or mental health doctor.

  "Yes, of course." Embarrassment ran through me and I felt my skin burn as a blush scaled up my neck and devoured my face.

  I took my seat and looked nervously at the people surrounding the table. No one seemed interested in returning my glances. A middle-aged woman with auburn hair and dark eyes looked at the plump gentleman "Are we going…"

  The plump gentleman held up his hand. "We will be conducting most of the meeting ourselves right now."

  "Now, Miss Bendis, we have asked you here because your sales have been steadily waning. We've been waiting to see if the situation would right itself, but it has not. Normally we wouldn't have gone to the trouble of bringing you here. We simply would have waited out your contract and dismissed you as a writer. However, we were recently bought out and the new owner asked us to conduct a meeting instead. He wanted to see if there was something that could be done to help you with your writing and thus your sales."

  "I see. Will the new owner be attending this meeting?"

  "At this point we are not certain. He was delayed."

  "All right. Well, I'm not certain what to tell you. I've been writing pretty much the same."

  "And that seems to be the problem. We have all read your work." He motioned around the table.

  "All of you?" I was blushing, embarrassed because everyone at the table was older than me. It would be like my parents and grandparents reading my fantasies. Fantasies and deep dark desires I had put down on paper.

  "Yes, all of us. It is the only way we could get an idea of how and what you write."

  I simply nodded my head, sank down in my seat, and looked at my notepad on top of the table. "So you want to release me as a writer from your publishing house?"

  The plump gentleman huffed out a frustrated sigh. "Normally yes. But again, we were recently bought out and the new owner does things differently, so you are in luck."

  "So what do I need to do?" I looked up hopefully.

  "We all believe your writing reflects the fact that you've never done any of the things you write about."

  "Really? All of you are members of the Mile High Club?" I blurted out and then felt embarrassed as I looked around the table when no one spoke up. "Well if you haven't done it then how do you know what goes on up there?"

  A very pretty middle-aged woman coughed. "I am a member of the Mile High Club, and I have to tell you that although your writing does give a general idea of the mechanics and the process, it feels a bit flat, as if you have no idea as to the feelings and emotions involved in that or any of the other acts."

  "Oh." At first, I felt crushed and started to sag more in my seat. But then I remembered they were talking about the Maeve before Ryder. This Maeve knew all too well what goes on in the airplane bathrooms as well as middle management offices. This Maeve still stood a chance of being a writer—a good writer—a popular writer. I sat up straighter in my seat and remembered Ryder telling me he hoped I would retell our adventures, and that they would help me in my work. I smiled a bright cocky smile. I tipped my head in a seductive manner and proceeded to tell everyone in that room just how much I did know without getting into specifics. And that from now on my writing was going to be so erotic it would have each one of them having underwear-soaking orgasms in their seats.

  About that time, I heard an intercom pop and Miss Perky-Snot's voice chimed in. "Mr. Carlisle, He's on his way in now."

  "Thank you, Taryn." The elderly gentleman nodded and then turned to me…"Well, it seems our illustrious leader will be joining us after all. Aren't we blessed?" Geez, does no one here like the new owner? Is he some kind of slave driver or asshole or just a complete jerk?

  I looked around the table and no one looked happy about the news that the new owner was coming to this meeting. I started feeling more distressed than before. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. My skin felt cold and clammy. I was afraid I might throw up…wouldn't that make for a great first impression?

  One of the frosted doors started to open and I held my breath. And in walked Ryder wearing a dark charcoal gray business suit which looked as though it had been hand made just for him and dark shiny shoes. He had his hair pulled back at the nape of his neck, tied with what looked to be a string made of black satin. If I thought that man was gorgeous before—I was wrong. He was absolutely stunning in this suit. My eyes bugged out in shock and my jaw dropped, leaving my mouth hanging open.

  Ryder looked around the table and did not look happy. In fact, he looked downright murderous. When his eyes reached mine, his face softened and he smiled. "Good afternoon Miss Bendis. I am very pleased you could make it to this meeting."

  I blinked my eyes a few times…"Yes…thank…you…for inviting me here." My voice was flat and emotionless thanks to me being in shock. It creaked toward the end. Still not too shabby considering my head was swimming in disbelief.

  Ryder then took his seat at the head of the table. He reached over to the intercom, pressed the button, and then growled, "Miss Parrish. Please join us." Now I was scared.

  Ryder's eyes were narrow slits as he gazed around the table. I noticed everyone was starting to squirm in their seats and not in a good way. Everyone was uncomfortable. I was doubly so, remembering what this man had done to me and the way he made me feel and yet I was just as scared as everyone else at the table. What in hell was going on?

  Taryn's perky-self walked in through the frosted door Ryder had just entered. She was carrying a notepad and pen poised at the ready. When she looked at me, she wore a smile, which screamed, "Bitch, this is mine!"

  * * * *

  Ryder glanced up at her. "You won't be needing those."

  She looked a little confused but her smile grew larger. She glanced at me and shot me a mean, hateful smirk.

  Ryder stood up. He straightened making him even taller and clasped his hands together. He walked around the table starting on the side opposite me. As he walked behind each person, he would stop and glance over their shoulder to see what they had written on their notepad. Sometimes he would smile while other times he frowned and once I heard him growl.

  He continued his stalking around the table. "It seems my previous orders have not been followed per my instructions. That makes me very unhappy. I don't give an order or make a decision without much forethought and reasoning. Therefore to reduce the number of misunderstandings and formal complaints, let me give some explanation regarding my next steps and actions." He stopped behind my chair and placed his hands gently on my shoulders. "I instructed each one of you to be extra nice to Miss Bendis here, yet many of you were downright rude and disrespectful. Altho
ugh I understand your reasons for such behavior, it is not the type of behavior or attitude I will permit within this business. I do not want such actions representing this company. I believe many of you have forgotten that I do indeed own this company and my goal is to make it one of the top publishing houses around."

  He sidestepped Taryn, moved back to his chair and stood behind it. "Not long after I took control of this company, I had the security cameras updated, as well as more cameras and microphones installed. And before anyone starts crying that their rights have been violated, let me ease your minds by reminding you of the fact that all activities of employees and visitors will be monitored and recorded. This information is not only in the new employee handbook, but it was also practiced at this company and in that handbook before I took over. Isn't that right Mr. Carlisle?"

  Mr. Carlisle squirmed even more so in his seat.

  "What?" "You pervert!" "What have you been recording?” "Are you keeping these recordings?" Voices all around the table rose with disbelief, confusion, and anger.

  Ryder merely held up his hand, expecting and getting complete silence. "I cannot speak for Mr. Carlisle here," gesturing towards Mr. Carlisle's direction. "Perhaps you can take those issues up with him after this meeting is adjourned. As for me, as long as you haven't done anything illegal or incriminating while on the premises inside this company, you have nothing to worry about."

  Ryder lowered his hand and set it on the back of his chair. "Now, I have monitors set up in my office so I can see and hear what is being said and done inside of my company." He turned his head to face Taryn. "Now, Ms. Parrish, let me see if I can remember exactly the wording you have used during your phone conversations. Ah, yes…’I'm going to seduce him, get knocked up and trick him into marrying me’.” He turned his whole body toward her and leaned on the back of his chair. "Security has already been called and they are waiting for you. They should have all of your belongings boxed up. I've also already contacted Human Resources and they're waiting as well. So, to make this perfectly clear, your services here are no longer required. You are fired effective immediately."

  Taryn's face was no longer pretty or perky. It contorted into a mask of hatred and malice and it was directed at me. I was scared.

  Ryder coughed and brought Taryn's attention back to him. "I don't believe I need to tell you that if anything, and I do mean anything, happens to Miss Bendis, I will inform the police and hand over copies of all recordings involving you. And I do mean all of them.”

  Taryn's face blanched. She turned towards Mr. Carlisle "Are you going to let him get away with that? Aren't you going to help me here? Because if I go down, I'm dragging you with me."

  Mr. Carlisle gagged. "I don't know what you're talking about Ms. Parrish."

  Ryder tried to suppress a soft chuckle. "Sure you do Mr. Carlisle. She's talking about all the times you two had relations in your office—among other places, inside of this company's premises."

  Mr. Carlisle lost what little color he had in his face. He started to spit and sputter. "Wha…I…da-uh…wh…ooo…"

  Ryder turned back towards his chair. He held up his hand again. "Mr. Carlisle. I have already spoken with my attorneys. Due to the terms of the buy-out, I cannot fire you."

  Mr. Carlisle smirked with an evil glint in his eyes.

  "However, I can and am demoting you. You will have absolutely no say in what is or is not published by this house. You will have no say in who writes for this house. You will no longer have any contact with anyone associated with myself or any of my companies, past, present or future. In addition, I can and am cutting your pay. No longer will you receive a generous salary. You will receive minimum wage for the number of hours you actually work for me."

  Poor Mr. Carlisle, I think he couldn't decide if he was having a heart attack or a stroke.

  Ryder saw his condition. He reached for a phone, which was stashed in an inner pocket of his suit. He called 911.

  He then opened one of the frosted doors and motioned for someone who was waiting out in the lobby.

  A security officer walked in and approached Miss Parrish. "Come with me please. We will be escorting you to HR and then off the property."

  Taryn looked so pale. I thought she was going to faint, but no one offered to call 911 for her or to assist her in her walking. I felt so bad for her.

  Ryder looked back over the table. "Mrs. Palmer, could you please watch over Mr. Carlisle?" He was looking at the pretty middle-aged woman who was a member of the Mile High Club. "And would you wait with him until the ambulance leaves with him. Also could you let me know to which hospital they take him. Thank you."

  Mrs. Palmer nodded. "Sure thing Mr. Madsen."

  Ryder smiled and gestured to the rest of the table. "Since this meeting did not go quite how I had hoped, let me make a few more things abundantly clear. Miss Bendis will be staying on as a writer. She and everyone else associated with me or my companies are to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. As for the rest of you, some of you I am extremely pleased with, some of you, not so much. I will re-evaluate your work over the coming weeks to determine your place within this company. So, enjoy the refreshments. This meeting is adjourned."

  I must have still been in shock. I sat through all of this with my mouth slightly open and my brain empty. I mean seriously—blank.

  Ryder turned to me with the softest look in his eyes. "Maeve, would you like to see my office?"

  Chapter Six

  I blinked a few times, my brain still waiting for someone to hit the reset button so it could start to function again. It felt like the inside of my head was a clean wall of chalk board. Well washed and oh-so blank. I just sat there staring at him, my mouth slightly open.

  “Maeve?” Ryder’s voice was soft and his face showed real concern.

  Again I just sat there blinking, as the thoughts of how we met and the things we did raced through my head in no particular order. The events getting jumbled in the rush to be first in my mind.

  “Maeve? Are you okay?” Ryder walked over to my chair. Placing his left hand against the back of my chair, he reached his right hand out.

  I watched helplessly as his hand searched for me, grazing my face, barely brushing my jaw. I gasped and my body reacted on its own by trying to get away, as one thought hit me full force, He lied to me. He knew who I was this whole time. He knew everything about me, he already knew my name, and what I do for a living. He already knew, and I just went along with him, and fell for his charm, and his good looks. I am such an idiot, an absolute idiot! I heard a few snickers make their way around the table. And then another thought started to make my brain fog, and eyes tear up…what if they all knew? Is this what Taryn meant by I wasn’t the first, and I wouldn’t be the last? Do they all know what he did to me…with me? What we did together? Do they all know? Is this what he does? Does he find a woman, learn all about her, and then pretend to be a stranger? Oh God. Is that better or worse? Oh God. I had to get away from here. I couldn’t stay here knowing what I now knew. He’s a predator, he stalked me, and I let him. Idiot! I couldn’t breathe, and for a totally different reason now. I jerked back, and I banged my head as my chair slid into the wall. I threw my hands up in a defensive motion. “Don’t touch me!” I seethed.

  “Maeve?” A painful expression crossed Ryder’s face and I felt myself start to feel bad for him. Then I remembered, he lied to me.

  “You lied to me.” I tried to whisper as I glanced at the people still in the room with us. It was bad enough if they knew, but I didn’t see any reason why they should get more of a show. Trying hard not to let the tears welling up in my eyes spill over for these people to see, and gossip about. “You lied to me…” Dipping my head, allowing my hair to cover my face as I whispered, “You knew who I was. You acted like you didn’t know me. You knew…you knew the whole time…how could you do that to me? What did I ever do to you to deserve being treated like that? I-I-I trusted you…“ I glanced up at him, “Oh G
od, I threw my morals out the window for you…everything—everything, that I believed in…gone. In one day…gone, in one day.” I took a ragged breath in an effort to stop the tears from spilling. I couldn’t stop them, and the tears started.

  Ryder reached for me again, and I jerked out of his reach, causing the chair to fling out from under me, and crash farther down the wall. I heard a few people gasping, and making rude noises on the other side of the room, but no one said anything outright. Ryder never took his gaze off me, his jaw was clenched, and hurt showed in his eyes.

  My back was pinned against the wall, but at least Ryder wasn’t reaching for me anymore. I pressed myself as far into the wall as I could, and eased my way against it, trying to get to a point where I would be able to get around him, and as soon as I was sure that I could get past him, I bolted for the door. My hand hit the heavy glass door, jarring my bones up to my neck, and jolting me with pain at the base of my skull. The door barely moved, just enough for me to slip through. I ran to the elevator, and hit the button, dancing as adrenaline and nerves pinged inside me, telling me to run. I heard a ruckus inside the conference room. I didn’t want to think of Ryder, or the hurt in his eyes, knowing full well that I couldn’t trust myself around that man.

  The elevator seemed to take forever as I fidgeted in the lobby. It finally opened, and as I started to rush in, I remembered what Ryder and I had recently done in this very elevator. Feeling as if I had been smacked hard in the face, I backed out of the elevator. Fear showing in my every movement. I turned around not knowing where the stairs were, only that I could never get into that elevator again. I spun and saw Ryder standing mere feet from me. Too close, he was too close. I gasped, and felt more tears streaking down my face. The look on Ryder’s face hurt me almost as much as knowing that he had lied to me. No, no, I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t feel for him, he lied to me.