Big Corp Inc. (G/T)

Part 18: Confrontation

Martin took Candy into the bathroom and washed his saliva off of her in the sink with hand soap. She giggled as his Giant fingers rubbed her body down with slippery suds. She adored his touch. Martin smiled and admired how cute she was.

"Cover your ears," he instructed her mildly, then held her under the automatic hand dryer. Candy did not like this part as much and cowered down in the cup of his soft palm as she was blasted with air. As unpleasant as the noise was, she was at least dry and clean now. Martin removed her from the dryer and gazed at her tenderly. He planted another soft kiss on her side and she reciprocated with a kiss of her own as she brushed her small hands against his enormous lips.

"Did you enjoy your cake?" Candy asked him.

"Oh yes, absolutely! I liked it even better with it crumbled up all over you. You're like a little cupcake!" the Giant replied with a flirtatious wink. Candy giggled again, and Martin felt his heart sing along with the mirthful sound. He was glad to see her feeling better after she had been crying. "I suppose we should get some actual work done today. I'll escort you back to your desk." Martin held her securely in his hand, up to his torso, as he left the bathroom. Candy rested against the soft fabric of his suit, soaking in the warmth of his huge body. She rocked gently with every large stride he made as he walked.

As Martin rounded a corner, he happened to run into Ronny going the opposite direction. Ronny scowled at Martin with irritation. When he noticed Martin was holding Candy, he glared daggers at her with his dark, cold eyes. Candy whimpered and Martin covered her with his other hand protectively. Ronny pushed past Martin roughly and kept walking, clenching his jaw with ire. In his view, Candy looked too happy with Martin. He wanted her to be miserable.

Martin held Candy defensively against his body and peeked down at her inside his hands. She was trembling, with her eyes squeezed shut as she huddled against him for comfort. "Are you alright, Candy?" he asked her softly. Candy looked up at him and nodded.

"He scares me," she whispered. "Since I've been here, every interaction I've had with him has been a nightmare, because he always finds some new way to torment me."

"Like how?" Martin inquired. His brows folded down in anger. He wasn't aware that the cake incident hadn't been the first time he'd bullied her.

"Let's see... he wouldn't let me out of his cup when I fell in, and almost gulped me down with his coffee. He threw me into the refrigerator and trapped me inside. He flicked me in the head, knocked me out, and stashed me in Mr. Hardon's bag. And he smashed my cake all over me. He's just an awful, miserable Giant who is going out of his way to make me suffer for no reason." She reached up and touched the swollen welt on her forehead as a reminder of his cruelty.

"Wait—refrigerator? Is that how you ended up in my sandwich? That was Ronny's doing?" Candy nodded glumly. The mystery was finally solving itself for Martin as the pieces fell into place. "And yesterday, when you were lost in Mr. Hardon's neighborhood—that was his fault too?!" Candy affirmed with another movement of her head. Martin ground his teeth with outrage. He always though Ronny was a jerk, but he hadn't realized just how bad the man was. His antics had been enough to nearly kill the poor woman, several times over. The Giant bully needed to be taught a lesson. "I'm sorry all that happened to you, Candy. I'll make sure it doesn't occur again."

By now, they were at Candy's desk. Martin set her down on the surface and stroked her with his finger. She wrapped her arms around it in a hug. "I'll see you around, Candy. Thank you for the cake." He smiled, and she returned the gesture warmly and released her hold on his digit. As he ambled away, his smile faded into a frown. He had some serious business to attend to.

Mr. Hardon watched the pair from inside his office. He was astonished to see Candy back in the office, after what happened back at his house. He thought he had scared her off by devouring her, but apparently he underestimated her fortitude. Witnessing the interaction between Martin and Candy made him feel odd too, in a different way. He saw how Martin stroked her, how she hugged his finger with her delicate arms. Their affection for each other elicited a negative reaction in him. Was he... jealous? He shook his head to clear the feeling away. That wasn't possible. Candy belonged to him; he was merely being possessive. He stood up and skulked over to her.