Free The Love Triangle (BWWM Romance) by Violet Jackson, Interracial Love

nervous about it. I mean, if it works it will be great. But if it doesn’t?”
     
    “Don’t question my judgment. I didn’t hire you to tell me what to do, I hired you to tell me the best way to do it.”
     
    I swallowed, glanced down at my papers again. I’d heard him use that tone with some of the other employees but he hadn’t spoken to me like that before.
     
    The door open and three men in business suits walked in. When I looked at Elijah again he had a warm smile on his face and he walked up to them with outstretched hands before he offered his hands to each of them. The transformation was complete and shocking. I did as I was asked. When it came down to signing the papers, Elijah glared at me like I was going to sabotage it all.
     
    And when they left, he turned to me again. Usually after a success like this he offered to take me out. This was where our relationship had been growing into something more than just a business relationship. This was where I’d gotten to know him, gotten to like him.
     
    “Make sure that the documents are ready for the Bennett meeting on Friday,” he said to me, and walked out of the office. Nothing else. I was left alone in the boardroom.
     
    Margaret popped her head in. She was one of the two secretaries and she’d been there the longest.
     
    “Oh, I thought you’d all left, dear,” she said and smiled. “I thought it was a good meeting.”
     
    “It was,” I said. “Elijah doesn’t think I’m up to scratch though.”
     
    Margaret smiled like she felt sorry for me and walked to me, sitting down on the chair Elijah had vacated.
     
    “Now, you don’t worry about that. Mr. Wilson is a hard boss to work for, but working here will get you anywhere else in life you want to be. He’s as a good a reference as they come. If you can just hold it out with his tyranny for a year or more, you’ll be made for the rest of his life.”
     
    I looked down at my paperwork and sighed.
     
    “Don’t look so down, dear. I promise you it won’t get worse. He likes you, I can tell. He can really be mean if he wants to be, but the worst you can get here is losing your job. That’s what this business is all about. Keeping those that do good, and getting rid of the ones who don’t. I’ve seen a lot of lawyers pass through and you’re doing just fine. You’ve been here now for what, three months? Nine more and you can pack your bags and leave Mr. Wilson, master of his own little universe, behind.”
     
    It was sweet of her; Margaret tried to look out for me. She was the motherly type, but she worked hard all the same. If anyone knew Elijah, it was her. But what she didn’t know was that I didn’t want to just stay here for one year and then leave. I didn’t want to leave Elijah behind and be set for life. I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted him to like me, because I liked him. I wanted whatever it was that was starting to happen between us go further, because I liked what I saw when we weren’t in the office.
     
    Margaret patted my hand and smiled at me.
     
    “You go on out and take your lunch. Make it a long one, too. Mr. Wilson will be in a meeting until four. If you’re back by then, he won’t even know you’re gone.”
     
    “I won’t be more than an hour,” I said, and thanked her for helping me through this. I collected my papers together and put them in the leather briefcase I carried, and left the office, left the building, left my work behind for a little bit.
     
    I stopped at the café and ordered a coffee to go and a sandwich from the deli, and got in my car and started driving. I would drive for half an hour, and then turn around and come back. I just needed space. I needed distance. I needed to clear my head.
     
    I drove for longer than half an hour. I had to admit to that. When I saw the signs that indicated the interstate, I knew I’d gone too far. I pulled off on the side of the road and waited for the truck behind me to pass before I