Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
VIOLET
The aroma of coffee wakes me, the enticing, rich scent pulls me out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.
I’m still half asleep.
Even though it’s early, I’m normally up by now, but I couldn’t sleep last night.
I shove my mess of hair back as Cade hands me a cup of coffee. I breathe it in.
“Triple espresso morning, I think. You usually have two before you leave here.” His glasses are on his head like he was in the middle of working when he had a sudden jonesing for caffeine.
There’s a can of energy drink on the counter, one of those natural ones, but I’ve seen the evidence of his more hardcore energy drinks here when he’s come in as I’ve headed out to work.
Funny how well I know him and don’t know him at all.
“Thanks.” I take a sip, and it’s strong and just slightly sugary. I don’t always have sugar, but this morning, it’s perfect. “You are a god among men.”
“Fuck, all I had to do was make you coffee to earn idol status? I’ll take back the breakfast.”
I sniff the air, detecting baked goods. And eggs. Bacon?
I look around. “You haven’t cooked…”
“Who cooks breakfast in New York? I don’t.”
I usually grab an apple or protein bar when I’m rushing out the door at home. And here, I always have protein bars in my bag. “You said breakfast.”
He looks me up and down, amusement shining.
I frown. “What?”
“Your sexy lingerie.”
I snort.
It’s not Kermit, thank goodness.
The Kermit PJs—I’m not thinking about the state he found them in at all—are in my suitcase, and I have cavorting lamb T-shit and boxer combo sleepwear on. The sexiest of the sleepwear range I own.
I know I should care how I look, but right now I don’t. Even though I know I will in about ten minutes.
“Look, Cade. Don’t distract a girl with her sexy factors when you mention breakfast.”
“Sorry. I got bagels and bacon, cheese and egg bagels, and a selection of pastries.” Then he pauses. “Two. I got you croissants and some apple thing.”
I grab one of each, feeling like I could eat a horse, but aware I might come across as a bit of a pig. I figure I can eat the bagel now and take the other two to work.
“Thanks, Cade.” I sink down in the nearest chair as I open the bagel and take a bite.
He’s got a cream cheese everything bagel he’s scraping ninety percent of the cheese off and into a container. Then he snaps on the lid. “They always go overboard with the cheese.”
He takes a bite of one piece of his toasted bagel as I eat, then he pulls out his phone.
Cade doesn’t join me, he stays standing, leaning against the counter as he checks something and sends a message.
“Are you good with work today?”
“I’m not going as a banshee-chic if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He smiles and glances at me. “I think you look fine.”
“Men.” I roll my eyes. “PJs? Banshee hair?”
“I thought it was the new sexy.”
I shake my head at him and put my bagel down to take a swallow of the coffee. “I’m good. A little nervous.” I hate to admit it. “But I’ll get over it.”
Then he goes still. “I wonder…”
“What?” Suddenly, it clicks what he might be looking at. The news must be starting to hit everywhere. “Are you wondering if Isaac will be in?”
He nods. Carefully.
I nod once. “I take it you’ve seen what the hacker The Ghost did.”
“Yup. It’s everywhere.”
“Oh. Is this what…this is?” I spread my hands to take in the coffee and breakfast.
“Nope. This is ‘I needed sustenance because I’ve got a big day,’ and figured you might want to eat, too. As for this story, I figured you’d bring it up if you wanted to talk about it.”
I swallow, nodding. “Okay.”
Now he looks at me, takes another bite of his bagel, and washes it down with a sip of his coffee. I guess the energy drink’s for later.
“Why didn’t you tell me what really happened, though?”
I can’t move. “What do you mean?”
He sighs heavily. “I mean, that it’s clearly you he means on the message. Not clearly, wrong term. To me, it’s clear because I know how rattled you were yesterday.”
I want to tell him, I do. I want to say it’s because The Ghost went after him, because he’s spying on him.
But then Cade would hit me with a whole lot of questions.
And I’d have to tell him how I know that and why.
I’d have to tell him about my reckless, depraved side and with it would come tumbling out the whole me running away from him to get fucked by a man I don’t know in the park.
Not exactly a heartwarming story.
Cade would…I don’t know…
Think less of me?
I’m scared he’ll think less of me, judge me.
I know this is ridiculous.
This is Cade.
He’s the least judgmental person I know. He let Jack stay here forever. He’s gone out of his way for me and was so understanding when I left him. I’m not even sure he bought my reason for disappearing if I’m brutally honest.
He’s not about to judge. Is he?
So, why am I so scared to let him see the real me.
Because I am.
I’m terrified.
“Vi,” he says softly, “this is gonna blow over.”
“If you know it’s me, then everyone else will.”
“No. They won’t. It’s clear to me because I was there last night, okay? But I promise no one else will be able to piece it together.”
I desperately want to believe him, but in the bottom of my heart, I’m not that sure.
“Thanks, Cade.” I smile and take another swallow of my coffee. “I’m gonna finish breakfast and then get ready for work.”
Nerves make my toes and fingers tingle, and my breakfast shifts greasily in my stomach as I push open the door to the office.
Isaac is meant to be at the council today, but I fully expect the whole place to be in crisis mode.
Only, it isn’t. Not on the surface.
People are working as if this is just a regular day.
I slide into my office and work through the barrage of emails I shouldn’t even be fielding.
It’s not until my, “Mr. Stengal will get back to you shortly,” generic response won’t work that I head out into the main floor to ask when he’ll be back.
One of the women, Jenny, sees me and grabs my arm as Miriam mans the front desk. “Did you hear?”
“Hear what?” I play dumb.
“Isaac’s in huge trouble.” She looks over at the others chattering.
Looks like they are all waiting for news of what to do next.
But the thing is, Isaac can’t be fired. He needs to be voted out. And the election isn’t for a while.
This office is where he plans to launch his step up in the political world, which is what most people are working for, why it was such a great internship to land.
But he can be forced to resign, and no one looks like they are doing anything to deal with the situation. No crisis management mode, no panic. Nothing.
“What do you mean? Didn’t we deal with the scandal already?”
She shakes her head. “This is new. And oh boy. That Ghost hacker? He released a tape on the radio.” She rolls her eyes. “I know who listens to the radio anymore, right?”
She waves it off as if that is not the point.
“Thing is, he sent it to the news stations and to podcasters and gossip sites. In the tape, Isaac is trying to manipulate someone into a blowjob or they’ll be fired.
Talk about abuse of power. Makes you wonder what else he’s into, especially after the pink party tape we busted our asses smoothing over. ”
I try to look as shocked as I can. “Oh my. Are we meant to be smoothing over this, too?”
She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t think so.”
A phone rings in one of the other offices and about two minutes later, his two top people, a speech writer and political spinner, leave.
“That’s bad,” Jenny mutters. “I wish someone knew who it was. It might not have been in here. He has his fingers in a lot of pots.”
“Yeah. I have someone asking for him. Any idea when he’ll be back?”
“Who knows at this point.”
“Thanks. I hope this gets settled soon.”
“Yeah, me too.” She frowns and heads to her desk, and I head to mine.
I let the person waiting know they’ll be contacted by someone on the team as soon as possible.
And even though the office is tense, I relax.
Because Isaac’s not here, and it seems Cade’s right. No one knows who Isaac is speaking to in the recording.
I can’t help but turn off the would-be advisor in my brain. I’d tell him, with the sudden plummeting numbers and all the rumors and articles about him online, to use it. To get someone, anyone, to state it was a sex game. A fantasy being roleplayed.
Push the BDSM aspect, shed some voters but not go into freefall.
But I’m not his analyst or advisor. Not really. I’m just here to learn and to do a small portion of the job.
Actually, a large portion, but one others take credit for.
And even if I was his real advisor, I don’t know if I’d want him to get away with that. Not with him having hit on me, not with the unknown factor being me.
It also doesn’t feel right letting him use the BDSM community to get away with things.
The job really is dirty. I can see it now.
Because if I wasn’t interning, I’d have to make that decision about the man who paid me.
Then again, would he have hit on me if I was a respected analyst and advisor?
I shut the thoughts down. They’re taking me in circles, and I need a moment to breath.
I open an internet browser to do some research, and a headline catches my attention.
As my mouth hangs open, the office explodes in chatter.
Isaac isn’t coming back to the office. He’s announced he’s stepping back and resigning.
Phones ring off the hook.
When mine rings, I’m informed that the office is closing, but because there will be someone new, someone in the interim to take over, from their own office, I won’t be needed. A lot of the staff is going to shift to other offices and jobs.
And I’m in the wind.
I call the school.
My Professor calms my nerves. “That won’t be a problem, Miss Carter. We will find you a better placement. You have been doing an excellent job, so it won’t be hard.”
When we hang up, I’m now hanging by the line of hope I was thrown.
I finish up my work, then I pack up, and say my goodbyes, giving Miriam a hug.
“Where are you going?” I ask her.
“This office still has to field calls, so I’ll be here until the last call is done, and then onto the next job. Don’t worry about me, I always have about five job offers on the go.”
She smiles, and we say goodbye.
It’s roughly about lunchtime, so I head to a bar I know not too far away and settle in for a salad and some wine. I sit back, breathing in slow, light breaths.
And I call Cade.
He answers my call immediately, something that makes me smile. “Is something wrong, Violet?”
I sip my wine. “No. Isaac’s resigning, so I’m out of a job there, but my school said I’ll be getting another placement to finish my internship.”
“I told you things would work out.”
“You said no one would know… you know.”
He laughs. “Code for ‘it’ll all work out’.”
“Well, I should start organizing and cleaning my place so I can go back home.”
“Vi, you’re staying at my place for a while longer. It’ll make me happier and less stressed if you’re there. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I hang up, and when my salad is placed down in front of me, feta, greens, and beets, I take a small bite and stare at my phone.
I think I need to text The Ghost.
He’s told me it wasn’t him. And while I’m not sure what I believe, I need to ask if he saw anything and how he came to bug the office. That bothers me a little, especially if he bugged Isaac’s.
Watching me at home is okay because I never said no. I even liked it. But watching my ex-boss? That’s wrong.
I know The Ghost is possessive, but this might be step too far.
Me: Did you see anything on the cameras about the break in? Because maybe it was you. Cade said nothing was missing. And you bugged my boss.
Ghost: I think you’d like it if I had been the one to break in.
Me: That’s not an answer. I’m staying with my friend Cade because of that.
Ghost: Friend? I’ve seen how you look at him. I don’t share my property.
I shiver at that.
I should hate It, but I don’t. I love the possessive, dominating behavior, but not where it interferes with my real life.
Me: How I look at him? I like him. I want…
I stop.
A burst of clear anger comes over me.
Me: If this is going to go on, it has to be after we meet face to face. Otherwise, I’m done.
Ghost: One more fantasy interaction. I’ll be worth it. Finish up your lunch and wine and then walk home. I’ll be watching. You’ll be safe.
It’s daytime, but…
Ghost: There are people around, so someone might see us, and you don’t know what I’ll do, or when I’ll do it. Are you in?
Excitement floods me.
This is the last time, I tell myself. The next time, we’ll have met face to face. And I think I’ll make sure I see him this time. At my place. Where he broke in.
I’m going to try and beat him there so he has to come in.
If I can.
Me: Yes.