Unorthodox Therapy (44 page)

It was the first time in days that a smile crept onto my face. This could turn out to be easier than I thought.

Katie broke me out of my trance by knocking on the door. She'd been quite motherly to me and probably the only person who showed open support, but I wouldn't have been surprised if it was just an act, given how crazy the world was becoming.

Was I meant to live the rest of my life in constant paranoia?

Just then my eyes landed on the miniature bottles of vodka she held in her hand.

“The meeting is in one hour. I thought you could use some Dutch courage?” My assistant closed the door and extended her hand to me. “I have some mints and mouth freshener for you. No one will notice. You look like you could use a drink, boss.”

“Well, the ship is finally sinking so why not?” I grinned and took one of the miniatures from her hand. We clinked them together. “To my fall, may it be short and glorious.”

Her smile faltered at those words. Mine stayed as I poured the alcohol down my throat. Warmth spread through my veins and suppressed the torturous dark thoughts, but the liquid courage was temporary. Fear would sink its claws into my throat as soon as I stepped into the boardroom.

“You shouldn't lose hope, Lina. It will be fine. They would be crazy to let someone like you go because of some dirty pictures. Sex scandals aren't a new thing in tech. Also, see what happened with the stocks of
VMWare
when they fired Diane Green? They'd be nowhere without you.”

“Most of those involved in sex scandals are men, Katie. And should I remind you
VMWare
is still on the market and growing?”

Even if I had some pretty solid aces to play, I couldn't feel too secure yet.

“You can always go rogue and buy their asses at a discount rate. Whatever happens today it's not the end of the world.” She took a sip of her own vodka and stared out of the window. “How are you doing otherwise? It must be difficult.” Katie paused. We hadn't discussed the images and she never shared her thoughts on my behavior. “I never expected Thomas would be such a low life. Honestly, I'd shoot him if I were you.”

My hand froze as I squeezed the bottle and stared at her in shock.

“Don't worry, I'm the only one who knows. Well, I suspected, but your reaction just now proved it.”

“But how?” I suddenly wanted another one of those miniature bottles.

“Well, I do have a brain, boss.” Katie rolled her eyes at me. “I'd often see him walk out of your office. You were glowing. Somehow, I didn't think it was because you discussed the updates on the latest app his team was developing.” She reached out to squeeze my hand. “I'm sorry. Are you in love with him?”

I leaned back against the backrest and closed my eyes without saying a word. It was one thing to think about it, but if I admitted it out loud, the wave of hurt and anguish might not stop. There would be time to grieve later.

“This is strange,” Katie mused as she took a few slow sips. How she could not be done with the damned thing in one gulp was beyond me. “Because I swear he looked genuinely in love.”

“Most sociopaths are pretty good actors, honey.” I raised my eyes to meet hers and finally spat it out. “Look, if everything turns out fine today and I keep my position, I'd understand if you wanted to transfer or work for someone else. It's probably hard to respect someone after–”

“What?” She raised an eyebrow and shook her finger at me. “Lina, no more of this nonsense. You're the best boss I've ever had.” Katie's eyes flashed with anger. “Well, you may have your quirks and issues but you always treated me with respect and as a human being. Let me tell you something.”

She leaned forward to me and spoke with a threatening voice I never expected to hear from her.

“If those pathetic pencil pushers kick you out, I'm following you into the new company you found. I have no doubt you won't leave it at that. No matter what you prefer in the bedroom, you're too much of a fighter.”

“I appreciate your loyalty but let's hope I won't have to start from scratch.” My fingers ran over the manilla envelope. “Still, it means a lot to me that you're not judging me.”

Katie patted my shoulder and whispered.

“Sometimes my fiancé and I do a bit of role-playing, though the cuffs we use are pink and fluffy.” She giggled like a schoolgirl and finished her vodka in one gulp.

It was amazing what some girl talk and miniature alcohol could do to improve a woman's mood. All I had to do was keep my job and company and kick some ass. How difficult could it be?

***

If I survive this meeting, I should clear my board of directors and pick people who actually make themselves useful.

I entered the boardroom and took a good look at all the faces gathered around the table. Back in the days when I was laying the foundation of my company, investors were a necessity. Right now, the company was slowly turning into a force to be reckoned with and I needed visionaries with fresh ideas rather than this old boy’s club. How did I ever come up with this bunch of merry idiots?

Perhaps they'd expect me to walk away with my head bowed in shame, crying and begging for forgiveness, but if they thought they'd get to use the tar and feathers for my public humiliation they didn't know Lina Riley. I wondered whether any of those low lives had pleasured themselves to the pictures of my submission? No, scratch that, I was convinced they had. I was sure they’d even had some nasty power fantasies in which they would strip and spank me across their laps before taking turns punishing me.

Sorry, old geezers, you're not my type.

If they planned to kill me, I'd sure as hell go down in style. I wouldn't be remembered as a pathetic, apologetic creature at their mercy. Furthermore, this wouldn't be our last battle. Pain and betrayal were pushed to the back of my mind. It was time for war.

The shock on James's face as he saw me entering was precious. I was dressed in a scarlet business suit with the skirt a little above my knees. The stilettos I had chosen matched the outrageous color and were quite different from my usual business pumps or kitten heels. If I was going to kick ass today it would be best if I left blood. These babies were sharp enough to break skin.

Usually, I never went too crazy with makeup at work, but today my face was in war paint. There were some gasps at the sight of my smoky eye shadow and murderous red lipstick, but I'd be lost if I relied solely on the clothes, shoes and makeup. What made those assholes uneasy was the obvious pride in my gaze. I didn't avoid their eyes in shame as they wished I would.

The manilla envelope in my hands must have worried them as well.

“Gentlemen.” My voice oozed confidence and I took a seat with all the grace and elegance I could muster. The bastards swallowed with effort when they saw me crossing my legs. My skirt hiked up a little but not enough to show them much of my lingerie. If they expected a
Basic Instinct
kind of distraction they could go fuck themselves. “I heard you wanted to discuss the greetings card we all received this week.”

“There's nothing funny, Lina,” James started with a heavy, serious tone, loosened his tie and wiped the sweat off his red face. He was getting too obese for a man in his early forties. No suit, no matter how well tailored, could hide the growing of his belly and ass. It wouldn't have been such a problem if James was a man of integrity, a man who exuded power no matter what his appearance, but even when we first met and he was a lot more elegant, it was clear he was a mouse.

“Do you see me laughing, James? I'm less than amused to have my personal life leaked out in public.”

“Not simply any personal file,” one of the other guys called out with a frown. “We are really concerned about how your behavior reflects on ChaosTech Solutions.”

James hurried to pipe in.

“Many of our clients whom we’ve worked so hard to attract–”

“Correction, James.” I cut him off with a smile. “The ones
I
attracted. When was the last time you actually attended a presentation or a new client meeting? Because none of you have been very active in that department lately. How many of you are up to date with all the software engineers do? Did you keep yourselves up to date with the latest trends in technology?” I laughed heartily and ran my well-polished nails over the armrests. “To the majority of you, all the products we develop are simply a
black box
5
. So, please...”

When I leaned forward, some of the men shifted with discomfort. My expression must have been quite ferocious because James nearly whimpered.

Oh, for fuck's sake! I'm the one who should be squirming.

“... don't tell me about the hard work
you've
put in. Because trust me, gentlemen, if it weren't for me, this company would have bankrupted a long time ago. I'm the one working fourteen hours a day while you benefit from my labor.”

“Erm, yes, Lina, nobody denies you’ve done an outstanding job in such a short time. Given the economic situation it's amazing we're blossoming, but...” James kept on wiping his forehead with trembling fingers. “But you must also understand we can't afford a bad reputation. No matter how well we do, right now the most important thing is to salvage our image.”

“You make it sound worse than it actually is, James.” I kept my eyes focused on him until he looked away in shame. “Those pictures weren't posted on social media save for some online porn site I already took care of. It would take me a small amount of time to persuade the targeted clients that the damage would be greater if they parted from us. Our partners and clients are too practical to be affected by a few dirty images.”

Oh God, these guys were the worst. Did some of them actually blush when I said that last part? Oh, yes, they did. I could picture them with their pants down holding their pathetic, shriveling dicks as they jerked off to the sight of me in chains.

“That’s the problem, Lina. It's not just about the pictures. We are afraid further knowledge of this, the lifestyle you indulge yourself in, may leak in the future.” James composed himself and pushed his sweaty handkerchief into his pocket. I shivered in disgust. “At this point, you're a liability.”

“Some of those clients you attracted...” Elliot Smith, the chief marketing officer, gave his best greasy politician smile. “...They're people with strong family and moral values. But don't think we'd send you into exile, Lina. As a silent partner you can always contribute greatly.”

“Well, gentlemen, if we are to speak of lifestyle and how it can affect someone's family values...” Their gazes shifted to my hands. I picked up the envelope on the table in front of me. It was funny how something as innocent as a simple piece of office material could reduce grown men to tongue-tied idiots.

“As you know, I always keep myself up to date with everything happening under my nose.” My red manicure looked amazing against the manilla, especially when I was about to pull out my biggest ace. “That includes more than work related projects.”

My smile grew wider and I took my sweet time removing the contents of the mystery envelope.

“People are the most precious resource. ChaosTech Solutions and its IT specialists are the apple of my eye, but you're the ones whose behavior may reflect on our image... or go against someone's family values.”

James looked on the verge of a heart attack when I finally took pity on him and the rest of the board members. I slipped out the contents in one sweeping move and spread them across the table like a deck of cards. If the guys had been nervous before, the moment when they faced their own sins made them lose any face color whatsoever.

I picked one of the black and white pictures and held it up for everyone to see.

“As you can see, this is Mr. Elliot Smith right in front of a gentlemen’s club known as
Hot Candy
.” Elliot's face grew even redder as I displayed the image of him stepping through a door decorated with a bright neon signature. “How bizarre, Mr. Smith.” He clenched his fists as I tutted at him with a satisfied smirk. “The rest of the strong family values team would be shocked to find you in such a place.”

A rush of power ran through my body as I watched them, silent and ashamed. Holding the cards had never felt so damned good.

“Oh, or perhaps this?” Another one of my sweet collection belonged to Dave Williams, the general manager. He was pictured with a hand under the table in a beach restaurant, stroking the thigh of a luxurious brunette who was definitely not his wife. “Wasn't this Cynthia Madison, your executive assistant? What would Mrs. Williams have to say about that, hmm?”

“B-b-but, that was a mistake. It happened years ago.” Unlike James, this precious member of the old boys club didn't have a hankie. How unfortunate! “She seduced me.” His high pitched chirp was the most amusing thing I'd heard all day and I burst out laughing.

“As for you, Mr. Douglas,” I drawled in a sweet, sultry way that probably made his tiny dick grow. “Do you think the rest of the board members would be pleased to learn of your habits.”

“Lina, stop it. I have no idea.” His eyes were drawn to the spreadsheet laid on top of the disgraceful images. “You won't change your situation with dirty laundry no one really cares about.”

“Is that so, Mr. Douglas?” I laughed and handed the report to each of the board members. “About a year ago, the accounting department flagged some discrepancies in our annual financial report. Can you imagine my surprise when my investigator laid out the facts? Our very own Mr. Douglas had skimmed something extra from the top to indulge in a lifestyle of his choice.” His face turned so red I was sure he'd burst a vein. “The
Sweet Angels
escort agency may be higher class than the
Hot Candy
strip club, Mr. Douglas, but embezzlement is still embezzlement. You may take a good look.”