Caught on Camera with the CEO. Natalie Anderson

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СКАЧАТЬ way was this a coincidence. He didn’t want to be embarrassed at work—was that it? Had she been so all over him he was trying to get rid an awkward situation before it got even more complicated? What was he afraid of—that she’d go psycho stalker on him?

      She turned on the spot and marched back down the stairs to her floor. She’d go straight to the agency and clear it up. She needed the money more than he needed a clearconscience office.

      ‘Hi, Danielle.’ One of the young bankers gave her a leery grin when she walked past him. He hadn’t spoken to her before. She caught the grins then swapping between him and some of the others. It had probably been a bet. She knew about boys and their bets—ones made at her expense.

      She didn’t have the time or capacity to deal him even a cool look. Too busy trying to stomach the sick feeling. She’d been in the country less than a fortnight, was on the bones of her butt in terms of funds and now she’d just lost her job. And she needed to know why.

      It only took two minutes to get her jacket from the back of her seat and the bag she’d tucked under the table. She logged off her computer.

      She turned. The office was so quiet she would have heard her now ex-colleagues blinking—if they weren’t all staring totally bug eyed at her. Wow, the ones down the far end had actually risen out of their chairs to get a better look. What on earth was going on?

      She tossed her head, determined to hide the freak-out thudding of her heart. So what if her cheeks were purple with embarrassment—she could still walk, right? OK, it was a run/walk to the door and after that she basically threw herself down the stairs, letting the adrenalin fly to her feet.

      The recruitment agency was only a ten-minute walk away. Dani did it in seven. Red cheeked, breathless, trying to suck up the desperation pouring out of her.

      Then she had to wait ten extra-long, make-you-sweat minutes.

      ‘What’s the problem with my file?’ Dani asked as soon as she was shown in.

      ‘There are a couple of issues.’ The agent wouldn’t look her in the eye. ‘One is misconduct.’

      Misconduct? Dani frowned, that she hadn’t expected. ‘What kind of misconduct?’

      The woman smiled then—it wasn’t a kind smile. ‘Have you seen this?’ She angled her computer screen so Dani could see it.

      Dani gripped her bag, pushing it hard on her lap as she waited for the clip to start playing. Why was she being shown a vid on YouTube? What was this all about?

      She squinted at the black-and-white grainy images. Oh, no. It couldn’t be.

      Not her.

      Not him.

      OMG—it was! Alex Carlisle and her, Dani Russo, locking lips in that damn lift. Oh, more than locking lips. There was neck kissing, and touching and moving.

      Heat prickled all over her body. From every pore popped a painful drop of blood. How had this happened? This just had to be a joke. Was she in a reality TV show and she didn’t know it?

      ‘Where did you get that?’ she whispered, knowing she was damned.

      ‘It was emailed to us. I believe it’s been circulated around the company already.’

      So that explained the staring, then. The embarrassment engulfed her, swamping the spark of anger she’d felt before.

      The agent didn’t stop the clip playing, just sat blandly waiting. Three and a half minutes of absolute agony. Dani couldn’t look away from the screen. Had they been so passionate? Had she really jumped on him like that? Had she been so hungry? And what was that awful music?

       Not going to cry. Not going to cry.

      She hadn’t in years. And she wouldn’t, not ‘til she was alone.

      Finally it ended. Dani couldn’t look at the woman.

      ‘But this isn’t why we’re unable to place you in another position.’

      Dani didn’t understand. ‘Pardon?’ Still shocked.

      ‘This was obviously a mistake and an embarrassing one, but we can deal with it with a simple warning.’ The agent couldn’t be crisper. ‘Not on work time, not on work premises. Understand?’

      Dani just nodded. Still unable to process what she’d just seen—they’d been filmed? How was that possible?

      ‘The reason we’ve had to pull you from the job is because we haven’t been able to get your school records verified.’

      Dani jerked. Her school records? How were they relevant? She had banking qualifications that totally surpassed her achievements at school. Plus she had her security clearance from the Australian bank she’d worked at for the last three years—surely that was far more important than verifying her school-leaver’s certificate?

      ‘I can call the school,’ she said. ‘I can get them to fax whatever you need.’

      ‘No, that’s fine. We’ll keep trying.’ The woman smiled sharply. ‘But until we do get it, we can’t put you into another placement.’

      It was then that Dani knew and understood. They weren’t trying to contact the school; even if they did there would be some other obstacle that would arise. This was about that video—her fooling with the boss and getting caught. The school-records thing was an excuse. The walls were up. Her anger surged then, pushing back the embarrassment. ‘I can go to other agencies?’

      ‘Of course.’ The woman smiled. ‘But you might encounter the same problem.’

      Dani looked at the computer screen again. Yeah, that was the real problem. She could see how many hits the clip had had. Too many just to be the bank staff and this agency—even if they had watched it over and over as she was quite sure some of those sleazy bankers had. No, this one had been doing the rounds; it would be a source of great amusement for anyone in the industries—both finance and recruitment. Alex Carlisle proving his legendary swordsman status with a temp at work.

      There was nothing for it but to make a dignified exit. No way could she win this battle here and now. She needed to withdraw and come up with some kind of strategy.

      She stood, stuck a small smile on her numb face. ‘Thank you for letting me know. Please get in touch when you get my record confirmed. I’d like to get working as soon as I can.’

      ‘Of course.’ The agent stood and saw her to the door.

      It was a complete fiction. They both knew they were never going to talk to each other again.

      ‘You can collect your wages for the last couple of days from Reception.’

      Dani made for the nearest café and ordered the biggest blackest coffee they made. She closed her eyes. The money she had would last less than a week. Her whole aim had been to work while she hunted because she hadn’t wanted to wait any longer before trying to find him. But she had to be able to eat—to pay for her accommodation, and to pay for the search. How on earth was she going to find Eli now? How СКАЧАТЬ