“So Trent, Ms. Brooke Lee’s absence was more a matter of a well-established emotional detachment, not a personal oversight. We believe you,” Olympia agreed.
“That would be correct,” Trent jumped on the life preserver offered by his boss.
“I disagree,” Katrina stood up angrily. Nice acting. I would have believed it if I hadn’t already figured out the script.
“Katrina, Trent is an indispensable member of MY team and his progression is something I am paying close attention to,” Olympia protected her body-shaped sperm dispenser.
“No,” Tessa joined the attack.
“I’ll take responsibility for this,” Olympia challenged her associates. “I’ll have Trent relocated to our East Asian section so he’ll no longer be a worry for you two.”
They even used the word ‘relocate’ and Trent was still grinning like a Christmas Elf on the 26th of December. Idiot.
“Trent, how about we get you out of this poisonous atmosphere for a year, or two, and move you to a place where you can shine?” Olympia asked her victim.
“That would be great, Olympia,” Trent’s relief came through. Cowardly, selfish smuck.
“Well, this meeting is over,” Olympia declared. She took Trent by the arm and led him out of Katrina’s office. I resisted the impulse to request Trent tell Khalid ‘hello’ for me. Brooke turned to Libra, leaned into her and started sobbing.
Why all the drama? Now Brooke and Libra, outsiders and long term associates of the vanished, could testify that Trent WILLINGLY threw himself off the face of the Earth. Khalid’s relocation might someday be a problem. No one would come looking for Trent after Brooke and Libra got done with him socially – and it was all self-inflicted, the ignoramus.
It was all about loyalty here at Havenstone. My steadfast loyalty to Katrina, paid for in blood, was why I was still running around with the knowledge I possessed. For all my numerous, obvious flaws, there was a sliver of my personality they could identify with. Stepping in front of Leona wasn’t solely a matter of bravery.
They acknowledged I was brave for doing it, yet the factor that mattered to them was that my bravery’s source was my loyalty to Katrina and her house. No one assumed I was suicidal – there was confidence that Tessa and Katrina would have screened for that, even though the majority of the Amazons didn’t like what they were doing.
Khalid had let his balls outweigh his reason. Trent hadn’t shown physical cowardice; he was probably martially proficient. His flaw was a weakness of character. He saw every organization as nothing more than a vehicle for his personal advancement. In the rest of corporate civilization, that wasn’t so bad, but he wasn’t in the sane, morally-compromising, big business world.
He was in Havenstone. They tossed a truckload of money his way, lured him away from other promising offers to reel him – all of us – in. They expected honesty (from us lowly males), loyalty to their company and devotion to their cause even though they had no intention of telling us what it was for some time. Fair – it wasn’t.
“Katrina?” I got my boss’s attention.
“Take the rest of the day off, Cael,” Katrina responded. “Aya, you will be staying with me tonight. Cael you need to be at Medical 11:00 pm.”
“Thanks Katrina,” I nodded her way. I retrieved my crutches, gave Aya a kiss on the top of her head, another on her forehead, sealed with her hug.
By the time we reached the elevator, Brooke was transforming from shell-shocked to righteously pissed. HE (whose name it wasn’t safe to mention) had the temerity to dump HER. She was going to socially BBQ his ass with the hidden benefit that ole Trent was about to be incommunicado for the next few months.
“Cael, what just happened?” Libra asked softly. “Who do you really work for?” Suddenly that little ‘corporate confidentiality’ discussion I had with Trent had a new, sinister implication.
“That bastard dumped me in front of a bunch of strangers!” Brooke seethed. If there was any doubt, I am a bastard too.
“It was worse than that,” I consoled Brooke. “He lied about your intimacy so he could get this job.” I didn’t bring up the crap I went through because I didn’t matter in her world.
“Did you lie about anything?” Libra asked.
“I didn’t describe any of my relationships, but I did list everyone I had contact with,” I answered.
“Why would they do something so bizarre?” Libra hugged Brooke.
“I haven’t seen inside the minds of Human Resources, yet I get the feeling that Havenstone is a very closed system. Personal loyalty, honesty and accountability all rate highly with them. Havenstone doesn’t worry about personal embarrassment. The only people who are going to know are their staff and they don’t use such things in inter-office politics,” I explained.
“How did you get a job here anyway?” Brooke snapped. She meant was, how did a knuckle-dragger like me get the same business opportunity as Brian, Felix, Khalid and Trent? She was lashing out in anger at the closest male – my background and name were irrelevant. I had nailed girls like this all the time. Anger leads to poor decision making which leads to her hectic hunt for her clothes in my domicile sometime after us having sex.
“I proved to be just as good, if not better, than every other candidate,” I glared right back. Brooke didn’t want me apologetic, joking, or silent. She wanted me to be a strong, solid and unyielding. Why? Trent had just shattered the bedrock of her future and she was desperately seeking any foundation to set down on. It could be temporary, but had to be quick.
“I don’t see how that is possible,” Brooke glared. Brooke was used to being pampered and catered to. It was her birthright.
“That’s the difference between you and me, Brooke,” I met her stare. By Brooke, I meant Trent and we both knew it.
“I have fought for everything I’ve earned and if I’ve learned anything it is to appreciate my good fortune.” Meaning women. The supposition was that I would never have undervalued, or abandoned, a woman as wonderful and complete as Brooke. I could see the mathematical calculations going on behind Brooke’s eyes.