by Mia Caldwell
She stood up and backed herself into a corner. Roger kept going, observing her body movements. Her chest heaved up and down, making her nipples strain out of her blouse. He grinned when he realized that they were on the same wavelength.
‘Raina, stop resisting me. You know you want this.” Roger groaned. “I can give you everything you’ve always wanted, if you’re a good girl.”
He closed the distance between them and reached her, running his fingers down her bare neck. He let his finger run further down until it reached the full curve of her breast. He anticipated squeezing her nipple and maybe even sucking on it. Biting it gently and then harder. The strain against his trousers grew. Roger closed his eyes in ecstasy and in one fluid movement; he gripped Raina by the back of the neck and brought her mouth to his.
He probed her closed mouth until his tongue found an opening. One moment he was in ecstasy and the next, searing pain, as though his mouth had been burnt with hot metal. He jumped back and clutched his mouth, moaning aloud.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Bitch! Are you insane?”
“Don’t touch me again, you bastard!” Raina shoved him hard and he fell back against her desk, hitting his spine on the sharp corner. He fell to his knees in pain as she ran from her office.
Roger’s lips were bleeding. The stupid bitch had bitten him hard. His feelings quickly changed from unbridled lust to seething anger and hatred. Who did she think she was?
“You’ll pay for this! You’ve taken your games too far this time. Mark my words, you’ll pay for this.” he shouted after her, not caring who heard him.
Roger reached into his pocket and removed his pristine white handkerchief and dabbed his mouth with it. He wanted to cry out in pain. He looked down and realized that his white shirt was stained with drops of blood.
He felt murderous.
How had he ever thought her attractive? She was a disgusting animal! She didn’t know the honor he had given her in deigning to give her his attentions.
He rushed to the door and after checking that there was no one in the hallway, he ran to the washrooms. He stood at the mirror and checked his mouth. His lower lip was swollen to almost the size of his thumb. Roger swore angrily.
He poured cold water on his wounds, wincing every time he touched his raw lip. Next, he poured cold water on the collar of his shirt and attempted to rub off the blood. Most of it came out but his face still looked like he had been run over by a truck. Knowing that he wouldn’t relax until he had figured out how to pay back that bitch, Roger hurriedly left the washrooms and went to the temporary office he used, which was the last one in the hallway.
He shut the door and sat down thoughtfully. The longer he sat there seething—both about his unfulfilled lust, that stupid bitch Raina, and his gambling problems, the more they all seemed to intermingle.
Christian had been at him to figure out what was happening to the profits of the hotel and Roger could feel that the excuses he had given weren’t going to satisfy his nephew much longer.
But … He could solve two problems with one stone.
The idea came to him in a flash. He could get his nephew off his back and and teach that bitch a lesson she wouldn’t forget. No one messed with Roger Del Mar.
It had been easy dipping his hands into the hotel earnings. He had simply ordered the supply manager to have several more supply companies added to the records. Shell companies that he had registered overseas and of which he was the secret owner.
Every month those companies submitted invoices for goods that were never delivered, and every month Roger found himself a little richer.
Roger had been patient, he hadn’t been taking much, content to build his wealth over time. But now he was tiring of that too. Why should he have to wait when he had done all the work and it was his ass on the line if anything happened. One of the supply managers had gotten concerned though, and gone to Roger with his suspicion that something was not quite right.
Like him, the supply manager liked to gamble, though his chosen game was poker. A thin, unassuming, sniveling man, the moment Roger had hired him he had known that he had found a weakling who could help him carry out his plans.
Roger thought hard. If he could have the records altered so that the bank account money being deposited into an account he could tie back to Raina, she would be done. Christian would come down on her like a ton of bricks and have her behind bars in no time. He smiled with a good deal of satisfaction at the neatness of this idea.
Who would be laughing then? She would wish over and over again that she had not played those stupid games with Roger Del Mar. Well, he imagined with a smirk, she would have 10-20 years to think about her mistake.
He thought back with longing at the missed opportunity of burying himself between her curvy thighs and of gripping that perfectly rounded ass. Well, there were plenty more whores in Palm Beach though, Roger told himself. That other little tart, Kelly, might be just the ticket, or perhaps that kitchen helper with the huge tits.
Still, he felt a sense of failure, a feeling that he was not familiar with. His pride was wounded and felt like lashing out some more, but where to turn?
Planning Raina’s fall had not entirely given him the satisfaction he had expected, and he paced up and down the office, agitated. He took calming breaths. Kelly. There was a girl who would be willing to do as he asked. She smiled at him demurely every time they were together and her eyes spoke volumes about her feelings for him.
She was too slim for his liking with thighs hardly bigger than his own forearm, but still, he would enjoy a romp with her. He wondered if she would be hot in the sack, holding nothing back. Or if she would enjoy his wild side, not complaining when he bit too hard or brought his whip down harder than was the agreement.
Despite her slimness, she did have curves in all the right places. She was not Raina, but she would do. Who knew? Kelly might even hold her own grudge against her boss, Raina, who behaved as though she ruled an entire kingdom. Feeling much better, Roger went to the table and poured himself a glass of water.
He winced when the glass touched his lip. Wanting to get his revenge over and done with immediately, Roger left his office intending to go to the Human Resources department where Horace had an office. He stopped midway down the hall when he heard Kelly on the phone. Wanting to confirm his suspicions that she was indeed a good little whore, he pushed the door open.
She wasn’t on the phone. Sitting across her desk was the same maintenance man that Roger had seen Raina with a few days earlier. They were going over a work order.
Kelly looked up at him, while the maintenance man pulled his cap lower and bowed his head at Roger.
“Don’t let me disturb you.” Roger said his voice loaded with sarcasm.
Employees had this ridiculous idea that without them, the hotel would not function. He looked at Kelly now and then at the man, knowing how important they imagined themselves to be. He gave a sneering smile. To his surprise, the man he had barely glanced, jumped to his feet and shuffled out the door, his back half turned to Roger. There, that’s what Roger described as respect, that was a man who knew his betters. The man knew where his money came from and he was quick to show it.
On Kelly’s face he thought he saw a fleeting expression of irritation which quickly changed to reverence. From his games in the casinos, Roger had learned to read faces. He could tell what someone was thinking just by observing their mouths and the tilt of their heads.
“How can I help you, sir?” Her voice dripped kindness.
“No, no, Kelly, it is I who can help you.” Roger said. “Do you know? You’re my favorite person in this place, and I thought I would give you a little warning. As a friend, you see.” Her expression changed and he saw real fear in her eyes. Roger liked that. It would make his work much easier if she was frightened of him. Usually, he enjoyed a chase but was now tired of it. He wanted a quick lay and soon—no playing around this time.
“I hear that there wil
l be some major changes soon. And, I’ll tell you what, and this is between us, the manager’s job might be up for grabs. I think you would make a good fit.”
“What about Raina?” she squeaked, irritating Roger to no end.
“What about her? I told you this is between us, so you’re not to go blubbering to everybody. Raina, like everybody else makes their own bed and she’ll have to lie in it.”
“Is she getting promoted?”
Roger laughed harshly. “You think you know people, but what do you really know about her, Kelly? The top management has stuff on her that would shock you, I promise. I suggest—and this is from someone looking out for you—that you stay as far away from her as you can.” He trailed his dirty fingers slowly over her jawline and bent to whisper, “You don’t want to go down with her too, do you? There are ways you can avoid that, and be very well rewarded at the same time.…” He left the insinuation hanging between them like the sword of Damocles.
She shook her head slowly. Before leaving, Roger closed the space between them and grabbed her abruptly, planting a fevered kiss on her lips. He winced in pain, rubbing his thumb over his lip and turned away. Kelly seemed numb with shock as he shut the door.
He felt a sense of smug satisfaction at what he had achieved. It was likely that Kelly would tell Raina what had transpired, but he counted on that.
In fact, it would be best if she told that bitch, then she would know that her fate was sealed. The torment she would feel over the next week or two would only add to the suffering she deserved to feel.
Roger imagined Raina on her knees begging him to forgive her. He would be benevolent towards her, tell her she could earn a reprieve, and invite her back to a hotel room; his own home was too good for the likes of her. Once there, he would tie her up and humiliate her, using her body in ways she did not know existed.
His nerves taut with unreleased tension and excitement, his mood now upbeat with anticipation, Roger decided to go to his favorite casino. He had a lot to celebrate.
He had found a way out of his current problem of Christian suspecting that there was some theft at the hotel, and he would punish that bitch Raina at the same time.
He had limited his visits to the casino to twice a week, but hell, life was short and when one got a chance to celebrate, champagne, a few whores, and a couple of table games were in order.
8
The two women sat staring each other from across Kelly’s desk, both aware of the implications of what Raina had just said.
“He left with those exact words—you’ll pay for it!” Raina said her voice shaky. Kelly’s stricken face did not console Raina.
“I’m getting fired aren’t I? What will I do? It’s my word against his—and he has the money to pay for the best lawyers in the world. How will I pay my mortgage? What about the kids?” Raina said, the image of her and the kids sleeping in the car floating in her mind.
She remembered the unpaid medical bills that came without fail every month, growing bigger until the last one she hadn’t dared to open. Raina’s hands shook badly. She had made the last payment almost two months ago and she had intended to make another at the end of the month.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Raina.” Kelly said, though her voice did not have any conviction.
“But it’s what you’re thinking too isn’t it?” Raina demanded even knowing that she was being unfair.
Kelly closed her eyes. “I’m not sure whether to tell you this or not, but I will.”
“What is it? Have you heard something?” Raina said, all air leaving her chest. Kelly licked her lips and seemed to gather courage. It was worse than Raina thought. If Kelly knew what had happened before she told her then it was only a matter of time before the official letter of dismissal arrived.
“Roger was just here … and from what you’ve said, you really pissed him off. He implied that your job would be open soon and that if I was good to him he’d see that I got it. I told him in not so many words that I wasn’t interested.” Kelly bit her lip, and Raina could tell she didn’t know who felt worse between the two of them.
Raina groaned and felt tears flood her eyes. She kept going over what had happened in her office and wondered if she could have handled it in a better way.
She had known immediately that she had wounded his pride, and how dangerous that was. It was why she had never rejected him before. She recalled the feeling of being unable to breathe and when he had kissed her she had gone crazy.
Now, she paced up and down in the office, her brain frantically searching for solutions but none came. Her fate was more or less decided, she was certain. She certainly wouldn’t even end up with a good reference either. Damn it.
“But Raina, remember that you haven’t done anything wrong! If anything, you … you ought to sue that bastard for sexual harassment!” Kelly made the pronouncement as though it wasn’t something they had already discussed between them a million times.
“And ruin all my chances of ever finding another job? Who wants to hire someone who has sued their employer? You think whatever lawyer I could find and pay for would ever beat one of his?” Raina snapped, her brown eyes blazing with fury. Then, her shoulders slumped and she remembered who she was talking to. “I’m sorry, I’m taking it out on you.”
“It’s understandable.”
Raina knew that suing was not an option. She had seen what happened to women who sued their bosses in the city. They were blacklisted and no other company would hire them. She knew two women who had been forced to relocate and start afresh elsewhere, both losing whatever positions they had gained in the process. One woman she knew couldn’t even get a job flipping burgers and had to rely on the kindness of relatives. Raina couldn’t do that to the kids.… And it’s not like they had any relatives to rely on anyway.
She would rather bear the shame herself. She had been fighting to stop herself from self-blame. She had gone over her own behavior when she was with Roger, looking for signs she may have unknowingly given him to make him believe that she was interested in him. She had come up with nothing because she knew deep down he was just a sick man.
Something clicked in Raina’s brain and she glanced at her wrist watch.
“Damn it!” she cried out, rushing to the door. “I’m late, the kids may already be home and they’ll be worried if I’m not there.” Raina waved to Kelly, grabbed her purse and ran to her car.
When she got there she jammed the key into the ignition, turning it sharply. The engine sputtered and died.
“Today of all days!” Raina yelled. She banged her hands against the steering wheel and let out a primal scream.
The tears now flowed freely as her panic increased. It would take her at least half an hour to get home if she took the bus. She forced herself to calm down.
“Please I beg you.” she whispered to anyone who might be listening up there. She wasn’t sure what she was begging for, but she knew she needed help. A lot of help.
She tried the car again, turning and turning the key, hoping that this time would be the time that it worked.
And then, miraculously and to her relief it roared to life. “Thank you.” she let out a choked whisper as tears continued down her face.
She drove faster than she normally did, praying no cops would be on her route to give her a ticket, and when she reached her house, she jumped out. Her legs shook badly when she did not see the kids at the front door waiting for her, as she had expected.
What would she do if something had happened to them? She would die. She would literally die, Raina thought to herself.
Hands shaking, it took her a full minute to insert the key into the lock. She wanted to go check in the backyard, hoping that they had decided to go play there, but as soon as she entered, she heard their voices in the living room. Raina darted in and almost wept when she saw the three of them, sitting on the floor happily munching on their snacks, Christopher watching over them.
“Are you alright? Sorry I
am late.” She said in a rushed tone. She struggled to regain composure, not wanting them to see her worry.
“It’s alright, Aunty,” Chantal said cheerily, “Christopher was waiting for us.”
“Thank you so much, I don’t know what happened. I lost track of time.” The words came out in a jumble, tripping over each other as she gasped them out.
“Hey, no worries! Happy to help. And we’ve been having fun, right kids?” Christopher said, his own voice cheerful. The children nodded and laughed. She could sense Christopher’s eyes on her though and the questions behind them.
Raina fled to the kitchen, not wanting to face his scrutiny, dropped her handbag on the floor and gripped the edge of the counter. She shook so badly from head to toe that she thought she would faint.
“Hey, hey …” Christopher had followed her. His voice was calm and soothing and he put his arm around her shoulder.
She hadn’t known how much she needed that.
Raina felt herself, against her will and against her better judgment, melt into him, allowing him to hold her. The tears came again, out of control, in great heaving sobs. She clung to him, burying her face in his shirt as she did, her body heaving.
His strong arms enveloped her, holding her steady, as he rocked her gently.
“Hey, it’s all right. The kids are fine—"
“What if you weren’t here? What if they were kidnapped?” Raina’s words were a whispered plea for reassurance muffled by his shirt.
“But I was here. Don’t give it any more thought.” His arms tightened around her and the comfort she felt soothed her.
She nodded, her head still buried in his chest. Pulling away, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at him.
“Thank you so much, I have no words to express the gratitude I feel.”