Page 71 of Corporate Escapades

When she walked back into the condo, Tom was about to leave.

“Hey, it’s been fun. I have a client at nine. I need to go prepare. See you later,” he said and marched out the door. They’d been together all night, so obviously, he had to leave sometime. It wasn’t as if he’d come and gone. They’d partaken in several lovemaking sessions over the past twelve hours. He’d devoted a good deal of time to her. She needed to go to work as well, but she couldn’t get past the feeling that something was very wrong.

“Dr. Morgan, I screwed up bad this week,” said Vic. He was sitting in his therapist’s office, telling the story of waking up late and seeing Paris with Tom.

“Why did you go over to Paris’s condo in the first place?” asked Dr. Morgan.

“Honestly, I wanted to know why she wasn’t at work yet and I wanted to see if she’d run some recon for me and find out how the meeting went for my mother. I’m pretty sure I can suture up the damage I created with the client, but the situation with the board is a whole other story. This was definitely me dropping the ball. It's a pretty big mess.”

“Yes, indeed it is,” replied Dr. Morgan. “I’m happy to see you’ve owned up to your mistake. That’s progress.”

“Thanks. It doesn’t come easy for me.”

“One step at a time,” replied Dr. Morgan. “Tell me, Vic, how did it feel seeing Paris with Tom?”

“Horrible,” he admitted. “It felt like I was being stabbed in the back, and I’m not even sure why.”

“I’d encourage you to think about that some more. In order to mend the situation, you must first admit to yourself why you reacted in such a destructive way.”

“Can things get any worse?” asked Vic. “The board will probably punish us both, considering Paris wasn’t available to fill in.”

“That is possible,” said Dr. Morgan.

“The repercussions will be major; I fear.”

The Dr. nodded. “Of that, my friend, I have no doubt. The question is: how will you react?”

Chapter fourteen

“Honestly, Vic, where’s your head?” asked Paris. It was Sunday morning, and Paris had finally calmed herself enough to agree to meet with him in person. Mya and Chase were also present as they discussed the mess they’d made and how to clean it up. “You have the nerve to talk to me about Tom, yet you run off and screw Angela?” They’d booked a meeting room at Sense of Adventure to stay on universal grounds. Vic was seated at the table, while Paris was standing just inside the door with her hands on her hips as she unleashed her disappointment on him.

Mya walked toward Paris and gave her a look to tell her to tone it down. Paris bit her lip and gave a brief, nearly imperceptible nod to her friend.

Chase stood, raising his palms in the air, and said, “We’re not getting anywhere by pointing fingers. This isn't about Vic sleeping with Angela or Paris diddling Tom. This is about your future with the company. You need to look at this fromthe perspective that Vic overslept and missed an important appointment. The board doesn’t know you’re sleeping with Tom or Angela, and there’s no need to mention it,” he warned.

“I agree,” stated Mya. “We need to get through tomorrow's meeting without further blowing up this situation. What the board doesn't know won't hurt you two, right?”

Paris nodded her head. “Yeah, but what if they know? What if someone informed them?”

In response, Mya replied, “Do you believe these relationships are genuine? If you do, then there’s nothing to worry about. It isn't like you haven't dated others within the company before. ADG has never had a policy regarding interoffice relations, since obviously, the key players are married and best friends.”

Nodding again, Paris agreed with her. Vic continued to stare at them and say nothing. He felt like an idiot on so many levels. He raked his fingers through the waves of his short, brown hair. Paris had every right to be angry, but at the same time, he was frustrated with her response. As he sat quietly seething, he realized her rejection was the driving force behind his behavior. With yet another epiphany, he recognized that no one had ever rejected him before.

Vic sat and stared back at Paris as she tried to keep calm. Something about her anger stirred further desire within him, but he had to find a way to let it go. He needed to back off and accept that she was not interested in him. He knew that for them to make it within the company; they had to find a way to level the playing field and diffuse their angry feelings.

Paris paced back and forth. Her anger was directed at the wrong situation. Vic had seen her with another man, and it wasn’t something she took lightly. She knew he was not one to show up late, but his decision to sleep with Angela had gotten in the way of his work and then he had barged into her apartment unannounced, putting her in a highly uncomfortableand compromised position. “What do you think will happen in tomorrow's meeting?” she asked Chase and Mya.

Chase stepped forward. “I’m pretty sure we’re looking at a major demotion. This isn't some small client. We’re talking big bucks on the line.”

“He's right. Prepare yourselves for the worst. If they don't demote you, I’ll be shocked,” said Mya. “I’d also wager a change in housing.”

Vic’s eyes dropped to the floor as he shook his head. “Paris, for what it's worth, I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back and erase it for both of us. Please forgive me.” He hated asking for forgiveness, but he knew it was necessary.

“There’s nothing we can do to change what's already done,” she replied. At this point, she was more concerned about the consequences coming on Monday.

Monday morning, Vic and his peers arrived early to the boardroom. He wanted to show timeliness in light of his prior indiscretion. Try as he might, he couldn’t wrap his head around how he’d missed his alarm. He wanted the board to arrive so they could be handed their punishment and move on from the humiliating events of the prior week. Looking at Paris, he ascertained her mutual feelings toward the matter. Lucky for them, the seniors arrived early as well.

“Good morning,” said Jessamine. “We seem to have hit a little roadblock.”

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