by King, Dean
Why was she going to the site? Rafe didn’t understand. The Macgregor project was one of their largest, but he saw no reason why Nina would need to visit there in person.
“You knew that a long time ago,” Edgar said, his fat face ruddy even in the air-conditioned office. “I told you I didn’t want to hear that crap again. This is your assignment.” His nasal voice rang through the silent room. “It was yours before you got that promotion, and you’re going to see it through. Besides you are, excuse me,” he said sarcasm dripping from his words. “You were in charge of that company’s books. You need to make sure the contracts are up to date, you need to check their financial statements and make sure everything gel’s. You know it inside and out. You need to finish this.”
She shook her head, her eyes shooting sparks. “I know my job, Edgar, and I don’t need you telling me what to do. You purposely won’t understand. I don’t mind doing fieldwork. But I hate going to that site! Those men don’t want a woman over them. I don’t like how they treat me. If they want a man they should get one.”
“I don’t mind having the woman on top.” A snicker came from someone in the group.
Rafe's teeth clenched in annoyance, he moved closer to the monitors.
“You see?” she snapped. Rafe’s eyes narrowed, anger churned through him. She was being deliberately provoked. “Besides, as the head of my department, there’s no reason for me to continue to go to that construction site or any other. Assign it to someone else!” She thundered, hands balled tight as she confronted Edgar.
“Are you telling me what to do?” he challenged her.
“No, I’m asking you to assign someone else.” Nina sighed, and pushed her glasses back up her nose. “I’m supposed to be working in this office full time. Not traipsing around from site to site...”
“Enough!” Edgar yelled and jumped from his chair. Rafe nearly jumped from his seat as Edgar towered menacingly over her. “This company has many facets as you well know. Everyone has accounts they are responsible for. You are no better than anyone else. Before your promotion, you were in charge of that account. I suggest you get your head together and finish that before you jump into anything else.”
“I’m in no position to finish that!” She snapped, and Rafe applauded her courage from the security room. “It’s an ongoing process, as you well know.” She said through clenched teeth. “I’m assigning it to someone else.”
“You’re assigning it?” he gave a full bellied laugh. “Since when do you run anything?”
“Since I became head of my department,” she said simply.
His eyes narrowed. “Yes, well, I’m still your superior and you’ll do as I say.” Their eyes clashed, and Rafe could see Nina’s lips tightening.
“I’m not one to leave something undone.” She said in simple but direct tones. “I’ll keep this account until the end of the fiscal year. After that, I’ll find someone else to handle it.”
“You will keep it as long as I say you will.”
“I will not!” She argued.
“If you don’t like it, you know where the door is. I don’t know what kind of perversion you’re into when it gets dark but in here you’ll do as I say.” Low snickers from some of the others followed that remark. Edgar’s beady brown eyes scanned the room. “All of you. Either do your job or take off, there’s the door! This meeting is over.”
Nina froze, her skin became chalky, stunned eyes flew to Cathy’s suddenly innocent face. But the other woman turned away. Rafe heard Nina’s voice, steady and firm, her eyes still on Cathy’s averted face. “What do you mean by that, Edgar?”
Edgar snickered, his face a bright red. “I didn’t mean anything,” he said lightly. “Just try to keep some of your nighttime activities to yourself. No one wants to know how many men you slept with at that sleazy club.”
She jumped out of her seat, the loud smack of her palm slamming against the table top echoed through the room. “I never! Who said that I did?”
“Never mind who said it, the point is it’s all over the office where and how you spent the night a few weeks ago. Next time you go let me know. I want to see the type of man that would sleep with you!” Mirth shook the rolls of his belly through his striped shirt.
Nina stood looking at her laughing co-workers with quiet disdain. Rafe's throat tightened, anger pounding in his temples, making them ache. Her head held high, her back stiff, Nina marched past them without a backwards glance, and slammed the door behind her. He watched helplessly as she fell against it, and pulled in a shuttering sigh.
The urge to go to her was tremendous. Her eyes closed, she took off her glasses and wiped them. Then, as if gathering her courage, she straightened to her full height and walked away. His first instinct had been to rush from the room and fire them all. But sanity returned, along with the voice of reason. He’d seen tears shining in her dark eyes as she left the room. Rafe’s gaze fell to Edgar, anger roaring through him like a freight train.
*****
Later that day, Rafe sat behind his desk in his office drumming his fingers on his thigh. Finally he admitted to himself the real reason thoughts of Nina continued to plagued him. It was the sex, it had to be. It’d been months since he’d been with a woman. She was there and available. That was all there was to it. Relieved, he smiled, and then snorted. He had almost begun to believe she had cast some kind of spell on him. These past weeks her image had danced through his mind, teasing him, taunting him with that shy smile of hers. Her soft hands beckoning him.
Suddenly the telephone rang. He pressed the speaker button. “Yes?”
“She's here, Mr. Montoya,” Paula announced in her usual brisk tone. “Shall I send her in?”
“Yes, please,” Rafe straightened his jacket and picked up a folder pretending to thumb through it.
The door opened. A petite dark haired young woman walked through. She was pretty enough, dark framed glasses perched on the tip of her tiny nose. She wore a paisley pantsuit seemingly designed for her. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Montoya?” She blinked rapidly, her blue eyes hesitant, her small hands clasped in front of her.
He stood, smiling to put her at ease. Walking around his desk, he held out his hand. “Yes Sharon, I did,” he shook her small cold hand. “Have a seat.”
She peeped at him over the rim of her glasses as she sat. “Did I do something wrong, sir?”
He laughed, taking his seat. “No, you did nothing.”
She gave a sharp high pitched laugh. “You have to forgive me, sir, but usually employees meet with the chairman, not the owner. If the owner has to be brought in then there has to be a problem. As busy as you are with all your holdings, I don’t see why you’d want to see me.”
Rafe studied her as she rattled on. She was an intelligent girl, her records showed she was Yale educated. She had a bright future, but right now he was interested in one thing. “How long have you worked with Ms. Manchester?” He came right to the point.
She blinked owlishly, “I think about three years. Yes, I was her secretary the moment she came here. I think she and I were hired on the same day. On our anniversary with the company she always does special things for me. Last year she took me to lunch and bought me a beautiful scarf. The year before, she gave me a five hundred dollars visa to go shopping with. Of course, she’s very religious, so she wanted to make sure I knew about vanity and the Ten Commandments and all...”
Rafe held up his hand and stopped her. He nodded and willed her to take a breath. “So you know her pretty well?”
She smiled and settled into the large chair. “Ms. Nina is a very good boss, but she is very private.”
“What do you mean?” he frowned.
Sharon shrugged one small shoulder, “She doesn't like attention or people. She says she doesn't have time to stroke anyone's ego.”
“What do you mean by that?” He leaned forward, hands clasped in front of him. “Can you go into a little more detail?”
“I don't know,”
she shrugged. “She's different. She dresses different, she thinks different and people just don't understand. To me she's the sweetest person in the world. I accept her the way she is. That's all I can tell you.”
“So you count yourself as a friend of hers?”
“Yes, I like to think so,” she chirped her, glossy curls bouncing.
Rafe nodded. He wanted more out of her, but she didn't seem inclined to expound on anything. “I want you to keep me informed of how things are going with Ms. Manchester.”
Panic flashed across her pretty face. “She's not in trouble is she? I mean what did she do? I know of nothing…”
He held up his hand, “It's nothing. I've seen the way she is being treated. All I want to do is make sure it stops.” He hesitated. More questions needed to be answered, but how could he broach them without giving himself away?
She slanted him an uncertain look. “Are you sure? I mean if she is about to be fired, I think you should tell her so she can start looking for a new job.”
“No, she isn't being fired. She's done wonders with this department. I want to make sure we do just as well by her. I was surprised she requested that you be her secretary for this new position. I would’ve thought she would keep the woman that was already there.”
“That’s what I mean, Ms. Nina is as sweet as she is loyal. One day she said to me, ‘I’m not taking the position if you won’t come with me, Sharon.’” A smile bloomed on her lips. “I was so touched, I couldn’t say no, not that I wanted to, mind you. It made me feel good to know she thought so highly of me.”
“Sharon, I brought you here because I want you to tell me anything that happens with your boss.” Rafe said. “I want her to be happy here, and if someone isn’t letting that happen, I need to know about it.”
“I'm glad someone’s noticed. They treat her like dirt but you know, I don't think she notices it. She just keeps her head up and walks right past everyone.”
“Do me a favor.” Rafe asked, and she perked up. “Because she has so much pride, don't tell her about this. I want you to keep this between us.”
“Oh you got it, Sir! I won't tell a soul.” She smiled and stood up.
He cleared his throat and picked up a pen. “What about this rumor I've been hearing?” Sharon frowned and settled back into her seat. “The one about Ms. Manchester being loose at some club?”
“Oh that,” she waved him away. “That’s nonsense,” she declared hotly. “Ms. Nina doesn't have a wild bone in her body. I don't even remember her having a boyfriend, let alone going to the Dream Makers.”
His brow shot up. “You know of the club?”
“Who doesn't? There are cards all over this office.”
Frank! Rafe’s lips tightened.
“Now, thanks to them, Nina does too. I think that was a pretty rotten thing they did to her. It's like leading a lamb to slaughter! They're just angry because she’s smarter than they are.”
“When you say they, who are you referring to?”
“Cathy Maples and Randy Bellson. Nothing but jerks, the two of them. They turned the whole office against her. They tried to spread a rumor saying she was sleeping with the boss and that was how she got the job. I squashed it real quick. But they do mean things to her whenever they can. She just ignores them.”
“Really?” Her little face became animated as she ranted about the mistreatment of her boss. She seemed genuinely passionate about it. But it was time to mull over a few things. He stood up, and held out his hand. “I hate to cut this short, but I have a meeting in ten minutes. Thank you for your time.”
She stood again. “If you need me, you know where I'll be.”
“Yes, and remember this is between us.” He winked and her cheeks flooded with color, then she almost ran from the room.
Three
Pacing Frank’s apartment just above the Dream Maker, Rafe raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. This was it, the last time he would come here looking for her. He felt like a fool for wasting his time, but this aching need to be with her was almost too much for him to bear.
Four weeks and still no Nina. Rafe was angry with himself for this crazy longing to be with her. It was obvious she didn't feel the same way. Maybe she really had been playing the game? The thought didn't sit well. But he couldn’t let it go. What if she’d been here strictly to play the game, and had known all the while what she'd been doing? He shook his head, no that couldn't be true, the look on her a face had been too real. The feel of her in his arms was too sweet, she had given so freely. It had to be real! She had been truly frightened at first, that couldn't have been an act. But why hadn’t she come back? If the way she responded to him had been any sign, why hadn’t she at least been curious?
It bordered on the edge of madness. He didn’t know her, and yet there was an instant attraction that would give him no peace. With an emptiness inside him, he pulled the domino over his face, and then headed purposely out the door and down the back steps.
After hours of endless waiting, and watching he set his empty tumbler on the bar and signaled for Ben. “Give me another one, will you?”
“Are you sure Rafe? This is your third.”
Rafe shot him a quailing look. “I’m sure.”
Ben looked at Rafe as he refilled his glass. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to tell you how sorry I am that Peter let those ladies in the other night without their papers and without paying.”
Rafe shook his head. “I’m sorry I had to let him go. But innocent people can get hurt that way. He didn’t understand that.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Some people can handle this place, others can’t.”
“Do you know when Frank will be back?”
One corner of Rafe’s lips lifted in a half smile. “Do you miss him?”
Ben grinned. “No offense, but Frank is a great guy. And he’s a hell of a lot of fun.”
“Unlike me,” Rafe stated.
“No, I didn’t mean that.”
Rafe waved it away. “Forget it. Frank will come home when he gets tired of his new fling. I hear she is a dark haired Spanish beauty and he is taking his time. It maybe weeks, or months, who knows?” Rafe shrugged off handedly. “I’ll only be here once a week to keep things up.”
Ben handed Rafe his drink. “Cool, here ya go Rafe, enjoy man.”
Rafe lifted the glass and froze. His heart sputtered at the sight of her: Nina Manchester had just entered through the far back door! The very instant she stepped through the doors, Rafe felt energized. But he hated the way she tried so hard to conceal her beauty. Her black skirt was so baggy that if he hadn't known first hand how supple her body was, he would’ve thought her a bag of bones. The jacket hung on her slender frame. The flat black shoes she wore couldn't conceal her height, no matter how hard she tried. Her hair was up in her usual constricting style and those large green framed glasses were perched on her delicate nose like a trademark.
No one could know the fire underneath those clothes. Rafe shook his head, and his hands tingled to touch her soft skin again. Am I crazy? What has she done to me? Look at her. She’s just a timid little country mouse. How is it possible for her to have me salivating at the thought of just seeing her? He dismissed the thought as foolish. No one had ever had him with his tongue hanging out, and no one ever would. Tonight little miss naive would learn a valuable lesson about playing with his mind. Then he’d leave her begging for more. He took a seat in the back of the room, and picked up his cell phone. He called Ben to have him get everything ready. The smile that lifted one corner of his firm lips didn’t quite reach his eyes.
*****
Nina sat at her desk pretending to go over the papers in front of her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the calendar, and her heart flinched. It was Thursday again and her mind screamed for her to look away. But her heart wouldn’t let her. So, she stared. She had made up her mind. Even with talking to Sharon, Nina hadn’t been able to force herself to go bac
k to the club. But now, after fighting with herself she had to admit, she was curious, and she was going to go to the club. Unbelievable excitement rushed through her and made her hands shake as she got her things together, but she chose to ignore it. If he were there, then this was meant to be, if not then she was better off without him.
Hours later in the clubs parking lot, still sitting in her car, Nina fidgeted with the silver bracelet on her wrist. She sat in the driver’s seat draped over the steering wheel debating whether or not to go into the club. It was dark outside. A small but discreet sign hung above the door illuminated by a soft green light. The Dream Makers. They boasted they could make any sexual fantasy come true. It had been almost two months ago that she had met him here. It had taken that long to convince herself that she was an adult and it was okay to do what she had done. God would understand and forgive her. After ten Our Fathers and eighteen Hail Mary’s from her rosary, she felt better about things. It was time to be an adult and stop hiding from herself.
It wasn’t until she was alone in her bed that the longing to be in his arms took over. Would he be here? Do I want to do this again? Her body screamed yes but her mind yelled no! Common sense shrieked at her to not go inside, yet her body wouldn't let her leave. The story of Mary Magdalene rang in her head, yet she pushed it aside. With determination, she ignored the condemning voices from her past and squared her shoulders.
She reached for the handle and opened the car door. Putting one foot out, her toe barely touched the ground before she quickly pulled it back in, clutching the door handle. “I can’t do this! I just can’t.” She cried, her heart hammering with fear.
What if he doesn’t want me? What if I imagined it all? Then she remembered what they shared, and her body quaked with the need to see him again. Even if it was only to see if it were real. God would forgive her, of that she was sure. But could she forgive herself?
Taking a deep soothing breath, she opened the car door and got out quickly. She slammed the door and hurried across the rain soaked parking lot and to the door of the club, before she could change her mind. Opening the door, she hurried through it, then leaned back to catch her breath while letting her eyes become adjusted to the darkness.