The Proposition (A Geek, An Angel) Page 20

  A desperate expression gleamed across Adam’s face. With a touch of sadness in his voice he said, “I’m sorry I frightened you. Look I really need to talk. It seems everything has been going wrong in my life lately.”

  Thoughts raced through Janeshia’s mind as she wondered what to do.

  “Please,” he pleaded. “I was just driving by when I saw you car pulling in to the parking garage. I figured maybe you wouldn’t mind if I stopped by for a minute,” a desperate plea escaped his lips. “Look, I can help you with that bag.

  Janeshia stared at Adam and considered his request. “Okay put the bag in the hallway,” she said. “Oh and Adam the kitchen is that way,” she pointed. “There is some instant coffee in the cabinet by the stove. You’ll find the tea kettle on the top of the stove, there’s water in it just turn it on. Make us both a cup, and I’ll join you in a minute.”

  “Thanks I’ll do that,” relief flooded Adam as he watched her turn and stroll down the hallway.

  A few moments later Janeshia closed her bedroom door. A clean sweatshirt and pair of jeans lay on her bed just where she’d left them before she left on her trip to Monterey, California. She removed her sweater and pulled the sweat shirt over her head. She unfastened her jeans. A sudden strange sensation of cool air hit her all at once. She felt like she was being watched.

  “I just love the sight of a beautiful woman removing her jeans,” a familiar voice said. “Finally, I have you alone with no chance of escape,” he chuckled softly. “Now all that’s left is for you to remove those panties.”

  Janeshia’s heart raced. “What the hell are you doing in my bedroom Adam? I told you to wait for me in the kitchen. Get out!” she said explosively.

  “Funny but I didn’t feel like a cup of coffee Janeshia. I brought my own drink with me. Would you care for some,” he said removing a flask and taking a drink. “Ahhhhhh my drink is so refreshing. See for yourself,” he said offering her the flask.

  “No thank you Adam, please get out!”

  Adam moved swiftly like an arrow release from a bow hitting its target. He closed the distance between them. “Now don’t get all excited and I wouldn’t scream if I were you. We can talk this out in a calm manner. Just you and me; all alone without the board of directors or anybody else,” his smile made his teeth look huge. “Now sit down!” He pushed her down on the bed and sat beside her.

  He took another drink from the flask.

  Nervously she stammered. “Look Adam, we can talk tomorrow at work. That way we’ll both be refreshed and level headed when we sort things out. Okay?”

  He gruff out a menacing chuckled. “Sort things out? Oh really Janeshia, you seem confused,” he sarcastically said. “Funny. That’s why I’m here tonight, to sort things out.”

  She grimaced at the sound of his voice. “I don’t know what you mean?”

  “Yes you do honey, I’m trying to give you a second chance. Do you think you could get rid of me with a suspension notice? I’m not going away that easy. I know too much.”

  “Look Adam, the suspension wasn’t my idea.”

  “Yeah, I’m so sure you talked it over with the board. It doesn’t matter. I hold all the cards. This is your last chance.”

  “What?”

  “You know, last chance to do the right thing,” he said sarcastically taking another swig from his flask. “In fact I was hoping to change your mind so I wouldn’t have to tell the Board of Directors anything.”

  Janeshia stared back at Adam amazed. The scar under his eye made him look sinister. She wondered why she never noticed it before.

  “Have a sip. It will relax you.”

  Janeshia shook her head.

  “No? More for me,” he said with a touch of impatience. “Why didn’t you come by my place like I told you too last Saturday?”

  “Look Adam I was busy on Saturday. I went out of town,” she said.

  Adam’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “It doesn’t matter. Like I said, I hold all the cards. You underestimated me!”

  She shrugged. “Look Adam, if this is about that suspension. This isn’t the way to go about having it removed.”

  “Then I take it that you haven’t been paying attention to details as normal,” he said with a smug sophistication. His lips pressed into a thin line as he studied her. “Yep, I can tell by the look in your eyes you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

  He could see the conflict on her face. She was distracted. He moved quick and grabbed her arm. With relentless force he pulled her closer to him.

  Janeshia tried to rise. “How dare you Adam. Get your filthy hands off of me before I call the police?”

  “What’s the matter, my hands aren’t good enough for you? Sit back down,” he ordered.

  Slowly she sat back down.

  “Janeshia did you know that your poor management lately has led to some discrepancies? Some huge discrepancies, the big kind,” he said, as a conning expression crossed his face. “The kind that can land a person in jail.”

  She breathed out slowly and stared back at him. Adam’s eyes looked wild like a tiger about pounce on it prey. Uneasiness crept over her. She couldn’t remember the last time she really checked the reports.

  She swallowed hard and spoke. “If something is wrong with the books, it just means that you tampered with them.”

  His yes grew hard and cold. He spoke with an under tone of bitterness. “Me? I would never do such a thing.”

  “You are such a liar!”

  His husky laughter mocked her. “Am I? Janeshia you should calm yourself. You look terrified. I know too much and you know I do,” his voice was low.

  “Call the police then,” she said hastily. “I don’t care!”

  “You know what; maybe I should let you call the police. I can tell them I came over here to have it out with you, to reason with you to do the right thing. I’ll say I even begged you but you refused.” He paused. “Then I’ll say that when I told you I was going to tell the board of directors that you’ve been tampering with the books. You became angry and upset and that’s when you told me you were going to tell the police that I had broken in and attacked you.” He took another drink and chuckled softly. “Does that sound like the right story that you were going to tell Janeshia? If you ask me, your story is not too convincing.”

  Janeshia was trembling.

  Adam rubbed his chin confidently. Just a little more pushing and he’d have her right where he wanted her. He could tell Janeshia was thinking about what he said. Her emotions were written all over her face. He had a perfunctory smile as he leaned in closer. “You know Janeshia if I tell the board that the reason you suspended me was because I found out about what you were doing. Things could look real bad for you.”

  Waiting silence hung in the air between them.

  Janeshia hang her head ranking her brain, trying to think what she should do. A deep despair came over her. This was all her fault. All her years of hard work were over now. She’d wrecked her own ship by not paying close attention.

  “Oh Adam, why do you hate me so much?” her voice caught in her throat. Tears swelled up in her eyes. “I don’t know what I did to you to make you hate me so much Adam.” Tears rolled down her cheek. “Whatever it was, I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry……. I can’t believe you would do all of this just to destroy me.” She sobbed.

  Tears rolled down her cheek.

  The muscle in Adam’s jaw tightened, as he tried not to look at her. She looked so sad and vulnerable. His passion grew.

  The atmosphere in the room hummed with a very low unreal echoing sound.

  Reaching out his fingers gently brushed away her tears. He hugged her close. “Janeshia don’t be sad. I can’t stand to see you this way, none of this has anything to do with you. It’s about me. All of it’s about me. I don’t mean to hurt you,” he said giving up the struggle and leaning down and brushing his lips lightly against hers.

  Janeshia’s mind was confused. She felt lonely. What was ha
ppening? Too much had happened to her lately. She couldn’t think coherently. She didn’t know why but she kissed him back.

  Adam had been aroused since the moment he saw her removing her jeans. At the feel of her lips on his, he’d felt his body come alive with passion and desire. He had always wanted her. He thought back to the first time he met her. It had been his first day at work. He’d always desired to hold her this way. He needed to make love to her. He moaned as his mouth tugged and sucked on her bottom lip. He was tender and gentle with her. For some reason he knew he had to be. He took his time as he felt her mouth open to his and her tongue reached out to touch his. For several minutes, his talented tongue kissed her mouth.

  A shock wave washed over her. Janeshia encouraged Adam with another moan.

  The energy in the room was unreal.

  All at once the bed shook violently.

  Janeshia opened her eyes just as a chilled breeze wafted across her face and broke her from her trance. She could have sworn she heard weeping. A strong scent of lavender and sugar cookies filled the air.

  She grimaced as the strong sense of fear engulfed her. She knew that scent. It was her dead grandmother’s, Lena Mae Allen.

  She pushed against his chest. “Get off of me Adam.”

  “Christ! What was that?” Adam asked, as he rose off the bed.

  Janeshia groaned in frustration as her phone began ringing on the side of her bed. She shifted as the ringing of the telephone brought her back to reality. Like a shattering dream.

  “Don’t answer that,” Adam ordered. “Let the machine answer it.”

  The answering machine bleeped loudly.

  “Hello Janeshia this is Walker.”

  She sat up. She felt a chill of apprehension at the sound of Walker’s voice.

  Walker’s voice strained out of the answering machine again. “I really need to talk to you. Please Janeshia pick up if you’re there.”

  Frightened she felt like a child caught in the act of stealing cookies. She turned and stared at Adam. The feeling was overwhelming.

  Deep sadness cooed out of Walker’s voice as he continued. “Hey if you are there and you are listening,” he hesitated. “What I wanted to tell you is that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. But mainly for being such a stupid jerk. All I’ve been thinking about is how empty my life is without you.”

  Janeshia sat up on the side of the bed and sighed. She bit her lip. She felt she knew that what she had just been doing with Adam was horribly wrong.

  After a pause, Walker continued. “I’ve made a huge mistake. I let my pride get in the way of what’s really important to me,” his voice choked. “And you are the only thing that is really important to me. I don’t care who you have dated or where you’ve been,” he pleaded. “All I know is I want you back in my life, no matter what. You’re the most important thing to me,” he paused. “When you get this message please give me a call on my cell phone.”

  Abruptly the call ended.

  “Oh Christ! What am I doing? Adam you need to leave now!”

  Adam’s eyes swelled up in a jealous wage. “Like hell I do. You’re not going to be throwing yourself at Walker ever again. You hear me?” he lunged pushing her back on the bed.

  “Adam?” She protested. She realized quickly that she had made a huge mistake letting Adam touch her.

  Adam’s face twisted into a distorted inhuman mask. “You filthy slut, you’re my whore now. I will not have you throwing yourself at Walker or any other man trying to seduce them, like you did to me!”

  She froze to the spot. “Don’t you talk to me like that? I didn’t seduce you!”

  His strong arms held her down. “Yes…..You seduced me,” his breathing was strained. “Janeshia, must I remind you that your job is at stake? Not to mention your reputation in this community? Now let’s get back to what we were doing.”

  His hands roamed her body.

  “Adam are you insane? Get off of me you jerk!”

  His dark eyes held a violent rage. “I am not insane you slut,” his eyes watched her. “But I am going to make you feel insane. Insane with lust for me,” he growled breathing hard against her flesh.

  “No!” She pleaded. “Adam please!”

  His grasp on her wrist tightened. “Nobody can hear you. It’s just you and me,” his mouth nuzzled her neck. “I like a woman with some fight in her.”

  Suddenly Janeshia realized Adam was enjoying her fighting him back the most. She took a moment to look around. Her eyes caught sight of his flask. Her thoughts raced. She knew what she had to do.

  She stopped fighting him and relaxed into his embrace. She waited until Adam noticed.

  He stared back at her and she held his gaze.

  She licked her lips greedily and made sure he noticed. Then she purred, “Hummm kiss me again Adam. I miss your lips on mine.”

  “Now that’s more like it,” he said leaning over. He did as he was told eagerly.

  She let him kiss her harder.

  “Kiss me again harder. I want to feel you tongue,” she exhaled sexy and low.

  Greedily Adam obeyed.

  Her hands roamed his body. “You are such a sexy man Adam,” she lied between her clenched teeth.

  “I’m so glad you think so,” he whispered into her ear. “See, I knew we were right for each other.”

  Janeshia realized that her ploy was working. She sucked on his tongue and moved her hand down and found his penis. She quickly stroked it and adjusted her leg.

  “Ouch! You bit me!” Adam cried.

  Quickly Janeshia brought her knee up and kicked Adam where it hurt. She kicked with her knew as hard as she could like she was kicking the devil himself. She wasted no time rolling off the bed.

  “Damn! You little Bitch!” He screamed.

  She reached and grabbed his flask and hit him right in the eye. Liquid spewed out onto his face.

  “My eyes! My eyes,” Adam screamed.

  Panicked she ran quickly out of the bedroom and down the hall.

  She heard Adam curse again as he tripped over his pants.

  Once in the hall way she ran as fast as she could toward the front door. Suddenly her foot caught something and she went flying to the floor less than two feet from her front door. She tried to get up.

  She struggled and cried out. “Let me go Adam!”

  “No!” He blurted rolling on top of her.

  The sudden jingling of keys startled both of them. Simultaneously they stopped struggling and looked up at the front door.

  Slowly a key turned the lock. The front door opened slowly.

  “Janeshia is everything okay? I heard a noise.” Mrs Olsten asked politely standing in the doorway.

  She wiped her hair from her eyes as she caught her breath. She was so grateful the strange little old lady lived across the hall from her. “Thank God for you Mrs. Olsten, it’s so great to see you again…..”

  Mrs. Olsten looked on bewildered. “I thought I heard something and I called and told Mr. Carlos Murphy to come quick and bring his machete.” Her gaze settled on Adam sternly. “Young man if you don’t let Janeshia up off of that floor I will have Mr. Murphy slice you into a million pieces.”

  Adam frowned heavily as he got up off of the floor. “What is that old lady doing with a key to your apartment Janeshia?”

  Mrs. Olsten grimaced. “Young man angels go where we are sure to find fools like you.”

  “Mrs. Olsten having a key to my condo is none of your damn business Adam,” Janeshia said getting up off of the floor. “Adam, say hello to my neighbor, Mrs. Olsten and then get out!”

  Adam growled at her under his breath as he buttoned his shirt.

  “Janeshia don’t you think we should call the police?” Mrs. Olsten said with deep concern. “I mean this young man was trespassing and he could have hurt you.”

  Adam’s husky laughter filled the air. “I’m sure Janeshia doesn’t want to call the cops, even on a foolish man like me.” He turned and leaned
in close.

  She reached out and slapped him on the face. “Get out Adam!” Janeshia blurted. “Unless you’d like to stay and meet Mr. Carlos Murphy and his machete?”

  Adam wiped his mouth and held her gaze as he walked through the door. “Janeshia this isn’t over!”

  Mrs. Olsten slammed the door as soon as Adam past. She latched the dead bolt and then jiggled her keys. She beamed back at Janeshia with pride. “You’re safe in your own home always Janeshia. But really I still say we should have called the police.” Her fingers clasped securely around the keys. “That character there is a madman running loose, he needs to be locked up in a cell with no key.”

  Exasperated Janeshia’s voice shook. “Oh Mrs. Olsten!” Her beautiful features were marred by deep despair and shock with the thought of what could have happened if her neighbor hadn’t thought to check on her. “I owe you one for rescuing me Mrs. Olsten. How can I ever repay you?”

  “Calm down my dear,” Mrs. Olsten said hugging her close. Her voice was soft when she spoke. “I saw that Geek Knight in shining amour fellow on TV today. I like him best you know.”

  “Who?”

  “The one that look like the actor,” Mrs. Olsten smiled softly, as she patted her back. “My dearest young friend, you don’t understand. No problem, all is well. I’ll tell you who one day soon. You can treat me to lunch.”

  Hours later that same night, Adam St. Charles paced the center of his bedroom. He stopped and looked up at the mirror on the ceiling. He needed to get laid real bad. He checked the clock on the side of his bed. He’d called her over an hour ago. His cell phone rang.

  “I’m on my way through the front door right now,” she cooed. “Thanks for leaving the front door open. “I’m almost at your bedroom door.”

  “Phoebe you locked the front door behind you right?” Adam’s gruff voice demanded.

  She reached the bedroom door just at the moment he’d asked. “Yes, you know I’m a smart girl.”

  Phoebe Wright stood in the doorway and studied Adam. She knew that no matter what, this was the last time she was going to see him. In the beginning she thought Adam loved her. She wanted to believe it. That’s why she did everything he asked her to do. She thought he’d take care of her. Maybe marry her. Now she realized Adam St. Charles was a selfish, greedy and sometimes cruel man.