Page 111 of Business Casual

I flipped it over and there was nothing on the back. The next page in the folder was a duplicate of what I’d just signed. A quick glance determined that the following two pages appeared to be the same.

Mustering my courage and strength, I walked to Tre’s office.

My knuckles met the door softly as to not bring any attention. Keeping my head on a swivel, I knocked again—a little louder.

When Tre opened the door, my eyes instantly watered. Blinking back tears, I stuck my arm out and handed him the consensual relationship consent form.

“I signed it,” I blurted out.

He stepped back, allowing me more space. “Come in.”

I shook my head, scared I was going to cry if I was alone with him. “I shouldn’t.”

“Please.”

He took the paper and eyed it. I could almost see his shoulders deflate. It was as if my signature made the form he had created specifically for our breakup real. When he looked up at me, he swallowed hard. “Please.”

Ripping my eyes from his, I walked into his office.Why can’t I resist him?

Making a beeline for the window, I stared over the courtyard. There were a good amount of people sitting out there, enjoying the summer sun. The greenery, the flowers, and the landscaping work was impeccable. So I kept my back to him and stared out until I felt strong enough to turn around.

He met me at the window.

“Imani?”

I took a deep breath. “Yes?”

“Talk to me.”

Chewing on my bottom lip, I forced myself to look at him. “I um…” I hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry about all this. I’ve been praying that everything goes well with your dad. Please let me know what he says. I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure your project is reaching the right markets and gaining traction in your target demographics,” I yammered in a rush.

He searched my face silently. With a tight smile, he exhaled audibly. “I told you. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. And your work has never been a question.”

“I can’t let you lose your job.” My voice broke and my throat burned. Shaking my head, I backed away. “I should go.”

“Imani—”

“Let me go, Tre,” I interrupted, fighting tears. “Past tense, remember.”

I ran out of his office, accidentally slamming the door behind me. I was going to go back and apologize, but I knew that if I looked at him, I’d break down. I’d never had anyone have the effect on me that he had. So, I just kept going until I almost collided with Josephine.

“Ms. Jones!” she hissed, holding on to the cart I almost overturned.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized thickly. “Okay? I’m sorry!” I went into my office and closed the door behind me.

Seconds later, the door opened, and Josephine was on the wrong side of it. With her hands on her hips, she shook her head. “Pull yourself together. What’s going on?”

“I didn’t see you. I ran into you by accident. I apologized. What more do you want from me?”

“I understand you’re upset. I don’t know what happened. But let me tell you, twenty years ago, if Mr. Franklin hadn’t ignored the rumors my former boss said about me, I wouldn’t have this job. My ex, my former boss, threw me under the bus to save his ass and his job. And for a long time, no one would hire me. But Mr. Franklin did, and I’m grateful for that. But not everyone is like Mr. Franklin and if you get fired, I don’t know where you’ll end up. But don’t cry about it. Hold your head up high.”

Nodding, my face was still as I took in the information. “Thank you for that.”

“You’re not the first person to get involved with your supervisor and you won’t be the last. But if you care about your job, get it together.”

“Did you tell Christina Walls this?”

She looked around even though it was clear we were the only people in the room. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You shouldn’t even know that name,” she said in a low, worried tone.

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