“You can’t blame yourself. It sounds like he’s the one
hurting her, not you.”
Dallon’s eyes flashed and he stood, pushing me off him.
“You don’t get it, do you? I am a bad person, Amy. I want bad things. I get
turned on by seeing your beautiful little ass redden under my hand, sure, but I
want more.” His eyes hardened. “I’ve gotten more.”
I felt like I’d been punched. I couldn’t tell if he was
angry he hadn’t gotten more with me or if he was disgusted with himself. I rose
onto my knees and balled my hands into fists.
“I don’t give a shit about your past because I have one
too, okay? I’m not some perfect little angel that you defile. Everything you’ve
ever done to me, I’ve enjoyed. Wanted more, even. There, I said it. So if
you’re a monster, what does that make me, a whore?”
Dallon’s eyes widened momentarily, and then his lip twitched,
but his eyes were cold. “I made you that way.”
“Screw you.”
I moved to get off the bed, but he caught me, pinning me
down. He was on top of me now, our faces inches apart.
“I don’t mean I made you a whore. I meant I made you
like me.”
I blinked as understanding set in. That was what he’d
meant when he’d said he’d turned me into what I am.
“You revealed it, that’s all,” I whispered to his
tortured face. “I responded to you the very first night we met, and you know
it. I’ve always wanted what you want and it’s taken nothing for you to convince
me of that.”
“The point is that I did. I brought it out in you.”
“No, it’s always been there. I’m fucked up, too.”
A muscle thrummed along his jaw. “Not like me.”
“Exactly like you.”
He released me, moving to the edge of the bed as if he
needed to put some distance between us. I immediately sat up, rising onto my
knees on the bed.
“What do you want from me, Dallon? You told me that I
have to trust you, that you know what’s best for me. Now you’re acting like being
with you—being the way I am—is a bad thing.”
He stood abruptly and moved to the door. “You’re right,
I’m not myself right now. Arnold will take us to work in the morning. Have a
good sleep.”
Then he was gone.
I cried into my pillow. I don’t know how long it took me
to fall asleep, but when I did, I dreamed of Ruri.
Dallon and Ruri and the man that he’d lost her to.
I woke up for my first day of work looking like shit.
My eyes were puffy and ringed with dark circles, which I
tried my best to cover with makeup. It was not a good first impression.
The smell of coffee filled the penthouse. I found Dallon
sitting at the breakfast bar looking equally as tired. He was scowling at his
phone and only glanced up when I appeared beside him to pour myself a cup of
coffee.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he said, standing and
pulling me into a hug. “Seeing Ruri just… threw me.”
Me too
, I wanted to say.
I felt absolutely shredded.
He stepped back and searched my eyes, still holding my
shoulders. “This weekend was amazing. I can’t begin to describe what it meant
to me.”
I swallowed, unsure how to respond.
Fear flashed across his features. “I’m a jerk for
screwing that up.”
“It’s okay,” I said, shrugging out of his grip. “I know
you were feeling guilty about Ruri. That’s all. Should we get going?”
Arnold was waiting for us at the bottom of the building.
This time he greeted me by name and a warm smile, which I returned. Dallon and
I didn’t talk for the entire drive. At one point he took my hand, and I let
him, but I continued to look out the window.
When I walked into the office, Becky was waiting in the
lobby. She looked up from the magazine she was reading when I entered and
smiled warmly.
“If there’s anything you want to keep in here overnight,
there’s a key in your drawer,” she said as she hung my light jacket up in a
closet beside the reception desk. “I’ll sit with you this morning, and then
this afternoon I’ll leave you to it. First we’ll take the tour and introduce
you to everyone. Don’t worry about remembering everyone’s names, though,” she added
with a laugh.
Following the tour, Becky showed me the kitchen and how
to use the coffee machine, and the copy room and how to use the copier. Then we
sat down at my computer and she showed me how to use the phone and their
various computer programs. She’d printed out a list of duties and pinned it to
the bulletin board behind my desk.
“As long as you get these things done, you are free to
spend your free time working on whatever course work you have. I believe Ren
registered you in a Photoshop course.”
Sure enough, there was an email in my inbox from Ren
with information on the course. It was at 4:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In
his message, he said I could leave a half hour early and he wouldn’t expect me
to make up the time.
At 10:00, I received a text from Dallon.
Let’s go for lunch. We need to talk.
I didn’t respond. The last thing I wanted was to talk
with Dallon; I needed space to sort out my own thoughts on everything that had
happened.
At 11:30, just as Becky was wrapping up showing me how
to enter my vacation time, Ren came to my desk.
“So how is your first day going, Amy?”
“Great,” Becky responded, smiling warmly at me. She
stood up. “It’s lunchtime, so you go have a break. I’ll come back and check on
you in the afternoon.”
“Glad to hear it’s going well,” Ren said once she’d
gone. “Do you have any plans for lunch?”
“No, I brought a sandwich,” I said lamely.
He laughed. “Let me take you out for your first day. Are
you able to get away now?”
“Sure.” I stood and grabbed my coat and purse before following
him into the lobby. I quickly pulled out my phone and sent Dallon a text that I
couldn’t meet with him, grateful to have an excuse.
Ren pushed the button for the elevator and turned to
face me, smiling warmly. “Did you receive my email about the course?”
“Yes, thanks for registering me. I’m looking forward to
it.”
“Good. I have a good feeling about you, Miss Clair.”
The elevator doors opened, and I inhaled sharply. There
stood Dallon holding a bouquet of roses and frowning at his phone. As he glanced
up, Ren put his hand on the small of my back and led me into the elevator.
Dallon’s eyes hardened.
“Hey,” I said awkwardly as the doors closed behind us.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were on your way.”
Dallon ignored me but put an arm around my waist before
holding his hand out to Ren. “Dallon King. Amy’s boyfriend.”
Ren looked surprised as he took Dallon’s hand. “Oh I’m
sorry, were you hoping to surprise her? We were going for lunch for Amy’s first
day.” He smiled at me and I smiled back weakly.
The atmosphere in the small space was full of tension.
Dallon’s grip around my waist tightened as I searched desperately for something
to fill the awkward silence.
“You can join us if you’d like,” Ren said after a
moment.
I tilted my head to look up at Dallon. I could tell from
his expression that joining us wasn’t a good idea. Luckily the elevator pinged
and the doors opened before he could respond. As we stepped out of the
elevator, he took my elbow, steered me to the side. His eyes never left me as
he addressed Ren.
“Can I speak with Amy alone for a moment?”
Ren frowned. “Um, sure. Amy, I’ll wait outside.”
The moment Ren was around the corner, I turned on
Dallon. “What are you doing? You’re embarrassing me.”
“I don’t want you to go for lunch with him.”
I half-laughed, half-snorted. “And why the hell not?”
“Because I said so, and I make the rules.”
My head jerked back. “You can’t be serious. Dallon, he’s
my boss.”
“I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
“You don’t like the way anyone looks at me! If it was up
to you, I wouldn’t be doing anything.”
He took a step closer. “It
is
up to me.”
I sighed, exasperated. “Last night you told me to stay
away from you, and now you’re telling me to stay away from my boss. You’re
being possessive and paranoid. He’s just trying to do something nice and get to
know me. Unlike some, he doesn’t have nasty intentions.”
Dallon scowled. “You’re still mad at me for last night.”
“I don’t know what I am. I don’t know what you are. One
minute you want something, and the next you’re turning against me for giving it
to you!”
I moved to pass him, but he stepped in front of me
again. “I’m talking to you.”
“No, you’re holding me up. You inherited a large chunk
of cash, so if you ever knew what it’s like to have to impress people, I’m sure
you’ve forgotten by now. You can do whatever you want.”
“Do you think I could start a company without any prior
knowledge? I’m not just a pretty face running things—I have to know what the
hell I’m doing!”
“I know that. I’m sorry. I just…” I glanced toward the
exit, “I have to go for lunch with my boss. I want to give a good impression.”
“Then I’ll come too.”
I hesitated. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His eyes narrowed. “Right. And if I forbid you from going?”
I glared at him. “I think the power I gave you has
gotten to your head, Dallon. I’m not some toy that you can keep all to
yourself.”
He stepped out of my way, looking like he’d been burned.
“I don’t see you that way.”
At that moment, Ren came around the corner. He looked at
both of us and then his gaze settled on me. “Everything okay, Amy?”
“Yes, I’ll just be a minute.”
He nodded and left us again, looking like he wasn’t sure
if it was the right thing to do.
I turned to face Dallon again, realization setting in. “You
think my boss is into me. Does you also think that’s the reason I got the job?”
He looked away, shaking his head angrily.
Now it was my turn to feel burned. Angry tears pricked
my eyes. Of course he did. He wanted me for one thing in particular, and now he
assumed every man wanted me for the same thing.
“Keep the roses,” I said and stormed away.
***
Ren had the decency not to bring Dallon up with me at
lunch, but I still couldn’t help but feel embarrassed that he’d witnessed me
having an argument on my first day of work. I didn’t want him to think I was
immature and regret his decision. To make matters worse, what Dallon had
implied had shaken my confidence, so that I wasn’t my usual self over lunch.
When we returned to the office, the roses were in a vase
on my desk, most likely with help from Becky. If Ren noticed, he didn’t comment
but continued to his office. Looking at them, I felt a little bad for not
allowing Dallon to come with us, but my guilt was instantly erased when I
pulled out my phone and saw his text.
I’m sorry. I don’t think that’s the only reason
you were hired. I just think that you’re an attractive woman… and he has eyes.
That was hardly an apology. Now I felt that at best, he
thought it was only
one
of the reasons for my being hired.
If you really believe I’m talented, is it so
hard for you to believe that he believes that too?
Dallon texted back immediately.
Taking you for lunch is a different matter.
It’s not appropriate.
My blood was boiling. I could barely type, I was so
angry. My thumbs hit the keyboard with a punishing rhythm.
This is the 21
st
century, Mr. King.
Men and women can have lunch together without it having to mean anything. And
even if he did try to make a move, do you really think I’d go for it? I’m not
so weak-minded, or did I give you the wrong impression on the weekend? Because
I’m really starting to think submitting to you was a mistake.
I was partly referring to our fight last night, but I
was sure he’d figure that out. Tossing my phone back in my purse, I tried to
focus on work. Becky had given me a few things to read, mostly information on
the company. An hour later, I checked my phone to discover he still hadn’t
responded. He didn’t respond for the rest of the day, and a feeling of dread
came over me.
At 4, Becky grabbed me and showed me how to run the
dishwasher. “One of your jobs will be to empty it right away in the morning and
run it at night.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
She frowned. “Are you all right?”
“Sorry, yes—I just have something on my mind.”
Becky smiled kindly. “It was a long day for you, I’m
sure. Why don’t you take off and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Becky,” I said gratefully. As soon as I hit the
street, I called Sam.