I walked out of Mr. Kane's office still trembling. What just happened in there? Was my boss just about to kiss me? Or even trying to sleep with me? If Mrs. Martin didn't come in when she did what would have happened, and would I have let it happen? Too many questions roaming around my head. I walked into the staff meeting room with the rest of my department.
"It's so good of you to join us!" A balding man looked at me and shouted.
"Frank ease up she's not even late." Another man stood up and walked over to me and extended his hand "I'm Zach the marketing director, you must be Lilith" He shook my hand "Welcome to the team."
"Thank you." I said to him with a shy smile.
"Ok let's get started, so Mike, joseph and Wayne how are we doing with the toothpaste pitch?" He asked looking at a group of men in the corner.
"It's going great we just need to finish a few more slides and we are ready for this meeting." The tall man with the dark brown hair answered, I think it was Mike.
"great, great" then Zach turned to the mean balding man "So Frank any news on the McKenzie foundation?"
"It's the same as every year we pitch to them, they aren't interested in our company's help with marketing. They hate our boss." He said as a matter of fact, "I don't even know what's special about that foundation anyway."
"Mr. Kane wants that marketing contract so make it happen this year." Zach turned to me "Lilith why don't you help Frank and Richard on this project."
"Yes sir" I replied.
"oh, great now we get the new girl to fuck everything up." Frank said sarcastically.
"Well she can't do any worse than you." Zach put his hands in the air "What's it been 3 years of you fucking it up, I guess it's time for some fresh ideas." Zach rises from his seat "Ok everyone get back to work."
I walked to my desk and sat down at the computer to start researching the McKenzie Foundation.
I read: "Mr. and Mrs. Harris started the McKenzie Ray foundation along with a silent partner 10 years ago after Mrs. Harris gave birth to a stillborn baby girl, they named her McKenzie Ray. They were devastated by what happened, and the lack of support they felt after going through such a traumatic event. They along with an old high school friend started the foundation for grieving parents. They raise money for support groups, time off from work to heal that isn't covered by maternity/paternity time off. They throw a banquet every Christmas that companies pay a lot of money for a table which 100% of the profits goes to the foundation."
I started to investigate Mr. and Mrs. Harris and see if I could find any information on their silent partner. There was nothing on the silent partner only speculation that the partner was a millionaire posing as an employee for their other company J & J investment firm which he is co-founder with Mr. & Mrs. Harris.
"He must be a saint to invest his money in a company and foundation he will never be recognized for." I whispered to myself.
"What was that?" A voice said behind me.
I turned around to see Mr. Kane standing over my shoulder.
"I was just talking to myself sir." I looked at him embarrassed "I'm doing research on the McKenzie Ray foundation for the marketing pitch."
"Zach must think your good to put you on such an important project." He touched the top of my shoulder and his hand started tracing the length of my exposed arm down to the hand that was holding the mouse. He hovered the arrow over the word banquet.
"The marketing department goes to that ever year." He leaned his head down to my ear "I can't wait to see what you'll wear to it." He lingered for a few more moments then went back into his office.
I have nothing to wear to a fancy dinner. If he only knew I live in my car in the parking garage of his company, he wouldn't be hitting on me so much.
I lost track of time working on the powerpoint slides for the McKenzie Ray foundation I didn't realize mostly everyone left for the day. Mr. Kane came out of his office and gave me an odd look.
"You do know the work day ends at 5 pm right?" He walked over to me.
"Yes sir, I just got caught up on the power points I was working on." I looked down at his feet.
He put his hand under my chin and slowly lifted my head to look at him "Always look the person your speaking to in the eye."
"Sorry sir "I said trying desperately to keep eye contact. "I'm not used to looking anyone in the eyes."
"Why?" he asked never breaking eye contact.
"I don't know?" That was a lie, I knew exactly why I couldn't make eye contact with him, and then the unwanted memories came pouring in.
"where are you going?" Christian asked through closed teeth.
"I have a job interview" I started walking towards the stairs.
"No, you don't! Go take those slutty clothes off now!" He pointed to the bedroom.
"There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. It's a business skirt and shirt." I shot back at him.
"You're not leaving this house like that, and you don't need a job I provide for you." He grabbed my arm.
"you're acting like a caveman." I looked straight into his eyes mockingly raising one eyebrow. "What are you going to get your club now and hit me over the head with it?"
"Are you fucking mocking me?" He was so close to my face now, I tried to take a step back, but he wouldn't let go of my arm "I hate your judgmental eyes. When I talk to you, you look down not at me."
I kept looking at his face not caring. I was forced to marry him a week again and still young, naive and stupid, I kept thinking what other worse things could he do to me? I was wrong because it got so much worse.
He slapped me across the face twice, then pushed me down the stairs. He walked slowly to where I fell and stopped on the bottom step to look over my twisted body "I told you, you weren't going to that job interview" He stepped over me and walked into the kitchen. That night I miscarried and realized I was in hell and will be here for a very long time.
"Are you alright?" His voice snapped me out of my memory.
"Yes sir. I'll try my hardest to look you in the eye when your speaking to you." I didn't mean to sound so melancholy when I spoke to him.
"Don't stay too long, payroll hates paying overtime." He let go of my chin and started walking towards the elevator.
I stayed another hour then walked out to my car.
My car was parked in the center level of the garage in one of the back spaces backed up so no one could see the pillows and blankets in the back seat. I got into the backseat and laid down.
Two weeks flew by quickly, every morning I would go into work at 5 am because I found out Mr. Kane gets there at 6 am. I wanted to use the restroom to change my clothes and wash up before anyone got there so no one would know I was homeless. Sitting at my desk every morning Mr. Kane would walk past me and act like I wasn't there. Every night before he would leave, he would say "good night" and just slightly brush up against my back and say, "Don't work too hard Ms. Blackwood" and then leave for the elevator.
That Saturday I took the subway to Queens with my first ever paycheck to deposit it. I cashed it first at a check cashing place because I was afraid if he did find me, he would know where I worked, and I didn't want to use a bank in Manhattan for the same reason. I was so proud of myself, I was finally free of Christian and on my own. That weekend I walked around the city exploring places. Sunday, I went to dinner at Sammy and James apartment. Sammy made chicken with mashed potatoes and corn, it was the first real meal I ate in almost a month.
"So how was your first two weeks?" Sammy asked pouring a cup of coffee.
"Thank you" I took a sip "It was good, Mr. Kane seems nice but there is a guy named Frank who intimidates me." I took another sip "I'll just have to stay out of his way."
"James was telling me that they haven't had a female employee in that department for almost five years, and when they do get a woman in that department she leaves within a year." Sammy said then took a sip from her coffee "It's weird" and then took another sip.
We talked for a little while, I played with their adorable daughter Sabrina who is three and loves playing tea party. Playing with her made me wonder what Rose would have been like if she would have been born. Christian took so much from me, my youth, pride, dignity now I'm this empty shell of a person who fears everyone and always looking over her shoulder waiting for the day he finds me. I would have been a mother to two kids by now. I wonder if I would have been a good mother? I wonder if I could have protected them from him? I wonder if that was God's way of telling me I didn't deserve them because how could I protect two precious little angels if I couldn't even protect myself.
Sammy gave me a hug at the door "Don't be a stranger now."
"I won't" I hugged her back "When I find a place, I will have all of you over and this little one too when he's born" I rubbed her belly.
I started to walk back to my car in the parking garage back to my temporary home.
Monday morning, I got into the office at 5 am, started my new normal routine of getting ready in the restroom when I walked out to see Mr. Kane in sweatpants and no shirt on. I couldn't take my eyes off him. How can a sweaty man look that good in sweatpants?
I stood there silently staring at him as he walked from the elevator to his office. He turned and looked at me staring at him and smirked as he walked into his office. I walked over to my desk and sat down to check my emails and set up my online banking when I saw it. The bank account I just opened on Saturday was closed out with the money I deposited transferred to an unknown account.
"NO!" I leaned my head down on my desk knowing who drained my bank account.
The elevator doors opened, and James walked out pushing the cleaning cart.
He walked over to me "What's wrong?"
I looked at him trying not to cry in defeat "My bank account was just closed out and all my money from my paycheck was transferred to another account."
"What a fucking prick, he can't do that." He looked at me, "Can he?"
"He just did and now he knows I'm in New York." I pointed to the cart "I thought you worked nights?"
"I come in Monday mornings to clean Mr. Kane's shower" He picked up the squeegee "Mondays is his intense workouts in the gym, so he showers in his office bathroom."
"I didn't even know he had a shower in there." I replied.
"Oh, if those shower walls could talk." James laughed.
"Does Mr. Kane normally have relations in his office shower?" I was shocked that I asked that.
"Not this Mr. Kane but his father was famous for it." He winked and laughed.
"Oh, oh gross." my jaw dropped open then Mr. Kane's door flew open.