by Karen Foley
Recalling the distress in her green eyes, the Cuban part of him—that traditional, old-fashioned part that demanded all women be treated with respect—wanted to hunt Mike down and kick his ass. But the military part of him said that would be a poor decision, especially given his own recent misconduct. It would be an excuse for his commanding officer to bust him back down to lieutenant and stick him behind a desk to push paper for the rest of his career.
He took a deep breath and flattened his hands on the surface of the table. He needed to put Sedona out of his thoughts. She was an adult. Whatever shortcomings she might have, he was pretty sure sticking up for herself wasn’t one of them. Hadn’t he seen her go into the Human Resources office? He smiled wryly. It wasn’t Sedona he should be worried about; it was Mike Sullivan.
* * *
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN you can’t do anything?” Sedona stared at the woman on the other side of the desk. She’d figured Human Resources would be skeptical, but where else could she turn? “I’m telling you, these guys have been getting promoted based on how many babes they bang when they go on business travel.”
Gladys Drummond smiled, apparently in sympathy, but Sedona could see it didn’t reach the older woman’s eyes. Sedona wanted to scream with frustration.
“I’m sure what you overheard was nothing more than a joke. A bad joke, in very bad taste, but a joke nonetheless.” The director of Human Resources sat back in her chair and considered Sedona. “I understand how you might be feeling put out about Bob Lewis getting this latest promotion, but I can promise you it had nothing to do with his—his male prowess. All promotions have to be approved by the Promotion Selection Board.”
Sedona blew out her breath in frustration. “But they seemed so sure of themselves. This—this ‘club’ must have influence at higher levels. If they say the promotion goes through, then it does.”
Gladys tented her fingers together. “Do you know who the other members are?”
“I have no idea.”
“Then we’re back where we started, Sedona. You can’t make these kinds of accusations without substantial evidence.”
Sedona leaned forward eagerly. “I can get evidence. The members are supposed to get together this afternoon for a secret meeting. I could…I could sneak into the room and spy on them. Or…I could record what they say! That would be proof, wouldn’t it?”
Gladys smiled, a patently false smile. “I believe there are laws against recording people without their knowledge. Even if it’s permissible, it’s not something I have the authority to approve. In truth, this whole issue is more or less beyond my purview. I’m only the director of Human Resources.”
Sedona shook her head in disbelief. “So you’re saying there’s nothing you can do?” When the other woman didn’t answer, Sedona gave a huff of defeat. “I’m sorry to hear that, I really am. I feel as if you’re not leaving me any choice but to resign.” She shrugged helplessly. “Consider this my two weeks’ notice.”
The other woman’s eyebrows shot up. “Really, Sedona. Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
Was she kidding? “No, quite the opposite. How can I even contemplate working for an agency that condones this kind of behavior?”
Whatever Gladys believed, Sedona knew what she’d overheard hadn’t been a joke. It had been all too disgustingly real. She watched as Gladys picked up her PDA and consulted it. After a moment, she scribbled a number down on a piece of paper.
“This is the number for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. They can put you in touch with an agent who might be able to help you.” She handed the paper to Sedona. “I’m sure you’ll find this whole thing is just a misunderstanding. I hope you’ll reconsider leaving.”
Sedona took the slip of paper. Fat chance. As expected, Human Resources didn’t believe her, and it was unlikely DCIS would, either. Like HR, they’d probably decide she was just trying to get even with her male coworkers. And they’d be right, to a certain degree. Exposing and putting an end to the Membership would be her last effort to level the gender playing field.
“Thanks,” she muttered, and pushed the slip into the pocket of her pants.
Leaving the director’s office, she determined she would contact DCIS. She’d already declared her intent to resign, and she wasn’t going to change her mind about it. Therefore, she had nothing to lose. She strode toward her office to make the phone call. As she passed the Drawing Room, her footsteps faltered, recalling that moment when she’d realized Angel had been sitting in the room directly across the hall.
Watching her.
And for just a moment, she’d been so completely flustered, she’d all but abandoned the idea of exposing the Membership. For one brief, crazy instant, the thought of leaving the agency just when Angel had finally returned seemed too high a price to pay.
Now, as she passed the conference room, her gaze was drawn irresistibly toward the chair where he’d been sitting. She shouldn’t have been surprised to find it empty, but there was no denying the disappointment that surged through her. In every way that counted, he was so gone from her life.
3
FROM HER HIDING place in the women’s bathroom, located directly beside the East Wing men’s room, Sedona peeked through a crack in the door and watched no less than eight men slip covertly into the adjoining lavatory. With the entire East Wing closed for renovations, it was the perfect choice for a clandestine meeting. While she wasn’t personally acquainted with all the men, she knew who they were. With the exception of Mike Sullivan, she was shocked by who she saw.
There was Tony Webber, whose intensity and single-minded dedication to the job she’d always found a little intimidating. She’d never have guessed his determination to succeed went this far. Then there was Alberto DeMasi, whom she’d always categorized as the warm, grandfatherly type. Apparently, there were no age restrictions on becoming a member, either. She knew he was a widower, but she cringed just thinking about him hitting on some strange woman in order to get promoted. Kevin Donnelly was middle-aged and divorced, and it was common knowledge he was struggling to raise two teenagers. Was his financial situation so tough that he needed to prostitute himself in order to get ahead?
Sedona pushed down the sympathy that threatened to sap her determination. She couldn’t allow personal feelings to interfere. But of all the members she saw, none surprised her more than Ken Larson.
In his mid-thirties, Sedona had first noticed him because of his quirky sense of humor and easy camaraderie with the other engineers. He wasn’t good-looking in the traditional sense, but he was friendly and likable, and there had been a time when Sedona had briefly considered dating him. And then Angel had come on board, and suddenly every other man she knew paled in comparison.
Still, she felt a huge sense of betrayal to discover Ken was involved with the Membership. She’d worked with him on several engineering issues and had found him reliable and knowledgeable. He was one of the few guys she actually enjoyed working with. Clearly, she’d given him way more credit than he deserved.
Biting her lip, she stepped back inside the women’s bathroom and gently closed the door all the way, careful not to make any noise. She’d made the call to DCIS and had spoken with an Agent Curtis Denton. Despite his gruff voice and clipped manner, he’d taken her allegations seriously. When she had suggested confronting the members while wearing a recording device, he’d approved, with the promise of a full investigation to follow.
She adjusted the small tape player she had tucked into the waistband of her pants, beneath her blouse, to a less conspicuous position. Her finger was on the Record button when the sound of male laughter startled her.
Her fingers slipped on the buttons.
They were starting. Not wanting them to disperse before she had time to confront them, she stepped quickly into the corridor. She paused outside the door to the men’s room and drew in a deep, fortifying breath. Then, placing her palm on the door, she gave it a mighty push so that it burst inward
, slamming back against the inside wall with a resounding bam!
A group of men, including Tony and Kevin, leaped to attention from where they’d been lounging against the sinks. Under any other circumstances, their expressions of dismay and horror might have been amusing. The bathroom, tiled in turquoise-green, was awash with stark, fluorescent light and smelled faintly of disinfectant.
“Hello, gentlemen,” Sedona said silkily. “Oh! Am I interrupting something?”
Mike Sullivan stepped forward. “What are you doing in here, Stewart? I mean, come on, this is a men’s room!”
Sedona forced herself to smile into his face, despite her pounding heart. “I heard there was a meeting going on to discuss future advancement opportunities, and I didn’t want to miss it. Actually, I heard there’s a new upward-mobility program that practically guarantees promotions.” She ignored his gape-mouthed expression and sidled past him to stop directly in front of Bob Lewis. “It must be one hell of a program. After all,” she murmured, tracing a finger down the front of his madly patterned silk tie, “it’s worked so well for Bob.”
She stared directly into Bob’s horrified eyes until a slow flush crept up his neck and suffused his face.
“I—I don’t know what you’re t-talking about,” he stammered, his gaze darting to Mike.
“Oh,” Sedona crooned, “I think you do. Or have you already forgotten the two babes you banged in San Diego?”
In the mirror behind Bob, she saw Alberto’s appalled expression as realization slowly dawned. She also noticed Ken Larson holding what appeared to be several photographs. He looked even more horrified to see her in the men’s room than she had been to see him enter. He was trying to slide the photos covertly into the pocket of his pants, only they were too large, so he oh-so-casually palmed the pictures and tucked his hands behind his back. Poor Bob looked as if he wanted to die. His gaze swung back to Mike Sullivan with something like desperation.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard,” Mike said in a hard voice as he stepped forward, “but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Now.”
Sedona turned away from Bob to stare at Mike. “I’m not going anywhere, Hound Dog, until you tell me everything there is to know about the Membership.”
Mike laughed, but it sounded forced. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Stewart.”
“Oh, yeah?” Before they could guess her intent, Sedona darted forward and snatched the photos from Ken’s hands. Turning her back on the men, she swiftly flipped through the half dozen prints. Oh, God. It was true. There was Bob Lewis, sprawled half-naked in an enormous bed with two California-blonde bombshells. Who would have guessed the guy had so much body hair? Ew.
As Mike reached over her shoulder for the photos, Sedona shot him a warning glance and turned away again.
“Oh, this is a good one,” she said, holding up a photo of Mike sitting in a hotel-room chair with a scantily clad brunette on his lap. “It certainly doesn’t look like your wife.”
Mike visibly sagged. “Okay, Stewart, what do you want?”
“What do I want?” She thrust the pictures beneath his nose. “I want this to stop! It’s not only illegal, it’s immoral. And degrading.” She turned to the other men, fixing the chagrined Tony and Alberto with a disapproving frown. “I’m surprised at all of you. I’d expect this kind of juvenile behavior from teenagers, not grown men.” She gave Alberto a look that she hoped conveyed her deep disappointment. “And certainly not men with small grandchildren.”
“Oh, get real, Stewart.” One of the men—she recalled his name was Brad Something-or-Other—stepped forward, his expression contemptuous. They had once worked together on an engineering investigation, and she hadn’t much liked him then. He was a cocky man, with pale blue eyes and skin that bore evidence of what must have been a horrific case of adolescent acne. Now he shrugged. “So what if we like to indulge in a little extramarital activity? What are you going to do about it? Huh?”
“I could care less what you do on your own time,” she snapped at him. “But when this kind of activity is not only condoned by management, but encouraged as a means of getting promoted, then I definitely have a problem with it. Big-time.”
“You’ll never prove it,” Brad taunted. “Anyone can tell you our promotions were based purely on performance.”
Sedona snorted and held up the photos. “No kidding.”
“So what’s your big plan?” Brad took another step forward, his smile mocking, and before Sedona could protest, snatched the photos from her fingers. “Going to report us to Human Resources? Tell the director about our evil club?” He laughed. “Go right ahead. I can hardly wait to see what kind of reaction you get.”
Inwardly, Sedona rejoiced. This was what she had been hoping for. The photos be damned. If she could get the men to discuss the club openly, it would all be there on her tape recorder.
“Considering your…inclinations,” Brad continued smoothly, “this will actually be something to look forward to.”
Sedona frowned and noted the expressions on the other men’s faces. They ranged from cautious amusement to outright smugness. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded. Inclinations?
“I mean that you’re considered to be something of a man-hater, Stewart.”
Sedona’s mouth fell open, then snapped shut. The anger and frustration that had been simmering just below the surface finally bubbled over. “Careful,” she warned in a falsely sweet tone. “Your insecurities are showing. If I have a limited tolerance for the opposite sex,” she continued, turning hard eyes on Ken Larson, “it’s no wonder.”
She wasn’t at all mollified when Ken flushed and turned his gaze downward, clearly embarrassed.
“So tell me, Ken,” she asked, “have you been banging babes, too?”
Ken turned a darker shade of red. “No,” he mumbled. He raised his gaze to Sedona’s and gave her a sheepish grin. “I mean, I haven’t been promoted, have I?”
“So why are you doing this?”
Mike Sullivan stepped forward, effectively preventing Ken from answering. “You want to know why, Stewart? I’ll tell you why. Because women like you are taking away our job security and our promotional opportunities.”
Sedona gave him a bewildered look. “What are you talking about?”
Mike snorted. “It isn’t enough to be a good engineer anymore. Hell, being a great engineer isn’t even enough. Especially if you have one qualified female thrown into the mix. I’m telling you, it’s reverse discrimination at its best. Call this our way of getting what we deserve—in every way that counts.”
Sedona stared at him, appalled. “But why degrade yourselves?”
“You call it degrading. We call it proving our worth.” Mike’s voice was contemptuous. “Do you know how tough the competition is for the higher grades? Being competent and conscientious doesn’t cut it anymore. These days, it’s about being completely dedicated, about proving you’ll do anything for the job, no matter what.”
“Even if it’s something incredibly intimate, or personally repugnant?” Sedona couldn’t believe what she was hearing. They were like a bunch of frat boys.
“Especially if it’s intimate or repugnant.” Mike gestured to the men around him. “Each of these guys deserves to be promoted. But how to determine which one is the right one for the job?” He leaned forward until his face was inches from Sedona’s. “By putting it all on the line, baby. No guts, no glory.”
Sedona couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “I can’t recall where in the job description it says ‘must get laid.’”
“Hey, don’t knock it ’til you try it. In fact,” Mike said, smirking, “I think you need to get laid in a big way, Stewart.”
There was a snort of muffled laughter, and several of the men had to turn away to hide their amusement. Tony and Alberto looked mortified, but Sedona knew the others were getting a huge kick out of her embarrassment.
“Oh, and I suppose you’re just the man fo
r the job, huh?” Sedona injected as much scorn as she could into her voice. “Trust me, I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth.”
But far from looking wounded, Mike just laughed. “No kidding. Unless I’m mistaken, you wouldn’t sleep with any man. Period.”
Sedona realized her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, and she forced herself to relax, though every cell in her body wanted to scream her denial at this jerk. “What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?”
“I know that when you go on business travel, you spend every night hiding in your hotel room.” He arched an eyebrow at her, as if challenging her to deny it. “Remember when we were in Saint Louis for two weeks? You wouldn’t even join the rest of us for dinner, never mind any late-night entertainment. Hell, your idea of excitement is probably finding a mint on your hotel pillow.”
Ouch. That hurt, probably because it was no less than the truth.
“Just because I choose not to have affairs,” she said tightly, “does not mean I’m incapable of having them.”
Mike’s eyebrows flew up and he exchanged a knowing look with the man nearest him. “Oh, really? Well, excuse me if I don’t believe you. You’ve been working here for what—five years? And from what I hear, you haven’t even had a date, much less an affair.”
“So what are you saying, Mike?” Okay, this was it. If she played this right, she would have all the proof she needed to expose them. “Are you saying if I have an affair the next time I go on business travel, I’ll get promoted?”
Mike grinned, clearly enjoying her outrage. He turned to the other men. “What do you think, boys? Should we let Stewart join our elite membership?”
“No way,” interjected Bob. “She’s just trying to screw us. Figuratively speaking, I mean.”
“Supposing I agree,” Sedona said, ignoring him, “what’s my guarantee? I mean, how can you assure me that the next promotion will be mine?”