Chapter 10 #2
She sighed and nodded.
“This purse is worth about five thousand, used. I can—”
“No.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
The server delivered our food, and I waited until she was gone to say, “Pull up my big girl panties and keep working where I don’t want to work so that I don’t have to accept a job I don’t deserve at Wulf Enterprises.” I paused. “I earned the job at Steele Corp, didn’t I?”
She held up her hand in a solemn promise. “Yes. I swear. He told me about the opening, and I warned him that you’d leave in a heartbeat if you didn’t pass the interview process fairly and without favoritism.”
I made a ‘meh’ face. “I wouldn’t be mad about favoring me over an equally qualified candidate. I just wouldn’t be okay if they’d favored me over a more qualified one. That’s not fair.”
“Noted. You know, if you write down your complicated life rules, I bet I can get a cash reward we can split. If you’re okay with me still giving him information.”
“No thanks. I’d rather stop feeding him information now that I have to face him every day.”
“You were already facing him every day,” Miranda pointed out. “You just didn’t know it.”
She watched me toy with my food for a second as I realized she wasn’t wrong.
“I know this is upsetting you, but as your friend, I’m telling you not to let it. Nothing’s changed. Remember what you said? His interest in you isn’t your problem. It’s his.
“And if he’s willing to pay for information, let him.
It doesn’t change your answer, but it can change your financial situation.
I know you’re not against earning fairly.
The exchange is fair. We’re not playing tricks on him.
He knows I have your permission to tell him information, just like he knows you’re firmly against a committed relationship. ”
“Does he know I know it’s him, though?”
“He doesn’t yet, but I can tell him if you want me to.”
“I don’t know what I want. He knows I’ve been working at Steele for over a week now, and I first saw him today.
Does that mean he’s been avoiding me, or does it mean that we won’t run into each other?
Because the idea of seeing him at work daily…
” I shook my head. “I prefer not to see my one-night stands after the fact. It just makes things easier.”
Easy never seemed to be a life option for me, though.
As much as I wanted to hide from the problem I’d created, I couldn’t. The fact was that I would see him at work again, and even if I pretended I didn’t know who he was, it would eventually come out.
“You don’t need to tell him. I will. I’ll breathe easier after he and I talk and set some boundaries.” I groaned. “Why did he have to be the CEO? Knowing that just undid all the stress relief Friday night was supposed to be.”
My frustration regarding the lost memory of that night, which was complete shit when I was dealing with the fallout from it, rebounded.
“Does it help to know he’s really into you?” Miranda asked hopefully.
“No. The opposite, actually. Emotional entanglements don’t interest me at all. If he can’t keep it professional at work, then I’ll quit.”
“And my little side hustle?” Miranda asked like the mercenary friend she was.
I sighed because she was right that nothing had changed. And I couldn’t rob her of an opportunity she was fine taking.
“Hustle away. Just keep showing me the purses you get so I can live vicariously through your fashion acquisitions.”
“I promise always to prioritize your best interests. Now, how do you feel about foot massages? Love them or hate them?”
“Are you asking because you have a fetish, or does he?”
She grinned, and I rolled my eyes even as I answered.
“They’re nice after a long shift on my feet, but tell him tacos and a hot bath are better.”
“I see you’re going with the less touching route. Smart.”
She actually pulled out her phone and started texting.
“Tell him I like bath salts, dim lighting, and silence, too.”
“Imported bath salts? Natural fragrances only, right?”
“I’m guessing that’s what you like?”
She shot me another grin while typing. “I’m so glad Wrenly came home when she did. I got amazing friends out of the deal.”
“And jewelry, and clothes, and purses.”
“That’s what I meant.”
I laughed and started eating, grateful for her banter and the lighter mood.
We finished lunch, and as she walked me back to the office, she sent Konni a text with her notes. Less than a minute later, she received a bank deposit notification.
“Hmm. That must have been too generic. He only sent me a grand.”
My phone dinged, and I saw she’d sent me half of it. I wanted to tell her to keep it all, but I knew I couldn’t afford to.
“Thanks,” I said instead. “For splitting and for walking me back.”
“It was your information, and I wasn’t a fan of how your dad was talking to you.”
“Me neither.”
“Why does he want you to marry a rich old guy who kills wives? I know you’re estranged, but I didn’t think he hated you enough to want you dead.”
“He doesn’t hate me. Hate would still require emotion, which he doesn’t have for me or anyone else that I can tell.
That’s probably why he doesn’t care about the marital history of Hestian Global’s CEO.
All he cares about is getting the contract he needs with Hestian Global.
If that means offering up his daughter, he will.
He always does what’s best for him. No one else matters. ”
“Damn. And he’s still married to the new wife?”
“Technically, she’s not new anymore. But, yeah, he’s with the same one. She has the old money and connections he needs. As long as that doesn’t change, he’ll stay.”
“Sounds like a real winner. Your mom is better off without him.”
“I’d like to think so, too, but the reality is that she was the president of her own company and had no debt back then. Since divorcing, she hasn’t held a job longer than eight months and is barely hanging on to her house.”
“I can see how it seems like she’d be better off with him, but she’s not. That kind of man will always eventually bring down the person he’s with. She got out while the getting was good, and things will turn around for her. You’ll make sure of it. You’re too stubborn for any other result.”
“It’s like you know me.”
“I do. Have a good afternoon, and call me if you need anything.”
She continued down the block toward Wulf Enterprises, and I wondered what the Wulfs said about Miranda’s longer lunches. Probably nothing. They appreciated what she did for Wrenly and treated her more like a family member than staff.
As I returned to my desk, I debated what to do about Konni. We needed to talk, but the only time I saw him was at Lunar Pulse, which wasn’t the best place for a serious conversation. And it wasn’t like I could just text him. I didn’t have his number.
I made a face when I thought about asking Miranda for his contact information. If I texted him, then he would have my number. Less contact was better.
After a few seconds of debate, I opened the employee portal and found his email.
Mr. Steele,
In light of Friday’s events, I’d like to meet to review what happened and establish clear expectations moving forward. Addressing this directly will help prevent any misunderstandings from escalating in the future.
Please let me know when you’re available.
Sophia Elmantas
Satisfied that anyone else reading it would think I was referring to my near-firing on Friday, I hit send.
Afterward, I started to second-guess myself.
What if he thought I was talking about the near-firing?
Would he send me to HR? If he did, would that mean he was avoiding me or redirecting me to the appropriate channels?
An email appeared in my inbox.
I’m available at two-thirty this afternoon. Come to my office.
Drokonnen Steele
I stared at the closing for a long while before getting up to knock on Lianna’s door.
“Come in,” she called.
Her expression shifted when she saw it was me.
“Is there a problem?”
“No. Mr. Steele requested a 2:30 meeting with me this afternoon to discuss what happened on Friday.”
She stared at me for several beats, then reached for her desk phone, pressed a button, and changed it to speaker.
“Lianna, a deal is a deal. No backing out,” Konni said over the phone.
She smiled slightly, and if I had to be honest with myself, which I didn’t feel was necessary, her direct, unblinking gaze was making me a little nervous when she did that.
“That’s not why I’m calling, Drake. And I won’t back out.”
Drake?
Was Konni his fake hookup name? I could respect that if it was, since I liked it a lot more than Drake.
“Ms. Elmantas, my new secretary, just let me know she has a meeting with you at two-thirty to discuss Friday. I thought that was already resolved.”
“Gail spoke to you, and you and I talked, but has anyone let Ms. Elmantas know the outcome of those conversations? I know you’re nice, Lianna. Try showing that more often at work, too, okay?”
Lianna flushed slightly, and I could see she was regretting putting the call on speaker.
“Understood. I’ll see you at the Nexus at six.”
The Nexus wasn’t just a club—it was where power met possibility, where private, self-service suites blurred the line between business and pleasure to make deals happen.
Why were Konni and Lianna meeting there?
Why did I care?
I didn’t…I wouldn’t.
“Until then, behave, Lianna,” he said.
“I’ll do my best,” she said with a note of sultriness in her tone.
She disconnected the call and sighed before saying, “I hope you won’t waste too much of Mr. Steele's time with this.”
Her dismissive wave as she finally looked away from me was so rude that I wanted to smack her.
“And I hope I don’t waste too much of my time with it either,” I said.
I left her office and went straight to the break area because I needed some time to cool down, or I’d throw something. One slowly brewed cup of coffee later, I was back at my desk and focused.
For the most part.
I kept watching the clock, and my stomach tightened with each passing minute. To say I wasn’t looking forward to my meeting with Konni would be an understatement.
At two-twenty-five, I got up and crossed over to the other side of the executive floor, which I’d only seen on my first day there.
Three men sat at a shared workstation table like the one Whitney, Shana, and I shared. They were just as quiet as we were, but somehow the silence didn’t feel as heavy.
The man facing me looked up as I approached, his expression friendly.
“Ms. Elmantas, you can go right in. Mr. Steele is expecting you.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled. Actually smiled.
My return smile probably looked as shocked as I felt because his smile broadened as he nodded toward the office door.
I faced it, told myself not to be a baby, then let myself in.