“Hell to the no!” Debby exclaimed as the door shut behind Mrs. Chapel. “Did that just happen?”
“Spitting mad! She was spitting mad!” Kali started laughing a little hysterically in relief. It was like a win for the good guys for once. “Hopefully now we won’t get fired.”
Debby’s eyes lit up. “They can’t fire all of us. And whoever they get to take over has to be better than Selina.”
Several people looked in to ask what was happening. Apparently Selina had made a lot of noise leaving the building. Kali grinned and shrugged every time. “I don’t know what happened.”
Then one of the IT guys came in and asked, “Which one is Selina Stern’s computer?”
Kali pointed, and he went to work copying everything. Mrs. Chapel returned before he was through.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Kali asked.
Mrs. Chapel sighed. “Let me access your computer, and I’ll show you.”
Mystified, Kali let Mrs. Chapel sit down at her desk. She went to YouTube and typed “kicking glass” into the search, calling up a video. The opening shot was a grainy still, but as soon as she clicked play, Debby cried out, “That’s Selina!”
The shot looked like it was from a surveillance camera mounted near the ceiling, angled down to look at the employee side of the glass display counter and cash register. Selina marched into view on the other side. Her perfect face contorted as she let out a stream of curses, calling the guy behind the counter “sissy boy” and worse names. Kali had almost gotten used to how nasty Selina could be with her tongue, but this was a whole other level. She kept saying, “How do you like it when I come to where you work and expose you? How do you like it?”
On the screen, an older woman joined the younger man at the counter. Her back was to the camera, and she was shaking her finger at Selina as she ordered her to leave the store.
Selina shouted, “He’s wearing girl’s panties!”
You could only see the back of the guy’s head, as he flung a towel at Selina’s face. The older woman started screaming back at her in Spanish, gesturing like she was shoeing Selina out.
Selina lifted up her leg, leaning back to give the glass front of the counter a vicious kick.
The glass exploded under her Jimmy Choo. Screams erupted on the video, and even Selina ducked to avoid the geyser of broken glass.
Kali had her hand over her mouth, watching the video as Selina slunk back out of camera view. It went to black. She checked the view count. 8,541. And it had only been posted four hours ago.
“It’s going viral,” Kali realized.
Debby pointed at the comments. “Selina’s been recognized. Look what they’re saying about her!”
“SunTech’s PR Director goes bonkers,” Kali read in one comment.
Mrs. Chapel looked grim. “Mr. Ryan has already written the press release you’ll need to send out, Kali. We’re announcing that Selina no longer works for SunTech. That’s all we’re going to say about this.”
“Good idea,” Kali said faintly. She never had to deal with a PR disaster before. It seemed like the best thing to do was distance the company from Selina’s actions, and then decline to say anything else.
Debby asked Mrs. Chapel, “Who will be the new PR Director?”
“I don’t have any good candidates right now, but it shouldn’t be hard to find someone soon. In the meantime, Kali, you’re in charge. Put all your efforts toward the sundial project. I know it’s a huge amount of pressure on you with the launch party in two weeks, but Mr. Ryan and I are sure you can handle it.”
Kali was shocked into rising to meet her eyes. “Thank you, Mrs. Chapel. I won’t let you down.”
“I know we can depend on you. Debby, help Kali any way you can.”
“I will,” Debby agreed. “You can count on it.”
“I’ll put out an internal memo letting everyone know that you’re in charge,” Chapel said.
When Mrs. Chapel left, Kali stared at Debby for a few silent moments. Then they both let out a whoop of pleasure. “The wicked witch is dead!” Debby exclaimed.
“More than dead. That video is going to haunt Selina.” Nobody deserved it more. Kali eyed the IT guy at Selina’s computer. She would love to get her hands on it. There were a bunch of people she needed to tell—construction subcontractors, the party planner, the permitting office… Hunter.
Hunter! Why hadn’t she thought of him sooner?
Technically she was Hunter’s boss now. Since she was in charge of the project, he would have to answer to her.
She wasn’t allowed to date a subordinate. Until they hired another PR Director or Hunter’s contract was done with SunTech, he was off limits.
But I don’t want to stop seeing him, was her first thought. She hated the idea that she couldn’t be with him.
But then again, they weren’t doing so great together anyway. She didn’t want him to have sex with other people, and she didn’t want to be his slave. He wanted those things, not her.
“Are you okay?” Debby asked.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in.” Now she was really glad she hadn’t let it slip that she and Hunter were dating. It would be a lot less awkward if nobody else found out.
She sat down at Selina’s computer after the IT guy left and tried to concentrate, but thoughts of Hunter kept intruding. Just before lunch time, she got a call from the security guard downstairs that the truck with the sundial had arrived.
With a sinking feeling, she knew exactly what would happen when she looked into Hunter’s eyes. She would crumple inside and want to throw herself into his arms and swear that she would serve him if that’s what he wanted. She would try to win his love any way she could.
That was a dangerous feeling, leading down a slippery slope. She had spent her life giving her mom what she wanted in order to feel her love. She was poised to fall into that same kind of relationship with Hunter. But she had to resist, for her own good. He would swallow her up and there would be nothing left of herself. She wanted him so much that she was losing all good sense.
She braced herself and went down to watch the unloading of the sundial.
Chapter 17
Hunter was in his element. There was nothing he liked better than moving around large pieces of metal. When Kali came down to watch, that made it even better.
He had always known she was sensitive and wouldn’t be easily won. But he was sure, in spite of this speed bump, that she would come back to him. She would just have to do it in her own time.
The driver used the forklift on the back of the truck to unload each crated piece. They were carefully placed near their installation locations. He didn’t want to be moving them around a lot.
It took several hours to get the crates unloaded and the construction fence buttoned back up again. The truck took off, and Hunter was left alone, surrounded by crates forming the rough outline of the sundial.
He could already see it taking shape in the space, even boxed up and contained inside the plywood construction fence. He had four men coming tomorrow to begin the installation. It would take days to get everything unpacked and bolted into place.
He was surprised when Kali walked through the blue gate. He hadn’t expected her to come to him so soon, and he wanted to reach out to her, to wordlessly take her into his arms so they could forget everything that had happened. But one look at her closed-off expression told him she was here on business.
“Selina Stern was fired today,” Kali told him. “I’m not sure if you checked your email but a notification went out earlier.”
“No. I didn’t see that.” He laughed, and said, “I can’t say I’m sorry to hear it.”
“I’ve been put in charge of the sundial project. So now you’ll be reporting to me.” Her eyes slid away from his. “SunTech policy doesn’t allow supervisors to date employees in their direct chain of command.”
“That’s okay. Nobody knows about us. And they won’t find out.”
She shook her head. “I can’t do it, Hunter. If I’m caught, I could be fired, too.”
“It’s only for two more weeks. And I’m a contract employee. Nobody will care what we do.”
“I care. I’m not going to break the rules I agreed to when I was hired by SunTech.” She was so unemotional as she spoke, that he could hardly believe this was the same woman who had cried his name out as she climaxed over and over again.
“Kali, what are you talking about? You’re not going to break up with me over this. We’ll keep it low key, and won’t go out anywhere public. But you can’t stop seeing me because of a silly rule, not when we’re already in a relationship.”
“I’m not sure what we’re doing,” Kali told him. “After yesterday, I don’t know what to think.”
“You know I’m not seeing Minx.” At her alarmed expression, he lowered his voice. The windows overlooking the plaza were glinting in the late afternoon sun, a reminder that people could be watching from the SunTech offices. “I don’t want to see Minx. I want to be with you. I’ve barely been out of your sight, so I could hardly see anyone else without you knowing about it.”
“You want something different than I do.”
“I want you.”
“Then why do you keep pushing and pushing me until I feel like I can’t breathe!”
Now he gestured for her to be quieter. “I thought you liked it. I’ll slow down. I promise. I know we can make this work.”
She looked at him like she wanted to believe him, like she wanted to agree. But she shook her head. “I’m your supervisor. I can’t do it.”
Hunter couldn’t believe it. He could see the desire in her eyes, the way she sparked to him and her gaze lingered on him. But she was resisting him, like she always did.
“If you want to break up with me because Minx was at my place yesterday, then just say so. Don’t use this stupid corporate legalese as an excuse.”
“I’m leaving now.” Kali turned to go back to the gate.
His hand shot out and he grabbed hold of her arm.
She gasped, looking up at him. “Let go of me!”
He couldn’t. He physically couldn’t. It was like something had taken over his body, a big defiant NO! He couldn’t let her leave him.
Kali glanced up at the windows of SunTech. “Let go of me right now, Hunter.”
His fingers spasmed, and he let go. He was breathing faster, feeling like a fool. What was he doing? That was the best way to scare her off. But he couldn’t control himself. It was spiraling away from him again.
She couldn’t leave him.
Kali disappeared around the blue plywood fence without looking back.
That wasn’t what Hunter had expected. Kali couldn’t walk away from him like that, not on such a flimsy excuse. Sure she was mad about Minx and she was afraid he was cheating on her. But deep down she knew she could trust him.
Didn’t she?
***
The next day and all the next, he kept waiting for a break in her façade of cool civility. But her eyes didn’t spark to his anymore, as if she had locked down her real self inside of a Kali-like shell that went about her work, calmly taking care of everything to prepare for the launch party as the installation of the sundial continued.
It was excruciating waiting for her to break.
But she didn’t.
By Thursday, she still hadn’t reached out to him. Hunter knew he would be alone over the weekend if he didn’t do something. At least during the week he could see her at work. He knew what she was doing. He could watch over her.
She couldn’t be happy this way. He wasn’t.
Hunter waited for her to leave work on Thursday evening, positioning himself so he could bump into her. She couldn’t turn down an offer to talk. She must be ready by now. He wouldn’t push it. He wouldn’t touch her, not until she made it clear she wanted it. He wanted to make her beg for it to pay for this week, to prove to her that this temporary separation didn’t mean a thing.
The minutes stretched out until an hour slipped by, then another. He was afraid he had missed her leaving, but she had been staying late almost every day because she had to do her job and Selina’s. When he asked the security guard if Kali Jones had left, the guy said no, and gave Hunter a searching look. He must have seen him hanging around waiting for her on the security cameras.
It was almost nine before Kali appeared, checking her big bag full of folders as if making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. “Oh, it’s you,” she said.
“I waited. You must be hungry. Let’s go get something to eat so we can talk.”
She was already shaking her head. “I told you, Hunter. We can’t date.”
“It’s not a date. We’re two co-workers having dinner. People do it all the time.”
“Yeah, right. After what we’ve been doing, you want me to act like we’re just work buddies? Lie to myself and my job? No, thanks.”
“You can’t leave it like this between us. You’ve got it all wrong about Minx. I need to explain it to you.”
“I understand, Hunter. Better than you, maybe. Oh, I doubt you cheated on me with Minx, but you can’t deny you’re still in a relationship with her. You’re still her master, and pushing her away to be with me is just another part of your power dynamic with her. The point is—there will always be another Minx. You want other women in your life. And I can’t do that.”
“It’s different with you. I want to be with you, and if it has to be monogamous, then I can do that. You have to give me a chance.”
“If that was it, I probably would try, Hunter.” She blinked and looked away for a second. “But when I found out you were training me to serve you. And I didn’t even know it… you kept saying we had to be honest with each other. But I just can’t be what you want! I’m so afraid you’re pushing me into a role that will eat me up alive.”
He shook his head, reaching out to her. “No, Kali! That’s not it—”
But she pulled back, warding off his hands. Her glance up at the camera sealed it. “I’m going home,” she said.
He started to go with her, but she stopped and warded him off again. “Not with you.”
“Kali, for Christ’s sake, it’s late. Let me go with you on the subway, at least.”
“No!” She glared at him. “You don’t always get your way, Hunter. I’m going home. Alone.”
“Kali!” he called after her. “This is silly. I have to take the same subway.”
“Not with me, you don’t,” she called over her shoulder.
He couldn’t follow her. Not after that.
Very aware of the security guard watching through the cameras, he pulled out his phone and checked it casually, as if nothing was wrong. Maybe they understood everything from Kali’s defiant body language, but he wasn’t going to give them anything else on him. But he still didn’t think anyone would care if they had dinner together. Or if they were having sex, in fact.
So why was Kali doing this?
After a few minutes, he also left. He wanted to speed up to catch her, but that would only aggravate her more. He probably shouldn’t have tried to talk to her so soon.
He caught sight of her on the platform of the L train, but she didn’t see him. He boarded a few cars back and stayed out of sight. He was tempted to get off at her stop, but if she caught him it would set him back even further. So he forced himself to stay on the train and go home.
His studio had never felt so empty. All of his art work looked flat and contrived. The sounds of sirens outside never seemed to stop for long. The thumping of music through the walls was like his pounding brain.
He still couldn’t believe that she really meant to end it. She was just trying to get control of the situation, so she could feel more comfortable. He was challenging all of her preconceived notions. It was bound to be frightening.
He would have to wait her out.
***
Friday evening, he was surprised when Kali left around her normal ti
me. She was with a bunch of SunTech people.
Hunter pulled back behind the construction fence in time so she didn’t see him. But he saw her. She was laughing.
He slowly trailed them around the corner and saw the group go into an Irish pub at the other end of the block.
She was laughing.
Before he knew it, he was standing in the doorway, scanning the pub. The SunTech people were gathering at a back table, pulling out chairs. He slipped onto a stool at the front of the bar and ordered a beer.
Kali was sitting between two guys. Talking and laughing. They were all having fun. She had told him about the Friday bar nights, but they had never gone together because they were on the down-low.
Hunter had never seen this side of her, among her own friends. Going back to Jefferson wasn’t the same—she was an outsider there now. But here, she was just Kali. Not Hunter’s new submissive, or her mother’s daughter. He should have known he was missing something. Some crucial piece of information about Kali.
Then one of the guys leaned in closer to Kali and whispered in her ear. She shot him a wide-eyed look, one he knew so well, then giggled with her hand covering her mouth.
A wave of red anger burned through him.
No!
They were flirting! His hands clenched and he wanted to march over there and drag the idiot away from her. He knew it was madness. He could ruin everything with one stupid move. But there was a compulsion to go. Just do it. Pop him one...
Hunter knew he was staring. Knew his emotions were running high, and he was letting it happen. He wanted to smack his own face and order himself to shape up! Walk out! Stay away until the girl says yes…
He was on his feet. He didn’t remember how.
Then he jerked. Hunter forced himself to take a step, then another, turning to the door. His joints felt locked, like he could hardly move. But he made himself walk outside.
On the sidewalk, he took a deep breath. It was easier now that he couldn’t see them, with the guy’s nose buried in her hair. Her quick glance at him, that shy smile. Kali…
He jerked again, and forced himself to take another step away. If he went back in, he would do something that could ruin his life. He was going crazy! He had to save himself.
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