The Devil's Looking Glass

New Boss

Genevieve

Sunday, along with the rest of the week came and went quickly. Work flew by during the day, with little excitement. Things seemed slightly strained around the office but when I asked my boss, Earl about it, he dismissed it quickly with a wave of his hand.

The evenings and nights didn't go as quickly. Every time my phone rang, I jumped up excitedly, expecting to see Oliver's name flash across my screen. But he didn't call.

I won't lie. I was very disappointed. I thought we had both experienced an amazing connection. Wishful thinking on my part, I guess. What did I expect? He had called a s*x chat line. He wasn't looking for a connection, he was looking to jerk off.

It was now Saturday afternoon. I had booked the day off with the expectation of visiting my aunt over the weekend but had cancelled last minute. I just wasn't feeling up to it. I planned on laying on my floatie in the pool, soaking in the sun and drinking my bourbon on the rocks.

Which is exactly what I was doing at this very moment.

I was wearing my smallest, skimpiest strapless bikini, hoping to get the best tan lines possible. My hair was thrown up in a messy bun and my aviators were protecting my eyes from the suns glare.

I sighed wistfully, my eyes closed. I was trying my best not to think of Oliver. Not to think of Damien.

Loud voices brought me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes, and glanced forward, towards the direction of Damien's back yard. Through the fence, I could see that there were people milling about. He was throwing a party. I scrunch up my face. Great. Just great.

I could see three outlines through the fence boards and heard a low whistle. I couldn't see who it was but I could hear them over the rest of the party goers.

I didn't move. I didn't want them to know that I was aware of their presence or that I could hear them.

"So that's her?" The first voice said. I didn't recognize it at all.

Another quiet low whistle.

"Mmmhm. She is a beauty." Tommy's voice perked up.

Always so sweet, that one.

"The things I would do to her." A deep low rumbled. That voice caused me to stiffen.

Tommy again. "Aiden. Don't. Off limits."

The Aiden voice spoke again. "The things I would do to that dirty little mouth."

The unknown guy chuckled. I heard a smack and then Tommy again. "Aiden, f**k man, watch what you are saying, there are kids here."

There is no mistaking it. Aiden's voice, that was Johnny. My so-called master that called every Thursday night, like clockwork.

I had always wondered if the people I spoke to were local or not. I always assumed that some were. They had to be. If you were to google anything about s*x chat or looking for that kind of thing online, the closest one to you, is usually the first to pop up. Or at least I assumed that. Who knows?

My eyes were open, and I could see three individual eyes, near the top of the fence line, peeking through.

They were all watching me intently once more. They can't tell that I was watching them, thanks to my sunglasses. Perverts.

I may be 'innocent' and untouched, go by the name of Angel for my job but I definitely have a tiny little devil on my shoulder. She was terrible. She encouraged the worst of my behavior and never felt any shame. She mostly appeared when I had been drinking. The empty glass in my hand confirmed that I had indeed, been drinking.

Have some fun. I swear I could almost hear her voice. Live a little.

That was all the encouragement I needed. I set the empty glass into the cup holder of my floatie. I slowly stretched my body, pretending to yawn, my mouth going wide open, as my head went back and my body lifted off the floatie, arching, my chest jutting out.

I heard a loud groan from the other side of the fence.

"Shiiiiit." Tommy again.

I purred out a satisfied moan as I settled back into my position.

Unknown man, "Um... f**k. Seriously? I need new neighbors."

I fought the urge to laugh. I slid of the floatie and into the water. I was grinning from ear to ear under the water. As I neared the shallow end, I came out of the water, my body glistening under the sun, water droplets dripping down, my long black hair slicked back.

Another groan.

My back was to them as I ascended the steps out of the pool, a grin spread across my face, knowing that they were getting a perfect picture of my ass. The bikini I was wearing was a thong.

"That girl needs to be taught a lesson." Aiden aka Johnny rumbled. Yep, definitely a b**m lover in real life as well. I figured as much. Not just a fantasy.

Just as I was bending over to grab my towel off the floor, I heard a fourth voice. "What are you guys' loo..."

It stopped mid-sentence. This time I didn't hear a groan. I heard a growl.

Damien.

I froze momentarily but then stood. Keeping my back to them, I slowly began drying my face and my arms, then down the front of body, bending once more to run the towel down my legs.

More smacking.

"Get the f**k back in the house." Damien again. Holy s**t, did he sound pissed.

My face was now sporting the biggest, ear to ear grin I had ever felt. Damn rights.

I knew I hate the guy but driving him crazy was slowly becoming my new favorite past time. Call me sick in the head, I don't even care. I was getting the craziest levels of satisfaction, knowing how badly he wanted me. That guy had made me feel like no one could want me for years. To know that it was now him, that wanted me. There was no better feeling at the present.

I wrapped the towel around my body, tucking it snuggly around my chest and walked back into the house without a glance behind me. I could feel his eyes still on me. I knew he was still standing there.

***

The greatest thing about having a night off from Exotic Encounters, was the knowledge that I could go to bed early tonight. I ran on minimal sleep, pretty much daily. I had been doing it for years. Knowing that I was in bed at 10:00pm on a Saturday should make me the happiest girl in the world.

I was not. I was not f*****g happy.

All I could hear, all I could feel, was the steady thumping of the bass next door. I had been tossing and turning for an hour. The party raged on.

The bourbon was fueling the rage that was flowing through me. I couldn't call the cops. It wasn't past bylaw hours. For f**k's sake.

I threw the covers off my nearly naked body, stumbling around in the dark. I grabbed the shirt that was folded on my dresser without a second thought, tossing it on and storming down the stairs.

I could not take another hour of this.

I flung my front door open and marched next door. I could hear panicked shouting coming from inside the house. What the hell was going on?

I rushed inside without knocking and followed the sounds of the screaming to the kitchen.

My eyes widened at the sight before me. Three men were standing on one side of the island that was in the middle of the kitchen. I was through the doorway and just to the left of the island, across from them.

A guy I didn't recognize was wielding a knife, his eyes were glazed but wide with fear. Damien was in the middle, holding a broom with two hands, high above his head in the air and on the other side was Tommy, a rolling pin in hand, shaking slightly, pointing towards the island. I turned my head slowly in the direction of the rolling pin.

There on the floor of the kitchen, not even five feet from me, was the biggest f*****g rat I had ever seen in my life.

I screamed bloody murder and scrambled on top of the island counter. I was on my hands and knees now, my eyes tightly shut, feeling like my heart was about to jump up my throat and right out of my mouth.

I opened my eyes and tilted downwards, peeking over the edge, looking for the hairy beast that I was sure had already decided that I was going to be his dinner.

I heard a commotion behind me as my eyes landed on Damien's new furry friend. A clatter. Slap. Slap. Then Damien's voice. "Geni. Get down."

I didn't move. I was frozen in place. The beast had his beady little eyes fixed on mine. His nose was wriggling back and forth. Great. He had smelt dinner and was ready to feast.

"GENI!"

I still didn't move. If I moved, so would the beast. I knew it.

"Geni. This is extremely important. I need you to get down from there." There was an urgency in his voice.

Still bent forward, I slowly turned my head to the side and looked behind me, to meet Damien's wide, dilated, fixed stare.

If I didn't feel like I was in a life or death scenario at this moment, I would have laughed. And yes, this was life or death. I suffered from, what is known as Musophobia. A fear of rats and mice.

I took in the scene laid out behind me. All three men had dropped their weapons. The unknown guy and Tommy's bodies were stiff and rigid, Damien between them with one hand reached up and out on either side, covering both of their eyes.

My brain had basically shut down and I had no idea what was going on or what I was looking at.

A fourth man entered the room from the patio doors behind them and immediately froze, next to Tommy. His eyes stopped on my ass, nearly popping out of his head, his mouth forming a large O.

The next 5 seconds lasted an hour.

That was the moment that I realized what he was seeing. I was on all fours, on the kitchen counter, my head down and my ass up high in the air. I was wearing nothing but a white lace thong and a t-shirt.

Damien was looking back and forth between my ass and the new guy so quickly; I was pretty sure he would have whiplash. Then I saw it. He looked down at his right foot. Then back at new guys eyes on me. Then to his foot again, which was now slowly starting to lift off the ground.

Everything was moving in slow motion. Damien's foot now off the ground and damn near waist level. His body was moving as if he was some kind of kung fu, karate, martial arts master, stretching, bending and posing. Was he going to...?

All I could picture in my head was a guy spinning a Twister spinner and announcing, 'left hand to unknown guys eyes.' Another spin. 'Right hand to Tommy's eyes.' Last spin, 'Right foot to new guy's eyes.' Damian was legit playing a human version of the game Twister. But instead of colored dots, his body parts were going to land on these guys eyes.

This thought alone, caused a loud, gut-wrenching laugh to break out of my tiny little body. That was enough for me to snap out of my fear and quickly realize that I needed to move, and I needed to do it now.

The laughter stopped abruptly, and I quickly pushed myself from the counter and plopped back down, on my ass, facing these four men, my legs crossed and my hands tugging the bottom of the shirt to cover my underwear. The guys were scrambling to pull Damien's hands off, trying to figure out what was going on.

The music had now stopped. I don't know if you have ever heard a naked ass, plop down on to a marble countertop but I can assure that the word plop is a very accurate word. That sound seemed to echo through the now quiet house.

We sat there in silence for over two minutes. No one saying a word. No one moving. My eyes wide, my hands still pulling the shirt down forcefully, to meet the countertop in the space between my crossed legs. All four guys stared at me with equally as wide eyes.

Then in walked a fifth guy. My eyes quickly darted to him. I recognized him immediately. Tommy's older brother, Daniel. He grinned at the sight of me. "Is this the entertainment?"

My face flushed red. I wanted to die. Why? Why does this happen when I am around him? The most embarrassing moments of my life always seem to be centered around the devil. That is who Damien was. The Devil Himself. Here to bring about the end of my world.

The scurrying on the floor beneath me had fear flooding my body and me quickly back into my rat finding position, another loud scream erupting. I turned as I watched the rat race out the now open, patio door.

Before I knew it, Damien was in front of me, pulling me off the counter. My body instinctively wrapped around his, my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist. My face was buried in his neck as I tried not to cry, my body shaking from the fear that had now once again riddled my body. His one arm was around my waist, the other running smoothly over the back of my head and my hair, trying to soothe me as he pressed his face to my neck and inhaled deeply.

He pulled back slightly and whispered, "Nice shirt by the way."

I pulled back as well, confused and looked down. The shirt that I had grabbed and thrown on in my haste, was none other than the one I had fled from his house in, covered in vomit. I had washed it with the intention of returning it. Now here I was, in his arms, my body wrapped around his like a needy little girl, wearing this fucker's t-shirt.

I jumped out of his arms and shoved him hard, knocking him off balance and into Tommy. I turned and ran towards the front door, laughter following me, Daniels's voice calling out, "So... not the entertainment, then?"

I was back to feeling humiliated. I could hear Damien chasing behind me, but I didn't stop. I simply screamed, just before slamming my door in his face, "KEEP THE f*****g MUSIC DOWN!"

***

My eyes opened slowly to the sound of my alarm. I reached over, sliding the button on the screen to shut it off. Monday.

Most people hated Monday's. It was always blamed for being the fault of something bad happening.

Bad things happen every day. However, if they happen on a Monday, people say things like, 'Typical Monday' or 'What do you expect, it's Monday after all.'

I loved Monday's. The start of a fresh new week. It was like a tiny little New Year's Day celebration, once a week. I jumped out of the bed and headed to the shower. I was ready for today.

After blow-drying my hair and putting it into a sleeked back, high ponytail, applying just a small amount of blush and clear lip gloss, I walked to my closet. 

My work attire was always classy, yet comfortable. I slipped on a just over the knee length black, high waisted pencil skirt that had a slit up the back to make movements easy. A simple yet elegant red silk blouse for the top, tucked into the skirt. I did all the buttons up except for the top two. Lots of neck. No cleavage. Perfect for the office. I slid on my black open toed heels. They weren't high. Only one and a half inches. Enough to look business smart but still be comfortable. If I could wear my flip flops, I would.

I ran down the stairs ready to start back to work.

When I walked into the building, I smiled at the main receptionist. "Good morning, Tracy!"

"Good morning, Geni." She was trying to smile. She hated Mondays. More than most people. I secretly called her Garfield.

I pushed the button on the elevator to go up and waited patiently. The building wasn't overly huge. Eight floors. But for our town or some call a small city, it was the largest building around. Michlenin, McDeer and Associates was the leading law firm in our surrounding area. Even though the location is odd, the lawyers travel constantly, even overseas, practicing international law. I had been lucky, having Earl as my boss.

Aka Mr. Michlenin. He hated when I called him that though, I tried for the first year but every time he would correct me and say, 'Call me Earl.'

Earl didn't do much traveling at all. He stayed here in the building and oversaw everything that he needed to. He hadn't stepped foot in a courtroom in years. Being his personal assistant was terrifying at first. I didn't know anything about the law or lawyers. He made my job easy. Running personal errands. Photocopying things, taking messages and booking flights, events, hotels or whatever was necessary to help out the rest of the team. It was never too daunting. Just the right amount of work to keep me on my toes but not stress me out.

When I reached the top floor, I immediately headed to the coffee station and began to prepare Earl's coffee. I was always early by about 25 minutes. By the time I completed making coffee, it would be 15 minutes to eight and that was always when Earl would arrive. I liked to make sure that his coffee was sitting on his desk, hot and steamy, the moment he walked into his office doors.

I dropped my purse off at my desk outside of his office and rushed inside, taking note of the time. He would be here in two minutes. As I walked in, I stopped, nearly spilling the cup of coffee on the floor.

There at his desk, his head in his hands was my boss. His balding, grey hair a wild mess on his head, which was normally neatly slicked back, his body heaving as if he had just finished crying and was trying to catch his breath.

"Earl?" I said it just above a whisper.

His head snapped up, his red tired eyes meeting mine. He smiled. A small genuine smile, not forced, which relieved me.

I strode forward and placed the coffee in front of him. "Is everything okay, Earl?"

He took the cup in both of his hands and inhaled deeply, then took a small sip, before looking back up to me. "It will be. I promise."

Eh? What does that mean?

I waited for him to continue. "There will be a staff meeting at 8:10 sharp. Everything will be explained then."

My stomach rolled. That was not good. Why wasn't he telling me what was going on?

I decided not to push it. Instead of demanding and stomping my feet like a child, which was what I really wanted to do, I went back to my desk without a word. The email popped up at exactly 8:00am.

"Main conference room. Meeting. 8:10am sharp. Mandatory attendance."

I stared at the email now even more confused. It came from Earl's email account but that is not how he talked. He was always clear yet used full sentences. He didn't demand. He asked. He was one of the nicest, sweetest men I had ever met in my life. Something strange was going on and suddenly the Monday sayings were rolling through my mind.

I made my way to the second floor, to the main conference room. Everyone was already there. I was the only personal assistant in attendance, however. All the other faces around the table were lawyers.

Why was I here?

Earl stood at the head of the table and motioned to the chair that was two seats from his. Normally when I would attend these meetings, I sat next to Earl, taking notes and answering any questions he did not know the answers to. I was basically his right-hand woman. I knew the ins and outs of his work life and everything that went on around him. I paid close attention to the details.

I sat in the chair that he had motioned to, my hands in my lap, clasping and unclasping. I was starting to get nervous. Every person in the room sat quietly now, staring at Earl. Looking down at his watch, he sighed, muttering, "Always have to make a statement entrance." It wasn't meant for anyone to hear, but I did.

Who was he talking about?

Earl cleared his throat and began. "Thank you all for coming here, so quickly and promptly. I am going to make this brief and quick so that all of you can get back to the jobs that I pay you such outrageous amounts of money to do." Everyone but me laughed.

Was I the only one here nervous about what is going on?

He continued, "I am so sorry to spring this on you all, like this." His eyes met mine and I could see deep regret in his eyes. "As of today, I am no longer running this horse and pony show." He paused. He said it that way to be funny but no one was laughing this time. "Due to a certain recent PR nightmare," Everyone turned to look at Mr. Donavan whose face turned a lovely shade of tomato red. "We were forced to keep this under wraps until the very last second."

My eyes were on Mr. Donavan still who was fidgeting in his seat, even though all eyes were back on Earl, except for mine.

I felt bad for the guy, but he deserved to feel like that. Recently he had gone through a divorce, which ended up becoming public, since he had been cheating on his wife. All kinds of images had been leaked to the press. He wasn't a celebrity by any means but due to the small city we lived in, it was considered big news. He was lucky to keep his job here. He had lost everything else.

I turned back to Earl as he looked down at his watch again, then up to the door, "...please make him feel welcome. He is family, my son. Your new boss."

I missed half of what he had said, when I had been looking at Mr. Donavan. This whole thing had me unnerved and unfocused.

Everyone applauded and I looked over towards the door, only to see the figure move behind me, then sit in the chair next to me.

I couldn't help what happened next. I didn't mean to do it.

I jumped out of my chair with so much force that it slid on its wheels and crashed into the wall behind me. My hands balled into fists at my side, I screamed, out loud.

"Damien f*****g Vanderbrooke!?"