letting you go now that your position is no longer necessary. Now, if you
don’t mind, I have a conference call in a few moments.” Mr. Edwards
arched an eyebrow at me expectantly.
“Fine.” I stood up, smoothing my navy pencil skirt over my hips, turning
away. “Prick.”
“Excuse me?” Mr. Edwards rose to his feet, a fist clenched at his side.
“What did you say?”
I lifted my chin. “I said, prick.” I used the same condescending tone he so
often affected. “It’s a derogatory term meaning penis. Meaning, you…are…
a…dick.” I turned away again, and grabbed the doorknob and twisted it.
I was stopped by a hand on my wrist. “Now, now, Miss St. Claire. You
don’t want to go name-calling, do you? I can very easily call your temp
agency and make sure you never work in their pool again.” His fingers
tightened on my wrist, and I felt his breath on my neck. “And…you know,
there may be one way you could keep your job. Possibly even get that
permanent position you mentioned.”
I felt him press up against me, felt the evidence of what he wanted from
me. And, I won’t lie, the thought crossed my mind. Once. Very, very briefly.
I needed this job. I was already two months behind on rent, three months
behind on my electric bill, barely keeping up with my tuition and my
brother’s, plus the ever-mounting costs of caring for Mama. I could do what
this doucheknob wanted, and keep my job. It wouldn’t take long. A few
unpleasant minutes, if that long. He was old, past sixty, I’d guess. Fit
enough for his age, but by no means virile.
But…no matter how desperate I might be, that would never happen. Not
like this. Not with this guy. If he was hot, and I wanted to, maybe. It would
be one thing if this were a kick-ass job that really paid the bills. But it was a
temp job. Hourly, and a shitty hourly rate at that. Barely enough to cover
one bill, much less all the bills I had to pay.
I turned, letting him hold on to my wrist. For the moment. I lifted my
eyes to his, putting on my best poker face. “Yeah? Just like that? That easy,
huh? Suck you off, and you’ll let me keep my job? Let you fuck me over
the desk, and I’ll get the permanent position, too, I bet.”
He missed the dangerous calm in my voice. “Now you’re thinking.” He
licked his lips, lifted a finger to touch the apex of my cleavage—the little of
it that showed in my conservative work outfit. “You’re a very attractive