Step by Step Love: The Complete Collection (8 page)

A spreadsheet was open on Veronica's computer screen, as per usual. She slowly entered data, but noticed that she was making far too many typos. Frowning, she deleted the spreadsheet and started a new one. She had just begun doing well in the workplace and she was already beginning to mess up again. With a sigh, she looked up and saw Marge and Carla sipping out of their coffee mugs, sniggering at her expense. It should have been the least of her worries, but it only made her situation much more difficult. She had not thought that her day could get much worse, but they were quickly beginning to challenge her assumptions.

She took a sip of coffee and rubbed her temples, clicking cells in the spreadsheet and staring at them as though they would fill themselves with information. After several minutes, she used all of her remaining energy to enter one number into a single cell. Her eyes darted back to the number in the manila folder on the desk beside her and she frowned. She had typed it in incorrectly again. Scowling, she fixed the error and looked at the clock in the corner of the desktop. Nervousness had overwhelmed her and it would not be long before she would have to have one of the most awkward confrontations of her entire life.

Suddenly, Ryan's office door swung open and he eyed her.

“Veronica,” he boomed in an attempt to sound professional with her, “take fifteen. The spreadsheets that you just sent to me were wrong
again
.”

Veronica blushed. She was embarrassed that she was not doing her job properly, but then she remembered that he was only implementing part of his plan and he was unaware of her slacking. She cleared her throat and nodded, exiting out of the program.

“I-I'm sorry, sir,” she stammered, getting up from her desk and trying to appear flustered.

She looked at her coworkers from the corner of her eye and saw that they were all laughing at her once more. As much as it annoyed her, she knew that it was only part of the plan.

“You should be!” he acted. “I could have lost forty-thousand dollars if I hadn't caught your mistakes! Go get some fresh air and get back to work. I can't have you doing this again or else you're going to get canned!”

Veronica winced and glared at him. His dark eyes were apologizing, but he continued acting and pointed towards the exit. She pretended to be upset and stormed out of the office. Her coworkers burst into laughter as she departed. Although she heard them, she knew that she could not concern herself with such things.

As soon as she exited the large office, she walked past the restrooms and towards the elevator. She pressed the downward-facing arrow and tapped her foot, waiting for it to stop. Despite being nervous about meeting Claudette, she wanted to get the meeting over with so she could move on and try to have a better day.

The elevator stopped and dinged. A middle-aged man with a bad comb-over and a tweed suit stepped off and brushed past her. She stepped onto the elevator and gulped as she pressed the button for the ground floor.

The short ride seemed to take forever. Veronica kept fidgeting and looking at the clock on her phone, although it was less than a minute. Finally, she reached the ground floor and the doors opened. She took a deep breath and walked out into the hallway, glancing at the text emblazoned on each door she passed. The ground floor seemed to be full of custodial closets, but she struggled to find the security office. She searched for nearly five minutes, but she had reached the end of the hallway and it was nowhere to be seen. She frowned and turned around, retracing her steps until something caught her eye. What appeared to be just another custodial closet actually read: Security Office. She closed her eyes and took one last deep breath before knocking.

The door opened rather quickly and Veronica was face-to-face with a chubby, droopy-eyed woman wearing a security guard outfit. The woman had not even bothered to get out of her swivel chair to answer the door. It was clear that she had lazily spun around and pushed it open. She looked at the woman's nametag and confirmed that it was Claudette.

“You wanted to see me,” Veronica said, nervously.

Claudette smirked and nodded, her iridescent eye shadow glistening under the hallway's incandescent lighting. Veronica peered in the small room over the woman's shoulder and frowned. She was not sure there was even room for two people in there, let alone three.

“Yeah, come on in,” Claudette retorted, spinning her swivel chair back around and pulling herself close to the desk below the monitors.

Veronica frowned and squeezed her way into the room, closing the door behind her. Her back was pressed against the cold, metal door, and her claustrophobia was beginning to take its toll on her. She became dizzy as she looked around the dark room. The only light came from the monitors above their heads.

“It sure is cramped in here, isn't it?” she muttered, swallowing anxiously.

“Yep,” Claudette replied, struggling to spin around again to look at Veronica. She finally managed to squeeze her stomach around from underneath the desk and looked up at the tall blonde woman before adding, “Just you, eh? Couldn't get boss man to come down here and see little old me?”

Veronica shook her head, still looking around the tiny room, nervously.

“No, no, he's coming,” she corrected, swallowing down a lump in her throat. “H-he just wanted to come after me so we didn't—”

“Look scandalous?” Claudette finished, lacing her fingers behind her head and leaning back as much as she could in the tight space. “You're already about four steps beyond that, don't ya think?”

Veronica laughed, uneasily.

“I-I was going to say suspicious, but y-yeah, I suppose so,” she murmured. “H-he'll be here soon, though, okay? Wh-what exactly do you want?”

Claudette chuckled and snorted.

“You know, I'm not one to judge. I get the whole wanting to sleep with your boss thing,” she started, “but why in the hell would you do that with your stepbrother? Who even
likes
their stepbrother?”

Veronica bit her lip and averted her gaze.

“It just kind of happened.”

Claudette raised her brows.

“Just kinda happened? You two looked like you'd done that a few times before,” the brunette woman murmured. “Even if you didn't, you know this would destroy his career and then you can say bye-bye to all the babying around here. Hell, you probably wouldn't even have a job anymore.”

Veronica opened her mouth to speak, but then there was a knock on the door. She opened it a crack to see that it was Ryan and she let out a sigh of relief. Claudette waved at her, gesturing her to let him in and she pushed the door open all of the way. The bright lights from the hallway blinded her as Ryan squeezed into the closet-sized room with the two of them. The door shut behind him and her claustrophobia worsened.

“Well, well, well, if it isn't the big boss,” Claudette noted. “Been having a nice little chat with your sister here.”

Ryan cleared his throat and twitched.

“Is that right?” he asked, annoyance in his tone.

Claudette frowned.

“You don't seem to be taking this situation very seriously, Mr. Horowitz,” she said in a condescending matter. “You do realize that your career could end right here, don't you? All it would take is the press of a button.”

Claudette gestured the computer in front of her and his eyes widened. She had already typed out an email to the entire office. The video file was attached. Both anger and nervousness were evident in his expression.

“You wouldn't dare,” he breathed.

Claudette raised an eyebrow and placed her finger over the left mouse button. The cursor was hovering over “send.” Veronica and Ryan exchanged alarmed glances.

“No, no, no!” he begged, holding his hands up to gesture his surrender. “Please, I'll give you anything you want!”

Claudette smirked.

“Ten million dollars.”

His face fell and he looked at Veronica. Both their hearts were racing.

“Give her what she wants, damn it,” she hissed.

“You should listen to your little girlfriend there,” Claudette quipped.

Ryan took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“I don't have those kinds of numbers, ma'am, I'm sorry,” he said, quietly, shaking his head.

“
What?
” Veronica shouted, incredulously. “You have got to be kidding!”

Ryan quickly looked at her and shook his head, an apologetic smile on his face.

“I don't own all of the company. I'm worth four million total. I just don't have ten million to give away,” he explained. He looked back to Claudette and added, “I could give you half a million dollars. I will write the check right now. I wish I could give you more. I really do. I can't deal with this kind of a thing. It's worth it. I just
don't
have that kind of money.”

Claudette sucked on her teeth and rested her hands on her stomach.

“Silence money isn't cheap, Mr. Horowitz,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I'm actually a little insulted by your counteroffer.”

Ryan scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes.

“The most I can give away is three quarters,” he replied. “I hardly can afford that even. I have investments. The company is still growing.”

Claudette shook her head and looked at Veronica.

“What about you, Blondie? Got any trust funds you'd be willing to give up?”

Veronica was still shaking out of discomfort from her claustrophobia. She gulped and shook her head. She had burned through her trust fund years previously. Claudette sighed and chewed on her lip for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

“Don't give up seven-hundred and fifty thousand,” Ryan reasoned. “That's more than you would make in ten years.”

Claudette glared at him.

“It wasn't just about the money, Mr. Horowitz,” she said, coolly, spinning around in her chair. She forced her stomach underneath the desk and added, “I just wanted to see some justice for the sickos that need it.”

She put her hand on the mouse again and Ryan and Veronica's eyes widened. They both tried to grab her, but they were too late.

A message displayed itself onscreen.

“Your message has been sent.”

It was all over.

Episode 5 – A Step to Paradise

Ryan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was staring at the door to the conference room. He had been called to an emergency meeting, and he knew that it was not going to go well for him. With a sigh, he turned the knob with a trembling hand and entered the room. He gulped and approached his chair at the end of the large conference table. Nervously, he pulled the chair out from underneath the table and seated himself. He pulled himself close to the edge of the table and looked at the expressionless faces staring at him. Altogether, there were six men and women—six men and women that were prepared to ruin his career with the snap of their fingers.

“Good morning, gentleman,” he said, anxiously. “You called me here?”

A stern-faced man with a shaved head cleared his throat and opened the manila folder in front of him. Ryan looked around the tabletop. Each one of them had a manila folder just like the one in his hands. His heart raced.

“Have you checked your email, Mr. Horowitz?” the stern-faced man asked, coolly.

His name was George Bell and he was one of the company's major investors. Ryan did not want to upset him. He pushed some of his dark hair out of his face and coughed nervously. Sweat fell from his brow.

“Well, I saw this hilarious office joke,” Ryan murmured, averting his gaze from the six investors. “This secretary walked into the office—”

“And then she screwed her boss?” finished a silver-haired woman wearing black angular spectacles. She removed her glasses and added, “Mr. Horowitz, do you have any idea how serious this is?”

Ryan's face fell. His worst nightmare had come to life. Claudette, the security guard, had sent an email that reached the top of the company. His affair with Veronica was no longer mere office gossip. It was career-threatening.

“I—I—Vera—” he stammered.

A chubby man wearing a toupee shook his head, his jowls jiggling, and glared at Ryan over his thick glasses. He opened the manila folder and tapped the papers inside of it with his pen, narrowing his eyes.

“Ryan, I've been a friend of your father's for years. You know this,” the man stated in a serious tone. “That's why I invested in this company. Your father believed in you and I believed in you. You proved us right, Ryan. We knew you'd be great. But son, something like this just doesn't go away. She's your stepsister for Chrissake, boy. I wish I could help you but there isn't much I can do for you at this point. I'm sorry, Ryan, but I have to pull my investment.”

Ryan frowned and nodded.

“I understand, Carl. Thanks for being forthright,” he murmured. “I mean, this doesn't need to go public or anything, though. It hasn't—”

“Doesn't need to go public?” George snapped. “I would say fifteen thousand employees is pretty public, wouldn't you?”

The color in Ryan's face faded and he swallowed, nervously, his eyes averting to a woman named Linda Corwell. Linda was one of the most important investors with the company and she had stood up for him to the other investors time and time again. He hoped that she would come to his defense, but she simply sat there, her lips pursed, a disappointed expression etched into her wise wrinkles.

“Don't give me that look, Ryan,” she muttered. “You dug your grave. I wish I could help you but this can't be saved. Both my accountant and my tax attorney are going to quit if I don't pull my investment immediately. They told me so this morning. I have to sell my stocks, too.”

With sweat pouring down his face, his eyes darted around the table. All of the investors were shaking their heads. He knew that they all were making the same decision, and it was a decision that his company could not withstand.

“But—but the company! It's going to shut down and—”

“Frankly, I don't care,” Vera retorted. “I can't be tied to the world-renowned sick corporation.”

“It isn't sick!” Ryan scowled. “We
aren't
related! It was just a one-time thing—”

Sal Marochi snorted.

“Like we haven't heard that before,” he said, shaking his head. “Whatever it is, it ain't right. Consider me out, kid. Good luck.”

Ryan swallowed and his eyes darted towards Ed Sullivan. His eyes begged Ed not to sell his stocks, but he knew that the elderly man had to make a good business decision, and he had never particularly cared for Ryan much, anyway. He invested only out of financial interest and preferred not to work with Ryan directly. Ryan sighed and closed his eyes. He knew that the future of his company was grim.

“M-Mr. Sullivan?” he asked, his throat dry.

Ed raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

“Ya blew it,” he muttered, coldly, “just like I knew ya would. I'd lose millions on this. We all would. You're nuts to think we'd even consider reconsidering.”

Ryan took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. The six investors stared at him with emotionless expressions. For a moment, he wondered if his relationship with Veronica was worth all of the trouble. He was going to lose his business and his reputation, which were two of the things he had worked hardest for throughout his professional years. He closed his eyes and inhaled as deeply as he could, praying that the entire scenario was a dream. He exhaled and opened them. Unfortunately, it was still very real.

“Our deepest apologies, Ryan,” Linda murmured, reaching out and placing a hand on his. “It's just business, dear.”

A few investors nodded, but the rest just rolled their eyes. Ryan fought the urge to roll his eyes as well. He did not want to hear any apologies from the people that had ruined his entire life. However, as much as he wished that he could blame them, he knew that he was responsible for everything that was happening to him. It was not Veronica's fault nor was it theirs. It was his own. He allowed Veronica to have a key to his office. He allowed her to make love to him on his desk. If he was truly concerned about his career, he would not have done any of those things. He did not want to admit it, but he knew it was true.

“Carl, have you talked to my father about this?” he asked.

He knew that his career was in poor standing. He only hoped that his relationship with his family would not be ruined too. Carl frowned, sadly.

“I think you ought to do that yourself, Ryan,” he replied softly. “Your father was proud of you, you know.”

Ryan fought back tears and nodded, burying his face in his hands. Linda gave the rest of the investors a dark look and eyed the door. Some rolled their eyes and some nodded, sympathetically. They collected their manila folders and quietly followed her out the door. She turned on her heel and offered Ryan one last apologetic glance.

“I wish it didn't have to be this way,” she whispered. “I wish you all the luck in the world, Ryan. Mistakes aren't forever.”             

She closed the door behind her and Ryan gritted his teeth. He pounded his fists against the table and cursed. Part of him wondered if Veronica would even stay with him if he lost all of his money. He truly did not believe she would have any interest in being with a poor man. She had known wealth all of her life.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he scolded himself, smacking his own forehead.

Suddenly, his cell phone began to ring. Swearing under his breath, he pulled the smartphone out of his breast pocket and looked at the caller identification. He frowned. It was his father. Taking a deep breath, he answered it.

***