Crossroads 2: Lacey's Last Chance (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4

  “You bitch,” he exclaimed, but before he could continue, his friends were running to him, pulling him away. “Just walk away, Jeb. It’s over. Forget about her,” Arthur told him.

  “I won’t forget about her. This is not how is supposed to be.”

  “Oh, this is how it is supposed to be. You and your friends are done breaking hearts, using female staff members and bullying all of us. If you and your friends dare to retaliate, to make up lies about us females or bother us the way you all have been for months, then we’ll slap a sexual harassment lawsuit on all of you so fast your heads will spin. You got that, Arthur?” she yelled, pointing at him. He worked in Human Resources and always seemed to get the women to drop their accusations of harassment. They thought they had the system rigged. Well, not anymore.

  As they headed out of the main office, the women started clapping and cheering as Francie hurried to her and hugged her. “Thank you, Lacey. Thank you so much for what you just did.”

  After everyone congratulated her and talked about the way the guys had bothered them for so long and how this would change everything, she headed to her desk, shaking but feeling different. She looked around the room. This place would never be the same.

  She wasn’t stupid. She knew how the workplace functioned. In a day, maybe even within this day, all would be forgotten and the same shit would go on.

  She looked at the financial sheets, the budget, and the evaluations she had done for the board meeting. There was no enthusiasm left in her system, no fight to be on top and not on top of the lead men in the firm. No, she wasn’t happy. She was bored. She was trying to fulfill this inner need to feel something, anything but fear and emptiness.

  She had been stupid to allow herself to think that Jeb filled something in her. He looked good on her arm, as she looked good on his. There was no love, no matter how hard she pretended there might be. The scary part was that she might have settled for him, might have accepted a proposal just to feel as if she belonged to someone, to something whole, and ultimately not be alone. But it was obvious that love, commitment, and compassion from a man weren’t things she would ever experience or receive. Only pain. Tye had taught her that years ago.

  The tears burned her eyes, but she refused to think of Tye right now. It would only weaken her resolve to be strong.

  It was time to move on. It was time to focus on her needs and the things that made her happy, but she wouldn’t do anything rash. She would take a few days and think about her options. There were plenty, and the thought that instantly came to mind was that antique shop, and interior decorating. She would love that. It would be her dream job. Her dream life. Just thinking about it made Lacey feel happy and uplifted.

  The phone on her desk rang, jerking her thoughts back to the present. She looked up toward the window and into the office. Everyone was going about their business. She was just another person to gossip about, good or bad. She answered the phone as she received a call from upstairs.

  Nate Warren wanted to see her. He was one of the CEOs of the company, and also Jeb’s good friend. This was it. She was probably going to get fired, and right now, she could care less.

  * * * *

  “Fire her, Nate. You have to fire her or she’ll ruin all our careers,” Jeb ordered as he paced inside of Nate’s office.

  “Calm down. I doubt things are that extreme. Lacey’s always been professional and quiet. She’ll listen to reason.”

  “Bullshit she will. She just made a public spectacle of herself and made accusations about sexual harassment and us not being able to satisfy women in bed.”

  Nate chuckled. “I’ve allowed you and the guys to get away with a lot of things, but this public display of your personal life is not acceptable.”

  “It was her who carried on.”

  “That’s not what I heard. You were seen grabbing her forcefully. You were the one yelling and instigating the situation. We need to resolve this calmly.”

  “Fire her.”

  “I can’t do that. Too many witnesses. You need to take care of this. I have to cover all our bases legally.”

  They heard the knock on the door and the secretary peeked inside. “I have Lacey Brooks here to see you.”

  “Send her in.”

  “You guys head out of here. Do what is necessary. I’ll cover our bases up here.”

  As the door opened, Lacey’s eyes widened as if shocked to see Jeb and Arthur there.

  “Hello, Lacey, please come in. Jeb and Arthur were just leaving,” Nate told her. Jeb practically snarled at Lacey. It seemed his friend had finally met his match, a woman who wouldn’t be used and tossed to the side. Kudos to her.

  Lace looked right at Jeb and then entered the office. Arthur closed the door behind them.

  “Mr. Warren, if I could explain what happened earlier today downstairs—” she began to say.

  “Please, Lacey, come have a seat.”

  She sat down and crossed her legs, kept her hands clasped on her lap. She was drop-dead gorgeous and could have any man she wanted. Why she let Jeb in her bed, he didn’t know. He knew that he would do her if he had the chance, but he needed to be smart here.

  “I heard about what took place this morning. I have to say that I’m surprised at your behavior and outburst.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept talking. “However, I can understand you’re upset. Jeb has a bit of a reputation, and so does his crew, with the ladies. There’s no need to make matters worse for anyone, Lacey. I’m sure your intentions were to make sure Jeb no longer bothers you. From the employees’ responses, it appears you got what you wanted. But as your boss, as CEO of this company, I need to ensure a professional setting. You were both lucky that no clients were in the vicinity of the incident or I would be forced to ask for your resignation.”

  “Yes, sir. I understand. I’m certain you explained the same thing to Jeb.”

  He held her gaze. Apparently Lacey had grown a set of confidence and spunk overnight. Jeb must have really done something to piss her off. He would love nothing more than to teach this bitch a lesson in the order of command. He’d have her spread over his desk on her belly, begging for his cock in no time. Jeb must be losing his touch.

  “Of course I explained the same thing to Jeb. I don’t expect any other incidents to occur, or I will be forced to ask you both to leave. Considering the circumstances and the large crowd that gathered to watch this outburst occur, I think it would be best if you took a few days off. You know, to gather your thoughts and consider whether you would like to keep your position here.”

  “What? Are you threatening my job? I didn’t do anything wrong. I was sticking up for myself.”

  “You were the aggressor. That is what I was told. Private and personal lives should not be mixed in business. People gossip no matter what, but to air your dirty laundry so bluntly is unacceptable in this company. Take the few days to think about things. Jeb has been here four years longer than you and I don’t need to tell you that his family is involved with board members. I’m sorry, but my hands are tied.”

  “So you’re basically telling me that you want me to take a few days to think about keeping my job, but really, you’re suggesting that I hand in my resignation?”

  “I’m suggesting you consider your options. I’m trying to give you a way out before this turns ugly. The decision is yours.”

  “The decision is not mine. The choice to work here is no longer mine. What about all my hard work? What about references to get a job elsewhere? Jeb has that much control over you, over the board ?”

  “I can offer you a nice severance pay. I would be more than happy to recommend you for any jobs you apply for. That is, if you decide to leave the company. Remember, I’m giving you a few days to think things through. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting in five minutes.”

  He ushered her out and he hoped he pulled this off. Getting her to quit before she wound up slapping a harassment lawsuit on the majority of men working there alo
ng with her fellow female friends would bring down the company. The other leaders from the past never had this type of problem. He wouldn’t be the first to cause such negativity.

  “Please don’t be upset with me. I’m looking out for you. I know how things work, and I know Jeb. It doesn’t seem fair, but wouldn’t it be better to leave with dignity and with the ability to seek employment elsewhere with a backing, than to get fired and dragged through the mud?”

  She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, the fight he saw earlier nearly gone. “Yes, sir. I appreciate your guidance here. I’ll take a few days off and let you know my decision.”

  “I don’t want to lose you, Lacey, but it may be best, considering,” he whispered, as if he were her ally. Wouldn’t it be great if she trusted him enough to spread her legs? He chuckled to himself as she left his office and he closed the door.

  He was getting pretty good at diffusing these women coming forward with claims of sexual harassment. Lacey was just like the others, weak and easily controlled by power. It’s a man’s world, sweetheart. Get over it.

  * * * *

  Lacey walked out of Warren’s office feeling confused. Then, of course, add in the fact that some of the men up on the same floor were eying her over like a piece of meat. They hadn’t done that before. Her confidence, her resolve to maintain control of this situation and not wind up with a bad reputation, was diminishing.

  “Hey, Brooks, since you’re not busy later, how about meeting up at Crossroads for a few drinks,” Clark, one of the other financial heads, said to her as he stood next to two other men she knew were financial guys for the company.

  “I’m busy,” she replied as he licked his lower lip and gave her body the once-over.

  “That’s not what we hear,” he replied. The other guy gave him a tap to his side as the elevator doors opened and she stepped in.

  “Maybe she likes to skip the drinks and head straight to the hotel,” he added.

  “What did you say?” she asked, but the doors closed and the guys started laughing and high-fiving one another.

  She felt sick to her stomach. She had been so stupid to sleep with Jeb and fall for his charms. She was great at finances and working numbers. She had earned this position, and now it seemed her job was in jeopardy. She felt sick to think that these men all had this image of her because of Jeb. What had he been telling them? What if she had allowed him to manipulate her further and let his friends touch her, play with her body, too? How could she even consider such a thing?

  God, she hoped that Suzette hadn’t made a mistake with Nikko and Miles. Now she worried about her friend, too, besides having to quit her job. She could get another job, that was, if her references were good. But could Nate be trusted? She didn’t think so. He was friends with Jeb as well, and all men stuck together. Hadn’t she learned that by now? She heard her phone go off and reached for it. She glanced down and saw that it was Suzette. She read her text.

  Well? How did it go so far?

  Not good. I lost it. Told him off in front of whole office. Just met with CEO. My advice? Take things slow with Nikko and Miles. Men can’t be trusted. They stick together.

  The elevator doors opened and she headed to her desk. Suddenly, no one was saying anything to her. She had a bad feeling and it only got worse.

  As she headed to her office, she saw the mess on her desk. There was a yellow envelope with her name on the front of it. She opened it up as she looked around at the mess in the office and then out toward her coworkers. No one lifted their heads up to make eye contact with her. She felt the lump in her throat and then the dryness kick in.

  Pulling out the contents, she saw the large eight-by-ten photo of her and Jeb in his office. He had her pressed up against the wall, her skirt lifted to her hips and them making out. She never had sex with him in the office, but this picture would say otherwise. He had won. The bastard knew this would destroy her reputation and any chances at being hired elsewhere.

  It was over. Once again, she had trusted the wrong man. The only difference was that Jeb hadn’t been so obsessed that he wanted to kill her. He only wanted to win and destroy her reputation so he could continue to be on top.

  She put the picture back into the envelope and cleared her desk. Opening up her computer, she saw the screen. Someone had broken into her system and bypassed her password. The same picture on the envelope was also on her screensaver. Jeb’s friends. They were everywhere, and there was no way she could work like this. She had to give her resignation.

  Chapter 3

  “Where are you now?” Miles asked Suzette over the phone. She swallowed hard. She didn’t know what to do. Her friend was suffering and had to resign from her job, and now was looking for other work. They talked about her options and what was available to her. After hearing what the guys did to her at work on Monday, she had avoided talking with Miles and Nikko. Suzette was confused, fearful that they could turn on her despite her gut saying that they weren’t like that. Lacey kept telling her not to trust them so easily and quickly, just in case it was a mistake. Maybe it was, but she loved them. She missed them and they were only apart for four days.

  “I’m sitting in my car, waiting for Lacey to meet me. We’re looking at some available building spaces.”

  “You’ve been avoiding us all week. What’s the deal, baby? We miss you.”

  “I’m sorry, Miles. I said I needed slow.”

  “We can do slow together, honey. Talk to me. Meet us so we can discuss what’s really going on.”

  She swallowed hard.

  “It’s not a good time. Lacey needs me. I explained about her leaving her job.”

  “Yes, you did, but left out why. Didn’t you think we would find out?”

  “What did you hear?”

  “That she told off that dick she was dating and he had some shit on her. She quit so she could avoid any controversy.”

  “He didn’t have anything on her. It was a picture that was misconstrued. She never did anything with him at the office.”

  “I don’t know what the picture was. All I know is that Nikko and I miss you. We can’t wait until Saturday to see you. We have to see you tonight.”

  “It’s only a day away,” she replied weakly. She really did want to see them. This was killing her.

  “Meet us at Crossroads tonight. Come on, now. We need to see you.”

  “I’ll see if Lacey is up for it. We have a fundraising event to attend first. Remember I told you about it on the weekend?”

  “Of course, but you said it ends at eight. Meet us afterwards. You and Lacey.”

  “Okay, we’ll try,” she said, knowing she wanted to see them, too. Her fears were caused by what happened to Lacey and Lacey’s own regrets. She couldn’t risk losing Nikko and Miles. They meant so much to her already.

  She disconnected the call as Lacey headed out of her apartment. She was dressed nicely in a skirt and tank top. Suzette wore a longer skirt, one to her knees, and a blouse over the tank top. She was more conservative than her best friend.

  “Hey, thanks for coming with me. I don’t want to make any rash decisions.”

  “Of course. Did you talk with Sonya and Bethany? Are they in for tonight?”

  “They can attend with us, but they want to go to Crossroads afterwards.”

  “Miles and Nikko want us to meet them there.”

  She placed the car in drive and they headed out of the parking lot.

  “You told them we would?” Lacey asked, and Suzette could hear the concern in her tone.

  “I said I would check with you first. I won’t leave you if you’re not up to going there.”

  Lacey looked out the window and wrung her hands together.

  “No, we should go. Despite the fact that he might be there, I’ll need to get over seeing him.”

  “You need to put him behind you and focus on you.”

  As they headed out of the area and one town over, where the rent was cheaper, they came across
the perfect location, an older-style building with country charm surrounded by woods and well-kept street ways. Floral planters were sporadically placed along the sidewalks and old-fashioned night lanterns hung from each corner. It was very welcoming, especially the wooden benches and outdoor seating areas near the small café a few storefronts down from the vacant one.

  “It’s up here. Right on the corner.”

  “Oh God, Lacey, that is so cute. Look at the old-fashioned windows. It’s in an older set of buildings, huh?”

  “Yes, but I think it has charm, a unique appeal that just yells ‘antiques.’ What do you think?”

  “I hope that it isn’t run-down, or it could cost you most of what you’ve saved to fix it up.”

  “Nonsense. It should be okay. I figured if it looks good, I might ask Stitch to come by and take a look before I make an offer.”

  “Stitch, from Crossroads?”

  “Yes, he has friends who are in the construction business. One of them works on the side, so he would be cheap.”

  “Cool. I had no idea. Stitch seems to know a lot of people.”

  “Did you know that he’s cousins with Miles and Nikko?” Suzette parked the car in front and looked at Lacey.

  “No. I didn’t know that.”

  “Yep. So it’s a good thing you never hung out at Crossroads all the time picking up guys, or they would find out.”

  “Real funny, Lacey.”

  Lacey chuckled.

  “Hey, I know you want to see them. I know I suggested going slow, and I guess it was because of my own fears and mistakes I made with Jeb. Don’t not see them or slow things down so much that it puts a hold on the fire you three have going. Enjoy it. If they screw up and hurt you, then I’ll make their lives a living hell.”

  Suzette chuckled and they got out of the car to check out the storefront.

  One glance inside and they were pleasantly surprised as they spoke with the realtor.