Truly Married Read Online Free PDF Page B

inner door. “Go on in. He’s waiting for you.”
    Floyd stood when Sharon entered. She’d always envied him this office. It was so cheerful, with its sliding-glass door that looked out over the outdoor swimming pool and cabana, and she felt a thrill as she realized that in a few short weeks it would be hers.
    “Good morning,” he said pleasantly. “I hope you weren’t overworked while I was gone. Have a seat.”
    Sharon returned the greeting and sat down. He looked tan and rested. Obviously not all his time in L.A. had been spent in stuffy conference rooms.
    He settled himself comfortably in his executive chair and smiled, only Floyd’s smile always seemed to Sharon like more of a leer.
    “I’ve got good news for you, love,” he said.
    She was immediately on guard.
    “If you play your cards right there’s a good chance I can take you with me to the Starlight Honolulu as my assistant.”
    He leaned back and beamed, and she wondered if he really thought he was God’s gift to women, or if his self-esteem was so low that he had to make himself believe it. She suspected it was the latter. If so, she should feel sorry for him, but unfortunately she couldn’t bring herself to be that charitable.
    Still, she’d play his game for a little while just to be sure she wasn’t misreading him.
    She, too, settled back. “Oh?” She raised her eyebrows slightly. “And just what cards do I have to play?”
    He made a steeple of his fingers and settled his chin on it. “Why, the king and the queen, of course. We can have a great time cavorting among all that tropical flora and fauna. In some places it’s so thick we wouldn’t even have to wear clothes.”
    Just the thought of Floyd Vancleave in the nude was repulsive to her, but she fought to control her temper. “And what about your wife?” she asked, far more coolly than she felt.
    He brightened and sat up straight. “You want a ménage à trois? ” he said eagerly. “That can be arranged, but not with my wife. She’s far too straight—”
    Sharon had had enough! She clutched the arms of her chair and leaned forward. “Mr. Vancleave,” she said tightly, making his name sound like an obscenity. “There’s no way I’d go to Hawaii or any place else with you. I don’t sleep my way to the top.”
    She stood and had started for the door, when his voice, cold and filled with rage, froze her.
    “Stop right there, you arrogant bitch. Don’t forget, I hold your future right here in my hands.”
    She turned around as he cupped his palms together in front of him.
    “If you want my job when I’m gone you’re gonna have to be nice to me, get it? Extra nice! You need good references from me to get that promotion. I can fix it so you won’t even be able to get a job as dishwasher in the hotel industry.”
    Never before had Sharon felt such fury. The pressure of it was so hot she could almost feel smoke coming out her ears.
    How dared that overbearing bastard threaten her. She’d been wrong not to file a formal complaint about his harassment earlier, but she was going to rectify it.
    She glared at him, hoping the disgust she felt showed in her expression. “I have just one thing to say about that,” she rasped. “If I don’t get the promotion I’m entitled to I’ll file a complaint of sexual harassment against you with everybody from the general manager of this hotel to the federal bureau that handles such things. Believe it. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”
    Floyd’s face twisted in a sneer. “Who in hell do you think you’re kidding? Don’t pull that outraged-virgin bit on me. A hot little hussy like you can never get enough. Besides, nobody would believe you. It’s your word against mine, and we in management protect our own.”
    Without even trying to answer, Sharon turned and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.
    For the next week the atmosphere between Sharon and Vancleave figuratively dripped frost. They communicated