Shadows in the Dark (Dark Lotus #1)

37. Brynn

It had been two days since Colleen’s going away happy hour, and two days since the incident outside the bar. I’d been told Randall had not been seen at the office… not that it mattered. I was working from home until further notice, especially as I had filed another complaint against the man for what he had done. This time, I had additional supporting documentation in the form of Colleen and a couple of other co-workers who confirmed that he had shown up to the bar uninvited. I also had a toxicology report from the hospital I had visited on the way home that night. Knowing it would be to my benefit to get as much evidence as possible, I diverted the ride share to the nearest medical center, went inside, and requested a toxicology screen.

The attending physician had spotted my torn shirt and had wanted to do a rape kit, but I had assured him it wasn’t necessary. I did think more about things and decided to speak with the police officers the doctor contacted, and filed a report on the spot. It was my intention to nail his ass to the wall and make his life as miserable as possible. Whatever I could do to prevent this from happening to someone else, I would.

Predators like him needed to be stopped, which was exactly what I told EREBUS69 later that evening when I finally made it home and was in for the night after walking Lug Nut.

Karma_is_a_B: For someone who has led a relatively boring existence, I can really do without this damsel in distress bullshit.

I tried making light of the situation, but I didn’t get quite the reaction I wanted.

EREBUS69: Are you sure you’re okay?

Karma_is_a_B: Yes, Sir. It helps that I’m at home in my own space. My co-workers are checking in on me and have told me that Randall is ‘on leave’. I hope it’s permanent. As much as I like my job, I can’t stay there much longer. My favorite bosses are retiring and I just don’t have the desire to stick around. I’ve sent my CV out to several places, posted it to a few job boards, and I will continue to do so until I find the right opportunity. I know one will come along.

We texted a bit longer until his next conference call time was about to begin. It made me feel cared for that he had checked in on me. EREBUS69 was not a ‘hearts and flowers’ guy by any means, but he had his own way of expressing concern which was enough.

It was now lunchtime and after I heated up a bowl of soup, I pulled out the version of Blair’s diary I was currently reading and picked up where I left off while I ate the broccoli cheddar I’d made the night before.

Dear Diary - I’m going to Lotus again tonight. That makes the third time this week. I really wish I could be there every night, but sadly, that’s not possible. I didn’t realize just how much of a masochist I was until I was at the receiving end of Sir’s whip the first time. Feeling the brand of pain that only he can deliver hooked me like a junkie and I can’t wait until I get my next fix.

There is a lot riding on this assignment. I can’t do anything to fuck it up and lose my club membership. I’m already on thin ice because I have made a grave error…I’ve actually fallen for Him. Hard. That is against the rules, so I have to keep my feelings under wraps. I do sometimes work with other Doms, but it’s not the same. No one can push me past my boundaries like he does. No one can get me as high as he can. Just the other night, he put me on a St. Catherine’ s wheel…

The scene that she described made my eyebrows raise and my mouth fall open.

“Jesus, Blair. How the fuck did you hide marks like that?” I muttered to myself, turning the page. I’d never seen anything on her that gave any indication she was into BDSM, and we’d had plenty of sleepovers. Either she used badass camouflage makeup, or she never saw me until the marks and bruises had healed.

I heard my phone vibrate and when I checked my email, I sat up straighter in my chair. I had just gotten a phone screen request with Benedict Technologies for the next morning. Benedict was a leader in their field and extremely picky about hiring. The mere fact that I was chosen for a phone screen meant that I had passed the first stage. It was up to me to sell myself now.

I spent the rest of the afternoon doing research about Benedict and the current projects the company was involved in—at least, what I could find online. The majority of their work was proprietary, but at least I could speak to multiple things so the screener would know I had done my homework.

I also resurrected my list of questions that I liked to ask prospective employers. Over the years, I had gotten positive feedback on my questions because a couple of them were real thought starters. They had served me well before, and I hoped they would again.

Seeing that I still had a bit of time left in my extended lunch, I clipped on the dog’s leash and we both got some fresh air. I even stopped at a coffee shop for a pup cup, which he absolutely loved. I didn’t give him one too often, but Lug Nut had been such a good boy and a wonderful companion for me that he deserved to end up with whipped cream on his nose.

The back of my neck began to tingle and my head snapped up and to the left. It was then that I saw him standing across the street.

“Hey. Hi!” I called out, waving to catch his attention.

It was the man who had pulled Randall off of me a few nights before. Did he live close by? I waved again, but he didn’t seem to recognize me. He was wearing ear buds and sunglasses, but I could swear it was the same man.

With no flicker of recognition, I felt dejected and turned my attention back to cleaning cream off the dog’s face before we headed home. Looking across the street once more, I was startled to see an empty spot where the man had been standing just seconds before. Had I just imagined he’d been there?

Checking my surroundings one more time, I clucked my tongue at Lug Nut and we walked home, making it back with plenty of time before my next meeting. Once that was completed, I finished up the afternoon with a bit more research on Benedict Technologies making notes I could easily refer to the next morning.

The phone screen was one of the easiest I had ever been through, with the screener and I hitting things off immediately by bonding over our dogs. She also had a pitty who had been a rescue, so we swapped a couple of pics of the four-legged babies before getting down to the professional matters at hand.

The questions came at me rapid-fire, but I answered each one calmly and thoroughly, able to provide real-life examples and applications to my responses to illustrate how well I’m able to handle a variety of situations. The appointment had been scheduled for forty-five minutes, but the woman asked if I had time to continue. When I said yes, she went on for another forty-five minutes, which I considered a very good sign.

The screener informed me that she was going to give her notes and feedback to the hiring manager who would be in touch with me later that same week. Once she said that, she stopped typing and looked directly into the webcam.

“Brynn, this is me to you and off-the record. You were our last screen and are by far the best candidate. I don’t usually do this, but I’m telling you that I am giving you the highest score on this feedback survey which will place you at the top of the list for the hiring manager. I think you are a great fit for the role and a great fit for the company. In addition, I think you would be able to handle the man who would be your prospective boss. I can’t give you any more information than that. The rest would need to come from the hiring manager.”

I was flattered and intrigued. Who would be my prospective boss? Was he hard to work for?

After assuring me I would definitely hear something from the company soon, we ended the call and I sat there with a big stupid grin on my face. I was potentially one step closer to getting even further away from Randall and would be able to make a fresh start. That had so much appeal.

I went about my work day, taking care of whatever Edward and Thomas needed. Sadly, since they were retiring, their responsibilities were being divvied up to other executives, so my duties were becoming less and less. It was in the back of my mind that I might be out of a job when they were gone anyway, so leaving on my own terms was probably a good thing.

My upbeat mood kicked up to jubilant when I saw another email from Benedict Technologies with a calendar invite for an interview.

“I got it. I mother fucking got an interview,” I breathed.

For the first time since I had learned about Blair’s death, I felt like there might actually be some light at the end of the tunnel. I was working my way through the darkness and was encouraged that the glow was real and not an illusion.

Pulling out my notes, I began to look even deeper into Benedict Technologies and even into the executives. There was a plethora of information available on everyone except for Adrian Benedict. It was important for me to find something in common with each of them, but I refused to be deterred when it came to the CEO. I would likely never see him anyway.