Beauty and the Boss Page 5
“Consider this.” Jennifer moved faster than she expected,
and she spread her hands in shock when she landed on top
of her. Being this close made it easy for Jennifer to bite her
top lip hard enough to break the skin.
“What the hell?” Dalton asked as he flipped the lights on.
The sudden brightness made Ellis blink repeatedly and
finally push Jennifer away. “He’s right. What the hell was
that?” The coppery taste in her mouth could only mean that
Jennifer’s bite had also drawn blood.
“I said I wasn’t interested, and she tried to force me.”
Jennifer obviously had a talent for starting her tear ducts on
demand, making her performance all that more believable
as she ran into Dalton’s embrace.
“Come on, Ellis. Didn’t you learn anything from what
happened last year?”
“If this is the shakedown you two have been working on,
let’s hear it. Only the punch line had better include an exit
clause for both of you.”
“No, this is someone finally telling you that not
everyone’s for the taking.” Dalton put his arm around
Jennifer’s shoulders and led her out after the
admonishment. It hadn’t taken much time for Jennifer’s face
to become red and blotchy from the hysterical crying.
“I believe it’s time for both of you to go.” She pressed a
tissue to her lip and texted her mother to get to the office,
and to call Rueben to meet them.
“You can’t sweep this one away so easily, you pig.”
Jennifer screamed, and this time, she sounded unhinged, as
if Dalton had just saved her from a horrific rape. “Dalton,
call the police. I want to file a report.”
“Are you sure?” Dalton asked with sympathy so contrived
that Ellis figured he’d choke on the words. “There’s no other
way you want to handle this?”
“Would this other way maybe involve my checkbook?”
“I’m your CFO, so believe me. You don’t have enough
money to make this go away.” Jennifer wrenched herself
away from Dalton and ripped her blouse so that buttons flew
around the room.
Ellis watched the sad attempt to add to her story and
could only think of one strange thing, considering what was
going on. She wondered what brand of blouse would’ve
come apart so easily. Laughing now would only make things
worse, so she turned her attention to the two security
guards who had arrived fast enough that they were out of
breath. They no doubt were gifts from her mother.
“Dalton, do you want to call the police, or should I?” She
had to replace the tissue against her lip after she asked.
“You’re taking this too lightly, considering what’s at
stake,” Dalton said, placing his hands on Jennifer’s waist.
“Do you know how hard it is to defend yourself against
harassment and creating a hostile work environment?”
“I guess I’m making the call then, and I’ll be happy to
add battery to that since I’m the one bleeding.” She picked
up the phone, and Jennifer screamed again.
“No, I’m calling,” she said, having to tone down her
behavior, Ellis figured, because of the new witness. “Can I
go to my office? I’m too traumatized to stay here.”
“Yes, ma’am, but let me and Mr. Burton escort you,” the
taller guard said. “I don’t want anything else happening to
you tonight. My partner will stay with Ms. Renois until the
officers get here.”
“Thank you.” Jennifer held her clothes together,
appearing as if she really had been mauled.
“Dalton, take good care of your girl,” Ellis said. “And
make sure neither of you leaves until this is taken care of.”
“Ellis, you do realize fame doesn’t get you out of
everything,” he said, his menace finally seeping out a little.
“No one gets to live a charmed life from beginning to end.”
“You’re right, but to tell you the truth, charm had never
been a talent of mine.”
He laughed and slammed his fist into his hand. “What is
it then?”
“Shredding things that…what’s the best way to put it?”
She wished he’d come after her to give her an excuse to put
her hands on him with justification. “The things that don’t fit
into my life for any reason, even if I thought them worthy in
the beginning.”
* * *
“Did you read my note?” Amis asked as she cleaned the
cut on Ellis’s lip.
“I didn’t while that bitch was in here. What’s going on?”
“Take a look before we deal with whatever the hell this
was.”
Ellis’s antique desk had a hidden drawer, and Amis used
it when there was something she wanted only Ellis to see.
But this time the note led to the wall safe. Amis handed her
the contract Dalton had asked her to sign, backed up by the
viper who’d literally taken a bite out of her. Her supposed
old friend Dalton had to know that her attorneys were more
sophisticated than that.
“Ellis,” the security guard said softly. “They sent two
detectives, so I thought you’d want them to start in here.”
She told her story, and the detectives took notes and
asked good questions, but perception was always
everything in every situation. Once they saw Jennifer,
compared their sizes, took into account their positions, and
factored in her history—she’d put herself in handcuffs.
“So she just bit you for no reason?” The detective that’d
obviously drawn the bad-cop straw asked. “Sounds a little
out there.”
“Maybe the smell of silk made her crazy, but you might
want to ask for some clarity on her motive. I don’t have a
clue, except that maybe she thought it was the easiest way
to a big settlement.” She waved her guard closer, and the
man handed over a CD. The two detectives stood shoulder
to shoulder in front of her computer screen and watched.
“But like in all things, we don’t always get what we want.”
“You want to press charges?” the detective said after
watching the CD.
The way out of Jennifer’s contract had come wrapped
neatly by Jennifer herself, so she nodded. “Whatever I can
file, go ahead and do it, but I need to talk to her first.”
“You can’t threaten her,” the good cop said.
“I’m going to fire her, Detective. I’ll leave the threats up
to you.”
Dalton was sitting next to Jennifer with his arms wrapped
around her, seemingly doing his best to console her.
“Ms. Eymard, please stand up and turn around,” one
detective said while the other guy moved closer to Dalton.
“You’re under arrest for battery.”
“I was the one attacked,” Jennifer screamed, becoming
totally hysterical again.
“The security system shows otherwise, ma’am.” Jennifer
glared at Ellis as the cuffs clicked into place.
“Where do you want your personal items sent?” Ellis
asked. “Your services are no longer required, and after
tonight you’ll no longer be allowed in the building, especially
with the accessorizing you’re doing these days,” she said,
pointing to the handcuffs.
“You bitch.” Jennifer lunged at her as if she’d come
unscrewed from the professional woman Ellis had known.
“We’re done, but, Dalton, you’re not.”
Jennifer yelled Dalton’s name until the elevator door
closed. It had surprised Ellis that Dalton had stayed, but all
his plans were not coming anywhere near fruition. That she
finally had the means to fire him without having to honor his
contract didn’t make her happy. For all his shortcomings,
Dalton had helped her build this empire.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Dalton said, facing off
against her and Amis.
She dropped the contract on her desk and tapped the
thick wad of paper with her finger. “And you didn’t have to
do this. What the hell were you thinking?”
“If there’s a mistake, it’s not mine.”
“Dalton, you don’t for one minute think I didn’t run down
where the changes came from, did you?” Amis shook her
head as if completely disbelieving his answer to her
question. “You made the changes and rushed them by legal.
A mistake I could’ve forgiven, but theft of something I
worked so hard for isn’t. You’re fired, Dalton, and my parting
gift is to advise you to hire an attorney,” Ellis said softly,
wanting him out of her life as soon as humanly possible.
“You owe me, so this isn’t over.” The security guard
pointed to the door, and Dalton waved him off. “You’re going
to wish you’d just signed that.”
“Make sure to lock him out of everything. If he tries to
come back, call our NYPD friends and have him arrested.
Get out of my sight, Dalton, and next time, try to come up
with threats that actually mean something.”
* * *
Charlotte repacked for both her and Sawyer for the fifth
time. It didn’t help to look at the clock and see the minutes
after three in the morning tick by, but she couldn’t unwind.
The nerves that had started when she’d accepted the job
had made sleep impossible, but she had to figure out a way
to calm down, or she’d look like someone had beaten her by
the time she got to New Orleans.
Her boss at the restaurant had guaranteed her job would
be waiting for her, but maybe that wasn’t the best thing.
Fear was at times a good motivating force that caused you
to find the creativity to make it. She glanced at the clock
again and zipped her bag when she saw it was a quarter to
four. The alarm was set to go off in two hours, so if she had
a chance of falling asleep, now was the time.
She heard the ding of her phone alerting her to a
message, but who the hell was up besides her?
I’m looking forward to working with you.
“If anything, I could sell her number,” she said as she
stared at the message she assumed was from Ellis. “I’m
sure plenty of women out there are just dying to talk to her.”
Why are you awake? And thank you.
She typed out the answer, not expecting a response.
Same reason you’re still up. Dial the number. There’s
only so much typing I can do this early, or late. Depends on
how you see it.
She called and smiled when Ellis answered immediately.
“Thank you for picking me.”
“In a week you’ll be cursing my name, but it was an easy
choice. You have talent, Charlotte. I did want to apologize
for the short notice. Usually I’m not so tyrannical.”
“You really don’t mind that Sawyer’s coming with me?”
“It’s a new year, so I’m looking forward to trying new
things. Sawyer will be fine.”
Charlotte heard Ellis yawn, and she couldn’t help but do
the same.
“Take a short nap, and I’ll see you soon.”
This was like a surreal dream in that she’d gone from
fantasizing about a career in fashion to talking to Ellis
Renois in the middle of the night. The job she’d landed
wasn’t where she thought she’d start when she was working
her ass off in school. She felt like a high school player
starting in the World Series. The rest of her life would never
be the same.
She held her phone against her chin and looked around
her crappy apartment. “If that’s true, I hope it doesn’t land
me back here, but a taste of success is better than no taste
at all, I guess.”
* * *
“You stupid little bitch.” Dalton squeezed the heavy
crystal tumbler and thought about chunking it at Jennifer’s
head. He’d had to call in more than a few favors to get her
bailed out of jail before the morning arraignment, and he’d
followed her back to her apartment. He wasn’t ready to face
his wife and confess he’d lost his seven-figure salary and
the perks that came with it. “If you’d left it alone, we
could’ve pled ignorance if that fucking old bitch had found
the change.”
“You can stand there and seriously call me stupid? Do
you honestly think any attorney, even the most incompetent
one, would make a mistake that gives us more than fifty
percent of the company? No, moron, this was a gamble you
concocted that’d only pay off if she’d signed. She didn’t, so
like we talked about, we’ve only got a few plays left.”
Jennifer combed her hair back and twisted it into a messy
ponytail. She’d changed as soon as they’d arrived and
appeared comfortable in her jeans and man-styled shirt.
That sexy all-American look had reeled him in, but his drive
to fuck her had completely fucked him over. All those
luxuries in his life were gone, and he didn’t have it in him to
start again.
“You think we have any plays left? That’s a joke because
she’ll see them coming a million miles away.”
Jennifer glared at him so he stared at the scotch in his
glass. “Your problem is, and always has been, that you
consider yourself a player, but you’re terrified to color
outside the lines. Only good boys paint inside the lines even
if you think the painting is risqué.”
“So you’re going to go all Jackson Pollock on me and hire
someone to kill Ellis? If that’s your plan, count me out.” He
poured himself another drink and wanted to sleep and wake
up to his life before Jennifer came into it. If he had a do-
over, he was sure he’d make better choices. “I’d rather be
poor than locked up like an animal.”
The box she brought from the bedroom made him
curious, but not enough to move. Somehow it seemed like a
bad idea to put his prints on whatever was inside. Of all the
stupid shit moves he’d make in his life, lying down with this
viper overshadowed everything even remotely close.
“There’s a way to kill Ellis, and then there’s a way to kill
&n
bsp; Ellis.” Jennifer laughed as she opened the box and
presented it to him.
“Good God.” This had the potential to carry more time
than murder. “How? Wait. I don’t want to know.”
“This time you either do it my way or get out.”
He slammed the glass down, clenching his fist when the
liquid sloshed over his hand. “I’m not some punk with no
brains.”
“No. You’re something much worse. You’re a middle-aged
guy with no guts or imagination. This is how we get it all
back and then some.”
“Look. Let’s calm down before this gets out of hand. We
talked about this, but we’re sailing into waters that could
land us someplace like where I just got you out of.” He
stared at the book that Ellis really did treat like the bible and
felt a pain go through his chest at the implications of it
being here and not locked up in the office. The box was the
physical evidence that he was fucked because Ellis would
never be that forgiving if Jennifer did anything stupid with
what was inside.
“We found the information, and we’re going to use it to
get what we deserve, so choose, Dalton. You can either walk
out and go back to that bitch you’re married to, or grow a
pair and cut your own path. No matter what, we have to go
ahead and cut her off at the knees, and enjoy that she’ll
never have seen it coming.”
He nodded but couldn’t take his eyes off the book. “What
choice do I have now but to stay?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Charlotte followed Ellis and Rueben off the plane, still
surprised that they’d all traveled together, but Ellis had
even picked them up. Her new boss wasn’t the most
talkative person, but Charlotte sensed something wrong
over and above Ellis’s mangled top lip she didn’t have when
she’d come to the restaurant. It actually appeared as if
someone had taken a bite out of Ellis, with intent to harm
her. That wasn’t the issue, she guessed, since Rueben had
made quite a few frantic calls, so whatever it was must be
bad.
“How’d you manage to forget that?” Ellis’s teeth never
seemed to come apart as she spoke.
“It was in my office locked in the credenza. After
everything that happened last night, it slipped my mind. I’ll
call Amis, and she’ll have a reason to get here earlier. She