Page 4 of Tops
Tanner’s.
2
First Impressions
“I’msorry,”Isaid,ignoring the one holding me against the wall and focusing all my attention on Tanner. Hannah had described his looks precisely, which I could only appreciate now that I was seeing him in person. Every minute detail she ever gushed came back into my mind as I checked off each one down to a faintly visible scar slashed through his left eyebrow. The same eyebrow that was currently arched while he silently assessed me. I hoped he was as pleasant to random girls who walked into his secret meetings as he was to his employees.
“New girl?” asked the man who pinned my shoulder painfully to the wall. The asshole didn’t even bother to look at me, as his gaze was fixed on Tanner. Guess this guy was the pit bull on the boss’ leash.
“No, I wouldn’t hire someone like her,” Tanner said passively. As if it wasn’t an insult. Guess he was only friendly to the pretty ones. Everyone else got assaulted by his lap dog.
“Thanks, I wouldn’t want to work here anyway,” I snapped back, fixing Tanner with a glare. “You should call off your hound here before he bruises me. Then I will have even more to tell the police.”
Immediately, the pressure was released from my shoulder, as if my skin burned the beast. The man took a worrying step back as he looked over at Tanner. Guess the mention of police got under their skin. But now, I might be in even more danger should they decide getting rid of me is worth more than the trouble I could cause.
I believe I may have made an error.
“What do you mean, more to tell the police?” Tanner said, his voice low and almost seductive as he moved forward to take Clifford’s place. Tanner didn’t lay a hand on me, but a nearly palatable current passed in the small space between us. I inhaled sharply out of instinct, and the scent of his cologne washed over me. For once, I didn’t have a million worries racing through my mind as the rest of the universe seemed to come to a sudden and screeching halt.
We simply stared into each other’s eyes.
A knock sounded at the door, causing me to jump.
“I’m busy,” Tanner called back through the door, but his eyes never left mine. There was something dark and dangerous about his gaze. It felt familiar, like the siren call that lured me into this building from the first doorway.
“I just need to talk to you quick.” The sound of Hannah’s voice floating through the closed door broke whatever spell Tanner had put me under as all the panic, fear, and anxiety came rushing back in.
“Hannah! Hannah, I’m in here! Don’t let him chop me up and put me in a dumpster,” I yelled out as I started to scramble for the lock on the door. No one stopped me as I twisted it free, opening it wide to run into the arms of my best friend. “We need to get out of here, Hannah. I need to get to the police. There was a woman in the room with all the glass.” I hissed out in her ear while she held my otherwise shaking body.
“What the fuck did you do to her, Tanner?” Hannah yelled as her arms held my trembling body. There was so much energy coursing through my veins, urging me to gain as much distance as possible. But we weren’t moving; we weren’t getting out of here and going to the police.
“She just fell into my office. I was trying to figure out what was going on right before you knocked,” Tanner responded, like he didn’t appreciate the accusation.
My head snapped up as all my energy collected into a single focus. Tanner. “And what about your guard dog shoving me up against the wall and nearly dislocating my shoulder? Or the girl in the room across the hall tied up and, I think, raped?” If others didn’t notice what was happening here, it fell to me to make sure no one else was being taken advantage of by this monster.
Tanner’s face remained otherwise passive as he glared at me. I felt the same energy I had moments ago in his office. Like some part of him was reaching for me with whispers of false comfort. I turned my head back to Hannah, looking into her gem-like eyes as I mentally begged her to believe me.
“I’m guessing this girl belongs to you, and you didn’t warn her about the fantasy loft?” I heard Tanner say. His tone was entirely professional, if not chastising.
“Rape isn’t a fantasy,” I stomped, finally having enough. I tore away from Hannah to face Tanner directly. He may have had his staff under control, but I was not about to take a spoonful of the shit he was offering up as an explanation.
“Rape is sexual gratification without consent. That is never allowed in Tops. A fantasy, however, may include elements such as an assumption of non-consent. All the actors I employ give their consent before performing,” Tanner said with a slight smirk. His answer was well-rehearsed. This told me he already had a story for whenever anyone questioned his methods. “I can tell you don’t believe me. How about I show you then,” he said, stepping out of the doorway.
Immediately, I took a wary step backward, not allowing him to get within arm’s reach. That was precisely how I would end up chopped up in the dumpster. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Nessa. He isn’t a criminal,” Hannah said, rolling her eyes as she turned toward me, but my eyes were glued to Tanner as she said it. He tried to hide it, but the edges of his lips threatened to break out into a small smile. Like that sentence was immensely humorous, but he didn’t want to let us in on the joke.
“I want to get out of here. I want my phone back. And then I want to go to the police, and he,” I pointed accusingly toward Tanner, “can explain everything to them.” It hadn’t felt right when Hannah said she would carry my phone in her purse and keep it in her locker. She had claimed there was a strict no phones rule for Tops. That way, people weren’t taking pictures of the workers.
“Here,” Tanner said, pulling a phone from the pocket of his blazer and holding his thumb to the circle to unlock it before offering it to me. “Take my phone so you can call the police. Or you can try to let me explain, and if it still isn’t good enough, call the police then.”
I glared at him as I snatched the phone. I wasn’t giving up the chance to have a means of communication as a backup. Quickly swiping through, I ensured it wasn’t on airplane mode or something. His background was a picture of a lonely road heading into a foggy forest. I quickly pulled up his text messages, opened a new chat, and texted my mother.
Hey Mom, it’s Vanessa. I’m out with a new friend and can’t find my phone. If you need to get ahold of me, his name is Tanner.
I closed the text box, holding my thumb on the main screen, moving it side to side so the phone wouldn’t lock. My gaze shifted back to Tanner, amazed that he hadn’t moved an inch despite me taking over his phone. I wondered what he would do if I pulled up the photo app.
“If you are quite finished sentencing me, before I’ve produced my evidence, I’m busy and would like to return to the work I was doing before this interruption.” Without bothering to check for a response, he moved down the curved hallway toward the end of the doors.
