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“Affairs with clients are not something we can treat lightly. It’s not like you didn’t know this. It’s in our policy documents. You signed off on that condition as part of your contract.”
“I understand.”
“I’m so disappointed in you.”
Mena looked at the baby again, willing her to wake, anything to break the tension.
“But if that’s it, I’m not accepting your resignation. Is that it? You had copious, I’m hoping, glorious, myth-shattering consensual sex with our rock star client.”
Mena pushed into her chair back in surprise, trying to read Caroline’s expression. Was she being sarcastic? “I—ah.”
“Well, did you?”
Nothing for it but the truth. “Yes.”
Caroline crossed her leg, her slip-on mule dangling off her toes. “Oh, you’ve obviously messed up your promotion. That’s not happening. You’re suspended immediately and your bonus, you can forget about that. You can’t have any further professional contact with Mr. Grippen.” Caroline’s shoe fell off as she leant forward. “But, oh my God, girl. You go get it.”
The buzzing in Mena’s brain ceased. “I still have a job?” How could that be? She folded her arms over her stomach to try to quell the worming of unease.
“He threw you off your game from the moment you laid eyes on him. Never seen you get wobbly before. And I get it. He is something, the size of those hands, I mean, I’d think about it. And you, been a long time since you were about anything other than work and I was worried about you.”
Where was Caroline going with this? “I’m not sure I—”
“Look, here’s the thing. As your boss, I’m horrified and outraged and I’m going to hold you to account. After your suspension, without pay, mind you, you’re on probation. When you come back, all the problem clients no one wants will be in your portfolio. But you still have a career here if you can restore my confidence in you.”
Caroline’s voice had a hard, no-nonsense edge to it. Amelia gurgled and they both looked at her.
Mena uncrossed her arms and took a breath. She wasn’t losing her job. That was hard to take in. “I don’t know what to say?”
“Thank you. It was a mistake and I will never do it again would be a start.”
“Thank you. It . . .” wasn’t a mistake, right up until her lies caught up with her. “I will never do it again.”
“I know you won’t. This is incredibly out of character for you. And as a female into talented men with enormous hands and tiny egos, I’m your cheer squad,” Caroline said, “Although if you wake that kid, that could change.”
And that was even harder to take. Nothing in line with her expectation of being marched off the premises, her career in tatters, her disgrace waving like a red flag to other potential employers.
“That version of me, the one who has sore nipples, gets no sleep and good grief, my hair is terrible, also, my husband is still traumatized by the birth and won’t have sex with me—that woman needs the details.” Caroline made a gimme gesture that was not to be disobeyed.
What kind of detail did she mean? “We, ah, had chemistry and I take full responsibility. I initiated contact that was of a sexual nature.”
“You fucked him and then couldn’t get enough.”
Mena made a sound of shock and gave up trying to tiptoe around her indiscretion. “I wanted him from the moment I fell into the boardroom. He was willing. I didn’t seduce him. No, I guess I did, but he was happy to be seduced. It was definitely consensual.”
“The woohoo get it girl part of me needs more detail. Is he good in bed?”
Oh, this was too much. “Are you sure you—”
“It’s unprofessional of me but I don’t care, you broke the rules first. What does this mean to you? Were you just tired of having no social life, was it opportunistic, two horny people late at night succumbing to an overwhelming passion? You smiled a little too flirtatiously, he took your hand—he took his shirt off.”
“Caroline!”
“Other than milk, spit and poo and yelling at my husband, there is nothing else going on in my life. I miss work. I miss my clients. I need this.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me why you did it?”
