Neil frowns at me and we all sit in uncomfortable silence. He finally softens his face when he looks at Christian. “Mr. Reeves, I wasn’t expecting you here today. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Let me stop you there, Mr. Hayden.” I can tell from Christian’s tone that I really shouldn’t be in this room right now. The door isrightthere. I could make a break for it. “I’m going to do the talking, and you’re going to do the listening.”
Neil nods at Christian for him to continue, looking like he’s seen a ghost. He’s sweating profusely. Neil has a giant ego, but at the end of the day, Christian is the CEO, and he wouldn’t risk pissing off the one person at this company that has the power to put him in his place.
Christian pulls a silver cigarette case out of his pocket and proceeds to light one of the sticks, taking a long drag and puffing out the smoke hard enough for it to waft into Neil’s face across the table. “You will rehire Ms. Young, immediately, with double pay and full employer-paid benefits.”
Settling back comfortably into his chair, he waits patiently for Neil to answer.
My mouth falls wide open in shock as Neil’s judgmental gaze flickers to me and then back to Christian. “I see what this is,” he says, lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on the arms of his chair. “What did she tell you about me?”
Christian raises an eyebrow. “She’s told me nothing.”
Neil chuckles to himself, scratching the top of his shiny bald head. “You’re telling me Christian Reeves is giving Eliza Young her job back out of the kindness of his heart? I wasn’t born yesterday.”
“What are you implying, Mr. Hayden?” Christian asks in a low growl, his tone as toxic as the stick between his teeth.
“I’m just saying she’s got one hell of a mouth to have a man like you pulling strings for her, that's all.” Neil shrugs and pumps his fist near his mouth in a vulgar gesture so that it’s incredibly clear what he’s implying.
Christian laughs, but there’s no humor in it. He stands up, sauntering around Neil’s desk. When he’s at Neil’s side, Christian grabs him by the back of his blazer and shoves his head onto the thick glass of the table, cheek first. He whimpers, and I gasp with my hand over my mouth. I can’t say I’m not happy to watch Neil get what he deserves, but I’m not sure what to do except keep my mouth shut and try really hard to pretend I don’t see the CEO of the company assaulting his top attorney.
Christian leans over him to speak in his ear, to ensure he hears every word.The ash from the cigarette hanging out of his mouth lands on the side of Neil’s face.
“Mr. Hayden, her name isElena. I have never slept with her. If that implication ever leaves your mouth, or this room, or you so much asthinkit again, I will shove a lawsuit so far up your ass you’ll be able to taste paper. You will rehire her, and if you retaliate in any way, I will know, and you will regret it. Is this in any way unclear?”
“You’re crazy!” Neil whimpers against his desk.
“Call the police if you want. But I can make or break your career. You piss me off, and all it takes is a few phone calls to have you blacklisted from the legal field in under an hour. If you want to keep your seven-figure salary, I suggest you do what I say, keep your mouth shut, and start treating Ms. Young with a little respect. Clear?”
Neil nods his head against the glass of his desk and Christian lets him go. I shake in my seat as Christian sits back down in his chair, and then he turns to face me, smiling as if I hallucinated what just happened. “Elena, would you be so kind as to make Mr. Hayden and I some coffee? I’ll take mine black, thank you.”
I give him a shaky nod and stand up, my ankles wobbly like a newborn deer in my heels as I walk to the coffee maker that’s in the corner of Neil’s office.
I’m so nervous that I drop a mug, shattering the ceramic all over Neil’s black laminate flooring. If beating your employees was legal, I’d have two black eyes by the end of the day with the way he’s glaring at me. Once the remains of the mug are in the small bin next to the coffee machine, I go back to preparing the drinks.
Neither of the men speak, and it’s so awkward I would rather be thrown off the side of a bridge than bear witness to this cock fight that Christian Reeves is clearly winning.
When I get to Neil’s coffee, I freeze. It’s either three creamers and two sugars, or three sugars and two creamers. It changes depending on his mood, and I’m always somehow wrong. I choose two sugars, three creamers, and pray he will save the reprimand until later.
With shaky hands, I give Christian his coffee first in a black mug with the Reeves Enterprises logo on the side. He thanks me, and I hand Neil his mug much less politely, practically throwing it in his hands. I was hoping it would slosh over the rim and stain his pants, but no dice.
Neil takes a small sip before dramatically groaning.
Of fucking course. It’s like I said, it’s always wrong.
“I’ll sprout wings and learn to fly before you get my goddamn coffee right, Eliza.” He glares at Christian as I stand awkwardly to the side of his desk. “Of all the bitches in this building for you to bang, did you have to choose this one?”
“My name is Elena!” I shout, my voice breaking on the last syllable.
Neil glares at me. “Don’t you raise your voice at me.”
“My name isElena,” I repeat, my face surely as red as a strawberry as anger flares across my chest. “Ididget your coffee right; you just change your preference every day because you get off on making me miserable!”
It’s so silent in the room you can hear the fucking earth spinning on its axis. I have never lost my cool like that, on anyone, but to hear Neil call me a bitch and accuse me,twice, of whoring myself around for my position was the last straw for me. I don’t even care that the CEO is witnessing my breakdown.
Fuck this job.
Neil’s nostrils flare and he points at me, but I cut him off. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m fired.” I move to stomp my way out of the room, but gentle, calloused fingers wrap around my tiny wrist, and I freeze. Christian is examining my hand like it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever seen.
