“She likes to brag,” Jordan teased.
“I do not,” Luci countered with a shy chuckle.
“So, tell us a little about yourself, Addison,” Jordan prompted. “We apologize for not having a copy of your resume, but this was a bit spur-of-the-moment.”
It was my turn to blush. “I don’t actually have a resume. Aside from two nights a week at Dichotomy, I’ve spent the past nine months working for my…uh…a construction company. I mostly handled the phones, getting in touch with the customers and whatnot. Before that, I worked as a receptionist for a tattoo shop. And I’ve done a little retail work.”
“Tell us about your interaction with customers,” Jordan prompted.
“While I worked at the mall, it was all face-to-face. I didn’t mind it. At the tattoo shop, I mostly talked on the phone. And my last job was all phone interaction.”
“That’s a good thing,” Jordan stated. “Here it’s mostly virtual interaction.”
“Virtual?”
Jordan smirked. “Our dear friend Luci here thought it would be nice to implement video conferencing so she could see the people she’s chatting with. Personally, I’m a phone man, but everyone else is being shifted over to the dark side.”
“Oh, hush,” Luci said with a grin. “You’re the only one who doesn’t like it.”
“Yes,” Jordan said with a dramatic flair. “I’m the only one.”
I laughed. I liked how they could taunt one another.
“Do you have experience with computers?” Luci asked, smiling.
“I do. Not a lot with various software, but I’m a quick learner.”
“It’s easy, really. If you have a basic understanding, you won’t have a problem with it. Calendars and email, mostly. But you’ll spend a large amount of time talking to their managers and coordinating schedules.”
That didn’t sound too difficult.
“So, how’d you hear about the job?” Jordan asked.
“Uh…Mr. Parker and Mr. Snowden told me about it.”
He seemed amused as he glanced over at Luci. “Is that right?”
Figuring it was a rhetorical question, I didn’t respond.
“Did you grow up around here?” Luci inquired, effortlessly ignoring Jordan.
“Not far from here.” Although I hadn’t had a permanent residence for most of my early years, the foster system kept me in and out of homes in the area.
“Did Mr. Parker or Mr. Snowden tell you anything about the position?” Luci asked.
“Not much, other than the fact that it could be…unconventional.” I kept my eyes pinned on Luci as I spoke. For me, that was what I was most curious about. Answering phones and aligning calendars were a piece of cake. Watching Luci have sex with her masters on her desk was going to be the hard part.
She smiled, and suddenly, she seemed far more relaxed. “Thank goodness. I was so worried they were going to try to keep it a secret.” She let out a hasty chuckle. “And yes, it can certainly be unconventional at times. But I assure you, Mr. Parker and Mr. Snowden are great to work with. Mr. Snowden was the one who showed me the ropes when I came on board. He’ll answer any questions you have. And the good thing is, we just completed our quarterly meeting last week, so we won’t have to worry about that for a while.”
“Quarterly meeting?”
Luci exhaled. “It’s a four-day event in which they bring in all their managers from around the globe. Jordan and I worked on it for a solid five weeks. It went well, but I’m glad it’s over. They’ve promised me that the September meeting will be in a different location and we’ll need all the help we can get to set it up.”
“Luci’s generous with her kudos,” Jordan noted. “She does most of the legwork for that meeting, but I pitch in when she needs me. I’m sure between the two of you, you’ll make the next one even bigger and better.”
I couldn’t help it, the fact that they were already including me—for something that would take place in September—made me feel good. My reluctance turned to excitement and I actually looked forward to possibly working with them.
Luci waved Jordan off, but her eyes were focused on me. “As for the company…there are four partners. Landon and Langston—my bosses—handle the publishing industry. Ben’s clients are tech and Justin’s are in the sex toy industry. It’s an interesting mix. You’ll be focused on Ben and Justin. Their offices are still under construction, but should be finished in the next week or two. Or so I’m told.” She glanced at Jordan briefly. “Jordan handles all incoming calls as the receptionist for the firm and he sits up here with me. Ben’s and Justin’s offices are on the thirty-second floor, but we’ve got a set of stairs between the two floors. I’ll show you around when we’re finished here.”
“Do you live nearby?” Jordan asked. “I only ask because Mr. Snowden prefers to come in early, therefore the hours are roughly seven thirty to five thirty. Traffic can be a nightmare if you don’t leave early enough.”
“I…uh…” I didn’t know what to say. Technically, I didn’t have a place to live, but I didn’t really want to tell them that.
“I’m here at seven thirty,” Jordan continued, as though my answer wasn’t necessary. “And Luci comes in around nine or shortly thereafter since Landon and Langston aren’t early risers.”
“That’s mostly true. On the nights we stay at the apartment here in the building, I tend to come in earlier the next day. But when we’re at the house, I’m forced to abide by their schedule.” She grinned as she relayed this information.
I was making mental notes as best I could.
“But your hours will be totally up to Ben and Justin,” Luci clarified. “They’ll let you know what they prefer. And the good news is, I’ve got about six weeks before I get married, which will give you plenty of time to ramp up. After that, my masters are taking me on a three-week honeymoon to their island.”
An island? Like, they owned the whole thing? A whole island? Holy shit.
“Do you have any questions for us?” Jordan asked with a smile.
I wanted to. I knew it would’ve been the professional way to handle things, but I was a bit overwhelmed.
“No worries,” Luci said kindly. “I’ll be right beside you for as long as you need me. You can ask anything at any time.”
As though expected, two men waltzed in. I recognized them instantly as the twin Doms from the club. It would’ve been hard not to. There was a lot of chatter that took place regarding the twin Doms. Or there had been up until the time they settled down with their submissive. They were identical except for the fact that one of them was wearing glasses. I knew them as Master Moore—both of them. So I wasn’t sure who was who.
“How’re things going in here?” the one without glasses asked as they both approached.
Luci’s face lit up as she turned in her chair. “Sirs, this is Addison. Addison, these are my bosses. Landon and Langston Moore.” She turned back to me. “Landon’s the one in the glasses.”
Well, that cleared it up nicely.
“Nice to meet you,” I said quickly. Although they might not know it, I was quite familiar with who they were. As for whether they recognized me or not, I had no idea.
They both moved around and held out their hands. “It’s our pleasure, Miss Hayes,” Landon said.
So, apparently, they knew who I was.
I got to my feet and shook both men’s hands before easing back into my chair. I sat with my back straight and fought the urge to fidget. With the two of them looming over me, I felt as though I were under a microscope.
Langston moved to stand behind Luci, his hand going to her left shoulder while Landon did the same on her right side. I’d seen enough of that at the clubs. It was obvious they were very possessive.
“We’ve been asked to escort Miss Hayes downstairs when y’all are finished,” Landon stated, his voice deep, his eyes kind.
“We’re all done here. I think Addison’ll make a wonderful addition to the company,” Jordan sa
id as he got to his feet.
Holy shit.
Really?
I hadn’t expected it to be that easy.
“If there’s nothing else,” Jordan said to Landon, “I need to get home.” He smiled my way. “Things to take care of.”
Luci chuckled. “More like an unruly submissive at home who needs some punishment.”
Jordan grinned. “That he does.”
“Thanks for coming in on your day off,” Landon told Jordan. “I’ll walk you to the elevator.”
The two of them disappeared as Langston held out his hand to help Luci to her feet. “And I’ll follow you ladies. If you’d like to give her a tour, please do so now.”
“Yes, Master,” Luci replied sweetly, then turned to me.
At least now I knew what Mr. Parker and Mr. Snowden meant by an unconventional workplace. It was a BDSM club all on its own.
Eleven
JUSTIN
“I’M SERIOUS, GREG,” I REPEATED, holding the phone receiver to my ear. “I think it’ll be good for you to come in, look around, talk to Landon and Langston.”
“You’re not going to give up, are you, Parker?”
“Not in this lifetime.” I’d been trying to recruit Edge for years now. It was high time he gave up and came to work for the firm. “Plus, I’ve been talking to Ben. We think it’ll be a good idea to bring on a few others, expand in other directions. Business is growing rapidly, so it makes sense. You’d be the perfect addition and you know it.”
Greg let out a sigh. “Fine. But I’ll be out of town for the next couple of weeks.”
I pulled up my calendar on my laptop. I had a couple of trips scheduled between now and then as well. “What about Friday, July thirteenth? That’s just under three weeks out. Will you be back by then?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. We’ll take you to lunch.”
There were a few beats of silence before Greg finally responded. “I’ve penciled it in.”
“Use pen. Shit, use a Sharpie,” I demanded. “You can’t back out on me now.”
Greg chuckled. “Good thing I won’t be working for you. We both know I don’t do well with commands.”
“Trust me, I know. If I don’t see you at the club, I’ll see you here in the office on the thirteenth. Don’t make me track you down.”
Another gruff laugh. “I’ll be there.”
I disconnected the call and leaned back in my chair in time to hear the murmur of voices followed by the sexiest laugh I’d ever heard in my life. I knew that wasn’t Luci’s voice, which meant it had to be Addison, and I was instantly on my feet.
As I stepped out of my office, I caught a glimpse of her, and damn, but she looked good. I probably needed to say something to Ben about those damn heels. If I was supposed to keep some semblance of professionalism in the office, it wouldn’t be easy with her wearing shit like that.
Luci and Addison were coming down the stairs from the floor where Landon, Langston, and Luci had moved not too long ago. After the Moore twins decided to expand the firm’s physical footprint, it had left us with options for expanding all around.
Which was one of the reasons I was working so damn hard to recruit Greg. Not only was he one of the most brilliant advertising executives I’d ever worked with, he was also connected in ways that would benefit the company. He wasn’t the only person I was talking to, either. I had a couple of other people in mind, but we weren’t that far in the process yet.
Now that the original floor we’d occupied had been basically dismantled and reconstructed, we had eliminated the front conference room, reception area, and breakroom, converting the entire floor into offices with a lavish seating area in the center of them. With the exception of a couple, every office had a view, which was something Ben had insisted upon.
With a total of nine offices on our floor and six upstairs, we had plenty of options. It took some getting used to, but having the main conference room, the breakroom, and the reception area on the upper floor allowed for less distractions down here. However, the one thing I had refused to change was the back conference room because…well, because I liked the back conference room.
With this setup, Ben and I had significantly more space, as well as some much-needed privacy. If and when the damn construction ever got completed, that was. It felt as though they were taking forever, and I was ready to not have the headache of so many people around. It was one of the reasons I’d started working on the weekends, needing some peace and quiet to get shit done.
Luci stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her back to me. It offered me the perfect view of Addison, all dressed up in that very grown-up outfit. She was smiling brightly and it was the first time I’d seen her expression quite so…unguarded. Sure, I’d seen small glimpses—like when she’d given us shit about the noises she’d heard through the walls last night—but nothing as radiant as the grin on her face when she laughed at something Luci said.
“And this is the floor Ben and Justin occupy,” Luci explained. “They had it redesigned for additional office space in the hopes we’ll bring on a few more executives.”
I noticed Langston walking down behind them and our eyes met. He offered a subtle nod, which I took to mean Luci and Jordan had approved of her. I hadn’t expected anything less. Although I didn’t suspect Addison had opened up much, I figured once she did, the woman would be a definite benefit to our company.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned to see Ben strolling down the hall toward us. He’d obviously come down for our interview, or to see what was going on. Either way, I was glad he was here.
I nodded as he approached. “Looks like you have perfect timing.”
He smiled, then turned his attention toward the others.
Luci and Addison remained at the bottom of the stairs.
“It’s been great to meet you,” Luci said, smiling brightly. “And I hope to see you here tomorrow morning.” Without warning, she reached out and hugged Addison.
I noticed Addison tense seconds before Luci made contact, but she quickly corrected herself and hugged Luci back. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen anything quite as awkward as Addison hugging someone. She obviously wasn’t used to that sort of affection. Luci was like that, though. She was very welcoming and I knew that, should Addison decide to take the job, they would become fast friends.
Personally, I wanted that for Addison. Almost as much as I wanted the woman for me and Ben.
Granted, I was doing my best not to think along those lines just yet. It was imperative that we got Addison settled and stable before we pushed her too hard. I had every intention of getting a contract drawn up tonight, but when and how we pursued her was something I hadn’t decided on.
“How’d the shopping trip go?” I asked Ben as we waited for Addison to join us.
“Painful,” he said softly. “But worth it.”
“Judy manage to get all her measurements and sizes?”
“Yeah. It was like pulling teeth.” He sighed. “But it’s done and I’ve ordered enough to get her through the next couple of weeks. It’ll be delivered to the vacant apartment this afternoon.”
“Perfect.”
I had decided that, should Addison choose to take the job, I would set her up with her own place and work it so that her rent was deducted from her paycheck. I would’ve preferred to have her stay there rent free, at least until she was financially stable, but I knew that wouldn’t go over well with her. On the other hand, I hadn’t thought about what I would do if she opted to decline the position.
Although we fully intended to spend a lot of time with her, I felt it was important that she have her own space. Addison Hayes had her pride as well as a rebellious streak a mile wide. And yes, we were making a few assumptions—such as her accepting the position—but I figured being positive couldn’t hurt.
Stepping out of my doorway, I headed toward them, pasting a smile on my face.
“Mr. Parker,” Luci gree
ted. “Thank you for bringing Addison in. We had a good time talking with her.”
I nodded, meeting Addison’s eyes. There was a glow on her face I hadn’t seen before. She looked genuinely happy.
“She’s all yours now,” Luci said sweetly.
I wasn’t sure if Luci realized how true that was. Being that Addison had agreed to be our submissive, I was looking forward to spending time with her in the very near future. Funny, too, since I knew so little about the woman. I wasn’t known for my knee-jerk reactions, so my response to her took even me by surprise.
“Come on, pet,” Langston said, extending his hand toward Luci. “Let’s leave them be.”
“Yes, Master.” Luci glanced over at Addison. “If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to ask me anything.”
“Thank you,” Addison said, her tone still reflecting some of her nervousness.
“Thank you for coming in on your day off, Miss Wagner.”
“Of course. It was my pleasure.” She smiled again, then allowed Langston to lead her back up the stairs.
“This way.” I motioned for Addison to precede me, then steered her into my office. Ben followed close behind.
“What’d you think of Luci and Jordan?” I asked as Addison eased into the chair across from my desk. Her posture was rigid, her hands clasped tightly together.
“They were very nice.”
Ben took the seat beside Addison and I moved around to my desk chair.
“Did they fill you in about the job?” Ben asked.
“They told me a little. It sounds relatively straightforward.” She kept her eyes on Ben. “Luci said you would help me if I had any questions.”
“Does it sound like something you’d be interested in?” I asked directly.
Those baby-blue eyes lifted to meet mine as she nodded. “It does. And I don’t want to disappoint you.” Addison swallowed hard. “You’ve both been so kind. I really don’t want to put you out, but I greatly appreciate what you’ve done for me.”
I found it interesting that she wasn’t hiding behind her wit and bravado. Gone was all the sassiness, replaced with genuine respect. I appreciated the fact she could do that.
Their Rebellious Submissive (Office Intrigue Book 3) Page 11