Unbound: The Pentagon Group, Book 2 (26 page)

I left Carson’s apartment after I greeted him and talked about my plans for the day. He handed me a spare key to come and go. He placed me on the overnight visitor list with security. Turner had been long gone to work. Once we made plans for dinner, I left before Carson.

The Boston weather was cool and overcast. Despite the long winters and springs in Boston, I loved overcast, cool days. I made my way to the bus and took it cross town to my new high rise building. As the bus moved along the lengthy road up to my new place, I thought about how much my life had changed in less than five months. One minute I was a single working woman living in near poverty, and now I called myself a single, professional woman living a near rich lifestyle in the city I loved. I was going to enjoy the moment. I could never go back to being the meek and simple Perla Mercurio of yore.

At my stop, I walked to the building. Embracing the immensity of the moment, I stood before the building just looking up at the wall of windows. An eerie feeling passed over me, making me shiver. It was brief, but strong. I hated thinking of the ‘little death’ my mother used to call the feeling. I turned around, seeking the source of my discomfort; a pair of eyes or an image that doubled as a sign about whether I was doing the right thing. There was nothing in particular which would raise my fear level. I shook off the feeling, and walked into the front door. I was greeted by the day concierge. He handed me a packet and keys to my new apartment, 1502, which I’d now claimed as my lucky number.

After alerting the concierge of Magnus’s visit and permission to go upstairs, I rode the elevator, giddy with anticipation. The key was brassy and old. It was the best thing I’d held in my hand in such a long time. Even the studio didn’t bring such a feeling of independence. I opened the door of my luxurious apartment, and shut the door, locking it behind me. I twirled around and contained the gleeful screams which threatened to burst forth. Much like Matt’s apartment, it was so bright due to the wall of windows. The scenery was amazing. The hustle and bustle of the busy Copley area in Boston was electric. Never in a million years would I have thought I would afford to live in a place like this, at the price it commanded, or even in the location. It was the one moment I thanked the Pentagon group for interfering with my life.

A knock on my door awoke me from my spell. I walked to the door and looked out the peep hole. He looked different from the night at the club, but I could tell it was Magnus. His good looks and preppy casual dress were a dead giveaway. I opened the door, greeting him.

“Magnus, Hi.” I opened the door wider. “Come in, please.”

Forgetting I had some visible injuries, bringing his face close to mine, Magnus asked, “What happened?”

“Oh. Carson didn’t mention it? I was in a minor car accident. I’m fine. This is the worst of it. On the bright side, it made me get this apartment.” I assured him in a gentle tone.

Magnus smiled. “As long as you’re okay.”

“I’ll be even better if you can get this place together by the end of the week. At least move in condition, so I don’t have to keep commuting.”

“When do you plan on moving in?”

“Saturday.” I revealed. Magnus sighed heavily. “I’ll be staying with Carson and Turner until then, but I will be working with Pentagon, which is walking distance from here. So, can you help?” I held my breath, hopeful he would accept.

Magnus looked around. “I’ve designed for a bigger apartment in this building. I brought you some ideas based on the floor plan you sent me. These concepts are very much your style. But first, budget? Carson said under twenty thousand dollars.” I was thankful Carson negotiated my exact limit.

“Yes. Twenty. It’s just me. I’m a pretty simple girl.” I nodded.

“Perla, you have lots of style.” He said looking me up and down in my maroon Maxi dress, gold cardigan and espadrilles; all purchased over a year ago. If he thought I had style, then I wasn’t sure he could manage a sophisticated design.

We started touring the living room first. He had a collage of pictures outlining the plush sofa, textures, color scheme and accessories. Touring the entire apartment, Magnus absorbed each nook and cranny. He took copious notes and pictures on his tablet. “I’m going to have my assistant take accurate measurements this afternoon. He tapped around his tablet and showed me preliminary design concepts which were amazing. I loved the style of the furniture; simple lines and soft details. I approved of the direction he was going. He claimed he could get everything in the apartment by the end of the week. An invoice for services and purchases would be given at the end of installation. Magnus asked for a key. Luckily, I had a second key included in the packet of information which I handed over to him. For a moment I felt a burst of jitters, but I pushed it away.

After I locked the door behind Magnus, I walked to the windows and felt the reality of everything happening so quickly. I hugged myself. I would’ve loved to have shared this with my mother. Have her help me with the décor of the house. Go shopping for artwork. We’d turn up the salsa music and dance as we cleaned the house from top to bottom. When I was ten-years-old, we moved into a new apartment and my mother burnt sage to purify the place. She told me it was to get rid of the bad energy left by the previous tenants. She got ill soon after and I lost all belief in such rituals, but if she were alive, I’d do it with her because she believed with all her heart she was protecting my future. I looked back at the kitchen and thought of all the Saturdays I would make pancakes on the stainless steel stove top. My mind strayed and thought of making breakfast for Matt. I covered my eyes and groaned, willing away the spontaneous thoughts of him.

The hardwood floors called to me. I slipped off my shoes and stood on the floor in my bare feet. I stretched my toes and calves. A few ballet positions flowed through me. I twirled, failing to do a non-traditional pirouette without a partner. Despite my body’s aches and pains I did the best grand jete I could do in the long room. I felt a bit light headed, and sat down on the floor, back against the white wall, catching my breath.

‘I’m ready.’ I pronounced to no one in particular; maybe to encourage myself.

*****

I went shopping for a few outfits for the week. I continuously looked over my shoulder for the kidnapper who I knew was still out there; possibly still trying to get me. It was the first time I could shop with reckless abandon. I ensured to buy many pieces to hold me over for a couple of weeks. The first few dresses I tried on in my normal size fourteen were loose. I asked the saleswoman for a size twelve and rejoiced with glee when it fit divinely. I still had my full breasts and hips, but the waist was a little more defined and sculpted. I got a bit solemn because I’d given up the objective of losing weight when Matt took delight in my curves.

I went to the makeup counter and a sweet woman with a flawless face helped me. She understood my need for full coverage to hide the discolorations around my facial bruising and some of the small cuts on the side of my face which would eventually remain as small scars. After a full tutorial on how to cover and enhance my features, I purchased the makeup she’d used and a few new brushes.

After several bags of dresses, intimates, and a couple of pairs of shoes later, I returned to Carson’s for a late lunch. I needed some rest. My cell phone rang, but I missed the call as I was opening the guest room door. I was nervous as to who was calling me. For a split second, I thought it could be Matt calling from an unrecognizable line. Taking my chances, I returned the call.

“Hello, Ms. Mercurio?” A male voice answered.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Ms. Mercurio, my name is Gill Harty. I’m your new personal assistant. I’m calling to introduce myself before you start in the morning.”

“Hi Gill. Thank you for connecting. I look forward to working with you. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I’m getting the final touches on your office ready. Is there anything you may need for the office?” I couldn’t think of much.

“I’m sure there will be the necessary things like a computer or a laptop, right?”

“Yes. When you come in I will have everything at the ready. Your executive assistant Andrea will take care of scheduling, travel, reimbursements. I will take care of your personal and private needs. I’ll pretty much be on call for you.” I was impressed and delighted at having a personal assistant. “When you arrive, our security tech will work with you to give you building access and clearances. Our network tech will give you network and internet access, and provide you with an executive cellphone.”

“Oh, I already have a phone.”

“Yes, Ms. Mercurio, but you need an executive phone for security purposes. It’s secure for the protection of company information.”

“Yes of course; rookie mistake. And Gill, call me Perla.” I offered. His laughter was low, but no less hearty.

“Yes, of course. Well, unless there is anything I can do for you today, I look forward to seeing you in the office. What time do you think you’ll be in?”

“I’m thinking about 8:30 in the morning, if that works for you.”

“I arrive to work by 8:00 a.m. I just want to tell Andrea and ensure we get you started with your schedule. There’s a lot to do and many things that will need your attention.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Gill.”

“Until tomorrow, Perla.” I smiled as I hung up, thinking if I could maintain just one ally at Pentagon, I could make my time there very successful.

I checked in at Pentagon’s headquarters in the morning, about ten minutes earlier than I’d anticipated. After showing my identification, the security guard led me to a room and took my picture. Thankfully, I had the full coverage makeup on with bright red lipstick to take away any attention from protruding scars, discoloration and light swelling. My hair was especially cooperative and flowed in soft waves. The guard provided me with my Pentagon identification and access pass to the five floors of the corporation inhabited in the building. My office was on the twenty-fifth floor. Along with other workers, I waited for the elevator to take me up to my brand new job. The nerves made me a bit nauseous. I knew we had a lot of supports in place, which wouldn’t let me fail, but I wouldn’t put it past the men of Pentagon to have me fail at every opportunity.

The herd of workers shuffled into the elevator, calling out numbers to be pressed by the person nearest the panel. Entering last into the elevator, my floor was already pressed. I shuffled around as people exited the various floors which did nothing for my nerves. A few people remained in the elevator, riding up to the twenty-fifth floor.

When I exited, a young man called out my name. “Perla?” I could only surmise the young, handsome man was Gill. He was my height in heels, which maxed out at about five feet nine inches tall. He had brown hair, cut neatly. He dressed in a light colored suit with a button down shirt and a nice madras tie, fitting for a hot summer day. “Welcome to Pentagon.” He beamed.

“Thank you, Gill. Nice to be here.” He grabbed my leather briefcase from my hand and led the way to my office.

“I will give you a tour of everything, but first, I want to show you, your office. I hope it meets your needs.”

“I’m sure it will, Gill. I’m happy to be here.” I didn’t have to fake my emotions. However, I was at about eighty percent excited; the other percentages were waiting for the shoe to drop. When we arrived in front of my office, Gill introduced me to Andrea, my executive assistant. We shook hands. She regarded me a little too long, but I dismissed it as a womanly moment of assessment.

“We’ll have a meeting this afternoon to discuss your expectations of us and what we can do to make your work here easy and productive.” Andrea stated. I nodded.

“Great. Nice meeting you, Andrea.” She smiled and gave a quick nod. I turned to Gill.

Gill and I walked into my office. I couldn’t contain my smile as I looked at the fully furnished room. It was a bit on the masculine side with dark wood and leather seating throughout. The office was spacious and had a lovely view of Boston. I walked to my desk and set my purse down. Gill walked over and placed my briefcase on the desk beside it.

“Great view, isn’t it?” He asked. I nodded, taking in the sights.

“I hate having someone else displaced, but I’m really happy this is mine.” After almost two years of working in a small office with no windows at both Liberty and Duration, this was a serious upgrade.

“Don’t worry about it. He wasn’t here much anyway.” Gill made a drinking motion with his hand. I smirked. I was going to get along with him really well, I deduced.

I turned around and looked at all the equipment and office supplies on the desk, which was still quite sparse. Gill gave me space to pull my chair out and I sat behind the desk. “How do I look?”

“Professional and ready to rock this corporation.” Little did Gill know, I’d already rocked the Pentagon men’s world in order to get into the corporation.

“Thank you. Do you mind giving me a moment to kind of get my bearings and settle in? I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

“Yes, of course.” He walked over to the phone from the other side of the desk. “Press this button to call me in. You don’t have to pick up the receiver or anything. This other button is for Andrea.”

“Great. Thank you, Gill. I think you and I will work great together.” He smiled.

“I’m sure we will.” He walked out of the office, and I sighed in relief. Turning around in my chair to look at the outside again, I took a moment to say a little mantra; ‘I belong in this corporation.’ I chanted hoping to convince myself.

*****

I stood up, removed documents from my briefcase and laid it on the desk. I stored my briefcase in the console beside the wall. I put my purse in a drawer of my desk. A knock on my door, stopped me

“Come in.” I answered, awaiting the party on the other side to enter.

The door opened and I watched Eric Pierce walk into my office. My heart dropped to my stomach. I knew the chances were high I would encounter him once again, but to see him standing before me was unexpected.

“Ms. Mercurio, I’m here to set you up with network access and passwords. I also have your corporate phone.” He stated with disinterest, holding a small brown box in his hand.

“Eric . . .” I paused to capture my breath. “I didn’t realize you’d be the one . . .” He closed the door.

“It’s my job, Ms. Mercurio. Now, if I can get behind your desk to set you up, I will be out of your way.” He pointed at my computer. I nodded and moved from my spot. Our bodies met and passed in close proximity. He smelled clean and fresh. His body looked amazing under the button down shirt he wore. I moved to sit down on the leather couch. He was still as handsome as ever with his California boy good looks. I had second thoughts on his position in this whole Pentagon debacle. I recalled my cruel words and behavior toward him after me and Matt broke up.

“I’ll need you to type in your password.” He sounded robotic and cold.

“Yes, of course.” I stood up from the couch. Eric turned the monitor toward me and slid the wireless keyboard over. I leaned over the deep desk and typed in my password. It was obvious his eyes set on my cleavage. My dress set off my décolletage beautifully when in a neutral position, but when leaning over, my full breasts were made fuller with their weight and I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep from looking. I turned the monitor and keyboard back to his control. Eric continued to fiddle with the computer.

“I’ve given you access to Pentagon’s network and you should be able to gain access to all of the programs the company uses. Use your first initial and your full last name as your username, and the password you created for access. Your email is username at pentagon dot com.” He informed. I nodded.

“I have your phone here.” He opened the box and removed a smart phone similar to my new one. I huffed, not wanting duplicate phones. The differences between the phones were that mine had a white outer cover and the executive phone was all black, which would help me distinguish the two. He took a post-it and wrote out my executive phone number, and handed me the phone with the post-it. Our fingers touched, and Eric pulled back his hand as if I’d singed him. I turned on the phone, ignoring his reaction to touching me.

“Keep this phone with you at all times.” I knew I was on call as an executive. Questions, concerns, and emergencies were bound to take place at any time, and I held responsibility over my area of supervision.

“The phone is only to be used for corporate purposes, not personal. There’s no privacy on these phones, as you may already know from those documents I gave you.” I looked up at him and our eyes met. His deep blue eyes were still cold and angry despite the warnings he was giving me to help me understand the way things ran at Pentagon. ‘There it was; the animosity toward me.’ I thought.

“About that Eric . . .” He shook his head.

“There’s nothing to discuss, Perla. I have it all figured out. I gave you information to help you decide to escape a toxic relationship . . . run as far away as you could from Pentagon, and then you come to me to help you edit a sex tape with him.” He shook his head.

“You used me to blackmail my employers into getting you a job here, didn’t you? I was the one who made the mistake of thinking you were all innocent and naïve. You’re far from it.” His tone was frigid and accusatory.

“Eric, please. Let me explain.” I begged. He stood up from the chair.

“No need, Ms. Mercurio. I know where we stand. From now on, we’ll only keep this thing, whatever it is, professional. Call me only when you need help with work related matters.” I watched his slumped back open the door and walk out.

I deserved his outburst. I accused Eric of having ulterior motives when he gave me the Pentagon files. Soon after Brady’s blackmail to buy the shares, I called Eric and asked him to do me a huge favor. He agreed to censor Matt’s face on the video. I sat with Eric the whole time, apologizing for what he was seeing as he blurred Matt’s face on his laptop within the sale’s office of Duration. I assured him it was for Matt’s protection, trying to keep him safe. He promised to keep the video secret and not judge. He gave me the copy on the flash drive, and swore he didn’t keep a copy. I had no way of ensuring he held no copies, but I took his word.

I stood in a trance just feeling horrible about our encounter. He was a good person, and I did use him for my self-preservation. I didn’t tell him the truth about my need for the censored video. He didn’t ask any questions, and as far as I knew, he kept the tape a secret. I had no one else to ask for technical support with scrubbing a video tape. He was my only hope. And now I knew how mad he was at me. I couldn’t help but think I’d driven away another ally.

*****

The rest of the morning was filled with familiarizing myself with Pentagon’s policies and practices through a human resources video session. Gill bought me a salad with grilled chicken and a latte for lunch. I’d never had anyone cater to my needs and whims in a professional setting, and I became spoiled very fast. Gill and I got along very well. Andrea was a bit standoffish. Gill told me it was her natural behavior and not to take it personally. She had been moved from another executive’s area to work for me, and she wasn’t happy about the move.

The three of us sorted my schedule for the few weeks. There were several large Pentagram design meetings I would have to attend. I was also scheduled to visit the construction site. I was excited about the tour. My ex-husband, Ben, would take me to the construction sites in the beginning of our relationship. When my role evolved in the company to take over their budget office, there wasn’t enough time to take trips to the sites.

Gill received a notification of a dinner board meeting scheduled in a couple of weeks. It would be the first time I would meet with the Pentagon men as a group. There weren’t many meetings scheduled with any of the Pentagon men individually or as a group during office hours. Zipper scheduled a one-on-one meeting with me for the following week. The agenda was to determine how things were going since starting work at Pentagon. I figured none of the other Pentagon men wanted to associate with me, and by default Zipper took over which was fine by me.

By the time I finished sifting and sorting documents and paper work related to Pentagram, it was already six thirty in the evening. I’d let Gill leave at five despite his protestations he could stay longer. Andrea left promptly at four-thirty and didn’t even bother to ask if I needed anything before she left. I didn’t pay much mind to her because I was delightfully engaged in the work. I felt more productive than I had in years. Pentagram was shaping out to be a spectacular project. I had received approvals for all of my design ideas, but not for the waterpark in the Light Tower’s pool area. I was told I needed to find a design firm capable of coming into an already blueprinted project. None of Pentagon’s design firms, like Gram Designs, were experienced in the field. Gill researched and contacted a design firm in California renowned for adventure and play structures, willing to send a designer to Boston to meet with a few architects and construction personnel. We scheduled everyone to meet on a previously scheduled design meeting. I was excited to hold my first big meeting, despite my running back to back.

I picked up my things and headed toward the elevators. It was eerily quiet. I chastised myself for leaving so late when the floor would be empty; the only inhabitants were cleaning crew. I bid them ‘good night’ in Spanish, and saw their eyes twinkle in acknowledgement for use of their native tongue. The elevator came quickly. I smiled at the memory of the elevator at Matt’s apartment. It took forever to arrive and we’d do wicked things to each other as we waited. We’d kiss longingly with an intense passion. By the time the bell dinged its arrival, we’d be breathless and impossibly aroused. The memories were sweet, but hurt profoundly.

When I bid the guards ‘good night’, I was stopped by one of the guards.

“Ms. Mercurio.” He called. “There’s a car waiting to take you home.” I looked at him, perplexed.

“I was just going to take the bus.” I responded.

“No, ma’am. We have strict orders. Executives leaving after six in the evening are to be chauffeured home for their safety. It’s a courtesy service.” He was stern, and didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I nodded.

I followed him to the sleek black car awaiting me. When the driver saw us exit the front doors, he hopped out of the driver’s side and jogged around to open the passenger door. He was a young guy, tall and fit.

“Good evening, Ms. Mercurio. I’m Manny. I’ll be driving you tonight and any night you’re leaving late from the office.” I smiled to be polite, but I couldn’t help but be concerned about being driven. I didn’t want to relinquish control to another driver. I gave him Carson’s address and within minutes we were off in heavy traffic toward the Sheldrake.