Madison's POV
"I would, girl, you're amazing. And I've always said women make the sexiest bosses. Imagine you in those fuck-me heels, snapping…"
"Hold up." Once Stella starts, it's hard to stop her. "I'm not sure I'll go for the interview, though."
"What? Why not?" Her face scrunching up in confusion, Stella eyes me like I've grown a second head.
"I'm worried about Calhoun. You know he's managing partner, CEO, whatever they call it. He's there. He owns it just as much as Jordan does."
I had to tell Stella about Calhoun last month at Brooke's wedding when she kept asking about the be spectacled hunk who was scowling at us as though my date had stolen his prey. I'd assured her that it was disgust and not desire coming through those glasses.
"You don't think you'd get along with him?" Stella asks.
"That's my worry. If I can't stand him as a person, I don't think I'd be able to tolerate him as a boss. And the feeling is quite mutual."
Probably stronger on his side,I think glumly.
"Is he really that bad? I mean, he can't be on Ryan's level, for example."
"Oh, no, Ryan's unhinged, I know, but Calhoun… he's just…he's too…" I struggle for words.
"Too what?"
"Too contained. And disapproving. And judgy. And scathing."
And it doesn't matter one bit that somehow, in less than twenty seconds, he got me wetter than I've ever been in my entire life.
Brooke finally walks in, looking way too hot for a pregnant lady, her ash blonde hair in a sleek ponytail. "Darlings, I'm so sorry, I lost track of time…"
"Yeah, lucky bitch, Xavier finally let you out of bed," Stella quips. "How was the honeymoon?"
"Oh," she sighs, dropping gingerly into the plush chair. "It. Was. Breathtaking. I'll tell you girls all about it in a sec. But first, Madi, you said you had some news?" She grabs the bottle of water I ordered for her and takes a sip.
"Yes, she got a job," Stella replies for me.
"Not a job, it's just an interview…
"I try to explain, only to be interrupted by Stella again.
"Yeah, same thing. But it's at Acercraft, Brooke! And from the looks of things, Madison could hold a top position soon." At Brooke's confused look, she explains, "It seems Jordan might be step…"
I throw my hands in the air. "Hey, I just told you this five seconds ago, Stella, and now, you're acting like you wrote the entire script!" I haven't met anyone who loves a good gossip session as much as Stella does.
She only blows me a kiss. "You know I can't resist telling a good story. Besides, you won't say it with the same flair as me."
Brooke takes another swig of her sparkling water. "That's true, Madison. Stella missed her calling as a news reporter."
I shake my head. "Nah, they'd kick her out for being way too smug and having a ridiculous amount of fun dissipating gossip so she'd end up starting her ownAsk Aunt Stellatalk show."
"Where jilted, naked men would be at each other's throats while their women sip tea and watch as their muscles ripple," Brooke adds.
"Okay, okay! Guys, I get it. Madison, have your say." Stella makes a zipping motion across her mouth.
We all laugh. "Anyway, so Jordan called me out of the blue yesterday, asking me to attend an interview at Acercraft. And yes," I say as I lower my voice, "Jordan might be taking a step back…you didn't hear it from me, though."
"Madi, that's fantastic! Is the thing with Calhoun squashed then?" Brooke questions.
"Not really. But maybe it is? We didn't speak at your wedding. So, I'd say it's more like cold indifference rather than the raging animosity of Cancun."
"I see. So, would it be like an office job? You wouldn't be working from home, would you?"
"Um, no, it sounds like I'll have to go on a daily, or at least an almost daily, basis," I clarify.
She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Well, all things considered, it may be worth the sacrifice. Good for you, Madison."
Stella and I look at each other and then at her. Stella, like me, is self-employed and has never had an office-based job.
"Sacrifice? What does that mean?" I ask.
"It means, Madi, you'll have to play by someone else's rules while on their time. When you start work, when you finish, and, to an extent, what you wear has to conform to the image they're trying to project."
She looks pointedly at my tube top, skinny jeans, and spiked, leather jacket, which isn't the most appropriate for the December chill, but my style is my style.
I marvel at how much Brooke already knows about me in the short period we've been friends, specifically about me wanting to play by my own rules. I'm still digesting the part about workplace constraints when she adds, "And when Calhoun or Jordan says jump, you'll have to say 'how high?'"
I sputter into my drink, almost choking. Stella bursts out laughing.
"Hell to the fuck no!" I declare
"I knew you'd say just that!" Brooke joins Stella in laughter. "Actually, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's more like they will ask nicely, and you'll have the power to say no, but essentially, that's the bottom line. The bosses call the shots. Think of velvet-encased steel," Brooke says after she stops laughing.
"Sounds like hell," I say with a deadpan expression.
"But look on the bright side, you'll no longer have to think or do all the legwork before money comes in. You'll make friends, learn a lot from being in a team, you'll get promoted regularly. And get this…paid holidays. Sick and maternity leave." She places a hand on her swollen belly. "What do you think?"
"It sounds like being a submissive," Stella announces.
"Only you, Stella, would compare having a job to a sexual preference. Don't listen to her, Madi."
"But Stella's right, though. I might as well get collared," I argue.
"So, how would you like your pain today, little one?" Stella's dom baritone is so ridiculous that we both cackle loudly while Brooke only shakes her head.
I wouldn't call myself a dominant, I just like my men a little… docile. I like to be on top, looking down as I fuck their brains out, waiting for that moment of perfect vulnerability to flash across their faces.
I don't get any physical pleasure from having sex. The only pleasure I get is the mental satisfaction, the knowledge that as a man unravels in orgasm, I'm responsible for it. In that moment, I'm Aphrodite, and he's my supplicant, enraptured in worship.
"I'll have you know, girls", Brooke interrupts my musing, "I happen to love my job and enjoy working for my boss." Brooke is an elementary school teacher and rarely ever complains about the kids or her colleagues.
"Stockholm syndrome, anyone? I wonder if that's where the whole 'collared job' came from?" Stella is on a roll.
"Now you're just being dramatic, Stella. Madison, it's not that bad, I promise. Stella hasn't even worked in an office before."
"Thanks Brooke, for the clarity, as always. I'm not sure I'm ready for it, and I'd like to hang on to my freedom for now. Did you know that Jordan told me right off the bat that Acercraft would have exclusive rights to my work, so all my clients will either have to come under Acercraft or I'll lose them? There'll be no side gigs." I shudder just thinking about it.
Stella cocks her head as if to say "see what I mean," but she doesn't say anymore. She doesn't need to. I already know what she thinks of this Acercraft job interview.
"Okay," Brooke says. "I'll just mention one more thing, and whatever you decide, you'll have our full support right, Stella?"
Stella nods.
"Acercraft is a really big deal, hon. And if, as you said, your job is to ultimately replace Jordan, I'd say it's worth a shot. Being a top executive at a multibillion-dollar company has to be worth the hassle."
I consider that point. I would be making my own money, and lots of it. And I wouldn't need to be 'found' by money, as my father often put it. I'dbethe money.
Now, wouldn't that be something?
"What have you got to lose? It's just an interview. You might not even be selected. And if you are, you can always say no. Even if you do decide to work there, it's not like you'd be sharing the same office with Calhoun, is it?"
Brooke is right.
I remember Jordan's text:"most people fail it, anyway."