Under the Countdown - Love Under Lockdown
“But you know someone in the government, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Hello, and you are?” he asked, turning to Ana in a way that could only be considered creepy.
“Ana White,” she said, offering her hand to shake.
“I think I remember you,” Aaron said, taking her hand and almost caressing it, “we met at the general meeting, I’d never forget a face like that.”
“Thanks,” she said, though her face was turning red.
“She’s your secretary, right, Tuck?”
“Personal assistant,” I corrected. “And mind your manners around her.”
“Wow, touchy. You two aren’t boinkin’ or anything, are ya?”
We both remained silent but that was enough. Aaron had us and he knew it. The grin he gave would make the Cheshire Cat tell him to scale it back a bit.
“I wonder what would happen if that got out,” he said. “Jack wouldn’t be happy for damn sure. Oh, and think of the press! You might get through it okay but her? I shudder to think of the consequences.”
“Are you blackmailing me?” I asked, meaning it literally as a question.
“Oh, no, no of course not. Though, if you could look the other way in terms of my expenditures on the company account, that would be great. It would be so unfortunate for news of you two to somehow get back to the investors. A lot of them are pretty conservative, aren’t they? Anyway, I’ll let you two get back at it. Breakfast, and whatever else you’re doing together,” he said.
He gave a sleazy little wink and strode back to his table where the assistant manager of marketing was waiting for him. Apparently, he’d had the same idea to come here and avoid the lockdown.
Ana tried to be brave, but the facade was falling. With a sob, she buried her face in both hands.
“Hey,” I said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “I’m not very hungry anymore, what do you say we go back to the room?”
“O-okay,” Ana said, trying to get a hold of herself.
Aaron had made a fatal mistake. I was willing to let most of it go. It didn’t really concern me, and the company still had lots of money despite his skimming, but he had gone after Ana.
That one simple act raising a cold rage in me that I never knew was possible. I already knew what I was going to do. I just needed my laptop.
Epilogue - Tucker
“What are you doing?” Ana asked, coming out from a second shower she’d taken alone.
“Counter-attack. I’ve compiled a list of all the company’s systems for which only I have the passcodes, mostly because I was the one that built them. If he tells on us, Jack will probably have to fire me, not because he wants to, but because of pressure from some richer and more conservative investors.”
“Isn’t that bad?”
“For me, yes, for him, no, or so it would seem. He’s been overspending on company accounts for years, but I’m the only one who has noticed, Jack having bene too busy running things. If I’m gone, so is the greatest threat to Aaron’s position. At least, so he thinks, because if I’m gone, I can lock many vital systems and bring the whole place to a standstill, and he wouldn’t have a job either. Plus, the fallout to his reputation when people find out it happened because he was plotting against me to cover up corruption would be catastrophic. I’m simply reminding him of this. And the fact that I have his undoctored financial records for the past ten years or so and the IRS would be very interested in seeing them.”
Ana hugged me from behind, gently kissing my cheek. After sending a friendly reminder to Aaron about exactly how much I controlled and what I could do to him if he fucked with me, I composed and sent a company-wide email, announcing that Ana and I had gotten together and were very much in love.
“Really?” she asked, reading over my shoulder.
“We are together, aren't we?”
“Well, yes, I mean, I want to be. I’ve liked you for a while and the sex is great! But to already feel so much in love? I want to trust it but it’s so fast! I mean, do you feel it, too?”
I slid down off the chair and onto one knee in front of her as she stood before me in nothing but a towel.
“Anabella Matilda White, I love you. I’ve liked you since you started at the company, and it has only grown since then. Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”
“As your wife?” she stammered, almost it tears.
“As whatever you’d like. I just want you with me my darling, always.”
“Come here,” she said, tossing the towel across the room.
I kissed her passionately, lifting her up and carrying her over to the bed. She had gotten wet and smelled superb. Unable to resist, I dropped to my knees and devoured her, running my tongue over and between her sweet, delicate lips, pausing every so often to flick the tip against her clit, making her squirm and moan every time.