“You need to know right from the beginning, Lawrence, that we have video evidence as well as statements from multiple employees about your sexual advances on female members of staff working under your supervision.” He swallows hard, opening his mouth to speak. I lift my hand, stopping him before he can make excuses for himself. His mouth snaps shut, and he glares at me. I couldn’t care less if I’ve angered him.
“Here’s how things are going to go. If you wish to stay in the employ of Mr. Cerelli, you may. For now,” Xavier makes a noise, but I don’t look at him. I recognize a laugh quickly disguised as a cough.
“But,” I continue, pretending that there had been no lapse, “you will no longer be supervising female employees without being supervised yourself. In addition, there will be zero tolerance for any attempts at retaliation against anyone who may have spoken out about what they have experienced at your hands.”
He sputters, wanting to argue but knowing better than to push his luck. He knows the gig is up and he’s lucky he isn’t being fired on the spot.
Across the desk from us Xavier reclines slightly in his chair. “The only acceptable answer right now Lawrence,” he says sternly, “Is ‘of course, Mr. Stone,’ unless you would prefer to tender your resignation...”
Lawrence shifts uncomfortably in his chair, his face twisted with distaste as he looks from Xavier to me and back. He doesn’t like his choices. I don’t either. There should be no choice. He should be escorted to his car and banned from the premises.
“Of course, Mr. Stone. Mr. Cerelli.” He finally grinds out between clenched teeth. There is not a doubt in my mind that we will have further problems with this guy. Only time will tell what kind they will be. I look at X, his eyes are suspiciously devoid of emotion. A muscle in his jaw flexes, the only outward sign of his feelings about the situation.
“You are excused, Lawrence. Tina will be available to assist when you have business to conduct with any of the female employees.” X bites out the words in a clipped tone that doesn’t invite any further discussion. Fortunately, the reprimanded man doesn’t have to be told twice and he rises to his feet and hurries from the room, slamming the door behind him with more force than necessary.
“That went well.” I say, my voice serious. I was expecting something… more.
“Could have been worse.” X agrees, turning his chair and stepping out from behind his desk.
“Yeah,” I shrug. If I could somehow go back and get Ellie out of here without being seen I would do it in a heartbeat. I can’t shake the feeling that we haven’t seen the end of Lawrence’s bad behavior, and a bully pushed into a corner is bound to lash out at someone weaker than himself. “I’m going to go check on Ellie.” I need to make sure that she’s all right after her brief encounter with Lawrence in the hall.
“Good idea,” he replies. “I’m going to check on Ana and then go down to the café and make sure that he knows that we’re keeping an eye on him. It’ll be good for the ladies to know that we’re watching and that Tina is available as well.”
I couldn’t agree more. We ride the elevator downstairs in companionable silence and go our separate ways when the doors glide open. I should stop in and advise the security team to keep an eye on Lawrence until we are sure he isn’t going to try to retaliate against anyone. I also think it is a good idea to make sure that the girls we’ve interviewed over the last few days don’t walk to their vehicles alone at the end of their shifts. Geno and Xavier’s buddy Grayson can help arrange that. I don’t trust the guy. He’s going to want to get even and it’s weighing heavily on my mind that Ellie is the only one he can reasonably blame for being reprimanded and losing his position of authority. She’s the only one that he saw for himself leaving X’s office.
Lawrence’s blustering voice is the first thing I hear as I walk past the café. He isn’t propositioning anyone this time, but he is in full bully mode, snapping orders and yelling at everyone in the kitchen. Grinning at the pink-cheeked hostess hovering nervously at her podium, I stride through the café and lean against the wall just inside the kitchen door. Several pairs of eyes dart from Lawrence to me and then back.
“Everything okay in here?” I raise my voice over his so everyone can hear me. The shouting stops immediately, and the irate man rotates to face me.
“Everything is fine here, Stone. Your assistance is not required or wanted,” he bristles at my presence. I can’t help it—I smile.
“I could hear you hollering from the hall,” I explain, struggling not to laugh at his lame attempt to dismiss me. I’m not easily dismissed. “If I could hear you, patrons could too, and I don’t think that is good for business. Yeah?” My less than subtle reminder causes his cheeks to flush with impotent anger.
“Yes, of course. It won’t happen again,” he spits. Behind me, someone snickers, but I don’t acknowledge the sound.
“See that it doesn’t,” I reply, allowing my lips to curl up in a satisfied smile that I know he can see, as I turn to leave.
“Mother fucker,” I hear him mutter behind me. My temper flares. It pisses me off that he would be blaming me for his own bad behavior catching up with him.
Glancing back, I keep my voice cool and professional, “What was that, Larry?”
“Nothing,” he bites, grinding his back teeth in agitation. Nothing could make me happier than the visible display of his frustration. I know that it’s petty of me, but damn, this guy is such a jerk that I can’t help the satisfaction seeing him squirm is giving me. Especially when I recall the shame and the tears on Ellie’s face. Fuck him! Forget what he did to the others, the fact that he chose my girl to abuse is enough reason for me to find every way I can to make him miserable until he either resigns or succeeds in getting himself fired.
I nod, pretending to believe him, even though we both know I heard what he said, and stride back through the dining room. There is a small group of waitresses listening just out of sight, bright smiles on their faces. A couple of them mouth thank you as I pass them, and I lift my chin recognizing their gratitude, but I don’t stop to chat. I need to find Ellie and make sure that she knows not to leave the building without me escorting her to the bus stop. Better yet, without me driving her home. No more bus.
Chapter Fourteen
Ellie
I cashed my check at the cashier's booth and it’s already burning a hole in my pocket. I’m waiting in the lobby for Blake, just like he asked…umm… told me to. I didn’t want to argue when he tracked me down and offered to walk me out at the end of my shift. I know he’s concerned that Lawrence may decide to mess with me or one of the other girls since he knows that he won’t be getting away with hitting on us anymore. I don’t think a chaperone to the bus stop just outside the doors is necessary, but if it makes him feel better… who am I to argue?
Besides, you won’t hear me complaining about spending a few extra minutes with Blake. He’s always so sweet to me and if I’m being honest, having his attention focused on me makes me feel special. I can’t help it. He’s the handsomest man I’ve ever laid eyes on, and then as if his perfect face wasn’t enough, he’s got that body to go along with it. Tall, but not gigantic, with amazingly wide shoulders that narrow into a lean waist and hips. Heavily muscled thighs. I don’t know what it is about a man with big, strong legs, but they are my weakness. Some women are all about the arm-porn or whatever; give me a pair of thick legs topped with a tight round butt, and I’m toast. Blake has both, and even though I know I shouldn’t be looking, I am every chance I get.
Just thinking about him makes my entire body flush with heat. Tugging at the collar of my dress I look around, shifting impatiently. I need to go before I miss the bus. Already I’m cutting it so close that there is no way that Lawrence could stop me before I have to get on it anyway. If he tried to approach me I would just ignore him and get on the bus. I step through the doors into the late afternoon sunlight squinting toward the bus stop.
“I asked you to wait inside.” Blake
’s voice rumbles in front of me, startling me a bit. I wasn’t expecting him out here.
“I’m going to miss my bus,” I hurry to explain, not wanting him to think I was ignoring his request for no reason. It’s already rumbling to a stop and letting passengers off.
“Not taking the bus today,” he says softly, gently wrapping his big, blunt-tipped fingers around my wrist to keep me from rushing off. “Let me give you a ride home.”
I shouldn’t, I don’t know him well enough, but I want to accept. I half-heartedly attempt to pull away from the gentle shackle of his grip. “I have errands to run before I go home.” I tug against his hold again, more firmly this time. “I’m going to miss the bus.”
Too late, I just did. Heaving an annoyed sigh, I turn and look at him. I guess I can afford to get a cab this one time. I glance around, looking for one stopped nearby. I’m sure that he can see my frustration, but he just smiles, happy to be getting his way. I know that I shouldn’t accept a ride from him. I barely know him, but for some reason I trust him implicitly. I know he’ll take me where I need to go and will get me home safely. For some reason I have all the confidence in the world.
Giving in gracefully I bestow him a small smile and reach into my purse for my phone to let my mom know that I’m catching a ride with someone from work and will be home after I stop at Wal-Mart. The way he returns my smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners, makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
“I needed to go to Wal-Mart. Do you mind?” I ask.
“No, that’s fine. I’m parked right over there,” he points to a black SUV waiting near the valet station. His hand stays curled around my arm the whole time, keeping me so close that his warm masculine smell envelopes me and his arm brushes against my shoulder. Surreptitiously I inhale, drawing into my lungs the same aroma that made me want to crawl into his bed. I could seriously get addicted to his smell. Is that weird? I think it probably is, but as he helps me into the vehicle I breathe deeply again. I guess I don’t care if it’s weird after all.
I don’t know why I thought being alone with Blake in the car would feel awkward, but it didn’t. Not even a little bit. He didn’t even laugh when I was a little in awe of the luxurious interior, fancy stereo and all the gadgets! What can I say? I’ve never been in a car with heated and cooled seats and satellite radio. I did catch him glancing at me, an amused smile flirting with the corners of his kissable lips more than once, but I didn’t mind. I never felt for even a moment that he was laughing at me.
I don’t even mind him taking the cart from me as we walk around the Super Wal-Mart. He doesn’t say a word about me keeping track of how much I’m spending with the calculator on my phone as I load up on necessities like diapers and wipes before adding a glitter lip gloss set for Lizzie and new building blocks for Auggie. We never have extra money, so I’m almost skipping around the aisles beside him while looking at everything. I know it’s just Wal-Mart, but right now I feel like the richest person in the world! Even if I have to be careful that I don’t spend more than what I allotted myself for this shopping spree.
Passing the clothing aisle on our way to the groceries I pause in front of a display of graphic t-shirts. Lizzie started wearing her old ones when we brought her home and I grab the brightest, most obnoxious one on the rack. She will love it!
Chuckling and shaking his head, Blake asks, “Is that for you, angel?”
With a happy smile I drop the soft cotton shirt in the cart, “Nope,” I can’t help popping the P like my sister does sometimes. “It’s for my sister, Lizzie. She’s crazy about them.”
“She lives with you, right?” he asks, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s heard any of the gossip about my family. I know he’s only been here for a few days, but he seems to make the rounds and has been talking to everyone. It’s not like it’s a big secret or anything, it’s just something that I prefer that people hear from me. When I’m ready to share. When they hear it from someone else things inevitably get made into something that they aren’t.
“She does,” I tell him hesitantly.
Indicating the childish tee, he probes further, “Is she a lot younger than you?”
Again, I shake my head, biting my lip. “She’s my twin.” I tell him with a shy smile.
“No shit? There’s two of you?” my skin tingles in response as his eyes rake down my body, seeming to linger on my breasts and the soft swell of my hips longer than is proper.
“We’re fraternal twins, so we look a lot alike, but we’re not identical. Liz favors our dad, while I look more like Mama,” I tell him with a small giggle, letting my own eyes rove over his tall frame the same way he just checked me out.
He winks, knowing what I’m up to, and a flood of heat races up my neck. What on earth did I do that for? OMG! I’m such a dork! I have no idea how to flirt. Not with anyone, but especially not with a guy who looks like he could model expensive underwear if he wanted to. He could model naked if he wanted to! Oh my heck! My entire body lights up at the thought of Blake naked and I clamp my thighs together to quell the sudden ache at the apex of them.
Pressing my lips together tightly to remind myself to shut up, I keep my eyes on the toes of his shoes and turn toward the produce aisle. Low, rumbling laughter wraps around me from behind, making me smile even though I’m embarrassed that he saw me gobbling him up like eye candy. Ugh! L.A.M.E. that’s me! I bet even Lizzie could have checked him out without being as obvious as me, and she is trapped in the mind of her teenage self!
I stop in front of a display of tomatoes and avocados. Guacamole and chips! We haven’t made it in ages! Distracted from my feelings of gracelessness I start gathering up the essential ingredients, we have onions and spices at home, so there isn’t much.
“Chips!” I mutter, more to myself than to Blake.
“Making guac?” his words sound hopeful, drawing my gaze to his. The wistfulness in his voice wiggles into my brain, and my heart, making me want to share the treat.
“Wanna have some with us?” I offer. It’s not like Mom will mind having a handsome man around the house; neither will Lizzie. It will be something new for Auggie though, someone coming to visit our house. It’s been a long time since anyone has dropped by. Lizzie’s friends don’t know how to handle her altered state of mind, and since they were my friends too, they left me behind when they ditched her.
“You want to feed me?” his voice is full of amazement and I can’t help but wonder how long it’s been since he’s had an impromptu invitation to share a meal with someone’s family. I nod, slipping my hand in my pocket and withdrawing my phone. I’ll need to send Mama a text and let her know that we’ll have company.
Bringing a friend from work home for dinner.
Her reply is almost immediate.
Embracing Ellie: K&S Securities Series Page 8
