“Okay.”
“Your official hire date will be tomorrow and you’ll be put on a probationary period.” I glanced at Mr. Parker.
“Thirty days,” he noted.
I turned back to Addison. “At that point, we’ll assess your performance and provide you with input. And I assure you, we will not set you up to fail. We need you here as much as you need to be here. And you’ve got everyone here to back you up.”
“But you’ll need to keep in mind who you work for,” Mr. Parker clarified. “And what our requirements are. Luci works for Landon and Langston; therefore, she does what they need based on their requirements. Ben and I want things done a certain way.”
“Of course.”
I sat back as Mr. Parker pulled a sheet of paper out of his desk drawer, then passed it over to Addison. “This is the information on the pay and benefits.”
Her eyes widened when she looked at the sheet. “I…uh…” Addison’s gaze shot to Mr. Parker. “This is too much.”
“I assure you it’s not,” he countered, his tone harder than before. The man did not like to be pushed and Addison seemed to be getting rather adept at it. “It’s in line with your qualifications and the position. Although it might not sound like it, this is a very demanding job. You won’t have a lot of time to sit around and play solitaire on your computer.”
I sighed. Being confrontational with her was the last thing we needed.
Mr. Parker’s eyes cut over to me and I knew he could see my frustration.
With a heavy sigh, he continued, his tone somewhat calmer. “We’re also allowing you to stay in one of the vacant apartments in the building.”
Addison shook her head.
“It wasn’t a request,” Mr. Parker snapped, leaning forward once more. “You have nowhere to live and this will ensure you’ll be here on time every day. My partners and I own this building, so you’re not putting us out. Although, it’s not your place to decide that, even if it was the case.” He sighed. “And because I know you’re not looking for a handout, we will be charging you rent. We’ll deduct it from your paycheck so that it’s manageable. The details are at the bottom of the page. If you have an issue with the amount, we can certainly discuss.”
At least the girl had the decency to appear remorseful even if she looked as though she wanted to blast him into next week. “It’s very generous, Mr. Parker.”
“Now, do you have any questions for us?” I prompted.
“This probationary period…is it for my position as your secretary? Or does it have to do with being…your submissive as well?”
I had to look to Mr. Parker for the answer to that.
“To be clear, the two are completely separate,” he clarified. “As we’ve stated, your job is not dependent on anything else.”
“I understand.”
“However, we’ll go over the rules tonight at dinner. We’ll also present you with a contract. Do you have an issue with that?”
Her answer came immediately. “Personally, the idea of keeping them separate seems the most logical, but it’s not the most feasible.”
“Which means?” he probed.
“When it comes to submission, I’m not going to be able to turn it off and on. This… It’s the way I’m wired. And I’ve always been the type to give one hundred percent to everything I do.”
Ah. So that was where she was going. Our little rebel didn’t want us to separate the two and her answer was quite logical.
“I’m willing to see how things go,” Mr. Parker stated. “I agree, the line between employee and submissive may get blurred along the way. Should that happen and you have any issues, I expect you to talk to us so we’re aware of your expectations.”
“Yes, Mr. Parker.”
Mr. Parker held her gaze for a few seconds, then turned his attention to me. “Ben, please show Miss Hayes to her apartment. All the items you purchased should’ve been delivered by now.”
When Addison began to speak, I held up my hand. “Let it go, Addison.”
For now, that was the best thing she could do.
For all of our sakes.
There was only so much Mr. Parker could take before the Dom in him took over and punishment became his focus.
“Once you take her to her apartment,” Mr. Parker said, addressing me directly as he passed over a key, “I want you to come back down here.”
“Yes, Mr. Parker.”
I got to my feet and motioned Addison out of the office, then down the hall to the elevator. I could feel her tension. It was coming off her in waves. Understandably so. She’d had a rather eventful day.
When the doors opened, I ushered her inside. “Mr. Parker takes a little getting used to, Addison.”
She shrugged, then wrapped her arms around herself as though she was cold. I felt for her right then. The girl was in over her head where Mr. Parker was concerned. She wanted something, but she had no idea what she was getting herself into. The Doms she’d played with before weren’t even in the same hemisphere as Mr. Parker.
