AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * * * * *
Stacy was blushing under Ms. Pope’s scrutiny. She tried to keep her mind blank to not think about the things she had done the previous night—or that morning.
“Oh, for the love of—stop it.”
“What?”
“Do you think we care what you do when you go home? Whom you have sex with?”
“I—I’m not sure—I don’t—” Taking a deep breath, Stacy decided to go with honesty. “I don’t know what to think. I know that somehow you know what is going on inside of my head. And I’ve never actually had to be around someone who knows—I mean really knows precisely what happened between myself and a—a lover. And to be honest that makes me a bit uncomfortable. And I feel I should warn you when I’m uncomfortable I babble. Worse than normal. Now, I understand that I made a commitment when I signed your contract, but I feel that there are certain areas of my mind that should be allowed to remain private.”
She stood there, waiting for any indication of what would happen to her. Would she be fired? Could she get fired? How would Ms. Pope react to her honesty?
“I respect your honesty. And yes, you can be fired, but that does not mean your employment with us has been terminated. It hurts like the dickens, and I would suggest never experiencing it for yourself if possible.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“The reason I called you into my office was to commend you on a job well done. After Demetri left, Randal paid me a visit. Sit down already. I think I’m going to send you to yoga classes.” Ms. Pope was massaging her temple again.
“Yo—yoga?”
“Yes. It will help you relax, quiet your mind, meditate. Where was I? Oh yes, Randal. Other than your close proximity to Demetri, he could find nothing to complain about during your meeting. That is quite the compliment.”
“But I didn’t do anything. And he said I screwed up on his—” She froze. If Ms. Pope didn’t know about that, should she tell her?
“I know, and you did not ‘screw up’ on anything. He just had to find something to complain about. He has demanded that any further negotiations between his clan and Demetri’s pack all be done through you. You have already proven yourself to be a valuable asset. Randal has gone through ten mediators this year alone, and some of those I mean quite literally.”
That was an image that Stacy didn’t need in her head. She could imagine the blood-soaked room littered with body parts as Randal scowled.
“Yes, that’s amazingly close to how a few of them looked. So, as promised, you shall be given a bonus. What would you like? Because trust me, Stacy, those two men will keep you busy.”
“I—I can’t do that. I don’t think I can—I probably really shouldn’t be around Demetri much.”
“Did he hurt you?”
Whatever Stacy had been about to say died on her lips. Why did her boss just ask that, when she already knew the answer and so much more? Questions about Demetri seemed to force him to the front of her mind and that brought the memories of their coupling back to the center stage of her thoughts until it left room for nothing else. She could almost feel him inside of her.
Placing a hand on her forehead, Ms. Pope used her free hand to reach the phone. “Tina!”
“Yes?”
“I want Stacy to have the next available appointment with anyone we have that will teach her how to better control her thoughts. The sooner the better. The best we have!”
“Yes, Ms. Pope.” Even Stacy could hear the humor in her friend’s voice. That, coupled with her boss’s obvious headache, managed to quiet the lust-filled thoughts surging through her mind.
“I’m sorry. I just don’t understand why you would ask me a question that you already know the answer to.”
“Because,” she sighed. “I am trying to honor your request and stay out of those thoughts. Besides, just because he is gorgeous does not mean I wish to ever see Demetri in that way. That man is like a...nephew to me. A very cherished nephew. And seeing what you two did last night...” Ms. Pope shook her head. “I could have lived an eternity without those images in my head.”
“Then you have to know why I can’t work with him. I just can’t—I’ve already done something that I really should not have—”
/>
“We are going to have to work on your babbling as well. Though hopefully your guru will be able to ease that as he or she teaches you to slow your mind. Now, to use a mortal expression, shame the devil and tell the truth. What about him terrifies you so much?”
The expression on Ms. Pope’s face said she knew the answer. It was in the slight smirk she wore, the amusement in her eyes.
“I got married young. I’d only been out of high school for a short while. I thought Thomas would be the man I’d spend the rest of my life with. I could see us growing old together and that’s what I wanted more than anything else.”
