Her smile fell from her face. “You didn’t.”
I nodded. “I did. See, I don’t like people trying to fight my battles for me. I don’t like people trying to back me into corners. So, you go ahead and fulfill that promise you made to me over brunch. See how far it gets you. And when Mr. Ryker gets pissed off at someone filing false reports against him, you’ll be the one losing your job. Not me.”
She shook her head. “Why in the world are you defending him?”
“Because what you believe is going on is not what’s actually going on. And there’s nothing I can do to be able to do to convince you otherwise. So, there you have it. Take it, or leave it, but I don’t want your wine.”
“You’re just as insane as he is.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Maybe so. But I won’t have anyone else in my life blackmail me the way you tried to do today. And the next time you believe that someone can railroad me, including someone I’ve known since high school? Remember this moment. Because no one railroads me unless I want it.”
I slammed the door in her face and locked it for good measure. And as she stood there, yelling for me to come back, I walked into my room and closed that door as well. Between having to wait days for my next punishment and dealing with yet another person that thought they knew better than I did for my own fucking life, all I wanted was some peace and quiet.
So, I flopped onto my bed and listened as Brit finally walked away from my door, cursing and yelling up a storm.
While daydreaming about what JoJo’s next punishment could possibly be.
24
Rebecca
With each daythat rolled by, my workload grew lighter and lighter.
It confused me at first, but with the lack of JoJo’s presence in my life that confusion quickly turned to worry. I kept checking my email at the end of every day to make sure I didn’t have any last-minute assignments, and I even went so far as to knock on Bonnie’s door to make sure there wasn’t something she needed.
And after being thoroughly cursed out by her, I knew there was only one way to figure things out.
The only problem is that he wasn’t responding to any of my emails, phone calls, or text messages.
“Knock, knock,” Brit said softly.
She didn’t sing it this time and that caught my attention. “What?”
She eased the door open. “I come in peace?”
I sighed. “Come on in and close the door behind you.”
She did as I asked. “How are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “Empty. You?”
She sat in front of my desk. “Did something happen?”
I sighed as I leaned back in my leather office chair. “My workload has been significantly less and I’m wondering why. It has me a bit worried.”
She giggled. “Worried about what? You have your life back. Wasn’t that the point of going to H.R. in the first place?”
“I mean, sure, if I had actually filed a report. But I didn’t.”
Then, a grin crawled across her face. “Or, maybe someone gave them a push in the right direction.”
My heart sank into my stomach. “What the hell did you do?”
She crossed her legs at her ankles. “I just went down there and told them the truth.”
“And what truth is what, Brit?”
“I told her that Mr. Ryker was riding you hard when you first got here. I told the H.R. woman that you weren’t the first woman that had complaints about him, but all of the women who do don’t have the balls to come forward because we know we’re going to lose our jobs.”
