A Charitable Scandal

The Stolen Words

"I knew it." The words hissed through my teeth as I bit away at my own jealousy.

"I'm sorry Lex."

"What did she tell you?" I asked, my eyes assessing the carpet pattern instead of meeting Emily's pitying gaze.

"Well," she said, taking a deep breath, "Cynthia was working in the administrative pool back when Tamara was hired, but she didn't last long. Tamara only spent a few weeks there before she got promoted to executive assistant. It was unclear exactly what she did to get there, but there's some speculation that it might have been, well, Mr. Quinto's son." She swallowed hard and when I looked at her from the tops of my eyes, she gave me a shrug. "Anyway, however she got there, after a few months no one doubted her right to be there. Whatever prejudices you may have against her, she knows her job and she does it well. Cynthia said Tamara climbed ranks quickly, knowing who to butter up and where the power sat. She's got an eye for that sort of thing, which is why she might have ended up with Alec."

"What do you mean?"

"Cynthia said that once Tamara started dating Alec, that all Tamara did was talk about how big he was going to be. Not out of like pride, but out of wisdom, she was certain he was going somewhere and she sunk her claws in before anyone else could grab that prize. What he found attractive in her, no one can really say, but the two were inseparable."

"When was this?" I pulled myself out of my slouch and reclined back in my chair with arms crossed over my chest.

"Not long after we started. We barely knew where our desks were in the Pit when all this was happening."

"I guess we didn't really interact with him back then," I said, recalling my younger, more innocent days.

"We didn't really have the opportunity to know him. Cynthia says he spent more time on the top floor than he did in Public Relations back then."

My breath caught and my body went stiff. That was why he knew his way around the top floors. That was why he was so familiar with the patio. I shivered, finding my sweet memory of that night beneath the stars tainted by Tamara's venomous touch. Fortunately, Emily was too engrossed in her gossip to notice my cringing.

"When one of the VP seats needed filling, everyone figured his relationship with the high ups would seal his promotion. But, then when they passed him over, things got bad. The relationship crumbled and they broke up shortly afterward."

"And we were none the wiser."

"Just noobs in the Pit," said Emily with a shrug.

"What time is it?" I asked, looking over at our window to where the city burned with the golden fire of sunset.

"Mmm, looks to be about six. Why?"

"I just need to de-stress a bit before heading home. Going to go get some fresh air outside."

"I can stick around until you're ready to leave. We can take the subway together..."

"No, it's okay," I said, rising from my chair and grabbing my coat. "Go home and rest."

"All right, just take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything."

I gave her a nod as I collected my things and headed for the elevator. I stepped into the empty car and pressed the button for the second floor from the top.

It didn't take me long to make my way to the patio. I found a soft sofa to claim and with my feet propped up on a long ottoman, I reclined back and turned my head to the sky. I drank in the purple ocean above me and waited for the first stars to burst past the sun's dwindling glow. I hoped that maybe, just maybe, if I focused into the endless night that all the thoughts and voices swirling inside my head would disappear into the cosmos. Out in the chill air with only the sound of the gentle breeze caressing the building and shaking the leaves of the manicured bushes lining the patio, my mind quieted. Muscles started to release their hold and my nerves settled.

"I see my secret is out."

The sudden assault against my silence reared me up, sending me straight to my feet should the need to run suddenly present itself.

"If I have to share this little piece of heaven with someone, I'm glad it's you."

Alec stood not too far away, watching me with his head tilted slightly and his hands resting in his pockets. He then began to walk forward with a tired smile on his face, but his movement caused me to turn away.

"That's not your only secret that's out," I said, my words wispy as I struggled to breathe.

I could still hear the clap of his feet echoing off the paving tiles and against the glass of the building, but they slowed at my words and then stopped only a few feet away from me.

I wanted to turn around, but I hadn't mentally prepared for this. I had prepared for seeing him in a business setting. I had prepared for conversing with him around others. And I had prepared to come up to the patio in order to zone out. I did not prepare to deal with this. Was I mad, was I happy, was I conscious? I didn't even know. I hadn't had the time to sort it out.

"You know about Tamara then."

It wasn't a question, but it felt like it deserved a definitive answer nonetheless.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you ran." I could hear him stepping closer and my muscles tightened in response. "Please listen to me."

A hand pressed down upon my shoulder, his fingers gripping tight and digging into my skin, which burned at his touch. He tugged gently and my legs, weak and shaking, gave way to his demands without resistance. With a clumsy turn I faced him. I looked up into his honey eyes which sparkled with the glittering lights of the city reflected in his glasses.

"There is nothing between Tamara and I any more. That was a long time ago. We aren't..."

Fear caused his words to fall on deaf ears. Fear of the intimacy of our meeting. Fear of the direction of the conversation. Fear of my job's security. Whatever it was, fear was the catalyst that pushed my tongue into speaking, into interrupting his heartfelt admission.

"So I brainstormed some ideas for our next step. I think..."

"Please stop Lex."

His voice rolled with authority, a low sort of growl lingering upon his breath. I felt the tension in his eyes, saw the assertiveness in his stance, and heard the strength in his breath. My words caught in my throat, where they remained like a large knot I couldn't swallow. I tried, but my mouth had run dry. My skin flushed and I licked my chapping lips without thinking. Then he drew closer. I was too rigid, too enthralled to pull away.

"I don't care about work, I don't care about what's right or wrong. I just care about making things up to you. I want to explain myself and I want to explain what happened yesterday in that closet."

I felt words crawling to my tongue. I don't know how they got there. Perhaps I really was a good employee who wanted to save her boss from doing something foolish. Or perhaps I just wanted to antagonize him a little bit more, just to see if it could bring him a few inches closer...

"You don't have to explain. You're my boss. I..."

He grabbed hold of my back, pulling me forward before pressing his lips against mine. At first I rebelled, pulling away out of sheer shock. His grip loosened at my resistance, yet the second I felt his release I found some calm in the control he granted me. So I stifled my struggle and remained present in his embrace. I let his hands linger upon me as they flattened me against his warm chest. I let his lips explore mine, their touch light and uncertain. And I let him steal my words away with one swift, firm gesture.

***

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