Chapter 4 - 4 (1/2)
After I had changed into a new set of clothes that Lizzie had brought me, which happened to be two sizes too small, I summoned up enough courage to look into the mirror only to cringe when I saw that my bright red hair had finally escaped the tight braid it had been fighting since after my shower this morning. I had to wash off my makeup, due to the coffee I assumed, seeing as it had streaked beyond repair. I cringed at the sight of my cleavage and my black bra poking out of the deep, plunging, neckline and the poor excuse for a skirt that I had to squeeze into was so tight I prayed it hid the fact I couldn't put my underwear back on since, of course, it had become a casualty of the coffee accident. Sighing in defeat, I decided that there was nothing I could do about it right now and it was time to face the music.
I walked out of the ladies' room and straight to Mr. Jones' office praying silently that no one paid any attention to me in this slutty excuse for an outfit. I had no idea what good it was going to do to talk to Mr. Jones, nevertheless, if there was some hope, I'd take it right now. I didn't even have to knock before his door opened and there he stood. His eyes took in my outfit slowly lightening up with lecherous brightness. I found myself fidgeting feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
”Come in and sit down, Mia,” he said stepping back.
My discomfort ramped up a few knots, he never called me by my first name. He was standing so close that when I walked passed him I had no other choice then to brush up against him.
”I'm so sorry, Mr. Jones. It really was an accident, I was in a hurry and distracted and I promise it'll never happen again,” I said rather quickly as I sat down as far away from him as I could.
I looked around noticing his desktop looked far cleaner than I had ever seen it. There was not a single paper on it and all the pens were in their holders. That image rang a bell in my head, the same one I'd heard earlier when I had been talking to Mr. Callaghan, but I didn't have a second to really look into it.
Mr. Jones came over and pulled a chair up right next to mine. Disconcerted I leaned back and folded my hands in my lap to cover my movement. As a general rule, I was not one to allow such an invasion into my personal space. Now in these tawdry clothes that I had been forced to wear, I was left feeling even more vulnerable; a feeling his extremely close proximity was not helping.
”Mia, I'm not sure if I can convince Reed to let you keep your job,” he warned leaning ever closer.
I swallowed as my mouth dried and my stomach tightened.
”I understand.”
”However, if I had some sort of incentive-” he slid his hand onto my knee and continued, ”I might be persuaded to insist that you are invaluable to us.”
My mouth dropped as my gaze flew between his disgustingly suggestive face and his revoltingly sweaty hand on my leg.
”Excuse me?” I breathed out finally.
”Mia, Mia. You are not a dumb woman. You know exactly what I want, you are a helluva lot smarter than Chrissy and she didn't hesitate to jump at my offer,” he said and gave a smile that caused bile to claw at my throat.