"Exactly! What kind of boss forces employees to sleep with clients?"
"Mr. Hughes, just agree to this tiny little perk, and we'll go to your precious networking event!"
I laughed. "A 'tiny little perk'?"
"Maria, I just gave you a raise. You're making thirty thousand a month now!"
"Nelson, you're at thirty-five thousand. Tell me—with your skill set, what other company would pay you anywhere near that?"
"Mr. Hughes, that's hardly fair." Arlene's voice dripped with false concern. "They earned those salaries through their own hard work."
The others nodded like bobbleheads.
"Come on, boss, just say yes!"
"Mr. Hughes, if you double our pay, I'll finally have enough to upgrade to a bigger place this year."
"Yeah, my wife's got her heart set on a BMW. Help us out here, Mr. Hughes!"
My jaw tightened. "Your salaries are already well above industry standard. Double them, and you'd be making four or five times what anyone else in this field earns."
"The company's profits don't come close to covering that!"
"So that's a no?" Arlene's voice turned sharp.
"I can't afford what you're asking."
"Fine then." Her eyes glittered. "We'll see how this plays out. You're going to regret this."
That night, I couldn't sleep. Kept turning it over in my mind.
The key to all of this was Arlene Lambert. She was just an intern—what was her angle?
I decided to find out.
The next morning, I had HR Manager Caldwell bring her to my office.
"Arlene." I kept my tone casual, even offered a smile. "You're about a month away from becoming a full employee. Have you given any thought to your future here? Career trajectory, compensation, benefits—I'm open to discussing it."
"You think you can buy me off?" She laughed, not bothering to hide her contempt. "I can't stand bosses like you. Your employees ask for a small raise, and instead of agreeing, you try to pimp them out."
"Change your ways, or I will expose you."
She didn't even sit down. Just said her piece and headed for the door.
"Arlene." I kept my voice steady. "If it's a higher salary you want, I can make that happen."
She paused in the doorway, a strange smile curling her lips. "I'm not for sale."
Then she was gone.
I had no idea what she was really after.
Near the end of the workday, Arlene reappeared—with Gertrude and the others flanking her like a small army.
"Well, Mr. Hughes? Made up your mind yet?"
I shook my head. "The networking event is happening as planned. Your salaries are already generous, and there won't be another raise anytime soon."
I paused. "However, I'm willing to increase everyone's year-end bonus from one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand."
I wasn't some inflexible relic. This was a genuine olive branch.
This contract with Mr. Walker mattered—to both of us. I needed it to go smoothly.
The industry had hit a rough patch this year. Most companies weren't giving bonuses at all; plenty were laying people off. A six-figure bonus like this? Unheard of.
"Mr. Hughes." Arlene's voice was ice. "You're not in a position to negotiate."
She stared me down. "Either you meet our terms, or we don't cooperate."
"Yeah, an extra fifty thousand? How am I supposed to afford a bigger house with that?"
"Exactly! I still can't get my BMW 5 Series!"
A chill ran through me.
These people... I didn't recognize them anymore.
The next morning, I was driving to work when my phone rang. Harper Caldwell's name flashed on the screen.
"Mr. Hughes—" Her voice was tight with panic. "This is bad. Someone posted online claiming you're forcing employees to... to be escorts. It's gone viral. You're getting destroyed out there."
The steering wheel jerked in my hands. I nearly plowed into the median.
I pulled over, heart pounding, and clicked the link she'd sent.
The post's headline screamed at me in bold letters:
CORRUPT BOSS DEMANDS EMPLOYEES SLEEP WITH CLIENTS TO SECURE CONTRACTS!
