“It is,” he agreed,missing my lack of enthusiasm completely. “I took a risk on you, sweetheart. I can’ttell you how pleased I am to know it paid off.” His hand patted my knee andthen stayed there.
I crossed my legsthe other way, knocking his hand free. My shoulders pushed back and I sat upstraighter, instantly on the defensive. “Glad to know it paid off for you.”
“I could have gonewith anyone,” he added. “But I knew there was something special about you.Something I just couldn’t resist.”
My tongue was likea stone in my mouth, heavy and gritty, unwilling to show him gratitude. “Didyou have more to say about the account, Henry?”
He looked over myshoulder at the now empty office. “You know, the client isn’t the only oneimpressed by what you did. I really enjoyed working with you. I think we made agreat team.”
“Ethan helped,” Iadded slightly hysterical. I hated how he kept grouping us together, as if hecould take credit for my job well done or worse, as if it meant something morethan what it did. “Ethan is the reason either of us could do our jobwell.”
He ignored me,choosing instead to move his appreciative gaze over my fully clothed body as ifI were sitting there buck naked. His hand landed on my thigh this time—flat, wide,and grossly heavy. “There are a lot of pretty girls out there, Molly. But I haveto tell you, you are definitely one of the sexiest in this office.”
My goodwill driedup immediately. That wasn’t a nice thing to say. At best, it was a backhandedcompliment. In reality, it was offensively out of line, and unwelcome. But thelittle Tucker had his head too far up his own ass to realize that. “Henry, ifyou don’t have anything else to say about the account, I’m going to leave.”
His eyelids hoodedand his smile softened to only mildly condescending. “We make a good team,honey. I think we should try out our talents in other areas.”
Jumping to my feet,I moved as far away from Henry as possible. Unfortunately, I ended up corneringmyself against the wall furthest from the door. My heart raced and my bloodrushed with adrenaline. This was not happening. “I’m not comfortable with youtalking to me like that,” I said firmly, sounding braver than I was.
He stood up too,pushing my chair to the side so he could walk straight to me. “Come on now,Molly. I gave you the biggest opportunity you’ve had yet. I went to bat foryou. I included you on a project with a big fat commission. Don’t you think youshould return the favor?”
My sense ofprofessional pride took a serious hit. “I’m good at what I do,” I argued forsome stupid reason. “You picked me because I was best suited for the job.”
He rolled his eyeseven while he moved closer to me, crowding me against a filing cabinet. “Ipicked Ethan because he was best suited for the job. I picked you because youhave the nicest rack in the office. You should feel flattered.” He leaned forward,pushing into my space. His hand reached out to touch me, but I swatted it awaybefore he made contact. He looked mildly annoyed. “You should be grateful.”
I didn’t feelflattered. I sure as hell did not feel grateful. I felt disgusted. “You’re apig,” I snarled. “And maybe HR is afraid of you, but I’m not. Back off, Henry.Tomorrow your dad can hear all about how you talk to women around the office.I’ve tried to be professional about this. I’ve tried to go through the rightchannels. But I’m done putting up with this misogynistic bullshit from you.You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’ll let you touch me.”
His smiledisappeared and his face soured, speckling red with fury. “Why don’t you shutyour fucking mouth and let those tits get you a promotion.”
My hand processedhis words before my brain fully comprehended how awful they were. My palmhitting his cheek resounded with a loud smack, making him grunt at the impact.His head turned to the side as he brought his hand up to cradle his face.
Mine tingled as itsettled back against my side in a fist. My entire body shook with rage andhumiliation and unshed tears. “Keep your promotion,” I growled, venom drippingfrom every word. “And your help. I don’t want any of it. Stay away from me.”
His head snappedback to mine as he repositioned his body quickly to keep me from fleeing.“Relax, Molly, we’re just having some fun.” He slid his finger down the frontof my blouse. I knocked it away, but he wasn’t deterred. “You owe me this. Youfucking owe me this.”
I had never felt assickened by someone’s words or humiliated. Fury vibrated through me, chasedquickly by panic and frustration. I wanted to cry, but mostly I wanted to kneethis asshole in the balls so hard he would choke on them, then run away.
Instead, I pushedhim away and scrambled past him. “You’re a disgusting bastard,” I bit out,grabbing my things off the chair and rushing to the exit. “And everyone’s goingto know it.”
He slumped againstthe edge of his desk, running a hand through his greasy hair. His smug smilereappeared, confidence twinkling in his narrowed eyes. “Nobody’s going tobelieve you, doll. You messed up. This is my company, my house. You’re done.”
I paused at thedoor, finally speaking the words I had wanted to say for weeks. “Fuck you.”
His grin widened.“That’s what I was trying to do!”
Oh my god, what anasshole. I fled the office, rushing past a desk that I would be happy to neverreturn to. I grabbed my purse, but abandoned my laptop. It was the company’sanyway and I wanted nothing to do with anything that belonged to STS.
Not unless theyfired Henry Tucker.
I didn’t take abreath until I was safely in my car and out of the parking garage. My handstrembled aggressively as I tried to see through frustrated tears. My stomachroiled as I fought the urge to puke. My mind spun and spun and spun with theentire spectrum of emotions I couldn’t land on.
I was angry.Furious. Outraged. Anything and everything mad. But I was also shocked in a waythat made me feel completely detached from what had happened. Had he reallycome on to me? Had he really said those awful things? Offered a promotion forsleeping with him?
The whole thingfelt violently strange. Should I go to the police? Had he committed a crime? Orwas this something the office had to handle.
I loathed the ideaof making a scene about this, of drawing attention to myself over his horrificbehavior. I hated the idea of having to talk to his dad, confessing Henry’sintentions and sharing the disgusting words he’d said. I knew I had to. I knewthat I was right. But that didn’t negate the embarrassment and humiliation onmy part. I would have to face both things—doing what was right and owning up tothe rumors, reputation and reality of what had happened.
More tears surfaced.I was probably more frustrated than anything. I hated conflict, and I alsohated being the center of attention on me, and now I would have to face both.Not because of anything I did, but because of the grotesque actions of someoneelse.
