He's on the phone and shakes his head, waving us along. The ride down to the parking garage is quiet, as is the drive into KCK to my favorite out-of-the-way spot for a quiet business lunch, a little Mexican place called Jarocho.
"So. Any questions," I ask once we've put in our order.
"Yeah. Where'm I gonna sleep?"
"Andrew's working on that. We're not really set up for female developers in our cyber program."
"You mean you've never caught a female hacker before?" She leans forward. "We're unicorns," she says in a stage whisper.
"As long as you can do the job, I don't care what you are."
"Good to know. So you'll have no problem when I tell you that I have no intention of following your dress code."
Shit. I walked right into that. "And why not?"
"Because it's sexist and my clothes have nothing to do with my brain."
"But if your clothing is a distraction to your colleagues."
"Also sexist. My colleagues should be able to control their erections."
Jeezus. I need a fucking drink for this conversation. "The dress code is in place for everyone as a professional standard. People who dress better behave better."
She narrows her eyes. "People who dress better behave just as badly, but don't get punished as much."
"And you know this how?"
She crunches on a chip. "You've read my file. Figure it out, genius."
"So you have direct experience with this, then?"
"You're knocking it out of the ballpark with your observations, there. I'm impressed."
Clearly she's not. She crunches on another corn chip then worries her lip ring with her tongue. I can't look away. I clear my throat. "I don't care what your experience may have been elsewhere, but bad behavior of any kind is not tolerated and will be expressly punished."
Her eyes light and she smirks. "Ooh what kind of punishment? Writing on the blackboard? Whips and belts?" She drops her chin into her hands. "So... do I get punished for breaching your firewall?"
I fist my hand against my thigh. "What you need is a goddamned spanking," I thunder, perilously close to completely losing my shit.
"I'm pretty sure threatening a new employee constitutes bad behavior... Sir," she taunts mercilessly.
"That's it," I bellow, rising. "We are not staying here another second."
"But I'm hung-"
"You should have thought about that before you went Operation Smartmouth." I toss a Ben on the table, not missing how her eyes go wide. The girl must have been living on the edge of ruin this whole time. "Go wait in the car," I growl. "Now," I bark, pointing through the window to where I parked. I don't wait to see if she goes. I march straight to the hostess and let them know I'll be sending my driver Edward to pick up our meal in the next twenty minutes.
Penny's leaning against the trunk when I come outside, arms folded, mouth pulled down in a perfect half-moon. "Don't pout," I snap. "It's unbecoming." I know I'm being a beast, but at the moment, I don't care. She's pushed me beyond my limits. I stew the entire drive back. When I pull into the parking garage, I cut the engine and turn to her. "Let's get a few things straight, sweetheart."
That instantly ruffles her feathers. "I'm not-"
"Ah-ah," I say raising a finger and cutting her off. "I don't care how brilliant that pretty little brain of yours is - you don't run the roost. Understood?"
She glares at me.
"Understood?" I say more sharply.
She nods.
"You're getting a second chance here, and the biggest opportunity of your life, so don't blow it. Understood?"
Her gaze casts down and she nods. "Yes, sir," she mumbles. This time she's not taunting.
"Edward is picking up your food. You may go sit and wait for it in Mr. Steele's office with his assistant Andrew. Understood?"
She nods once.
"Andrew should have your living arrangements sorted out as well. You are to report here no later than nine a.m. on the dot tomorrow morning. Understood?"
She nods again.
"And you will arrive wearing appropriate clothing for work, and no lip ring. Or I will remove it myself. Understood?"
She glares at me before nodding.
I smile at her, but it doesn't come close to reaching my eyes. "Good."
I exit the car, slamming the door behind me, not bothering to see if she follows. I take the stairs all the way up to the C-floor, arriving hot and sweaty. But at least my fucking boner is finally under control.
Chapter Six
Stockton
Present Day
I knock on Penny's door precisely at six-thirty, unsure of how I'll be greeted. I half expect her to be in her standard black skinny jeans and black tee, giving me her best impression of Wednesday Addams, scowl and all. So I'm stunned when she opens the door wearing what at first glance appears to be a demure three-quarter sleeve black lace overlay dress that screams 1950's. Except for the plunging neckline underneath the lace that clearly reveals she's not wearing a bra. The skirt flares out over her hips and stops three inches above her knees. Hot pink patent leather stiletto boots rise to just below her knees. I'm hit by the scent of her perfume, stronger than this morning - it's heady and dirty, and sends my thoughts straight to the gutter.
My mouth goes dry.
As if saying "fuck you" to the establishment, she's wound her thick black and pink hair into two donut buns on top of her head. The pink gem glitters at her nose, and she has similar understated pale pink rhinestone studs on her ears. Her makeup is minimal, except for her dark-lined eyes and a swipe of pale gloss that's screaming to be kissed away at the first opportunity.
I can't help the dirty thought that jumps into my head as I stare at her mouth. I'm dying to know if it tastes like pink bubblegum. I make up my mind to find out as soon as humanly possible.
"You can stop staring now. It's not like you've never seen a woman wearing a dress."
I crack a smile. She is perfectly, unapologetically, undeniably herself, and while my mother will be appalled, I can't imagine her dressed any other way. "You look incredible, Penny."
It's too bad my mother won't be able to overlook Penny's lack of convention. Penny's as understated as she is, and just as classy - just in a different way.
"Don't sound so surprised."
"I was half expecting-"
"Goth girl?" She makes a face, then narrows her eyes. "I can play the game when I have to."
Her comment is loaded, but we don't have time to unpack it right now. The last thing I want is to be late for tonight's event. I wait while she grabs her purse and locks her door. Then, hand at the small of her back, I propel her toward the elevator. My driver Edward is waiting on the sidewalk, and while Penny stays cool, I don't miss the surprised gasp when she sees the town car, or the tiny smile she fights to control, or the sideways glance she shoots my direction, as if quietly asking if I remember. We've been in this car a hundred times, at least. Probably more. But except for one time, always with our noses buried in laptops. I'll be the first to admit, calling on my driver when my apartment building is literally across the street from hers and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is ten minutes south, is a bit ridiculous. But I'm a Forde, and this is one of those events where style is more important than substance.