by C. J. Thomas
“You still there?” Stephanie whispered.
“Yes. Go on.”
“According to the email chain I found, he’s ready to leak his evidence to the press. I found this email to a reporter at the Daily Tribute, where he gives this guy the go-ahead to print the story.”
“Daily Tribute. Owned by Madison Media Group.” I felt sick. How could he sink so low? Was he willing to destroy my life just because I’d stolen an employee? No, this was more than that. He hated me, flat-out, and wanted to make me disappear.
“Right. That was all I found, really. Nothing about that Kenzie person except for a bunch of emails about her resignation.”
“Right. I can imagine he would have lost his mind over it.” I could hardly think. All of my responses were knee-jerk, things I didn’t have to think about saying. I spoke just to make a sound, to convince Stephanie and myself that things were okay.
They most definitely were not. This was so beyond me just stealing Kenzie, and that had me worried for what other surprises he had up his sleeve.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find more. But I’m glad I found what I did so you can, ya know, get ahead of whatever might be coming.”
“You really think I did it?” I asked, laughing sharply.
“I mean, can you blame me? He’s willing to go to print with it, Aaron.”
“Right. I can see how you would believe it. Thank you for your help. I know how much it took for you to do that.”
“Are you all right?”
“I will be.” As soon as that son of a bitch is wiped off the face of the Earth.
So that was it. He must have doctored up some so-called evidence on me ages before now, probably as soon as he stole Madison Media Group out from under me. Just in case I decided to call him out publicly for being a backstabber. He always had his bases covered. And that, right there, was how the two of us were similar.
If I didn’t want him dead, I might have given him credit for it.
The story could break at any time, and I couldn’t just sit back and let it happen. Not when I was innocent.
If there was one thing I’d never played games with, it was my portfolio. I wasn’t willing to screw up just for the sake of a little monetary gain. Anyone who knew me would have known that. And it certainly wasn’t how I made my billions, either. Cutting corners didn’t get anyone anywhere fast.
But who knew me? I mean, really knew me? Certainly not the public, or the district attorney.
I debated on calling my lawyer in advance. But that might make it look like I was guilty and trying to cover my tracks. Either way, I needed to formulate a plan and take action before this wildfire spread.
There I was, thinking the entire problem revolved around Kenzie.
I had no idea Reed was playing a much bigger game.
It would take a little more time and thought before I made my first move. But I had the advantage—I knew what he planned to do and how he aimed below the belt.
The key would be using that advantage wisely, and I had just the plan.
CHAPTER 23
Kenzie
What a day it was.
I kept wondering if I should pinch myself, but knew I would cover myself in bruises if I did. Things kept getting better and better. And that kept a smile on my face.
First, I met my team. Thomas, Lola, Chris, Brian, Teresa. They were all amazing, creative, intelligent people. The sort of people I would have been friends with outside of work if given the opportunity. I found myself wishing they were my friends more than once. I wanted them to like me, wanted to be accepted not just as a managing leader, but as a person, too.
That was how cool they were, and how decidedly un-cool I felt with them. They put me at my ease, though, and spent the morning filling me in on what would make my job very easy, or very hard.
“Tell me about some past projects,” I asked, sitting as part of a circle around a group of desks. The arrangement reminded me of something out of kindergarten, all the desks pushed together to make sort of a big table.
They liked working that way, they told me, because it allowed for collaboration. Acoustic panels lined the walls and ceilings, so noise was never too much of a concern.
“What do you wanna know?” Lola asked, funky in her silver bangles and beads. A very artistic type.
“What worked? What didn’t work? What would you have done differently?” I pulled out a notepad, ready to take notes.
She smiled at the group, and they took turns giving me feedback on what they’d worked on together. I learned a lot from them, and I could tell they appreciated my willingness to learn from past mistakes—even if those mistakes weren’t mine. I was upfront with them, too, admitting I’d never led a team of my own before, which didn’t seem to bother anyone.
“You’ll do fine as long as you’re willing to listen to all ideas,” Brian said. “I mean, I’ve worked for some real losers in my day, who all thought they knew what was best. I mean, if you know better than me, why did you hire me? Why not do it yourself?”
“Exactly,” Teresa agreed. She was much more buttoned-up, reminding me of a librarian who could be sexy if she put her mind to it. Unlike the others, who sat in very relaxed poses, she folded her hands over her crossed knees. “Like, I understand there being a hierarchy. I get it. But if you shoot down every single one of my ideas, what’s the point of asking what I think?”
“Do you ever feel that way here?” I asked her, then extended the question to the rest of the people in front of me. “Do you feel like you have a say in what you do, how you do it?” I smiled at the sight of five heads bobbing up and down in near unison.
“It’s part of the culture here,” Lola said. “Aaron and the other executives know their shit, but they’re not too big to admit they don’t know everything. They hired us for our skills, so they might as well take advantage.”
“What a relief. At my previous job—well, I don’t want to get into it. Suffice it to say, I didn’t have a voice. Mainly because I didn’t have a penis.” I shrugged. The girls laughed knowingly.
“Something else that isn’t a problem here,” Teresa said. “You’ll find a fairly even split in all departments, all levels of management.”
I was so happy by the time we’d finished our meeting, I almost forgot to ask if they had any opinions on a theme for the next show. I saw it as a sort of goodwill gesture—if one of them came up with the theme Aaron liked, I would be sure to tell him where the idea came from.
My lunch was just as informative, and just as refreshing. The break out area was really another word for a large, open, common space. I’d never heard the term before, but it was evidently a thing.
Another way Madison Media Group was hopelessly behind the times even though it pretended to be so chic and cutting-edge. What a joke.
I loved Priscilla, the creative director, from the moment I met her. She was older than I was, maybe in her mid-to-late thirties, and I wondered at first if that would cause any friction. Would she resent being passed over by a younger woman?
It seemed as if nothing could be further from the truth. She was gracious, warm, charming, and clearly in her zone of genius at the head of the creative department.
“I love working here,” she told me, “mostly because of the freedom Aaron allows. He trusts me implicitly, and I never had that anywhere else. I mean, have you ever felt your boss breathing down your neck?”
“Felt it? I practically wore him on the back of my blouse,” I said with a smirk.
“Exactly. I mean, with Aaron, sometimes I feel the need to give him updates just to let him know I’m working. He really is that hands-off. It’s such a thrill.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I said, marveling at how happy everybody appeared. Without fail, I heard nothing but rave reviews of the company, its policies, even the way employees were encouraged to go home once their work for the day was complete—no matter the time of day.
“You’re kidding,” I said, eyes wide.
>
“I know.” Priscilla laughed, gracefully tossing back her head to reveal her long, slim throat. She dressed like a model. I sort of wished I could be her when I grew up.
“So if you can prove you’re finished for the day, you can pack up and go?”
She smiled, nodding. “Imagine how much more productive everyone is because of that.”
“Yes,” I said, “but doesn’t that lead to dishonesty? I mean, what if I claimed that I’d finished, just so I could go to the salon?”
“It’s an honor code.” She shrugged. “We’re all held to it. Besides, if you’re going to slack off, it’s going to become obvious in time, isn’t it? Aaron will sniff that out in a heartbeat. Once it’s clear you’ve taken advantage, you’re out the door.”
“Wow. Have you seen actual firings?”
“Oh, sure. There’s always some smartass kid who wanders in, thinking he just struck gold because he can show up for a few hours, then go back to his apartment to play video games. There’s a zero-tolerance policy for that. And you know what? You’d be surprised how it inspires people to be even more productive. They go out of their way to prove their worth. Just the opposite of what you would expect—then again, he hires the right people. People with integrity. It’s amazing, isn’t it? Psychology, I mean.”
“Yes, it is.” What amazed me more was Aaron’s seemingly intuitive understanding of what made people tick. The more freedom he gave them, the more he asked from them. And because they had so much freedom, they were that much more willing to prove their value. He must have read every management book in publication. I made a mental note to ask him about it the next time we were together, knowing that someday I wanted to lead like he did.
The afternoon was just as eye-opening to the positive culture of Ricardo de Lugo, and my heart raced just a little faster the closer I got to five o’clock. I reminded myself to pack up in advance of that time, since Aaron would want me ready.
Or would he?
I hadn’t seen him all day—he’d been in his office, door closed, from the time Reed left. I hadn’t even gotten an email and that had my mind drifting with concern.
I wondered if everything was all right. He didn’t regret hiring me, did he? Or did Reed tell him something about me that I wouldn’t want shared?
And I had deliberately avoided starting a fight over the new clothes, too. Not like I could have wholeheartedly objected—the minute I’d buttoned my blouse and stepped into my black suede stilettos, all resolve had flown out the window.
The thought of Aaron having second thoughts was enough to set me pacing back and forth in front of my windows.
My windows.
I still couldn’t get used to looking out and seeing . . . things. People. Places. The sky. And sun! Oh my god, the sun. Tiny cars and tiny people on the streets below. I used to wonder how people with such a beautiful view ever managed to get work done. Especially on bluebird days like today.
I never thought I would be one of those people. Well, at least not this early in my career.
I wondered if any of the people below had ever found themselves in my situation. Thrust into a position for which they felt under-qualified, wanting to make a good impression, yet at the same time feeling almost giddy with excitement every time they sat at their desk.
A chuckle behind me made me whirl around. I laughed, a hand to my chest, to find Aaron standing there.
“How did you manage to get in here so quietly?” I asked.
“It’s a quiet door. I make sure to have all the hinges oiled regularly.” His lips curved upward. “I couldn’t stand hearing doors creaking open and shut all day. Besides,” he walked to me, holding his arms out, “this way, I get to sneak up on you.”
It felt so right when his arms wrapped around my waist, when he pulled me close to him. So right, it nearly took my breath away. I nuzzled my face into his neck. “So you’re a sneaky boss, huh? Always watching people?”
“You tell me,” he replied, his mouth against my ear while his hands skimmed the smooth silk of my blouse. “You’re the one who had those meetings today. What did you find out?”
I smirked, pulling away to regard him with narrow eyes. “I see. Keeping tabs on me, are you?”
“And what if I am? You’re my employee, and I’m paying big bucks for you.” He managed to look pained when he said it, even though I knew he was just playing.
“Right. I’m sure you can’t afford it. And if you couldn’t, you shouldn’t have offered to give it to me. I’m gonna hold you to your word, you know.” I gave him a kiss—a slow, soft, sexy kiss that told him everything I had to say.
He growled low, deep back in his throat, and a blazing trail of excitement shot straight down between my legs at the sound of his rumble.
“And I’m more than willing to pay up,” he said, kissing me again. I could have melted in his kiss. My knees went shaky like they always did when he was so close.
By the time the kiss ended, we both laughed breathlessly.
“Wow. I’ve been waiting to do that all day,” he whispered, stroking my cheek.
“Me, too,” I admitted. “Especially since your other employees had so many nice things to say about you.”
“Of course they did.” His hands traveled down to the small of my back. “I’m an excellent boss.”
I laughed at his confidence, the way he said it. Like it was a fact I simply hadn’t been privy to until then.
I picked up my bag and we took the elevator together. As we went down, all I could think about was what I wanted Aaron to do to me when we got to his place. We could have the whole weekend together. We’d never even have to leave his bed. Now, wouldn’t that be nice?
Granted, we hadn’t discussed whether we were going there, but I assumed we were by how he thrusted his tongue against mine. It would seem strange if we didn’t. I couldn’t take him to my apartment, not with the cramped quarters and two insanely inquisitive roommates who insisted I tell them everything about my new love affair.
It didn’t matter where we went, though, as long as we were together and he was doing things to me that I had never dreamed of. I’d always thought of myself as a fairly vanilla girl. Kink was never my style, or so I’d told myself.
I glanced over at Aaron and felt my nipples tighten.
The truth was, I’d never experienced eager domination before I met Aaron. It wasn’t even that he was terribly kinky—there was no black vinyl lying around, no whips or chains or bondage belts. He liked things his way, and I was beginning to realize how much I liked it that way, too.
What that said about me, what it did to my image of myself, was not something I was willing to review just yet.
I wanted to enjoy myself.
That much I knew.
And I would, as long as I let him lead me astray.
I wondered if I could convince him that I’d been a bad girl today. What could I come up with to make him punish me? I would do just about anything for him to take me the way he had the night before—so forcefully, just shy of brutally. My entire being had responded in ecstasy.
I wanted that feeling again.
And every time I thought about it, I grew hot and pooled between my thighs.
I was afraid I’d become addicted to it—both him, and the thought of what he could do to me.
Not until we were in the car and well on our way did I realize we were driving in the wrong direction. “Hang on—this isn’t the way to your apartment,” I said.
“Correct,” Aaron replied, his voice low and teasing.
“And it’s not the way to my place. Are we going to dinner? I’m pretty hungry, now that I think about it.”
He smiled and turned his head forward. “We can eat, sure, but that’s not where we’re going, either.” He glanced back at me. “To a restaurant, I mean.”
“Okay.” I stared at him, waiting for more. He only gave me a Mona Lisa smile. It was unnerving with a dash of excitement I’d come to expect from him. “Are you goi
ng to give me a clue where we’re actually headed, then?”
“You’ll see.” He left it at that.
I thought it would be smart to stop asking questions, though that didn’t stop them from popping up in my head. I chewed my lip, suddenly remembering the way I sat in a car with my sexy boss who could have done anything he wanted to me. Something was up. I just couldn’t put a finger on what. I hoped he wouldn’t take advantage of my trust in him. Would he do that?
When we arrived at the airplane hangar, I had more questions than ever. A jet sat on the runway and the driver pulled the car right up to it.
“What’s this all about?” I asked as I climbed from the car.
“This is a surprise I cooked up for you. Well, not entirely for you, but I thought you would enjoy it.” He waved me on, toward the steps going up into the jet. “And I needed company, so I thought I’d take you.” I only hesitated for a split second before climbing up into the cabin.
“Is this your jet?” I asked, looking around in wonder. It looked like a luxury hotel suite with wings and big jet engines.
“That’s right.” I heard a smile in Aaron’s voice and I turned to him with confusion all over my face.
“I have a million questions right now. You know that, right?” And some of them were almost scary to even think about asking. Where was he taking me? I had nothing with me—no clothes, anything. No passport. I wasn’t prepared for a work trip, either, if that was what this was. Or was this a vacation? I had no idea, and all I really wanted was my toothbrush.
But then, maybe we would only be gone for the rest of the evening. “Aaron, c’mon. You have to tell me what’s going on.”
“Okay, it’s time for me to stop kidding around with you.” He sat down, patting the seat next to his. “We’re going on a trip to the Azores.”
“The—the what? The Azores? You’re kidding, right? Aren’t those islands in the middle of the Atlantic?” My head spun more than it had before I knew our destination.
“Call it a research trip,” he said, shrugging. “I have a meeting with my legal team and it might be something I need you to take minutes of. I’m not sure yet.”