"Why? Why am I back scanning documents? Why did you do this to me?"
"To you? Dear, I did this for you," Audrey replied. She stepped forward and patted my cheek like I was a difficult child, before sauntering further into the house. "This is a good step for you."
I clenched my fist against my side, willing myself not to make snide remarks.
"What do you want?" I asked. "Quit playing games."
Audrey turned and smiled, her green eyes bright. "Everything is a game, dear. You should know that by now. Come have a drink with me."
She waltzed into the kitchen, her silk pants swooshing around her feet like skirts. I stood in the foyer for a moment, not wanting to play her games but not really having a choice.
"White or red, dear?" Audrey called out, pulling out a wine glass. I knew she had an impressive wine cellar. She loved to offer all her guests wine of any color and vintage they could ask for.
"Neither," I replied, finally following her into the gourmet kitchen. "I want answers. Why did you do this to me?"
"So serious," Audrey clucked, pouring herself a glass of dark red wine. It reminded me of blood in a glass as she sipped it. "Ah. 2005 was an excellent year."
"You want something from me," I said, crossing my arms. "This took a lot of string pulling. I want to know what you want and why I don't go screaming to the press."
Audrey finished a slow sip before setting her glass down and focusing the full power of her gaze on me. "First of all, the press wouldn't believe you. Secondly, it is in your best interest. Good things will come of this for you."
I bit back a smart aleck response. My stepmother just smiled at me, knowing that she was in control.
She swirled her wine glass, the dark red liquid staining the insides.
"I hear that you will be scanning in the trade documents for the Paradisa negotiations," she said conversationally. "I think that sounds absolutely fascinating. They're rumored to be very... unique."
Her green eyes glimmered as she looked at me, waiting for me to understand what she wasn't saying.
"And you want that information," I said, feeling like an idiot as I realized what she wanted. Of course Audrey would want the information on the Paradisa trade negotiations. It would be worth a fortune to the right people, especially since it wasn't public information yet.
She would sell this information to the highest bidder and make a fortune. I could only imagine who would want to know their trade deals ahead of time. For the right corporations, this information could make them billions.
"You see what I want," she said, appraising me over the rim of her glass. It was almost a real smile. "You get it for me, I pull strings again. You'll go back to the Senate like nothing ever happened."
"I won't do it. Not only is it illegal, it's wrong. And, if I get caught, it's my career. It's my life. No way."
"I was afraid you would say something like that." Audrey tsked and set down her wine glass. "But, as I always say, have a carrot and the stick."
"I don't remember getting a carrot." I crossed my arms. I didn't want to think about what she could use as a stick.
"You do this for me, and you'll get your dream job," she replied, brushing off my harsh tone.
"I had my dream job."
"No, you had the path to your dream job. You know my contacts. Imagine what a well placed whisper would do to your career," she said, taking a sip. Her eyes went cold as she looked at me. "And that goes both ways. A positive review would get you in the door with a salary you can only dream of. A poor one, well..." She shrugged.
"You would blackmail me?" I asked, incredulously. "You would be willing to smear my name for no reason?"
"Blackmail is an ugly word," Audrey said, a frown creasing her forehead. "I prefer to call it selective rewards. You do what I want, I help you. You don't, I don't help you. It's very simple."
"Yeah. Very simply wrong." I shook my head. "I won't do it. You can do whatever dirty tactics you want, but I'm not doing this."
I turned and started walking out of the kitchen and back to the front door. I couldn't believe her. She was willing to put her own stepdaughter on the hiring blacklist if I didn't do something illegal. Well, I'd show her. Even if she did spread lies about me, my good work would shine through. I was a hard worker and good at what I did. There would be people willing to hire me even with her poor recommendation. Some might even hire me because of it, considering the source.
"I was afraid you might decide to be noble." Audrey cut in front of me, blocking my path. I wasn't sure how she moved so quickly without spilling her wine, but I couldn't get past her.
"Please let me leave," I said politely.
Audrey shook her head. "No. You see, there is something else you need to be aware of."
"And what's that? Your stick? You don't have anything on me. I have no skeletons in my closet for you to threaten me with. I'm not doing this for you."
"See, you don't have skeletons in your closet," Audrey agreed. "But your father did. Lots of them."
"My father was a good man," I retorted, but my stomach tightened. My father had been a career politician. What if there was something? "You don't have anything."
Audrey must have noticed the slight tremble in my voice because she smiled like a cat in the cream.
"Oh, but I do," she purred, stepping close to me and touching my cheek. It was a gross approximation of a mother's caress and it made my stomach churn. "What I have would ruin your father's legacy. And, as you know, that's all he has left."
I stared at her, shocked at her cruelty. My father had been a good man. "What do you have?"
"Your father cheated on me," she said, causally shrugging her shoulder. "Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, but it did happen. I have proof of it."
I narrowed my eyes. "I don't believe you."
"You want to see the photos?" She sauntered over to a counter where a plain black folder lay waiting. She handed it to me. "Take a look. I'd recommend stopping after the the third or fourth one. It isn't good to see one's father like that."
I swallowed hard and opened the folder, holding it like it was a snake that might bite me.
The first image was innocuous. My father entering a hotel. I carefully turned it over to see him greet a woman with short blonde hair. I knew her from somewhere, but I couldn't place her. I frowned and turned it over.
The next shot was through the hotel room window. My father and his lover had forgotten to close the blinds since they were clearly on an upper floor.
The next picture, the woman had removed her top. My father was shirtless. They were kissing.
I tasted bile and my stomach clenched. I knew what the next few images would be and I didn't want to see them. I shut the folder, but didn't give it back.
"Oh, you can keep those if you want," Audrey replied, an evil grin filling her face. "I have copies on the cloud. Those were printed just for you, dear."
I wanted to slap the smile off her pointed face.
"There's no date on them," I said, trying to keep calm. "How do I know these aren't from before you were married?"
I didn't want to believe my father could cheat. Knowing my stepmother, I didn't blame him for finding comfort in the arms of another woman, but he was so perfect in my memory I had a hard time believing it was him.
"It was a year before he died. He wanted a divorce, but the Ritter name was worth too much to me. I was sure he was going to become president, and I wasn't about to give that up," Audrey explained. "We came to an agreement. He could have his happy fairy-tale in the hotel rooms as long as it never went public. For my part, I would be the perfect candidate's wife."
I blinked in amazement at the coldness of her tone. She could have been talking about the store not having milk rather than her husband cheating on her. It made me wonder if she ever loved my father, or if he had always just been a political tool.
My bet was on the tool.
"No," I shook my head. "I still won't do it. He's been dead almost eight years. It's not news. No one will even care."
No one but me. I cared, but I needed to keep my poker face on. If I pretended like it didn't matter, then maybe she would think she didn't have leverage.
"Oh, but they will," Audrey assured me. "Take a closer look at the woman. Does she look familiar? She should. She's currently the top pick for vice president in the next election. Governor Allman."
I felt my eyes widen. That's where I recognized the woman. She was all over the news. Her hair was different now, but she was making the talk show rounds. The plan was for her to be VP this election and then president after that.