"And smile more. The resting bitch face does nothing for your looks. You're a pretty girl. Asher will love that."
I had to walk away before I smacked him, but I paused long enough to see him pull his phone back and stop the recording—done, he said, to "ensure both of us are protected." If Asher was anything like his brother, I'd have no problem landing this within the first week. Clayton Locke was as sleazy as they came.
Too bad it wasn't him I was taking down.
2
VEDA
Three in the afternoon and I still hadn't met Asher Locke the way his brother told me I would.
I spent two hours filling out forms—my W-9, the bank payroll information, some non-disclosure thing that took most of the time because it was fifty pages and I had to read every stinkin' word.
Then Sherise, the HR lady, introduced me to the entire communications team and a few board members before finally leading me toward the offices of the C-suite.
"And," she said, heels clicking as she sashayed out of the elevator across the expensive Italian marble floors, "you'll be expected to dress more professionally." Her eyes swept down across my tight skirt and low-cut shirt, which Clayton assured me during our "introduction" was perfect for the job. "Mr. Locke isn't called the intern eater for no reason."
I should've known better than to listen to anything he said. I didn't like that I'd been on the job less than eight hours and someone was already pointing out my outfit.
I was a sensible woman who, under normal circumstances, would've been wearing a fitted pantsuit and comfortable shoes.
This didn’t even feel like me, but then it wasn't, was it? I was here to play a role, and so far, I felt I was doing a good job.
"Yes, ma'am," I muttered in reply as we approached a desk where a petite woman hunched over a desk typing away on a computer keyboard.
Her cropped curls made her look like an old, miserly lady, but when she lifted her head I could see by her clear complexion and smooth skin that she was probably not much older than me.
"Penny, this is Ms. Porter… Mr. Locke's new…" She hesitated before saying, "Intern." It almost felt shameful the way she said it, like some unspoken thing passed between them in the single word.
After what Clayton told me Friday night at the bar, I wondered how much these women knew about Mr. Asher's drinking issue and the need to have someone shadowing him more closely than his secretary could.
Though, if it was that bad, there was no doubt in my mind that his secretary knew about it.
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Porter." Penny stood and offered her hand.
"Veda, please," I said, accepting the friendly gesture. "It's nice to meet you."
Penny flicked her hand at Sherise and the grumpy older woman retreated, but I noticed her glancing over her shoulder at me as Penny gestured toward the door labeledAsher Locke: CEOin black letters on a gold plaque.
"He's having a bit of a mood today," Penny warned, moving closer to the door. "But I assume you understand this is an out of the ordinary situation." She paused, hand on the knob, as I nodded at her.
"Mr. Locke explained it to me—I mean, Clayton." I swallowed a lump in my throat.
I wasn't sure what he told anyone or how much to give away.
Obviously, I wasn't going to tell Penny I was here to seduce her boss and take him down, but Clayton had to have told them about the babysitting part.
"Yes, well, Mr. Locke doesn’t care for his brother much." She winced. "Either one of them.
They don’t get along well.
It's a sibling thing, I think…
But Clayton has concerns about Mr. Locke's performance.
Your position as intern will help in ways I can't really be privy to, that's all." I found it funny how she'd say "Clayton" but not use Asher's first name.
I wondered if it was a respect thing.
