“Power surge this weekend,” Blake said, motioning to my treadmill display. “I guess we won’t have our treadmill races until it gets fixed.” He gave me an “act normal” look as he turned on the machine.
I tried my very best to not let my eyeballs pop out of their sockets. Could the flickering lights in our gym have anything to do with Captain Zinger?
Blake cleared his throat and shot me another warning look. I added that little nugget to my queue of unanswered questions and turned my audiobook back on. I had finished my vampire book and was listening to a book about men who turn into dragons when they orgasm. Dragons are a very horny people, so it took me less than a mile to get to the part where the guy climaxed and started sprouting scales and talons.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Blake exclaimed from his treadmill next to mine. “Where the hell do you find this shit?! Orgasming dragons!?”
“Get out of my head!” I shouted. “Wait … Have you been listening to all of my books?!”
Blake grinned. “Yep! And I must say, you have some interesting taste in literature! Vampires, werewolves, spanking lumberjacks and now DRAGONS? Remind me why I hired you again?”
I threw my sweat towel at him. “What I choose to read has nothing to do with my performance at work,” I argued. “Besides, I think scales and talons are sexy.” I stuck my tongue out at him and kept running.
My workout wasn’t nearly as fun without racing against Blake, but I did enjoy listening to him snort every time one of my dragons got horny.
When I was done, I showered and pulled on my favorite black suit with a black and white polka dot top. I was just finishing my makeup when Regina Blake walked in. She scowled at me and crossed to the mirror to apply her own makeup before her workout, something that always baffled me. Why put on makeup just to sweat it off?
“How was your weekend, Annie?” she asked in a sing-song voice.
“Fine, Reggie. How was yours?”
She turned her head to meet my gaze. “It was great, thanks. Saturday was a spa day. Sunday morning, Eric and I took Sophia to the aquarium and caught an Imax.” She pursed her lips smugly.
“Sunday morning, huh?” I asked, hiding my smile.
She nodded, temporarily silenced as she applied her lipstick. She smacked her lips together and made a kissy face at the mirror before turning to me. She eyed me up and down and cocked her head.
“You know, Annie, you should really cut back on the carbs. I’d be surprised if your pants didn’t split by noon.” She shot me a smug smile and left the locker room before I could reply.
I took a look at myself in the full length mirror and growled. My pants were a little snug. Drinking ten gallons of blended drinks and eating my weight in ice cream will do that. Dammit. There went my happy Monday.
I shook off her comment and made the trip to the 28th floor. Mae was already in my office, setting my coffee down and sorting my mail. I hugged her and asked her about her weekend as I got situated. After listening to her gab about her grandson Connor’s recent BMX race, I politely shooed her out of my office so I could have my moment.
I powered up my computer, hoping to see an email from Emmett. No such luck. Thankfully, my Monday was pretty packed. I was hoping that would keep my mind on work stuff instead of my romance problems.
Just as I finished my granola clusters, Mae buzzed me to let me know my 9:00 meeting had arrived. I wiped the crumbs off my chest and rose to see them in.
Chad Warwick and Andrew Meyer were two of my favorite clients. They worked as marketing reps for a custom chopper manufacturer and knew motorcycles like no one else. Looking at them, you’d think they were IT nerds. They both were tall and lanky, bordering on strangely skinny. I was constantly trying to feed them. Chad was the quiet one. Andrew was the outgoing one. Together, they made an awesome team and always made my day better. Monday was no exception.
We launched into our usual chitchat, teasing each other about anything and everything. After ten minutes, my cheeks were sore from laughing so much. It was exactly what I needed.
I took a sip of coffee and cleared my throat, my subtle hint that it was time to get down to business. “So boys, what brings you here? I know we’ve got a photo shoot coming up next week for your limited edition anniversary line. Do you want to go over specifics?”
“Absolutely,” answered Andrew. “As you can imagine, this new line of choppers has been getting a lot of press. Our marketing team has put in many hours researching what we’ve done in the past verses what’s trending. They’ve come to the consensus that we need to direct our marketing and advertising toward a younger crowd.”
Chad nodded before continuing on. “Until recently, we’ve focused on a more middle-aged demographic. We know a large portion of your readers fit that category. However, this new line is sleeker. More modern. And we think it’s a bit more suited for a younger consumer, say mid-twenties to mid-thirties.”
I nodded my agreement and was taking a breath to address their needs when my door swung open and Regina Blake sashayed in.
“Chad! Andrew! Darlings!” she exclaimed. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I wasn’t informed of this meeting. I assume you’re here to talk about our photo shoot next week?”
As Chad and Andrew already occupied my two guest chairs, Regina perched her plastic ass on the corner of my desk, blocking them from my view.
I rolled my desk chair to the side and glared up at her. “Regina, this meeting was scheduled between Chad, Andrew and myself. I understand that you may want to be involved because you have modeled for them in the past. However, I didn’t see the need for your presence until I knew for certain what was going to be discussed in the meeting.”
Regina dismissed me with a wave of her perfectly manicured hand. “Yes, yes, I’m sure it was just a mistake, Annie. Now, boys, I have the most sensational idea for the photo shoot!”
Chad and Andrew looked at each other nervously before granting Regina their attention.
“You know how last season we did the shoot with me in nothing but a leather vest?” she continued. “Well, I was thinking we could do assless chaps and a riding crop this time!”
Chad choked on his coffee and sputtered an apology. Andrew patted Chad’s back and gave me a Help Me look.
“Regina,” I placated. “Creative input from models and other employees is always welcome. That’s why we have suggestion boxes and brain storming meetings that are open to all employees. You know Chad and Andrew are extremely careful with the messages they choose to portray. If you have an idea for the future, please discuss them with your shoot director or with me.”
Honestly, who does she think she is? She was married to the Editor-In-Chief. That doesn’t mean anything. She’s a model. Simple as that. They tell her what to wear, how to do her makeup, tell her to smile or frown. Boom. That’s it. The nerve of that woman never ceased to surprise me.
Regina sent me a scathing look before turning to Chad and Andrew. “Ignore Annie. She’s having some personal issues.” She mouthed the word married man and threw them a wink.
Anger flooded my body as I stood. Andrew reached out and gently grabbed my forearm.
“Mrs. Blake, your ideas are always…” Andrew searched for the right word. “Unique. However, we were just discussing with Ms. Jennings that we’d like to target a younger crowd for the new line.”
“Ooo!” squealed Regina. “Younger! Excellent idea. Actually, I had just been thinking that myself. I could always do a school girl look. Thigh highs. Plaid mini skirt. You know, the works!”
Chad cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Mrs. Blake, while you’ve always done a wonderful job in the past, we are shifting our focus.”
Regina looked confused. If she had a brain to fry, she’d have had smoke billowing out of her ears.
I took pity on her. “Regina, we’re looking at younger models for this shoot.”
Regina inhaled an extremely exaggerated gasp. “You’re saying I’m OL
D!?” she screeched.
Chad and Andrew stuttered their opposition.
“Of course not,” I replied for them. “Nobody is calling you old. We are just looking at a much younger target market. A younger model would draw more attention and be more relatable.”
Regina whipped her head around to glare at me. “You stay out of this, you bitch!” The men gasped and stood. “You’re sabotaging my career! You’re jealous that you can’t have my husband. He won’t screw you so you’re trying to screw me over!”
I was seething. My professionalism had limits. “First off, he’s not your husband anymore. Second, I have a boyfriend who is NOT your ex-husband. Third, you pretty much screwed yourself with this whole scene you’ve caused. You’re fired. See HR on your way out.” I said this all on one breath and had to sit down afterword.
“You can’t fire me!” Regina screamed.
“Yes I can,” I replied. “I control the creative direction of the magazine. It is my final decision what models we do or don’t use. I’ve put up with a lot of your shit, Regina, but behaving like this in front of our clients is too far. Get out.” I pointed to the door.
Regina stood there staring at me, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. After about ten awkward seconds, she seemed to get ahold of herself.
“You’ll be sorry!” she hissed as she whirled around to leave. “You just wait until I tell my husband about this! You’ll be eating ramen noodles for months, you whore!” With no shortage of dramatic flourish, Regina stormed out the door, slamming it hard enough to splash my coffee onto my desk.
After taking several deep breaths, I lifted my head and caught the men’s gazes. Both looked shocked and more than a little uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t know what got into her. I’m so embarrassed.”
Chad reached across my desk and grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry about us, Anna. You know neither one of us are huge Regina fans. You held it together better than either of us would have!”
Andrew nodded his agreement. “Yep. I woulda’ ripped her weave out.”
We all chuckled and, thankfully, got back to business. An hour later, we had our creative direction nailed down and the guys left. I was just about to close the door behind them when Eric Blake sauntered up to me.
“Anna, a word?” he asked as he made his way into my office.
I shut the door behind him and crossed to my desk. I sat down, took a deep breath, and studied Blake’s face. He didn’t look happy.
“Tell me what happened,” he ordered.
I chewed on my lip and wondered how much to tell him. How could I tell him that Regina accused me of trying to have sex with him?! Good God, I need chocolate.
Blake reached in his suit pocket and pulled out a Twix. He opened the package, grabbed one for himself and handed its twin to me. I shoved the whole thing in my mouth and moaned.
Eric chuckled as he bit into his own. “Okay, I’ve administered the chocolate. Now tell me.”
I finished chewing, took a sip of coffee and dove into the story. I quickly recounted what had happened, leaving out the sex part, and waited for Blake’s response. He stared at me for a long moment, his face giving away nothing.
“There’s more,” he predicted.
“Yes, but it’s not important,” I murmured, trying to not replay the scene in my mind. However, for some reason, my brain wasn’t listening to me at that moment and started replaying the scene. Every detail. I tried to stop it, but it was completely out of my control. I was possessed. When I got to the part where Regina said Blake wouldn’t screw me, the scene stopped. I sat there trying to catch my breath while Blake’s ears started turning red.
“How did you do that!?” I screeched at him.
“I’m sorry, Anna, but I wanted to know what else she said,” Blake replied.
“What else can you do? Can you control someone’s mind? Can you make them do things against their will?” At this point I was frantic. Just how much power did Blake possess?
“No, Anna. I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. I can hear you think, speak to you, force you to speak your thoughts out loud and for short periods of time, I can create a false atmosphere in your brain.”
“Wait … What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means that I can make you see and feel like you’re in a completely different place. It only lasts for a moment and it seriously drains my energy, so never do it. But I can.”
“Holy shitballs,” I whispered.
Blake rolled his eyes and leaned forward in his chair. “Anna, I’m very sorry for what Regina said. She was completely out of line. I’m proud of you for the way you handled it. I’ll talk to Lloyd Vance and make sure he knows what happened. After this disaster, I’ll do what I can to make sure none of our magazines use her services from here on out.”
I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” I murmured. “I was worried you’d be upset with me.”
Blake stood and shook his head. “Of course not. I’m upset with myself for putting you in a position in which Regina could hurt you.” He turned to leave. “Once you have a moment to collect yourself, please go see Lilith in HR to make sure she knows about the situation.”
As soon as the door clicked shut behind Blake, I slumped in my seat and closed my eyes. I had too much information swimming around inside my head for me to focus on any one thing. Regina crossed a mega line. I fired her. Eric Blake can do more than just read my thoughts, he can project scenes into my brain. I still hadn’t heard from Emmett. I had to go speak with Lilith. Ugh. Too much.
I sat there in my chair, eyes closed, doing deep breathing exercises for a few minutes until my brain stopped swimming. Once I had semi-sufficiently calmed down, I checked my email for a message from Emmett. Nothing.
My attempts at not letting the Emmett thing bother me were becoming futile. I hadn’t had a relationship in a long time. My job was my boyfriend. Maybe I didn’t even realize how many new relationship faux pas I was committing while I had my tongue shoved down Emmett’s throat.
I shook it off as much as possible and decided to go speak to Lilith about Regina. On my way to the elevator, I couldn’t help but obsess. I can’t help it. I’m an obsessor. I climbed on the elevator and stared at the floor buttons. What harm would it do to swing by the accounting floor? I could take the proverbial bull by the horns and track down Emmett to demand an answer. Granted, that would seriously mix my personal life with my work life, but it wasn’t healthy to obsess the way I was. I nodded, satisfied with my rationalization, and hit the button to travel to the accounting floor.
Several agonizing seconds later, the elevator pinged and opened on the fifty shades of lame level. I made my way across the floor and passed by Emmett’s secretary Penny’s empty desk. Emmett’s office door was closed. I knocked lightly and then again a bit louder. Nothing happened. I pressed my ear to the door and heard nothing. After a quick sweep to make sure no one was watching, I opened the door and peeked in.
The office was empty. I stepped in and checked behind the door to see if Emmett’s coat was hanging up. Nope. Nothing. His desk was tidy and his chair was tucked in.
I was about to go see if his computer was on when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to find Penny approaching me with a cheery smile on her face. I had no idea how anyone could look so chipper with a child about to burst from her stomach.
“Hello Anna!” Penny chirped. She glanced past me into Emmett’s office and then back to me. “Mr. Vance hasn’t been in yet today.” She bit her lip as a concerned look crossed her face.
“Oh no,” I replied. “Is he ill?”
Penny took a slow breath in and shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I didn’t even know he’d be out today. He usually calls or texts me if he’s going to be out of the office.”
Penny’s concern was genuine and beginning to rub off on me.
“Have you tried calling him?” I asked. “Have you spoken wit
h Lloyd?”
Penny shook her head. “No. I figured I’d give him until noon before I begin to worry. He probably just forgot to tell me he had a meeting.”
We both considered this for a moment and took one last look at his empty office.
“If he comes in, would you like me to tell him you stopped by?” Penny offered.
“No, that’s alright. I’ll just email him.” I had already texted and called. I didn’t need him knowing I was stalking him at work too.
I made small talk with Penny for a few minutes before politely excusing myself and making my way back toward the elevator.
I arrived at the 16th floor and travelled to Lilith’s office. Her assistant, Sherri, sat at her desk with her head in her hands. I rapped lightly on the corner of her desk and her head shot up.
Pressing a hand against her heart, Sherri took several deep breaths before greeting me. “Hi, Anna. I suppose you’re here to see Lilith?”
I nodded. “I am. Is she in?”
Sherri’s eyes widened as she nodded. “Yes, she’s in. But I wouldn’t go in there just yet.”
Concern bloomed in my chest. “Why? What’s up? You seem frazzled.”
She shuddered and glanced toward Lilith’s door. “Regina Blake stormed in there about twenty minutes ago. Lilith and I were having our weekly recap meeting and Regina just barged right in. When I told her we were in a meeting, she literally grabbed my arms and pulled me out of my chair. My coffee spilled on my pants. My papers went flying. I didn’t even have a chance to pick them up before she shoved me out the door. Literally shoved me out the door.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I shouted before I could stop myself.
Sherri stood to show me her coffee stained pants.
“Are you alright? Did it burn you?” I asked, stepping forward to assess the damage.
“It was hot, but not scalding,” she answered. “I’m more worried about walking around the office with a brown crotch for the rest of the day.”
I put an arm around her shoulder and steered her out from behind her desk. “There’s a little coat closet on the south end of my office. I always keep a few extra pairs of pants and a couple blouses in there. We’re about the same size. Why don’t you go on up and ask Mae to help you find something?”
Power Surge (Anna Jennings Super Novel Book 1) Page 14