The Placebo Effect

The

Placebo

Effect

The Placebo Effect

By April Cronin

Copyright © 2017 April Cronin

ISBN-13:9781370970933

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the author.

Cover Photo by Adobe Stock

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Chapter 1

January 22nd

Closing the door and slipping the key into the lock, Olivia locked up her office, she was looking forward to the weekend ahead. It had been several weeks since she'd visited her brother at the family sandwich shop he now owned. Their parent’s having retired and making the subsequent move back to the Greek Isles after spending the past thirty-five years in America.

A visit was long overdue as far as she was concerned. Perhaps she'd even give him a hand and help out. She'd worked at the shop with her parents and her brother as a teenager, something like that you just didn't forget, it was like riding a bike. In fact, she found more often than not that when she chose to visit, she was usually wrangled into pitching in.

The shop stayed pretty busy, and she could always stay in the apartment above it if she were so inclined. Her brother's last tenants had moved out recently and as the shop was massively profitable, he'd decided to leave it vacant for when their parents chose to visit, which was usually three to four times a year. As much as they both loved their parents, Olivia and Amadeus agreed that having their folks stay with them for more than a day or two at a time was most inconvenient.

They were a pretty tight knit family, but Franklin and Eleanor could manage to get under your skin in a matter of minutes. Both Olivia and Amadeus were in their early thirties, and both were single. They were likewise tired of the constant badgering by their parents to settle down and get married. Frank and Ellie meant well of course and were dying for a couple of grandchildren, which was fine, but Olivia and Amadeus weren't quite ready for all that a family entailed.

Amadeus was working on expanding the sandwich shop, he wanted to build a location in Chicago, always longing to live and work in the city he adored. And since he'd only been managing the shop on his own for about a year now, it was no small task to expand.

Olivia, meanwhile, was too busy working her way up the corporate ladder to have any interest in shacking up and settling down. She'd been working for Seaward Staffing Services for almost twelve years now. Starting out at the tender age of eighteen as a secretary while she earned her MBA, Olivia had worked her ass off, recruiting new clients, and learning the business inside and out, finally earning herself a partnership in the company.

An agency that staffed several large cities in the area, to include Chicago and the surrounding areas, as well as Gary, Indiana, where they were located, and a few of its suburbs. They even had a small hub office in Indianapolis that Mr. Seaward visited once or twice a month. And though they didn't actually service Elkhart, where the family shop was, at least in the way of providing temp services, they did provide payroll services for many businesses in that area, including her brother's shop.

They had also recently expanded into New York, with talks to open agencies in Miami and Los Angeles within a few years as well. At which time Olivia might retain full control of their Gary/Chicago location; Mr. Seaward had an affinity for Florida and owned a condo near Miami already.

She was excited, thrilled even. Maybe once she took over the Gary/Chicago location, she'd oblige her parents and start looking for a husband.

But not just yet.

As she passed by the front desk, Olivia waved to the receptionist, who was packing up for the weekend herself. Alley was in her early twenties, and often times spent her weekends clubbing in the city. Olivia envied her sometimes. To be young and careless. Something she never was. Well, maybe she'd been younger once, but she was never careless, and continually strove for something better. Having once been a secretary for the company herself, she knew, about what Alley made, and it was more than enough to support herself in the type of lavish lifestyle she enjoyed, but Olivia had wanted more.

Alley waved politely, long past trying to convince Olivia to join her at the clubs anymore, and pulled her hair into a ponytail as she finished gathering up her stuff. By now, everyone in the company pretty much knew Olivia didn't socialize outside of work functions. At least not with anyone other than Mr. Seaward, and even then, the Seawards were like family to her. After being turned down countless times, Alley had given up.

She wasn't the first and probably wouldn't be the last however to try and include Olivia in social activities. But as a rule, Olivia tried to avoid fraternizing with her employees. She had the occasional meal with Mr. Seaward and his wife, which was expected even more since she'd become a partner, but after a particularly hard breakup and a vicious rumor concerning her and one of the previous managers, Olivia had decided long ago that it just wasn't worth it. After the old manager had been let go, and the rumors finally died down, Olivia had stopped being referred to as the office slut and was eventually dubbed the Ice Queen, and well, that was that.

Mr. Seaward's personal secretary was still in her office, and probably wouldn't leave for another hour yet, so Olivia didn't need to worry about waiting for Alley to leave, Louise would lock up on her way out. With an absent wave towards Alley, who was too busy shutting down her computer to notice, Olivia strode out of the building and into the parking garage just around the corner.

He watched her leave.

Her head held high, the blue-black of her inky hair glistening in the evening light, the gentle sway of her hips as she sashayed down the sidewalk, her pencil skirt shifting across her voluptuous behind. He nearly salivated as his gaze traveled down her backside to her long lean legs, her calves flexing under the pressure of walking in those five-inch spiked heels. God, she was amazing.

He wanted her.

By God, he would have her too. The snooty little bitch. Always looking down her nose at him. Ignoring him even. Didn't she know who he was? Didn't she realize her souls' yearning desire for him? Oh, they were a match, and he knew it. She might have been a little higher up in the pecking order than he, but they were equals. And he'd known from the moment he'd first laid eyes on her twelve years ago that she was made for him.

He could remember how young and vulnerable she'd been. How he'd helped her overcome her fears, taken her under his wing and shown her the way. Taught her things, like who she could trust, and who would use her shamelessly. And what had the bitch done? How had she shown him her gratitude? She'd gone and hooked up with that sleazeball manager of hers! Typical woman. Using her body to advance her career! If only it hadn't worked! If only Mr. Seaward hadn't rushed in and scooped her up for himself.

Maybe he would've had a chance then. But after the downfall, after Roderick had been fired, Olivia got promoted, and he was denied his regular access to her. He saw her in passing, perhaps sometimes on their lunch breaks, but with her office away from the main lobby, he'd hardly had any time to talk to her. And after a while, it seemed she had forgotten him altogether.

He could still remember it; the company picnic, walking up to her where she sat alone at one of the tables, pushing food around on her plate and looking simply despondent. Her full lips turned down in a pout, her eyes cast towards the ground, her forehead wrinkled in a pucker. And yet, she was so beautiful, she'd nearly taken his breath away.

Olivia? he said.

She looked up, her dark blue eyes searching his face, for what he wasn't sure. I'm sorry, did you want something? She had finally asked.

And his heart had sunk. His smile fell. Did he want something? What kind of question was that? Is that how you greeted a trusted friend? Had he not shown her the ropes? Had he not been her best friend for the first few months of her employment? How easily she had cast him aside once she'd dug her claws into Mr. Seaward. Oh, he knew what they all said about her. He knew how she was mocked, and called the company slut behind her back. He'd heard all the rumors. She was so much more than just Mr. Seaward's personal assistant. He knew it, everyone knew it.

Not only had she'd had a brief affair with her previous manager, oh no, now she was sleeping with the owner of the company! And probably his partner as well! Rumors were abounding as to just how far she'd slept her way up the ladder, and how much further she was willing to go.

I'm, I'm sorry, he'd stammered. Excuse me, he said before turning and walking away, too stunned, too pissed off to stand there and embarrass himself in front of her further.

He'd looked back at her a few minutes later. Watched as Mrs. Seaward approached her, and her face lit up, her lips curved, the dimples in her cheeks softening the hardness of her high cheekbones. Disgusting! How could she could she be so cold? Sleeping with the poor woman's husband, and yet smiling so sweetly to her face! He hated her then. Hated her with a passion so deep seeded that he'd wanted to kill her. Relished the thought even. Placing his hands around her throat and squeezing the life out of her. Watching as the light in her eyes faded.

His cock had twitched at the thought of it.

He thought about plunging into her as he did it. Spilling himself inside her while the very life was choked from her. Perhaps she'd even come while her earthly ties were severed. His groin throbbed, pulsing to life as he imagined being sheathed by her tight little cunt.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the horrible moment he had allowed the beast inside him to roam free. Even now, he was aroused. It had been years since that awful day in which his perfect angel had fallen from grace. The rumors of her adultery had long since faded. She was the Ice Queen now. So cold, so haughty, so utterly beautiful.

Olivia had certainly come into herself since first arriving on the company doorstep a fragile fawn, all lean and gangly like. She was willowier now, but she'd certainly filled out in all the right places. An hourglass figure, tall, and exotic.

We were meant for each other my sweet. He thought to himself as he watched her disappear from view. Not that he didn't know where she was headed. He knew everything there was to know about Olivia Mozatis, after all.

The product of immigrant parents, Greek, the both of them. They opened a sandwich shop in Elkhart and then used their American-born son, Amadeus, as their anchor baby once their visa's expired. Olivia came along less than a year later. She worked in her parent’s shop until she was eighteen when she got a job with Seaward Staffing, the very company her parents used for payroll services. She was thirty now. Owned a house in Hobart. She had a cat she'd adopted a few years back but otherwise lived alone.

And other than the one unfortunate relationship with a former manager of Seaward Staffing, she hadn't been linked to anyone else in a long time. Sure there'd been talk around the company about her sleeping with this person or that, and for a time he had believed it, for a time, the beast within had convinced him it was true, but in his position, he was often privy to information that others weren't. And he quickly realized he'd been wrong all those years ago. It was just so hard to keep the beast within at bay sometimes. So he had believed it then.

Yes, Mr. Seaward had taken a personal interest in her, but only on a professional level. And yes, she often dined with the Seawards since being promoted last year to partner, but rarely was Mrs. Seaward absent from those meetings, and when she was, they dined publicly, and usually with clients. She was never alone with Mr. Seaward, or with any other man in the company for that matter. He knew these things; he'd been following her every move for the last few years now.

He knew her parents had moved back to Greece. He knew she visited her brother and stayed in an apartment above the shop he now owned at least once a month. He knew she constantly turned down offers from coworkers to hang out. And he knew she hadn't dated a man in more than six months.

She was waiting for him.

And the more he told himself that, the more he started to believe it. Because he remembered how sweet, young, ripe for the taking Olivia, had flirted with him in those early days. Shamelessly she teased him, day after day. He'd completely blocked out the fact of course, that she'd turned him down the one time he'd worked up the courage to ask her out. No, he didn't think about that now as he conjured up her sliding behind the wheel of her prissy little Mercedes.

He merely imagined what it was going to be like to finally make love to her. To feel her luscious, yet firm body writhing beneath him. Her long tan legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him into her further, burying him to the hilt, begging him to drive himself deeper, further, until their very souls touched.

She belonged to him. She had been created for him. And tonight they would mate. Tonight they would join their bodies, their souls, together.

Chapter 2

The moment she unlocked the door to her home, Spook, the fluffy little black and white cat she'd adopted a few years back came running towards her, winding between her legs and rubbing against her mercilessly while she purred emphatically. Olivia laughed, bending down to scoop the little ball of fluff into her arms and press her face into the softness of her fur. Spook was her best friend, a Godsend really. For without the needy and somewhat eccentric cat, Olivia would have been far too lonely.

When she had finally moved out of the apartment she'd shared with a friend from college, and bought her own place, she'd relished the independence, but as time wore on, she grew increasingly lonely. Donna, her college roommate suggested she get a pet. So she'd visited the local shelter thinking she'd get a dog. But realizing how unfair it would be to keep such an active and dependent creature locked up and alone all day while she was away at work, she'd headed in the direction of the cat room instead.

Cats didn't require as much attention. A little food and water, a clean litter box, and of course, affection on their terms. Hearing the shelter staff explain the benefits of choosing a cat rather than a dog in her situation, had made sense to her, and when she'd laid eyes on Spook, she'd fallen in love.

Spook with her long fur, and her big yellow eyes. Half of her face was black, and the rest of her white, except for a black tipped tail. And to top it off, she'd been born on Halloween. Yes, it was love at first sight for Olivia, and though Spook had been a little shy at first, she'd warmed up quickly, and had been Olivia's companion ever since. Anyone who said a cat wasn't affectionate had never met Spook before. She was as loving and needy as they came.

Just the way Olivia wanted it.

Olivia didn't have many friends. There was Donna, from college, but as she was married and had two children now, eventually moving to Chicago, Olivia saw her less and less these days. There was her brother, but other than the monthly visits she made, and the few times they talked over the phone, they were both just so busy. And she hadn't dared socialize with anyone at work, not since that fiasco with Roderick. She just couldn't risk it. But how else did one meet people?

She'd done the whole speed dating thing once, and she'd even gone on a couple of blind dates as well that she'd set up online, but Olivia just didn't have much interest in dating. There was so much going on at work, and so many things yet to come, she didn't have the time or the energy to properly devote to a relationship. No, Spook would have to do for now.

Pouring a little kitty chow into her bowl, Olivia set the yowling cat down in front of it and walked into her bedroom to shed her skirt and blouse. It was a scorcher out there today, unusual for January, but there you have it, and despite the AC in her house on full blast, her silk top still clung to her, and her thighs were slick with sweat as they rubbed together under the tight fabric of her skirt.

From his vantage point on top of the wall that bordered her property, he peered through his binoculars and watched the sensuous scene that unfolded in front of him. Perhaps he should have felt guilty for spying on her, maybe he should even be sick to his stomach at all the effort he'd put in over the years stalking her, but he'd grown accustomed to it. He the predator, and she the prey.

He never questioned his morals, never thought to seek help for his abnormal behavior. The beast inside him needed only reassurance before it would slip away into the depths of his blackened soul again. There was nothing wrong with tossing the beast a few scraps here and there. He'd only observed her up until this point. But he wasn't a voyeur by any means, she was his after all, and he was just trying to protect her virtue.

Not that he'd really had to over the years. Olivia didn't date much, and he knew she hadn't been intimate with anyone in a long time. He'd just bet she had a vibrator, though. Maybe they could play with it together. He could imagine lubing it up, and sliding it in and out of her tight sheath as she moaned, stroking him, and pleading with him to make her come.

They would do many things tonight. And he would have her begging him for more, which he would gladly give her. Over and over and over again. Just thinking about all the things they were going to do together had him all hot and bothered. But it wasn't time yet. He had a few things he needed to do first. For now, though, he was content to watch her undress. It was like she was stripping just for him, his own private little peep show.

She didn't feel the need for privacy, her curtains open just the right amount to let in the fading light, and the lamp on her bedside table made her practically glow. She slowly unbuttoned her white silk blouse, one button at a time, sliding it off her left shoulder and then the right as she pulled the tails out of her powder blue skirt. Tossing the blouse on the bed she reached for the zipper at the back of her skirt, he could almost imagine standing behind her, grasping the zipper in his own hands and sliding the material down her long lithe limbs.

The skirt pooled at her feet where she stepped out of it, still wearing her heels, and clad in what could only be called matching scraps of lace, the material of her bra and panties so insubstantial as they were, she was glorious. Her bronzed skin, her high breasts threatening to spill from her tiny pink bra, the round disks of her dark nipples just barely discernible in the fluorescent lighting. What he wouldn't give to be in that room with her right now.

Patience.

It was almost time. Ripping the binoculars away from his face, he jumped down from the wall, adjusted his slacks to loosen the pressure around his thickening groin and marched off in the direction of his truck. Olivia lived in the suburbs, the end of a dead end street that backed up to another neighborhood that was still in development.

It made things so much easier for him, especially since the back of her perimeter wall was up against a slope. It might keep certain animals from wandering onto her property, but it did nothing to deter a hunter like him. And with the right amount of tree coverage, he really did have the perfect vantage point, nearly undetectable, with an unobstructed view of her bedroom window to boot!

With his truck parked in the empty lot of what would eventually be her neighbor’s yard, a spot he'd scouted months ago when he decided to stop being a voyeur and take their relationship to the next level, he'd taken his time, sought out her habits, and planned his next move. He was tired of their idle water cooler chit chat and the stolen flirtations at closing time, tonight they would take the next step. Tonight they would cement their feelings for each other. Tonight, he would finally claim her as his!

After a long hot shower, Olivia slipped into her favorite nightgown, a bright red chemise that hung nearly to her ankles and felt luxuriously soft against her skin, and plopped down onto the couch where she and Spook curled up together to watch the latest episode of the Bachelor she'd DRV'd, reality TV being one of her favorite past times, that and a good book.

She thought about tomorrow, what time she would get up, what she might wear, and whether or not she would stay at her brother's shop. She enjoyed working at the shop with him, didn't mind getting her hands a little dirty, and he was short staffed more often than not. The shop, as it had been, was still a client of Seaward Staffing, they provided payroll services mostly, but from time to time, a temp was found through them as well. Nobody lasted very long there, though. Amadeus wasn't a tough boss by any means, but the work was rather demanding.

They were a very busy deli and did catering and delivery as well. Having worked there herself since she was a little girl, Olivia knew just how demanding the work really was. And while there were a few employees that had been there for a lengthy period of time, most of the part-timers came and went faster than the changing seasons.

Olivia wasn't sure if she felt like working this weekend. It had been a rough week at Seaward Staffing as it was. Trying to plan their upcoming expansion into Miami was no small order. And being as the Seawards were planning to move down there and manage it themselves, that left Olivia tasked with figuring out what came next for her own agency.

Her own agency. Gosh, it was nice to say that. While it would still be known as Seaward Staffing Services, and Mr. Seaward would still command a profit, as well as hold the final say in any decisions she may make, it would for all intents and purposes be her agency. She would run it. She would staff it. She would be in charge.

Lost in thoughts of what would be, what could be, Olivia was startled by the knock at the door. It wasn't necessarily late, but as she certainly hadn't been expecting anyone, it made her more nervous than curious about who had decided to call on her at this time of the evening on a Friday night. As she crept closer to the door, Spook took off for her usual hiding spot under the couch, her ears pinned