Page 54 of My Boss's Sons

The conference room door opened and Gerald walked in with another man I didn’t recognize. Gerald strode to the drink cabinet on the other side of the office and pulled out two glasses. “A celebratory drink is in order, Matthew. What’s your poison?”

The man eyed me up but ignored me the same way Gerald was. “Scotch.”

“There’s nothing better than a scotch to celebrate a win like the one we just had. Well…” Gerald’s smile felt greasy as he ran his eyes up and down my body. “There might be one thing better.”

My fight or flight was triggered with that look and I had to grip the chair arms to stay seated. “Gerald, if you’re busy, I can just come back later.”

He came over to stand behind me and started rubbing my shoulders like always. His fingers dipped lower than normal and he groaned. “So tense. That’s why I think you should take on a job more fitting, something easier. You just need to learn to relax and let loose. Isn’t that right, Matthew?”

Matthew’s eyes settled on my chest and he licked his lips when Gerald’s fingers hooked on my blouse and tugged it open slightly. “Very right, indeed.”

Gerald pretended to fix my shirt but just ran his hands over my chest. “Let me just fix your shirt for you, sweetheart.”

I pushed his hands away and stood up. “I’ve got it. I think I should get back to work.”

“Sit back down, Sophia. Our meetings are very important to me and I refuse to miss one. Sit down and smile about what a great deal Matthew and I just closed.” Gerald walked back over to the drink cabinet. “Would you like a scotch, Sophia?”

I was trapped. The longer I sat there, the worse I felt. I shook my head and clung to the hope that the meeting would be over soon.

“You’re no fun, Sophia.” Matthew moved closer to me but continued his conversation with Gerald. I could smell the overwhelming scent of his cologne and my stomach turned.

Feeling desperate, I opened my phone by my side and sent an SOS text to Randal. He knew what I meant and would come up with a way to get me out of Gerald’s office.

Barely three minutes passed, I knew because I was counting each second, and there was a firm knock at the door. I kept my face straight ahead and held my breath as the door opened. I prayed it was Randal, coming to claim an emergency.

“Dad?” Ethan. Ethan had come to hopefully save me. “There’s something weird going on with one of the accounts we’ve been researching. I really need Sophia back in the office to take care of it.”

I shot out of my chair and rushed around towards Ethan. “Is it the Grady account? I tried to talk to Mr. Grady this morning about it, but he promised to call me back.”

“Yeah, it’s that one.” Ethan smiled at his dad. “Sorry to interrupt, Dad. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t necessary.”

Gerald’s voice was tight as he replied. “Of course, son. Go on. I’ll just find Sophia later.”

A chill ran down my spine and I all but pole-vaulted out of there. The elevator was already open and I got in and immediately stabbed the button for the abandoned records floor. I was close to losing it and I just needed to get out of view so no one watched me crumble.

Ethan brushed his hand over my arm and frowned when I flinched away from him. “Sophia, what the fuck is going on? You sent me an SOS text and now you look like you’re about to pass out.”

I watched the floors as we slowly descended. “I’m sorry. I-”

He waited after I cut myself off but when I didn’t say anything else, he stepped back and just watched me. I don’t know why I thought he wouldn’t follow me when I left the elevator, but he did.

Steve took one look at me and jumped out of his chair. “Sophia?”

I waved him off and broke out in a run to get to my private space. I tried to close the door, but Ethan was right behind me,slipping inside with me. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it but I couldn’t wait anymore. I let out a frustrated cry and swiped a pile of folders to the floor. Same folders, different day.

I destroyed the room and then sank to my knees in the middle of my mess. I didn’t want to deal with Gerald anymore. He was getting worse and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

44

***Ethan***

Iknelt in front of Sophia and caught her face in my hands. There were big tears in her eyes that fell as soon as she looked at me. Her bottom lip wobbled and that was all it took for me to drag her into my chest and hold her. I didn’t know what the fuck happened but I swore to myself that I’d make it right.

I sat back against a desk and held her in my lap. Stroking her hair, I did what our mom had always done for us when we were upset; I gently rocked her.

I’d only known Sophia for a little while but she was tough. Seeing her crying made me antsy. It was like there was something big and dark looming over my head but I couldn’t see it yet. I just wanted to make her feel better.

Sophia cried into my chest and held onto me with two fistfuls of my shirt. She was shaking in my arms and making the most heartbreaking whimpers I’d ever heard.

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