In bed with my boss

CHAPTER 22

EMILY

What the hell did I just here?

Troy Kingswood was in town and in this same building as well?

The last article I read about him stated he’d moved out of the country and was now living his best life as a bachelor in London .

The memory I’d buried for years began to crawl its way into my mind, reminding me of how cruel he was to me back in high school.

The way he’d create every chance and opportunity to call me a fat pig or four eyes anytime he saw me, or when he and some of his friends would break into my locker and pick some of my textbooks. And anytime I threatened to report them to the principal, Troy always had a way of shoving the fact that his family owned the school across my face, making me stay quiet and become an object of their ridicule.

I couldn’t shake the image of him and his friends creating a circle around me after lunch breaks while Cole just stood at the side like he normally did, watching and only stopping them when they began to get handsy with me.

I couldn’t take this.

What if he walked in here, recognized me, and told Cole who I was and where he remembered me from?

Then what would happen to me and my future here in New York?

I knew the only thing I could do was get out of here and put some distance between us so I could breathe.

I shot upright, nearly knocking into him, but his hands were already there, steadying me.

His brows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

My mouth began speaking before my mind could articulate what to say.

“Ye… yes… I just… I have an… emergency at home.”

The hard lines still on his forehead told me he wasn’t buying what I was selling, but I didn’t care because all I wanted to do was get the hell out of that place before Troy walked in.

“We still have the launch plan to discuss, so if it’s something one of my security personnel can help with, you can give them your address and they’ll check it out for you.”

“I’m so sorry, sir, I can’t wait. This needs my attention, so I myself have to go,” I said, taking a step away from him and wrapping my hand around the doorknob.

“Stop right there, Ms. Carter.”

The command was a low rumble, but it cracked through my panic like a gunshot.

I froze, my back still to him, my hand hovering over the cold brass.

There was silence that stretched for what felt like an eternity.

“Turn around,” he finally ordered.

I swallowed hard, my shoulders sagging in defeat, and slowly faced him again. I couldn’t meet his eyes, focusing instead on the buttons of his shirt.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“I just—”

“Eyes on me when you’re talking,” he commanded in a deep voice.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I met his hazel eyes.

“Go on.”

I cleared my throat, trying to come up with a believable lie.

“My… my neighbor texted me to come home right away. My cat fell into a ditch, and she had to call the fire department. They’re asking of me to come home. ”

“Your car fell into a ditch?”

“Yes, sir,” I said, running my sweaty palms along the sides of my dress.

“Hmm…”

He tucked his hands into his pockets, moved away from me, and walked toward the full-length window that revealed the twinkling lights of the city.

I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, holding onto my dress tightly while I silently prayed to the heavens for him to let me go.

“You may go,” he said with his back still towards me. “But on your way out, tell JR to let my guest in.”

With a heavy sigh, I hurried out of his office, delivered his message, and disappeared down the hall, hoping I’d find my way out and make it to the bathroom without crossing paths with Troy.

Luckily for me, the adrenaline I was high on made me find my way sooner than I’d hoped for, and I quickly made my way to the restroom.

As soon as I dashed through the door, I was met with an eerie silence. My eyes swept across the row of stalls, searching for any sign of movement.

Nothing.

I glanced toward the skins, then the mirrors.

Still no one.

Relief washed through me so suddenly that the tightness in my shoulders eased.

I quickly slipped into the nearest empty stall and locked the door behind me.

After a few minutes, I stepped out of the stall and walked toward the sinks, finally allowing myself to take a deep, long breath.

I stopped in front of the mirror, reaching for the faucet.

The restroom door opened behind me.

I glanced up at the mirror.

A woman with long, natural blonde hair walked in, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor. She wore a hunter-green suit that fit her like it had been tailored to her body, paired with bold red lipstick that immediately caught my attention.

She stopped at the mirror beside mine, barely two feet away.

Without saying a word, she opened her purse and pulled out a powder compact. She dabbed it over her face, checking her reflection before reaching for a tube of lipstick.

I turned off the faucet.

She twisted the lipstick open and brought it towards her lips.

“Having a rough day?”

I blinked at her reflection.

Something about the casual way she asked made the words I’d been holding inside all evening suddenly spill out.

“You have no idea.”

Her lips curved slightly as she applied another careful swipe.

I leaned against the counter.

“My boss called me to the club earlier today. I didn’t even know why I was there, and then somehow I ended up seeing something I definitely wasn’t supposed to see.”

She paused, her eyes meeting mine through the mirror.

“What did you see?”

I hesitated.

“A s*x dungeon.”

Her hand stopped inches from her lips, then she slowly lowered the lipstick.

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.”

A small laugh escaped her.

I shook my head, the memory still making my stomach flutter.

I also told her about how angry he got and how I had to come up with some ridiculous lie about a cat I didn’t have fallen into a ditch just to get out of there.

The woman stared at me for a second before bursting into laughter.

I couldn’t help laughing too, even though the whole situation was anything but funny.

“Okay,” she said, shaking her head. “Who is this boss of yours?”

I hesitated before answering.

“The infamous Cole Calloway.”

Her laughter immediately returned.

“Oh, he’s always like that.”

I frowned at her reflection.

‘Always like that?’

My gaze lingered on her.

Of course she knew him.

With the way she looked, the confidence in her voice, and the fact she seemed completely unfazed by everything I’d just told her, I couldn’t help wondering if she was one of the women Cole slept with.

The thought came before I could stop it and curiosity won.

“How do you know Cole?”

She capped her lipstick and slipped it back into her purse.

“Oh.” She glanced at me through the mirror, a small smile tugging at her lips. “He and I grew up together.”

My eyes nearly bulged out of their socket.

They grew up together?

Suddenly, I felt ridiculous for assuming she was one of his women. I quickly forced a smile onto my face, hoping she couldn’t see the amusement I was trying to hide.

“That’s lovely.”

I gave her a tight smile and picked up my bag.

“It was nice meeting you. And I’m Emily, by the way.”

I extended my hand toward her.

She took my hand, her smile widening.

“It was nice meeting you too, Emily. I’m Lillian Anderson.”

My smile froze.

Lillian Anderson.