Page 22 of Crash

“I’ll be sure to tell Sandy and Jake how you feel.” I see the uncertainty in his eyes when he hears my words. He takes a step closer, causing me to step back, and I falter. He grabs me by the shoulders before I could fall.

“You’re bitchier than normal.” His voice is low and there’s a bit of mischief in his eyes “What’s the matter? Do you have your period?” he asks.

I gasp at his audacity. I try to push him away again, but it’s like trying to push a mountain with my bare hands. “Excuse me?”

“Your period. You know what that is, don’t you? When a girl becomes a woman, her body—” I pinch his taut skin to get his attention. His only reaction is the hardening of his nipples.

“Are you trying to mansplain a period to me?”

“Since you’re just standing there with your mouth hanging open, I figured you needed some edification. You do know what edification means, don’t you?”

“Just because I didn’t go to some rich boy prep school or a private university, you think I’m stupid?” I ask, getting angrier with each word.

“Not just because of that. I have plenty of other reasons to question your intelligence. Do you want to hear them?” He smirks and shrugs.

“Get out of my face, or you’ll never be able to father children. In fact, I think I’ll be doing the world a favor.” I bend my knee, prepared to hit him as hard as I can in his balls when he grabs me from behind my kneecap. I falter but he holds me up, pushing my back all the way to the wall, rendering me completely immobile. He presses his body against mine, and his smell completely takes over my senses.

“What are you going to do, Smurfette? Looks like a man’s got you completely at his mercy. Thepatriarchyhas you, ready to bend you to its will.” He presses his entire body into mine, his naked chest against my sweater. The fact that he’s holding my leg up makes it look like we’re about to ravish each other against the wall. My breathing increases and I can feel the color in my cheeks. He adjusts his hips, and I for a brief second, I feel his hard dick press against my hip. He moves away from me so fast; I think I might have hallucinated it. Almost.

“Let me go,” I say, my voice measured.

He abruptly drops my leg and moves away from me. It takes me a minute to get my breathing under control, zip my coat, and jog down the stairs.

“I hate you!” I shout as I slam the door behind me.

CHAPTER 8

LUKE

I knock on my dad’s office door and poke my head inside. He’s on the phone, but he gestures for me to come inside. Jake walks in right behind me, nodding his head in acknowledgment as he stands against the wall across from me.

“To what do I owe this honor, creator?” I ask when he finally hangs up the phone. “Did you call me up here to tell me you’re giving me Jake’s job? I can finally put my finance degree to good use. Oh, I bet I know. You’re going to give me access to my trust fund now instead of making me wait until I’m twenty-five. We’re going to make our deal public knowledge?” I ask, winking at him.

Dad clears his throat and straightens his tie before standing up. He walks to the front of his desk and leans on it, his long legs splayed out in front of him.

“Nothing like that, son. Listen, you know how we need a new receptionist?”

“Yeah, I have a couple of interviews lined up for next week. I have it under control, creator. Chillax.” I walk over to him and playfully tap him on the shoulder before going back to my seat.

“Well,” he says, “good news. We’ve hired someone. You can spend your time doing other things.”

I look to my brother, who’s looking me straight in the eye. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There’s only one reason why he would be here while dad delivers this news.

“Who did you hire?” I ask my dad, but my eyes are on Jake. “Just say it.”

“Vivienne,” he tells me. I stand from my chair so fast, it almost tips over. “She starts the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.”

“That’s in less than two weeks. Unbelievable. I see how things work around here. If that’s all, I’ll go back to the basement.” I straighten my chair and turn my back on my brother and father.

“Jesus, Luke. You’re not in the damn basement. There is no basement,” Jake yells.

“Son, wait.”

“Hold on, Luke,” Jake says, running across the room and grabbing me by the elbow. I look at him as I yank my arm from his grasp, not even bothering to hide my anger. “She hasn’t been able to find a job, and she needs one. I’m only trying to help my wife’s cousin.”

“Fine. So, why isn’t she reporting to you?”

“She’s not qualified to do anything in my department.”

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