by R. R. Banks
“You aren’t listening to me.”
“I’m sorry. My brain isn’t here tonight.”
“What are you staring at?”
He followed where my gaze had been and saw the couple.
“Ah,” he said. “Adorable.”
There was a decided note of disgust in his voice and usually I would laugh, but this time I just shrugged.
“Don’t you ever wonder what it would be like to have that one person? Someone who you can come home to at night and rely on completely? Someone who you can talk to about anything and share all of your experiences with?”
“I have that person,” Robin said. “Me. I’m always there when I get home from work and when I want to go out at night, I always want to go with me. I never argue about where I want to go or try to get my way, and I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but I’m a sparkling conversationalist. And as if that wasn’t enough, I also have you.”
“I’m serious, Robin.”
“I am, too, Snow. You seem to think that there is something missing from your life because you aren’t dating the same person who you were three years ago.”
“I’m not dating anyone.”
“And? I’m dating a lot of people, does that somehow make me better?”
I didn’t know how to respond.
“It’s not that it makes you better or worse.”
“Of course, it does. It makes me leagues better, and you know why? Because I’m getting what I want every night of the week that I want it. I don’t sit around waiting for somebody to sweep me off my feet. I don’t define my life by another person. And I sure as hell don’t cultivate my self-worth based on whether or not I can peel the same person’s underwear off of my floor the same way every day for months at a time. I am much more interested in being able to peel their underwear off of them.”
“Robin,” I said, but he wasn’t going to let me stop him.
“No, Snow, listen to me. I’ve seen this little misty look in your eyes for months and it isn’t doing you any good. All it’s doing is making you doubt yourself and think that the only thing that you have in your life is your career.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
“Relax. Think about yourself for once. Stop always trying to please other people and figure out who you are. I bet that if you really put your mind to it, you could find out that there is a lot more to you than just that sugary-sweet persona you’ve got going on.”
“I am sweet.”
“I know, but that’s not all there is to you. You’ve spent your whole adult life thinking about other people. That’s your entire career, Snow. You figure out what other people want and what they would like and then you create campaigns that fully cater to them. You alter your own thoughts and perceptions to what they like. How many times have you pretended like you really believed in something that you thought was ridiculous, or helped a company peddle a product that you hated?”
“That’s my job, Robin.”
“I know that, but it’s just a reflection of your life. You’ve dated one person ever. You’ve had sex with one person ever. And I would venture to say that you probably figured out pretty early on what he liked and stuck with that.”
“I liked it, too,” I said, feeling far more defensive than I would have liked to admit.
“Did you?” Robin asked. “Or did you just like the fact that he liked it? You’ve got to think about yourself, Snow. Think about what you want for a change. Maybe you’ll find that when you know yourself, you’ll be able to know others even better. And then…then you’ll have a life.”
That night I lay in bed thinking about what Robin had said. I had never thought of myself as only trying to please other people or that I didn’t really know myself or my own needs. The more that I thought about it, though, the more I realized that he was exactly right. The one serious relationship that I had ever had was completely based on what my boyfriend had wanted out of it. We did what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it. I dressed the way he wanted me to and acted the way that he thought I should. Even in bed I was completely focused on his wants and needs. Maybe that was why I never understood Robin’s exuberance over his exceptionally active sex life. I couldn’t understand why he was so enthusiastic about it, and now it occurred to me that maybe it wasn’t that there was something strange about him, but rather that I just didn’t know what I was missing.
I rolled over and reached onto my nightstand to where I had left the brochure that Robin had given me. I looked at it in the glow of the streetlight streaming through my window. As I read the description of the retreat I couldn’t help but allow Lucille’s voice to come back into my mind. She had been biting at my heels our entire adult lives and now she had managed to get herself into the position that she could destroy everything that I had worked hard for. She was going to climb to the power and success that she had always wanted on my back. The thought infuriated me and I knew that I couldn’t let her do it. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of destroying my life. If she wanted to take me down, at least I was going to go out having enjoyed the months of time that I had earned working for that company.
Chapter Six
Lucille
I paced around my office feeling like I was burning a path into the bright blue carpet. I hated that fucking carpet. It was like a tangible reminder of Walter every time that I stepped into the office. It was exactly like him: garish, out of place, and wildly beneath the success of the company. As soon as I could, I was going to have someone come in and tear it up so that I could replace it with something more appropriate. Exactly as I planned on replacing Walter. If not in the place of my husband, most certainly in my bed. I couldn’t bear the thought of his dry, wrinkled skin rubbing up against mine any more without something young and smooth to replace it. Something like Hunter.
The assistant had been frustrating as hell from the moment that I first met him, but since he was gorgeous in a buttoned-up, formal kind of way, I was usually willing to deal with him. Now I had a different perception of him. Usually Hunter was quiet and out of sight until I needed him, and then he would do as I asked quickly and efficiently. Unlike Mr. Glass, who had seniority over everyone in the company except for Walter and spoke with a dull, dusty drawl that held no emotion and seemed to be uninfluenced by anything that was around him, Hunter had a voice that promised fiery emotion kept in check just beneath the surface.
I had seen a little of that fire the day before and I hadn’t been able to get him off of my mind since. I wasn’t accustomed to being spoken to in the way that he had spoken to me. Though it was obvious that he hadn’t said everything to me that he was thinking, he had spoken his mind in a way that he hadn’t before, in a way that no one ever had. I might not have ever reached the level of success that I wanted and had faced being turned down by clients, but never had someone been so bold as to show me the intensity that he had. He was brash and aggressive, forceful and unyielding in his willingness to show me that he disagreed with what I was doing. I should have been angry. I should have felt disrespected, particularly in the professional setting. But I didn’t. Instead, I was instantly aroused. It had taken everything in me not to crawl over the desk and tear the tie away from his neck, rip open his shirt, and find out just how unbuttoned he could be.
It had been months since a man had satisfied me, and I felt like I was feeling restless. I couldn’t stand the thought that Walter was going to be home from his trip in a few weeks and would expect me to be there to greet him like a happy wife excited to see her husband after a long time apart. I needed to reinforce myself with the touch of a young, powerful man to carry me through. If I could just close my eyes and think of a hot mouth on my body and a thick, young cock inside me, I would be able to get through Walter’s “affection” that had earned me my place in this office.
I paused in the center of the office and looked toward the door. It was just after noon. Most of the people in the office would have left for lunch, but
I happened to know that Hunter didn’t leave until he had come to let me know that he was going to be out for his break. Just in case I needed him. And right at this moment, I most certainly needed him. I walked around the desk and picked up my phone. I hit the extension for Hunter’s private line.
“Yes?”
His voice still held some of the defiance and I felt a shiver roll down my spine.
“Can I have a word with you?”
“I’ll be right in.”
The call disconnected and I walked around to the front of my desk. I was leaned back against it when Hunter rapped on the door and then stepped in.
“Close the door,” I said.
Hunter turned and closed the door. When he turned back to look at me I had one hand on my hip and was evaluating him, appreciating how the cut of his tailored suit cupped his ass and accentuated a body that looked far more chiseled even through the fabric than I would have expected from a corporate assistant.
“You wanted to see me,” he said.
“I did. I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Snow.”
Hunter rolled his eyes slightly.
“I don’t really think that there’s anything else to say about that.”
“Oh, but I think there is,” I said, pushing away from the desk. “You see, I expected you to agree with me about my plans for Snow.”
“You did?” he asked. “Why would you think that?”
“Because it must be just as aggravating for you as it is for me to see her get all of the attention and have everyone fall all over themselves for her.”
“Not really,” he said. “I’ve never had a problem with Snow.”
“You haven’t?” I asked. “You really don’t have a problem with her having the whole world laying at her feet without her deserving it?”
“Without her deserving it?” Hunter asked, looking at me strangely. “How would you know what she deserves? You’ve been here for a week. I’ve watched her for years. She’s phenomenal at what she does and she is actually a pleasant person, which is the main reason why people respond to her so much.”
I could hear in his voice that he hadn’t said everything that he wanted to, but it was enough. My mouth was watering and I could feel my body responding to his every word.
“She is?” I asked, trying to sound as innocent and unassuming as possible. “You know, I can be pleasant, too.”
“Really?” he asked.
I gave a short laugh and took a few steps to close the space between us. I reached up and ran my fingers down his tie, flipping the end of it out of where it was tucked inside his jacket.
“I can,” I said. “I know that I haven’t really gotten off to the best start with everybody, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can get along, you know. I think that there is so much more that we can do for each other than we’ve admitted.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
I smiled at him and walked back to the desk. Hopping up onto the edge, I crossed my legs. The position caused the hem of my skirt to rise up my thigh, revealing the strap to my garter and the lace edging of my thigh-highs. I ran my fingertip along the edge and looked at him.
“Working in a big office like this is stressful,” I said. “It can make people so much more tense than they really are. You could make my day much less stressful. I bet that you could help me to be a lot more pleasant.”
Hunter looked at me with steely eyes, but didn’t step toward me.
“You’re married,” he said.
“I know. But do you see my husband anywhere around here? No. He left on a weeks-long trip around the world without me. He left me all alone here.”
“You planned that trip,” he said.
“Because I thought that he would like it.”
“Because you wanted him out of the way.” I felt heat starting to burn on my cheeks as I realized that this conversation wasn’t going the direction that I wanted it to. “Mrs. Royal, I was your husband’s assistant for years and the only reason that I am still here is out of loyalty to him and desire to make sure that you do not drive this company into the ground. If it wasn’t for that, I would have been gone the first day that you waltzed in here.”
“How dare you talk to me like that. I am still the boss here.”
“And as the boss, I’m sure that you’re familiar with the rigid stance that H.R. takes against sexual harassment. I’d be happy to swing by and visit them if you’d like a refresher.” I felt my jaw tighten and my eyes flash angrily, but I didn’t say anything. “I didn’t think so. I have work to do.”
He tucked his tie back into his jacket and stalked out of the room. My hands gripped the edge of the desk so hard that I could feel my knuckles aching. I slid down off of the desk and straightened my suit. This is not what I had intended when I stepped into the position of president of Royal and Company. I wanted power and control. I wanted to be seen for what I was: the best in the industry and the most desirable woman in any of the advertising agencies in the area. Getting Snow out of the way was the only thing that was going to give me that, and I couldn’t let anyone distract me from that goal. I knew that Hunter was right about her contract. I had reviewed it myself after our conversation, determined that I would find something in it that could be used to justify her dismissal, but I couldn’t. It was almost as if Walter had written it expressly for the purpose of her never being able to be fired.
I couldn’t let that stop me. Now more than ever I knew that I couldn’t let that stop me. Snow infuriated me in a way that I could barely even describe and she was what was standing between me and what I wanted in life. If I couldn’t simply get rid of her because I wanted to, I would have to find another way. There had to be something that I could do to get her out of the company and out of my way once and for all.
Chapter Seven
Snow
I didn’t know what to expect as the car drove up the long, curving drive toward the Enchanted Woods retreat. I had planned on driving my own car to the retreat, but the day before I told them that I was going to arrive, I got a phone call letting me know that my ride would be at my door the next morning. Though I had tried to reject the offer, they told me that it was part of the experience and included with the cost of my retreat. I agreed, but I wasn’t prepared to see the long white limousine that awaited me when I walked out of my house the next day. A uniformed chauffeur approached me and took my bags from my hands, tucking them into the trunk before opening the door for me. He didn’t say a word as I climbed into the luxurious vehicle and in a matter of moments we were driving away. I had gazed around the cabin, discovering chilled champagne and strawberries waiting for me.
A touch cliché, but a nice gesture.
Now as we had driven past the large sign that said, “The Enchanted Woods”, I was starting to feel a little nervous. The truth was I didn’t really know what I had gotten myself into. I had snatched my phone from under my pillow where I kept it and called the retreat on impulse, not really expecting them to answer the phone in the middle of the night. When they had, I felt as though I was too committed to not keep going. I told them that a friend had given me the brochure and the woman on the other end of the line told me that I should feel very lucky to have a friend like that. What was that supposed to mean? I tried to get as much information as I could about it, but the woman would only tell me that the purpose of the Enchanted Woods was to be a refuge for those looking for something, and that if I was open to it, they would help me to find it. It wasn’t exactly what Robin had told me, but I was still intrigued. It was just what I had been thinking about and this seemed to be offering it right to me.
I tried to swallow down the feeling of anxiety and second thoughts that I was feeling as the limo wove slowly down the drive. I had eaten all of the strawberries and had two glasses of champagne, but my stomach was still fluttering as we approached. I still had the image from the front of the brochure in my mind, but I wasn’t entirely convinced that that was what I was g
oing to see when we reached the end of the drive. I was in advertising, after all. I was accustomed to the little tricks that were used to appeal to targeted demographics. Not that I was dishonest. In fact, that was something that I was extremely serious about. I never lied. That didn’t mean, however, that there weren’t other advertisers, a particular evil president came to mind, who made a habit of stretching the truth and straight out lying in order to get a point across and lure in business for their accounts. The cozy little cottage on the front of the brochure was adorable, but it also looked like something out of a coloring book and I wasn’t really expecting that that was what we were going to find.
As we turned a corner and passed through a slightly thicker area of trees, however, I saw that exact image rise up in front of me. I couldn’t help the gasp that escaped my lips as I leaned against the window and stared at the cottage and the tiny, sparkling brook that meandered along beside it and curved behind it. The limo came to a stop and I waited until the chauffeur opened the door to step out. I was expecting him to go to the trunk to get my luggage, but when I looked at the back of the car I saw another man already standing there, pulling my bags out. I turned to thank the chauffeur, but he had already gotten back into the car and started driving away slowly as soon as the trunk closed. The man who had gotten my luggage started toward the front door of the cottage and I followed him, looking around me to try to take in as much of the serene surroundings as I could.
The door to the cottage gave a low, soft squeak as it opened, but I found the sound comforting, almost as though it gave the building more authenticity. As soon as we stepped inside, the man carrying my luggage turned down a narrow hallway and I heard a few hard footsteps as if he were climbing a short flight of stairs. I was left standing alone in a small room, the smell of coffee and burning wood filling the space from a fireplace in the far corner.
“Hello.”