“Yes, Mr. Carson. I will order new calendars for the office.”
“Jesus, Carmen, we already have them. I just want you to use them.” Harold takes a swig of his Coke and takes a bite of his pickle. A little pickle juice slides down his chin. “And next time tell the deli the sandwich is for me and they know I want an extra pickle.”
“I did tell them that, but I’ll make sure they know for the next time. Sorry.”
“I don’t want you to be sorry Carmen, I want you to do it right.” Harold picks up a small audiotape and hands it to Carmen. “I took notes on the Doller$ and Cent$ meeting and need you to transcribe them.” Carmen takes the micro tape. “Before you leave today. There’s about 45 minutes of audio on there.”
“Yes, Mr. Carson.” Carmen inches out towards the back of the office, her high heels killing her. “Do you want me to close this?”
“No, leave it open so the world can irritate me while I’m working. Don’t be so daft, Carmen, CLOSE THE DOOR when you leave my office. Always.”
“Yes, Mr. Carson.” Carmen fights the urge to slam the door shut, but resists. “I really need this job.” Carmen whispers to herself. “One year and I can find something else. Just one year.” Carmen adjusts her jacket and steadies herself on her heels. She never wore heels for any job she’s ever had in her 15 years of employment but this job paid a little more than the other three she interviewed for, so if Mr. Carson wanted her to wear a Playboy bunny suit, she would. She laughs to herself, yeah, that would be good for business. Might let Mr. Carson know there was a person in front of him and not just a sounding board.
Carmen looks across the office at the other workers. There was Richard Tanner, CFO, his door is closed, as usual. Carmen had to go in there once when he was gone. He had left his computer on, and all these “BBBW” sites were up; Big Black Beautiful Women. Carmen laughed. This mild mannered uptight white guy watched porn in his office and jerked off all day. Carmen always wonders what Mr. Carson would say about that.
Mel Katz is staring at her from under his glasses. He thought his glasses might have hidden where his blue eyes were, but whenever Carmen looked at him, they were focused on her. She smiled at him and he looked down, suddenly flustered.
“Yo Carmen, what’s hanging?” Kenneth Crawford, is a 24 year old African American guy who makes up the art department at Bridgeport Marketing. This was his first job out of Parson’s School of Art and he just thinks life was perfect all the time. It is for him. Great at what he did, more money than he could have imagined and no cares in the world. Kenneth spends every evening and weekend motor crossing and had just bought his 3 bike. “Did I show you my sweet new thing? I call her, Alexis.”
Kenneth pushes his iPhone in Carmen’s face and she is forced to look at a yellow, complicated motocross bike that means nothing to her.
“Oh yeah, it’s great.”
“She’s great. Top of the line. $2,300.” Carmen owes $8,000 to the driver of the other car. There would never be a time when she could spend $2,000 on a bike. No, make that $2,300. “And I added a selfie stick to it. That way I can catch myself with each jump. Right on.” Kenneth makes some kind of surfer dude’s sign and turns his arms into handlebars and ‘drives’ towards his desk. Carmen thinks he’s cute but definitely unaware of the world. At least the grown up world.
Carmen turns and sits on her chair, in a small cubicle. The opening of the cubicle faces Harold’s open office windows so he can always watch what she’d doing. Carmen lifts her head and thinks to herself, can I last a year? She bends down and finds the little dictation machine. It even has pedals. No one has used this kind of machine in 25 years, not with digital recorders, it’s ridiculous. But Harold is stuck in 1985. Luckily the computers are relatively new. 2001. Her Dell only has 2g’s left on the hard drive. One year, Carmen says to her. Then she can look for a better job. One that doesn’t include one Harold Carson.
William Yang, 42 and Asian, walks over to Carmen’s desk and sits; perfect abs, muscular pecs and perfect ass, on the corner of it. He spends every morning and night at the gym and it shows. “Only 5% body fat. Amazing right?” He flexes for Carmen. “Found out last night and celebrated with a Strawberry Margarita. Do Margaritas make you hot?” And he said the word “hot” slowly, so his mouth was open for a lot longer than it had to be. Just enough that his bad breath came through. So did the message. No matter how many times she said she wasn’t interested in going out with him, or more specifically to his house to do the nasty on his waterbed, he always asked anyway. Who has a waterbed anymore? And what kind of guy drinks Strawberry Margaritas?
“I have to do this dictation for Mr. Carson.”
“Oh, I don’t want to interrupt your dick-tation. I know how careful you are with your dick-tations. I like a girl who is thorough. Are you thorough Carmen baby?”
Carmen doesn’t know what to do, so she bends down and gets the machine ready. Pedal on the left, like a car. Don’t remind me of a car. Carmen makes a face when she feels hot breath on her neck. She takes a deep breath and sits up quickly, smacking William in the face with the back of her head.
“What the fuck? Give a guy a little warning.”
“You shouldn’t be hovering like that anyway. Carmen has a lot of work to do.” Mel was right there, a refillable water bottle in his hand.
“Hey Cream-Puff, mind your own business.” William grabs at Mel’s nipples and turns to walk away. “It was a nice view, Carmen.” I’m sure it’ll be even better when you’re on your knees in front of me.” Williams makes the blow-job gesture and then thrusts his hips back and forth, his tongue making a disgustingly slow trip around his lips before leaving.
“Sometimes I wish we had an HR department, I’d report him for sure.” Carmen smiles at Mel. “Thanks for trying to protect my honor.”
“That’s my job.” Mel smiles.
“I don’t think you’re a cream puff.”
“Well, thanks. I would never call you that, either.” Mel smiles at Carmen, glowing. He loves just being able to talk to her. “I was wondering though, I mean, we’re working all the time, but maybe...”
“Hello Chumps!” A bright voice shines over the office and a woman of 22, Bonnie Carson, floats into the office. Her green tennis shoes and tight black shorts show off a perfect body and her blonde hair falls to her shoulders in a perfect bob. Of course Harold would have a perfect daughter. Carmen looked at her own extra 15 pounds and sucked in. Harold runs out of his office, a big grin on his face. He takes Bonnie’s face and kisses her on both cheeks.
“Bonnie! You’re here. Did you call mom? We have your room all set up. When did you get in? Do you need money? Richard! Bonnie’s here!” Carmen is confused. How can this blaring man, vicious man, soften when his daughter comes into the office? Carmen never knew her father so she didn’t know what kind of affect she’d have on him but this is a total 180.
Richard comes out of his office, slightly disheveled. His face is flushed and he wipes his probably sticky hands on a Kleenex. Carmen smiles to herself. She knows what he’s been doing in there between financial statements.
“Bonnie. Come here, Bonnie Blue.” Richard hugs Bonnie tightly. Her nose twinkles a little bit, as though she smells where his hands have been.
“Richard, fine as usual. Still going strong?”
“My 5 year chip next month.”
“Good for you.” Bonnie turns to Mel. “Mel! No hello for the prodigal daughter’s return?” Mel waves at her and smiles. He shares a smile with Carmen and winks at her. Bonnie looks at Carmen and stops. Bonnie knows that everyone is looking at her, plasters a smile on her face and holds her hand out to Carmen.
“Hi, I’m Bonnie Carson, the head honcho’s daughter. Just graduated from college and coming home for the summer. Who are you?”
Carman blushes. She’s about to respond when Harold turns Bonnie towards him and hugs her again. “That’s Carmen, my new secretary.”
“Dad, don’t be so chauvinistic, they’re ex
ecutive assistants now, not secretaries.”
“While she’s working for me, she’s my secretary. She’s been here for a month and is very helpful. Kind of. Did you finish that dictation, dear?”
Carmen can’t take her eyes off Bonnie, so blonde and effervescent, like she doesn’t have a care in the world. And she doesn’t. Her father is rich, her mother a stay-at-home mom. She doesn’t have to work. That’s obvious. Carmen was sure she got a hefty allowance back at school and probably now, too. Bonnie was the type of girl who didn’t need to worry about having car insurance, she always would. Carmen never really liked the “Bonnie type”. They never understood real struggles, always getting what they wanted from their families, especially their overly proud fathers.
“Father, let me at least shake her hand. If we’re going to be working together, might as well meet now.” Bonnie extends her left hand. Then she changed it to her right. “I’m ambidextrous so I can shake anyone’s dominant hand. Saw you were a righty at the last minute.” Carmen takes Bonnie’s hand in hers and the moment they touch, Carmen feels a jolt of electricity. She swallows hard and by the time she takes her second breath, Bonnie has let go. Carmen has no idea what happened. She felt that same intensity when she brushed her hand on Michael Katz’s arm, but that was 3rd Grade and he was a boy.
“Let’s go home, baby. Carmen, you can close up here when you’re done. Richard, do you want to come and meet us for a drink?”
“He doesn’t drink, dad.”
“Oh, you can have a coke. Where’s Roger?”
Carmen nervously clears her throat, still reeling from that handshake that left her shaking inside. “He’s out with the Dollar$ and Cent$ clients. Won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“William, Mel, yes Mel, you, too. Kenneth, come meet my beautiful daughter.”
Kenneth bounces over as though he’s walking on the tips of his toes.. “Yo, girl. How’s it goin’?”
Bonnie laughs. “Fine, ha. Southern California?”
“I wish. Graduated from Parson’s two months ago, but as soon as I can, I’m going to Hawaii to catch some big ones.”
“I hope you’re talking about waves?”
“Waves, women, it doesn’t matter. Do you want to see my new bike? Alexis. I only ride women.”
“Kenneth!” Harold yells, but in a joking way. “She is my daughter you know. No talk of hitting on her. That’s a sure way of getting fired. Remember that William. Keep your paws off Bonnie.”
William slithers over to Bonnie and holds her hand, loosely. He discretely rubs the top of it and looks her in the eyes. “Bonnie, I see we both have the gym in common. Maybe we could lift together sometime.”
Bonnie snaps her hand back and wipes it on her shorts. “Great, yeah. Okay dad, let’s go.”
“Of course, my Bonnie. Everyone, get it together.”
Richard walks back to his office to get back on the computer and clear his history folder, just as he does every night before he leaves the office. Mel begrudgingly gets up and puts on his coat. William turns off his computer and joins the group at the front door, but not before making a lewd gesture towards Carmen.
“Carmen, you coming?” Carmen looks up, almost surprised that Bonnie had remembered her name.
“She’s got to work. Close up before you leave Carmen. And set the alarm. You forgot last week and we could be burgled. I don’t’ ask that much of you, the least thing you can do is what I ask. And have that transcription on my desk by 8:30am. Come on, baby Bonnie blue. Tell me all about college.”
The group leaves and Carmen falls into her desk chair. She doesn’t know what happened but if felt like a tornado. A Bonnie Tornado. Suddenly the front door opens and Bonnie runs into the office. Carmen instinctively pulls down her skirt and closes her legs, guiltily. She hasn’t done anything, but she knows that she looks inappropriate. What the hell has come over her? She hasn’t felt sexual since she moved into her sister’s apartment 10 years before and suddenly, these feelings are resurfacing and they’re for a woman. A woman?
“I wish you could have come with us. My dad’s an ass. See you on Monday.”
“Monday?” Carmen’s voice catches in her throat.
“Yeah, I’m going to be working with you guys.” Bonnie sticks her arm in Harold’s office and pulls out a man’s plaid sweater. “He’s such a chauvinist. Who wears plaid anymore? I’m looking forward to working with you, Carmen. Have a great night. Don’t stay here too late”
And then she is gone again. Carmen doesn’t know what just happened. Her face is flushed. She gets up on wobbly legs and walks to the front door to lock it. Without thinking, Carmen leans into the door, lets her hands fall to her breasts. “Bonnie.” Carmen realizes what she’s doing and shakes her head and goes back to her desk. 45 minutes of dictation will take her 4 hours. It is already 5:30. And she doesn’t get overtime. No time to wonder about Tornado Bonnie and these new feelings.
(End of Sneak Peek)
To Continue Reading, pick up your copy here:
The Daughter of The CEO (Book 1)
Acknowledgment
Hugs of appreciation to all my friends and fans across social media, and readers for continuing to support my efforts and my work.
Loads of gratitude to my editorial team.
And of course, thank you to my lovely partner and family for your understanding, encouragement, and support.
About The Author
S. B. Sheeran is an author of contemporary lesbian romance. Since early childhood, Sheeran fell in love with reading and writing. Her mission is to empower and change people' lives.
In her free time, she loves exercising, reading, hiking and meeting new people. She travels around the world with her fiancée.
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