I hate that she feels this way and maybe in a way, what she says is true. If I hadn’t signed my deal with the Hastings and fucked Grayson, I wouldn’t even be here. Maybe Garfield wouldn’t have taken a shine to me if his son wasn’t interested in me. It’s hard to say.
“What? All of a sudden you have nothing to say?”
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you, Nancy.”
“She shouldn’t have to tell you anything,” a voice booms behind us, and I look behind her to see Grayson standing there with a scowl on his face.
“Mr. Hastings, I didn’t know you were there,” she replies hesitantly. I don’t blame her. McHottie is pretty scary when he’s mad and he looks pissed.
“I’m sure you didn’t or you wouldn’t have a need to say such horrible things. What did I tell you the last time would happen if I caught you saying hateful lies about Jade and myself?”
With trembling lips, she answers, “You’d fire me.”
“Exactly, so me telling you to pack up your stuff should come as no surprise.”
“No,” I say, wondering what the hell I’m doing. This woman has done nothing but torment me since I got here, am I really trying to save her job?
“No?” Both Nancy and McHottie repeat.
“It’s not her fault. This time, I’m the one who provoked her.”
“I was here the whole time, Jade. I know what happened,” McHottie says, nonplussed.
“Then you should know I was the one who came to her desk asking questions. You can’t fire her just because she said what she feels. I get it, I’m an intruder, and in her eyes, I haven’t earned my spot here. I’m not saying what she’s been doing is okay, but I understand it.”
“Jade, I need to see you in my office, now! Nancy, I’ll give you my decision before the end of the work day.” With that, he saunters off and I have no choice but to follow him. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.
As soon as I walk in his office, he waves his hand for me to take a seat. I do so in the leather wingback chair in front of his desk. The one his clients sit in. “Are you going to tell me why you decided to approach Nancy?” He asks.
“I wanted to clear the air and get answers. I wondered why she had so much animosity towards me and let curiosity get the better of me.”
“And did you get your answers?”
“I did.”
“And you believe them?”
“Shouldn’t I? What she said wasn’t exactly untrue. If I didn’t meet you and fuck you, I probably wouldn’t even be working here. If I never started working here, I would have never ran into Tyson or his father. Me opening my legs is what put me on the path I’m on. I’m not slaving in school like Nancy. This place wouldn’t even be on my radar if you didn’t recommend me to work here.”
“Don’t you see? All that doesn’t matter. Was it your intention to fuck me and work here?” he questions.
“No,” I answer.
“Did you even ask me or Nichole for a job here?”
“No, you two were the ones who pushed it on me.”
“Exactly, so stop thinking because I’ve been inside you is the reason why you have the opportunities you now have. They're your blessings. Never let anyone take that away from you.”
Smiling, I say, “You know, you’re pretty good at this. If you get bored of being a lawyer, you can always consider being a life coach.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he teases, giving me a half smile that looks so cute on his usually stoic face.
“What are you going to do about Nancy?”
“What do you want me to do?” he questions, cocking his brow.
“I already told you. You shouldn’t fire her because I wanted the truth.”
He’s silent as he thinks over my request. “What will you give me for giving you what you want?” My eyes widen, my pulse races at the implication of his words. What game is McHottie playing at, and why drag me in when I don’t know the rules? He’s too wishy washy. I may think he’s thinking something and be totally wrong, or I can be right and he changes his mind later. I can’t read him. The look in his eyes is deceiving.
“What do you want?” I finally ask.
Coming from behind his desk, he walks over to me and pulls the chair out with me still sitting in it. Lowering himself to his knees before me, I watch him, astonished, as he pulls my shirt up, uncovering my belly. When he lays his hand on my stomach, palming it, I shiver despite the heat surrounding me. I’m glad I’m wearing a padded bra today or he’d see the hard nubs of my nipples barking for his attention. When his soft lips kiss my tummy, I almost lose my damn mind.
“I want you to go to dinner with me tonight,” he says, looking straight into my eyes.
“You mean with you and Nichole?” I clarify.
“No, just me.” Now I’m even more confused. Since when did McHottie want a ‘him and I’?
“I don’t think that’ll be a good idea,” I tell him.
“Why not?” he asks, genuinely curious.
“You know why. I’ve done my job. As soon as I push this kid out, our business will be done. There’s no need for any more hanky panky, and besides, I just got Tyson back. He’ll flip out if I go out to dinner alone with you.”
“Jade, it’s not like that I swear. Do I miss fucking you? Yes. If things were different and I weren’t married, I wouldn’t think twice about pulling this tight top off and sliding my dick between your tits, but I won’t betray my wife. It’s just a meal, nothing more. If you’re worried about Tyson, I’ll tell him.”
“Okay, I’ll go, but only if Tyson agrees,” I tell him once my pervy mind stops picturing the image he planted of his dick sliding in between my tits.
“Fair enough. I’ll let you know what he says.” Like it pains him to get up, he rises and goes back to his desk. When I feel like I can stand without falling over, I leave him to his work. When I pass Nany’s desk, she doesn’t glare at me like she usually would.
When I get back to my desk, Tyson is there waiting for me. “Hey, jewel, where have you been?”
“In Grayson’s office,” I answer honestly.
“Why?” he questions, stretching the word out.
“He overheard my conversation with Nancy and he was going to fire her and I told him not to.”
“Whoa, hold up, start from the beginning because I’m lost.”
When I’m done telling him everything, he practically yells, “Does that cocky asshole seriously think I’m allowing you to go to dinner alone with him?”
“Keep your voice down will you, and he seemed confident you will.”
“Well, allow me to go set him straight.” Judging by the look on his face, going to McHottie’s office is the last thing he should be doing.
“Be nice,” I say, grabbing his arm before he stalks off.
“Excuse me?” he retorts.
“Be nice. For the first time, we’re not all at each other’s throats. I swear this place has been too much of a war zone lately. If you don’t want me to go to dinner with him, then tell him nicely and not all douchey like I know you’re planning."