Chapter 9Mixed Signals – Kerry
Chapter 9
Mixed Signals – Kerry
I know my plan might backfire.
I know the truth always comes to light, but I don’t mind getting lost in the dark for a while.
Everyone in this town knows my plight, and I’m just so damn tired of losing, so if spinning a tale now means I can swap pity for respect, then I’m ready to roll the dice.
I just hope when all is revealed, all respect isn’t lost.
I pull up to the grounds of Vic’s expansive estate and take a moment to soak it all in.
Vic’s staff unloads my things from the car while he holds the door, his demeanor smooth yet guarded.
He’s a puzzle of a man—sometimes a gentleman, sometimes a charmer, sometimes distant, sometimes a jerk but now my boss.
He confuses me, but I do know one thing for sure, I won’t tolerate his wishy-washy respect.
Before entering the unknown, I check-in with my girls one last time.
Sistas 4 life
Izzy : Did you make it there yet?
He better have the red carpet rolled out for you, or I’m whoopin’ ass.
Kiera : Seriously Kerry, don’t let him act up on you.
And you better fall for his foine ass!
Serena : There’s so much sexual tension between you two.
You should honestly just bang it out.
Me : Rena!
WTH!
We aren’t gonna do that.
He’s my boss !
Serena : Who gave you a damn foot massage in the back of his truck.
That man wants you!
And you’re in need of some bangin’
Izzy : She’s got a point!
Put yourself out there and bang all the tension away.
Serena : #employeeofthemonth Lol
Me : OMG!
Goodbye ladies!
My friends are usually very mature and wise, but apparently not today, and I certainly won’t be banging anyone.
“I can’t wait to see Ari and Syd,” I say as we step into his sprawling estate.
“Oh, trust me, they’re just as excited to—”
Before he can finish, Syd and Ari’s voices echo through the foyer, “Ms. Kind!” It’s a joyous welcome for me, filled with the kind of love that only children bring to my heart.
Syd charges into my arms while Ari casually leans against the wall with her leg adorned with colorful, sparkling gems.
I can’t help but gasp in delight, “You finished?”
A hint of uncertainty crosses Ari’s face as she replies, “Yes, do you like it? I ran out of some of the colors, so I wasn’t sure if it looked tacky.”
“Tacky? Girl, it’s beautiful,” I assure her, pulling her into a gentle hug.
“Just like you.”
Their embrace warms my heart more than the sunniest Georgia afternoon.
Then, Vic chimes in, trying to join us, “Hey, I like the glittery jewel thingies, too, you know?”
Ari giggles, her voice now loud and confident, “It’s not the same coming from you, Dad. You’re supposed to like everything we do. But Ms. Kind tells the truth.”
From the corner of my eye, I catch Vic jokingly muttering, “Since when?” Sparking playful glances between us.
However, our reunion is briefly interrupted by an indifferent meow, drawing everyone’s attention.
Ari gasps excitedly, “You have a cat?!”
I nod, sharing in her excitement.
“ We have a cat.” I teasingly glance at Vic, who rolls his eyes as the girls whisk Tum Tum away to play .
As we make our way into the foyer, Ms.
Vicky’s comforting presence envelops the space.
“I thought I heard laughter in this house again. Kerry, it’s so good to see you.” She says, pulling me into a tight hug.
It feels like coming home.
“It’s so good to be back,” I reply, my heart swelling.
“Thank y’all so much for taking a chance on me.”
She smiles, a twinkle in her eye, “Well, let’s get you settled in. I’ll show you to your room so you can freshen up and prepare for the rest of the week.”
“But grandma!” Syd whines, her voice full of insistence.
“We wanna play with Ms. Kind.”
“Not now, girls! You’ll have her all to yourselves soon. Let her breathe, okay? She’s got a lot planned for you over the next few days.”
“That’s right!” I chime in, a playful gleam in my eye.
“We’re gonna have so much fun! Starting tonight, but it’s our little secret, okay?” I whisper, bending down to their level.
The girls giggle, nodding fervently as we exchange pinky promises.
Vic watches us with a soft smile playing on his lips before he and Ms.
Vicky lead the way down the hall.
I try to take in the bajillion rooms, but when we turn the corner, I suddenly come face-to-face with an extremely handsome, somewhat younger version of Vic.
“And you must be the beautiful Southern Belle everyone’s been talking about,” he says with a charming grin, taking my hand and lightly kissing it.
I catch a flash of irritation cross Vic’s face as his jaw tightens slightly.
“Whoa!” I laugh, pulling my hand back gently.
“Well, I don’t know about the Belle part, but I’m as Southern as they come.”
“Please excuse my brother, Hudson,” Vic interjects sharply, his voice carrying an edge I haven’t heard before.
“He’s not usually this unattractively forward, Ms. Kind.”
Hudson flashes a mischievous smile, not at all bothered by the rebuke.
“Just couldn’t help myself,” he says with a wink.
“It’s not every day we get such grace and beauty around here.”
Vic’s eyes narrow slightly, and he subtly steps closer to me.
“Hudson, that’s enough. Hands off.” He says, the words low and firm.
A surprising thrill of excitement runs through me at his protectiveness.
Is he jealous?
Possessive, even?
His complicated layers are peeling back faster than I expected.
He’s disarmingly charming yet reserved and s omeone who clearly values what or who he considers his.
As the brothers exchange contentious looks, it’s clear they enjoy pushing each other’s buttons, and I find myself amused, even flattered, to be at the center of their sibling rivalry.
“Kerry, I gotta get goin’, but I emailed your employment contract, NDA, and the agreement to be my son’s faux companion until your services are no longer needed,” Vicky says matter-of-factly, already gathering her things like this is the most normal arrangement in the world.
A bit taken aback, I nearly choke on air.
“An agreement for that? I mean, is it really necessary?” I sputter, my voice pitching higher than I’d like.
“Yes.” She replies, simply offering no further explanation before striding out the door with the same authority she carried in.
When Vicky leaves, I’m left alone with two handsome Grimes men, each a formidable presence in his own right, until Vic clears his throat and glares at Hudson.
Hudson dramatically sighs, stretching like he’s been burdened beyond reason.
“Guess that’s my cue to get lost. I’ll see you again, Ms. Kind.” He mutters, flashing me a wink and a lopsided grin before heading out, leaving me alone with Vic.
I giggle, caught up in the moment.
“Indeed you will, Mr. Hudson.”
Once Hudson leaves, Vic’s demeanor shifts slightly; the light-heartedness fades as he leans in closer.
“Not trying to be a hater or anything, but my brother’s bad news. Never serious about life. Always has a rotation of women on standby. Nothing but trouble.”
I play along, my voice lowering to a whisper, “Well, maybe I like a little bit of trouble, Mr. Grimes.”
He sizes me up, an intrigued smirk playing on his lips.
“Noted.”
Before Vic can lead me to my room, he stops, turning toward me with an unreadable expression that makes my stomach flip.
“Give me your phone,” he says.
I blink.
“Excuse me?”
“I need your location at all times.”
I let out a slow, exaggerated gasp.
“At all times? Wow, I didn’t take you for the possessive type. ”
He exhales sharply, clearly unimpressed with my antics.
“You’ll be with my daughters outside of the home. I need to know where you are. You could be going to see a boyfriend or…a friend with benefits during working hours.”
My lips twitch, but I fight the smirk.
He’s watching me carefully, waiting for a reaction, but I don’t give him one.
Instead, I casually unlock my phone and pass it to him with a sweet smile.
“Aww, if you wanted to know about my love life, you could’ve just asked.”
He doesn’t look up while his fingers expertly navigate my settings.
“So, do you have a boyfriend, Ms. Kind?”
I lean in just enough to tease, but not enough to touch.
“No.”
A look of satisfaction flickers in his eyes, a look of satisfaction.
“Good to know.” He mutters, then finishes whatever he’s doing and hands my phone back.
I glance down and scoff.
“You turned on our mutual location sharing? You do realize this means I now have access to your whereabouts, too?”
Vic smirks, stepping closer, his voice low.
“Guess that means you’ll always know exactly where to find me.”
I clear my throat, acting completely unfazed.
“Noted.” I say, mimicking his earlier response.
He grins, and with a silent exhale, I follow him as he finally leads me to the large bedroom that’s nearly the size of my entire house.
“This will be your room. I hope it’s large enough for you,” Large enough?
He’s seen my nice but very modest home.
This room is practically a guest house!
Keeping my cool as if I’m used to living like a queen, I nod.
Then, he leads me toward the expansive closet.
“I know you have your own wardrobe, but I took the liberty of having my team buy a few casual and formal outfits for our scheduled outings and any other business events that might come up.”
“So, my clothes aren’t good enough?” I tease in mock offense.
He quickly backpedals, “Uh, no! I didn’t mean that at all.”
Laughing off his discomfort, I reassure him, “Just kidding, Mr. Grimes. I don’t have any fancy clothes. I usually just borrow Serena’s.” I shrug.
“Good because she’s the one who picked these out.” He reveals with a hint of pride in his voice.
I raise an eyebrow, suspicious yet intrigued.
“Hmm, I’m impressed. But chatting it up with my ultra-gorgeous best friend? Not cool. ”
“If you can flash googly eyes at my brother, surely I could reach out to your gorgeous best friend.” He smoothly retorts.
“Touche, Mr. Grimes. Touche.” I concede with a laugh.
He then proceeds to lay out the dresses on the bed, each a thoughtful selection in one of my favorite colors—an elegant pink, form-fitted lace gown, a sexy red short dress, and nearly a dozen more.
“Serena has such exquisite taste.” I comment, admiring the meticulous detailing of each dress.
Vic leans in closer, his warm breath against my ear and light touch against my arm, “And so do I.” He says in a low and seductive tone.
He reaches his arm around me from behind, just slightly pulling me back against him to lift the red dress.
“I can’t wait for you to wear this dress for me. To make me proud to have the most beautiful woman in town on my arm.” He insists, his tone commanding and enticing.
His suggestions hang in the air as I bask in the shiver cascading down my spine.
My breath slightly hitches.
“Okay,” I nod.
“I’ll wear this dress next month. If and only if,” I start, the closeness making my heart race.
“You set time aside to get to know me…deeper. This town knows me inside out. If we aren’t in sync, they’ll call our bluff. I can’t afford any further embarrassment, nor can you have a bad reputation. So, maybe we can have some alone time during my lunch break tomorrow? It’ll be like a…”
“Like a date? Or a parent-teacher conference?” He pulls back, his eyes searching mine and lips curving into a smile, amused yet intrigued by my proposal.
“Because it should probably be the latter. Remember, I’m your boss now.” His tone is playful yet firm, his body still pressed close enough for me to feel his undeniably thick erection pressing against me.
The intensity of his presence sends my senses into overdrive.
My pulse quickens, and my body responds with instant, overwhelming warmth and wetness.
I haven’t been this turned on in…
well, ever.
And I’ve certainly never felt a dick this big against my body.
Vic is.
.
.
well-endowed in every way imaginable.
The attraction between us is undeniable.
It’s an unprovoked surge whenever we’re close to one another.
It’s been years since I’ve allowed myself to succumb to impulsive desires—too many years.
But with Vic, I find myself wanting to be reckless.
Daring to blur the lines between professional and personal .
Why shouldn’t I take the leap?
Why not explore our intense attraction and get these relentless, sinful urges out of our system?
It’d be a well-deserved release, a way to satiate our craving for one another so we can work together without the constant distraction of erections and wet panties.
With Vic so close and his breath against my ear, I take my best friends’ bad advice and whisper, “Mr. Grimes, I think we should fu—”
Our moment shatters with rapid knocks at the door.
“Ms. Kind! We’re waiting for you! Are you alone? Who’re you talking to?” Syd’s voice slices through the tension, prompting us to abruptly jerk apart.
I quickly but calmly answer, “No one! I’ll be out soon, okay?”
“Shit! Shit, shit,” Vic suddenly begins to panic, then paces back and forth.
“What the hell am I doing? What the hell was I thinking? This is exactly why I didn’t want to hire you!” He blurts out.
“We’re both adults who got carried away. It’s okay.” I try to calm him down, but my words seem to spark something darker.
He whirls around to face me, his expression hardening.
“No, it’s not okay, Kerry! I’m your boss; you’re my employee! And that’s all we’ll ever be!” His shout echoes off the walls, sending a painful jolt of fear through me, reminiscent of darker times I dared never to return to.
His words cut deep, and his tone is now icier than ever.
“If we can’t respect boundaries, then this isn’t gonna work. Now, you need to unpack, focus, and do your damn job, which doesn’t include doing me.”
What the hell?
His harshness makes my heart sink, but I hold back my tears and swallow the lump in my throat.
He flirted with me first!
“Do I make myself clear?” His voice is sharp, laden with authority, demanding my obedience.
As I slowly nod, my disdain for a man I had once judged too quickly as good fills me.
I glare, standing tall, wounded yet unyielding and resolute for him to understand that this will never be tolerated again.
In this moment, I hope he realizes the fear he unintentionally evoked and the hurt his words have certainly caused.
Regret casts a shadow over his face as he steps forward with his hand reaching out in a tentative gesture of reconciliation.
“Kerry, I’m—”
“Sorry?” My icy voice, though quiet, sharply cuts through our tension.
“Indeed, you are, Mr. Grimes. And I’m sorry for ever thinking anything other than that. ”
He swallows hard, then softens his voice, “I shouldn’t have yelled. Please, forgive me.”
I see contrition all over his face, prompting me to forgive him.
“It’s fine, really.” My words spill out like I’m on autopilot, a reflex to smooth over the discomfort.
But as I turn to pick up the dresses from the bed and place them back in the closet, a surge of self-awareness stops me.
I pivot back to face him, my resolve steeling.
“Actually, it’s not fine. I’m all too familiar with a raised voice. I know the degradation in being made to think I’ve done something wrong or being blamed for someone else’s shortcomings. But just because I’m familiar with these things doesn’t mean I’ll allow myself to be privy to them ever again.” I hold back tears, my dignity holding them at bay as I continue, “If you ever yell at me, if you ever speak to me as if I’m nothing ever again... I’ll not only quit, but I’ll make sure that everyone in this town knows the real you.”
He watches, frozen, as the unshed tears glisten in my eyes.
“Now, please leave. I need to unpack, focus, and do my damn job.”
With a heavy sigh, Vic turns and exits, his posture defeated, his head bowed in shame.
As soon as he exits the room, I slam the door shut with deliberate force.
Then, I pull out my phone to give my best friends an update on Day 1 of being Kerry ‘The Nanny’’ Kind.
Sistahs 4 Life
Kerry: FYI Ladies…
I HATE MY BOSS!