Page 49 of Power
“What do you think he’s going to say?”
I dragged a hand through my hair. “No idea. Based on the look he gave me from the stage, he was as shocked as I was about this little plot twist. Probably wants to do damage control. Tell me to pack my bags.” My laugh came out hollow, the kind that belonged in a haunted house soundtrack. “That’s the worst-case scenario bouncing around my panicking brain right now.”
“He’s probably panicking a little bit too.”
“He has no reason to panic.” I started reorganizing my desk for the third time because nothing saysI’m totally finelike alphabetizing your paper clips. “He owns the company. I’m the one whose career is dangling by a thread. Would it have killed him to give me one day to process before summoning me to his office?”
Dakota tapped her fingers against my desk, a human metronome counting down to my demise.
“Was I imagining it, or were you more shocked than I was to see him?” I questioned.
Her lips thinned. “I should have recognized him at the bar,but it’s been so long. When he said his name onstage, it clicked. He’s … an old family friend.”
“Wait, youknowhim?” I practically shrieked.
“Not really,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I think I met him a couple times, over a decade ago. Look, this isn’t the headline here, and it’s completely irrelevant to what’s happening now.” She shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. “Back to you and your crisis.”
I stared at her. Dakota knowing Jace, even barely, felt like too much of a coincidence. But something in her posture told me to back off, and honestly? I had bigger problems. Maybe I’d circle back to this when my world wasn’t imploding.
“Anyway,” she said, “maybe it’s good to get the awkward conversation over with?”
It took me a second to fully focus back on the problem at hand.
“What if it’s not just awkward?” I challenged.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m kind of a liability to him.” My stomach rolled with a fresh wave of unease. “What if he’s going to demand I resign?”
Note: She didn’t say that’d never happen. Instead, she took a beat. A long one. The kind of pause that made you wonder if she was mentally updating your résumé for you.
“Okay, look.” She finally spoke. “There’s no sense spiraling through worst-case scenarios.”
“I don’t want this to be the reason I lose my career, Dakota.” My voice cracked. “I’ve worked so hard, fought against so many obstacles. Put my heart and soul into this job. And now, what? It all gets stripped away because the one time—the ONE time!—I let myself have a carefree weekend, it blows up in my face?”
I slumped back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. “You know what’s really messed up? I didn’t even realize how much I needed that weekend until it happened. Last night, I went to bed smiling. Woke up smiling. Started thinking maybe I should let my guard down more often. Maybe even—God, this is embarrassing—maybe even try actual romance.” My laugh came out bitter. “What are the odds? Years I’ve worked at this company, and the one weekend I decide to live a little …” I gestured helplessly. “It’s like the cosmos waited for me to finally have fun just so it could point and laugh.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine.” Dakota leaned forward. “You said Jace seemed like a really nice guy. I doubt he’s going to fire you over this.”
I pressed my fingers against my temple, willing away the growing headache.
“Well, bright side? If Jace fires me, I won’t have to stress about that HR meeting anymore. Though, at this point, that feels like choosing between a root canal and a colonoscopy.”
“Speaking of which …” Dakota straightened. “What are you going to tell them about Grabby Hands?”
It took me a second to get out of my own head and transition from my thoughts of Jace to the very important meeting I had in front of me with HR. The one I had prepared for with the diligence of someone planning a bank heist.
I pulled out my carefully crafted bullet-point list on my phone, trying to ignore how my hands trembled slightly.
“Everything.” I tapped the screen with my pen. “Starting with how he strategically scheduled the interview for four forty-five on a Friday. He had three months to learn the culture of the organization, to learn that the office clears out by four thirty on Fridays, virtually guaranteeing no one would be here to witness anything.”
Dakota’s eyes narrowed. “Calculated bastard.”
“Oh, it gets better.” I started checking off points. “I’m going to describe every slimy innuendo, every lingering look that made my skin crawl. How he implied the promotion was mine if I did whatever he wanted.” My throat tightened. “I’m going to detail exactly where his hands went, what he said while he was at it, and especially his charming parting threats when I walked away.”
“Welcome back.” Dakota smiled. “This morning after thecompany meeting, you seemed rattled. It’s nice to see you back to your strong self.”
“I’m not stopping there,” I clarified. “I want them combing through his employment history. Every company, every boss, every HR department.” My finger tapped on the side of my phone. “Because I’ll bet my next three paychecks, I’m not his first victim. But I’m damn well going to be his last.”
