Hell in a Handbasket - The Journey (9 page)

"I see. Will
the new owner be attending this meeting?"

"At this
point we are not certain. He was delayed."

"All
right.
Well, I'm not certain what to tell you. I've been writing pretty
much the same."

"And that
seems to be the problem. We have all read your work." He motioned around
the table.

"All of
you?" I was blushing, embarrassed because everyone at the table was older
than me. It would be like my parents and grandparents reading my fantasies.
Fantasies and deep dark desires I had put down on paper.

"Yes,
all of us.
It is the only way we could get an idea of how and what you
write."

I simply nodded
my head, sank down in my seat, and looked at my notepad on top of the table.
"So you want to release me as a writer from your publishing house?"

The plump
gentleman huffed out a frustrated sigh.
"Normally yes.
But again, we were recently bought out and the new owner does things
differently, so you are in luck."

"So what do
I need to do?" I looked up hopefully.

"We all
believe your writing reflects the fact that you've never done any of the things
you write about."

"Really?
All of you are
members of the Mile High Club?" I blurted out and then felt embarrassed as
I looked around the table when no one spoke up. "Well if you haven't done
it then how do you know what goes on up there?"

A very pretty
middle-aged woman coughed. "I am a member of the Mile High Club, and I
have to tell you that although your writing does give a general idea of the
mechanics and the process, it feels a bit flat, as if you have no idea as to
the feelings and emotions involved in that or any of the other acts."

"Oh."
At first, I felt crushed and started to sag more in my seat. But then I
remembered they were talking about the Maeve before Ryder. This Maeve knew all
too well what goes on in the airplane bathrooms as well as middle management
offices. This Maeve still stood a chance of being a writer—a good writer—a
popular writer. I sat up straighter in my seat and remembered Ryder telling me
he hoped I would retell our adventures, and that they would help me in my work.
I smiled a bright cocky smile. I tipped my head in a seductive manner and
proceeded to tell everyone in that room just how much I did know without
getting into specifics. And that from now on my writing was going to be so
erotic it would have each one of them having underwear-soaking orgasms in their
seats.

About that time,
I heard an intercom pop and Miss Perky-Snot's voice chimed in. "Mr.
Carlisle, He's on his way in now."

"Thank you,
Taryn." The elderly gentleman nodded and then turned to me…"Well, it
seems our illustrious leader will be joining us after all. Aren't we
blessed?" Geez, does no one here like the new owner? Is he some kind of
slave driver or asshole or just a complete jerk?

I looked around
the table and no one looked happy about the news that the new owner was coming
to this meeting. I started feeling more distressed than before. My heart felt
like it was going to beat out of my chest. My skin felt cold and clammy. I was
afraid I might throw up…wouldn't that make for a great first impression?

One of the
frosted doors started to open and I held my breath.
And in
walked Ryder wearing a dark charcoal gray business suit which looked as though
it had been hand made just for him and dark shiny shoes.
He had his hair
pulled back at the nape of his neck, tied with what looked to be a string made
of black satin. If I thought that man was gorgeous before—I was wrong. He was
absolutely stunning in this suit. My eyes bugged out in shock and my jaw
dropped, leaving my mouth hanging open.

Ryder looked
around the table and did not look happy. In fact, he looked downright
murderous. When his eyes reached mine, his face softened and he smiled.
"Good afternoon Miss Bendis. I am very pleased you could make it to this
meeting."

I blinked my eyes
a few times…"Yes…thank…you…for inviting me here." My voice was flat
and emotionless thanks to me being in shock. It creaked toward the end. Still
not too shabby considering my head was swimming in disbelief.

Ryder then took
his seat at the head of the table. He reached over to the intercom, pressed the
button, and then growled, "Miss Parrish. Please join us." Now I was
scared.

Ryder's eyes were
narrow slits as he gazed around the table. I noticed everyone was starting to
squirm in their seats and not in a good way. Everyone was uncomfortable. I was
doubly so,
remembering what this man had done to me and the way he made me
feel and yet I was just as scared as everyone else at the table. What in hell
was going on?

Taryn's
perky-self walked in through the frosted door Ryder had just entered. She was
carrying a notepad and pen poised at the ready. When she looked at me, she wore
a smile, which screamed, "Bitch, this is
mine
!"

* * * *

Ryder glanced up
at her. "You won't
be needing
those."

She looked a
little confused but her smile grew larger. She glanced at me and shot me a
mean, hateful smirk.

Ryder stood up.
He straightened making him even taller and clasped his hands together. He
walked around the table starting on the side opposite me. As he walked behind
each person, he would stop and glance over their shoulder to see what they had
written on their notepad. Sometimes he would smile while other times he frowned
and once I heard him growl.

He continued his
stalking around the table. "It seems my previous orders have not been
followed per my instructions. That makes me very unhappy. I don't give an order
or make a decision without much forethought and reasoning. Therefore to reduce
the number of misunderstandings and formal complaints, let me give some
explanation regarding my next steps and actions." He stopped behind my
chair and placed his hands gently on my shoulders. "I instructed each one
of you to be extra nice to Miss Bendis here, yet many of you were downright
rude and disrespectful. Although I understand your reasons for such behavior,
it is not the type of behavior or attitude I will permit within this business.
I do not want such actions representing this company. I believe many of you
have forgotten that I do indeed own this company and my goal is to make it one
of the top publishing houses around."

He sidestepped
Taryn, moved back to his chair and stood behind it. "Not long after I took
control of this company, I had the security cameras updated, as well as more
cameras and microphones installed. And before anyone starts crying that their
rights have been violated, let me ease your minds by reminding you of the fact
that all activities of employees and visitors will be monitored and recorded.
This information is not only in the new employee handbook, but it was also
practiced at this company and in that handbook before I took over. Isn't that
right Mr. Carlisle?"

Mr. Carlisle
squirmed even more so in his seat.

"What?"
"You pervert!" "What have you been recording?” "Are you
keeping these recordings?" Voices all around the table rose with
disbelief, confusion, and anger.

Ryder merely held
up his hand
,
expecting and getting complete silence. "I cannot speak for
Mr. Carlisle here," gesturing toward
s
Mr. Carlisle's direction.
"Perhaps you can take those issues up with him after this meeting is
adjourned. As for me, as long as you haven't done anything illegal or
incriminating while on the premises inside this company, you have nothing to
worry about."

Ryder lowered his
hand and set it on the back of his chair. "Now, I have monitors set up in
my office so I can see and hear what is being said and done inside of my
company." He turned his head to face Taryn. "Now, Ms. Parrish, let me
see if I can remember exactly the wording you have used during your phone
conversations. Ah, yes…’I'm going to seduce him, get knocked up and trick him
into marrying me’.”
He turned his whole body toward her and leaned on
the back of his chair. "Security has already been called and they are
waiting for you. They should have all of your belongings boxed up. I've also
already contacted Human Resources and they're waiting as well. So, to make this
perfectly clear, your services here are no longer required. You are fired
effective immediately."

Taryn's face was
no longer pretty or perky. It contorted into a mask of hatred and malice and it
was directed at me. I was scared.

Ryder coughed and
brought Taryn's attention back to him. "I don't believe I need to tell you
that if anything, and I do mean anything, happens to Miss Bendis, I will inform
the police and hand over copies of all recordings involving you. And I do mean
all of them.”

Taryn's face
blanched. She turned towards Mr. Carlisle "Are you going to let him get
away with that? Aren't you going to help me here?
Because if
I go down, I'm dragging you with me."

Mr. Carlisle
gagged. "I don't know what you're talking about Ms. Parrish."

Ryder tried to
suppress a soft chuckle. "Sure you do Mr. Carlisle. She's talking about
all the times you two had relations in your office—among other places, inside
of this company's premises."

Mr. Carlisle lost
what little color he had in his face. He started to spit and sputter.
"Wha…I…da-uh…
wh…
ooo…"

Ryder turned back
towards his chair. He held up his hand again. "Mr. Carlisle. I have
already spoken with my attorneys. Due to the terms of the buy-out, I cannot
fire you."

Mr. Carlisle
smirked with an evil glint in his eyes.

"However, I
can and am demoting you. You will have absolutely no say in what is or is not
published by this house. You will have no say in who writes for this house. You
will no longer have any contact with anyone associated with myself or any of my
companies, past, present or future. In addition, I can and am cutting your pay.
No longer will you receive a generous salary. You will receive minimum wage for
the number of hours you actually work for me."

Poor Mr.
Carlisle, I think he couldn't decide if he was having a heart attack or a
stroke.

Ryder saw his
condition. He reached for a phone, which was stashed in an inner pocket of his
suit. He called 911.

He then opened
one of the frosted doors and motioned for someone who was waiting out in the
lobby.

A security
officer walked in and approached Miss Parrish. "Come with me please. We
will be escorting you to HR and then off the property."

Taryn looked so
pale. I thought she was going to faint, but no one offered to call 911 for her
or to assist her in her walking. I felt so bad for her.

Ryder looked back
over the table. "Mrs. Palmer, could you please watch over Mr.
Carlisle?" He was looking at the pretty middle-aged woman who was a member
of the Mile High Club. "And would you wait with him until the ambulance
leaves with him. Also could you let me know to which hospital they take
him.
Thank you."

Mrs. Palmer
nodded.
"Sure thing Mr. Madsen."

Ryder smiled and
gestured to the rest of the table. "Since this meeting did not go quite
how I had hoped, let me make a few more things abundantly clear. Miss Bendis
will be staying on as a writer. She and everyone else associated with me or my
companies are to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. As for the
rest of you, some of you I am extremely pleased with, some of you, not so much.
I will re-evaluate your work over the coming weeks to determine your place
within this company. So, enjoy the refreshments. This meeting is
adjourned."

I must have still
been in shock. I sat through all of this with my mouth slightly open and my
brain empty. I mean seriously—blank.

Ryder turned to
me with the softest look in his eyes. "Maeve, would you like to see my
office?"

Chapter Six

I blinked a few times, my brain still waiting for someone
to hit the reset button so it could start to function again. It felt like the
inside of my head was a clean wall of chalk board. Well washed and oh-so blank.
I just sat there staring at him, my mouth slightly open.

“Maeve?” Ryder’s voice was soft and his face showed real
concern.

Again I just sat there blinking, as the thoughts of how we
met and the things we did raced through my head in no particular order.
The events getting jumbled in the rush to be first in my mind.

“Maeve? Are you okay?” Ryder walked over to my chair.
Placing his left hand against the back of my chair, he reached his right hand
out.

I watched helplessly as his hand searched for me, grazing
my face, barely brushing my jaw. I gasped and my body reacted on its own by
trying to get away, as one thought hit me full force,
He lied to me
. He
knew who I was this whole time. He knew everything about
me,
he already knew my name, and what I do for a living. He already knew, and I
just went along with him, and fell for his charm, and his good looks. I am such
an idiot, an absolute
idiot
! I heard a few snickers make their way
around the table. And then another thought started to make my brain fog, and
eyes tear up…what if they all knew? Is this what Taryn meant by I wasn’t the
first, and I wouldn’t be the last? Do they all know what he did to me…with me?
What we did together? Do they all know? Is this what he does? Does he find a
woman, learn all about her, and then pretend to be a stranger? Oh God. Is that
better or worse?
Oh God
. I had to get away from here. I couldn’t stay
here knowing what I now knew. He’s a predator, he stalked me, and I let him.
Idiot! I couldn’t breathe, and for a totally different reason now. I jerked
back, and I banged my head as my chair slid into the wall. I threw my hands up
in a defensive motion. “Don’t touch me!” I seethed.