What the hell? This doesn’t make sense, and I can hardly believe my ears. I stare at them.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Mary shrugs.
“I’m just saying, girlfriend. Everyone knows you’re their latest toy. Everyone knows you’re fucking them every night and letting them do whatever they want to your body. But they’re stupid assholes who can’t ever get enough pussy. Before us, there was Alina, and before her there were Megan, Salma, and Jennifer. We all work for them, and we all thought our relationships were something “special.” They paint themselves as alpha males who have been looking for the “right woman,” but there’s no right woman, honey. Variety is the spice of life to those craptastic fuckdaddies, and you’ll be out on the street soon. Bye-bye job! Bye-bye security! Bye-bye health benefits! Go ask them yourself.”
I stare at the two blondes.
“Stop. You don’t know me.”
Ginny and Mary look at each other and titter.
“Sorry hon. Maybe we don’t know you, but we know of you because we were you before. But don’t take my word for it. Just go home and ask your boyfriends. Ask if they fucked their secretaries, as well as their old secretaries before that. Ask if they plan on keeping you around when a new secretary gets hired. Because that’s part of the plan, you know. Out with the old and in with the new,” one of the blonde women says in a nasty voice twisted with rage. Her hands tremble and her jaw is clenched even as her eyes glare at me with unrestrained hatred. OMG, what did I do to deserve this? Gritting my teeth, I stare back at the blonde duo.
“You’re lying,” I manage. “Vance, Burke and Sam wouldn’t do that.”
Mary laughs evilly. “Come on, Jessica. You know these assholes and what they like. Let me guess: they told you about a bet where you’re so beautiful, yada yada yada, and how you turned out even more gorgeous than they expected. That’s how it happened, right? Those fuckers don’t even try to think of new stories each time. They just re-use the tried and true.”
Now, I’m gaping at the women while on the verge of hyperventilating. Holy shit! They know about the bet?
Meanwhile, Ginny steps in, casually glancing around.
“I bet they told you that your boss bragged about you to the other guys, and they didn’t believe him. But boy, you proved them wrong and you’re everything they’ve ever wanted in a woman. That was the kicker, right? Their words made you feel special and made you want them even more?”
Tears pool in my eyes because this is my worst nightmare come true. Can these women be telling the truth? OMG! As nausea churns in my stomach, I turn to rush out of the café, but then Mary grabs my arms while pursing her lips.
“Have they knocked you up yet? Did the condom break, and they told you not to worry about it? You poor thing. Those fuckers use fake condoms shipped straight from China, so it’s not your fault because they were always going to break no matter what. At least now you know just how awful those men are so you can move on with your life. But I don’t know what tell you about the baby. It could have three heads, considering who the fathers are!”
With that, I whirl on my feet and dash for the door. My vision is blurry with tears because how can this be happening? How can my boyfriends be so utterly cruel and unmoving? Have I been a pawn in their game this entire time?
I can’t believe I’ve been so blind. Of course, Sam, Vance and Burke knew what they were doing because they’re forty-five year old men who are as handsome as sin and as rich as Midas. They can get any woman they want, and evidently, they have an M.O. for going about it too. I’m just the latest notch on their bed post, and the knowledge makes me sick.
Running like a madman, I finally make it back to Burke’s place. I stop for a moment before the mansion, looking up at the huge brick building. Is there any way I can make an escape without bumping into my boss and his friends? I hate them so much right now and am literally shaking with shock. But all of my stuff is here, including my keys and wallet so I have to go in. I can’t stay outside forever. Even so, the bile rises in my throat as I lean over to puke in the bushes flanking the door. This is going to be ugly, and it’s only going to get uglier going forward.
10
Sam
* * *
Burke, Vance, and I are climbing up the stairs from the basement gym when Jessica bursts through the front door. She looks flustered but still cute. Her curls bounce about, and even in a casual sweatshirt, I can see the outline of that heaving bosom.