Moving up in the world

The next day, at the hotel, Nikki was busy with her usual duties when she overheard a guest talking on his phone in the lobby. The man's voice grew louder as he spoke about a rumor he had heard regarding. "Yeah she's a shadow partner in the Grand Royale. You saw the pictures right? There's a steward here that looks just like that guy."

Nikki's ears perked up as the guest described someone who sounded a lot like Aaron. "I heard they have an unconventional relationship, if you know what I mean. He's basically her pet," the guest chuckled, not noticing Nikki's presence nearby. "Really? The other way around? Do you know who that woman is?" His companion's voice was intrigued. “Yeah but it's the bitchy ones that love to be put in their place."

The guest's laughter grated on her nerves as he spoke about Aaron being Ava's 'pet'. It was clear that they didn't understand the true nature of their dynamic. "...See if we can get to the boy. If it is him..." The man's voice trailed off, but Nikki had heard enough. She had to find Aaron, had to tell him what she knew.

She finally found him talking to Mrs. Berkowitz, who looked anything but pleased. The tension was palpable as the woman's eyes narrowed, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Aaron, can I see you in my office, please?" she said, her voice cold and clipped. The smile she gave was ****, a clear warning that their conversation would not be a pleasant one. The guests nearby whispered as they watched the exchange, their eyes lingering on the two of them.

Aaron followed her, his heart racing. He knew Mrs. Berkowitz had seen the news, had seen the picture of him and Ava at the gala. He had hoped she would be too busy to make the connection, but he should have known better. The woman had eyes everywhere.

As soon as the office door was closed, she spun on him, her expression a storm of anger and betrayal. "What the hell is going on, Aaron?" she spat out, her voice like a whip crack.

He took a deep breath, bracing for the worst. "It's complicated," he began, trying to keep his tone neutral.

Mrs. Berkowitz's eyes flashed with fury. "Un-complicate it." Aaron took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. He knew he had to handle this delicately. Mrs. Berkowitz had a temper, and he didn't want to push her over the edge.

"Ava is... a friend. She's been a mentor of sorts." Aaron's voice was steady, his gaze never wavering from Mrs. Berkowitz's piercing stare. "Anything past that is just a rumor, Mrs. Berkowitz," he said calmly. "I assure you, my personal life does not interfere with my work here."

Her eyes narrowed. "I've seen the pictures," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "You with Ava Johns, acting like...like..." She trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the power exchange that was so clear in the images.

"I know about your cameras. I assume you've seen more than the pictures." Aaron had to take the initiative. "And what are you going to do about it?" Aaron was done with the games. He knew the power he had over her, thanks to the app and the damning photos. He had to be careful, but he also had to stand firm.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Berkowitz's voice was tight, her eyes searching his for any sign of weakness.

"Are you going to fire me? Are you going to try to ban me from seeing her?" Aaron's voice was calm, but the challenge in his eyes was unmistakable.

Mrs. Berkowitz's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched tight. "I should," she hissed. "But I won't." She took a deep breath, collecting herself. "Not yet."

"Not ever. You have zero standing here Jennette and you know it." Aaron's voice was steady, the power dynamic shifting in his favor as he leaned closer, his eyes holding hers. She flinched slightly, and he knew he had hit a nerve.

"You will not speak of this outside these walls," he continued, his voice a low growl. "And if you ever attempt to interfere with my relationship with Ava again, I will make sure that everyone knows what you've been up to behind those walls. Your little voyeur tendencies might be fun for a while, but I doubt your husband would find it so entertaining." He smirked as he saw the fear flicker in her eyes.

Mrs. Berkowitz's face paled, her hand flying to her mouth. "How did you...?" she whispered, her eyes wide with horror.

"I know everything, Jennette, the cameras, the ****, the cheating, everything." Aaron said, his voice still calm. "And I'm not going to let you ruin this for me." He stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on her arm. "You're going to keep quiet, and we'll all be just fine." (+15). He pulled out his phone and went to her section, spending the 10 points to turn on her orgasm lock. "You probably got off to the video of Ava and I fucking in the penthouse, I know you have a camera up there; but until you learn to be a good girl, you cannot cum without my permission," he whispered, watching her pupils dilate at his words.

"What the fuck?" Her mind rebelled, Mrs. Berkowitz swallowed hard, her eyes darting to the phone and back to Aaron. She knew he wasn't bluffing, she didn't know how, but she knew. "Okay," she murmured, her voice hushed and broken. "I'll...I'll keep it to myself."

Aaron nodded once, the smirk still playing on his lips. For good measure he went into the app and turned on ‘pain to pleasure’, in Jennette's triggers. He walked over to her, looming over her at her desk. "Good girl," he said, stroking her cheek, before she could come to grips with the sensation, he reached down twisting her nipple.

Jennette wanted to cry out but the pain melted into her core, deep arousal overwhelming her. She hadn't felt this way in years, and she realized with a mix of horror and excitement that she craved it. "Oh god," she murmured, her voice filled with need.

Aaron leaned down, his breath warm against her ear. "You're going to be a good little slut for me from now on, aren't you?" His grip tightened on her nipple, the pain shooting through her body, making her legs quiver.

Mrs. Berkowitz nodded frantically, her eyes glazed with arousal. "Yes," she gasped, her voice a **** whine. "I'll be good."

Aaron stepped back, releasing her. "And if you're still a good girl when I come back, you can cum." He turned and left the office, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving Mrs. Berkowitz to pant and quiver in her seat. She still had leverage over him, Aaron had been unaware of the camera in the Penthouse until it was too late, but if things kept up with Ava it wouldn't matter soon enough.

————————

Aaron's smile was predatory when he left her office. Nikki noticed the change in him immediately, the way his shoulders were squared and his step lighter. "What happened?" she whispered, as they passed in the hallway.

He pulled her into a quick kiss once he was sure they were alone. "Let's just say the rumors are working in my favor," Aaron winked at her. "Mrs. Berkowitz is going to be keeping her nose out of my business from now on."

Nikki's eyes widened in surprise, but she couldn't help but feel a thrill run through her at the thought of Aaron's power over their boss. "What did you do?" she whispered.

"Ava had some information on her that she shared. I just made it clear that it was in both of our best interests to stay out of each other's way. " Aaron's voice was calm, but Nikki could feel the undercurrent of power thrumming through him.

They returned to the lobby, both cleaning and taking care of general busywork. Aaron's mind was racing with thoughts of the implications of Mrs. Berkowitz's knowledge. He had to be more careful, more strategic. The app was a powerful tool, but it couldn't protect him from everything.

Just as the evening shift was winding down, a sharp knock on the lobby's main desk snapped Aaron out of his thoughts. A well-dressed woman in a sleek suit stood before him, a clipboard in hand. "Mr. Cummings?" she inquired, her tone professional yet curious.

"Yes?" Aaron replied, his heart skipping a beat. The woman looked at him with an appraising gaze. "Please come with me." Her nametag said she was from HR. How Jennette had gotten him fired this fast was beyond him. Instead of walking towards the exit, she led him to the back and an elevator normally reserved for the corporate floor.

The elevator ascended smoothly, the tension thickening with each floor. Aaron's palms were sweaty. The app had made him feel invincible, but now reality was slapping him in the face. He could deal with the women in his personal life, but this was his career. The doors slid open to reveal a conference room. He checked the app as descreetly as possible. The woman was Holly Tate, VP of HR, and she had a score of -40.

"Please, have a seat, Mr. Cummings." Holly gestured to the chair across from her. Aaron's eyes darted around the room, searching for any signs of trouble, but it looked like a typical HR office with bland decor and a sense of sterility that did nothing to ease his nerves.

"How can I help you? Is there a problem, Ms. Tate?" Aaron asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Hrm, she checked her paperwork." Holly Tate had a stern expression that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Mr. Cummings, you've been with the company for a couple years now correct?" She leaned back in her chair, studying him.

Aaron nodded, his throat dry. "Yes, ma'am."

"And in that time your professional development reviews have been, shall we say, quite exceptional." Holly Tate's tone was clipped, but there was something in her eyes that Aaron couldn't quite read. "Our VIP users love your service, and recent events with the DuPont wedding have led to an increase in requests for you, specifically."

Aaron felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps this wasn't about his personal life after all. "Thank you, Ms. Tate," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I've always strived to go above and beyond."

"And you have." Holly Tate's smile was tight, but there was a hint of something else in her gaze. "Which is why we're offering you a promotion, we'd like to have you trial as a Corporate Liaison and VIP affairs." Aaron's heart raced. Was this Ava's doing? It had to be. She had told him she had connections, but he never thought they were this deep.

"That means," Holly continued, "you'll be working closely with our most important clients, ensuring their needs are met, scheduling stays for their VIPs and, that they remain satisfied with our hotel's service. It's a significant step up from your current role, Mr. Cummings."

"This will be probationary for a month," Holly's eyes held something dangerous. Like she knew this was a nepotism hire and couldn't wait to fire him, "and if we're satisfied, permanent. You pay scaling has already been adjusted."

Aaron nodded, trying to keep the shock off his face. "Thank you, Ms. Tate. I won't disappoint."

"See that you don't." Holly Tate's words hung in the air as she handed over the paperwork. Aaron took the documents, his hands shaking slightly with excitement. A promotion to Corporate Liaison meant more power, more access to the hotel's inner workings, and more opportunities to use the app to his advantage. "I will walk you to your new office. They're getting your accounts setup, so I don't imagine there will be much to do for the rest of today."

As they walked through the plush hallways of the corporate floor, Aaron couldn't help but feel like he had just dodged a bullet. He knew that Jennette wouldn't have missed this opportunity to get rid of him. But as it turned out, the universe had other plans. The app had just handed him a golden ticket.

His office was small, and out of the way, but it had a view, and more importantly, it was his. Aaron sat down behind the desk, trying to wrap his head around the sudden turn of events. Ava had truly come through for him. He picked up his phone and opened the app, his eyes scanning over Holly Tate's profile. He had a plan to win her over, to make her see the potential in him, not just as a corporate liaison, but as someone with the power to shape the hotel's future. He knew she was a tough cookie, but he could break her down.

The rest of the day was a blur of orientation and paperwork, with Aaron barely having a moment to breathe. His mind was racing with the possibilities of his new role and the power it would give him. As the sun set, casting an orange glow over the city, he finally had a moment to himself. He leaned back in his chair, taking in the view. He had done it, he had climbed another rung on the ladder, and it was all thanks to the app and Ava's influence.

———————-

He left for the day the same time as Nikki, "Where the hell have you been?" She practically pounced on him as soon as they were out of earshot of anyone else. Her eyes were wide with excitement and worry.

"I... I got a promotion?"

"You don't sound very sure about that?"

"No, no it's just...it's a lot to take in," Aaron replied, still feeling a bit stunned. He filled Nikki in on the details of his new position and the enigmatic meeting with Holly Tate.

"We need to celebrate! That's incredible!" Nikki squealed, throwing her arms around Aaron in a tight hug. Her excitement was contagious, and despite the weight of the day's events, he couldn't help but smile.

As the two of them left the hotel, a car was waiting for them, the sleek black sedan gleaming under the streetlights. A man in a sharp suit held the back door open, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he looked at Aaron. "Mr. Cummings?"

Nikki's eyes widened when the sleek black sedan pulled up, and the well-dressed man stepped out to address Aaron by name. She had never seen such a fancy car up close, let alone been offered a ride in one. "Ava sent this?" she whispered, her voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Ms. Johns requested you stop by this evening."