Page 6 of Wicked Desires, Part One

"Calm down. Nothing is going to happen. I don't like the board telling me what to do. I especially don't like it when they make my employee's business their business." I let my voice drop the professional tone that I've gotten so used to speaking in. There's something strange in that, too. Being able to talk without worrying about what people think of me. It's not something that I do often, if ever.

But right now, it seems like the entire world is limited to just Cora and me in this office. I let my eyes flicker up to hers, and I can see that she's still searching my eyes, trying to read something in my expression that will calm her down.

She gives my hand another squeeze, and I can hear the shuddering breath that she lets out. Her shoulders relax a little as she nods to herself.

It takes a long moment before I can pull my hand away from hers. My entire body seems to fight against the idea for as long as possible, as it burns with the feeling of something intense inside of me. My breath is caught in my throat for a long moment afterward, and I realize that there's probably more to say about all of this.

"That isn't to say that nothing will come of this," I whisper, trying to make it seem as least terrifying as possible. If I can manage it, I would love to have Cora still working here, but I feel that the board isn't going to like the idea. There's probably going to be something that happens. I'm just not sure what.

Cora won't look me in the eye anymore, but she gives me a slow nod as she sucks in deep breaths to calm herself.

"Of course."

There's a strained note in her voice, and I hate how it almost sounds like she's going to start crying. Honestly, I'm surprised that she hasn't already broken down at this point.

And a thought pops into my head.

"I'm sure that we can work something out," I start, trying to think my way through the problem again. My memory is a little blurry, but... wasn't there something about money? When she was rambling and stumbling over her words, she mentioned something about it.

"So, how is the money situation now?" I hesitate, wishing that I could have this conversation with her outside of the office. Or just as two people. Not as boss and employee. I can instantly sense the fear that comes with the question, and I curse internally. "I promise this isn't a trap. The board isn't going to do anything. I just want to talk about this."

The seconds afterward seem to pass as slowly as humanly possible. My palms start to sweat, and my heart skips another beat in my chest as I wait for Cora to say something. Part of me is braced for Cora to stand up, leave my office, and never speak to me again. The other part of me wants, more than anything, to end all of this.

Out of everyone I know, Cora deserves this less than anyone else. And the board knows that. They have a good habit of taking out some of my favorite employees just to try and intimidate me every once in a while.

"Money... Money is still a little bit iffy. This job has absolutely helped, but there's... just a lot of bills to pay," Cora's voice is shaky, and her words seem to get caught in her voice. She sounds tired. Exhausted.

How come I didn't see it before? Cora was always... Cora. Always a perfect employee, in every way possible. I should have seen something wrong. I should have noticed it. After all, she's one of the few people that I see on a daily basis.

"Understandable," I nod, trying to figure out what to do after this. My eyes flicker over to the computer screen, where the email is still open. The website has been closed, and I don't think that pulling it up on my screen will help anything in this situation, but... maybe there's something about it that can help. "Do you still make an income off of this website?"

"Yes." The response is short and choppy, but I can sense that Cora trusts me, at least a little bit now. And that's all I need to start to think my way out of this.

"You still post content to it?"

A pause. A long pause that seems to make the world stop moving for a split second.

"Occasionally."

"Alright," I let out the breath I was holding in and nod to myself. I'm sure that there's more to the story, but at least for now, this is enough to work with.

Cora hasn't moved since she sat down in that chair. I watch her for just a second, and I can see her shaking slightly. Her eyes are glued to my desk, and her breathing is still coming in ragged pants that she's trying not to let me hear.

She needs a day off.

"Well, I can tell you now that you will not be losing your job. Your pay will not be affected in any way. You are still going to be seen with the same respect that you have been seen with before in this company." It's not the most comforting thing that I can say, but it's something that I can say with confidence, at least.

It catches Cora's attention, though. Her eyes go up to me and...

And I take in the sight of her. Her brown hair is in loose waves that frame her face now that she's looking up at me again. She's still looking a little pale, but her cheeks are flushed red. Her eyes are wide, and I notice their color for the first time. Hazel, but in this lighting, they almost look golden.

"Thank you," she whispers. My gaze darts down to her lips for just a second before I catch myself and look back up at her face.

"That being said, there are a few emails that I have to send out about this situation. I know that this meeting has been rough for you," I say with a nod, trying to think of a way to get her out of the office without making it seem like I'm trying to get her out of here. "How about you take a break, maybe go for a walk for a little while. I'll send you an email update on what happens."

She doesn't look up at me, but she gets to her feet and pauses, standing at the side of her chair.

"Thank you, Mister Fletcher."

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