by Rhea Wilde
“Well,” he said as he cleared his throat. “It would seem that Ms. Pratt and I have some business to discuss.”
“Indeed, you do,” one of the old men said. “But I’m concerned, Rafael. If what I’m assuming is correct, I’m a little weary about a man who would hire—”
“A valuable asset to the company,” Rafael interrupted him. “A woman with a remarkable resume and a bright future.”
“Because of you, no doubt.”
“Ms Pratt, if you’ll excuse us,” Rafael said to me. “We’ll discuss this at another time. For now, let me assure you, gentlemen, that Barnett Industries is in good hands. I make every effort…”
Rafael was doing everything he could to draw the attention away from what just happened. I backed away from the group and made my way back toward the table where the complementary breakfast was being served. I looked down at all of the food but none of it was enough to distract me.
“Hey, Alice,” Wesley said as he suddenly appeared next to me. “You should probably fill up. This is the last meal we get before we head back home.”
“I’m… not very hungry.”
“Yeah… but this is probably the last meal you’re going to have in Hawaii. At least, until the next conference.”
I looked up from the table out the window. The view hadn’t changed. We were still just a few meters away from the beach. It looked like paradise out there. I didn’t want to leave. But not because it was so beautiful. I was dreading having to face the consequences of what I’d just done.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “Something tells me I’m not going to next conference.”
Chapter 20
Rafael didn’t say another word to me after the reception. I wanted to talk to him but whenever I looked at him, it was obvious that now wasn’t the time.
As I sat there on the private jet back home, I looked out the window and lost myself in the waves of the Pacific. On the other side of the cabin, Rafael secluded himself like usual and buried his head in a stack of papers.
“Are you all right?” Wesley asked me.
I didn’t respond. The words went in one ear and out the other. All I could think about was what I just did. At the time, it felt like the right thing to do. Now I was thinking that it was the biggest mistake of my life. I’d embarrassed my boss in front of his colleagues because of a crush. I let my feelings get the best of me. I was ashamed.
“Alice?”
I turned to Wesley. He and Travis both looked at me with friendly smiles on their faces. I knew that they wouldn’t judge me. They were here with me since the beginning. I sighed then smiled back at the both of them.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I just… I’m not really in the mood to talk right now.”
“You know, we’re not those executives,” Wesley said. “We’re interns. We’re just like you. We all make mistakes.”
It wasn’t a mistake.
I wanted to disagree with Wesley right there but I didn’t have any evidence to back it up. I felt like a fool.
“It was obvious,” Travis said.
“What?” I exclaimed.
“You and Mr. Barnett.”
“Was it?”
“Wesley and I were at those dinners, too. I saw the way he looked at you. The way you two interacted. Anybody who spent enough time around the two of you would have realized it. It didn’t take me very long to figure it out. I mean, I had to explain it to Wesley but you know how slow he is.”
“Hey!”
I giggled softly at Wesley’s objection. Hearing Travis explain what he saw made things seem a little easier. If it were that obvious on the surface, it was glad that I got it out of the way. Of course, there was probably a better way to admit to Rafael that I had feelings for him. Kissing him in front of his colleagues and trying to embarrass him.
“It doesn’t mean much but we’ve got your back,” Travis said. “It doesn’t really make any difference to us. Wesley and I both know that you’re here because you’re qualified and not because… you know.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think our boss is the only one who really knows for sure.”
“More importantly, nothing is going to happen,” Wesley chimed in. “So, you two have a thing? So what? Who cares? Business has been booming for this company ever since Rafael took over. Things aren’t going to change.”
“Perhaps,” Travis said. “That would be the rational explanation. But other corporations… other executives… the board of directors… We’re talking about men. And every man is capable of being irrational from time to time. They can make this a bigger deal than it actually is if they want to.”
“Nothing is going to happen,” Wesley tried to reassure me. “Whatever happens outside of the office doesn’t matter.”
“He has a reputation, Wesley. People will make judgments. Whether or not that’s fair doesn’t matter.”
I looked over at Rafael and saw the concentration on his face. He rubbed his temple with his index finger as he scribbled on his paper with his other hand. I could see the frustration on his face even from all the way across the cabin. I knew that what I did would have consequences. But it would take a long time to see what they were.
“I’m going to miss Hawaii,” Wesley sighed as he stared out the window.
“Not as much as I am,” I replied.
* * *
“That’s your boss?”
“Shh!”
I put my index finger up to my lips to try and quiet my best friend down. She raised her voice high enough that a few people in the cafe turned and looked at us. I smiled at all of them and they all returned their attention back to their books and laptops.
Danica examined the clipping I had taken from a magazine. It was an old article about executives in the city. Rafael was one of the people featured. There were photos of him along with a brief interview. While my friend stared at the images, I sipped on my latte and thought about the consequences that were still coming. I felt like a criminal waiting to hear the jury’s verdict.
“You’re fucking this guy?” Danica whispered.
“Alice!”
“What? There’s nothing to be ashamed of. He’s hot. And it says here that he’s worth billions. That’s never a bad thing.”
“Danica, when have I ever cared about money when it came to guys?”
“This is different. I could understand hooking up with some guy and not caring about how much he made or what he did for a living. But you can’t tell me that you don’t care about how much money a guy makes when you’re actually trying to be with him.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Danica scoffed at me as I lowered my latte back down onto the table.
“What?” I said to her. “What’s so funny?”
“You know damn well that every woman in the city would be throwing themselves at this guy if they saw him walking down the street.”
“Maybe they would. But I’m not every woman.”
“So, why are you throwing yourself at him then? Just how big is his cock?”
“I already told you that. It’s big enough. But it’s not because of that. Or what he looks like…”
Danica raised an eyebrow at me and I started chuckling.
“Okay, that has something to do with it,” I said. “But I’ve been with good-looking men before. Rafael is different.”
“Yeah. He’s a billionaire.”
“No. It’s not that. We… have a connection. He’s different from everybody else. I feel so comfortable when I’m around him. He’s so charming. He’s intelligent. It’s like he knows exactly what to say whenever I’m talking to him. And…”
“And what?”
“He’s… I just get him.”
“What?” Danica scoffed again. “What does that mean?”
“I know what makes him tick. I… I can’t explain it.”
I let out a frustrated sigh as I failed to get through to my friend again. I could only imagine what it sounded like. It was
as if my feelings for him were just based on a hunch. It was no better than a crush. But I knew it was more than that. I could just feel it in my body.
“I met someone when I was out there in Hawaii,” I said. “You should have seen him. He was tall, charming, intelligent, handsome, everything you could think of. His body was perfect. He was a doctor.”
“Oh yeah? Did you do anything with him?”
“Almost. But I stopped myself.”
“Then he’s probably not as good-looking as you’re telling me he was.”
“No, Danica. He was. That’s my point. I stopped because of… because of my boss.”
“Yeah, I know. You kissed your boss in front of a bunch of rich people and embarrassed him. You told me that part already.”
“Yeah…”
“So, now what?”
“I don’t know.”
I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. I ran my fingers back through my hair then massaged the back of my neck. It was the weekend and I didn’t have to be back at work until the following Monday. The last thing I needed was to be back in the office and have Rafael avoid me.
But as I searched for a solution to my current dilemma, there was nothing. Having the weekend off only made my situation even more torturous. The clock was ticking. When I stepped into my office the following day, I knew that things would never be the same.
“So, do you want to go out tonight?” Danica asked me.
“Danica, I just told you that I care about this guy.”
“But he’s your boss. You just said that this might be over. He might not even want to talk to you again. It couldn’t hurt to get a head start on searching for the next guy.”
“I appreciate your optimism.”
“I’m just repeating everything you said to me.”
Danica stared at me from across the table. She was the one person I knew I could confide in. Just having her here was more comfort than I could ask for. As she looked at me with that stupid little smirk she always had on her face, I laughed.
“So, does that mean we’re going out tonight?” she asked.
“No,” I said as I shook my head. “I still think I’ve found what I’ve been looking for.”
Chapter 21
I could feel the tension building up inside of my stomach as I prepared for work. It got even worse as I stepped into the elevator. I kept my head down and stared at the floor. I couldn’t make eye-contact with anybody. I didn’t know how fast word would spread but I knew that it would only be a matter of time before people would learn about my embarrassing moment.
There she is. There’s the stupid girl who actually kissed her boss in front of everybody.
I didn’t even get a chance to unpack my things when there was a knock on my office door.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Estelle stepped inside. The redhead was the woman who first interviewed me for the job. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her. At this point, I didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Hello, Alice,” she greeted me. “Do you have a moment?”
“Of course. I just got in. Please, have a seat.”
“I’m fine. This won’t take very long.”
“Okay…”
“I just received a message from Mr. Barnett. He’s having a meeting with the board of directors at the moment. He’s instructed me to tell you that your attendance isn’t mandatory.”
“Not… mandatory? So, I can still go up there if I want to, right?”
“I suppose I did say that. I’ll be frank with you, Alice. Mr. Barnett specifically told me to tell you not to come to the meeting.”
“Did he give a reason?”
“No. But he made it very clear to me. And now I’m making it clear to you.”
“…I understand. Is there anything else?”
“There is, actually. I’ve spoken to Tina and she’s cleared a spot in Mr. Barnett’s schedule for an appointment with you. He wants to speak with you after your shift is over at five.”
“Okay.”
“Until then, just fill out the reports like you’re used to. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on.”
“I do.”
I took a seat at my desk as Estelle turned around to leave my office. But before she did, she paused for a moment. She turned back around and stared at me. I looked up at her and feared what else she was going to say to me.
“By the way, Alice, how was Hawaii?”
“…Great. Just… great.”
“Hmm.”
She smiled at me then excused herself from my office. As soon as the door closed, I let out a deep sigh. I was waiting for this moment. I knew there would be consequences. But I would have to wait until the end of the workday before I would finally get any answers.
I could only imagine what Rafael was going through at this point. A part of me was trying to convince myself that it was business as usual. But I knew that something was wrong. He wouldn’t send Estelle to my office to deliver a message. And there was no indication as to why I was being excused from the meeting. I just assumed that they were talking about me.
I buried my head in my work as best I could. I organized all of the notes and numbers I had taken from all of the presentations at the conference so that I could prepare a report as soon as possible. But my mind was wandering. Never had I been so unfocused. It wasn’t just because of my feelings for Rafael. After being kicked out of the latest board meeting, I began to think that I was about to lose my job.
I jeopardized my career. Because of what? Some feelings that I can’t even explain. I’m such an idiot…
My only consolation was that I was tucked away in my office for the rest of the day. I could wallow in my own shame without having to listen to someone else beat me up.
When the end of the day finally rolled around, I looked out of my office window and waited for everybody to clear out. There was no doubt that the rumors had made it through the entire building now. With everybody filing out for the day, I headed up toward Rafael’s office.
My heels clicked against the marble floor. Every step was like the ticking of a clock. It was the countdown to something ominous. And the timer was approaching zero.
I opened the door then closed it behind me. Rafael wasn’t at his desk like he usually was. The monitors with all of the numbers flying across them were shut off. The stacks of papers on his desk were non-existent. He stood next to his window, his hands behind his back. He stood there like a statue. I couldn’t even tell he was breathing until I moved closer to him.
I stood just in front of his desk and waited for him. His eyes remained locked on the view outside as he began telling me what I didn’t want to hear.
“The board is furious,” he said. “The shareholders are, too. I can’t blame them. They said it was an egregious error in judgment and a massive conflict of interest.”
He turned around but didn’t look at me. Instead, he paced toward his desk with his eyes locked upon the ground.
“Every executive in that room started talking after it happened. I didn’t say anything but the rumors and speculation were all true.
“Mr. Barnett’s kid is fucking one of his board members. He’s hiring a woman and giving her control because her pussy fits tight around his cock. Rafael needs a woman under his desk to suck his dick while he’s negotiating his deals.
“They said it all. It’s spiraling out of control and there’s no way to stop it. I’ve lost the respect of my peers and colleagues.
“Every man sleeps around. When you’re the CEO of a company, you can’t help but feel a little power. But they never get it confused with business. They never make decisions with their cock. And that’s what everybody thinks I did. And that’s what they think I’ll continue to do. They’re questioning everything I ever did. All because I hired an intern… and did something with her I shouldn’t have done.”
Rafael finally looked up at me. I could see the hurt in his eyes and I couldn’t
help but feel the same way. I felt ashamed. I was just as disappointed as he was. And I felt even worse because I had done this to him. It was my fault.
“They’re investigating everything,” he said. “They’re going to look at the spending I’ve put on the company credit card. The outfits I bought you. The dinners I took you out to. The hotel suites I fucked you in. But it isn’t just the money. No, that’s not what they really care about. It all goes back to my error in judgment. I used company funds for my own personal entertainment. I mixed business… with pleasure.”
I swallowed nervously as I listened to all of the details. Every sentence felt like a nail driving through my skin. I knew I made a mistake. I just wanted it to be over.
Rafael collapsed onto his seat and let out a sigh. He tapped his fingers on his desk as he searched for what next to tell me.
“The board of directors spoke to some of the shareholders. Based on their recommendations, they’re suggesting that I’m temporarily relieved of my position while they investigate the funds I’ve been spending. Mr. Martin Green, the man who took over for me while we were in Hawaii, will be conducting the meetings during my indefinite leave.”
Rafael laughed for a second then began shaking his head.
“I don’t even care about the meetings. Those things are tiresome. And I know that Martin won’t go overboard with them. They’ll start to get used to the way he does things. That’s what bothers me most about all this. He might not be better qualified but I know that there’s not a single person who works here that wants this company to succeed more than I do. And now I have to sit on the sidelines. Thankfully, that’s all they can do. I still have majority control. I have enough wealth to get through this. But it will take a long time to rebuild the trust I’ve gained over my career. Some people might not ever take me seriously ever again.”
Rafael propped one of his elbows up on the table then began scratching the back of his head. He loosened his tie and let out another sigh. When he looked back up at me, I could see all of the fatigue on his face. It was only Monday but it looked like he usually did on a Friday after a long workweek.
