Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3) (16 page)

“I was wrong,” Marcus yelled, “you do have
taste. That bra and panty set is
chic!”

~*~*~*~

Marcus left a frantic Krista for the outer
room where a calm receptionist and a nervous Sean were waiting.

“She’ll be ready in a jiff,” Marcus said as
he sat into the couch and immediately lounged.

Sean looked over his notes. “Marcus, you’ll
go down with her. Introduce her around. Help her network. I’ll
follow with Janice. I want to keep distance between Krista and
myself.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Marcus asked.

“There’ll be a lot of rumors about her and
me. I don’t want to emphasize that by constantly being seen with
her. Plus, when she has a chance to assess the situation on her
own, she’ll choose the best path to the goal line. If I’m there
she’ll just wait for me to lead.”

Marcus leaned forward with an incredulous
expression. “Is the young stud admitting that he doesn’t know the
best way to accomplish his giant list of achievements?”

“I know the best way—point it out to Krista
and let her do all the hard work so I can walk in and collect the
prize!” Sean grinned.

Marcus started laughing. “I’m going to tell
her you said that.”

“I would tell her myself but she’d probably
slug me.”

It was then that Krista walked out in a form
fitting skirt suit that was classy, professional, and feminine.

“Sean? Shouldn’t you be downstairs?” Krista
asked in a panic.

He smiled slowly and his eyes drifted down
her body. “You look great.”

Krista’s face flushed as Marcus said, “All my
doing. C’mon Geegee, we have people to meet.”

Krista groaned. “I
hate
people. I’m
not a people person.”

~*~*~*~

Sean’s eyes followed her out with a look that
could melt metal. It fried every thought in her head, which was
why, halfway to the meeting room, she finally remembered her lack
of tights.

“Crap! I have to go back.”

“Why?” Marcus said, grabbing her arm to keep
her walking.

“I forgot tights.”

He glanced down. “It is too hot for tights,
and you are too young for nylons, Geegee. You look good. You have
nice, tan legs. Bare legs are best.”

“I’ll stand out, Marcus.”

“Geegee, you are a young, hot female. You are
already going to stand out. And let me remind you, I am a hot,
black,
gay
male in middle America. I’ve got you beat.”

“I noticed you didn’t mention young…” Krista
said with a snort.

“Shut up. Being a bitch doesn’t become
you.”

Krista laughed as they rounded a corner and
were immediately thrust into a group of mill-and-flocking
professionals on their way into a large banquet room. Krista’s legs
started tingling. “Oh my God. Who are all these people?” Krista
said as her legs would no longer carry her forward.

“C’mon.” He plucked at her arm.

Krista hesitantly followed him, her fake
smile probably looking like a grimace.

“Geegee, I have some great tidbits for you
about your boys’ club, but if you don’t play the beautiful,
egocentric upstart right now, I won’t tell you.”

Krista’s hands started to sweat. Not only
were there a ton of people, but they were all older,
experienced-looking men. Worse, they looked at her like an
insignificant chick with a nice pair of legs. Obviously many of
them didn’t think administrative personnel were people. It was like
being transported back in time to the 1950’s.

“I think Doritos’s is calling my name,”
Krista muttered. There were a million companies where women
occupied some of the top positions. There was no reason she had to
fight to be accepted in some backwoods empire that wasn’t
progressing because the people that ran it were too happy with
yesteryear.

But first, she had to get through the
weekend. She’d make it through the weekend, bare the smirks and
slights and sexist behavior, then leave Sean to his empire.

Krista allowed Marcus to lead her around,
trying for an “I’m harmless” smile, and politely regarded everyone
they came in contact with. It was then that Krista realized just
how seriously backward the company was. She knew she was the only
female manager—she didn’t know that Marcus was the only male
administrative person. Not only that, but all the younger admin’s
were pretty. Young, dumb, and pretty. The older gals were frumpy,
probably underpaid, and not taken all that seriously.

Krista’s regard for the company plummeted
even further. No wonder the guys in her office had a problem with
her. Women in general weren’t taken seriously among the upper tier.
Which meant Sean was in relatively the same boat. He’d promoted the
woman. Everyone must think he was a schmuck!

Or sleeping with her…

Krista became increasingly angry, but also
withdrawn, as they made their way to their region’s table to join
the other managers who were already there. She sat next to Bob
because she didn’t have much choice if she wanted to see, and
Marcus sat next to her.

“I didn’t think you ate chips,” Marcus said
idly, looking out at all the tables.

“Chips?”

Marcus spared her a glance. “Yeah—Dorito’s. I
didn’t think you ate chips.”

“
Oh.
No, I don’t. Not usually. I’d
rather eat chocolate if I’m going to splurge.”

“So…?”

“Oh, it’s just…” Krista lowered her voice.
“Apparently Dorito’s is hiring. It would be a lateral move, but the
pay is better. Kate talked to someone there and mentioned my
name.”

Marcus was awestruck. “I thought you were
getting along with Sean okay?”

Krista shrugged. “It’s fine, and if that was
the only problem, I wouldn’t bother poking my head up, but…”

Marcus glanced next to Krista at Bob, then
tilted his head once and looked away. “Read ya loud and clear,
sista.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention it
to Sean. He’d take it the wrong way.”

“He’ll take it even worse if you hand in your
notice.”

“I know. But he has to see…”

“He does,” Marcus said sadly. He couldn’t
elaborate anymore because Janice and Sean showed up, taking the two
remaining seats.

Sean looked keyed up and in his element. His
charisma was booming and his eyes were bright. Krista knew him too
well, though. There was a tightness around his eyes that said he
would rather be anywhere but in that room. She absolutely agreed
with him.

Krista sighed, got out her laptop, and
prepared to take notes. She was the only one at the table to do so.
Everyone else had notepad and paper, including Janice, who
apparently did short hand. Krista then glanced around at the tables
around them. Then behind them.

She was the only one in the entire freaking
banquet hall full of professionals that had a laptop! The admins
had pens and the managers had bored expressions and fat guts.

“Am I allowed to have this?” she whispered
across the table to Sean.

He glanced around, saw what she had, and was
hard pressed to keep that boyish grin from his face. He shrugged.
“You’re the only one prepared I guess.”

“But am I allowed?”

Someone walked on stage. Sean nodded then
turned his seat around.

The tables were circles, chairs all the way
around. This meant that two people had their back to the presenter.
Not well thought out.

“Only secretaries take notes,” Bob whispered
in a snide tone.

“Only European’s forgo deodorant, stinky,”
Krista retorted.

Marcus started choking with laughter and Sean
turned back around to give Krista a look that said,
“
Behave
.”

The presenter started talking about
leadership. He gave some good tips on getting reluctant employees
to follow their boss’s lead. Sean turned back around to make sure
Krista was taking notes. She scowled at him. She didn’t need the
stupid buttheads around her thinking she was Sean’s secretary as
well as his sex buddy. There were only so many incorrect rumors she
needed about her.

Krista could type like the wind, and she was
an excellent note taker, so she got everything of importance. She
hadn’t been out of school long enough for the sponge that was her
brain to dry up and crack. Still, just in case she missed
something, Janice was doing her short hand. Granted, Janice
wouldn’t catch what was important and what was fodder, so her notes
would be tedious and time consuming, but between the two of them,
Sean would get everything.

They were given a ten minute break. The
lights came back up and Marcus was out of his chair and off. He
tried to grab Krista’s hand and yank her with him, but she cleverly
slipped out of his grasp.

“You’re going to get eaten alive here,
girlie,” Bob said loudly. Dean snorted, sharing the sentiment,
Donald and Georgie pretended not to hear.

“We’ll see, Bob.”

“Mark my words. Eaten alive. And you won’t
like it.”

Apparently that was his try at sexual
harassment. “Really, Bob? What do you know about it? I bet the
manual your wife gave you is still unread.”

Georgie looked up in surprise as Krista
looked away smoothly. When a girl spends her drinking youth in a
bar, sexual harassment wasn’t a scary thing. Krista was an old pro
at cutting down guys that thought they could get one over on her
because he had a penis. And a guy Bob’s age?
Oh please.

She did need to get with Marcus though. She
needed to hit Bob with something that stung. Or disabled.

Ten minutes closer to the end of the
weekend—when Krista could go home—everyone came back to the table
and the next segment started. This time it was about positive
attitudes.

Did she need help with that? Yes, she did.
Did she want it? Nope. She decided half-assed notes would
suffice.

After that was done, and everyone was nearly
asleep, they were released. Dinner would be in the hotel
restaurant, so Krista wanted to head to her room, properly get
ready with time to dilly-dally, and come back down with
bullet-proof confidence. She might want to get the hell out of this
company, and would as soon as the weekend was over, but until then,
she’d be damned if she’d prove stupid Bob right!

“Geegee, I need a wingman tonight,” Marcus
declared as he escorted her back to her room. “It looks better when
I have someone with me for introductions. After tonight, I’ll leave
you to your sand.”

“My sand?”

“To stick your head in.
Please
keep up
with the conversation, darling. Anyway, wear that classic black
number to dinner. Keep it sophisticated. Tomorrow you should break
out the slinky stuff. You have to show you’re good at your job
before you reveal the ladies.”

“Marcus, I don’t need your fashion advice.
And I don’t refer to my boobs as ladies, so you shouldn’t,
either.”

“Prude.
Kisses
.”

And he was off again, leaving Krista
peacefully to herself to get ready.

~*~*~*~

Sean was just out of the shower when Marcus
walked in. He put on his slacks and went out into the living room
area to air dry the rest of him.

“Your worst nightmare has come true,” Marcus
said, stopping at the arched doorway leading into the bedroom.

“That I’ll end up like my father?” Sean asked
with a laugh as he sat down on the couch and flicked on the TV.

“No. But when you figure it out, give Kate a
call and ask about Krista’s choices after this weekend. I promised
I wouldn’t say anything.”

Sean sat up, joking forgotten. “Krista’s
choices?”

“I promised I wouldn’t say anything.” Marcus
disappeared into the bedroom.

“Then why would Kate?” Sean asked in a
panic.

“Because she wants to stick it to you.”

Sean wasted no time, not affronted in the
least that Marcus stripped in front of him before walking into the
bathroom. Seeing other men naked in his bedroom didn’t take
precedence to the horror he was feeling right then.

“This is Kate speaking.” She sounded
extremely polite and helpful. Good customer service skills.

“Kate,” Sean stated, getting control of
himself.

“Oh, hi Sean. What’s up?”

“Krista seems a little out of sorts today. I
have a feeling she might be looking elsewhere for employment based
on a couple of her comments. I was wondering if you knew
anything?”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“Usually employees don’t tell their bosses
about new career ventures until it’s too late.” He should know.

“Or maybe you want a chance to come up with a
manipulation technique to get her to stay?”

“Exactly, yes. So she is thinking of
leaving?” Sean could barely control the alarm in his voice.

“Sean, there is no way you’ll understand
this, because you are a single white male in his prime, and life is
easy for people like you. Krista is a young female at the bottom of
the shit heap that is this company. She is doing great in her
position, but everyone with a high pay grade still talks shit. You
have done nothing to help her. Now she is at that weekend thing,
where she doesn’t fit in, and a bunch
more
assholes will
talk shit about her. Tell me—if you were her, would
you
want
to stay?”

“But I thought she didn’t quit?”

“It isn’t
quitting
when you get a job
with more pay, Sean. With people that will respect you. With more
career advancement opportunities. No, that isn’t quitting. That is
a wise business decision.”

“Where is she thinking of going?”

“You think I am going to tell you so you can
call them up and ruin her prospects?”

“Kate, I am your boss,” Sean said sternly,
“Please remember that I have the ability to fire you, and don’t
tolerate back talk.”

“Yes, Mr. McAdams, you sure do have the
ability to fire me. And if I wasn’t performing my job to your
standards, I would expect that recourse. However, telling you about
Miss
Field’s
private life doesn’t fall under my job
description.”