my chair and turn hers around so she’s facing front. I am looking at the side of her, afraid to make it any more intimate than it already is by turning her completely round, but desperately needing to see her expression when I speak to her. “I have a confession to make.”
Miss Meechum’s expression goes from worried to excited. She tries to turn her chair to face mine, but I hold it fast, so instead she twists her head sideways.
“You do?” she asks. “To me?” Her smile drops. “I hope you’re not about to ask me out.”
“Ask you out? As in on a date?”
“Yes.”
“No, good god, no.”
“Oh. Okay.” She frowns at me.
“I need to confess something I’ve done, which necessitates me asking you to do something that is not exactly in your job description.”
She twists her mouth this way and that for a moment as she considers what I’ve said and then says, “As long as it’s not a sexual favor, I’m probably going to be fine with it.”
I shake my head to both assure her and to remove any images of a naked Miss Meechum from my mind that might have just tried to crop up. Nightmares do not suit me at any time of the day.
“This Ingrid person,” I gesture at the computer screen, “has caused me a great deal of inconvenience.”
“I can imagine. She’s relentless.” She rolls her eyes in commiseration.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“Really?” She’s immediately intensely curious. “Tell me. What’d she do?”
I take hold of my tie, smoothing it out, dropping my eyes to examine the pattern in the silk. I find it’s impossible to look my assistant in the eye as I tell her my secrets. I wish there were some other way out of this, but I cannot think of one that is more expedient or less risky.
“I must have your assurances that this conversation will never leave this office. Your complete discretion is absolutely necessary.” I lift my eyes to watch her reaction.
“Of course. I promise. You can count on me.” She appears to be telling the truth. I wish I knew for certain if this was the case.
“I’m completely serious, Miss Meechum. If this information were to be shared, it would be very damaging to both my reputation and that of this company. We could both lose our positions here.”
“You can count on me, Mr. Stratford. Seriously. I have all kinds of secrets in my head right now that I’ll never tell.” She puts an X on her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”
A needle? In her eye? “Whyever would you do that?”
“It’s just an expression, silly.” She smiles like she hasn’t a care in the world.
I stare at her, trying to give her a spontaneous eyeball-to-eyeball lie detector test, but I cannot tell whether it’s working. She seems so innocent and daft on the surface, but it’s obvious there’s a lot more going on beneath that frizzy red hair helmet than meets the eye. I shall have to move forward with the knowledge that I could sell her down the river for illegal hacking activities just as easily as she could share my indiscretions. It’s not a perfect security system, but it’s better than nothing. The expression as thick as thieves comes to mind.
“I was at a nightclub a couple nights ago, and I was with a lady friend.”
“Is it the one I found for you?” She’s much too excited about the idea, but I cannot afford to alienate her by mentioning it.
“Yes. Quite. And while in this club, I engaged in some rather … private activity that it turns out was caught on tape.”
“Oooooh, sex tape.” She waggles a finger at me. “Baaad boooy, Mr. Stratford.”
“Exactly. You have not yet heard the worst of it, though, I’m afraid.”
“Well? Don’t keep me waiting.” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “Is it really bad?”
“The owner of the club is that horrid woman Ingrid. She is holding the tape and has threatened to ruin me over it.”
Miss Meechum begins to laugh. A pig-like snort is added a
Miss Meechum’s expression goes from worried to excited. She tries to turn her chair to face mine, but I hold it fast, so instead she twists her head sideways.
“You do?” she asks. “To me?” Her smile drops. “I hope you’re not about to ask me out.”
“Ask you out? As in on a date?”
“Yes.”
“No, good god, no.”
“Oh. Okay.” She frowns at me.
“I need to confess something I’ve done, which necessitates me asking you to do something that is not exactly in your job description.”
She twists her mouth this way and that for a moment as she considers what I’ve said and then says, “As long as it’s not a sexual favor, I’m probably going to be fine with it.”
I shake my head to both assure her and to remove any images of a naked Miss Meechum from my mind that might have just tried to crop up. Nightmares do not suit me at any time of the day.
“This Ingrid person,” I gesture at the computer screen, “has caused me a great deal of inconvenience.”
“I can imagine. She’s relentless.” She rolls her eyes in commiseration.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“Really?” She’s immediately intensely curious. “Tell me. What’d she do?”
I take hold of my tie, smoothing it out, dropping my eyes to examine the pattern in the silk. I find it’s impossible to look my assistant in the eye as I tell her my secrets. I wish there were some other way out of this, but I cannot think of one that is more expedient or less risky.
“I must have your assurances that this conversation will never leave this office. Your complete discretion is absolutely necessary.” I lift my eyes to watch her reaction.
“Of course. I promise. You can count on me.” She appears to be telling the truth. I wish I knew for certain if this was the case.
“I’m completely serious, Miss Meechum. If this information were to be shared, it would be very damaging to both my reputation and that of this company. We could both lose our positions here.”
“You can count on me, Mr. Stratford. Seriously. I have all kinds of secrets in my head right now that I’ll never tell.” She puts an X on her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”
A needle? In her eye? “Whyever would you do that?”
“It’s just an expression, silly.” She smiles like she hasn’t a care in the world.
I stare at her, trying to give her a spontaneous eyeball-to-eyeball lie detector test, but I cannot tell whether it’s working. She seems so innocent and daft on the surface, but it’s obvious there’s a lot more going on beneath that frizzy red hair helmet than meets the eye. I shall have to move forward with the knowledge that I could sell her down the river for illegal hacking activities just as easily as she could share my indiscretions. It’s not a perfect security system, but it’s better than nothing. The expression as thick as thieves comes to mind.
“I was at a nightclub a couple nights ago, and I was with a lady friend.”
“Is it the one I found for you?” She’s much too excited about the idea, but I cannot afford to alienate her by mentioning it.
“Yes. Quite. And while in this club, I engaged in some rather … private activity that it turns out was caught on tape.”
“Oooooh, sex tape.” She waggles a finger at me. “Baaad boooy, Mr. Stratford.”
“Exactly. You have not yet heard the worst of it, though, I’m afraid.”
“Well? Don’t keep me waiting.” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “Is it really bad?”
“The owner of the club is that horrid woman Ingrid. She is holding the tape and has threatened to ruin me over it.”
Miss Meechum begins to laugh. A pig-like snort is added a
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