Page 26 of His Plaything (Slade, Inc.)

Chapter Twenty-One

Connor paced in his office. He should be answering emails or maybe trying to reschedule the meeting from earlier, but his mind was nowhere near work ready, at the moment. He had fought the urge to go looking for Morgan. Maybe going to her home until she eventually showed up. It had been near impossible and definitely torturous.

"Why hasn't she come back yet? What the hell is she doing?" He wasn't sure he wanted an answer to that.

Was she off having sex with her ex-fiancé? Was she just meeting him to let him know she had moved on? Why hasn't she been answering my phone calls then? Surely, she would know that I'd be back in the office by now.

Connor let out a guttural growl as he walked to his window that overlooked the courtyard. He stood there, staring and grinding his teeth for several minutes. The thing that struck him a bit odd was that it was a sunny, warm day, but there were no signs of life outside. No birds, no squirrels, no butterflies. He stood there longer, watching but still saw nothing. Maybe it was just his unholy mood that was causing it. Just then, a voice interrupted his angry misery.

"Sir, there is a message that I think you need to hear." Marcie's voice was even but a bit too cheery for him currently.

"Not now." He didn't turn from the window.

"You'll want to hear it."

Connor huffed out an annoyed breath and finally faced Marcie. He walked over to his desk as she pressed a few buttons on his desk phone. She handed him the receiver and took a step back. He thought he saw her eyes flash as she did.

He exhaled roughly again before holding the phone up to his ear. The moment the message started, his heart jumped into his throat. It was Morgan. Her voice sounded shaky and almost frightened. As her slightly muffled voice filled his head, Connor felt numbness overtake him.

"This is Morgan White, and I am leaving this message for Slade Incorporated. I quit, effective immediately."

Connor froze, staring at the floor for several seconds. Without looking up, he spoke to Marcie. "Leave me." Connor moved his stare to the phone in his hand as Marcie made a small surprised noise. "I said, leave me alone."

Marcie didn't speak as she retreated from his office. He very slowly returned the receiver to its cradle. The numbness cloaked him like a dark blanket as he stood there, staring at nothing for a very long time. What other evidence did he need? Morgan had gone back to Todd. She didn't want to work with him, much less be his girl. It's done.

Connor wondered briefly why this had happened so suddenly. Morgan had seemed happy, hadn't she? Maybe a man such as myself is incapable of making a woman truly happy. Maybe she always held a torch for him and I was just a distraction.

For the first time he could remember, an extreme sense of loss filled his heart. Maybe he should still go see her, confront her, beg her. No. Connor wasn't going to force anyone to be with him that didn't want to. Still, maybe he should fight for the one he wanted. His pride was too big for that.

A slow rage started to build deep inside him. A rage for Morgan and a rage for himself. Connor reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He clicked on a saved number. The call was immediately answered.

"Shay, meet me at Adam's Bar at eight." He didn't wait for an answer and hung up. "If Morgan is moving on, so am I."

****

Morgan stood in her townhome, tears streaming down her face, looking at Mr. Slade's suits, which she had laid on her couch. What the hell was she going to do with them now? There was no way she was going to return to that building, ever.

She remembered that she had left a few personal items in her office, but they weren't important enough to go through hell to get them back. She could replace them all, but she couldn't replace her dignity or her wellbeing.

Morgan collapsed into a heap on the floor, sobbing so hard that her chest started to hurt. She couldn't stop herself, though. Even if it were true that Mr. Slade hadn't purposely hired Shay back, which Morgan still didn't know if she believed or not, the outcome was horrific. Mr. Slade obviously still had feelings for his former temp. This just showed Morgan that she had been trapped in a forced fairytale.

A leopard can't change its spots. Mr. Slade couldn't be a one-woman man.

Muffy rubbed against Morgan's leg, but she ignored it. She lay there, crying for what seemed like days. Maybe I should call Marcie to meet me somewhere to pick up his suits. Maybe I should take them outside and burn them.

Morgan felt hopeless, ugly, used, stupid, melancholy, but most of all, lost. She had allowed herself to believe that this might be love between her and Connor.

What do I do now?

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