Page 73 of Corporate Escapades

“I really don't think this is a good idea.”

Standing, she let one strap slip from her shoulder, exposing more of her chest. “Oh, clumsy me,” she purred and then slowly slipped the second strap off, allowing her negligée to slide to the floor. She stood in front of him in nothing but a lace thong, ready and waiting for him to make a move. In one quick motion, he locked the door and closed the space between them. Picking her up, he sat her on his desk and ripped her panties off. Unbuckling his belt, he yanked at the closure to his khakis, and let them drop to the floor.

“Commando? I love it!” squealed Angela.

Vic, reaching up, took one finger and placed it over her lips to tell her to keep quiet, and then grabbing her waist, he urgently pulled her toward him.

It was nearly closing time when Mya arrived outside Vic's door. As she reached out her hand to knock, she heard the sound of a rhythmic thumping emitting from the room. Taking a step back, she paused. If she had any doubts as to what was going on, they were put to rest when she heard a woman's voice squeal, “Oh yes, Vic!” She knew the voice and instantly backed further away, but as the moment lengthened, so did the noise, and it became clear to the few employees nearby that something scandalous was happening.

No one would say that Vic and Angela had been bumping uglies at work because no one saw Angela leave his office.Everyone, including Mya, had cleared out by the time they emerged. Angela was safe and anyone who heard them would place complete blame on Vic. Vic, after all, was the one being scrutinized on his every move.

Mya was appalled by Vic's behavior, but at the same time, felt sorry for the idiot. She was certain Angela was out to sabotage him, though she really had no proof. All she knew was that Angela had never been the type to stick a single toe out of line at work. She never showed her sexuality, and she hadn’t previously been the type to pursue her coworkers. To add to the situation, she recently had made drastic changes to her clothing style. Something was definitely off.

Word quickly got around about the late afternoon rendezvous that happened inside Vic's office. It was midday Friday when his parents caught wind of his indiscretion. Any other company would have fired an employee for such misconduct, but ADG was not any other company. It took the board all weekend to decide how to handle the unfortunate event. Vic's parents were mortified and canceled all weekend plans with him. His morale took a massive hit. He sat in his apartment and drank whiskey on the rocks, trying not to think about the deep hole he’d dug himself into. If he thought he’d been at rock bottom previously, he was sadly mistaken.

Paris heard from Mya about Vic and Angela on Friday night. She was so angry; she had to force herself to leave the apartment so she wouldn’t strangle him in his sleep. Saturday afternoon, she missed a call from Tom, who canceled their evening plans because of something that came up. The weekend felt like a bust.

Saturday night, Cristo asked Mya to go on a date. He had yet another client dinner, which she had no desire to attend, but she felt she had no choice due to his volatile state. At the end of the evening, he demanded he be allowed to walk her to her apartment and come in for a nightcap. She complied, though she felt it was completely unnecessary. Leaning in, he tried to kiss her, and she pushed him away.

“You will comply with my requests,” he declared, “or I’ll make sure your dirty little secret gets out.” The game was on.

Mya nodded her understanding. She didn’t want to give in to him, but she didn’t want to make a scene either. He didn’t press her further but instead swatted her on the butt and turned to walk away. She was left standing there feeling helpless. She knew the situation would be continued at a later date. She’d wait in anticipation, but her anxiety was piqued, still not knowing where they were headed.

Chapter fifteen

Monday morning came with an early wake-up call. Dom boomed over the phone line, his complete and utter disgust at his son's recent in-office escapade. “How could you be so careless? Did you think someone wouldn't notice what you were doing? You should know better than anyone how well sound travels with those wood floors. You were there when we had them installed! I don't think I have to say how disappointed we all are. Furthermore, it hurts me to have to take action against both you and Paris for your stupidity!”

“Dad, I'm sorry. It won't happen again,” assured Vic.

“You're damned right it won't happen again! If it does, you’ll be cut off from the business, and this family! Keep your extracurriculars outside the office!” Quieting, Dom added, “There will be no board meeting today. I can't stand to look at you. Report back to maintenance, and take Paris with you.” Before Vic had a chance to respond, Dom slammed the phone down in his ear.

“Shit,” said Vic aloud, “shit, shit, shit!”

Paris, who had arrived home to change clothes in the middle of Vic's conversation, stood in the hallway listening. Vic stepped out of his room and jumped back, startled to see her standing there. “What's going on?” she asked, though she already had a good idea of his response.

“That was my father. No meeting this morning. He’s sending us back to janitorial.”

Paris threw her purse on the floor and stomped off to her bedroom. Stepping back into the hall, she pointed her finger at him. “I can't stand to look at you, let alone be in the same room as you! We’re back at the bottom because you’re an idiot, and you can't keep it in your pants!”

Turning, she marched back into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. Opening the door again, she popped her head out and yelled, “I actually felt something for you, but you’re such a man-whore that I'd have to be an even bigger ignoramus to think you could be capable of showing genuine feelings for anyone, least of all me!” Turning away, she again slammed the door.

While Paris hadn't actually touched him, it felt as if he’d been slapped. He was an idiot. There was no question in his mind. She was right. How could she have possibly entertained the idea of being with him when he’d done nothing to prove he was capable of any form of commitment? He’d spent time and energy being angry at her for not wanting more when, in reality, it was his own fault she had shut down. He had played into exactly what she would’ve expected of him by sleeping with Angela.

Sitting down on the sofa, he lowered his head into his hands. What a mess he’d made. Paris was mad, his father was mad, and he definitely couldn’t blame Chase and Mya if they felt angry as well, considering he had also gotten them thrown into smaller apartments because of his actions.

Paris lay face down on her bed in her room, sobbing into her pillow. She’d worked so hard to lift herself up, but she couldn’t control Vic's actions. As she was lying there crying, it occurred to her she was part of the problem. She and Vic had stopped working together after the weekend at the cabin. They’d come so close to figuring things out and then turned their backs on one another because they let sex get in the way. How would they make it through the next several weeks if they couldn’t handle speaking to each other or being in the same room? Sitting up, she wiped her face with a tissue. She knew the only way around their current roadblock would be for them to swallow their pride and talk things out.

Reaching out, Vic knocked on Paris's door. “Paris, I know you’re angry with me, but I want you to know that I’m sorry for dragging you into this situation. I know I’ve been apologizing a lot lately. Let's go to work and give ourselves a day to think about things, and then, if you’re ready, perhaps we can discuss what’s happened, as well as our plan going forward?” He heard no response.

Paris listened until his footsteps disappeared, and then she got dressed for the day. She didn’t exit her room until she was certain he had left for work. While she knew they’d eventually have to deal with all that had passed, she was going to give herself some time to think, as he had suggested. Feeling sorry for herself and humiliated, she was not ready to face him.

Chase was waiting at the elevator when Vic arrived. “I heard you've been demoted again,” he commented. The look on his face was all business. “When will you grow up and realize your actions affect more than just you?” he asked. “You want your parents to treat you like an adult, but you’re acting like a fratboy. You’re twenty-nine. This behavior should have ended a long time ago.”

Vic shook his head. “I'm scum,” he replied. “None of you deserve to be stuck in the mud with me.”

Chase looked at him and nodded in agreement. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Well, for starters, I plan to stay as far away from Angela as possible.”

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