Chapter 7
KYLIE
Itook another long sip of my smoothie. The chocolate peanut butter goodness made this strange job interview less embarrassing.
While enjoying it, I realized what I had said and how Patrick had gone uncomfortably quiet.
I peeked over my smoothie cup. Patrick’s cheeks had a tint of pink, and he had yet to answer my question. What was my question, actually?
I didn’t really just ask him to be my daddy. Did I? No.
I lowered the cup to stall, searching my brain for the least embarrassing way to detour from this landmine I had just stepped on.
It was something my little would have asked–did ask, with other men.
She’d been stumbling in and out of my personality more often lately, which was strange because I had worked very hard to compartmentalize her to once a month.
I never had a daddy of my own, content with letting her out to play at a club in Brooklyn. It satisfied me and my little.
Or so I thought.
I reached down to pull the offer envelope out of my bag.
Thank God, Patrick finally spoke.
“Kyler’s questioning and assumptions were inappropriate, and I will be speaking with him about it.” Patrick grimaced.
“It was inappropriate.” I squared my shoulders.
“But honest, I guess. And if being a little helps me keep Rayna and Tinley safe, then I’m okay with you knowing.
And I would never do my job while in little space.
While I am relatively aware even then, I wouldn’t allow it.
Besides, I don’t actually consider myself little. ”
“What do you mean?”
In any other new hire situation, this conversation would never happen.
“Not a little, per se.” I inhaled and let out a deep breath. I had to communicate this correctly, because while talking about my little made me vulnerable, it was a tool I could use to further entrench myself into their organization.
The guilt was a small thing to fold up and put away. The job would give me the in I needed.
“I participate in age play activities at a club in Brooklyn once a month.” I stared at Patrick’s face, not able to read anything in his expression.
“They have a little’s night and I participate.
It’s more like a release, playing with the other littles, sceneing with caregivers.
” My knee jumped. I settled it with my hand.
“It’s just an outlet. A place where I can forget about the pressures of my job.
Give up control in a safe environment. I can give you examples if you want. ”
“No,” he said quickly. “No, I think I understand.”
“But I have little friends–other regulars at the club, and I do understand the mindset ...”
Patrick’s gaze unfocused as if he were looking at something far beyond the office walls. He was no longer in this office with me. His lips thinned, and he resumed tapping the desktop with his fingertips. He blinked rapidly when he realized I had stopped talking.
He looked away toward the window. His cheeks tinted pink again. “So, about the job.” He pointed to the contract in my hand.
“I read over the offer and it’s more than generous.” I flipped through a few pages. “It mentions an apartment. Where?”
I dared to look up at him. The pink had faded. It was a shame because his embarrassment was cute. Or was it an attraction? Was Patrick Carmichael attracted to me?
“Here in the casino.” He leaned forward. “We have a couple of floors of employee apartments in both Quad II and Quad III.”
I blinked, trying to remember the question I asked and not go down that rabbit hole in my brain.
“Do you live here?” The question was out before I could stop it.
“Yes. My place is on the same floor as Kyler’s.” He fidgeted with his phone. “He and Rayna are my main priority; it made sense.”
“You and Kyler are close?”
“We’ve been friends for a long time, yes.”
“Interesting.” I nodded.
“What is so interesting?” He narrowed his eyes.
“You work for your friend. It’s interesting.” I flip to another page of the agreement. “Between the two of them, who’s priority number 1.”
The room fell silent again.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“If you had to choose between Kyler and Rayna, who would you save first?” I thought it was a logical question. If they are together, I assume there must be a contingency for it. Or maybe they weren't as well-oiled a machine as they appeared.
Patrick’s phone beeped and saved him from answering.
“Excuse me for a second.” He rose and disappeared through a door behind his desk.
I hadn’t noticed it before. I needed to pay more attention to my surroundings.
He returned a few minutes later.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” He waved his hand. “Do you have any other questions regarding the offer?”
“Well, Kyler did mention something about rules.” I placed the contract on his desk and sat with my hands in my lap. Thankfully, my knee stopped bouncing. I had wrangled control of this meeting back.
“You can start with these.” He pulled a spiral booklet out of a draw and passed it to me.
Grant Enterprises, Inc. Employee Handbook was embossed across the front. Maybe we should let you get settled first before getting into all of that.”
“The rest we’ll make up as we go along.” He tapped the desk with the fingertips of his left hand.
“I imagine you want the NDA signed before we get into the specifics.” I grabbed a pen out of my bag, started initializing each page.
Patrick laid his hand flat on the desk.
“Have you read it?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“Every word?”
“Yes,” I rolled my eyes. His eyes grew wide.
I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, my focus narrowing to the signature line before me.
“And I also know that I am on a probationary period. Ninety days where if something doesn’t mesh, you can fire me at any time.
Or, I can leave at any time with no notice. ”
Why did that thought make me sad? Being asked to leave before I took them down meant I failed. Failing was not an option.
I flipped to the final page, signed, and spun the pages in his direction. There was a line for a couple of signatures. He wasn’t one of them.
On the desk, he gathered and straightened the documents. He pressed a button on the surface to his right. The desk beeped.
“Collin?”
“Yes, boss.” Collin’s voice came through the speakers in the ceiling.
“Can you come in here, please?”
We sat across from each other, sizing each other up, waiting for Collin. He popped in a minute later.
“What can I do for you?” He stood next to his boss’s desk.
“This is Ms. Stand’s signed employment contract. Can you have it executed by HR and someone in the execut... On second thought. See if Mr. Grant is available and have him sign it.”
Patrick winked. I bit my bottom lip to keep from giggling.
Shoot. Why was this man so freakin charming?
“I’m on it.”
“We’ll have a copy for Ms. Stands before the end of the day.” Patrick was stern with Collin, but underneath it he respected him. I’d have to be careful what I shared with Collin, but he could also be a good source of information.
“Of course.”
He grabbed the documents and the folder, and then dashed out.
“I imagine signing employment contracts is a little below Mr. Grant's responsibilities.” I stated.
“Yeah, well, he seems to have taken a keen interest in you; it only seems natural for him to sign off on it.” Patrick opened a drawer to his left and pulled out a notebook.
“Your question is valid. Rayna is relatively new with us, Tinley too. We haven’t redefined protocol with them in mind.
” He handed me a notebook, leather-bound with lined paper.
The Grant logo was embossed in gold in the lower right-hand corner.
“Consider that your first assignment. Come up with a plan.”
I looked up, surprised.
“You can use this to take some notes.”
I hugged it to my chest. A strange warmth swelled inside me. They needed me. At the FBI, I was a cog, a link in a chain I never got to see the end of. This was different. This felt like it mattered.
“Like now.” Patrick's head tilted in the cutest way.
“Oh, yeah, of course.” I took out my pen and turned to page one.
“As we discussed before, you will have two main objectives.” Patrick continued to give a general rundown on Grant Enterprises, The Quadrangle Hotels, and how the organization works from a security perspective. “Maybe create some training scenarios we can run with the team for practice.”
I scribbled some notes. “Wait–you guys run training scenarios? Where?”
“I’ll show you the security suite this afternoon, where you can meet everyone.”
“Okay.”
“Forget that we are an established security team with our own procedures. I want to know what your approach would be.” He rubbed his chin. “I think we need fresh eyes on the issue.”
“Do you have a location in mind, like what’s coming up in the next few weeks?”
“There’s a Quad IV event Rayna and Tinley will attend.
Part of the event is off-campus at The Sphere.
” He tapped on his phone. “We have a trip to New York next month. Then, Rayna and Tinley are planning a summer vacation. You can check with them about what they have planned so far. Most likely in Europe. Although, Tinley mentioned Costa Rica.” He grinned and shook his head.
It was obvious how fond he was of both Rayna and Tinley.
“They are planning it?”
“Yeah, as much as their daddies will allow. They can pick the place and if it’s safe and we can secure it, then we’ll go.
” He stared out the window again, but he continued to talk.
“Rayna needs a tight rein to keep her out of trouble, but Kyler wants her to have as much independence within reason. He wants her to have the freedom she craves, but he needs to know she’s protected.
It’s a tough balance.” He chuckled. “If Kyler had his way, he’d lock her in the apartment 24/7, but Rayna would personally make his life a living hell if he required it.
He is trusting you with the most precious thing in his life and Josh with Tinley.
We are all quite fond of them both, so I guess we are trusting you, too.
I nodded. They are fond of her. She wants more freedom.
Rayna planned their vacations. It had to be a ploy.
Something to placate her in her captivity.
My mind went back to lunch, where Kyler clearly chastised Rayna for opening the door on her own, and I imagined being corrected, but it wasn’t in front of me, and she didn’t seem overly upset.
She seemed more concerned about us eating her sweet and sour lobster.
She was obviously well-fed and had all the luxury anyone could ask for: a nice place to live, all the necessities.
Kyler treated her with care, but he also treated her with control.
It didn’t matter if it was in a dirty house in the forest or in a penthouse in Las Vegas; if she was forced to be there, it was wrong.
If she wanted to leave, I would find a way to make it happen.