Page 24 of Sex, Lust & Lingerie

CHAPTER 16

Gloria

The drive from my condo to my office took less than thirty minutes. It was located in Culver City. Occupying the lot of a former movie studio, it was a compound consisting of executive offices, a design studio, and a manufacturing plant. I was proud to say that all Gloria’s Secret garments were made with love in America. And I equally prided myself on the high company morale. Employees were paid fairly and received excellent benefits, including childcare and opportunities to further their education. I never forgot my roots and felt obliged to give back.

Passing through gated security, I drove my black hardtop Porsche into the parking lot and pulled it into the spot reserved for me. My name “Gloria” with our signature pink heart beneath it was scrawled on the reserved parking sign; it always brought a smile to my face. I had worked hard for this spot and no one, especially Victor Holden, was going to take it away from me. Kevin’s car, a cute leafy green Fiat convertible, was parked next to mine. I couldn’t wait to see him and hear his take on what was going on.

Holding my purse in one hand and my briefcase in the other, I marched into the sprawling two-story building that housed my office. Madame Paulette had always said, “Form equals meaning.” With that in mind, I had designed the interior of our main office building to reflect our brand. It was whimsical, sexy, and feminine. The feeling of a boudoir. Sleek white leather couches sat on a zebra-patterned rug and were surrounded by framed poster-size covers of various Gloria’s Secret catalogues on the walls. The receptionist sat behind a massive shiny white console that bore a colossal vase of fragrant hot pink roses. The Gloria’s Secret logo with its insignia pink heart was plastered on the wall behind her. Claudia, the lovely redheaded Latino receptionist who I’d mentored through my Girls Like Us program, had her face buried in her computer.

“Good afternoon, Claudia,” I said.

Startled, the young, pretty receptionist looked up from the screen with a gasp. “Gloria!”

Her wide eyes told me she was surprised to see me. I hadn’t told anyone, even Kevin, that I was returning to the office today.

“Are you okay?” Her face was tensed up and her voice wavered.

The beginnings of rage pulsed through my blood. Did even the receptionist know about the stock crisis and my uncertain future with the company? My nerves sizzled. I bet everyone knew. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. “Yes, Claudia. Everything’s just fine.” I twitched a smile and stomped down the long hallway to my office. I cursed Victor Holden every heel-clicking step of the way. Fuck him! Yes, fuck him!

Nervous hellos accompanied by anxious faces bombarded me as I marched through the corridor. My façade was cheerful, but inside I was cringing. Yes, everyone knew!

When I got to my corner suite, I expected to see Vivien sitting outside my office at her desk. Her desk instead was vacant, but truthfully, I was relieved. I despised the little vixen, who’d seduced and hurt Jaime Zander, almost as much as I despised her father. Just like him, she was ruthless, crafty, and vindictive. A diabolical dominatrix. She was not to be trusted. Not one bit.

I surmised she must be in the restroom. She made it a habit of primping herself before a mirror several times a day. Often, she strayed from her desk for long stretches of time. Once, almost an hour. I’d caught her trying on new clothes and ordered her back to her desk. She completely ignored me. She was the Chairman of the Board’s daughter and knew she could get away with it. And there was no way I could fire her since Victor’s hefty investment in my company was predicated on giving her a lifelong position.

The shock of the stock crash and my impending doom was nothing compared to the shock I got when I stepped foot into my spacious chandelier-lit office. I froze. Seated behind my desk was Vivien. Her eyes clashed with mine. Rage surged inside me.

“What are you doing at my desk?”

A poisonous smile slithered across her face. “Daddy told me that you may be on your way out. I was just trying it out for size.”

My eyes narrowed into blades of steel. “I’m not going anywhere. Now, get the fuck out of my chair!”

Not wiping off her wicked smirk, she slowly stood up. She was wearing a so-very-Vivien purple knit mini dress that clenched her curvy body and accentuated her voluptuous fake boobs.

“You know, Gloria, you shouldn’t treat your employees so rudely. Isn’t there some kind of company policy forbidding lewd language? You’re just lucky I’m not going to go to human resources and report you for harassment.”

I could actually visualize puffs of smoke blowing out of my nostrils. Balling my hands, I kept my eyes on her as she sauntered out of my office. At the doorway, she paused and looked over her shoulder. “By the way, Gloria, I forgot to ask you. How was Paris with Jaime? I hear that may be over soon too.”

I could feel my face reddening. How the hell did she know what was going on with Jaime and me? Even Victor didn’t know the extent of our relationship. And why was she so sure it was coming to an end? I bit down hard on my lip to stifle a retort I’d regret. And clenched my fists tighter so I wouldn’t throw something at her. Or strangle her.

“Please send me the latest sales reports when you get back to your desk,” I finally managed through gritted teeth. “And close the door behind you.”

“No problem,” she replied snidely. On her way out, she slammed the door shut.

Inhaling a breath, I sat down at my desk. The cloying scent of Vivien lingered in the air and nauseated me. I immediately got to work and responded to the influx of emails that were facing me on my computer screen. Right after I responded to a meeting with one of our fabric vendors, an email from Sales with the most recent Excel sales reports attached came through. My heart pounded. I wasted no time opening the attachments and perusing them.

By the time I got to the fifth report, my nerves calmed down. Sales were as steady as always. In fact, US and international sales were stronger than ever. I was now more befuddled than anxious. What could be causing so many to sell off the stock and causing the price of shares to plummet? I needed to do more research—find out what investors had bailed. I shot off an urgent email to Finance to compile a list.

“Glorious!”

My door swung open and my eyes sprung up. Kevin.

“Why didn’t you let me know you were coming into the office?” Wearing stylish shorts and high tops, he jogged over to me and we hugged. God, did I need a big dose of Kevin!

Sitting back down, I perched my left elbow on my desk and glumly sunk my chin into my palm while Kevin plunked down into one of the two pink and white striped armchairs facing me. My right hand rested on my lap beneath my desk.

I didn’t know where to begin. “Oh, Kev, it’s been just a fucking nightmare since I got back from Paris.”

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