“So, what’s the problem? I mean, are you guys in a bad spot, or—”
“No, no. That’s just it,” I said, almost whispering. “There isn’t a problem between Rick and me. Everything there is…” I paused, then shook my head. “It’s perfect. He’s amazing. I mean, you’d never even know he’s the client who has Mitchell & Forsyth by the balls. Outside of work, he’s just…Rick.”
“I guess I can see why you’ve been so out of it at work lately.”
“You have no idea.” I forced a laugh, then exhaled hard. “I can’t focus. Not at work. Not anywhere.” I took a breath and reached up to rub a phantom crick out of my neck. “I can’t…I can’t think. If he’s there, he’s all I can think about. If he’s not there, I want him to be. I—”
“Oh my fucking God.” Teagan stared at me with nothing short of disbelief written into the way her lips parted and her eyes widened.
I blinked. “What?”
“You’re in love with him.” It wasn’t a question.
I waved the thought away. “I wouldn’t go that far. It’s just, what we’re doing, it’s distracting.”
She shrugged. “So stop fucking him.”
“That’s the other problem, actually.” I drummed my fingers on the table. “It’s not quite that simple.”
“Because it’s more than just sex, right?”
“No. Because someone found out. At work.”
“Someone, as in—” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh shit. Like, Dawson?”
I nodded. “Dawson. All the partners.”
“Ouch.” As her hand slid down, she asked, “How did they find out?”
My face burned. “Remember how they said they only check the parking garage cameras if there’s a wreck or a break-in or something?”
She grimaced. “Jon. You didn’t…”
“I kissed him. That’s all. Just a…” Long, amazing kiss. The only reason I even stayed coherent that day. God, what a— I cleared my throat. “I didn’t think anyone saw us, but apparently someone did. So they checked the cameras. And I got called into a conference room so we could all watch the video together.”
She covered her mouth with both hands, just barely muffling her voice. “I would’ve been mortified.”
“Yeah. I would’ve asked for the ground to open up and swallow me, but we were on the fourth floor.”
“How convenient. So, what did they say? I mean, I assume you still have a job.”
I scratched the back of my neck. “For the moment, yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means they’re not firing me, but they gave me one hell of an ultimatum.” I lowered my hand. “I can keep my job as long as I keep Rick happy.”
“Keep—” She blinked. “You might have to spell this one out for me.”
“Yeah, that was kind of my reaction too. Basically, they won’t fire me because that would piss Rick off. But if I split up with him, or I give him a reason to split up with me…” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “I’m out.”
Teagan scrunched her eyes shut and waved a hand. “Okay…okay… I’m…” She looked at me again. “Are you telling me, they told you with a straight face that you have to—”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that, like, prostitution?”
“Kind of feels like it,” I muttered.
“Can they do that?”
“Fuck if I know.” I thumbed the edge of my glass. “Dawson’s looking into it, but she doesn’t know either. She’s talking to a lawyer she knows, and then I guess we’ll sit down with HR.”
“That’s going to be a fun conversation.”
“Tell me about it.” I sat back. “The thing is, I’m not sure what difference it’ll make. Even if they can’t fire me for it, it isn’t like they can get fired for giving me the ultimatum. Part of me wants to say ‘Fine, fire me! I’ll see your asses in court!’ But I’m not even sure if I have a case, and even if I did, there’s no way I could afford a lawyer who could hold a candle to the firm’s legal team.”
“Well, you—” She chewed her lip.
“What?”
“You might not have the money. Your, um, boyfriend—”
“No.”
“Jon.” She huffed sharply. “They can’t get away with putting you in this position. If you can’t afford to go after them, but Rick can…” She shrugged. “Why not?”
“Because that’s not how I do things. If I can’t afford it, I don’t need it.”
“But you do need this job. And you have every right to work in a place that isn’t literally threatening you with unemployment if you aren’t at the sexual beck and call of their client.”
I shuddered. It would’ve been a distasteful position to be in no matter what, but the Dom in me wanted to start flipping tables. “I’m also well aware that if I quit or get fired, I’m screwed for keeping my house and putting my kids through school. Or finding another job.”
“Ugh, I hear you about another job.” She scowled. “There isn’t much out there for us.”
“Exactly. The thing is, if Rick finds out what’s going on and he pulls Horizon Developing from the firm, everyone here is screwed. We both know his company is the only thing keeping us all employed.”