Chapter Four

Nick

As I parked at Chained, I could not get my review out of my mind. Not that I got any negative comments. Rather, Stephanie in HR handed it to me with a beaming smile and lounged in her chair while I read it.

“Someone had a good year,” she commented as I set it back on her desk. “According to this, you’re quite an asset to the company.”

“Mm-hmm.” I didn’t need them to tell me that. My job technically should have involved about a third of the travel I did, but my supervisor knew he could rely on me whenever he had an emergency, which was almost all the time. Although the word had been put out that he left the company for “another opportunity,” rumor had it that he’d been encouraged to go with a little exit bonus. As the nephew of the CFO, he was never going to get dumped without a golden parachute and likely another position in one of their other companies. He’d land on his feet.

And, before leaving, he’d taken the time to pen a glowing review of my work, which should assure me the promotion that would keep my feet on the ground for most of my workdays. I smiled and nodded as Stephanie complimented my work, leading up to the final conclusion. The one I’d been waiting for.

“And that’s why you are getting a 3.5 percent raise at the start of the year.” From her pleasant, expectant expression, she thought I was going to be responding to that comment in a positive way. She could not be more wrong. My hands closed into fists, and I struggled to keep my breathing under control. As long as I did that, I’d be able to get through this meeting without doing anything that might put me on the local news. I wasn’t going to do anything violent to Stephanie, of course. It wasn’t her fault that I’d been repeatedly lied to. Promised that whenever a position on the level above me opened up, it was mine.

Still…there was a chance that the initial pay for a non-family-member supervisor was 3.5 percent more than I was making presently. Seemed unlikely, but before I did anything like quit or stalk out in a huff, I needed to ask. “Did I or did I not get the promotion I’ve been promised?”

I knew the answer before she said a word. No longer meeting my eyes, she dropped her gaze to the desk. “There is no record of such a promise in your file, but with your reviews, you’re certainly on track to do well here.”

What the hell?

I wanted nothing more than to quit, to tell them to take their job and shove it as the old song went, but saner heads prevailed. I hadn’t spent all these years in business dealing with all sorts of people without learning how to control my temper. “I see. That’s clear, then. How much vacation do I have saved up?”

I never took time off, not because I didn’t want to but because every time I planned a vacation, something came up at the office, and I had to cancel. I’d learned only to make refundable plans after losing deposits on resorts and the price of a few plane tickets. So…I knew how much time was on the books for me.

“I-I’ll have to check.” Okay, so she knew too. It was in my file, on the screen she had been consulting while we spoke. And she was afraid I’d take it all right now and leave them scrambling for someone to do my work for three months. She should be concerned. It was sounding like a really good idea. “Can I get back to you?”

“No need. I can tell you. Twelve weeks. I haven’t had a day off in years. And since you seem to be having trouble figuring this out, may I remind you that I can either take the time off or request a full payout on the hours instead—to be paid within the calendar year of the request. So…before the end of the month.”

“Are you going to do that?” She was wheezing. “I mean, either of those things?”

I stood and shrugged. “I don’t know. As you can imagine, I’m quite disappointed that I got such a glowing review—again—and am still not being granted the promotion I was promised.” I held up a hand as she began to speak. “Whether it is in the file or not, it was a verbal agreement, and any attorney would drag my old boss back from wherever he’d been moved and bring him in for a deposition. Not that I’m saying I will do that either. I’m just very”—I stood up and turned toward the door, calling over my shoulder—“very disappointed.”

I stood outside in the hallway, my heart pounding harder than I could ever remember. I prided myself on my self-control, and I’d ridden frighteningly close to crossing a line. I still had a job—probably. But I needed to make a lot of decisions because I’d clearly hit a dead end at this company.

Decision one: I would do my job but nobody else’s. Their emergencies and lack of planning were not my issues. No extra trips, no stepping up to be temporary supervisor, something I’d seen happen in other departments. Where you did the job without the actual title or benefits of any kind.

The rest could wait until after the holidays.

I went back to my office and tried to work, but my mind was reeling at the betrayal. Who would be the next supervisor? The president’s cousin? The CEO’s daughter? Whoever they were, they would find a smiling cooperative person ready to fulfill their job description. And not one iota more. And maybe I’d take at least a few days off to enjoy the holidays.

But where? My family was far away and they all had their own plans for the holidays. My parents, for example, were going on a long-desired cruise. They’d talked of visiting tropical islands and partying on shipboard ever since I gave them the trip as a holiday gift last year. And with me always too busy to go home, it was even more of a dream come true. Next year, it would be different. I’d spend it with family instead of in a hotel eating room service or delivered Chinese food.

I decided to spend the evening at the home I’d found here in this place, Chained. It was sure to help me lighten up and appreciate the holiday season. A chat with friends, maybe an hour or so in the little room were just what the doctor ordered.

If it had been decorated before, it looked like a troop of elves had paraded through here, filling the place with the Christmas spirit. The entry area was hung with garland and even had a tree in the corner. It was charming, and I paused to take in the lights surrounding the doorway to the rest of the club. Gorgeous!

“Welcome, sir,” the subbie manning the front desk this evening said. “I hope you enjoy your night.”

“I do too,” I replied, smiling despite myself. “Are you one of Santa’s elves?” He wore a pair of red shorts trimmed with fur, and red leather straps crisscrossed over his chest.

“Santa isn’t here tonight, but if he were, I’d be the first to sign up to go over his lap.” His perky grin had probably gotten him more than one trip over someone’s lap, but it was not my business to correct him. His dom, who I knew was quite strict, would handle that situation.

“And that would no doubt attract a crowd.” The sub was also known to be quite the exhibitionist. “So I will wish you a fulfilling evening after you finish your shift out here.”

“Thank you, sir.” He accepted my phone and locked it up then I paraded on into the club and found my friends in our favorite conversation area.

The group was all abuzz about something, daddies and littles alike, and I took a seat and placed an order for a drink from a passing server, settling in to figure out what they were so excited about.

“It’s going to be so much fun, Daddy.” Hudson, wearing red short shorts and a tee emblazoned with the face of the daddiest Santa ever, bounced on his knees in front of Bridger. “I am going to eat all the candy.”

“Maybe not all of it,” his daddy chided. “But I’m sure there will be plenty to go around.”

“What is this candy event?” I asked. “Is it something I would like to go to?”

Hudson turned toward me, eyes wide and sparkling. “Oh, yes, Daddy Nick. It’s the Little Christmas, and you have to come, too.”

“You sure there will be candy?”

Lane, whose daddy Elio had stepped away to the bar, nodded. “So much candy and hot cocoa, and Santa is coming.”

“Well, if Santa will be there, how can I say no?”