HAUNTED houses had never appealed to me. I’d never gone to one before. I didn’t have time to waste on people trying to scare me when there were actual real and scary problems in the world.
Yet, tonight, I could appreciate the appeal. I saw my team completely engrossed in their terror, thus discovering about a million weaknesses of my employees.
One in particular interested me.
Victory Blakely was a timid little thing.
She didn’t enjoy ghouls or monsters or frights. Again, she surprised me with that revelation. Had I known she was going to be as scared as she was for this event, I probably would have told her to wait it out. Yet, she’d planned it and gone in full throttle.
I watched her, hanging on Steven as she sipped some hot cider that Brey had ready for her when we walked over.
Everyone apologized for ditching us in the haunted house, and I let Vick reply with her canned response of it not bothering her. Nothing anyone did ever bothered her, except when it came to me.
She shook off every damn ounce of discomfort, let it shatter on the floor, and picked it up to restructure it into a fun disco ball. “Don’t worry about it! Jett and I got buried alive. We conquered the fear and are still alive to tell you about it.”
Stevie laughed. “Was it intense?”
That asshole should have been the one to stay with her and wrap his arm around her. He’d beelined his pansy ass out of there as fast as he could.
Vick shrugged her shoulders. “Could have been worse.” She eyed me. “Could have been better.”
“I highly doubt it,” I replied, suddenly wondering if she was kissing other men and if they were better than me. I shouldn’t have considered it; I knew she was dating Stevie. I knew, and yet I wanted to pry.
I spun around to look for Gloria. I was developing a problem and a surefire way to circumvent it was to focus on something else. “We’ll see you at the office,” I mumbled and left them.
Gloria appeared in her white get up. She’d planned our outfits and made sure we had transportation for the night.
“You enjoy the haunted house?” she asked when I ambled up and told her I was ready to leave.
“I’m not enjoying any of this.”
“You are and you should,” she corrected. “Victory Blakely isn’t all she seems, you know.”
“I don’t know what you mean by that.”
Gloria always cut to the chase and cut people off at the knees while she did it. The woman didn’t dance around facts or observations. It was the reason she was my assistant. We understood each other.
So, as she wiggled a bit after we’d slid into the SUV before answering me, I questioned her. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Something I will continue to not tell you. I’m just saying the woman is more than a pop of color in your office.”
“I’m not discrediting her intelligence and value, Gloria. Do I think she necessarily belongs on my team? I’m not sure yet. I know she has the credentials.”
“I vet every person on your team. Thoroughly. I’m telling you, she’s more than just credentials. She belongs here. The party is an unfortunate but perfect example. The team will do well next week after this burst of goodwill from you.”
I narrowed my gaze at her. “You think the party is working?”
“It’s genius. They’ll have ideas for Levvetor after this. And quite honestly, we should have thought of the party in the first place.”
I didn’t hide my growl as I looked out the window.
Gloria didn’t even flinch at my blatant dismissal. “I’m fighting for that deal. It’s the right thing for our company to do. I’m telling you now so you’re fully prepared for it next week. I don’t intend to hold myself or Ms. Blakely back.”
I let one side of my mouth lift at the tenacity this woman could bring to the game. She didn’t mess around, and I respected her for it. “You’re one in a billion, Gloria. Remind me why we aren’t together.”
“Because we fuck well but aren’t compatible. You and Ms. Blakely most likely are. Keep that in mind before you go pushing her away. You’ll regret it in the end, and Steve will be more than willing to let her run into his arms as he begs for your approval over her shoulder.”
“So, I’m not imagining that man’s desire to be with her is only to get closer to us Stonewoods?”
“I think Vick’s the only one not able to see it.”
I sucked on my teeth. “She sees it. She just has her daydream glasses on to filter out the glare of his every annoying move.”
Gloria nodded as we pulled up to Stonewood Tower. “I suggest you dispose of those glasses of hers before she ends up in the wrong man’s bed for good.”
The woman slid out of the SUV to leave me with one thought.
Victory Blakely had turned into a reality I wanted.
And what I wanted, I got.
