40. Salinger
40
SALINGER
“ I see.” The plastic phone creaks as I squeeze it. “If you change your mind, we would of course be happy to be involved in the port contract… Yes… We wish you the best of luck.”
As soon as the call ends, I throw the phone receiver and the cradle against the glass wall. “Fuck!”
The glass fractures but doesn’t rain satisfying shards onto the floor. The keyboard doesn’t do much more damage.
Leaning over my desk, breathing hard, I try to decide between throwing the chair, the computer monitor, or my laptop.
How did I lose this contract? I worked so fucking hard…
Mandy.
“Where the fuck is Mandy?” She was supposed to be meeting with Linda. Something must have happened. She fucked up somehow. She never came and told me how the meeting went. She’s hiding something. Where the hell is she?
“Oh dear.” The cracked sliding door makes a grinding noise as Scarlett pushes it back.
“Get out. I don’t have time for you right now.”
“Aww, Salinger.” She takes a step into my office.
“I said—”
“I heard the bad news that you lost the port contract. I just came up to see if I could help. I can kiss it and make it better.” She smiles at me.
“Are you fucking serious right now?” I sneer. “Grow up. All you fucking interns.”
An ugly look crosses her face. “You’re the one who needs to grow up. Sleeping with your assistant?”
My head snaps toward her.
“And after I was so generous in trying to help you win the port contract.” Scarlett walks slowly through my destroyed office.
“You lost me the contract?”
Scarlett laughs. “As if. Linda hates you, apparently. But,” she adds, “I’ve been there the past few weeks, working on being better friends with her daughter. The divorce hit Kate hard. I’m sure, with my help, she’ll be able to play Benji and Linda off each other and make sure you are awarded the port contract.”
“For a price, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Fine.” I clear off my desk. “Sit down. Let’s do business.”
“I think it’s more comfortable to have these kinds of discussions in bed,” she purrs, moving around the desk to stand in front of me.
“Not that I don’t think extremely highly of myself,” I say, stalling, “but you’re a terrible businesswoman if you’re going to trade something that lucrative for a night in my bed. Not that I won’t take it.”
But I won’t, which is very unlike me. A month ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about jumping at this good of a deal, taking advantage of a dumb twenty-something girl. But now? I will never have any woman but Mandy in my bed or my life.
Scarlett laughs, steps closer to me. “Please. Sex with you is just a perk.” She waves a leather portfolio at me, opens it, and sets it on my desk. “A prenup for our marriage.”
I bark out a laugh. “You want to be my wife?”
“Yes, and all that entails. All the benefits.” Her fingers loosen my tie. “All the finery.” Now they’re at my buttons. “I want the big wedding with all the fixings. You’re going to be my perfect groom.” Reaching up, she slowly pulls down the zipper of her black sheath dress.
I shake my head. “I can’t marry you.”
“Let me convince you otherwise.” She’s not wearing anything under the dress.
It takes me a minute to register that Scarlett is standing in my office wearing literally nothing other than high heels and how this is going to be a horrific HR nightmare and… What the hell am I going to do? Then she’s got her arms wrapped around me, and she’s kissing me.
I hold my hands out, trying not to touch Scarlett because that would douse this clusterfuck in kerosene and light it on fire, but I really need to get her off of me. Gingerly, I try to grab her waist and gently pry her off.
We’re interrupted by a heartbroken cry.
“Amanda,” Scarlett says, her arms still around me.
Tears are running down Mandy’s face.
Scarlett huffs when I push her off to go to Mandy .
“How could you?” Mandy cries.
“Mandy, I can explain. The port contract—”
“I know.” She sobs. “We lost it. I’m sorry, but this…”
“Scarlett was trying to make a deal to get it back but—”
The heartbroken look on Mandy’s face almost breaks me. “You’re going to sleep with her for the contract?”
“No,” Scarlett drawls, slipping her dress back on. “He’s going to marry me.”
“Marry her?” Mandy cries, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Of course not,” I assure her.
“Liar. You’re just telling me what I want to hear.” Mandy has fucking donut boy next to her, and he rubs her back carefully.
“Like what you see, Austin?” Scarlett purrs at him.
His mouth opens and closes like a fish’s, then he slaps his hands over his eyes.
“Put some fucking clothes on,” I snap at Scarlett.
“That’s not what he said earlier, Amanda.”
My assistant is sobbing against Austin.
“Mandy,” I plead.
“Stop leading her on, Salinger.” Scarlett inspects her nails. “I win, Amanda. Guess your boss wants a hot young intern, not his washed-up, gross assistant.”
“That isn’t true.”
My assistant jerks away when I reach for her. “Stop gaslighting me. I’m so sick of you treating me like garbage.”
“Mandy, I never—”
“Yeah, you do.” Austin has, at the most inconvenient time, decided to finally grow some balls. He has his arm wrapped around Mandy’s shoulder protectively. The intern glares at me. “You’re an asshole, Salinger Svensson. Mandy deserves better.”
“Fuck off, donut boy.”
“My name is Austin.”
Mandy glares at me, angry tears in her eyes. “Go to hell, Salinger. I’m glad you lost that contract. Fuck you. I quit.”
“You can’t leave me, Mandy,” I warn.
“Leave her alone.” Austin is stubborn. “You follow her? I’m calling the police.” He escorts her to the elevator.
“The trash takes itself out.” Scarlett smirks. “I guess now you don’t have anything stopping you from taking my deal.”
Scarlett’s palms land on my chest. I jerk away.
“You want that contract or not, big boy?” She slaps my backside.
I whirl around.
She jumps back, apprehensive.
“I’m going to go with not ,” I snarl at her. “And by the way, you’re fucking fired, Scarlett. Get the hell out of my office.”