Take My Hand (Interracial Erotic Romance) Read Free Page B

the dining room but didn’t see Mr. Scott.
    “Gracie!” Jenny walked over to her wearing a frown on her face. “I heard about what happened. I’m sorry, girl.”
    Gracie hugged her. “Don’t worry about it Jenny, I’ll be fine. Have you seen Mr. Scott? Leo told me he was looking for me.”
    “Yes, he just left. On his way out he asked me to inform you to meet him in his office.”
    Gracie shook her head. Now she was supposed to chase the man all over the hotel for a damn tip? She felt pitiful for the things she had to do for money, but times were tough. “Thanks Jenny. I’ll be back next week to get my last paycheck. I’ll see you then.”
    Jenny jumped into Gracie’s arms and hugged her again. “I’m gonna miss you Gracie."
    “Me too Jenny, me too.” Gracie exited restaurant and headed towards the bank of elevators near the entrance to the hotel. An older security guard stood sentinel.
    “Are you a guest of the hotel, ma’am?”
    “No, I work… rather, I used to work at Parker’s. I have a meeting with Mr. Scott. I think his offices are on the penthouse floor?”
    The guard nodded. “Are you Ms. Johnson?”
    “Yes, I am.”
    The security guard handed Gracie a card-key. “Go on up. Mr. Scott told me you would be coming by. Just slide this card in before you press the penthouse floor, okay?”
    Gracie nodded. “Thank you.”
    She walked into the elevator, slid the access card and pressed PH. The doors closed and after a smooth twenty-second ride, re-opened. Gracie stepped into an empty foyer and noticed a door off to the right that was ajar. That must be his office. I wonder how I look?
    Gracie smoothed the wrinkles out of her blouse and made her way to the entrance. She knocked lightly on the door and peered in. Mr. Scott was sitting behind a large wooden desk and motioned for her to come in.
    “Ms. Johnson, I’m glad you came up to see me.” Tyler motioned for her to sit. The office was sparsely furnished and very clean. Large windows offered a panoramic view of the city. An efficient workspace with a touch of style.
    Gracie took a seat and crossed her legs. She did her best to remain composed in front of her former boss. “What is this about Mr. Scott? Leo already fired me, in case you weren’t aware.”
    Tyler smirked. “Do you think there’s much that goes on around here that I’m not aware of?”
    Gracie felt a pang of annoyance. She just lost her job and now she had to sit and listen to an egomaniac pat himself on the back for being smarter than everyone else. Gracie sighed. “I suppose you know exactly what is going on at all times, sir, but if you don’t mind, could you please tell me what you need me for? I’ve had a very long day and I would really like to get home and relax.”
    Tyler leaned back in his chair and nodded his head. “Fair enough. First, I want to apologize on behalf of Leo. He can be a little…rough around the edges at times.”
    “He’s an asshole.”
    Tyler laughed and nodded his head. “In a nutshell, yes, Leo is an asshole. He’s great at running a kitchen but dealing with employees, especially females, is not one of his strong suits. Anyway, I called you up here to offer you severance, if you decide you would like to leave, that is.”
    " Decide to leave? I’m not sure I follow, Mr. Scott.”
    Tyler stood and walked to the window that overlooked the city. He placed his hands on his hips and looked back at Gracie. “It’s simple, Ms. Johnson. Leo was wrong to fire you. I talked to him briefly and he told me you had other…infractions. The latest one being a tardiness due to a poetry recital. Is that correct?”
    Gracie squinted her eyes and tried to figure out Mr. Scott’s end game. Was he trying to get in her pants? Playing the hero, when in fact he was just leveraging his position into a piece of her black ass. “Yes, that’s correct. I was due to start my shift at 8pm and I showed up late. I had a family emergency to deal with after my recital