Construction. Renee speaking."
"This is Jane Thibodeaux. I need to speak to my husband, please." The voice on the other end of the line was breathy and held not a trace of Louisiana accent. Renee knew she was talking to East Coast upper crust.
Renee forced good cheer into her voice. "Just one moment please, Mrs. Thibodeaux. I'll get him for you."
She looked back at her boss, standing quietly watching her with displeasure on his face. She cleared her throat and looked away. "Your wife needs to speak to you." She lifted the phone in his direction.
His face darkened with irritation. He crossed his arms over his chest and made no move to pick up the phone. "My ex-wife. I'm not married. I haven't been married for five years." The words were both accusing and menacing.
Renee suddenly heard a roaring sound in her ears and she started to shake. Both relief and distress consumed her.
She slowly lifted her eyes back to his and was immediately caught by the impact of his stare. She sucked in a breath. His eyes held hers. One second, two seconds, three seconds, four--
She lowered her lashes as tension continued to grip her.
There would be repercussions for this knowledge.
The phone was taken from her hand. Renee felt mild hysteria clawing its way up her throat. She leaned against the supply cabinet.
Robert's deep voice intruded into the maelstrom of emotions rushing through her. "What do you want, Jane?" His voice was sharp, punctuated with impatience. His eyes were still on Renee, moving slowing up and down her length. "You'll get the damn check on the first of the month, and not a day before. You have a problem with that, call your lawyer." He ended the call.
Robert turned his full attention back to his new secretary. She was standing still in front of the storage cabinet and looked like she might snap in two. "You thought I was married." It was a statement. "Why?"
Renee was dismayed to be feeling so much confusion. Her nerves were stretched to the breaking point. She tried to form an answer. "When you hired me, Mrs. Argenot said--"
He cut her off. "Let's get one thing straight. I didn't hire you. Mrs. Argenot hired you."
Renee watched him with trepidation. What did he mean by that? Why the distinction? "O-Okay. When sh-she hired me, she explained about your phone calls. Which ones are urgent, and which are n-not." She finished in a rush. "She said you always wanted to know when Mrs. Thibodeaux called."
"Yeah. I like to stay one step ahead of the greedy bitch." As Robert answered, a flash of understanding came to him.
The way Renee had treated him Friday night when he ran into her at the Ninth Street Wine Grotto. The encounter had struck a nerve. He had consumed one too many, and the fierce restraint he always imposed in her presence had slipped a notch.
He remembered feeling a stroke of luck at finding her alone in the bar where she was waiting for her friends to show up. The silkiness of her hair when he reached out and stroked it. The distress on her face when he bought her a drink.
And the accusation in her eyes just before she jumped up and ran from him. Like he was lower than slime. A despicable human being. Like he wanted to have a ménage with her mother. Or make her watch him masturbate in the men's room. Or like he was… married .
Shit.
Two things were clear to him. She couldn't continue to work for him, and he had to have sex with her. In that order.
He had to run her off. Make her leave his employ. And when that was accomplished, she would become the starring attraction in his bed.
He considered the ways he could reach his goal. The situation could blow up into a major catastrophe if he wasn't careful. He could simply terminate her employment. She still had about eight more weeks of her ninety day probation period. He could just tell her it wasn't working out and that would be that. He had that right as her
"This is Jane Thibodeaux. I need to speak to my husband, please." The voice on the other end of the line was breathy and held not a trace of Louisiana accent. Renee knew she was talking to East Coast upper crust.
Renee forced good cheer into her voice. "Just one moment please, Mrs. Thibodeaux. I'll get him for you."
She looked back at her boss, standing quietly watching her with displeasure on his face. She cleared her throat and looked away. "Your wife needs to speak to you." She lifted the phone in his direction.
His face darkened with irritation. He crossed his arms over his chest and made no move to pick up the phone. "My ex-wife. I'm not married. I haven't been married for five years." The words were both accusing and menacing.
Renee suddenly heard a roaring sound in her ears and she started to shake. Both relief and distress consumed her.
She slowly lifted her eyes back to his and was immediately caught by the impact of his stare. She sucked in a breath. His eyes held hers. One second, two seconds, three seconds, four--
She lowered her lashes as tension continued to grip her.
There would be repercussions for this knowledge.
The phone was taken from her hand. Renee felt mild hysteria clawing its way up her throat. She leaned against the supply cabinet.
Robert's deep voice intruded into the maelstrom of emotions rushing through her. "What do you want, Jane?" His voice was sharp, punctuated with impatience. His eyes were still on Renee, moving slowing up and down her length. "You'll get the damn check on the first of the month, and not a day before. You have a problem with that, call your lawyer." He ended the call.
Robert turned his full attention back to his new secretary. She was standing still in front of the storage cabinet and looked like she might snap in two. "You thought I was married." It was a statement. "Why?"
Renee was dismayed to be feeling so much confusion. Her nerves were stretched to the breaking point. She tried to form an answer. "When you hired me, Mrs. Argenot said--"
He cut her off. "Let's get one thing straight. I didn't hire you. Mrs. Argenot hired you."
Renee watched him with trepidation. What did he mean by that? Why the distinction? "O-Okay. When sh-she hired me, she explained about your phone calls. Which ones are urgent, and which are n-not." She finished in a rush. "She said you always wanted to know when Mrs. Thibodeaux called."
"Yeah. I like to stay one step ahead of the greedy bitch." As Robert answered, a flash of understanding came to him.
The way Renee had treated him Friday night when he ran into her at the Ninth Street Wine Grotto. The encounter had struck a nerve. He had consumed one too many, and the fierce restraint he always imposed in her presence had slipped a notch.
He remembered feeling a stroke of luck at finding her alone in the bar where she was waiting for her friends to show up. The silkiness of her hair when he reached out and stroked it. The distress on her face when he bought her a drink.
And the accusation in her eyes just before she jumped up and ran from him. Like he was lower than slime. A despicable human being. Like he wanted to have a ménage with her mother. Or make her watch him masturbate in the men's room. Or like he was… married .
Shit.
Two things were clear to him. She couldn't continue to work for him, and he had to have sex with her. In that order.
He had to run her off. Make her leave his employ. And when that was accomplished, she would become the starring attraction in his bed.
He considered the ways he could reach his goal. The situation could blow up into a major catastrophe if he wasn't careful. He could simply terminate her employment. She still had about eight more weeks of her ninety day probation period. He could just tell her it wasn't working out and that would be that. He had that right as her
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