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He laughed. “I want to promote you to my personal assistant.”
“Oh.” My heart was beating out of my chest. Maybe all of this was in my head. He was actually trying to give me a normal promotion. It was just one that I wasn’t interested in.
“I was hoping you’d be a little more excited.”
“No. I am. But, Mr. Ellington…”
“If you’re going to be my personal assistant, I think we need to get on a more personal level, don’t you?” He stood up, clearly not wanting me to respond. He put his hand on my shoulder. “First, you need to start calling me Joe.”
I felt frozen in place. I wanted to push his hand off my shoulder. I wanted to tell him to stop looking at me in that disgusting way. But I couldn’t seem to find the words. I just sat there staring at him.
“You’re beautiful, Bridget. You do know that, right? That’s why you’ve been teasing me for months?” His hand moved to my neck and his fingers grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling it down slightly. He ran his thumb along my collarbone. His hands felt clammy against my skin. “So let’s get a little more personal. How about you put those lips of yours to good use. I could really use a pick me up after the morning I’ve been having.”
He unbuttoned the top button of his suit pants with his other hand. “And maybe you can work up to that ad exec position you so badly want. After I get what I want. Which is trying out every position with you.” He unzipped his pants.
“Mr. Ellington…” My voice finally kicked in again. But it sounded so weak. It was more of a whisper.
“Joe. My name is Joe. It’s okay, Bridget. I know you’re nervous. I know how badly you want this promotion. How about you get on your knees and show me you have what it takes.”
Oh, hell no. I finally willed my body to move and I elbowed him right in the groin. Luckily he still had his boxers on so I didn’t have to feel his surely small dick against my arm.
“Fuck!” He yelled and took a step back, grabbing his crotch.
I stood up and pointed my finger at him. “I will never, ever get on my knees for a promotion. I am not a hooker.” The thought of Mason working with those women popped into my head. But it was quickly squashed down when Mr. Ellington spoke.
“You bitch!” His eyes bulged slightly. They finally weren’t looking at me in that creepy way. “You’re fired,” he spat out.
“What?”
“If I had known how prude you were, I wouldn’t have hired you in the first place.”
“I thought you hired me because of my degree? Because you thought I might have a place at this ad agency. That’s what we talked about when you hired me. That’s why I took this job in the first place.”
He laughed. “Welcome to New York, honey. Now get the hell out of my office.”
I wanted to say something clever, but the look on his face was enough. Elbowing his junk was more satisfying than anything I could say. I turned around and walked out of his office with my head held high.
As soon as I stepped out of the office, my confidence waivered. The people in the cubicles near Mr. Ellington’s office were staring at me. They had probably heard us yelling at each other. Kendra would be over any second, wondering if I got the promotion.
I quickly pulled open my drawers and grabbed all their contents. I didn’t have that much in my desk that was actually mine. Most of it belonged to Kruger Advertising. I pulled open the last drawer. There was a picture frame facing downward in it. I had completely forgotten that it was even there. I picked it up and turned it over. It was the first picture that Patrick and I had of us together. We were sitting on a couch in his frat house. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders. I looked so happy. If I closed my eyes I could picture this moment like it was yesterday. We had just had our first kiss. I looked happy in the picture because I was happy, happier than I had ever been. I was so in love with him. Looking at the picture a month ago would have made my chest tighten. But it didn’t now. The city had changed him, but it had changed me too. I ran my finger across Patrick’s smiling face. It seemed like a distant memory.
I put the picture back into the drawer and closed it. I didn’t need it anymore. I had lost that feeling when I had lost him. It had just taken me a long time to realize it. I shoved my pens, notebook, and few pictures that still lined my desk into my purse. I had just lost my job, but I didn’t have a whole box like Jenkins because I never belonged here in the first place. I grabbed the vase of flowers with the dozen roses that Mason had sent me.
I thought that all New York did was take. It took Patrick from me. It took my self confidence. It took all my money. But now I loved this stupid city, because if I hadn’t moved here, I never would have met Mason. The city had taken a lot, but it had given me more. Mason was the reason that the picture of Patrick no longer bothered me. I wasn’t in love with Patrick anymore. I was in love with Mason.
I’m in love with Mason Caldwell.
I pressed the elevator button. I needed to tell him.
“Bee!” Kendra was slightly out of breath as she ran up to me. She looked at the flowers in my arm and then back at my face. “What happened?”
“I got fired.”
“Seriously? Why?”
“Because I wouldn’t suck his dick.”
Kendra laughed. “Wait.” She grabbed my arm. “He didn’t actually ask you to do that?”
