I didn’t regret a single minute of it.
“Damn, but we were hopeful,” he noted nostalgically.
We had been. And that woman had taught us a very valuable lesson. We’d made the mistake of thinking that because she was in the scene, she understood what our needs were. Not one of us actually had any sexual interaction with her, but the conversations had started moving in that direction. Soon after, she’d hinted at sexual harassment, so we’d instantly shut it down.
The thing was, we weren’t interested in coercing a woman into sex. Our goal was something consensual between all parties, something that could morph into more. It had nothing to do with the job at hand. It was possible that Addison could be the best secretary in the world and we’d be perfectly content with only that, which was why I’d given her the choice. And it could still work out that way in the long run. Only time would tell.
I kept my eyes locked with Langston’s. I could tell he was biting his tongue and I knew exactly the reason. “Don’t worry. We’re not going to set ourselves up. Or her, for that matter. And we’ll be thorough with the contract. If at any time she exhibits concerns within the workplace, we’ll sever the contract and continue business as usual.”
Langston nodded. “It all sounds good on paper, my friend. But you know it could still go south.”
Yes, I was well aware of that.
“Do you know anything about her?” he asked.
“Very little. The girl has absolutely nothing. No family, no friends. And yes, that douchebag she was with… He punished her by making her sleep on the porch.”
I thought for a second Langston was going to launch up out of his chair. “He fucking what?”
“Yeah. Total dick.”
“Sounds like it. You really gonna follow up with him? Because if not, I know some people who’d be more than happy to take him down a notch.”
I appreciated his concern, but I knew people, too. “The stunt he pulled last night was not something I care to ever have repeated. Just because he was ejected from the club doesn’t mean he won’t pull that shit with some other woman. I intend to see to it he understands what’ll happen to him if he does.”
Langston nodded, his lips curving up into a smirk. “I like this side of you. The protective side. So much better than the asshole side.”
“Fuck you,” I said without heat.
For months, Langston and I had been at odds with one another. All of it had to do with how he’d been handling things with Luci. No, it hadn’t been my place to intervene, but it had been difficult to sit by and watch; therefore, my mouth had superseded my brain from time to time. Ever since they finally staked their claim on Luci, things had gone back to normal. I held no grudges against him.
Langston leaned forward, preparing to get up. “Just be careful. I know I don’t need to tell you that, but you know very little about this girl. If nothing else, see if Edge will let you look at her club file. Maybe see if you can get some background on her.”
“Trust me, we’ll take our time with her. Both as our submissive and as our employee. If she’s qualified.” That was only partially true. I wouldn’t make any advances if she showed any signs of hesitation. However, something told me that Addison was looking for exactly what we were offering.
Langston got to his feet. “If you need anything, just holler.”
I shook my head. The man was a country bumpkin.
“I’ll let Luci know you want her to find you when she’s finished.”
“Thanks.”
With that, he left my office and I turned my attention back to my computer.
The man was right about one thing, I did need to tread lightly with Addison. The girl was rebellious and perhaps a little jaded. I didn’t know the first thing about her, other than she was homeless and unemployed and seemed to be lacking family and friends. Not knowing how she came to be those things left me at a disadvantage, as well.
Looked as though we would be having some more discussions in the very near future to ensure that one thing didn’t interfere with the other.
That was, after Luci gave her sign-off.
If.
I meant if Luci gave her sign-off.
Shit.
*
BEN
“NO,” ADDISON STATED ADAMANTLY. “THAT one’s…too expensive.”
I sighed.
“You really don’t have to do this,” she added for probably the twentieth time since we stepped into the small boutique just around the corner from our building.
“I’m doing it,” I countered.
“Mr. Snowden,” Judy said with a smile. “I’ll be happy to take it from here.”
The little boutique wasn’t usually open on Sundays; however, thanks to our reputation, we did have some pull and Judy had graciously offered to allow us to come in today. Although we didn’t flex that particular muscle often, there were times when it was necessary.
