Tragedy and Desire: An Adult Romance

by Locker, Nicole R.

  Confused, I took the hangers from her, but began to protest. “I don’t understand.” I shook my head and tried to hand it back to her. “Thank you, but I can’t accept this.”

  She began backing away, her hands up defensively, and nodded. “I’m just the messenger. Have a nice day, Miss.” At that, the girl turned and left the way she had come.

  What in the world, I thought, as I eyed the garment bag and the tray of food. It was the same meal I had ordered for myself, a cup of soup and a half sandwich. It had to be from the stranger I had run into, again.

  Apparently he was associated with Maddox Industries somehow, since the girl had said these were compliments of them.

  I took another glance at the garment bag in my hands, then down at my stained clothing. I didn’t feel comfortable accepting this, but I couldn’t very well walk around for the second day in a row at my brand new job wearing clothing with huge stains all over them.

  I went back into the restroom and slowly unzipped the garment bag. I was horrified to see the designer outfit with a hefty price tag inside. Wow! How was I going to repay this? I would never be able to work enough hours to afford these clothes.

  Conflicted, I weighed the options I had at that moment. Wear the clothes, if they even fit me, or continue wearing my dirty, stained clothing. The memory of Lisette’s malicious laugh as she passed by me from the elevator made the decision easier, and I begrudgingly pulled the outfit from the bag to put them on.

  They fit perfectly.

  I would have to dip into the trust fund money to be able to afford to pay back whoever had so generously footed the bill. It made me uncomfortable, but at the same time I was grateful to have a fresh, clean set of clothing to wear for the rest of the day. I’d have to put my feelings aside this once, I reasoned, as much as I didn’t like it.

  I rushed back to my desk to try to finish the documents for Mr. Vandergild, and had to explain when he returned that, once again, they weren’t quite ready yet. To my shame and mortification, I could tell he wasn’t happy with the delay. It didn’t escape Lisette’s notice, either, who happened to be back at her desk by then. She snorted a laugh, glaring in my direction after Vandergild walked into his office.

  I was able to keep my head down and stayed busy for the rest of the day, effectively avoiding any gibes from Lisette. I sat in on the O’Malley-Gallagher meeting and took notes.

  Once I got home that evening, Jada met me at the apartment building entrance and we rode the elevator up together.

  “Nice outfit, Perly-Girly,” she commented as she pulled at the back of my collar to get a look at the designer tag. “When did you get it?”

  I swatted her away. “It’s a long story,” I answered.

  “I’ve got time,” she said. The elevator arrived at our floor and we strolled out and into our apartment.

  “I had another mishap today and my lunch ended up all over me,” I told her as we went through turning lights on and heading into the kitchen to start on dinner.

  I gave Jada a play-by-play of the events as they occurred, from the handsome stranger, to Lisette’s evil laugh, to the courier who delivered the goods.

  Jada seemed intrigued, honing in on the part about the handsome stranger. “Tell me more about this guy. What’s he like? Maybe you could go out with him sometime,” Jada suggested from the stove where she browned some ground turkey meat with chopped onions for tacos.

  I gave a silent, internal groan as I shredded the lettuce, standing beside her at the counter. “He’s not really my type.” I shrugged.

  “Maybe, but he could be fun while you wait on your type to come around,” she suggested, elbowing me in the side.

  “You’re just a hopeless romantic, Jada-Lou,” I teased.

  “When are you going to get back out there? It’s been months since Gr-, since you’ve dated anyone.” Jada caught herself before she said Grayson’s name. “Don’t you want to be swept off your feet by somebody who sets your panties on fire?”

  We both laughed.

  “I do,” I admitted. “And I will, soon, just not this guy. Maybe with someone a little more down-to-earth.”

  Jada drained the taco meat and added the seasoning while I grabbed the shredded cheese out of the refrigerator.

  “How do you know this guy isn’t down-to-earth?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’m judging the book by its cover. But I do know he’s probably filthy rich. I just don’t want to get wrapped up in that world.”

  She nodded in understanding, and finally changed the subject as we sat down to eat our dinner. I asked her about the various guys she was seeing at the moment, none of them being serious. Jada was still in the college-dating mindset, being in her final year of school.

  Before we finished eating, she asked me about Lisette. “What’s that girl’s problem, anyway? Do I need to come defend you, sis?” she joked as she pounded one fist into her other hand in a mock threat.

  I laughed. “No, I think I can handle her. Right now I’m the newbie. I need to establish myself as a credible and trustworthy employee before I start making waves. For now, I’ll just have to tough it out.”

  “I say you get some dirt on her. Find out why she was demoted or something. Then you can use it as leverage to put her in her place,” Jada suggested.

  “Remind me never to get on your bad side,” I teased as we began clearing the table and cleaning up the kitchen.

  It wasn’t a bad idea, I thought. Maybe I would try to find out why Lisette was demoted. If she was set on establishing herself as my enemy, it was only appropriate that I know my opponent.

  After dinner, we sat on the sofa in our pajamas watching comedy sitcoms on local television, and Jada told me about her day during the commercial breaks.

  At around a quarter past eight o’clock, my cell phone rang and I answered with a smile.

  “Hi, Uncle Dante. To what do we owe the pleasure?” I put him on speakerphone so that Jada and I could both hear the conversation after muting the television.

  “I was calling to check in on my beautiful nieces. How do you like your new job so far, Perla?” he asked.

  “It’s great,” I told him. “The people there have been very nice and welcoming so far.” Some more than others, I thought. “I think it’ll be a great job overall. Definitely worth the change,” I added, thinking of the drama and grief I had left behind.

  “Jada, did the new software come in today I’ve been waiting on?” asked Uncle Dante. Jada was working a paid internship at his Information Technology Company, Orion Technologies, since she was nearing the end of her business degree in the coming year.

  “Not yet. I expect it to be here before the week is out, but maybe not until Thursday or Friday,” Jada answered.

  “Girls, while I have you both on the phone, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be attending a charity dinner this Friday evening and I’d like for you both to attend with me,” he told us. “I’m sorry for the late notice, but I had expected to be out of town, and I had to postpone my trip.”

  Jada and I looked at each other, neither of us seeming to have any conflict in scheduling for that night, so we agreed to be ready by seven. He would pick us up in his town car.

  We said our goodbyes and let Uncle Dante go. At that, we set off to bed where I began plotting how I would get dirt on Lisette without drawing any unwanted attention to myself. The last thing I needed was for my plan to backfire and get me canned.

  THREE

  Indecent Proposal

  I arrived to work with a renewed excitement Wednesday morning. I was getting better at learning the duties of my job, feeling more confident in my new role, and I had a plan to hopefully disarm Lisette and her bullying tactics.

  When I got to my work desk, my attention was drawn to a single red rose lying across the keyboard of my computer. It was wrapped in brown paper with a red ribbon tied around it to hold the wrapping in place.

  Lifting the beautiful, yet simple, flower to my n
ose, I inhaled the sweet scent and looked for a card. Pleased, I assumed it was a welcome gift from my new coworkers here in the law firm office.

  The card read:

  Miss Fae,

  Pleasure to keep running into you. I hope to do it again soon.

  J.M.

  There was a Maddox Industries logo on the card, and I wondered if there was a floral shop somewhere in the vast building. I wouldn’t be surprised, although I couldn’t imagine there being some random floral shop on any floor but the ground level, and I didn’t recall seeing anything of the sort in my limited explorations of the building so far.

  Furthermore, who was J.M.? I hadn’t the slightest clue. Maybe it was Jerry, the legal assistant for Mr. Fitzgerald, though I didn’t recall ever getting his last name.

  A faint memory teased the edges of my mind, but was quickly chased away by the sound of the elevator doors opening. Amelie came breezing out, a big, cheerful smile on her face as she greeted me hello.

  I sat the rose off to the side and quickly forgot about it as I joined Amelie, happy that she was back today and feeling better. We walked into the lounge area where she poured herself some coffee and I some Earl Grey tea.

  Amelie mentioned a stage play production that she was planning to attend next Tuesday evening and asked if I wanted to go with her. Excited, I agreed to go, since I loved the theatre and was always down for a stage play.

  It was another busy morning, as Vandergild had another long list of tasks he needed from me today. I set to work, feeling confident in my output as well as the pace that I was getting it done at.

  About mid-morning, a note was delivered to my desk through an inter-office mail courier in a small, sealed envelope. Curious, I opened it to see what it said.

  It was a typed note on plain, white paper.

  Ms. Fae, Your presence is requested in the office of Maddox Industries on the 52nd floor during your lunch hour today. Respectfully, Norma Johnson

  I had no idea who Norma was or what business I would have with anyone at Maddox Industries. I thought back to the handsome stranger who I had guessed worked there in some capacity, since he had bumped into me, and subsequently a clean set of clothing and tray of food had shown up for me, courtesy of Maddox Industries. Maybe they needed to arrange for repayment.

  “Only one way to find out,” I answered aloud to myself as I tucked the note in my desk drawer.

  When lunch time rolled around, I checked the clock before standing to leave my desk. I grabbed a notepad and pen, just in case, and headed up to the top floor.

  Once I arrived, my nerves hit me as I walked out of the elevator and up to the reception desk, the front of which held a large, ornate plaque that read Maddox Industries.

  “Hello. Perla Fae reporting as requested.” I wasn’t sure how formal I needed to be, so I erred on the side of caution as I announced myself.

  The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with a pristine appearance, looked up at me and a sort of recognition lit her face. “Yes, Miss Fae. Let me notify Mr. Maddox you have arrived.”

  Norma, as the name on her desk plate read, pressed a button on her phone, and indicated to the person who picked up the other end that I was there to see him. So this was Norma Johnson, I thought.

  “Have her sign the form, and send her in,” I heard a deep, masculine voice reply.

  Norma nodded in understanding as she released the phone line. She turned in her chair to open the drawer of a filing cabinet beside her before pulling out a piece of paper that she sat on the desk between us.

  “I’ll ask that you sign this form prior to your meeting with Mr. Maddox.”

  I scanned the form to see what it was. A Non-Disclosure Agreement?

  “What is this about?” I asked.

  “It’s standard procedure in Mr. Maddox’s dealings. I’m sure you understand,” she explained with a nonchalant shrug.

  Unsure of what business I could possibly have with Mr. Maddox other than repayment for the clothes, I knew that I had no intention of leaking any trade secrets I might learn from him at this juncture. I willingly signed the form and pushed it back across the desk to Norma.

  Once she filed it away, she stood and raised her hand out to indicate the direction she wanted me to walk. “Right this way, dear.”

  I followed all the way to a closed office door, and hoped that Norma would walk inside with me, but instead, she ushered me to go inside alone. I reached for the knob and reluctantly pushed my way into the room, peeking my head in first before entering the large office. My eyes widened at the first thing I noticed, which was the amazing view of the Dallas skyline, from where I stood in the doorway. There was no chance of missing that view with the floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched the entirety of two sides of the room.

  “I see you enjoy my view, Miss Fae. I must admit, I’m enjoying mine now, as well.” The deep, masculine voice suddenly materialized, and I couldn’t believe who I saw.

  My heart began racing as the adrenaline sprinted through my veins at lightning speed. Recognition filled me and rendered me speechless as my mouth gaped open in disbelief. It was him! The handsome stranger I had literally kept running into.

  “I haven’t had the opportunity to properly introduce myself. I’m Jax Maddox. May I offer you a drink, Miss Fae?” Jax began closing the distance between us, a mischievous grin gracing his perfect features. Leave it to me to be the one to run head-first into the owner of the building, not to mention half of the real estate in Dallas. Not just once, but twice, I thought. Just my luck.

  “N-No, thank you,” I stammered, unable to hide my uncertainty of the situation. Jax Maddox, ruler of the Maddox Empire. Just as I had suspected, he was, in fact, filthy-freaking-rich. He had to be kidding me.

  “Did you receive my gift?” he asked, now close enough to reach out and touch me, although his hands stayed, for the moment, comfortably at his sides.

  He appeared so relaxed in contrast to the tension paralyzing my entire body. I thought I might break into pieces if I tried to move.

  “Yes, I did, sir. Thank you. I fully intend to pay you back for the outfit,” I replied with gratitude.

  He nodded. “Ah, yes, the clothes. I do hope my assistant picked out something that agreed with you, though the notion of paying me back is not something I’m willing to entertain. I was actually referring to the rose.”

  The realization hit me right at that moment, my face likely turning ten shades of red. The rose! J.M. was Jax Maddox.

  “Please, sit.” Jax gestured to a decorative, upholstered sofa that sat in the middle of the room. Just behind it stood a long, slender table that held a decanter of amber liquid next to a row of clear tumbler glasses.

  I did as I was told, still unsure of what this was about and still clutching the pad of paper and pen in my hand. Jax sat beside me several inches away, facing me and draping his left arm across the back of the sofa. It looked to be a sort of posturing to assert his dominance by taking up as much space as possible.

  “Is there something I can be of service to you with, sir?” I asked, hoping to get to the point and solve the mystery of why I was here, if not to repay him for the clothing. I still intended to do so, regardless of his willingness to entertain the idea or not.

  “Of service…” The corner of one side of his mouth upturned in a suggestive half-smile as he continued to watch me. “That has a nice ring to it, I must say.”

  Was this man coming on to me? His proximity to me was causing an involuntary spike in my heart rate once again, and I was beginning to build up anger toward myself for allowing him to have such a compelling effect on me.

  He moved closer and continued. “I find you to be a most appealing woman, Miss Fae. I’d like to make a proposition to you.”

  “A proposition, sir?” He was definitely coming on to me, I realized.

  “Yes. A proposition. You see, I would very much like to fuck you, Miss Fae.” The abrupt words sent a jolt through me and my traitorous body reacted invol
untarily. I began to feel a pressure growing between my legs, despite my brain telling me how utterly inappropriate this was.

  Damn me and my dry spell.

  “Excuse me?” I blinked in disbelief. Surely I misheard.

  “I’m a man of certain tastes,” he began. “You got my attention when you bumped into me Monday evening. From that moment, I knew I had to have you. You’re a very beautiful woman.” He stared me down without even a hint of humor.

  I sat speechless and dumbfounded, still unable to believe I had just heard him say what I thought he said. The seconds ticked by until he spoke again.

  “I assure you, it will be a pleasurable exchange, should you choose to accept.” He lifted his hand and placed it on my knee where the bottom of my skirt met the bare skin of my leg. The warmth of his touch sent shocks through me, straight to my loins.

  His hand began to wander seductively up my thigh, bringing my dark gray pencil skirt up with it, and I could feel my core tighten in anticipation. Angry with myself that a part of me was enjoying all of this entirely too much, and wanting him to keep going at the same time I wanted him to take his perverse hands off me, I mustered up the will to protest, albeit somewhat unconvincingly.

  “While I, um, appreciate the offer, Mr. Maddox, I’m afraid I must decline. Now if you would please excuse me, I really need to get back to work.” I stood straightening my skirt and turned toward the door to leave. Most of me was repulsed by such crass behavior.

  What a stupid move for a man who had the brains to effectively run an empire. Was he looking for a sexual harassment lawsuit? What kind of man did or said things like that to a woman he didn’t even know? Especially a woman who worked for an attorney’s office; granted, they only practiced family-law, but still.

  A man who always gets what he wants and has never experienced rejection a day in his life. My brain answered its own question. Not to mention, I had signed a NDA on my way in.