Working 2 Hard_An MFM Menage Romance Read online

  “You sure you’re okay with the baseball team?” she asked.

  “Yeah, we’re good,” I said. “Don’t want to overwork you on the first day. See you tomorrow, huh?”

  “Okay. G’night. G’night Trigg.”

  Trigg said goodbye and we both watched Hallie leave for the day. Honestly, I had to breathe a sigh of relief after she left. Trigg just started laughing.

  “What the hell, man?” he laughed. “You talk about me being bad. Jesus Christ!”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “She triggered something in me.”

  “You didn’t want her to bang that baseball player.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. I mean, c’mon, those athletes bone anyone on the road.”

  “Be honest, you want to bone her.”

  “Whoa. Relax. Sure. I admit it, but I also wanted to protect her. I felt like I had to in that moment.”

  “It’s cool, D,” Trigg assured me. “We shared Shelly, we could share her.”

  “Whoa-whoa-whoa, slow down,” I said. “The Shelly situation didn’t actually end all the well if you recall.”

  “Yeah, but we were in college,” dismissed Trigg. “It’s hard to handle any relationship at that age, let along a threesome thing.”

  “Was it even a relationship?” I questioned. “I mean, we were banging her together, we hung out, but—”

  “Yeah, I considered her my girlfriend,” insisted Trigg.

  “But it wasn’t like we took her out officially, together,” I countered. “I guess we did group dates.”

  “What would you call that?”

  “I don’t know. I’m pretty sure the three of us were avoiding making it official. Plus, it broke us up. Shelly couldn’t handle it.”

  “Maybe this girl’s different,” said Trigg. “I can sense it just talking to her.”

  “Dude,” I said seriously, the way when guys say “dude” that it’s an important statement. “She’s a company asset now. She has to be off limits.”

  “There’s gotta be way to make that transition,” insisted Trigg.

  “C’mon, man! You want to risk the hotel for shit like this?”

  “It’s not a risk if we think it through!” assured Trigg. “I’m not going to do anything without your approval. You know, unless something happens.”

  “What? She’s suddenly going to blow you in the storage room? Cool your jets, Trigg.”

  “I’m cool as ice, D,” he assured. “I got a handle on my lustful desires. Unlike some people I know.”

  “I had a momentary lapse, but I’m fine,” I insisted.

  “That lapse is exactly what gets people in trouble,” said Trigg. “You gotta confront this head on. Think it through with me. Seriously, put yourself in her position. I already know she’s not seeing anyone.”

  “You actually asked that question because you wanted to date her?!”

  “Yeah and then I played it off like I just made a mistake. Did I look befuddled enough?”

  “Oh, you’re definitely befuddled,” I said, increasingly annoyed.

  “Look, let’s get out of here and go get a drink somewhere,” suggested Trigg. “Georgia should be able to handle things.”

  “Yeah, sure,” I relented, ready for a break myself.

  We gathered up our things and shut down the office for the day. Not a bad day’s work. Thirty extra rooms. That’s a nice little stack of cash money, even with giving away food. And hell, this late in the day, giving away food will probably save the kitchen from throwing it away. Plus, I figured the baseball players would drink a lot, which we later found out they did. Ka-ching!

  On the way, we checked in with the bedbug guy. He was steadily steaming the team’s luggage and killing any potential bugs. God forbid we got bedbugs. What a mess that would be.

  We drove over to Chumley’s, a faux-dive that was actually a very elegant martini bar. What can I say? Me and Trigg always liked martinis. You can’t not feel sophisticated drinking one.

  “So, here’s my plan,” began Trigg just as I was starting to relax. “We just have to get to know her. Feel her out. Figure out if she’s the kind of litigious person that we can’t trust.”

  “Okay, how? How do we do that exactly?” I said skeptically. “She could just lie. We are her bosses.”

  “We take her out,” he suggested. “We take her here. Not for any creepy reason, just for some kind of business meeting.”

  “How do we justify not going to our own bar?” I asked. “We have a bar in the ME.”

  “For the same reason we didn’t go there tonight,” said Trigg. “Because we work there, dummy.”

  “So, in other words, we get her drunk?”

  “Sure, people drop their guard when they have a few drinks,” suggested Trigg. “Not like sloppy drunk. I’m just talking a little buzz. I mean, if she gets sloppy, then we make like perfect gentlemen and call her a cab. Simple. So, what do you think?”

  “I honestly don’t know what you’re saying anymore,” I admitted. “I am very pessimistic about this plan. I just want that on the record.”

  “C’mon, don’t plan for failure, D. We can do this.”

  “We shouldn’t do this,” I contended. “It’s a foolish risk.”

  “What’s life without a little risk?” smiled Trigg. “Besides, I’ll tell you what, if she balks you can blame it all on me. I’ll take the heat.”

  “That’s nice of you, but that’s still going to screw everything up,” I insisted.

  “Nah, you just put me on unpaid leave for a few months, then after the controversy blows over, I quietly come back,” said Trigg. “Easy-peasy.”

  “This is the dumbest plan in history,” I said. “Unless this girl is totally into us, this is not going to work.”

  “She is. I can tell.”

  “Yeah? And what happens if it ends like Shelly? Or what if she breaks up with one of us and then sues the hotel?”

  “Shelly was an aberration,” assured Trigg. “Plus, we both knew she was volatile. Hallie seems very nice. Not at all like Shelly.”

  “We’ve only known her for like two days!”

  “And so far, she’s really working out as an EA. You saw how clean and organized the office was, right? She even made me coffee!”

  Damn it. There was just no talking to Trigg sometimes. He was determined to at least figure out Hallie’s deal. I gave up. Worst case scenario, he would take the heat and I would tell him I told him so. That would at least give me some satisfaction as I start going to endless lawyer meetings.

  I left Chumley’s and headed home. I had a modest house in the suburbs and that’s just the way I like it. Not too much city, not too much country, just an equal balance of the two. My neighbors were good people, close enough to scream for help, but with enough yard space that we weren’t constantly tripping over ourselves.

  My house didn’t have enough furniture in it. Quite frankly, this was too much house for one person. I didn’t need a lot of space, even though I wanted a house. The front room was empty. I just couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to use it for. Typical couch and end tables seemed lame unless I had a TV, but I already had a TV room that never used. Usually I just watched TV in my bedroom.

  I thought about getting a pool table, but it would seem weird as the first thing you see entering the house. I thought about putting in some art objects, but I figured it would create the same effect. Maybe some vintage arcade games? That would be cool, but then I’d be that guy. I guess the empty room was a testament to my indecision.

  I went upstairs, got undressed and got into the shower. Some people like to shower in the morning, but I like to be clean when I go to bed. Plus a nice shower would relax me before bed.

  While under the water, I started thinking about Hallie. I pictured her in the office sitting at her desk. First she was dressed, then magically she morphed into wearing lingerie: Stockings, no panties and a push up bra that exposed her nipples.

  “What can I do for you, Davis?”
she would ask, looking up at me naughtily.

  I imagined her walking over to my desk, slowly unzipping my pants to take out my raging-hard dick and giving me a blowjob right there at our office desks. I started stroking it in the shower. I imagined her red lips wrapped around my rod, sucking and licking, big beautiful eyes locked on mine.

  Finally, I came and spurted all over the bottom of the bath tub. It was pretty intense, but the fantasy of Hallie faded. Maybe I just needed to jack it before work. That way, my sex thoughts would be dulled. That way, I couldn’t possibly get myself in trouble. Right?

  Chapter 4

  Hallie

  Wow. My job was so great. I could hardly believe they hired me. Plus I have to admit, my bosses were easy on the eyes. My God, I’m so attracted to them. There’d be no way I could tell them, though. That would be the height of unprofessionalism. They’d probably fire me on the spot.

  Just thinking about Trigg and Davis that way made me feel like the old, fat Hallie; the one who had no self-confidence and was constantly stammering. Now that I’m all grown up, I sometimes feel like a strange person in a strange land. It’s like I’m in the world that I remember, but everyone treats me differently. Maybe that’s because I was tormented by bullies in high school and now that doesn’t happen. Could it have nothing to do with my weight?

  “Good morning everyone,” I greeted walking into the office. “How did things go with the baseball team?”

  “Pretty good,” said Trigg bringing me a cup of coffee. “They’re checking out now. You said lots of cream and sugar, right?”

  “Oh, I like it sweet with the fake stuff, but thanks,” I smiled.

  “I will remember for next time,” said Trigg, smiling assuredly. “I want to make sure you’re satisfied in every way possible.”

  I looked away when he said that. Was Trigg flirting with me? Here I was thinking about him and Davis, were they thinking about me in that way? I suppose it was possible. These days of public HR nightmares, one had to be careful. One wrong move and it was the end of your career. It was probably a bad idea to hit on the boss during the second day of work.

  Turning towards my computer, I put in my password and got going. This desk was already starting to feel like home to me. I had brought in a few decorations, a pencil holder I liked and a picture of Muffles, my cat. I didn’t want to clutter things up too badly. This wasn’t cubicle work where I’d be by myself all day. My desk area had to look presentable. Yep, it was all coming together.

  Then my worst nightmare walked through the door.

  I had just taken a sip of coffee when Davis walked in with none other than Stacey. Stacey Martin. My main tormentor back in high school. The girl had made my life a living hell back then.

  I nearly choked on my coffee.

  “Drink much?” Stacey shot a smug look at me. She still joked in that mean way she always did.

  “Are you okay, Hallie?” asked Trigg, with friendly concern.

  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” I said a little flustered, busying myself with my coffee spill.

  “This is Stacey,” Davis introduced. “She doing a marketing internship with us for the next six weeks.”

  “Hi, nice to meet you, Hallie. I like to kid around, I’m funny like that,” she said with a brash, clueless smile.

  That’s when I realized it. Stacey didn’t recognize me.

  It made sense. I had dropped a ton of weight, let my hair go natural and actually wore clothes in the same style as the decade I lived in. Also, I was wearing contacts instead of glasses. To the outsider, guess I looked like a completely different person.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” I said. “I just want to make sure this coffee stain doesn’t set.”

  I rushed to the ladies room and locked myself in a stall. For about two minutes, I just concentrated on breathing. Was I breathing hard? I guess I was having a panic attack. It had been a long time since I had even felt like having one.

  “She doesn’t recognize you,” I said to myself in a pep talk. “If she doesn’t remember you, she can’t hurt you. Plus it’s not like we’re kids in school. I’m a grown woman. I work here and she’s just an intern.”

  Part of me wanted to grab my purse and just leave. Forget the job, forget the hotel and forget everything. But that would be the coward’s way out. I had to be made of sterner stuff. If I ran away from Stacey now, I’d be running for the rest of my life from people like her. I wanted to face her head on. Or just hope she never recognized me.

  I started walking back to the office. It was kind of disappointing Stacey didn’t remember me. What was all the torment for, then, if she didn’t even remember the person she tormented? I guess it was just her narcissistic personality at work.

  “Hey, sorry about that,” I said casually, walking back into the office. “Great to have you on board, Stacey.”

  “Yeah, I’m really looking forward to learning the hotel business and marketing here,” said Stacey. “I think ME is a very classy establishment.”

  “Let me get you started with Janet in our marketing department,” said Davis.

  Stacey and Davis left the office and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “You okay?” asked Trigg with watchful eyes.

  “Yeah,” I said absently. “Of course. The coffee I spilled… it was just hot.”

  “You like iced coffee?” asked Trigg, cracking a grin.

  “Yeah, I actually prefer it unless it’s winter,” I admitted, turning more present and alert. At least to his dreamy stare.

  “Me too,” said Trigg. “I want a machine that will make iced coffee.”

  “Why not put ice cubes in the regular coffee?”

  “So there’s no machine that makes iced coffee?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Well, we do have an ice machine on every floor,” noted Trigg. “I’m going to order one for the break room.”

  I appreciated his dream of the perfect coffee and wanted to match his high spirits. “That would certainly make it convenient.”

  “See? We’re coming up with all kinds of good ideas!” Trigg laughed so easily. “They’re all for us, and all in the break room, but they still count.”

  I got back to my desk. Before it felt like home, now I was routing around it. Stacey had completely thrown me off my game. My body felt awkward and clumsy. Eventually, my mind clicked and remembered my new duties. I was always to check the occupancy when I arrived, so I started just that. Thanks to the baseball team, the rooms were almost full.

  Davis strode through the office door, alone.

  “Hey, you okay?” As he approached me, his head ducked down, slightly tilted to one side.

  I would almost swear he looked worried about me.

  Davis stood over me, just on the edge of my personal space, his weight resting on his ass leaning against my desk. He’s looking right into my eyes, close enough that a scent of light cologne soon wafts into me. “You had quite a reaction to Stacey.”

  “She just, uh, rubbed me the wrong way,” I said sheepishly. “I mean, that drink comment was kind of mean, and she’s just starting out. An intern.”

  “Right,” agreed Davis. “Kind of oversteps her bounds. And seems she’s a bit… experienced for an intern at that.”

  “I noticed,” I agreed. “She looks a little older than me.”

  “Maybe she started college late,” shrugged Davis. “She kind of rubs me the wrong way too. Sorry for it, but no need for concerns. She’s just an intern and she’s only here the six weeks, so…”

  “Oh, it’s fine. I can deal,” I assured him, smiling and at ease. It was such a performance. Despite my distracted thoughts about Stacey, having him within arm’s reach like this made me want to rip off his shirt to paw and pet at those muscled biceps like he was my pet tiger. “Just saying.”

  “Yeah. I get it,” agreed Davis. “I mean, I’d get rid of her, but I already signed the college papers and she is just a student.”

  “I’m sure she’s
a mature person, just a little rough around the edges,” I added with a light hand wave.

  I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince Davis or myself. I knew Stacey and people like Stacey didn’t change. In the years between high school and now, I expected that she’d had time to polish her methods of torment so they were much more subtle.

  That’s not saying much, though. It’s easy to act with more subtly than a vicious bully.

  The one thing I knew was that I’d never let that asshole get ahead of me in this company. No way. That would repeat history and I was not a fan of history!

  For most of the day, I buried myself in my work. Learning the various procedures and protocols for various hotel scenarios was straight-forward. The previous EA had left them all in a binder. I busied myself with it, updating a few pages as the guys directed me.

  About mid-day, we had an incident. That baseball player that had been flirting with me apparently pushed his luck with the wife of another guest. He was down by the pool when the scuffle broke out. Our security guy was a bit overwhelmed. Most of the baseball players in the immediate area came to the player’s aid and the guest grew fearful from being so outnumbered.

  Fortunately, our security guy was able to keep it from growing beyond a few shouted insults, one shove and a smidge of chest-jutting. I was able to comp the guest for some future stays. And, since he and his wife were leaving anyway, we didn’t have to call the police.

  Trigg and Davis liked the way I handled the situation. They were supervising me as I was doing it, of course. I rewarded myself by going down to the break room to eat my lunch. Stan from Maintenance was there.

  “How you like working here so far?” he asked.

  “Oh, it’s great,” I beamed. “Something different every day.”

  “Yeah, that’s why I like it, too,” said Stan. “Plus Trigg and Davis—can’t ask for better bosses. I’ve worked for a lot of hotels and you’d be surprised how many didn’t know what they were doing. Trigg and Davis, they could do their own version of Hotel Impossible. Really nice guys too.”

  “Are you guys friends outside of work?” I asked hopefully.