The Boss(hole) by Penelope Bloom
Juliette
Adrian’s whole team was in our apartment. It was a foggy night, and I could barely see out the huge windows to the city, save for some blurry impressions of lights creeping by on the road below. On clear days, the view was a blue-tinged wonder. I could usually see the giant rectangle of green trails making up Central Park stretching out in front of the building. I could look at all the buildings hemming in the little slice of nature. If I looked close enough, I could see the little dots of people winding through the trails there.
I turned my attention to the conversation. I’d been essentially starved of involvement until now, save for my brief visit to the masquerade party, which had been more like a tease than anything. I’d also nearly screwed that up with my random British accent that Adrian refused to let me live down. Still, it was nice to get to sit down with the group and listen to a state of affairs directly from them, instead of filtered through Adrian.
We were all spread out on the couches and love seats in the living room. Adrian was beside me in one of his suits with his fingers templed under his chin and his brow furrowed. He was in work mode, and I realized how long it’d been since I’d seen that version of him. Around me he was so much softer now. So much kinder. But I remembered all the ruthlessness he seemed to radiate in those first days we’d met when I still only knew him as Mr. White.
I could hardly believe it had been three months now. I’d called Mikey after a week in New York and told him I quit, just like we’d agreed. Except my brother wanted me to go back to father with my tail between my legs. He wanted to be able to claim credit for bringing me back, but when I’d told Adrian about the situation, he’d asked me to do whatever I could to buy time. So I’d had to promise Mikey I wouldn’t just come back if he gave me more time. I’d come back and tell my father how Mikey had found me, convinced me against all odds to come back, and how he’d also convinced me to “behave” this time. In other words, I was supposed to go back and dutifully allow myself to get married off while giving my brother all the credit for my turnaround.
I had no intentions of things getting that far, but Mikey had greedily accepted my terms. I got four months and he got his promise. He knew I was a lot of things, but someone who outright lied and broke promises wasn’t one of them.
With the issue of my brother temporarily settled, time in New York had been flying. Adrian was finding a better balance with work that meant we spent most evenings together and almost every weekend. He still worked crazy hours, but he’d started to find things for me to help him with and also gave me his full attention on weekends. I’d even gone back to North Carolina twice already to visit Anastasia and Lythe.
But I knew this was coming. The job was always looming over everything, and I always kind of knew it wasn’t just going to happen in the background. Somehow, I was going to have to get my hands dirty.
“I’m not getting it,” Travis said after Noah tried to explain the problem.
Noah sighed. “Okay, I’ll explain it for those of us who went back for seconds when they were giving out stupid.”
Jordan stifled a laugh and Travis glared.
“The grand plan had dozens of smaller moving parts, but the real catalyst for everything was Pulse. That’s why we spent four months of our lives working there a couple years back. We set the necessary steps in motion for them to move to be publicly traded, which they’re planning to do. We also undermined the shareholder’s trust in the CEO and his people, and we got to most of the people we think would land positions in a board of directors.”
“Translation?” Travis asked, sounding bored.
“We made sure they were ripe to be acquired by Coleton when we were ready to pull the trigger.”
“Remind me again why we want Coleton to acquire their biggest competitor?” Travis asked.
“Jesus,” Noah sighed. “If you’re just going to forget it all again, why do I bother constantly explaining this to you?”
“Humor me,” Travis said.
Personally, I was glad he was asking so many questions because I’d been lost until now and was only starting to grasp the plan.
“Because we rigged it to screw them,” Noah explained. “Pulse has been growing so fast because they’re breaking almost every law they can to speed things up. So far, they’ve done an excellent job of hiding that,” Noah said.
“And once Coleton leverages a significant chunk of its finances to take over Pulse, we anonymously provide enough information to sink the company for its fraudulent practices,” Adrian said.
Noah leaned forward, grinning. “Which further screws Coleton because it’ll open the door for all the shit we’re going to pin on them. We were going to let Pulse dent their reputation and bank accounts. Then we’d follow it up by leaking all the dirt we have on Coleton to hit them for a knockout blow.”
“But?” Travis said.
“But I need one more thing to make sure it’ll work. Russ Coleton has a personally encrypted file, probably at his house. What I have right now is half of the key, and I need those files to finish it. Without both, we don’t have enough on Coleton,” Noah said. “There’s a treasure trove of shit I can unleash if I have the right tax forms. That’s what that key will unlock for me. Without them, our case is shaky and it’s not a guarantee it’ll work.”
“Why is this only now a problem?” Travis asked.
“Because the plan was for Jordan to get the file,” Noah said. “And Jordan just got fired.”
“What happened?” I asked.
She sighed. “One of Russ’ right-hand men kept making passes at me. I was using him to get closer to Russ, but he just wouldn’t let me go. He wanted to sleep with me, and I told him to go fuck someone in his league, like his hand.”
I snorted, and Jordan grinned back.
“Naturally,” Adrian said. “She was let go. By extension, our team just got dinged. We’re all going to seem a little less trustworthy now.”
“I’m sorry, guys,” Jordan said.
Adrian shook his head. “Don’t apologize. We’ll just fuck them even harder for employing that asshole.”
“Yeah,” Noah said. “And I’ll make sure the next time he goes to present at a big conference, his computer is going to suddenly open a few hundred tabs of very loud and very kinky porn.”
Jordan grinned. “Thank you, guys.”
“Let me do it,” I said. “The laptop, I mean. I could get it.”
“You can’t come to Coleton Central,” Adrian said, shaking his head. “There’s no way. I’ve got to find a way to do it myself.”
“No,” I said. “You don’t. I could go back home. He locks his office but I know where he keeps the key. He also has a terrible memory and writes down all his passwords. I’ve seen the notepad he keeps them on. I can do this,” I said again. My heart was pounding when I realized how badly I wanted the chance to help.
The four of them exchanged silent looks, then Adrian shook his head. “It’s too much of a risk. I don’t want you having to go back into that hell.”
“This is my choice,” I said.
“It’s our mission,” Adrian snapped. “If you fail, it’ll tip your father off and everything we’ve worked for will go up in smoke.”
I gritted my teeth. “You made me a part of this when you told me your plans. This means something to all of us, and I want to help.”
Noah drummed his fingers on his thigh. “We should let her help.”
Jordan nodded at Adrian. “This is her family, Adrian. It’s her inheritance we’re talking about sabotaging. I think she deserves to be part of this if it’s what she wants.”
Adrian slammed his hand on the armrest of the couch and shot to his feet. “Do any of you understand what it means for her to go back to them? You don’t understand what she’s offering to do. I understand. And I don’t want her to have to go back to those fucking people. Not even if it’s temporary.”
“Adrian,” I said softly. I went to him and put my arms around him, pressing my cheek to his chest. He was stiff at first, but he gradually relaxed. “I can do this. Just let me try. Please.”
He sighed. “Just please be careful. Promise me that.”
“I will,” I said.