Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Genevieve
If someone told me that I would go from barely pulling through to shopping in one of those boutiques that served champagne at the entrance in three months, I would’ve laughed in their face and asked for the brand of alcohol they consumed.
But I’ve come to discover salary was just a segment of compensation.
There were things like wardrobe allowance, vacation allowance, fuel allowance and if I looked closely, possibly oxygen allowance.
All of which were individually larger than my previous salary.
I just wasn’t in the tax bracket to be privy to such information and privilege.
The first time my payment hit the bank, I’d thought there was a mistake somewhere and reported it to Caroline. She gave me the most incredulous look and asked how I took up a job without knowing the specifics of my pay.
It was safe to say my first month in the office was a humiliation ritual of some sort.
“How about this one?”
I eyed the red bandage dress with a scooping neckline Anna held out to me.
“What part of ‘work-outfit’ did you not understand?”
She squinted at the dress. “What do you mean? This is totally work-coded. You could wear a blazer over it. It’ll be chic.”
“But my boobs will be practically spilling out.”
“They can’t punish you for being blessed.” She dumped the dress on the stack I was holding, but I took it off.
“I told you a couple of people are already talking, and the last thing I need is to walk into the office looking different than I used to in the worst way possible.”
“I don’t know if this is lost on you, but you’ve always had really great tits and they always had a way of showing through those stupid shirts of yours. Bet the entire office probably described you as the girl with great tits.”
I refused to let my thoughts linger on her last comment. “At least you could tell it was unavoidable.” I glanced at the red dress she had over her arm. “This would look like I came to work with the sole aim of showing my tits.”
“And you don’t want them to think you earned your spot by fucking the boss, I get it.”
She returned the dress to the rack, pausing briefly to check out the next one and deciding against it. “But you have to admit it, Gen, you did get the part by fucking him.”
My eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
She held up a hand. “Before you go crazy on my ass, I’m not saying those were your reasons for fucking him, but somewhere in that head of yours, you must know he didn’t clear your debt and offer you a position that was nonexistent before you because you have…
” she gave me a thorough perusal, “…a great personality?”
Her words defeated any defense I could think of. I knew she was right. While my intention to have sex with Kazimir was fueled by the thought of a looming demise, his benevolence was definitely not from a place of sheer kindness.
The man used a private elevator to avoid mixing with people. Women trembled in his presence and grown men struggled to look him in the eye. Kind was hardly the word for him.
But I had the job, and I didn’t care how it sounded; I wasn’t going to reject a life-changing opportunity because the offer came from a man who had been inside me.
Besides, I already made the decision to not sleep with him again, so we were good.
I ignored the voice reminding me of the last time I was in the same space with him.
“I know, Anna, but I want to earn my place. I have no say in how I got the job, but I should have a say on how I get to do it and how I get to keep it. I don’t want to be the girl who climbed the ladder by fucking her boss.”
Her eyes softened. “Believe me, I totally understand and it’s important that you believe you deserve the position and you do a great job to prove it to yourself, but the bit of what people would say?
I hate to break it to you, but if you gained a promotion that big prior to sleeping with him, the rumors would come regardless.
People believe pretty girls never have to use their brains and they only get by just by smiling and batting their lashes at men. ”
My shoulders slumped in defeat. No one had said anything to me and I was yet to hear anything, but I didn’t miss Richter’s eyes on me during the security drill and the new receptionist's glare.
“You can’t let tiny whispers from people who would beg to be in your place take over your mind,” Anna continued.
“You can’t subject yourself to unflattering shirts and reduce yourself to a work mule to prove you belong in a space you already occupy.
You walk in there, you own every minute of it, and you look good while at it. ”
The corners of my lips twitched as her pep talk sank in. “And if they say it to my face?”
She winked. “Then you tell them to take it up with Mr. SSB.”
“Mr. SSB?”
“Sexy Scary Boss.”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Why do I even bother with you?”
“What?” She feigned innocence. “He’s a boss and he’s scary and totally fuckable…”
“And we’re back again.”
She suddenly dropped the clothes in her arms and walked forward, stopping inches from me. “Genevieve Sinclair, look me in the eye and tell me you have not dreamt of seconds.”
I slapped my palm over her mouth, looking around even though we were the only ones in the room. “Why would you say that?” I squeaked.
“Becumphmm...”
I lifted my palm a little.
“Because you look like a fucking tomato and your nipples are currently pointing at me.”
My hand fell away from her and, true to her words, I had a pair of very attentive buds straining against my shirt. I should’ve worn the padded bra.
“There’s no shame in wanting to have a little good time. You just have to make sure there are ground rules and maybe something to protect you.”
I worried my lower lip between my teeth, contemplating the path I was about to tread.
I have avoided, dismissed and straight up run away from this conversation countless times for one reason.
Indulging it would mean I was opening my mind to possibilities.
And I had already decided to not go there again, but now that it was on the table, the question shifted a little. Who exactly was I doing this for?
“It’s not just that,” I admitted after a moment of contemplation.
My limbs suddenly felt heavy, so I headed for the cushion where we left our drinks. Anna followed.
“There’s his involvement with the Russians. The men at the lounge called him boss, so he’s definitely a person of importance. Probably the one running the New York branch of their organization. I can’t shake off the feeling that associating with him might be risky.”
“But he did save you and your brother from what could’ve been the worst situation.”
“But he created it too.”
Anna took a brief pause before answering.
“Look, I’m not going to make decisions for you or push you into them, but here are the facts.
Kazimir is hot as fuck, you’re very attracted to him, but he’s mixed up in some shit and, to be honest, what wealthy man isn’t?
Which is where the ground rules come in.
If you must get with him, it must be on your terms. You stay out of the limelight and have fun while you’re at it. ”
Fun… was that… I shook off the thought that followed and focused on the conversation at hand.
“There’s also the no fraternization rule in the employee code of conduct…”
“Which he created and you already broke?”
“So you’re saying I should fuck him again?”
She let out a chuckle. “Girl, you can fuck him ten more times if you want to. The most important thing is, you don’t let the fear of what people would say rule your life. If you want something, you go for it. It’s that simple.”
I gave her my best puppy look. “What would I do without you?”
“Fuck your boss in an elevator?”
“Hey!”
She barked out a laugh. “What? Don’t act like all the bold decisions come from me, you didn’t need me for that part.”
“I'm never telling you anything again.”
She wriggled her brows at me. “So you do intend to do things.”
“Shut it.”
I reached into my pocket to retrieve the vibrating device. My smile dropped the moment I saw who the notification was from.
“The hospital?”
I nodded, not able to tear my eyes from the vague, half-assed and carelessly written apology.
I’d sent the hospital an email in a moment of rage, explicitly expressing how their carelessness almost cost me everything in my life.
The reply was not only careless, it was also late by two months. I had already forgotten I'd sent it.
“The fuckers.” I hadn’t noticed her scoot closer until she was peering over my shoulder. “I’ve said to sue them for damages. There’s no shred of sincerity in them.”
I deleted the email, clicking off my phone. “I just want to put it all behind me.”
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you sold all your properties and donated your life's worth of money to charity.”
“Good thing the appropriate result arrived before then.”
“You mean after you already traded yourself to the mob?” Her voice hitched. “Have you ever thought of what could’ve happened if Kazimir didn’t step in?”
I swallowed the bitterness filling my tongue. Kazimir’s timely arrival at the scene of my humiliation was my personal proof of the existence of miracles.
But there were moments, no matter how brief, where my mind wandered back and I tried to imagine what would’ve become of me if Kazimir had not arrived at that very moment.
I would still be trapped in that lewd place with disgusting old men trying to cop a feel, and I’d still be very far from offsetting half the debt unless I decided to…
I dissolved the rest of the thought with a head shake. I was here now, I was safe, Leo was out of debt and that’s all that mattered. I could only hope the original owner of the result made better decisions than I did.
“It’s all in the past,” I repeated more to myself than to Anna.
Anna tsked, shaking her head. “You’re way too nice for your own good. I would’ve seized the opportunity to teach them a thing or two on patient management and respect while making bank from it.”
“I totally believe you.”
Her eyes suddenly lit up and she shot off the couch like a lightning bolt and made for a rack in front of her.
“Perfect. Absolutely beautiful.”
I craned my neck to see what she was gushing over, but I didn’t need to stretch much.
Anna marched to me, wide smile and twinkling eyes, with clothes hanging on her arm.
“I think I just found the perfect office attire. SSB wouldn’t know what hit him. The office walls are soundproof, yeah?”
“First, we have completely different ideas on what constitutes the word perfect. Two, would you stop calling him that?”
Like any well-meaning best friend, she completely ignored my comments and proceeded to lay out the outfit before me.
As much as I hate to admit, I let out an audible gasp when I looked at the ensemble.
It was exactly something I would wear. A black pencil skirt, a charcoal black silk shirt without the shine, and a bold belt with dainty gold detailing.
It was absolutely gorgeous and I could picture all the ways I would style it: the shoe of choice, bag, accessories and hairstyle. I just knew I would be an absolute stunner in it, I just didn’t know how it would be received at work.
As far as I could remember, the company had no dress code. Rose from finance treated work like a runway and always arrived in the most fabulous and sometimes scandalous fits, but she was about 5'1".
The outfits didn’t look as though she was begging for attention. I, on the other hand, was the whole of 5'9" and had played it safe with knee-length skirts and cotton shirts. A low-cut silk shirt and a slightly shorter skirt would certainly stand out.
“It’s so pretty.” I felt the soft fabric in my palm. “But I don’t think it’s—”
“It’s a skirt and shirt for Christ's sake, and you said it yourself, it’s pretty.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Do I have to manufacture another fake diagnosis to give you a confidence boost or what?”
A deep laugh erupted from the depths of my belly at the mention of my journal and long-forgotten to-do list.
“I swear I’m almost convinced you require tragedy as a form of motivation.”
“It’s a cute fit, I just don’t think it’s for the office.”
“So where will you wear it then? The grocery store? Because we both know you’re very committed to your triangle of movement.”
“See? That’s exactly why I can’t take it. Most of my legs and some of my tits would—”
“These or the red dress. Choose.”
My laughter sobered up the moment I beheld the seriousness on her face.
“You can’t be serious.”
“The black fit it is.”
“Anna—”
She added the clothes to the selection, pinning me with a challenging look.
My lips clamped shut. I’d known the woman long enough to know she was a force of nature and didn't budge when her mind was made up.
I might’ve indulged the conversation about giving Kazimir a second chance, but I was yet to make up my mind, and even if I did, I wasn’t about to start prancing around the office in fits like that.
Regardless, I let her take the fit to the counter. It was one thing to buy the outfit, it was another to wear it and, like the idiom said, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.
As long as she doesn't hold me at gunpoint and demand that I wear the outfit, I was certain I would be fine with the elevated version of my previous wardrobe staple.