Gretchen Lovewell - Faustian Bargain
Date: 2/11/2024,
Categories:
Reluctance
Author: jxa2012
... best-performing CEO in the Fortune 500 for several years now. The Board would never agree to it. But an accusation of sexual assault gives him just the excuse he needs.”
“He’ll lose his job,” I said, slowly. “But it’s just a job.”
“It’s much more than that,” said Farah. “This time the stakes are so much higher. Working for Foncault, Jack has made many powerful enemies – many we know, and a lot that we don’t know. He has a very expensive black ops firm running his security detail, the best in the business. The Foncault Group pays for that. If he loses his job, he loses his protection, and that means he’ll lose his life.”
All three of them, Farah, Amy, and Ryder were looking at me expectantly.
“You wouldn’t do that, would you, Gretchen?” Ryder asked. “You couldn’t accuse Jack of sexual assault - it would be a lie.”
“Well,” I said. “He is a bit forceful.”
“Be serious, Gretchen,” said Amy. “Like Farah, I know what’s at stake here. And I know Jack. You wanted him to fuck you.”
“Well …” I said, uncertainly. “I did want him to fuck me because the way he makes me cum is so addictive, something I can’t resist. But the legal definition of –”
“Are you going to go along with St. James and Bailey?” Farah asked bluntly.
“I don’t want any harm to come to Jack,” I said.
“For God’s sake,” said Amy. “Stop being a lawyer and give us a straight answer.”
“I can’t stop being a lawyer,” I said defensively. “Logic and facts are important. I’ve already told you I ...
... wouldn’t do anything to harm Jack.”
“Is that all you’re going to say?” Ryder asked.
“What more can I say?” I replied, irritably.
*
Later that afternoon, I walked into Farah’s office in the headquarters tower of the Foncault Group. She looked very different from the confident woman I had lunch with – uncharacteristically subdued.
“Mr. Reginald St. James, the chairman, will see you in his office,” she said, rising. “Follow me, please.”
I followed her down a corridor and past an attractive administrator in an outer office to a big set of double doors. She knocked and entered. I went in after her. It was an enormous corner office with commanding views of the city on two sets of picture windows. The office was so big that the massive desk was quite far away. There was a conference table closer to us. I was surprised to see Chip Bailey seated there along with a silver-haired gentleman dressed in a conservative dark suit with a colorful silk tie. Both men rose and I shook their hands.
“That will be all, Farah,” said the silver-haired man. Farah left, closing the doors behind her, and he continued. “Gretchen, I’m Reginald St. James. Please join us.” We all seated ourselves at the conference table and St. James went on. “Chip tells me that Jack particularly asked for you to work on this merger deal for us.”
“Yes, sir,” I said.
“Chip also tells me that Jack asked for you on this merger deal because he wishes to continue … forcing himself on you.”
I looked from ...