Read Online Accidental Meeting by Susette Williams - Free Book Online
Authors: Susette Williams
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expect
me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
Abbey shoved past him, her steps picking up pace as she hurried out the door.
For a moment, she sensed he was following her until she heard a deep voice call
his name. She was too nervous to turn and look. Her hands shook as she opened
the package of paper. Half a dozen pieces crinkled on the end when she stuck
them into the slot on the printer. Calm down, she told herself and discarded
the damaged sheets.
*
*
*
The look of fright on Abbey's
face made Bruce's heart rate quicken. When he saw Gary following behind her
from the copy room, it took everything in his power not to yell and chase after
them on crutches.
"Mr. Hartman." Bruce's
voice sounded stern to his own ears, at least it wasn't wobbly from panic.
Whatever happened between Abbey and her previous boss needed to come out in the
open, especially when she looked so fear stricken being around the man.
After a moment, Gary paused in
his steps and turned toward Bruce. "Yes, Mr. Harrington. Did you need
something?"
Bruce clenched his teeth. Gary's
response was well schooled, you'd never know anything had transpired. But
something had. Bruce may not have known Abbey very long, but he could recognize
trouble in the workplace when he saw it. After all, he hadn't risen to the
position of authority as a CEO by not learning to assess his peers or his
competition. "Yes, I'd like to speak to you in your office a moment, if
you don't mind."
"As you wish." Gary led
the way as Bruce shuffled behind him.
Once inside, Gary leaned on the
edge of his desk. Bruce knew this tactic, he'd used it himself. Force the other
person to sit so that you can look down on them. A matter of intimidation. It
wouldn't work. Broken leg or not, Gary didn't know how much he was out of his
league when measured up against Bruce. He may intimidate women, but that was
about as much as the puny weasel could hope for.
How should he play this out?
Bruce needed the best way to make Gary reveal what really happened, something
to throw him off guard so he couldn't distort the truth. He didn't like lying,
but needed to make some vague accusations and let Gary 'fill in the blanks'.
"Miss Martin and I have been talking." Which wasn't a lie. "And
I understand some impropriety has gone on."
Gary laughed. "Oh, please.
You can't believe anything an employee who has been fired says."
"Normally, that may be true,
but since Miss Martin works for the company now, I hardly see how she would
have anything to gain from lying."
Gary frowned.
Score one for Bruce, and thus far
he hadn't fibbed. "So." Bruce sighed, hoping to come off sounding
disappointed. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Look, I'm not the first guy
to get caught up in office romance." Gary shrugged. "And when you
work around hot babes all day who tend to bend over longer than they should,
they're inviting you to come on to them." Gary smiled. "I'm only a
man. You can't expect me not to rise to the challenge."
"Yes, I can." Bruce
felt heat rise in his cheeks. "What you do off the clock is your business,
but when you cross the line in the work place, it becomes the company's
business, more specifically mine."
Gary's expression sobered.
"But—"
"No buts about it. You're
fired." Bruce turned to go, then paused. "Get your things and clear
out of the office immediately. I'll send security to help you to your
car."
Bruce could have almost walked
out of the office without his crutches, more a matter of pride. He should have
felt good about finding out the truth, or part of it. Pressing Gary for more
details would have only ended in assault charges because it took everything in
Bruce not to wring the man's neck. If he found out how far Gary pushed his luck
with Abbey—he didn't want to think about it or
me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
Abbey shoved past him, her steps picking up pace as she hurried out the door.
For a moment, she sensed he was following her until she heard a deep voice call
his name. She was too nervous to turn and look. Her hands shook as she opened
the package of paper. Half a dozen pieces crinkled on the end when she stuck
them into the slot on the printer. Calm down, she told herself and discarded
the damaged sheets.
*
*
*
The look of fright on Abbey's
face made Bruce's heart rate quicken. When he saw Gary following behind her
from the copy room, it took everything in his power not to yell and chase after
them on crutches.
"Mr. Hartman." Bruce's
voice sounded stern to his own ears, at least it wasn't wobbly from panic.
Whatever happened between Abbey and her previous boss needed to come out in the
open, especially when she looked so fear stricken being around the man.
After a moment, Gary paused in
his steps and turned toward Bruce. "Yes, Mr. Harrington. Did you need
something?"
Bruce clenched his teeth. Gary's
response was well schooled, you'd never know anything had transpired. But
something had. Bruce may not have known Abbey very long, but he could recognize
trouble in the workplace when he saw it. After all, he hadn't risen to the
position of authority as a CEO by not learning to assess his peers or his
competition. "Yes, I'd like to speak to you in your office a moment, if
you don't mind."
"As you wish." Gary led
the way as Bruce shuffled behind him.
Once inside, Gary leaned on the
edge of his desk. Bruce knew this tactic, he'd used it himself. Force the other
person to sit so that you can look down on them. A matter of intimidation. It
wouldn't work. Broken leg or not, Gary didn't know how much he was out of his
league when measured up against Bruce. He may intimidate women, but that was
about as much as the puny weasel could hope for.
How should he play this out?
Bruce needed the best way to make Gary reveal what really happened, something
to throw him off guard so he couldn't distort the truth. He didn't like lying,
but needed to make some vague accusations and let Gary 'fill in the blanks'.
"Miss Martin and I have been talking." Which wasn't a lie. "And
I understand some impropriety has gone on."
Gary laughed. "Oh, please.
You can't believe anything an employee who has been fired says."
"Normally, that may be true,
but since Miss Martin works for the company now, I hardly see how she would
have anything to gain from lying."
Gary frowned.
Score one for Bruce, and thus far
he hadn't fibbed. "So." Bruce sighed, hoping to come off sounding
disappointed. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Look, I'm not the first guy
to get caught up in office romance." Gary shrugged. "And when you
work around hot babes all day who tend to bend over longer than they should,
they're inviting you to come on to them." Gary smiled. "I'm only a
man. You can't expect me not to rise to the challenge."
"Yes, I can." Bruce
felt heat rise in his cheeks. "What you do off the clock is your business,
but when you cross the line in the work place, it becomes the company's
business, more specifically mine."
Gary's expression sobered.
"But—"
"No buts about it. You're
fired." Bruce turned to go, then paused. "Get your things and clear
out of the office immediately. I'll send security to help you to your
car."
Bruce could have almost walked
out of the office without his crutches, more a matter of pride. He should have
felt good about finding out the truth, or part of it. Pressing Gary for more
details would have only ended in assault charges because it took everything in
Bruce not to wring the man's neck. If he found out how far Gary pushed his luck
with Abbey—he didn't want to think about it or
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