They were sitting on the floor, leaned up against the back wall of her office. She bent down and started to look at the framed works. The first one was a scene of a young woman walking through a flowery field. Morgan shook her head and went on to the next.
The next one had potential. It was a photograph of a storm rolling in during a sunrise. The colors that were reflected onto the thick clouds were beautiful. There were several blood red clouds, and the sky was an eerie yellow color. Morgan wasn't sure why, maybe it was the darker aspect of this scene, but she loved it. It almost made her feel more powerful.
She pulled it away from the others and held it up. "Yep. This one for sure."
She turned to set it off to the side and something instantly caught her eye. There was a cardboard box half hidden behind a shelving unit which hadn't been put back into its proper place since the walls were painted. Had it always been there?
Morgan set the framed photo down and stood up, walking the few steps to reach the box. There were file folders sticking out of the top. She felt a strange interest in the contents. Morgan slid it out from behind the shelf.
She slowly thumbed through the labels on the folders. Nothing too interesting until she came to a folder near the back of the box. In fact, this folder wasn't just the normal beige color like the rest. This folder was bright white. The label read, "Acquiescent".
"What's that supposed to mean?" She knew the definition, but Morgan was completely confused what that meant in this office setting. Ready to accept something without protest. Is it for contracts or something?
She paused wondering if she should proceed. Was this breaking company confidentiality by looking at the file? She turned and looked at her door, which was almost closed. Morgan turned her attention back on the mysterious folder.
She exhaled roughly and stood up. She paced back and forth for a few seconds before swearing under her breath. "Damn it." Morgan walked over to her door and quietly closed it all the way. She felt guilty already, but her curiosity was too overwhelming.
Morgan sat down on the floor, which was a bit difficult with her tight skirt. She wasted no more time pulling the bright white folder from the box. She inhaled and closed her eyes for a second. She had a premonition that this folder held things she didn't want to see.
She soon found out she was correct after she opened it. At first, she was even more confused, but in no time, Morgan knew exactly what she was looking at and how it went with the label. There were several applications and personnel files, all women. Morgan's papers were in front.
"These are his temps." She gathered from the label and the fact that she was in there that these were all the ones that had said yes to Mr. Slade and his terms. Morgan's hands trembled. "Damn it."
Chapter Nine
Morgan nervously turned her head, looking at her door to make sure it was still closed. As she turned her attention back to the file in her lap, her stomach did a somersault. She almost felt like a peeping Tom as her shaking hands started to pick up the papers.
To her surprise, there weren't hundreds of different personnel sheets in the file, but there was much more than just hers. Her stare bounced from names to birthdates. As expected, all the women were young.
Wendy Pearson, Shay Wilson, Tina Wolfe, Angel—
Morgan's mental dialogue was cut off when a noise had her stiffening. Mr. Slade's door had closed. She hastily shoved the papers back into the file and returned it to the box. She stood up clumsily, kicking the box back toward where she had found it.
She heard her door open, and Morgan spun around to find Mr. Slade standing in the doorway. His expression started as causal but soon turned into a scowl. Morgan realized that she was panting nervously. She ran her hands down her skirt, trying to calm herself.
"Hello. Off to your meeting?"
His scowl didn't fade. "Yes. What are you doing?"
Morgan clenched her hands into fists, trying to stop them from shaking. "Oh, I'm going through the artwork Marcie dropped off. Do you want to see one that I picked out?"
She turned away from him and exhaled. Morgan bent down to retrieve the photo of the storm at sunrise. She felt calmer as she turned around, presenting it. "Like it?"
Mr. Slade's stare moved from her face, to the picture, and then back. "Yes. It's very intriguing. Are you all right, Ms. White?"
"Yes, I'm good."
"You're shaking." He pointed at her hands on the picture frame.
"Am I? Oh, you know what? I think I've had too much coffee this morning." Morgan prayed that he wouldn't walk farther into her office. He would be able to see that her coffee cup was clean and unused.
"Well, go get yourself something to eat. Do you need me to find you something in my office?"
Morgan set the picture down in her chair and walked to him. "No thank you, Sir." She managed a small smile. "I'll get a bagel from the break room."
His expression softened. "Ok. I'll see you later. If you need help moving anything, you need to ask Marcie to send in maintenance or even one of the men on this floor. I don't want you moving anything heavy on your own. Understand?"
Morgan almost forgot why she was upset as his gorgeous face lifted into a lopsided smile. His green eyes looked so alive. It was sweet that he seemed genuinely worried about her wellbeing. Her smile grew as she tilted her head to the side. Morgan lifted a hand and rested it on his forearm.
"Yes, Mr. Slade."
"Good." He lifted a hand to her chin and lightly and playfully pinched it. He then turned and started off down the hall.
Morgan inhaled roughly and held the breath for a moment. When she let it rush from her, she braced herself against the wall.
Now what? She couldn't justify being angry. She was already aware that he had been with other secretaries. Mr. Slade hadn't lied about that. Having the names in her face was another matter, though.
She walked back over to her desk and leaned up against the edge. Why is that box in here? But then again, where should it be? Morgan would be more upset if she had found the file in his office. That might mean that he planned on contacting them or maybe missed them. And she guessed anywhere else in the office would be too "public", even though everyone already knew.
Morgan stared at the box debating. Did she want to continue to torture herself and keep investigating the women who had been his playthings before her? Or should she let it go and just be happy in the present? After all, Mr. Slade had never made a true office for any of them.
She stood and walked back to the box. Morgan tidied up the papers and folders and then pushed the box back behind the shelf. She then headed out to find Marcie. She wanted someone to move the shelf and maybe permanently hide that box.
Morgan was more determined now to make this space hers and hers alone.
****
When Connor reached his Lexus, he grabbed the door handle but paused, thinking. Something just didn't feel right. What the hell is going on with Morgan? He absentmindedly stared up at the Slade building. She had been off. Her coffee excuse was bullshit. Connor shook his head and then finally opened his car door.
The question was, what was he going to do about it? If this had been another of his playthings, he wouldn't have been overly concerned. As long as her jobs didn't suffer, he didn't care. Besides, they were never around long. This was different, and he knew why. Morgan was special to him even if he tried to downplay that from time to time.
He climbed into his car and started the engine. As he pulled out of his parking spot, Connor's mind was whirling with possibilities for her odd behavior and what his response should be. Was she feeling angry or unsure about the arrangement? Should he be irritated with her or consoling?
Connor hated being uncertain. He rarely was.
Chapter Ten
"Excuse me, bro." A young man nodded at Connor with a smile.
"No problem, bro." He narrowed his eyes as the other man turned back to his woman.
Connor shifted his weight onto his other foot as h
e waited in line at the bank behind the sickening couple. He had to make what he hoped would be a quick stop here before his meeting. Connor looked at his watch. I'm going to be late. He then flicked his stare up to the couple.
The man kept rubbing his hands up and down her back while the young woman had her hand in his back pocket. She kept giggling as the man would lean down to rub his nose against hers, every so often.
Connor exhaled loudly while shifting his weight again. The urge to push them out of the way and storm the counter was growing by the second. First of all, he hated going to the bank. It seemed pointless and a waste of time, but this bit of business he wanted to take care of in person. It wasn't anything spectacular but still important.
There was an old account that a recent business associate had been depositing money into. Their business had concluded, and Connor wanted to move the money to a more secure location. The amount of money made him want to do it in person. He liked to see the computer screen on the bank's side to make sure people were doing their jobs correctly.
"I can't wait for tomorrow. Honeymoon!" The young woman bounced on her toes, giggling again.
Connor closed his eyes trying to stop his tension from going haywire. He hated super sappy couples. Everything about them pissed him off. The overly dramatic smiles, the cutesy touches. It just seemed so fake to him. If this couple started talking in baby talk, so help him, he might lose control of his tongue and tell them what he thought of their behavior.
"Babe, I love you." The man leaned down to give her another Eskimo kiss.
"Kill me," Connor whispered under his breath.
He inhaled and held it for a moment before forcing his mind to retreat from the thought of yelling at the people in front of him. A scene from his childhood popped into his head, probably because he was smart enough to know that the relationship between his father and mother had colored how he felt about romantic relationships today.
His parents were great, he thought. There was no abuse. His father had instilled a deep sense of respect and hard work into his son. Robert Slade was business driven in all aspects of his life. That included his marriage.
Again, he was never abusive to Connor's mother, Irene, but he was far from affectionate. In fact, Connor had never seen his parents kiss and had only seen them hug once. It was when his maternal grandmother had died. Connor's dad had hugged his mom at the funeral, only once.
Irene Slade was there to do a job. She was to look presentable and polite on Robert's arm at social gatherings and company parties. She was to take care of all things that dealt with the home and their two boys so that Robert would never have to waste any of his precious time with such things.
This memory wasn't a particularly special one. Connor was unsure why it played so easily in his mind. He was about ten, and his brother was around eight.
"Irene, I got a call at my office yesterday from the school asking me about some fundraiser. Why am I getting calls from their school?" Robert set down his newspaper on the kitchen table with a scowl.
Connor's mother set down a glass of orange juice in front of him before shuffling over to her seat. She sat down while answering her husband.
"Sorry, Robert. I thought I made it clear to the school office you were not to be contacted unless it was an emergency."
"Well, take care of it. I don't want to be bothered again." He picked back up his newspaper as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, dear." Irene turned to look at her boys. Her eyes were kind, but she gave them no smile.
"My coffee is cold." Robert set his cup down without looking away from his paper.
Irene set down her not-yet-tasted piece of toast and went straight for the counter to retrieve the coffee pot. After refreshing her husband's drink, she returned to her seat. Connor watched her take a bite as his father spoke again.
"Connor, is your book bag packed and ready?"
"No." He started to stand from his chair but was stopped by his mother.
She held up a finger before standing from the table. Connor stilled in his chair as his mother walked to the living room. He heard her messing with some papers and a few books. She was packing his bag. After a minute, she returned to her breakfast.
Irene took another bite as her husband flicked his newspaper.
"Irene, don't forget my dry cleaning again today."
"Yes, dear."
"Sir, can I help you?" Connor opened his eyes to see the annoying couple was gone and he was next in line. He nodded at the attractive female behind the counter before stepping forward. He didn't question his views on love or relationships. They were his, and they were part of his personality. For better or worse.
Chapter Eleven
It was Tuesday morning, and Morgan was just getting off the elevator at work. She still felt uneasy and a little upset about what she had found, but something very strange had happened late last night that made her feel slightly better. Connor, Mr. Slade, had texted her and not about work. When it had shown up on her phone, she had almost fainted. Then Morgan thought that someone was playing a cruel joke on her, but it turned out to be true.
The text was simple, but the meaning was intense. Thinking of you.
She had stared at the text for several long minutes before responding with a simple, I'm thinking about you, too.
Truthfully, there was so much more she wanted to say and ask him, but she was too afraid. Too afraid of rejection. Morgan was so concentrated on her inner thoughts that she almost missed it. Marcie was staring at her with a huge toothy grin. When Morgan finally noticed, her steps slowed. She furrowed her brow at the receptionist for a few seconds before trying to return a smile.
That was weird. Marcie was not the overly friendly type. Morgan shrugged and headed back toward her office. The whole office building felt strange then. As she neared the end of the hall, she heard more voices than usual. There seemed to be several people in Mr. Slade's office.
Morgan was going to set her purse in her office before she investigated, but her plans changed the second she got a glimpse into Mr. Slade's office. Her gorgeous boss was leaning casually against his desk, his arms folded over his chest. His expression was relaxed and pleased.
Just in front of him stood a large man. He laughed loudly, and Morgan was drawn into the scene. She slowly walked forward, stopping in Mr. Slade's doorway. His gaze fell on her, and she almost stopped breathing. He looked so happy. She had only seen that expression a few times before.
Mr. Slade unfolded his arms and stood up straight. "Ms. White, come on in and say hello to our newest business partner."
Morgan nervously looked from her boss, to the other man, and then back. She really didn't know why she was so anxious. She gave both men a small smile before walking into the room. She held out her free hand toward the new business man.
"Nice to meet you," she said in her best polite secretary voice.
The heavyset man took her hand, shaking it. Morgan tried to hide her cringe from how sweaty his palm was.
"Hello. Connor neglected to tell you my name." He still held her hand as he glanced over at Mr. Slade. "My name is Mr. Taylor." Finally, he let go of her.
She smiled and nodded at him before looking back at her boss. Morgan was going to step closer to him for a little comfort in this awkward situation but was stopped dead in her tracks when another voice filled the office. It was a female voice.
"Ok, sorry. I only found one iced latte in your fridge. Your secretary should do a better job of keeping that stocked." The young woman was holding a can while walking out from Mr. Slade's small personal break room. When she spotted Morgan, she stopped. "Oh, hello."
Morgan's eyes widened as she took in the other woman. She was probably the same age as Morgan. She had blonde hair that was just past shoulder length. She was thin and dressed professionally. Although, her blouse had one too many buttons undone, showing a bit too much cleavage. The one thing that grabbed Morgan's attention was the woman's eyes. They were the brightest
blue eyes she had ever seen. Even Morgan had to admit they were mesmerizing.
"Hi. I'm Morgan … ah, Ms. White," she stammered clumsily.
The woman pointed at herself. "Ms. Wilson. Shay."
Morgan narrowed her eyes for a second, thinking. Where had she heard that name “Shay” before? She was certain she knew that name. Shay Wilson?
"Mr. Slade and I were just going over some last minute details." Mr. Taylor pointed at Morgan's boss.
She was no longer listening to the conversation. Mr. Slade said something that made the other young woman laugh. She put her hand up to her chest, almost flirtatiously. Shay? Morgan dropped her purse as the answer came to her. That folder. She was one of the “acquiescent” secretaries?
Morgan choked on her own spit as her mind started to race. She coughed loudly and unattractively a few times. The other woman stared at her in confusion for a minute before rolling her eyes.
"Ms. White?" Mr. Slade stepped closer to her.
"Sorry. Excuse me. I need to … go get a drink of water." She pointed at herself. "Allergies."
She knew that she sounded like an idiot, but she needed to get out of that room. She took a step sideways and accidently kicked her purse. Morgan stumbled forward and just barely saved herself before she would have plowed into Mr. Taylor.
"Sorry." Her face felt like it was on fire as she bent down to retrieve her purse.
Morgan didn't look back as she gracelessly left the room. She stumbled toward her office. When she entered, she lightly kicked the door closed, dropping her purse off to the side. Her breathing was heavy as stress crashed into her gut.
What the hell is she doing here? Mr. Slade is getting bored with me. It has to be or else why wouldn't he have hired someone that he hadn't been with?
His Plaything (Slade, Inc. Book 2) Page 3
